MuniPAC is a political action committee (PAC) that the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) formed to help strengthen Iowa’s community-owned nonprofit electric, gas, water, and communications utilities and municipalities by making contributions to the campaigns of political candidates who want to help municipalities and their utilities prosper.
 
Any donation is appreciated – no matter the size. We will combine your donation with those of others. If individuals from all Iowa municipalities and their utilities contributed something, imagine the collective impact the donations could have. For a $25 donation, you can select one of two RAYGUN utility-themed t-shirts. To learn more or to donate, click here.
 
MuniPAC is the easiest and most direct way for you to engage directly in the political process. When you give to MuniPAC, your contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference because we will combine your contribution with the contributions of many others. By working together, you and your municipal counterparts can have a much greater impact on legislation than if you tried to do it on your own.

The IAMU Gas Department and KGM will offer a one-day Gas Metering & Measurement Training Workshop. The class will take place Wednesday, Dec. 18 at the IAMU Training and Office Complex.

This training opportunity is designed to provide natural gas personnel, regardless of experience, with a very specialized, in-depth training into natural gas metering and measurement. Proper natural gas measurement is critical to your utility’s success. Without the proper knowledge and understanding of natural gas measurement and measurement principles, your utility’s lost and unaccounted for gas may be inaccurate, you may receive customer complaints of “not enough gas” due to improper meter sizing, or you may be losing money due to inaccurate metering.

For more information or to register for the workshop, go to https://members.iamu.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1298855&group=

Mark your calendars for the Hydrant / Valve Workshop and Plant Tour presented by Clow Valve Co.  This popular workshop and tour will take place Thursday, January 9, 2020 at the Clow Foundry in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
 
The workshop will include training on hydrant/valve components, hydrant/valve disassembly, best practices, applications, and maintenance & repair.  A tour of the foundry and machine shop will also take place.
 
0.5 CEUs for Water Distribution will be available.
 
*This workshop is limited to 30 participants.* Space is limited.  Register early to reserve your spot.

Workshop Location:
Clow Foundry
1607 17th Ave E
Oskaloosa, IA  52577
 
Cost:
IAMU Members – FREE
NON-Members – $35 per person
 
Registration:
For online registration and additional information, please click HERE.
*This workshop is limited to 30 participants.*
 
Questions?
Contact Steve Marsh at (800) 810-4268 or smarsh@iamu.org.

Many chemicals can cause hearing loss, especially in loud work environments where chemicals can exacerbate the effects of noise. These chemicals are called ototoxic, which translates to “ear poison.” Ototoxic chemicals can enter the body in several ways, including skin absorption or inhalation.
 
“This startling piece of safety information is not new,” EMC Senior Industrial Hygienist Kelsie Boorn says. “But it’s flown under the radar, and some details are still not fully understood.”

To learn more about chemical exposure and hearing loss, check out the EMC Loss Control Insights article.

The slides from the first three City & Utility Insurance 101 Webinars are now available on the IAMU website (www.iamu.org). The presentations by Jester Insurance’s Heith Hockenberry can be found at https://members.iamu.org/page/CityUtilityInsurance101. You must be logged in as a member to gain access to the slide decks.
 
The presentations include:

• Property and Inland Marine (Equipment)
• Auto & Crime
• Liabilities

 
A fourth free webinar focusing on cyber issues is scheduled for Dec. 16. You can register for that webinar by going to https://members.iamu.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1271311&group=.

IAMU will be closed this Thursday and Friday, November 27th & 28th.  Happy Thanksgiving!

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued new requirements that affect any municipality with employees that hold Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDL).

The FMCSA has developed an information clearinghouse to better ensure that drivers cannot conceal drug and alcohol violations by moving on to the next job, perhaps in a different state. Violation records maintained in the clearinghouse will “follow” the driver. Employers, or prospective employers, will be required to “query” the clearinghouse.

This requirement applies to all drivers who hold a CDL and use it for your job or may be required to use it on the job. In short, it applies to anyone in your CDL drug and alcohol testing program.

Effective January 6, 2020, you are required to be registered and participating in the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. There are no exemptions for municipalities because you are required to comply under 40 CFR 382 and Part 40 of the Drug and Alcohol Testing Rules.

