Blog Archives

Iowa One Call 2019 Excavation Safety Awareness Program Meetings - Registration Open!

12/19/2018

Each year Iowa One Call travels the state to update excavators, locators and facility operators on one call requirements. The ESAP meetings are free of charge and lunch is provided.

This year we will provide an overview of Iowa One Call protocol, focus on the importance of communication lines, educate on private facilities, discuss best practices for communication between contractor and locating firms, and learn how to effectively use NextGen for accurate and timely locates.

*Please be sure to register for the location you plan to attend. Seating is limited. Registration and meal are free. Iowa One Call reserves the right to charge companies and individuals for the meal if they register and fail to attend the event.

A raffle drawing will follow the presentation.

Click here for more details and to register.

New Member Benefit: MunEE Bucks Energy Efficiency Program

12/19/2018

A new program available to IAMU electric and natural gas municipal utility members can now help customers lower utility bills, save money, and conserve energy through a host of efficiency solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial customers.

Program Overview

The MunEE Bucks Prescriptive Energy Efficiency Incentive Program is a municipal utility customer incentive program designed to encourage the installation of energy-efficient equipment and systems in residential, commercial, and industrial facilities including, but not limited to: homes, public buildings, schools, hospitals, grocery stores, food processing plants, and advanced manufacturing facilities.

By providing a centralized, online rebate and incentive processing solution, this program helps IAMU members overcome the challenges that often discourage customers from participating in efficiency programs. Confusing qualification requirements, lengthy paper forms, and limited time are just a few of the reasons. MunEE Bucks encourages wider adoption of energy-efficiency measures across market segments using a simplified, easy-to-understand process, administered by IAMU.
With quarterly and annual reporting, the program provides utilities with valuable information about program participation, the total value of rebates processed, and much more. IAMU can work closely with your utility to identify trends and use the data to enhance the quality of the programs being offered to customers.

How It Works

As a municipal utility, you have the option to enroll in the program at no additional cost. Each utility will be provided a recommended portfolio of rebates and incentives to offer their customers. Members can choose which measures to move forward with and wish to leave out. You can have as few or as many as you prefer. The rebate and incentive amounts are set annually and are consistent across the program. At the end of each program year, rebates and incentives are evaluated for cost effectiveness and performance. IAMU manages rebate processing, while each utility is responsible for rebate payment and installation verification.
Have a rebate or incentive that’s specific to your community? No problem, the MunEE Bucks program is flexible. IAMU’s Energy Services team can work with you to incorporate your unique requirements, whether it’s commercial kitchen equipment, grain dryers, or something entirely different.
To complete rebate applications, either the municipal utility or the customer uses an online portal hosted by IAMU and made available through your local utility’s website. The rebates and incentives are processed through the system and a report provided to the utility.

Available Incentives

The MunEE Bucks Program provides incentives to customers for the installation of energy-efficient equipment for numerous applications including, but not limited, to the following measures:

Appliances
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment
Air-source heat pumps and ductless mini splits
Programmable thermostats
Variable frequency drives (VFD) for motors
Domestic-water heating,
Cooking, refrigeration, and food-service equipment

Program Support

Program support, including multimedia content development, training, workshops, marketing, and local promotion are provided by IAMU with the assistance of the local utility.

Program Eligibility

Customers who are provided electric and natural gas services through a participating municipal utility are eligible for the program. Some restrictions apply based on location, construction type, and available utility funding. Customers are encouraged to contact their municipal utility or IAMU for additional information on eligibility.

Program Availability

The MunEE Bucks program will be available to members for the 2019 calendar year. Once a member has signed up, IAMU will work with you to get your program up and running. A marketing and outreach campaign will kick off the program beginning in early 2019.

To find out more information and how you can help your customers save big bucks on energy, contact Jeremy Caron at [email protected] or by phone at 515-289-1999.

Nominations Accepted for Broadband Vanguard Award

12/18/2018

IAMU Executive Director Troy DeJoode (left) presents the Broadband Vanguard Award to Ivan Webber of Ahlers & Cooney (right) at the 2018 IAMU Broadband Conference.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2019 IAMU Broadband Vanguard Award. Launched earlier this year, the Broadband Vanguard Award recognizes individuals or organizations that have played a vital role in the promotion and advancement of municipal broadband in Iowa. At the inaugural awards in March, two individuals – Bob Borchers of Hawarden and Ivan Webber of Ahlers & Cooney PC – where recognized, along with Cedar Falls Utilities. The 2019 awards will be announced during lunch at the IAMU Broadband Conference on March 14, 2019.

