This month we will meet exclusively via teleconference, with no members physically present and with no physical access available to the public. To provide access in compliance with all applicable laws and rulings, the meeting will be televised on EPB Cable6, and on Facebook (on the Glasgow EPB page at https://www.facebook.com/glasgowepb/)and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyGfIohxwECtiY9M28IX6EQ). This meets the newest requirements for open meetings during the Covid-19 State Emergency.

TENTATIVE AGENDA, 6:00 PM, On EPB Cable 6 and EPB You Tube Channel

1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND ANY ADDITIONS

2. CONSIDER MINUTES OF APRIL 28, 2020 MEETING (NO OFFICIAL MAY MEETING)

3. DISCUSS EPB COVID-19 RESPONSE AND RESULTS

4. CONSIDER POLICY ON EPB NON-PAY DISCONNECT FORBEARANCE

A. ORDER FROM GOVERNOR

B. BUDGET IMPACT PROJECTIONS

5. CONSIDER 2020 BUDGET RECTIFICATION

6. CONSIDER 2021 BUDGET

7. BI-ANNUAL WRITE-OFFS

8. CONSIDER SOLAR PILOT PROJECT

9. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

A. MAY METRICS AND FINANCIAL METRICS REVIEW

B. JULY FCA

C. CPD LEDGER

D. 2021 KLC INSURANCE PACKAGE RENEWAL

E. RATIFICATION OF OPEN MEETINGS COMPLAINTS RESPONSES

F. RATIFICATION OF PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

10. OLD/NEW BUSINESS

A. DISCUSS FORMAT OF FUTURE EPB MEETINGS

11. ADJOURN

TO: Members of Glasgow Electric Plant Board

FROM: William J. Ray, PE

DATE: 6/19/2020

SUBJECT: June Board Meeting Information

June Main Topics

Ø EPB Operations in Covid-19 Environment and Temporary Changes

Ø Consideration of Continued Forbearance on Non-Payment Disconnects

Ø 2020 Budget Rectification and 2021 Budget Approval

Ø Bi-Annual Write Offs

Ø Reconsideration of Proposed Solar Pilot Project

Ø Cable Television Contract Renewals and Other Programming Committee Recommendations

The June meeting is quite full of items. Since the June meeting is the last one of our fiscal year, there are items that must always be dealt with. Further, since we didn’t have an official meeting in May, due to the lack of a quorum, we have hold-over items from that meeting as well.

Of course, we all know that the present legal status of the Board and its officers presents another abnormal situation for the meeting. I urge you to attend anyway, such that we can set those issues aside and deal with the matters we must.

Action Items

📷

July 1 FCA

Ø The July 2020 TVA FCA will increase very slightly, to 1.497 cents per kWh. This is a very small increase in the FCA. COVID influenced May sales, combined with mild weather, resulted in far less fuel being used to produce power. In fact, TVA’s May’s fuel costs were near the lowest on record, since the creation of the FCA. Abundant hydroelectric generation also impacted the fuel cost positively.

Ø On July 1, the energy component of our retail rates will adjust to reflect this small increase passed on by TVA.

Covid-19 and Glasgow EPB

Ø Service disconnections for non-payment have been discontinued pending Board direction, and TVA/PSC directions on same. We have also temporarily waived the fee for call-in credit card payments. The matter became more complicated last month when Governor Beshear issued a new order, which forbids utilities (and mentions municipal utilities, like ours, specifically) from resuming normal non-payment disconnects until after he lifts his Emergency Declaration for the state. Obviously, for a non-profit like EPB, the additional losses will have to be borne by all customers. This matter also has federal sovereignty implications, since the Governor is usurping TVA’s regulatory role. This matter is very complicated.

Ø We closed the EPB lobby to the public on Wednesday, March 18. At the same time, we announced the cessation of services to broadband wiring inside customer premises. As the Governor is slowly allowing certain activities to return to normal, we are studying how we can begin to relax our policy of not entering customer homes, with proper PPE and procedures. This is a tough call, as so many of our customers are now huddled into their homes, and totally dependent on the broadband services we provide. We have been in contact with GWC, FRECC, and SCRTC regarding their lobby opening decisions. Right now, pending Board approval, we are looking at reopening on July 6, with new plexiglass barriers in the lobby and signage to urge minimal attendance in the lobby.

Ø While TVA is giving us considerable latitude on how long this disconnect forbearance should last, they are determined for us to ultimately collect on all balances owed. Further, as mentioned above, they are carefully considering how long to cooperate with the Governor’s directive, before they take action to re-establish themselves as the sole LPC regulator.

Ø “Social distancing” steps have already been taken by the EPB team along with additional cleaning of the EPB office. Personal protective equipment has been provided to EPB team members who interact directly with the public. The team has returned to normal shifts.

Ø We look forward to reversing all these steps and moving back toward our normal operations when officials advise us of the safety of that action.

When to End Non-Payment Disconnection Forbearance

Ø Since the last meeting we’ve gotten some important experience with the financial impact of our temporary forbearance on non-payment disconnects of electric power and broadband services.