How this affects employers is as follows:

1. You MUST, before hire, query the clearinghouse and send a manual letter to the previous employers for the past three years, asking for drug and alcohol violations. This must continue until January 6, 2023. (After January 6, 2023, you are only required to query the database; the letter will be no longer needed.)
2. As an employer, you are required to enter data regarding drug and alcohol violations into the clearinghouse. This includes, but is not limited to, violation, and Substance Abuse Professional program completion.
3. Once every 365 days, you are required to query the database to ensure no drug or alcohol violations have occurred. This becomes more of an issue if an employee works two CDL required jobs, but can also (theoretically) occur if a DWI occurs out-of-state and the driver fails to notify the DMV or you.
4. There is a fee involved per query and it is not optional. Currently, the fee is set at $1.25/query. You are allowed to run a limited query, but if a violation occurs, you are required to get a full detailed query. You will not be charged a second time if the detailed query is required. (The system is now set up to run batch queries, so employers with a large number of DOT covered employees may find that helpful.)
5. Drivers are required to register to give consent for the queries. If consent is refused, the driver must be removed from safety sensitive duties. There is a paper consent form on the FMCSA website for the limited query if you choose to use it. If a full detailed query is required, a second consent must be given.
6. Data must be entered by the employer reporting a failed drug and alcohol test, reporting for duty with alcohol in system, etc., regardless if the CDL holder has given consent or registered for the system. If the driver has registered, they will receive an email or electronic communication; if they have not, the clearinghouse will send a letter to their mailing address as listed on their CDL.
7. The system is now open for registration. Many have found the registration process problematic. We suggest you familiarize yourself with it early.

For more information or to register in the clearinghouse, go to: https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/, and there are FAQs listed on the site.

Julie Sievers and Bryon Whiting, two long-time DNR Field Office 3 Senior Environmental Specialists, will be retiring at the end of the year. A retirement celebration for them will be held on December 18, 2019, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Iowa Lakes Community College in Spencer, 1900 Grand Avenue.  Please use the west entrance.

The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities Gas Department and KGM Gas Measurement Products & Services will offer a one-day Gas Metering & Measurement Training Workshop on Wednesday, December 18.  The workshop will take place at the IAMU Training & Office Complex.

Why You Should Attend:
This training opportunity provided by IAMU and KGM Gas Measurement Products & Services is designed to provide natural gas personnel, regardless of experience, with a very specialized, in-depth training into natural gas metering and measurement. Proper natural gas measurement is critical to your utility’s success! Without the proper knowledge and understanding of natural gas measurement and measurement principles, your utility’s lost and unaccounted for gas may be inaccurate, you may receive customer complaints of “not enough gas” due to improper meter sizing, or you may be losing money due to inaccurate metering.

Cost:
IAMU Members:  $265.00 per person
Non-Members:  $295.00 per person
 
Questions?
Contact the IAMU Gas Department at (800) 810-4268, or email Rod Parcel (rodparcel@iamu.org) & Nick Vandegriff (nvandegriff@iamu.org).
 
Register online HERE.  Registration deadline is Friday, December 13.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has developed an information clearinghouse to better ensure that drivers cannot conceal drug and alcohol violations by moving on to another job. There are no exemptions for municipalities.
 
The FMCSA Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a secure online database that will give employers, the FMCSA, state driver licensing agencies, and state law enforcement personnel real-time information about commercial driver’s license (CDL) and commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders’ drug and alcohol program violations.
 
An act of Congress directed the Secretary of Transportation to establish the Clearinghouse.
 
The clearinghouse will enable employers to identify drivers who commit a drug and alcohol program violation while working for one employer, but who fail to subsequently inform another employer (as required by current regulations).
 
FMCSA said that drivers are not required to register for the clearinghouse. However, a driver will need to be registered to provide electronic consent in the clearinghouse if a prospective or current employer needs to conduct a full query of the driver’s record. This will include all pre-employment queries beginning on January 6, 2020.
 
A driver must also be registered to electronically view the information in his or her own clearinghouse record.
 
Drivers who register before January 6, 2020, will have their clearinghouse accounts and contact preferences set up, allowing them to quickly respond to query requests from employers on or after January 6, 2020, FMCSA said.
 
Employers are required to enter data regarding drug and alcohol violations into the clearinghouse. This includes, but is not limited to, violation, and substance abuse professional program completion.
 
The system is now open for registration.
 
Additional information about the clearinghouse is available here.