Nominations will be accepted until 5pm on January 31, 2019. If you would like to nominate yourself or another individual/organization, send an email to Curtis Dean, broadband services coordinator, at [email protected] with the name of the individual/organization and a brief description of why you think that person/organization should be honored. Nominations will be reviewed by the IAMU Broadband Committee and selections made by the IAMU Awards Committee.

OSHA's Latest Emphasis Program: Trenching & Excavation

12/17/2018

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (the agency responsible for tracking occupational illness, injury and fatality data), deaths from trench cave-ins have hit an all-time high. With 23 lives lost in 2016, the trench and excavation-related fatalities were nearly double the average of the previous five years. Although 2017 saw only 17 deaths, when combined with injuries reported to OSHA involving trenches, it was the most dangerous year for trench safety in recent history.

This past October, OSHA re-affirmed its commitment to reducing the number of injuries and fatalities due to unprotected trenches and excavations by renewing the National Emphasis Program (NEP) on Trenching and Excavations. This emphasis program covers all states, including state OSHA programs, and requires that Compliance Officers initiate inspections under this NEP whenever they observe an open trench or an open excavation, regardless of whether a violation is readily observed. This program also allows the Compliance Officer to expand the inspection to include the entire jobsite if other violations are observed.

The OSHA regulations regarding trench and excavation safety are very specific.

They require that a competent person, who is qualified to recognize hazards and has the authority to take quick action to eliminate the hazard, inspect the trench for hazards and determine the specific type of protective system to be put in place.
Correcting the hazard can include stopping the work, if necessary.
The competent person must have specific training in, and be knowledgeable about, soil analysis, the use of protective systems, and the requirements of OSHA’s Excavation standard.

An important part of the program is the emphasis placed on training and education. OSHA has updated its trenching and excavation fact sheets and quick cards. Links to educational materials and videos are available at www.osha.gov . Common Ground Alliance’s Best Practices Guide is among other industry educational materials in its resource list LINK.

Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) has been conducting Trench Safety workshops for its members for 25 years. Contact IAMU’s Safety Services department if you need this training. If you have questions regarding trench safety, contact Margret Meade [email protected] or 515.210.6617.

Toolbox Talk - Eyewash/Drench Station Care

12/17/2018

The latest edition of IAMU's Toolbox Talks - Fire's Impact 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.

Iowa Finance Authority - Same Mission. New Address

12/12/2018

The Iowa Finance Authority will be moving to its new location on Friday, December 14th. Please make note of this for your records. The new address is:

1963 Bell Ave., Suite 200
Des Moines, Iowa 50315

The current office at 2015 Grand Ave. will be closed beginning at 11:30 a.m. on December 14th. Please be aware that staff will remain available via email during the transition, but responses may occasionally be delayed during the move time.

We appreciate your patience and look forward to continuing our work of advancing opportunities for Iowans at our new location.

2019 IAMU Hands-On Pumps & Maintenance Workshops

12/12/2018

Mark your calendars for the Hands-On Pumps & Maintenance Workshops presented by Larry Trout. Two dates/locations will be offered.

Space is limited to the first 20 registrations at each location. The registration fee is $115 per person for IAMU Members, $160 per person for Non-Members. Lunch will be provided.

Registration
Registration is open. You may register and find additional information at the links below.

For more information, contact Steve Marsh at 800-810-4268 or [email protected].

Attention Water Members: Consumer Notice Certification Reminder for All Systems that Sampled Lead & Copper This Summer

12/11/2018

The Lead and Copper Rule requires water utilities to notify individuals at sites where lead samples are collected of the results for their sites. The notice is called the “Consumer Notice.” You must notify individuals within 30 days of when the system receives the laboratory report. For any lead result over the 0.015 mg/L lead action level, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources requests the system provide that notice to that site within 48 hours of receiving the lab report.

The consumer notice is required for all lead results and may also be used for copper. The templates with the mandatory language, instructions, and certification page are available on the Forms website (last section). Note that there are four forms, depending on system type and whether lead data or lead and copper data will be provided. The system must also send the completed certification form to the DNR as proof that the consumer notice was conducted, along with one copy of the actual notice.

