Blog Archive

Friday, October 23, 2020

October 27, 2020 Glasgow EPB Regular Meeting, 6:00 PM

 GLASGOW ELECTRIC PLANT BOARD

This meeting will be 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/ This meets the newest requirements for open meetings during the Covid-19 State Emergency.This meeting will be 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 athttps://www.facebook.com/glasgowepb/
TENTATIVE AGENDA,
6:00 PM, On EPB Cable 6 and EPB You Tube Channel
1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
2. CONSIDER MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 REGULAR MEETING AND OCTOBER 20, 2020 SPECIAL MEETING
3. CONSIDER ANNUAL AUDIT REPORT FROM CRI
4. DISCUSS EPB COVID-19 RESPONSE, RESULTS, AND CITY’S $1M+ CARES ACT FUNDING AND CONSIDER EPB PLAN TO RESUME DISCONNECTION FOR NON- PAYMENT
5. CONSIDER TVA RESPONSE TO RATE PROPOSAL AND NEXT STEPS ON RETAIL ELECTRIC RATES
6. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
A. SEPEMBER METRICS AND FINANCIAL METRICS REVIEW
B. NOVEMBER FCA
C. CPD LEDGER
7. OLD/NEW BUSINESS
A. DISCUSS FORMAT OF FUTURE EPB MEETINGS
B. DT Froedge Agenda Items
Agenda Item 1
Election of Officers
Agenda Item 2
Amending the procedures of the GEPB such that the Chairman of Board shall compose the Board meeting agenda
Agenda Item 3
Suspend Billy Ray’s position as Superintendent and direct his removal from the building effective at 7:59 AM CDT on October 28, 2020 for the reasons described in the attached Notice of Employment Action and of Hearing. The suspension will be with pay, until a termination hearing that must be requested by him within 30 days of receipt of the attached Notice of Employment Action and of Hearing. Failure to request the hearing before that date will result in termination.
Agenda Item 4
Authorize current CFO to assume administrative duties and function as acting Superintendent at 8:00AM CDT on October 28, 2020 until an interim or permanent Superintendent is appointed by the Board.
Agenda Item 5
Authorize the Chairman to engage a personnel search firm to find and provide to GEPB qualified candidates for the position for an interim or permanent Superintendent for the GEPB.
8. ADJOURN

