The application for the Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program is now available at IowaHousingRecovery.com under assistance for renters.

Requests of Utility Providers

1) Provide Program Information to Customers

• Provide the program flyer to customers who are renters and may need assistance with their utility bill. The flyer is currently available in English and Spanish under the marketing resources section of the program website and can be shared with customers via email or hard copy.

2) Complete Utility Participation Form

• Iowa Finance Authority has gathered beneficial contacts from utility providers to date. The process of signing up to receive information and payments from this program requires completion of a new form for providers of all eligible service types of the program. These eligible service types are electricity, natural gas, propane or fuel oil, water, sewer and trash removal. This form will collect necessary payment information, contact emails, and certify that the provider agrees to the requirements of the program. Completing this form for IFA is required to receive automatic notifications regarding customer applicants and payments for approved applicants.

Complete the form here.

Questions about this form can be directed to the Housing Recovery Team.

Polk County and the City of Des Moines is administering the program locally. Therefore, Iowans residing in either Polk County or the City of Des Moines will be ineligible to apply for the Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program. More information on the program that may assist Polk County and City of Des Moines residents is available here. 

One hundred twenty-nine utilities have earned the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Safety Award of Excellence for safe operating practices in 2020.
 
Three hundred twenty-nine utilities from across the country entered the annual Safety Awards. Entrants were placed in categories according to their number of worker-hours and ranked based on the most incident-free records during 2020. Utilities’ incidence rate, used to judge entries, is based on the number of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses and the number of worker-hours during 2020, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
 
“Utilities that receive an APPA Safety Award have demonstrated that they have made the health and safety of their employees a core value,” said Brandon Wylie, Chair of APPA’s Safety Committee and Director of Training & Safety at Electric Cities of Georgia. “Designing and maintaining a top-notch utility safety program takes a lot of hard work and commitment. These utilities and their communities should be very proud.”
 
The Safety Awards have been held annually for more than 65 years. A complete list of winners is available HERE.
 
IOWA 2020 Honorees
Group A (less than 15,000 worker-hours of exposure)
First Place
Rock Rapids Municipal Utilities, IA
 
Group B (15,000 to 29,999 worker-hours of exposure)
First Place
Coon Rapids Municipal Utilities, IA
Independence Light & Power, IA
 
Group C (30,000 to 59,999 worker-hours of exposure)
First Place
Spencer Municipal Utilities, IA
Waverly Utilities, IA
 
Group F (250,000 to 999,999 worker-hours of exposure)
Second Place
Muscatine Power & Water, IA

If you need to get a message out about a complex topic or one for which many people will likely have follow-up questions, consider the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) format.
 
With the FAQ format, you can break down your message into chunks of information that people can more easily process. What’s more, the format allows your audience to scan the document to find the question(s) that they have instead of hunting through the entire document to find the information that they need answered.
 
Here are a few tips for the FAQ format:

• Bold the question so it stands out on the page.
• Put the question in first-person. For example: How will this rate increase affect me?
• Limit the answer to one paragraph (not too long). If the paragraph is too long, consider breaking down the information into another question.
• If there are source documents, charts, diagrams, etc., consider including a web address to the information online so interested individuals can find and review it there. Some people will want more in-depth information than others. You don’t want to clutter the document, but you want to be able to include the information somewhere for those who want more. Putting the additional information on your website and including a link to it is a good solution.
• Get the FAQ in the hands of your audience by:
  • Including a copy of it with their statements.
  • Posting a copy in the utility department office, city hall, library, and other community gathering places.
  • Including the FAQ on the city’s website. Consider a downloadable PDF as well as a webpage with the information directly on it. If you have social media, make a post about the FAQ there with a link to the webpage.

 
If you have any questions about FAQs or need assistance with creating them, you can contact our contracted Public Relations Specialist, Jen Cronin, at jcronin@jcronincom.com or 616-610-2546.

Iowa’s annual winter moratorium regarding utility service disconnection ends April 1, 2021. The Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) reminds energy assistance customers currently protected from service disconnection for nonpayment to contact their local utility company immediately to discuss payment plans options and avoid disconnection as soon as April 2.
 
Under Iowa’s winter moratorium law, customers who qualify for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or Weatherization Assistance Program are protected from the annual shutoff of natural gas and electric service from November 1 to April 1.
 
To avoid disconnection, Iowa customers who have fallen behind on utility payments are encouraged to review the customer rights and responsibilities information for electric and natural gas service and contact their utility provider to arrange a payment plan. If customers are experiencing difficulty paying their energy bills, they may be eligible for LIHEAP financial assistance and should contact their local community action agency to apply for assistance before April 30.
 