Ø At the meeting I will give you a lot of information about what has happened over the last three months. We will discuss actual performance versus the projections we made in previous meetings. We will also furnish you with external data on unemployment and the benefits coming to our customers who are impacted by this pandemic. Though you have seen these projections before, we will update them with new data and new projections, based on the recent order from the Governor.

Ø In order to provide better projections, the Superintendent will present projections based on assumptions as to when the Board might choose to end forbearance on non-payment disconnects, and when that forbearance termination might be allowed by the State. These assumptions are necessary, in order to provide realistic projections, but the decision on ending forbearance will continue to be totally up to the Board.

2020 and 2021 Budgets

Ø Kentucky law requires that non-profits and municipal corporations, like Glasgow EPB, end each fiscal year with a balanced budget, and begin each fiscal year with a board-approved budget for the year.

Ø The Board will need to consider the staff recommendation to alter the FY 2020 budget to reflect actual revenues and expenditures for the fiscal year about to end.

Ø The Board will also need to consider and adopt a new budget for FY 2021. Since it is impossible to accurately predict revenue from the sale of electric power, these budgets are passed to meet the letter of the law, while knowing full well that they will need to be adjusted before the end of the fiscal year.

Solar Pilot Project

Ø This item is a repeat from the March and April meetings, in which the proposal was not adopted, but I was asked to bring it back again this month.

Ø The new Long-Term Partnership Agreement with TVA includes a provision that would allow us to provide up to 5% of our own electric power.

Ø This provision is exciting, but it is also something we have no experience at doing. In order to gain some experience, we are studying a possible pilot project, one that is manageable from an expense perspective, but robust enough for us to gain experience before moving forward.

Ø We have much to learn about installing and operating a solar array. We also have a lot of software issues to solve relative to metering, billing, and providing information to customers via our portal and the new application we are developing. For all of these reasons, a small pilot project might make a lot of sense.

Ø At the meeting I will bring you up to speed on what we have already learned, and just what sort of pilot project we are contemplating. We look forward to discussing this with you so that we will know your feelings on pursuing this pilot.

Bad Debt and Write-off Consideration

Ø Many years ago, Glasgow EPB adopted the policy of officially considering account balances which have not been paid, for official write-off on a bi-annual schedule. This is normally done in June and December.

Ø Though the board has adopted a matrix of procedures, deposit policies, and technology to mitigate bad debt, the battle is not won. Though this particular round of write-offs is from before the pandemic, you should be prepared for a large impact from disconnect forbearance this year. Even in normal times, we still struggle to keep the monthly cost caused by those who take our services, yet do not pay for them, below $10,000. This month’s list of half a year’s worth of those bad debts will echo that monthly goal.

Ø Bad debt is a significant part of our fixed costs, which our new rates attempt to recover through the customer charge. Since keeping the customer charge low is a constant goal of the EPB team, keeping bad debt low is directly related.

Ø We are certain that no EPB customer who pays their account fully, and on time each month, wants to be burdened with also paying a portion of the costs associated with these customers who do not pay, but each month a portion of their customer charge is earmarked for that purpose. That is a shame, but as a non-profit municipal corporation, Glasgow EPB has no other way to cover the cost of bad debt.

Ø The whole list of the proposed write-offs is included in your package. It is notable that the big contributors to this period’s bad debt came from surprise bankruptcies, for which we held insufficient deposits. We will go over details at the meeting.

Reports

Ø May Metrics and Financial Review

Ø July 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. We are beginning a new year of this reporting, and so far, the fund is in acceptable shape due to overall accuracy of peak predictions.

Ø KLC Insurance Package Renewal

- Our insurance package from KLC renews on July 1. The renewal proposal included some hefty cost increases, mainly for Workers Comp, due to a couple of possibly expensive outstanding claims. Luckily, they also include some significant reductions in the cost of property and casualty coverage, so overall, the increase is not huge. I will have more information on this at the meeting.

Ø Programming Committee Recommendations Ratifications

- The Programming Committee operated via email polling on a few matters, instead of bringing them together for a real meeting, but this month we got them together via Zoom to ratify their actions taken via email.

- The following networks: AXS, Turner Networks (several of these), and Stingray (the digital music product) had contracts which expired recently. The committee evaluated the products and the renewal offers (which will be explained in detail at the meeting) and recommended that the Board accept the renewal offers for all of these services. I am recommending that you ratify their decision.

- There was also the matter of our annual cable products rate adjustment. This has historically been an annual adjustment, effective July 1, which is essential to offset the annual increases in the cost of programming, passed along to us by the satellite services AND the local broadcast stations in Bowling Green. The Programming Committee recommended, and the staff concurs, that this rate adjustment can be delayed due to excellent product sales during the pandemic.

Ø Open Meetings Complaints

- After the alleged “Special Called Meeting” occurred on May 5, two Open Meetings Law Complaints were lodged against EPB. One was submitted by Joseph Trigg and the other came from Brennan Crain, with WCLU Radio. Copies of both complaints were included with last month’s narrative. These complaints require the Board Chairman to respond within three days. The responses were also attached. You should note the relief sought by both complaints, and that Chairman Taylor has agreed to that relief. For the most part, the complaints are both formed as violations of SB 150.

Conclusion

Please let me know if you have any questions before the meeting, and prepare for another meeting experience using Zoom.