TO: Members of Glasgow Electric Plant Board
FROM: William J. Ray, PE
DATE: 10/23/2020
SUBJECT: October Board Meeting Information
October Main Topics
Ø Annual Audit Report
Ø EPB Operations in COVID-19 Environment and Plan to Resume Disconnects for Non-Payment
Ø Discuss ramifications of TVA Response to Rate Framework
Ø Reports
Ø Variety of Officer Elections, Board Policy Changes, and Superintendent Employment Action
The October meeting has a rather short agenda, but the discussions about that agenda might be lengthy.
We all know that the present legal status of the Board is tough due to rulings and orders issued by Barren Circuit Court. However, the EPB mission is still fixed and it is imperative that all members meet to discuss these matters on the agenda. I urge you to attend, and to approve an agenda so that we can keep moving forward.
Action Items
📷
November 1 FCA
Ø The November 2020 TVA FCA will increase to 1.544 cents per kWh. This is a sizable month-to-month increase. COVID influenced September sales were surprisingly high, and hydro generation was unusually low, while there were outages to combined cycle gas units. Those factors put upward pressure on the FCA.
Ø On November 1, the energy component of our retail rates will adjust to reflect this increase passed on by TVA.
Annual Audit Report for Glasgow EPB
Ø Lanny White, from Carr, Riggs & Ingram, will deliver the annual report on findings by the team of auditors who examined all EPB finances and methods of operating the business, for Fiscal 2020.
Ø This is the final year of a three-year engagement of CRI. Soon after January 1, we will need to issue an RFP for the consideration of the Board and the Glasgow Common Council, for audit services going forward.
Ø A copy of the audit report is attached to this narrative, since Lanny will not be able to hand them out during the Zoom meeting.
Ø Copies of the report will be shared with the City of Glasgow, and I will appear before City Council, perhaps in November, or maybe December (whenever I can get on the agenda) to discuss the audit and other 2020 activities of Glasgow EPB.
COVID 19 Impact on EPB and Proposed Plan for Resumption of Disconnects
Ø Service disconnections for non-payment on essential services have been discontinued since March, pending relaxation of the order by the Governor. Since that order has now been rescinded, the Superintendent will present a recommendation for returning to semi-normal collections policy. An outline of the recommended steps to return to some level of normalcy relative to collections, and, at the same time, help EPB customers who have fallen into arrears on their accounts, recover in an orderly fashion, is attached to this narrative. At the meeting we will discuss and seek Board approval for the plan before any customer notifications begin.
Ø We closed the EPB lobby to the public on Wednesday, March 18, and it is still closed. While we are anxious to reopen the lobby, our area infection rates are still peaking. That means it would still be risky to invite the public into the lobby. We are still in contact with GWC, FRECC, and SCRTC regarding their lobby opening decisions, but we have the smallest team, and thus the most vulnerable to a spread of the virus within our ranks. Right now, we are planning to continue our present safety policies indefinitely.
Ø As reported at the last meeting, City of Glasgow was lucky to receive over $1 million in CARES Act funding from the Federal Government. We have asked City of Glasgow to pass a resolution which would authorize our customers, who are in arrears on their accounts with us, to apply for a portion of that funding to help them get back to even. We trust that the City will comply with this request, but as of this writing, we have gotten zero response to our formal letter of request.
Retail Rates Review
Ø We made a commitment to an Advisory Committee, and to the City of Glasgow, to conduct annual analysis of our retail electric rates. This is a sound business practice that should be followed, regardless of our commitments, and that preliminary review took place in the August meeting, with discussion continuing in the September meeting.
Ø Instead of pursuing our historic course of refining, updating, and progressing the retail rate architecture which presently works so well for EPB and the overwhelming majority of EPB customers, a rate architecture was proposed by the Board. The Board’s proposed architecture includes a return to historic volumetric rates, a system which is not recommended by EPB management.
Ø The Board proposal was submitted to TVA for their comments, and those comments have been provided to the Board.
Ø At the meeting we will consider TVA’s response, and any direction the Board can give us on next steps. The pursuit of the Board-derived architecture will include a lot of work that will consume a lot of time. If that is the approach desired, we need to get rolling on it.
Various Agenda Items Submitted by DT Froedge
Ø Election of Board Officers
Ø Alter Board Policy to Give Chairman Complete and Exclusive Authority Over Agenda
Ø Suspend Billy Ray’s position as Superintendent and direct his removal from the building effective at 7:59 AM CDT on October 28, 2020
Ø Authorize current CFO to assume administrative duties and function as acting Superintendent at 8:00AM CDT on October 28, 2020 until an interim or permanent Superintendent is appointed by the Board.
Ø Authorize the Chairman to engage a personnel search firm to find and provide to GEPB qualified candidates for the position for an interim or permanent Superintendent for the GEPB.
Reports
Ø September Metrics and Financial Review
Ø November 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.
Old/New Business
I put the matter of deciding whether to go back to a more normal meeting format on the agenda again. We have done some research and will have a clear set of guidelines we would need to follow, should you wish to go back to a face-to-face format for our meetings.
Conclusion
Please let me know if you have any questions before the meeting. Prepare for another meeting experience using Zoom.
Friday, October 16, 2020

Special EPB Meeting, October 20, 2020, 10:00 AM

 This meeting will be in person for members of the Board and their attorneys only. To provide access in compliance with all applicable laws and rulings, the portion of the meeting in open session will be televised on EPB Cable6, and on Facebook (on the Glasgow EPB page at https://www.facebook.com/glasgowepb/ This meets the newest requirements for open meetings during the Covid-19 State Emergency.

In order to legally facilitate the court ordered Mediation Session, planned for October 20, a Special Meeting of Glasgow EPB will be held. The meeting will convene at the EPB Board Room, 100 Mallory Drive, Glasgow, KY, at 10:00 am. I will call the meeting to order and the following agenda items will be considered:
  1. Consider approval of agenda
  2. Consider a motion to enter Executive Session to conduct mediation as an alternative to litigation. This Executive Session can be held under KRS 68.810 1.(C).
  3. Consider return to open session to vote on any agreements reached during mediation.
  4. Adjourn