Blog Archive

Friday, December 13, 2019

December 17, 2019, Regular EPB Meeting, 6:00 PM

1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND ANY ADDITIONS
2. CONSIDER MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 26, 2019 MEETING
3. CONSIDER BI-ANNUAL WRITE-OFFS
4. DISCUSS TVA HOME UPLIFT PROGRAM
5. DISCUSS BOARD’S WISHES FOR RATE DESIGN TO DISTRIBUTE TVA 3.1% CREDIT
6. CLOSED SESSION UNDER KRS 61.810(1)C TO DISCUSS DEFAMATION LITIGATION
7. CONSIDER 2020 EPB PAY PLAN
8. CONDUCT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF SUPERINTENDENT
9. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
A. NOVEMBER METRICS AND FINANCIAL METRICS REVIEW
B. JANUARY FCA
C. CPD LEDGER
D. WINDSTREAM BANKRUPTCY
E. EPB INTERNET SPEED UPGRADE
F. PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE ISSUES
10. ADJOURN
TO: Members of Glasgow Electric Plant Board
FROM: William J. Ray, PE
DATE: 12/13/2019
SUBJECT: Board Meeting Information
December Main Topics
Ø Accounts to be Written Off
Ø TVA Home Uplift Program
Ø Discuss Options for 3.1% Credit Disbursement
Ø Review and consider EPB Pay Plan for 2019
Ø Evaluate Superintendent’s Performance
Ø EPB Internet Speed Upgrade
Action Items
📷
January 1 FCA
Ø The January 2020 TVA FCA is projected to decrease to 1.715 cents per kW. Since the meeting is a week early, final TVA figures on the FCA are not yet available.
Ø On January 1, the energy component of our retail rates will adjust to reflect the actual change when it is posted by TVA.
Bi-Annual Write Offs Report and Recommendation
Ø List of accounts proposed to be written-off is provided as an attachment.
Ø Superintendent will review the list of accounts with board and make a recommendation.
TVA Home Uplift Program Under TVA’s Energy Right Bundle
Ø TVA has just announced a new feature of its Energy Right Solutions package, and it is called Home Uplift.
Ø The new program is targeted at making energy efficiency and healthy livability improvements to the homes of low-income families who occupy their own home.
Ø The money available for each LPC is based upon a formula, wherein our electric revenue determines the amount of that revenue TVA will allow us to commit to the program, and then TVA adds to that amount with a partial match.
Ø In Glasgow’s case, TVA would allow us to commit $56,000 to the program, and they would match it with $19,250.
Ø More details on this opportunity to deepen EPB’s commitment to stewardship in the low-income community will be provided at the meeting.
EPB Options for Dispersing the 3.1% Wholesale Credit from TVA
Ø With the execution of the TVA Long Term Partnership Agreement last month, EPB will be receiving a 3.1% wholesale bill credit from TVA each month (amounting, on average, to something over $40,000 per month with present rates).
Ø The Board will be asked to give directions on how that money is to be utilized and dispersed.
Discussion of Possible Defamation Action in Executive Session
Ø The Board will consider entering Executive Session under KRS 61.810(1)(c) to hear recommendations from Jeremy Rogers, Partner with the Dinsmore law firm.
Annual EPB Pay Plan Review
Ø Per the Board’s long-standing directions, a survey of the pay plans of peer utilities has been conducted.
Ø This year, the delta between EPB Hourly pay rates and the average of the peer group was found to be 3.3%.
Ø Superintendent will recommend a 2.9% adjustment to hourly position pay rates for 2020, along with corresponding adjustments to the midpoints of the six EPB merit pay grades.
Ø Nationwide CPI change over the 12 months ending in November, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics, is 2.1% https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm
Ø Superintendent will recommend budgets for hourly, merit, apprentice, and retirement/replacements for 2020.
Performance Review of Superintendent
Ø A performance review of the Superintendent is customarily performed during the December meeting.
Reports
Ø Metrics and Financial Review
Ø January FCA
Ø CPD Charge Reserve Fund Status
- kW demand markup was implemented two years ago, to cover TVA wholesale cost for missed peak predictions
- Updated calculations will be presented at the meeting if available. The fund is in acceptable shape due to overall accuracy of peak predictions, but the problems with accuracy in 2019 have hurt the fund.
Ø Windstream Bankruptcy
Ø End of Year Internet Upgrade Plans
- EPB has historically recognized the value of its internet access products and the customers who use the product, by performing the necessary work to upgrade speed offerings each year.
- The authorization by the board has allowed us to procure the necessary hardware and software upgrades to upgrade speeds again this year, and those upgrades have been successfully installed, with little interruption to customer services. This process began one year ago, with engineering design work done on the network, followed by construction activity by EPB crews to carry out the plans, without objectionable outages to customers.
- This year our speed increases concentrate on uploads. We have just announced that our products are upgrading to 25/5, 50/10, and 100/20 MBPS (500% faster upload speeds)! This new upload speed will dramatically improve our network performance for businesses and those who work from home. Best of all, we’re providing this new functionality without increasing rates!
Ø Programming Committee Issues
Conclusion
Please let me know if you have any questions before the meeting.