HomeMy WebLinkAboutElectric Board - Minutes - 10/19/2005Fort Collins Utilities Electric Board Minutes
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
City Council Liaison Electric Board Chairman Electric Board Vice Chairman
Kurt Kastein John Morris 377-8221 Tracy Babst-Wiedenbrug
Staff Liaison 482-0108
Leslie Mooney 416-2703
Roll Call:
Board Present
Chairperson John Morris, Tracy Babst-Wiedenbrug, Tom Bamish, John Harris and Alison
Mason
Absent: Dan Bihn and Jeff Lebesch
Staff Present:
Bill Bray, Terri Bryant, DeEtta Carr, Eric Dahlgren, Leslie Mooney, John Phelan, Mike Smith,
Bill Switzer and Ellen Switzer
Meetin¢ Convened
Chairperson John Morris called the meeting to order at 5:46 p.m.
Citizen Participation
There were no requests to comment.
Approve Minutes of September 21, 2005 Meeting
Board member Tracy Babst-Wiedenbrug made a motion, seconded by Board member Tom
Barnish to approve the minutes of the September 21, 2005 meeting. The motion passed
unanimously.
Review 2006-2007 Budget
Ellen Switzer, Utilities Financial Operations Manager, summarized the Budgeting for Outcomes
process that was used as the tool to determine the City's 2006-2007 budgets. She stated that the
Electric Board Meeting Minutes
October 19, 2005
Page 2
proposed 2006 budget is $4.2 million less than the adopted 2005 budget with an overall
reduction of 4.3 FTE in workforce. Electric rates are not projected to increase in 2006 or 2007.
Board member Tom Bamish asked if money was budgeted to underground areas that are up for
annexation. Bill Bray, Electric Planning & Engineering Services Manager, replied that staff
analyzes the feasibility of undergrounding based on several factors and that newly annexed
properties are not usually scheduled for undergrounding directly after annexation.
The Board questioned how the City is managing the pay issues as a result of the freeze on wages
for the past three years. Mike Smith, Utilities General Manager, explained that the City
Manager's policy is that all city employees be treated equally and get a 1.9% cost of living raise.
Regular employees will be allowed to receive up to a 4% merit increase. Skill trades employees
may receive up to a 10% skill level increase to help make up the deficit since the current pay is
approximately 25-30% below the market rate. He stated the past three year freeze on wages has
created a critical situation in all areas but particularly in the lineworker career path which has
resulted in the loss of many line ground workers and lineworker I and II's. He noted that
attracting and retaining skilled employees in all four of the City's utilities has become a major
problem because of low wages.
Board member Tracy Babst-Wiedenbrug made a motion, seconded by Board member John Harris
to recommend approval of the 2006-2007 budgets with the caveat of submitting a letter to go
along with it. The motion passed unanimously.
Review 2006 Work Plan
Chairman Morris asked if there were any changes or additions to the draft 2006 work plan.
Board member Alison Mason asked if the Board could address the discrepancy for residential air
conditioner use during peak hours.
The Board reviewed the draft 2006 Work plan and requested that the air conditioning rate factor
be included in next year's work plan discussions.
Board member Tom Barnish made a motion, seconded by Board member Alison Mason to
approve the draft 2006 work plan with the addition of "air conditioning" being added to 3(b).
The motion passed unanimously.
Other Business
Board member Alison Mason mentioned that she is involved in organizing a net metering
workshop and requested some participation from staff on questions and issues that may
arise.
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Electric Board Meeting Minutes
October 19, 2005
Page 3
• Chairman Moms requested that next month's agenda include: wind power update;
parallel generation or net metering and the 2006 work plan schedule.
Adiournment
Board member John Harris made a motion, seconded by Board member Tracy Babst-Wiedenbrug
to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.
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Leslie Mooney, Electric and Liaison
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