This is a reminder for all community and non-transient non-community systems that sampled for lead and copper between June 1 and Sept. 30, 2018, to submit the certification form that the consumer notices were distributed. The certification and one copy of the consumer notice are due to the DNR by Dec. 30, 2018. So far, the DNR has received about half of the certifications due from this summer’s sampling efforts. If you aren’t sure about the requirements, or have other questions, please call or email your contacts in Water Supply Operations. Your contact’s name and phone number are listed on the cover page of your current operation permit.

Crane Operator Final Rule

12/10/2018

Now that November 10, 2018 has come and gone, the technical skills and knowledge provisions of the crane operator certification in 1926 Subpart CC is now a regulatory requirement. Several revisions and clarifications have taken place with the publication of OSHA’s final rule, Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Operator Qualifications, effective December 10, 2018. One purpose of these revisions is to change the requirement that crane operator certification be based on equipment type and capacity and instead now permits certification be based on type OR type and capacity. OSHA found no statistics or research that proved an additional safety benefit for certifying by anything other than type. In fact, OSHA believes that it restricts the potential for some crane operators to obtain certification. Certification criteria, which requires a written certification test and a practical test, remains unchanged.

OSHA has also revised the two additional sections of the crane standard that address operator training and competency. However, OSHA still requires that operators re-certify every 5 years and that accrediting bodies have a re-certifying component to their program that allows for operators to be tested to ensure that they have retained safety knowledge and they are up to speed with the latest regulatory and technical developments. The certification issuing entity (like NCCER) must be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency (such as ANSI or ASME) so as to be sure that industry-recognized criteria for written testing materials, practical examinations, test administration, grading, facilities/equipment, and personnel have been met. By meeting such protocol and upon completing a successful audit, Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities was certified as an Accredited Assessment Center through NCCER.

Another change in the final rule of the crane standard is the clarification of the employer’s obligation to evaluate the competency of the operator and their ability to work safely. Just as an employee’s driver’s license does not guarantee the employee’s ability to drive all vehicles safely in all conditions of the employee’s workplace, certification does not ensure that the crane operator has sufficient knowledge and skill to operate all cranes and other lifting equipment safely. The employer evaluation of a crane operator’s ability, experience and competency is a fundamental part of workplace safety. This evaluation part of the rule goes into effect on February 7, 2019 and states that employers must conduct an evaluation of each operator to ensure that they are qualified by a demonstration of the skills and knowledge necessary to operate the equipment safely and the ability to recognize and avert risks associated with that operation. The evaluation must also include the operator’s ability to perform the hoisting activities required for the work that they are assigned, including blind lifts, personnel hoisting and multiple lifts.

Skills and knowledge, as addressed by OSHA, include those types of safety devices, operational aids and software the crane is equipped with. The evaluation must also take into account the size and configuration of the crane as the manufacturer has designed it to function; including lifting capacity, boom length and radius, attachments and counterweight configuration. The evaluation must be documented and must include the printed names and signatures of the operator and the evaluator, the date of the evaluation and the make, model and configuration of the crane used in the evaluation. Re-evaluations are required whenever you provide retraining to an operator but should only focus on the areas which the retraining covered. You must retrain an operator whenever you believe it’s necessary based on an operator’s performance or an evaluation of the operator’s knowledge.

OSHA’s final rule now clarifies restrictions for operators-in-training. Those employees must be provided with sufficient training, through a combination of formal and practical instruction, to ensure that they develop the skills, knowledge, and ability to recognize and avert risk necessary to operate the equipment safely for assigned work. These employees may operate cranes but they must be continuously monitored by their trainer. There are, however, restrictions on the duties in which operators-in-training who are not yet certified are not allowed to operate cranes:

(1) If any part of the crane, load line, or load (including rigging and lifting accessories), if operated up to the crane’s maximum working radius in the work zone could get within 20 feet of a power line that is up to 350 kV, or within 50 feet of a power line that is over 350 kV.

(2) Hoisting personnel.

(3) Multi-crane lifts.

(4) Over a shaft, cofferdam, or in a tank farm.

(5) Multiple-lift rigging operations (unless the operator’s trainer determines that the operator-in-training’s skills are sufficient).

The final rule, with the exception of the evaluation and documentation requirements, will become effective on Dec. 9, 2018. The evaluation and documentation requirements will become effective on February 7, 2019.

IAMU has two mobile crane operator examination and certification classes during the weeks of January 7th and February 11th, 2019. Go to this LINK to register for either class.

