Updated online calendar now available: The online calendar we had been using for the Electric Utility Safety and Training Coordinators has been replaced with a new version that we hope will be more reliable and easier to use. The calendar displays the training topic and location for sessions that Randy Larson and Mark Zielsdorf will be conducting. You can find the calendar here.
The previous calendar was a free online application that frequently crashed and caused the link to fail. The new version is simple and uses the Microsoft Outlook calendar that many of our members are already familiar with. We’ve put together some tips and tricks – you can find that here.
If you have questions about the new online calendar, please contact Mike Czuprynko at (608) 478-2530.
2019 Wage & Benefits Survey underway: We are now collecting data for the association’s annual Wage & Benefits Survey. Each utility has received instructions to complete the survey tool, which is due by July 26.
Based on member feedback, this year’s survey includes many new questions and re-ordered sections to make it easier to complete. Only the utilities that provide information for the survey will receive a copy of the results when they are distributed in mid-August.
We know how much our members rely on the information collected from the survey, and we’re hoping to increase participation to make this year’s survey results even more valuable. Last year, 69% of eligible utilities responded. To provide an added incentive and encourage early responses, we are holding two random drawings to award prizes to this year’s respondents.
If you have questions about the Wage & Benefits Survey, please contact Tim Heinrich at (608) 478-0998.
New edition of Under the Dome now online: The state legislature is addressing a small-cell wireless bill and working through the state’s next biennial budget. To catch up on the latest news from inside the Capitol from MEUW’s Government Affairs team at the Kammer Group, click here.
We will continue to include periodic updates throughout the legislative session to enable MEUW members to stay on top of what’s happening in Madison.
We need your input: We’re considering offering Hotline School sessions this coming September and would like to gauge members’ interest in sending employees to attend one of the two-day sessions.
Day One would be 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Day Two is 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Two separate training sessions are planned – in Green Bay on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 16 and 17 and in Fennimore on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 18 and 19.
Please take 30 seconds to reply to this poll.
Updated Statistical Data now available: Wisconsin’s 81 municipal electric utilities now serve more than 295,000 customers, had $716 million in revenues and paid their municipalities more than $23.2 million in lieu of taxes last year. Those are a few highlights from the updated statistical data MEUW has compiled based on recent reporting to the Public Service Commission. You can access the complete data sheet here. If you discover any problem with the information listed for your utility, please contact Mallory Conradt at (608) 478-2528.
Remember to sign up to receive text alerts when mutual aid events happen: We’ve launched a text alert service that will provide notifications when a municipal electric utility calls for mutual aid assistance. The text alert is an additional tool to make it easier to get updates and supplements the email notifications typically sent when mutual aid events occur.
To enroll in the new text alert service, simply send a text with the message MUTUALAID to 55222. You’ll receive a confirmation and your mobile number will receive messages during mutual aid events.
The new service was rolled out at MEUW’s Annual Conference in May and already has dozens of enrollees. We’re planning a test of the new text-alert system later this summer. If you have questions or need more information, please contact Mike Czuprynko at (608) 478-2530.
Videos of Annual Conference breakout sessions available online: MEUW’s Annual Conference in May featured a number of informative breakout sessions on topics ranging from the state of transmission and the power of advocacy to emergency response and mutual aid. In response to previous member inquiries, this year’s sessions were videotaped. Those videos are now available to be viewed. Materials used during the presentations are also available for download. Visit this link to access the videos. If you have issues accessing the videos, please contact Mallory Conradt at (608) 478-2528.
The June edition of Live Lines was distributed earlier this month. In case you missed it, you can find it online here.