The LIHEAP program pays only a portion of utility bills to qualified low-income customers. Customers who are not sure where to apply can visit https://humanrights.iowa.gov/dcaa/where-apply.
In addition to the funding annually available through LIHEAP, an additional utility bill assistance program through the Iowa Finance Authority’s Rent and Utility Assistance Program is expected to become available this spring for Iowans impacted by COVID-19. For more details, visit https://www.iowafinance.com/iowa-rent-and-utility-assistance-program/. However, Polk County residents should visit https://www.impactcap.org/ regarding updates to rental and potential utility assistance.
All utility customers, including those who do not qualify for energy assistance, may be eligible to enter into a reasonable payment agreement with their utility company that allows them to pay accumulated debt over time and to maintain utility service.

If customers cannot reach a payment agreement with their utility, they may contact the IUB Customer Service toll-free at 877-565-4450 or email customer@iub.iowa.gov with questions about disconnection, or other issues that are not resolved directly with their utility company.
 
For more information, visit the LIHEAP page on the IUB website.

Sometimes, utilities are newsworthy. You might argue that utilities are always newsworthy in a good way, but often you don’t get contacted by reporters unless there is an issue – maybe it’s an outage or water main break or --- as has been the case most recently for many – large consumer utility bills.
 
When reporters contact you for comments, what should you do?
 

• Don’t be afraid to not comment immediately. You can ask reporters if they can provide you with a list of questions that they want answered. You can explain that you’d like to be able to answer the questions as completely and thoughtfully as possible, so you’d like to think about the questions ahead of an interview.
• Be as transparent as possible, but if you can’t answer questions, say so. There could be a number of reasons why you can’t discuss something and telling the reporters that you can’t answer a question is answering the question. You can follow up by letting the reporters know that when it’s possible to provide more information to them, you’ll do so. This can build trust with the media, as long as you follow through with that promise.
• Respect media deadlines. Ask the reporters by when they need information or an interview from you so they have time to put together their stories. If you get reporters what they need when they need it, you again build trust with them. 
• If you can’t answer questions or don’t feel comfortable doing so, make sure you find someone within your organization who can and put the reporters in contact with that person.
• And finally, if you need help with media relations at all, contact Jen Cronin. IAMU has contracted with her to provide free media relations support to members. You can reach Jen at jcronin@jcronincom.com or 616-610-2546.
  

The Gas “Boot Camp” Operator Qualification Training Workshop will take place April 5 - 9 at the IAMU Training & Office Complex.
 
Who Should Attend:

• This workshop is designed to give personnel new to the natural gas industry all of the basic fundamentals needed to aid in the day-to-day operations as well as the ability to perform certain “On-Call” tasks.
  
• In addition, any office personnel who may receive a report of a natural gas leak (Dispatch personnel) should attend to obtain all the qualifications that are needed to perform their duties.
  
• This workshop is also beneficial to natural gas operators who are looking to gain additional training, re-qualify on tasks offered, as well as providing a great opportunity to network with other operators from around the State addressing problems, concerns, techniques, etc.
  

Dispatch personnel should plan to attend April 5.
 
Qualifications will be offered for topics covered.
 
Registration is OPEN.  The workshop will be limited to 15 registrants.

REMINDER - OQ System – Username & Password
As a general reminder, if you have not received, or do not know, your Online OQ Testing username and password, please contact Nick Vandegriff for access.
 
For additional information, brochure, COVID-19 guidelines, and online registration, please click HERE

The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities - in coordination with our industry and government partners - continues to monitor the evolving situation with regard to COVID-19.  We are committed to the health and safety of our staff, membership, and the public at large.  Any and all actions we take as an association will be in an effort to honor this commitment.  We understand actions taken by our members (including travel restrictions) and will accommodate them as necessary.
 
We will be implementing precautionary measures during the class.

• Due to the small workshop size, distancing measures will be implemented for attendees in the testing environment.
• A majority of the workshop will take place outdoors.  Even then, group sizes will be minimal and groups will be separated.

 
We understand that this situation is continuously evolving and fluid.  We will monitor the news and directives coming from the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Governor’s Office to act accordingly in regards to the workshop.
 
If you have any questions, please contact Nick Vandegriff, IAMU Gas Services Compliance Specialist at nvandegriff@iamu.org, or (641) 919-8411.

In 2020, IAMU partnered with IAEE to create 4 webinars on Energy Efficient Building System Solutions for Pathogen Reduction. These webinars were recorded last year, and continue to be extremely relevant to the challenges many building operators and utility managers face. These webinars are packed with great bits of information, and are provided at no cost.

These webinars can be accessed at the following link:
https://www.iowaenergy.org/en/webinars/

The presenter is Bruce Greiner. Bruce has held positions with the State of Iowa as the Deputy Director of The Office of Energy Independence and as the State’s Procurement Chief Operating Officer. Bruce also directed facility, construction and operations at the Iowa City CSD, West Des Moines CSD, Polk County General Services and the State of Iowa Capitol Complex. After more than 27 years in public sector operations and management, Bruce joined VHF Sales, Inc.

