Blog Archives - IAMU Informer

Communications Corner: Use the changing of the season to communicate with customers

9/29/2021

Fall is officially here, even if temperatures are still a tad warm this week. Now is a good time to remind your utility customers of fall to-dos that can help with utility costs and safety.

Consider sending a list of tips in utility bills or posting tips to social media if you have accounts. Here are a few tips to consider.

Check for drafts in your outlets, windows, and doors: If you find a draft, use outlet covers, caulk, weather stripping, or spray foam to fill any holes or cracks.
Change your air filters: This simple task can ensure cleaner, safer air for you and your family. Set a reminder on your calendar to change your air filters every three months, and more often if you have pets. A clean air filter will also help to prevent your HVAC unit from having to work harder.
Clean out your gutters and consider gutter guards if you don’t have them: This can prevent roof damage, water damage in your home, and pests from nesting in your gutters.
Check your heating system: Check all aspect including the furnace filter, venting system, pipes, thermostat, and burners for any cracks, blockages, or broken pieces BEFORE turning on your heat for the winter. If you’re not sure how to inspect your system, contact a local heating and cooling specialist to help you.
Remove outdoor hoses from faucets: This will help to keep undrained water in your faucet from expanding and bursting during the winter months. This also prevents mice and other creatures from nesting in your hoses.
Clean out your fireplace/chimney: Regularly cleaning your fireplace and chimney can prevent a fire. If you’re unsure of how to clean your fireplace, contact a local chimney sweep. If you have a gas fireplace, check gas connections for leaks.

Utility Pole Climbing Workshop: October 27-29, 2021

9/29/2021

The Utility Pole Climbing Workshop will take place October 27-29 at the IAMU Training & Office Complex. This workshop will focus on the fundamentals and technique of climbing. Training will be a combination of classroom & hands-on.

Who Should Attend:
This workshop is beneficial for anyone that is interested in learning how to climb. Apprentices in Module A of the IAMU Electric Line Maintainer Program are encouraged to attend.

What to Bring:
Class attendees will be required to bring their own PPE equipment, including:

Hard hat

Leather gloves

Fall protection strap
Safety glasses
Climbers

Alternate strap
Safety-toe boots
Body belt

Clothing suitable for weather conditions

Registration is OPEN. The workshop will be limited to 10 registrants.

For additional information regarding the workshop, including online registration, brochure, agenda and schedule, please click HERE.

If you have any questions, please contact Jared Masker at jmasker@iamu.org, or (712) 249-8601

Iowa Announces New Water Assistance Program for Low-Income Households

9/27/2021

In response to the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress has authorized a number of programs to help alleviate related financial burdens for low-income households. As part of this effort, a new national water assistance program will launch in early fall that will provide funds for qualifying households who have fallen behind on payments for drinking and wastewater services and are facing, or have already experienced, disconnection from their water supply. This program, the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program, or LIHWAP, will be administered by the Iowa Department of Human Rights (DHR) and by the 16 Community Action Agencies throughout Iowa. These agencies will work closely with Community Water Suppliers (aka Vendors) to ensure program benefits are administered quickly and correctly to resolve water crisis issues for eligible households.

Iowa has been awarded just over $10,000,000 to administer LIHWAP, and the vast majority of that money is targeted toward household benefit payments. However, per federal regulations, households cannot receive these payments directly. Rather, the payments have to be made directly to Vendors on behalf of the households. To receive these payments, Vendors must agree to the Terms & Conditions set by both state and federal regulations. Primarily, this will require Vendors to share information on rates/amounts owed (when necessary) and to provide confirmation that payments issued are received and appropriate action is taken on the household’s account. By agreeing to these terms, Vendors can ensure that payment will be received for any household approved for LIHWAP benefits, thereby reducing the overall number of accounts with outstanding balances and resulting in fewer disconnections. This makes it a win-win for households and Vendors!

To be eligible for LIHWAP benefits, a household’s countable income must be at or below 200% of the current Federal Poverty Guidelines, a water burden must exist (past-due balance, disconnect notice), and the household must demonstrate a legal status that allows for receipt of federal benefits (social security number or I-94 number). Applications will be made through local Community Action Agencies and, once approved, Vendors will be notified of the approval and the amount to be paid on behalf of the household. DHR anticipates a high level of interest for LIHWAP assistance throughout Iowa as both homeowners and renters will be eligible for benefits. But, without the cooperation and support of Vendors, agencies will be unable to adequately meet the needs of the communities they serve due to the inability to issue payments to the households themselves. This illustrates how crucial the relationship between local agencies and Vendors will be to the success of this program, and we are asking for help in making sure LIHWAP impacts as many Iowans as possible. In the coming weeks, Vendors will likely be contacted by program staff at local agencies to discuss LIHWAP and the Vendor Agreement. We greatly appreciate Vendors being receptive to this outreach and open to working with agencies to resolve accounts for LIHWAP-approved households. Together, we can truly make a difference for low-income households in Iowa experiencing severe financial distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information on the LIHWAP program, or to request a copy of the Vendor Agreement to initiate participation in the program, please contact your local Community Action Agency or the Division of Community Action Agencies at Iowa DHR.

Toolbox Talk - Tire Codes - What Do They Mean?

9/27/2021

The latest edition of IAMU's Toolbox Talks - Tire Codes - What Do They Mean? is now available. Click here to download it.

Other Toolbox Talk articles are available here.

If you have a Toolbox Talk idea, please send it to Margret Meade.

