Join the Iowa SRF Program and EPA for a comprehensive one-day training on American Iron and Steel requirements.

When: Wednesday, October 28, 2015; 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Who should attend: Consulting engineers, contractors, suppliers, grant administrators, manufacturers, utility staff, and others.

Where: Johnston Public Library, 6700 Merle Hay Road, Johnston, IA or on-line.  In-person attendance is encouraged!

Agenda

• 10 AM - 12 PM - Purpose and Background, Website Demonstration, Coverage: Products and Projects, Q&A
• 12 PM - 1PM - Lunch on your own
• 1 PM - 3:30 PM - Compliance, Waivers: National and Project Site Visits, Q&A

Register online here.

For more information, contact Patti Cale-Finnegan, Iowa SRF: [email protected].

Co-sponsored by the Iowa SRF and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

On October 14, 2015, IAMU will hold a Municipal Utility Law 101 workshop at the IAMU office. This one-day workshop will provide an overview of a wide range of important municipal utility related legal topics, and is designed for municipal utility personnel including general managers, superintendents, finance officers and utility clerks. Opportunities will be provided to ask questions in advance of the workshop and throughout the presentations. Representative topics will include:

• Open Meetings & Records
  
• Board & Council Duties & Authority
  
• Iowa’s Gift Law
  
• Utility Fees & Charges
  
• Utility Service Territories
  
• Billing & Collections
  
• Disconnection
  
• City Payments (franchise fees, PILOTs, surplus transfers)
  
• Iowa Utilities Board Jurisdiction
  
• Competitive Bid Requirements & Contracts
  
• Financing Utility Projects
  
• Public Purpose Requirements
  
• Ordinances & Resolutions
  
  

Register and pay online here. Class size will be limited so register now to reserve your seat.

During October, HMU field employees will don pink hard hats as a visible public reminder and support of breast cancer awareness month.

Doug Hammer, Director of Marketing and Stakeholder Relations at HMU stated, “We want to do our part to help raise awareness of breast cancer issues and encourage action toward early detection of the disease. We hope that seeing our employees in pink hard hats all month promote those goals.”

Pictured are representatives from the HMU electric, gas, water and telecom departments with their pink hard hat.

From left to right: Troy Doonan (Gas/Meter Department), Jacob Jochims (Electric Department), Ryan Eggerss (Water Department) and Ken Holloway (Telecom Department).

Dates for the OSHA 10-Hour Construction Outreach Courses are still available!

This course will explain OSHA's role in worker safety and health, job-site hazard recognition, correction and prevention methods and how to read the OSHA standards.  Participants will receive a laminated wallet card from the U.S. Department of Labor OSHA certifying successful completion of this OSHA 10-Hour course.  29 CFR 1926 CFR Book & course material furnished.

Click either link to register.

October 15th (8:00 AM to 3:30 PM) & October 16th (8:00 AM to 11:30 PM)
Ankeny, IA - IAMU, 1735 NE 70th Ave. 50021

October 27th (12:30 PM to 4:30 PM) & October 28th (8:00 AM to 3:00 PM)
Sioux Center, IA - Public Library Board Room , 102 S. Main Ave. 51250

On November 9th and 10th, 2015, IAMU will hold a FEMA Reimbursement & Disaster Response Plan workshop at the IAMU training complex.  This workshop is relevant for all utilities: broadband, electric, gas, and water. 

In a federally declared disaster, the goal should be to get all the money your utility deserves as rapidly as possible.  Most utilities are leaving big $$$ on the table. FEMA will generally pay 75% of the damage costs. In this presentation, participants will learn what decisions and actions you can undertake to achieve that goal.  Get all the money you qualify for and get it faster.

The other side of this process is your disaster response plan.  Do you have a disaster plan in place?  The main objectives of the Disaster Response Plan is to restore facilities and service, as rapidly as possible in order to minimize the impact from a loss of facilities and services on the utility and to reduce the loss of possible revenue.  You will leave with the basic tools needed to develop your own plan.

An extension cord may look harmless but most extension cords are designed to carry 110 volts of electricity and 110 volts can kill. Extension cords are considered by both OSHA and the National Electric Code to be temporary wiring and certain rules apply to their usage. One of the most overlooked of all rules is the requirement to do a visual inspection of the cord before each use.

Extension cords are usually items that get lots of hard usage and are very susceptible to damage. This is one reason that OSHA requires a visual inspection of all flexible cords (including those on power tools) each day or before each use.

Many municipal utilities attended the IUB’s Customer Service meetings throughout the past month.  As part of those meetings, the IUB discussed an Order that was issued September 4, 2015 in NOI-2014-0004 which asserted jurisdiction over municipal electric and gas utilities in relation to collection of past due debt and regulation of disconnection.  In addition, the IUB claims jurisdiction in relation to “initiation and reinstatement” of service if the initiation later leads to disconnection or if the reinstatement was the result of disconnection. This sounds confusing because it is.  Basically, the IUB will hold municipal gas and electric utilities accountable to follow its rules on level payment plans and late payment fees if the particular issue leads to disconnection.  The IUB reasserted its jurisdiction over deposits and claimed jurisdiction over reinstatement – if the customer had been disconnected.  This claim is directly in opposition to the August 4, 2015 Henry County District Court ruling in Mt. Pleasant Municipal Utilities v. Iowa Utilities Board, No.  CVEQ005672.  In that case the Court held “the IUB has no jurisdiction or regulatory authority to resolve this complaint.”   The IUB has appealed this ruling. 

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has announced that the new construction inspection provision of 192.305 that was to become effective on October 1st has been delayed indefinitely.  The rule has caused great concern in that it would require operators to hire outside contractors to inspect new mains and transmission lines constructed by utility crews.  Further details are expected when the Federal Register announcement is published.  A working group formed by PHMSA to help fix the rule, including representatives from American Public Gas Association (APGA), will be meeting and the hope is that when the work is completed PHMSA will hold a public meeting to explain how it expects operators to comply.

Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) are proud to invite you to a webinar regarding on-bill financing and, specifically, its applications for member-owned utilities in Iowa. This presentation will look at two on-bill financing programs. The first presentation is a successful weatherization loan program run by Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) in Eugene, Oregon. Iowa’s own Bloomfield Municipal Utility will provide an overview of their on-bill program and their energy independence goals.

provided by the American Public Gas Association (APGA)

Public Natural Gas Week (PNGW) is a nationwide observance that offers the perfect opportunity for you to showcase your public natural gas system and generate enthusiasm about the benefits of public natural gas.  This year, PNGW will be celebrated October 4 -10, 2015.

American Public Gas Association (APGA) and IAMU encourages members to celebrate this week by promoting their system through events, social media posts, material distribution, communication, press release, and other publicity methods.