June will be here before you know it (Really, it will!) and how great will it be to golf on a warm Monday afternoon? Register now for our annual “Fun raising” - Monday June 26, at the Indianola Country Club. 
Proceeds from the Golf outing benefits the IAMU Scholarship program.

For more information or to register, click here.

Want to be a sponsor?? We have several options available.  Click here for sponsorship information.

We hope to see you there!  

Water services is looking to fill two Water Services Specialist positions.  These positions will be responsible for providing one-on-one technical assistance to Public Water Systems. Technical assistance will include lead service line assessment and planning, capital improvement planning, project funding options, and technical operator assistance.

Full descriptions and minimum qualifications can be found here.
 
Questions and resumes can be sent to Laura at [email protected]

The IAMU Broadband Conference and Expo is just one week away. Join your fellow municipal broadband team members for two days of learning and networking. This year’s lineup includes topics of interest among utility leadership, technical staff, and customer care and marketing personnel. Among the topics to be discussed are:
Navigating Federal Broadband Funding
Benefits of Micro-Technology
Fort Dodge Fiber Launch - Lessons Learned
OTDR Testing
Managers Roundtable
Technicians Roundtable
Marketing/Customer Care Roundtable
And more!
 
CLICK HERE for the full agenda, which is still being tweaked.
 
Thank you once again to our sponsors for making the Conference possible!
Presenting Sponsor - Power and Tel
Gold Sponsors - Calix, Communications Network Engineering, JSI
Silver Sponsors - ICAN Advertising, Magellan

Next classes are April 26 and April 27. CLICK HERE to register! Spots are limited.

The safety standards for Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (formerly aerial lifts) and most material moving heavy equipment have been revised. The updated training and operating requirements include hazard recognition, assessing work site conditions, fall protection, developing safe use programs and a review of the operator’s manual including operator and supervisor responsibilities.

IAMU is conducting classes at our location. Sessions include classroom, testing and hands-on practical examinations. Successful operators will be provided with a certificate and a wallet card. Please see the brochure for class requirements, dates and times. 

Jobsite safety should be everyone’s number one priority, and doing everything possible to keep people safe is our and your responsibility.

IAMU will be hosting two webinars the week of April 10th on Pay As You Save (PAYS). This is an innovative program being funded in part by IEDA. You must click the highlighted links below and register in order to attend these events. Registration is FREE.

Session 1 – Pay As You Save® (PAYS) 101
4-10-23 (April 10): 11AM – 12PM

This session will introduce participants to Pay As You Save—what is it, how does it work, who’s using PAYS, and the minimum requirements of a PAYS program.
 
Sign up at the following link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqf-CqpjMoE9cTLj5E0-2QJgCrlFgtyjgV
 
 What is Pay As You Save? The Pay As You Save® (PAYS®) system enables utilities to invest in cost effective energy efficiency and renewables on the customer side of the meter and recover all of their costs. Participating customers have money-saving, resource-efficient upgrades installed with no up-front payment and no debt obligation. Those who benefit from the savings pay a tariffed charge on their utility bill, but only for as long as they occupy the location where the upgrades are installed. The monthly charge is always lower than the estimated savings and it remains on the bill for that location until the utility recovers its costs. While PAYS allows for payment over time, it does not involve any consumer loan obligation.

Session 2 – Pay As You Save (PAYS) In-depth Peer-to-Peer Exchange with Marshall Cherry, President and CEO, Roanoke Rural Electric Cooperative
4-12-23 (April 12): 12PM – 1PM
 
This session will provide IAMU members the opportunity to learn from and ask questions to Marshall Cherry, President and CEO, Roanoke Rural Electric Cooperative in North Carolina. Roanoke Electric Cooperative’s PAYS program has been in operation since 2015. Do you have questions about PAYS program structure, impacts of PAYS, time required to start and implement a PAYS program, etc.? This is your opportunity for a peer-to-peer exchange with the leader of one of the country’s model PAYS programs.
 
Sign up at the following link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAocOiupj0oH9dEnz3VvTObilo9-Kmbe7bz

We’d like to remind our broadband members that the City of Fort Dodge, aka Fort Dodge Fiber, is offering two-days of comprehensive training for customer care personnel in just two weeks. “Introduction to Customer Experience (CX)” is a one-day training being offered on April 12th and April 13th at Iowa Central Community College East Campus, 2031 Quail Avenue, Fort Dodge. Each day’s training will begin at 8:00am and end at 4:00pm. Continental breakfast and lunch will be included. The material is the same on both days, so utilities can split their staffs so more can attend. 
 
Cost: $400 per person. Fort Dodge Fiber will invoice your utility at the conclusion of the training.

