Reinforce work zone safety for all: This week – April 15-19 – is National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week. This annual event is observed nationwide to promote the importance of work zone safety. To help you raise awareness of these critically important safety measures with your employees, customers, and communities, the American Traffic Safety Services Association has provided these resources. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation also has an online quiz to test individuals’ knowledge about work zone safety. Stay focused and stay safe!
Friday is deadline to submit data for annual Wage & Benefits Survey: Every year, MEUW collects information about the pay and perks provided to public power employees across the state. In recent years, the timing of data collection has changed to allow for the results to be shared in time for municipal budgeting. To date, 58% of member utilities have responded. Instructions for completing this year’s survey were recently shared with key contacts at each utility. Full details about this year’s Wage & Benefits Survey are available here. As a reminder, only those utilities that provide information for the survey are able to receive the results. The deadline to respond is Friday, April 19.
Don’t miss the Annual Conference! Join fellow MEUW members for informative and fun events Wednesday, May 15 through Friday, May 17 in Marshfield. This is the 94th gathering of MEUW members and you won’t want to miss the chance to connect with municipal utility leaders from across Wisconsin and hear from speakers on a wide array of timely topics at MEUW’s Annual Conference. Take part in the golf outing, join in a tour of our host utility, Marshfield Utilities, and attend entertaining and informative conference sessions. Visit www.meuw.org/94th for a complete agenda and to register today. Act now to take advantage of the “Early Bird” registration discount!
Reserve your discounted hotel room by April 23: MEUW has negotiated a group rate at Hotel Marshfield (the Conference hotel). Reserve your room by calling (715) 387-2700 and mentioning MEUW’s Annual Conference. The special rate for accommodations is available through April 23.
Help us celebrate line workers: April 18 (Thursday) is National Lineman Appreciation Day, and we want to celebrate the more than 300 municipal utility line workers across our member utilities. We plan to use our website and social media pages to recognize these hard-working folks. Please send us a current photo of your line crews so we can post and share. Send the pictures to news@meuw.org.
Solar Seminar recorded session now available: Recognizing the increasing demand for solar power, it’s important for utility operators to understand how all those solar panels will impact their utility systems. MEUW recently presented an “Everything Solar Seminar” to explain the rules to follow, best practices, and important information to share with customers. The training was expertly led by Dave Krause, P.E. Portions of this training were recorded and are now available for those who were unable to attend in person. This seminar offers something for utility personnel of all skill levels and backgrounds. For information about individual or group purchase options, please call the MEUW Office at (608) 837-2263.
Spots still available for next week’s Overhead Workshop/Hotline School: Presented in partnership with Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC), this training will provide line workers the opportunity to learn and safely practice a variety of hands-on techniques for overhead line work in a controlled environment. Held April 23–25 on the CVTC campus in Eau Claire, this training is intended for all line workers, regardless of experience level. The cost for each workshop is $195 per person. (Third and fourth year CVTC apprentices are automatically enrolled as part of their apprenticeship.) Details and registration information are available here; the registration deadline is Friday, April 19.
Nominate future MEUW Board of Directors members by Friday: MEUW is currently accepting nominations for interested individuals to serve on the association’s Board of Directors for a two-year term beginning May 17, 2024. This year’s election will be for Directors and Alternate Directors in even-numbered districts. The Nomination Form and additional information is available here. The deadline is Friday, April 19 (self-nominations are welcome).
Learn essential Communications and Project Management skills: The next offering in MEUW’s professional development programming will be a one-day course that addresses the importance of communications and project management as fundamental to utility management. The class will cover techniques for planning your time, prioritizing your obligations, and evaluating your success, as well as how to communicate clear instructions, and listen well for meaningful feedback. Held in Mauston on Wednesday, June 5, full details and registration are available here.