If you have questions about the webinar or the technical topics discussed within, please contact Bruce directly:

VHF Sales, Inc., Grimes, Iowa
Phone: 515-986-3671
www.vhfsales.com

The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities will be holding mobile crane certification and examination classes for digger derrick, service truck, and mobile crane operators.  OSHA’s updated crane standard REQUIRES that operators of lifting equipment be trained, evaluated and tested in order to obtain certification.

Background Information:

Although the new standard, 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC, specifically exempts the digger derrick and the operator from meeting the requirements of the standard, the exemption applies only when it is used for work within the provisions of the power generation, transmission and distribution standards, or for construction work within the telecommunications standard.  The exemption does not apply if the digger derrick is used for lifting materials or to operate in working environments outside the scope of the standard because the equipment is essentially being used as a mobile crane.  For example, unloading materials from a truck, lifting a motor from a pump house to assist your water department, or providing assistance to any other city department will mean that the exemption no longer applies.  When equipment is used as a mobile crane, all provisions of the standard apply, including the operator certification rule.  OSHA also now requires that an operator be certified in specific areas when they operate equipment outfitted with a boom and winch and able to lift at least 2,000 pounds.  This includes service trucks in your public works, or water departments.

The new standard has very specific operator requirements, one being to obtain operator certification from an independent testing organization accredited by a nationally recognized organization.  OSHA’s updated crane standard, 1926.1427 in Subpart CC, requires that for a testing organization to be considered accredited to certify operators, it must be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency based on that agency’s determination that industry recognized criteria for written testing materials, practical examinations, test administration, grading, facilities/equipment and personnel have been met.  IAMU is an Accredited Assessment Center through the National Center for Construction Education Research (NCCER).  We are authorized to conduct both hands-on assessments and practical examinations which are part of our Mobile Crane Operator Certification Program.  Additionally, we are offering Qualified Hand Signal Person and Qualified Rigger programs (available at a future date).

Who Should Attend:

Digger derrick and service truck crane operators who do not currently hold a mobile crane operator’s certification.

What Do These Classes and Certification Consist Of:

Classes will be a week long, requiring classroom instruction, an on-line exam that has a 80% pass requirement, a practical exam for certification of mobile crane, and then finally a short class and practical exam for the signalperson and rigging qualifications. Students who pass the written and practical exams receive nationally recognized certification from the National Center for Construction Education Research (NCCER).

Where Do These Classes Take Place:
IAMU Training and Office Complex
1735 NE 70th Avenue
Ankeny, IA  50021

When Will Classes Be Held:

Dates have been scheduled for the remainder of 2021 at the IAMU complex.  Please click HERE or visit the IAMU website for available dates.

April 12th - 16th
May 3rd - 7th
June 14th - 18th
July 19th - 23rd
August 23rd - 27th
September 27th - October 1st
October 25th - 29th
November 8th - 12th
December 6th - 10th

Mobile Crane Operator Certification/Examination Class Schedule:
 
Monday
9:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Classroom

Tuesday
8:00 to 4:30 p.m.Classroom

Wednesday
8:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Classroom/Exams

Thursday
8:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Practical Exams

Friday (if needed)
8:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Retake Exams
Class/Exam
Examination retakes are $100 and may be taken during any scheduled exam date.

Additional Notes:

• There is a maximum of 12 participants per class session.
• Lunch will be provided Monday through Thursday.
• All participants will attend classroom days. Exams will take place on the Thursday of each class session. Depending on the number of participants, Wednesday evening and Friday may also be used for exams.
• Each participant will need to create an account with NCCER before class; step-by-step instructions are included with the study guide.  Please bring your account number with you to class.

For additional information about the classes and online registration for each event, click HERE .

Questions?

If you have any questions in regards to the classes, or requirements, please contact:

Margret Meade, IAMU Safety Outreach Coordinator (mmeade@iamu.org )
Phone:  (800) 810-4268

Before you can grab the attention of your customers with communications, you first must connect with them. But who is “them,” exactly?
 
A good – and important – question to answer. You don’t want to respond too quickly or too broadly, though, because the answer isn’t as simple as you might initially think.
 
Identifying “them”
Sure, your customers are composed of your community’s residents, but they aren’t one, faceless person. They don’t collectively think the same way nor do they need the same things. Your audience is a diverse group of people, so you must figure out:

• Who each of them is,
• What each of them needs and wants, and
• How each of them wants it.

 
You don’t have to drill down to an individual level, unless you want to do so, but you should gather enough specific demographic information so you can identify various subgroups within your community:
 

• Homeowners with families
• Homeowners on fixed incomes
• Residential renters
• Commercial property owners
• Industrial property owners
• Business owners who rent space
• Schools and government agencies
• Non-profits

 
Taking time to specifically identify your audience is an important first step in planning for effective communication. 
 
TIP: Care less about “pushing” your message, and care more about “pulling” in your customers with copy and images that speak to your audience in unique ways.