Board Of Public Works OKs Policy Changes

Oct 26, 2005 | Headline News

The Trenton Board of Public Works held its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday evening at Trenton City Hall.

Board members approved several policy changes relating to utility service deposits and disconnect procedures. TMU Comptroller Theresa Price said the utility is losing money on customers who are leaving with unpaid balances on their bills. In order to help alleviate the problem, residential electric customers will now pay a $150 minimum deposit, all electric customers and commercial customers will have a $200 deposit and water customers will have a $75 deposit. If monthly usage exceeds the minimum deposit, the deposit may be increased to the highest month. Deposits will be applied to the final bill and any credit will be refunded. A new deposit will be required for any new service location and all outstanding balances must be paid prior to receiving utility service.

TMU will now charge $25 for returned checks; $30 to reconnect utilities from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and $60 after hours, weekend and holidays; and $10 per trip when an employee goes to the property to collect a payment. No payment arrangements will be accepted on the disconnect date.

Also approved was a policy on purchasing materials from the utility and damage repair to utility property. Materials from TMU inventory will not be sold unless the purchaser has tried to obtain the materials from a private vendor. TMU will charge 25 percent over the cost of the item to cover overhead. Any damage to utility property will be paid for by the party that caused the damage.

Another policy change requires physical disconnection of the service lines to the main line when utility services are disconnected.

The board also set minimum goals for cash reserves in each department of electric, water and wastewater. It is hoped to maintain two months of operating costs in cash reserves as well as establishing an emergency reserve fund.

A payment of $4,200 to Burns and McDonnell Engineering was approved for followup paperwork on the removal of fuel tanks and contaminated soil at the power plant on Crowder Road. It is hoped the paperwork will result in a “no further action required” letter being received from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

TMU Superintendent Chad Davis said the utility has received a draft permit for the wastewater plant and is working with DNR to refine the document, which would be for five years and retroactive to the expiration of the previous permit in May. Davis said there are no disinfection requirements for treatment of wastewater discharge but there are new requirements for ammonia discharge limits and it is questionable if the current plant can meet those requirements.

Board member Dr. David Ryan questioned staff members on continued losses in the electric department where expenses are higher than revenues, even with the rate increase that was reflected on September utility bills. Ms. Price said a study will be done in December and brought to the board after the first of the year which should show where the electric department stands on profitability.

Brock Pfost of White Cloud Engineering was present at the meeting to discuss water distribution improvement projects. TMU is at the end of a five-year project plan which was approved by the DNR. The final project will be replacing two-inch lines in the Little Woods Drive and Lake Manor Drive area with a new six- inch line and installation of a fire hydrant where there was none before. Affected property owners will be notified by letter and work is to begin within the next few weeks.

Discussion has already begun on projects to be included in a new five-year plan, which will include work in the area of the new city/county jail.

He praised TMU’s work on the five year plan of water system improvements and quoted a DNR official who said “Trenton has done more than any town its size in the state of Missouri.”

Board members also approved a change order involving stormwater work to be done in the area of Harris Avenue and Highland Street. The change requires city council approval and will not cost the utility any money.

Board Chairman Phil Hoffman said he responded to a request by a customer about why TMU didn’t generate more electricity for use during the high demand time this summer.

Davis explained the decision to generate electricity at Trenton is determined by MoPEP, the electricity pool to which TMU belongs. The pool tries to fill electricity generation needs on an economic basis and uses the lowest cost electricity available to the pool. When the local generators are the lowest cost available, they are used by the pool. Davis said TMU generated more electricity in August of this year than it did in all of 2004 and generated more than TMU’s demand in September.

Ms. Price said even though TMU established a new peak this summer, it only costs the utility about $1,200 a month in increased electricity costs. TMU receives a $40,000 per month credit from the pool for the diesel generator capacity it has available. Davis noted it is cheaper for TMU to purchase power from the pool than it is to generate its own electricity during peak demands.

TMU employee Michael Scheib attended the meeting and thanked board members for allowing him to help restore power to parts of Louisiana damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Scheib also traveled to Florida last year. Hoffman thanked Scheib for his willingness to travel and help the people in the affected areas and City Administrator Kerry Sampson noted that TMU may be in need of assistance some day. All of Scheib’s expenses, including pay, are reimbursed by the receiving utility company to TMU.

A letter from North Central Missouri College President Dr. Neil Nuttall was given to the board, expressing appreciation for TMU’s donation to the college’s major gift campaign. TMU provided labor to install new street lights along Main Street in front of the college. The new lights were provided by the Bert and Rose Hoover Foundation and the Trenton Downtown Improvement Association.

Kevin Kaysinger, recently hired as TMU Comptroller, attended his first meeting. He replaces Ms. Price, whose last day will be Nov. 10 and a reception is planned for her at the utility offices.

The next meeting of the board is scheduled for Nov. 22.