Welcome New Associate Member - Midwest Vac Professionals

12/6/2018

Please welcome one of our newest Associate members - Midwest Vac Professionals!

Midwest Vac Professionals, located in Panora, Iowa, is a locally owned and operated woman owned business. The company focuses primarily on Sanitary and Storm Sewer Cleaning and CCTV Inspection work as well as Hydro-Excavation Services.

We have new, state-of-the-art equipment and are here to serve you 24/7. We have over 25 years of knowledge and experience, ensuring you that we will take care of your needs and get the job done right the first time. Jobsite safety is our biggest priority, and we provide excellent service. We offer competitive pricing and customer service with great employees who are experienced and well trained.

Our customers include engineers, municipalities, commercial/industrial contractors, and counties as well as government agencies such as DOT. Serving all of Iowa, Southern Wisconsin, Eastern Nebraska and Southern Minnesota.

Please give MVP the opportunity to earn your business.

Transformer School for Electric Line Workers

12/5/2018

The upcoming Transformer School workshop is open to electrical workers in transmission, distribution, substation, and Power plants. The material is applicable to workers ranging from new apprentice as an in-depth look at the transformer material to journey level as a refresher for those that haven’t had the work type needed to keep their memory sharp. I will be covering material from beginning to end while receiving supplemental assistance from Dave Link, Bob Hiatt, and Jim Thompson. Information will be delivered via printed diagrams, verbal explanations, and by building indoor models on the training poles. Below is what the course agenda will look like.

Course Schedule:

Tuesday, December 18

12:00-1:00 Registration
- IAMU office

1:00-4:00 Classroom Training:
- Theory and basics of transformers
- Transformer parts and operation
- Nameplates
- Windings, ratios, and polarity
- Making connections
- Fusing
- Parallel Transformers

Wednesday, December 19

8:30-12:00 Classroom and Hands-On Training:
- Review from day 1
- Building and removing parallel transformers
- 3 phase banks and applications
- Open vs closed bank
- Wye vs delta bank
- Pole mount vs pad mounted
- 3 tub bank vs pad mount
- Connecting and Parallel operation

12:00-1:00 Lunch Served at Training Center
- Lunch provided by RESCO sponsorship

1:00-4:00 Classroom and Hands-On Training:
- Connecting and banking practice on models

Thursday, December 20

8:30-12:00 Classroom and Hands-On Training:
- Guest speaker Jim Thompson, Chairperson for IEEE transformer committee discussing topics including:
  - Power transformers
  - Sampling and oil testing
  - Protecting your assets and understanding oil tests
  - Troubleshooting
  - Practicing banks

12:00 Class Dismissed - attendees are welcome to stay and cover any questions or areas where additional help is needed

Cost:
$425 per IAMU Member participant
$495 per Non-Member participant
*THIS COURSE IS LIMITED TO THE FIRST 24 REGISTRATIONS*

For registration and more information, please click HERE.

Questions? Please contact: Dan Llewellyn, IAMU Electric Services Coordinator ([email protected]).

Water Members: Fellow Member Needs Front Office/Lobby Ideas

12/4/2018

The Marion Water Department is considering renovating the customer service area of its office. Marion is hoping that other Iowa municipal water departments that have newer/recent remodels of their front office/lobby area would be willing to provide input on pros/cons for aesthetics, safety for employees, ease of customer service, etc. Photos of lobby/front counter areas to see configurations would also be helpful.

You may email any comments or photos directly to:
Todd Steigerwaldt, General Manager of the Marion Water Department - [email protected]

2019 eLation Staking and Mapping User Meeting

12/3/2018

Innovative Systems invites you to attend the 2019 eLation Staking & Mapping User Meeting in Mitchell, South Dakota, February 5th-6th. This FREE annual event will keep you informed on the most recent releases, updates to the product, and ways to promote your services. Real life scenarios, hands-on training sessions, and customer experiences with the Staking & Mapping software will highlight this year’s event.

This User Meeting is also a prime opportunity for you to meet face-to-face with our support team and to network with other Telco staff from across the country to see how they are utilizing Innovative Systems products.

Follow this link to register: http://www.innovsys.com/innovsys/news-events/staking-mapping-user-meeting/

Labor Law All-in-One Posters

12/3/2018

Looking for updated State and Federal Law All-in-One posters?

