If you need help completing or reviewing your report, we can help. For a fee, IAMU will complete and/or review your CCR for any drinking water system needing assistance. Send an email to ccr@iamu.org to request help. Fees will be $25 for IAMU members and $45 for non-members.
IAMU has made the decision to not hold the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Workshops again this year…but don’t worry, assistance is still available!
If you need help completing or reviewing your report, we can help. For a fee, IAMU will complete and/or review your CCR for any drinking water system needing assistance. Send an email to ccr@iamu.org to request help. Fees will be $25 for IAMU members and $45 for non-members.
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Congratulations to Kerran McFadden of Atlantic Municipal Utilities on completing the IAMU Apprenticeship Program and receiving his Certificate of Completion from the Department of Labor. Kerran started the program in October 2016 and officially (and successfully!) finished on August 10, 2020.
For information about the IAMU program, contact Bob Hiatt at bhiatt@iamu.org March 18 is national Natural Gas Utility Workers’ Day – a day set aside to honor this country’s natural gas utility workers. March 18 is the date of the New London, Texas, school explosion in 1937 that led to the widespread odorization of natural gas and an increased emphasis on safety. Safety is crucial to natural gas distribution, and the employees of distribution companies endeavor to make natural gas delivery as safe as possible.
Please honor the natural gas utility workers in your community and at your system by celebrating on March 18. Natural gas utilities are encouraged to plan events, communication, social media posts, etc., to celebrate this important day. The APGA has various free resources available to help you celebrate this day. You can access them on the APGA website. There you will find:
Customer testimonials can be a powerful communication tool to effectively get your message out so people pay attention to it. Just take a look at these two health messages and decide which one grabs your attention more:
See what a difference a personal story can make? People like to hear how others, just like them, are affected by actions. What’s more, individuals are often more likely to favorably receive a message coming from a fellow resident, rather than the city or utilities, which can be seen as having self-serving motives for providing information. Here are some tips for using testimonials:
On Wednesday, March 17th, IAMU will be hosting its second Energy Services webinar of 2021: "Introduction to Commercial Energy Efficiency Financing" with IAMU associate member Ross Reida of LED.Finance.
This will be a good one for associate members as well as members. The topics covered will include: ✔️ tips on selling energy efficiency projects ✔️ financing strategies ✔️ treating EE projects as Opex versus Capex ✔️ key benefits of financing EE projects Hope to see you there! Sign up is here: https://lnkd.in/g5QfQBm Have a complex question you would like us to research before the webinar? Send all inquiries to: jgorrie@iamu.org Companies – whether they produce the latest, must-have techno gadgets or churn out loaves of bread – cannot succeed without employees who are happy, healthy, take pride in their work and are willing to give their jobs their all. The same is true for municipal utilities. Creating this workplace utopia is possible, and utilities can help to make it happen with an often overlooked, yet super simple (and affordable) tool: effective employee communication.
Communication (in other words, what you say, how you say it, when you say it, and who you say it to) can shape how employees feel and think about their workplace. Effective communication leaves employees feeling excited and ready to excel at life, their relationships, their work, and everything really. According to a Harris Poll:
An optimistic outlook (made possible through the effective communication) can translate into positive people, upbeat work environments and superior work products – wins for everyone (utilities/cities, employees, and customers). You must consider several key elements if you are to be effective with your communication, including:
Communication done right can supercharge your organization – making employees happy, healthy, and bringing their best selves to work. You’ll likely need to invest some time and energy to make communication be all it can be, but fortunately, communication usually isn’t expensive if you’re committed and creative. 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. March 15th - 19th April 12th - 16th May 3rd - 7th June 14th - 18th (REGISTRATION COMING SOON) July 19th - 23rd (REGISTRATION COMING SOON) August 23rd - 27th (REGISTRATION COMING SOON) September 27th - October 1st (REGISTRATION COMING SOON) October 25th - 29th (REGISTRATION COMING SOON) November 8th - 12th (REGISTRATION COMING SOON) December 6th - 10th (REGISTRATION COMING SOON) 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:
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 The competent person is required to evaluate site safety and resolve existing and potential hazards. This training webinar is to give participants the knowledge and education required of a competent person.
(Note: Attending this training does not make a participant a competent person. A competent person is a designation made by the employer.) The DNR has approved 0.4 Safety CEUs for WD and WW only. Who Should Attend: This training webinar is designed for city and utility employees and outside contractors employed by a city, or any working in a trenching and shoring situation. The training received will cover the overall requirements of the law, including:
Contact the contractors that work for your city / utility and encourage them to register and attend. A Certificate of Completion will be emailed to participants. (Attendance will be cross-checked against the registration list. NO CEUs will be available to those who did NOT register.) Cost: IAMU Members - $40 Non-IAMU Members - $50 Registration: For registration and additional info, please click HERE.* *The Zoom webinar link will be sent to the registered participant’s email address 1-2 days prior to the training date. If you do not receive the webinar link, please check your junk/spam folder. The required State Revolving Fund (SRF) Front-End Documents have been updated and are now available for use. All SRF projects bidding in February 2021 and after will be required to use the updated SRF Front-End Documents.
Please note the addition of a new requirement in Attachment 10 of the SRF Required Front-End Specifications (DWSRF Exhibit7A/CWSRF Exhibit 12A), and in Attachment 5 of the SRF Required Front-End Specifications for Nonpoint Source and Sponsored Projects. If you have downloaded a previous version of these documents, please replace them with the January 2021 updates for CWSRF and DWSRF infrastructure projects and the February 2021 updates for CWSRF nonpoint source projects (including Sponsored Projects). The updated forms are available on these webpages:
Address questions regarding the SRF Front-End Documents to Theresa Enright, SRF Coordinator at 515-725-0498 or theresa.enright@dnr.iowa.gov. Gov. Reynolds Announces Eligibility Pre-Check for new Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program3/2/2021 Governor Kim Reynolds today announced the availability of an eligibility precheck for the new Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program, which will begin accepting full applications in March. The program will provide eligible COVID-19 impacted Iowans with rent and utility assistance for a total of up to 12 months. The State of Iowa was awarded $195 million for the program through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which was passed by Congress in late 2020.
“At no fault of their own, many Iowans are struggling to pay their rent and utility bills as a result of lost income from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Gov. Reynolds. “Last year, we were able to use $30 million in coronavirus relief funds to keep 14,000 Iowans in their homes. The Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program will help us do even more, providing substantial assistance to struggling Iowans who are facing eviction.” Renters in need of assistance are encouraged to take the new eligibility precheck to determine if they meet the initial eligibility criteria, and if eligible, to sign-up to receive notification when the full application is available in March. The Iowa Finance Authority will administer the program, which will initially be available for renters statewide, with the exception of Polk County. Polk County and the City of Des Moines received direct allocations totaling approximately $14 million and will be administering the program locally. More information on the program that will serve Polk County, including City of Des Moines, residents is available at impactcap.org. General eligibility requirements require that applicants: Be current renters earning no more than 80% of their county’s area median income; have experienced a documented financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability which may include a past due utility or rent notice or eviction notice. Assistance to be available through the program includes:
Eligible past due rent and utility payments may cover costs incurred no earlier than March 13, 2020. Future rent payments may be awarded for up to three months at a time and will require a subsequent application. Renters may receive a total of up to 12 months of combined rent and utility assistance through the program. Funds for renters approved for assistance will be paid directly to landlords and utility service providers. The program is expected to be available through at least Sept. 30, 2021 or until funds are exhausted. Full program details and the eligibility precheck are available at iowahousingrecovery.com. Polk County and City of Des Moines residents should visit impactcap.org for more information. |
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