The Board meets on the first and third Monday of each month. Meetings begin at 1:00 p.m. and are held in the department conference room at 65 Lafayette Ave, Littleton. Board meetings are open to the public and time is allotted for public comments at each meeting.
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The regularly scheduled Board of Commissioners (BOC) meeting began at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, October 3, 2016 in the Littleton Water and Light (LWL) conference room. Present were Commissioner Eddy Moore, Commissioner Perry Goodell, Commissioner Ralph Ross, Financial Director Cheryl Wilkins and Superintendent Thomas Considine.
MINUTES REVIEW:
The minutes of the September 19, 2016 regularly scheduled Commissioners meeting were reviewed. Commissioner Ross made a motion to accept the minutes as presented, seconded by Commissioner Goodell.
The vote was in favor of the motion 3-0-0.
CUSTOMER & PUBLIC CONCERNS:
Mrs. Kenney briefed the BOC with regard to a customer request submitted by Ms. Phyllis Neaves. Ms. Neaves asked (via written request) that a $35.00 processing fee be waved due to her good credit standing with the LWL.
Mrs. Kenney stated that an error was made on her LWL accounts automatic payment portal as a result of her credit card expiration. This would prevent payment from being rendered on time if not corrected. In an attempt to update the expired information Ms. Neaves apparently made a mistake which facilitated a $35.00 processing error fee to be charged to her account. Ms. Neaves alleges that she did not make a mistake, that it was a computer error and is contesting the charge.
The BOC discussed that LWL had spent too much time resolving this issue already and most likely had spent more than $35.00 thus far. The final decision was left up to management to resolve.
SUPERINTENDENT/ GENERAL MANAGERS REPORT:
1. The recent power supply procurement was discussed with the BOC. Request for proposals were due on Wednesday, September 22, 2016 and four (4) prospective suppliers submitted bids for various resources for 2017 – 2020. As a result of the procurement LWL is under contract for about 87% of the estimated load resources for 2017 and about 72% of the need resources are locked in for 2018 – 2020 at prices below 2016 wholesale prices.
Commissioner Ross asked if the new hedge fractions were used for this solicitation to determine the required resources.
Superintendent Considine stated that the new hedge fractions as discussed at a previous BOC meeting (about 87% annually) were utilized in addition to a lower overall system load. An analysis of the past five (5) year ISONE recorded load and final sales figures (actual data) were utilized in preparing the solicitation amounts. When averaged the actual data indicates that LWL load and corresponding energy sales are trending downward at about one and a half (1 ½) to two (2) percent annually during this period. Sales through August 2016 were about six (6) percent below this same period last year with a large portion (about 3½ to 4 percent) of this reduction attributed to the shutdown of Hitchiner Manufacturing campus on Beacon Street. (Note: actual LWL energy sales have been trending downward since 2008 – 2009).
2. Transformer Services Inc. (TSI) with the assistance of LWL personnel are scheduled to conduct equipment degassing and dehydration operations at both the South Street and Burndy substation beginning this week. This process is expected to take several days and TSI equipment and personnel will remain onsite overnight until complete.
3. Access improvements are needed at the Mann’s Hill pump vault. Current access is provided through a roof hatch and ladder. As this is a critical point within the water system safety improvement are suggested to mitigate this confined space. It is unfortunate that a safe access into this area was not an initial design consideration when the project was constructed in the early 1990’s (circa 1994).
Commissioner Goodell stated that if an employee was injured while working inside the vault it would be very difficult and a slow process to extricate the injured employee through the roof hatch.
Plans are being developed that would provide a walk in grade access off of Whitcomb Woods Road. This should be able to be accomplished with precast concrete blocks though the preliminary construction estimates and options are being worked out.
4. Richard Herrington’s last day of employment with LWL was on Friday, September 30, 2016. In total Richard was employed with the LWL over 28 years. Plans to fill the vacant Operations Managers positions are being discussed in-house as to how best to utilize this position.
GENERAL/ OTHER BUSINESS:
The NHPUC distributed the surplus funds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) Auction 33 recently to all NH electric distribution companies. LWL received a check for about $ 19,111 (LWL’s share based on 2015 final sale as compared to state wide) to rebate active customers. LWL customers that record energy (kWh) consumption in October will receive a rebate of $ 0.00374/ kWh or ($3.74 per 1,000kWh).
ADJOURNMENT:
Commissioner Goodell made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by
Commissioner Ross.
The vote was in favor of the motion 3-0-0.
Meeting adjourned at 1:58 p.m.
The regularly scheduled Commissioner’s meeting is held twice monthly on the first and third Monday, at 1:00 p.m., in the Department’s conference room.