Safety Awards application period opens: It’s that time of the year again! MEUW takes pride in being able to recognize our member utilities for taking steps to improve their overall safety performance. We are now accepting applications for 2018 performance measures. We ask each utility to take time to compile the necessary information and submit the application spreadsheet, which is available on MEUW.org.
The tiered recognition system remains the same, as follows: Bronze − 90 to 99; Silver − 100 to 109; and Gold − 110 and over. The deadline to submit the application spreadsheet and the required documentation is Friday, March 1. Awards will be presented at MEUW’s 90th Annual Conference in May.
If you have questions about the Safety Awards, please contact Manager of Safety Services Mike Czuprynko.
Aerial Basket and Rigging Training to be held next month: Dairyland Power Cooperative is hosting an Aerial Basket and Rigging Training Workshop Feb. 13 and 14, at the Metropolis Resort and Conference Center in Eau Claire. The purpose of the training is to help qualify aerial basket operators in the General Guidelines, Pre-Operation, Operation, Technical Knowledge, Electrical Hazards, Emergency Operation and Hand Signals as well as the Basic Rigging Plan, the Rigging Triangle, and the Application and Inspection of Slings. The registration fee is $175 per attendee, which includes lunch, breaks and workshop expenses.
If you’re interested, you’ll have to act fast — the registration deadline is tomorrow (Wednesday, Jan. 30). For more information, click here.
Member Inquiry: The printer Sauk City Utilities uses to print utility bills is no longer working, and they are looking for a replacement. If you print your utility bills in house and have a brand or style/type of printer you’d recommend, Utility Billing Clerk Janet Kraemer would like to hear from you. Please send her an email or call her at (608) 643-3932 .
Registration now open for Collections Seminar: Make plans to attend this year’s Collections Seminar to learn more about the rules and regulations for utility collections and take away some new tips and technique to make the process effective for your utility. This program is held every other year to help strengthen the collection process with timing targeted at the end of the cold-weather moratorium on electric-service disconnections.
The seminar will be held on Tuesday, March 26, in Marshfield. This year’s program features a main presenter/facilitator who conducts similar seminars for public power utilities across the country; she will then be joined later in the day by someone from the Public Service Commission to provide timely updates about the end of the moratorium and other collections rules.
More information and registration details are available here.
Board of Directors’ Meeting Notes: MEUW’s Board of Directors met in Wisconsin Dells on Jan. 18 for a regular meeting. The draft minutes can be accessed here.
Save the date for Municipal Utility Day at the Capitol: MEUW is again partnering with the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Rural Water Association (WRWA), Wisconsin Water Association (WWA), the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin, and Municipal Environmental Group Water and Wastewater Divisions to hold a legislative lobbying day in Madison on Wednesday, May 22.
All city and village officials, as well as municipal utility managers, commissioners, and staff are invited to participate in this lobbying and networking event. Join us for a half-day spent educating state legislators and advocating for municipal needs, including a special focus on the critical role municipal infrastructure has on the state’s economy.
The day will start at 9 a.m. and will include group breakout briefings on important issues, followed by advocacy meetings at the Capitol. The event also includes a lunch with state legislators (as their schedule allows) and a keynote presentation and is expected to wrap up by around 2 p.m. There is no cost to participate. Please watch for registration information soon.
When is the last time you changed your email password? Malicious emails are making the rounds through the public power community, requiring extra vigilance to scrutinize the authenticity of email messages you receive. Using strong passwords that you change regularly is one step to avoid being a victim. If something about an email you’ve received doesn’t seem right, check with the sender before clicking on any links.