Thoughts go out to the family, friends, and former colleagues of Bill Tobin, who passed away on Tuesday, September 26, 2017, at the age of 85. Here is a link to information about the services for Bill:

http://www.jurrensfuneralhome.com/sitemaker/sites/JURREN1/obit.cgi?user=01256127_WTobin

Dear Electric and Gas Members,

This is a reminder that the Customer Contribution Fund Activity Report is due to the Iowa Utilities Board no later than September 30th via the electronic filing system.  This report is required for all municipal electric and gas utilities per the Iowa Code (199 IAC 19.15(5) and 20.15(5)).  A copy of the report can be found on IAMU's website under the electric and gas regulatory calendars or by visiting this website:
http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/members.iamu.org/resource/resmgr/Regulatory_Calendars/form-CCF.pdf

The Iowa Utilities Board is starting to crack down on delinquent filing and will be enforcing penalties.  Should you have questions or need assistance in completing this report, please feel free to contact me.

Thanks,
Krista Allen
Consortia Consulting, Inc.
402.441.1684
eefiling@iamu.org

Dates: November 14 – 16, 2017
Location: Holiday Inn Northwest, Des Moines

Registration is Now Open. Click Here to Register.

This yearly training is a must for any water and wastewater professionals wanting practical information to help them do their jobs. The three-day workshop includes basic and advanced topics on water treatment, water distribution, and wastewater. Attendees can earn up to 1.2 CEUs toward certification, plus get a chance to connect with other municipal water professionals from around the state as well as check out products and services from water-related vendors.

An Added, Pre-Workshop Bonus:
Water Audit Seminar, presented by Steve Cavanaugh of Cavanaugh Solutions
Tuesday, Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. until noon
Space is limited to 50. Those who attend the seminar can earn 0.3 CEUs for WT/WD.
There is an additional cost of $50 to attend this pre-workshop seminar.

In July, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) removed Kaspersky Lab from its list of approved vendors for information technology products and services out of concerns that the Russian company might be used by the Russian government to exploit or attack American computer networks. In September, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a directive, following an investigation into the matter, which called for all Executive Branch agencies to cease using Kaspersky Lab products and services; considering the fact that Russian law allows for Russian intelligence agencies to compel assistance from Russian companies to “intercept communications transiting Russian networks…” On Monday, the U.S. Senate voted to remove all Kaspersky Lab products from U.S. government systems within 90 days, as part of the “FY-18 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)”.
 
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is about to issue an official alert to all electric service providers about Kaspersky Lab products and services. Other regulatory entities for other industries managing critical infrastructure throughout the U.S. will soon follow. It is the official IAMU position that our members begin to develop plans to phase out all Kaspersky Lab products and replace them with American equivalents as soon as possible.
 
If you have any questions, please contact Russell Saffell, Director of Member Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection at rsaffell@iamu.org or by phone at (515) 289-1999. Thank you for your continued efforts to provide and protect municipal utility services in Iowa.

Public Natural Gas Week is Oct. 1 to 7. This annual nationwide event is intended to build public awareness about the value of having a community-owned natural gas utility. This week focuses on educating residents on the environmental and cost benefits of using clean, reliable and affordable natural gas in addition to the cost benefits of natural gas appliances.

The American Public Gas Association (APGA) has an entire electronic toolkit of resources available to get the word out about the value of public natural gas. To access the toolkit, click here.
 
IAMU will be posting Public Natural Gas Week messages daily on our Facebook page (@iamupage) from Oct. 2-6. Feel free to share these messages on your own Facebook pages.
 
If you need any help with your Public Natural Gas Week efforts, contact Jen Cronin at jcronin@iamu.org or at 515-289-1999.

Public Power Week, celebrated the first full week in October every year (Oct. 1-7, 2017), is an opportunity for public power utilities to remind customers and stakeholders about the distinct advantages that public power offers. The American Public Power Association (APPA) has an entire electronic toolkit of resources available to members to get the word out about the value of public power in their communities. To access the toolkit, click here (You will need to be a registered user to access the page).
 
IAMU will be posting Public Power Week messages daily on our Facebook page (@iamupage) from Oct. 2-6. Feel free to share these messages on your own Facebook pages.
 
If you need any help with your Public Power Week efforts, contact Jen Cronin at jcronin@iamu.org or at 515-289-1999.

By Amy Zubaly, Executive Director, Florida Municipal Electric Association

Hurricane Irma ripped through Florida last week causing catastrophic damage and widespread power outages. At the peak, nearly 7 million customers were without power, with more than 800,000 of those from Florida’s public power communities. In partnership with the American Public Power Association, the Florida Municipal Electric Association put out a nationwide call for mutual aid assistance, and the response from public power communities across the country was extraordinary.

More than 1,000 crews from public power in Texas, Nebraska, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and across New England came to Florida’s aid.

Seven Iowa municipal utilities responded to the call for assistance, including:

• Alta
• Ames
• Denison
• Lake Park
• Muscatine
• Sioux Center
• Spencer

These crews are now back in Iowa.

To everyone who has reached out to help in Florida, especially to all the lineworkers who suffered through fuel shortages and severe traffic problem to come to Florida’s aid. Words cannot describe how grateful we are to each and every one of you. Thank you!

IAMU will be offering a one-day Tree Trimming for Utilities Workshop on September 27th.
This workshop will provide valuable information and hands-on training for utility personnel.  Classroom and hands-on topics will include:

• Laws Regarding Tree Trimming
• Best Practices
• Rules
• Procedures
• Identifying
• Safety

Tivon Feeley, Forest Health Specialist with the Iowa DNR and Dan Llewellyn, Electric Services Coordinator with IAMU will be the instructors for this workshop.

For more information, and to register click here.

Questions?  Contact Dan Llewellyn at (800) 810-4268 or email at dllewellyn@iamu.org.