Your PUD
News Release
Proposed agreements with city of Wenatchee discussed
Chelan County PUD
News Release
1/10/2005
Two agreements spelling out the relationship between the city of Wenatchee and the PUD for providing electric, water and telecommunications services were discussed with PUD commissioners Monday.
The proposed 25-year franchise agreement allowing the PUD to build and maintain electric and water lines in city rights of way updates and improves an agreement first negotiated in 1951, explained Karen Wiggum, PUD staff attorney. The second agreement, also proposed for 25 years, covers the use of PUD lines on city rights of way to deliver wholesale communications services including video from private providers over the PUD’s fiber-optic network.
It will be up to the private service providers to negotiate cable TV franchises with the city.
The proposed agreements benefit customers who receive services from both the city and the PUD, said Kirk Hudson, Distribution director. Key to the new agreements is joint planning on construction projects. The agencies will meet at least twice a year to discuss long-term plans and projects scheduled for the coming year.
“The joint planning should reduce costs for the PUD and the city in the future,” said Dave Johnson, PUD Water/Wastewater director.
The new franchise agreement requires the PUD to pay the city $7,500 a year, plus a one-time payment of $15,000 to cover administrative costs over the last two years. It also spells out construction standards, security provisions and conditions for relocating PUD lines for a city project. There are no additional fees for the telecommunications agreement.
Wiggum said the PUD is also working on similar agreements with the city of Chelan and would be negotiating with Chelan County, Leavenworth, Entiat and Cashmere in the future.
PUD commissioners didn’t take action Monday and will consider the documents next week. The city has set a public hearing on the agreements for Jan. 13 and plans to vote on them Jan. 27.
Several city staff members also attended Monday’s discussion.
PUD commissioners elect 2005 officers
Bob Boyd, a 10-year PUD commissioner, was elected president of the Board of Commissioners for 2005. This is Boyd’s second term as board president.
PUD Commissioner Norm Gutzwiler was also nominated for president, but declined, saying since he has only served since January 2003, he didn’t have the working knowledge of the PUD required of the president.
PUD Commissioner Gary Montague, on the board since 1999, was elected vice president. Gutzwiler was elected secretary, and newly elected PUD Commissioner Ann Congdon was elected assistant secretary. All the terms are for one year.
In other business, commissioners:
- Received an update from John Stoll, Customer Service director, on steps taken following last week’s forecast for below-zero temperatures. While lows only reached 7 degrees, a team of employees met daily to prepare for the expected high load. No widespread outages were reported, but PUD crews did replace equipment to improve electric service in the upper Entiat Valley.
- Heard from Randy Stedman, Human Resources director, that it may be three months before the outcome of a two-day state hearing last week by the Public Employment Relations Commission is known. At issue are votes cast by five of the employees of the PUD’s Information Technology Department who voted last September on whether to unionize. The PUD contends that the five employees are ineligible to be part of the bargaining unit due to their positions and duties.
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The next regular meeting of the PUD commission is at 1 p. m. on Jan. 17, 2005, in the boardroom of the Headquarters Building, 327 N. Wenatchee Ave.
Most PUD commission meetings are recorded and a link to the audio is available on the PUD’s home page at www.chelanpud.org.
Kimberlee Craig
Public Information Officer
661-4320, direct line
679-6858, cell
kimc@chelanpud.org