Locating Workshop is next week in Lake Mills: There’s still time to sign up for MEUW’s one-day, hands-on training class regarding underground facility taking place on Tuesday, June 28. Participants will learn about locating theory, proper use of the transmitter and receiver, and have the opportunity to practice locating. The workshop is being held at Lake Mills City Hall. Full details and registration information is available here.
The June edition of Live Lines was distributed on June 7. In case you missed it, you can find it online here.
It’s time to re-certify WisDOT Flagger training: Since June 1, 2020, all flaggers working on Wisconsin state highways have been required to be certified in a state-specific flagger training curriculum. Any worker who is certified is required to take a refresher course every two years and demonstrate the flagging skills.
More than 200 MEUW member employees took part in webinars in the spring of 2020 and are now subject to re-certification. Those who work in communities that participate in MEUW’s Regional Safety Management Program (RSMP) are eligible for re-certification through that program. Those who are not part of RSMP may enroll in one of the three WisDOT Flagger Certification classes MEUW plans to host on July 12, 13, and 28. The two-hour training will be conducted using Microsoft Teams and can be accessed from any Internet-connected device. The cost to participate is $55 per person. Registration is now open, and full details are available here. Remember that certification only applies to flagging on Interstate, U.S., and numbered highways.
Summer storms are reminder to prepare for mutual aid assistance: Severe weather marched across the state last week, bringing straight-line winds, heavy rain, and a couple of funnel clouds. By and large, electric systems operated by municipal electric utilities were spared from major events related to the storms. As always, MEUW staff were standing by to help in the event any member utilities required mutual aid assistance. Crews from Kiel, Manitowoc, Menasha, Plymouth, and Waupun responded to help Sheboygan Falls Utilities restore electric service on Thursday, June 16.
As a reminder, one call to MEUW’s Mutual Aid Hotline — 1-844-MEUW-911 —triggers an immediate response to organize resources and support a member utility’s recovery. During widespread or major outage events, MEUW will use a text alert to keep members informed about mutual aid needs. To sign up for those alerts, text MUTUALAID to 77222.
Electric metering group to hold meeting in August: The Upper Midwest Metering Association (UMMA), a group that connects electric metering professionals from a five-state area, will hold its summer meeting Aug. 10 to 12 in Okoboji, Iowa. UMMA was formed in the mid-1990s and includes electric metering supervisors, technicians, and electricians from municipal, cooperative, and investor-owned utilities of all sizes. Employees of municipal utilities in Wisconsin are invited to attend UMMA’s meeting and participate in roundtable discussions, networking, and training on a wide variety of electric metering topics. To learn more, click here.
MEUW Board of Directors to conduct strategic planning: Members of MEUW’s Board of Directors will meet Wednesday, Aug. 31 to review and consider changes to the association’s long-term strategic plan that was adopted in 2019. The purpose of the meeting (to be held at The Lodge At Mauston) is to evaluate progress on the current plan, which was developed with an eye toward what MEUW could look like when the association marks its 100th anniversary in 2028. The planning will take into consideration how external factors might impact MEUW members and what services and offerings could be developed to strategically address them. All members are welcome to attend and participate; details are here.
Save the date for annual Accounting and Customer Service Seminar: MEUW’s annual gathering of municipal electric utility personnel involved in accounting, customer service, and utility billing is planned for Wednesday, Sept. 28, at the Lodge At Mauston.
A portion of the seminar agenda will be dedicated to “member showcase” discussions to allow utility attendees to share insights about their accounting, rates, billing, or customer service practices and successes. Each showcase discussion will be limited to 15 minutes, and each utility chosen to share will be offered a 50% discount toward one seminar registration fee. To be considered, please complete the “call for presenters” form here by noon on July 29.
MEUW Weekly is on a summer schedule: A reminder that MEUW is not distributing an e-newsletter every week during the summer. Look for the next edition of MEUW Weekly in your inbox on Tuesday, July 19. The July edition of MEUW’s monthly newsletter, Live Lines, will be sent on July 5.