Click here for offerings from State and Federal Poster, Inc. A large 27" by 40" laminated State and Federal Labor Law All-in-One poster is only $17.99.

In addition, both the Iowa Unemployment Insurance Notice and the Equal Employment Opportunity posters were updated in August 2018. These are included in the 2019 All-in-One poster. If, however, you would like to download these (or others) for free, click here: https://www.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/required-employer-posters.

Central Service Association and Professional Computer Systems Announce Collaboration

12/3/2018

Central Service Association (CSA), a member-owned technology cooperative based in Tupelo, Miss., has reached an agreement to purchase the assets of Professional Computer Systems, Co. (PCS), based in Denison, Iowa. This agreement will expand both the product offerings and service area for each company.

The two companies serve a combined 160+ utilities in 29 states, plus the island of Bermuda, with very little territory overlap. While both companies primarily provide billing, financial and related software to public utilities, specific products and technologies from each may now be made available to the other’s customers to help fill specific needs. Each company will continue to operate from their respective headquarters and each will maintain current or increased staffing and service levels as they build for the future.

The collaboration will allow PCS to offer an “enterprise solution” to its customers as it initially adds CSA’s OrbitTM Meter Data Management and UtiliSuiteTM, a complete multi-service GIS/Engineering package, to its product set. The companies already have some key integration in place, and their dedication to Microsoft platforms and MultiSpeakTM standards points toward a smooth transition. Additionally, PCS clients will also be able to take part in CSA sponsored employee benefit plans. These benefits include defined contribution (401k & 457) and defined benefit (traditional pension) retirement plans, life insurance, retiree health, dental and pharmacy plans from nationally known companies like Voya and Mass Mutual.

Kim Ingerslev, President and CEO of PCS, states, “The CSA and PCS union is a natural for the two companies. Both companies have a long history of serving the utility industry by providing leading-edge software and solution development, and exceptional customer support. Clients and the industry will benefit from the combined investment into people and products.”

“We are excited to add PCS’s assets - human, physical and intellectual - to the CSA family,” Tom Underwood, CEO and General Manager at Central Service Association said. “This opens markets and technologies for both companies and will provide some economies of scale that will make each company stronger and better able to serve its customers.”

Upon closing on January 1, 2019 Professional Computer Systems will become Professional Computer Solutions, LLC and will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Central Service Association.
The existing management, technical and support personnel at PCS will remain in place after the purchase.

Underwood explained, “We want this transition to be as smooth as possible. PCS is already a successful company with loyal customers, and we want to assure them that we are not going to do anything to risk changing that. We are, where appropriate and fundamentally sound, planning to share products, technology, human intelligence and other resources to ensure that both companies are serving their respective utilities in the best possible way, but there are no significant personnel or technology platform changes planned or expected in the foreseeable future.”

About Central Service Association (CSA)

On January 3, 1938, Central Service Association was incorporated as a member-owned association to create a method of using centralized expertise to perform utility customer billing and other joint services that were determined as useful to the efficient operation of public utilities. Today, CSA is still operated without profit and for the benefit of its members.

In its 80-plus year history, CSA has grown to serve the entire seven-state Tennessee Valley area and has recently begun marketing efforts outside its previous boundaries. What began as a manual billing service has grown into an association offering a very comprehensive range of modern, computerized information systems to assist in all areas of utility operations and management to more than 100 utilities.

Today, CSA’s OrbitTM customer, financial and work management systems represent the latest technology and the greatest value in the IT arena. In addition, the Association offers UtiliSuiteTM GIS/mapping software, meter data management, professional and consulting services, networking, Internet services, hardware and software sales, related supplies and printed forms, employee benefit plans, and other assistance incident to the provision of support to public utilities. For more information about CSA visit www.csa1.com.

About Professional Computer Systems, Co. (PCS)

PCS has been serving the utility industry with billing and accounting software solutions since 1981. PCS offers Utilit-e Solutions, an integrated suite of premier software applications for the utility industry. The suite includes: Utilit-e Connect, a customer information system and utility billing application; Utilit-e Insight, a comprehensive financial accounting solution; Utilit-e Online, an e-Commerce solution; and Utilit-e Central, an application software hosting service. PCS provides many Smart Grid interfaces to open third party applications such as AMI, MDM, GIS, OMS, IVR allowing choices of solutions. PCS’ customer support personnel know and understand the utility environment and how that encompasses your support needs. For more information about PCS, visit www.pcsco.com.