We’d love to have other municipals participate in this training along with the Fort Dodge Fiber staff. It’s a great opportunity for in-depth customer experience training that would cost thousands of dollars to conduct on your own (Fort Dodge knows…that’s why their inviting you to help offset the costs!).

CLICK HERE to register your team for Introduction to Customer Experience!

If you have any questions about the training, reach out to me or to Nick Ekel, Fort Dodge Customer Experience Manager, [email protected]

IAMU will be holding a webinar on April 25, 2023 for supervisors and safety personnel responsible for developing or overseeing a Heat Stress program. In response to the rise in the number of fatalities due to heat, OSHA published new enforcement policy regarding Heat Stress in April 2022. The focus of this webinar is to discuss the employer’s responsibilities to those working in hot environments and to assist in creating a Heat Illness Prevention Plan. This plan must be made site-specific and all employees that have the potential to be exposed to hot working environments must be trained using your specific plan. A template for the plan will be provided to all that attend.  

Registration is open! Click HERE to register.

Fort Dodge Fiber - Iowa’s newest municipal broadband provider - is in the process of building out their network and in May will start hooking up their first customers! As part of their utility ramp up, Fort Dodge has hired Pivot to conduct comprehensive Customer Service Training sessions for their staff, and would like to invite fellow municipals in Iowa to send their own people to the training as well!
Introduction to Customer Experience (CX)

How does creating a great Customer Experience look and feel? We’ll lay the groundwork on what CX means, why it’s possibly the most important trend in customer care, and how every staff member participates in this movement.

• Basics of CX
• Employee Experience as a foundational element of great CX
• Expected experience vs great experience
• Delivering a positive and memorable experience 

Two one-day training sessions will be held on April 12, 2023 and April 13, 2023 at Iowa Central Community College East Campus, 2031 Quail Avenue, Fort Dodge. Each day’s training will begin at 8:00am and end at 4:00pm. Continental breakfast and lunch will be included. With two days to choose from, you could send some of your staff each day so you are not shorthanded.

Cost: $400 per person. Fort Dodge Fiber will invoice your utility at the conclusion of the training.

We’d love to have other municipals participate in this training along with the Fort Dodge Fiber staff. It’s a great opportunity for in-depth customer experience training that would cost thousands of dollars to conduct on your own (Fort Dodge knows…that’s why their inviting you to help offset the costs!).

CLICK HERE to register your team for Introduction to Customer Experience!

If you have any questions about the training, reach out to me or to Nick Ekel, Fort Dodge Customer Experience Manager, [email protected]

On March 16th, 2023 IAMU safety specialists Joedy Dennis and Don Heck, and regional safety coordinator Edith Hodgell, hosted an interactive, in-house Trenching & Shoring training opportunity. The workshop hosted 54 attendees and covered the roles and responsibilities of the competent person, while conducting trenching operations. Employee safety, interacting with mobile and pedestrian traffic, establishing safe work zones on roadways, soil Identification, and the proper methods of trenching and shoring were all topics covered under the responsibilities as the competent person.

The attendees were provided the opportunity to network amongst each other, share personal experiences, and assist in developing safe procedures for trenching and shoring, through different virtual interactive examples.

After a provided lunch break, the training resumed with a short presentation from Contractor Solutions, followed by hands-on training in properly assembling a shore box and utilizing hydraulic pressure systems. 

Each attendee was presented with a Certificate of Completion as well as 4 CEU’s for their participation. We thank all that attended for your dedication to safety, your willingness to learn, and lastly, your willingness to take on the responsibility as the “Competent Person” overseeing your work sites, fellow employees' safety, as well as your own.

On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, EPA released the proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for PFOA and PFOS, along with four additional PFAS. EPA is proposing to set a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and 4 ppt for PFOS. In addition to these two MCLs, EPA is proposing to address four additional PFAS (GenX, PFBS, PFNA, and PFHxS) as a mixture using a Hazard Index. The Hazard Index is a tool typically used to evaluate potential health risks from exposure to chemical mixtures. This approach has been used in other EPA programs, such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), but this is the first time it has been used for a drinking water standard. Additionally, EPA is proposing Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) for each of the six PFAS. A breakdown of the MCLs and MCLGs is shown on the table below.

For the Hazard Index, the rule proposes a ratio for each of the four PFAS to be used to calculate a compliance value based on detected levels of the four PFAS. If the combination of those four ratios is at or above 1.0, then water systems will be expected to reduce the levels of these PFAS. Depending on the level of contamination found, water systems may need to take action even if only one of the four PFAS is present. EPA will be creating a webpage with a calculator tool for water systems to determine their Hazard Index. 