Make Plans Now to Attend the 2021 Municipal Broadband Conference

9/22/2021

The 2021 IAMU Municipal Broadband Conference will be held Oct. 20 and 21 at the Stoney Creek Hotel in Johnston.

This annual event is filled with educational sessions and networking opportunities. There are numerous general sessions, break-out sessions, and times to check out vendor booths. More details on sessions and topics will be announced as they become available.

To learn more about attending as a member or vendor or to register, visit the event webpage on the IAMU website.

Note: The location of the conference has been moved to the Stoney Creek Hotel this year. If you’re planning to stay at the hotel, reservations must be made by Oct. 1 to guarantee event pricing.

A special thank you to this year’s presenting sponsor Power & Tel.

Registration is Now Open for the 27th Annual Water and Wastewater Operator’s Training Workshop

9/22/2021

Water and wastewater members: Mark your calendars and plan to attend the annual Water and Wastewater Operator’s Training Workshop, which will be held Nov. 17 – 19.

Please note that the venue has changed this year. The workshop will take place at Prairie Meadows – The Meadows Events Center in Altoona.

This three-day workshop is geared toward water and wastewater professionals wanting practical information to help them do their jobs. There will be both basic and advanced topic for water treatment, water distribution, and wastewater. Attendees can earn 1.2 CEUs toward certification.

For more information or to register as an attendee or vendor, visit the event webpage on the IAMU website.

The early registration deadline is Nov. 3.

IAMU to Host Sporting Clays Competition to Benefit Scholarship Program

9/21/2021

Want to have a blast and support a great cause? You are invited to the inaugural IAMU Shooting for Scholars event. The sporting clays competition, which will benefit the IAMU scholarship program, will be held Wednesday, Oct. 13 at the New Pioneer Gun Club (31454 312th Place) in Waukee.

The cost is $45 per person, which covers the shooting and lunch. You will need to bring your own gun and shells, although shells will also be available for purchase at the range. Eye and ear protection is required.

Check-in begins at 9 a.m., and shooting starts at 10 a.m. There will be awards and prizes.

The registration deadline is October 8. To register: go to the IAMU website events page. You can register online or download, print, and fill out a PDF form.

For IAMU associate members, two sponsorship levels are available if you’re interested in supporting this fundraiser.

12-Gauge: cost - $300, logo included on sponsorship banner displayed at lunch, 1 complimentary round of sporting clays, 4-week Informer ad, logo displayed at 1 shooting station
20-Gauge: cost - $200, 1 complimentary round of sporting clays, logo displayed at 1 shooting station

The sponsorship deadline is September 29. Submit your logo (300 DPI, high-res .jpeg, .png, or PDF format) to jsoenen@iamu.org.

For any questions, contact: Steve Marsh at smarsh@iamu.org or by phone at 515-289-1999.

Municipal Utility Law 101 Workshop - October 6th @ IAMU

9/21/2021

Presented by Ahlers & Cooney, P.C., 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 even private attorneys working for a municipal utility. Opportunities will be provided to ask questions in advance of the workshop and throughout the presentations.

Topics will include:

General municipal law
Utility rates and charges
Service territories
Billing and collections
Disconnections
City payments, franchise fees, PILOTs, and surplus transfers
IUB jurisdiction
Public purpose requirements
Ordinances and resolutions
Open meetings and open records
Public bidding and improvements
Employment law
Gift laws and public employee ethics
Workers’ Compensation Law

Please click HERE for registration and additional information.

Auditor Sand Updates Advice to Governmental Entities to be Wary of Fake Emails Which Appear to be From Legitimate Vendors

9/21/2021

In accordance with section 11.6(7) of the Code of Iowa, The Office of Auditor of State is to be immediately notified of any suspected embezzlement, theft, or other significant financial irregularities. The Auditor recently learned of amounts a City paid email scammers posing as vendors and determined it is in the public interest to issue this Alert to help prevent other governmental subdivisions form falling victim to the same circumstances.

In January 2020, the Auditor issued an Alert regarding unknown parties which had attempted to fraudulently misdirect state and local governmental entities in Iowa into issuing payments by posing as vendors. A copy of the Alert can be found here.

Read the full notice from the Auditor here.

IAMU to Host Sporting Clays Competition to Benefit Scholarship Program

9/15/2021

Want to have a blast and support a great cause? You are invited to the inaugural IAMU Shooting for Scholars event. The sporting clays competition, which will benefit the IAMU scholarship program, will be held Wednesday, Oct. 13 at the New Pioneer Gun Club (31454 312th Place) in Waukee.

The cost is $45 per person, which covers the shooting and lunch. You will need to bring your own gun and shells, although shells will also be available for purchase at the range. Eye and ear protection is required.

Check-in begins at 9 a.m., and shooting starts at 10 a.m. There will be awards and prizes.

The registration deadline is October 8. To register: go to the IAMU website events page. You can register online or download, print, and fill out a PDF form.

For IAMU associate members, two sponsorship levels are available if you’re interested in supporting this fundraiser.

12-Gauge: cost - $300, logo included on sponsorship banner displayed at lunch, 1 complimentary round of sporting clays, 4-week Informer ad, logo displayed at 1 shooting station
20-Gauge: cost - $200, 1 complimentary round of sporting clays, logo displayed at 1 shooting station

The sponsorship deadline is September 29. Submit your logo (300 DPI, high-res .jpeg, .png, or PDF format) to jsoenen@iamu.org.

For any questions, contact: Steve Marsh at smarsh@iamu.org or by phone at 515-289-1999.