The proposal has not yet been published in the Federal Register. The public will be given 60 days to provide comments after final publication, expected in the coming weeks.  EPA will be holding a webinar about the proposed PFAS NDPWR on March 29, 2023. Registration is required to attend. The webinar recording and presentation materials will be made available after the webinar. 

• March 29, 2023 (2:00-3:00 pm Eastern Time) Webinar Registration: Technical Overview of Proposed PFAS NPDWR 

EPA will also be holding a public hearing on May 4, 2023, where members of the public can provide verbal comments to EPA on the rule proposal. Registration is required to attend and the last day to register to speak at the hearing is April 28, 2023.  

• May 4, 2023 Proposed PFAS NPDWR Public Hearing Registration

EPA has provided facts sheets for the public and FAQs specifically for primacy agencies to help with the rollout of this proposal. See the links below: 

• Fact Sheet: EPA’s Proposal to Limit PFAS in Drinking Water
• Proposed PFAS NPDWR Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (for the public)
  

We are pleased to announce 2 new additions to our staff.

Jason Loots joined our staff in January as a Water Services Specialist. Jason comes to IAMU with extensive water/wastewater plant experience through his work as Plant Operator with the City of Story City, and Sales and Service Professional with Vessco, Inc.  His most recent position at ISG as Contract Operations/Plant Operator allowed him the opportunity to provided consultation to municipal/industrial water and wastewater facilities. He will primarily be providing technical assistance to water supplies in all aspects of system viability and SRF project identification.
 
Jason’s experience and knowledge will allow IAMU to continue providing valuable guidance to our members and assist with the development of new initiatives.

Rhonda Robinett joined our staff this week as a Communications Specialist. Rhonda has an extensive background working in the marketing and communication field.  She was most recently employed with Gannett Publishing as a Digital Marketing Specialist managing campaigns for Ventures Endurance Events.  Prior to Gannett Publishing, Rhonda was employed by American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), The ASHI School.  Her work at ASHI included developing email programs for students and ASHI members.  She created marketing materials such as flyers, brochures and newsletters for the ASHI school, plus managed the marketing and advertising budget.

Rhonda’s creativity and design expertise will provide a new perspective to our marketing and communication efforts.

Member’s 2023-24 annual dues invoices for Utilities and Affiliates will be sent out via email soon.  Please be on the lookout for those in your inbox.

IAMU Associate Membership expired on March 1st*.  Access will expire today 3/15/23.

To retrieve your Associate membership dues invoice, renew and maintain your membership:

• Visit the IAMU website at http://members.iamu.org
• Log into your company's main membership account
• Under "My Profile", click "Membership Info"
• Find the open dues invoice, and use one of the links under "Options" to either submit online payment via credit card or ACH, or print a paper invoice to mail to IAMU with a check
• While you're logged in getting your invoice, please feel free to update your member profile with any new information!!

If you have any questions, or do not remember your login credentials, please contact Ashley Ulrich at [email protected] or (800) 810-4268.

Natural Gas Utility Workers started eight years ago. The designation is meant to recognize employees who provide one of their most valuable assets—their natural gas utility. The date of March 18 was chosen because it was 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.

Ways in which you can acknowledge Natural Gas Utility Workers:

• Share IAMU’s Facebook Graphic to announce the day, you can find that here: https://www.facebook.com/IAMUpage
• Issue a company email or press release using information in the above paragraph or information found on the American Public Gas Association (APGA) website and provide more information about the projects you have been involved with in your community: www.apga.org/events/naturalgasutilityworkersday. You can also find some great posting suggestions for your social media channels, along with graphics you can use. 
• Thank your workers! Send the message out to employees showing appreciation for their hard work.  
  

The Iowa Economic Development Authority, in partnership with IAMU is planning on hosting a series of virtual meetings for IAMU members interested in Pay As You Save (PAYS) to ask their PAYS questions with representatives from utilities across the country with experience administering PAYS programs. This series of virtual meetings will provide an opportunity to ask local utility officials operating PAYS programs questions “peer-to-peer” about PAYS program design, implementation, benefits, and lessons learned.
 
If you are interested in participating in these virtual PAYS information meetings, please RSVP by emailing [email protected]
 
What is Pay As You Save?
“The Pay As You Save® (PAYS®) system enables utilities to invest in cost effective resource efficiency and renewables on the customer side of the meter and recover all of their costs. Participating customers have money-saving, resource-efficient upgrades installed with no up-front payment and no debt obligation. Those who benefit from the savings pay a tariffed charge on their utility bill, but only for as long as they occupy the location where the upgrades are installed. The monthly charge is always lower than the estimated savings and it remains on the bill for that location until the utility recovers its costs. While PAYS allows for payment over time, it does not involve any consumer loan obligation.” - Energy Efficiency Institute of Vermont, the founders of PAYS