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PUD to work closer with Chelan County, Port District

Chelan County PUD
News Release
9/17/2007

Continuing meetings that began in May, all five Chelan County PUD commissioners and all three Chelan County commissioners spent about two hours Monday afternoon discussing ways to improve cooperation on planning and on building new utility and public works projects in the county.

“We all serve the same constituents,” said PUD President Norm Gutzwiler.

Both groups agreed to create a working group of PUD and county staff members -- and one commissioner from each entity – to develop a collaborative strategic plan, look at existing agreements and propose changes for the full boards to consider. Also participating in the working group will be the Port of Chelan County, which had Commissioner J.C. Baldwin and staff observing Monday’s meeting.

PUD Commissioner Randy Smith and Chelan County Commissioner Keith Goehner have spearheaded the effort to get the three policy-making groups together to revisit franchise agreements, talk about planning and improve the cost-effectiveness of county and PUD projects that require collaboration.

Next steps in the collaboration will be meetings of the new working group on Oct. 11 and Oct. 18 that will be led by hired facilitator Joyce Stewart, a former Port District employee. Then the three agencies will meet Oct. 23 at the Confluence Technology Center to review progress. 

In other business, PUD commissioners:

• Heard an update from Executive Manager of Energy Resources Randy Lowe about progress on delivering a backup diesel generator to the Stehekin community. Following last Friday’s failure of one 250-kw generator, the community is having electricity supplied by the lone remaining generator, without backup. A repaired generator is to be sent back to Stehekin Tuesday and is expected to be ready for backup use by Thursday morning. The diesel generators are supplying power temporarily while a new Pelton wheel for the hydropower generator on Company Creek is manufactured. A cracked Pelton wheel that was formerly in use is being repaired and may be available for service by the end of October.

***

Commissioners changed the starting time of their next meeting Sept. 24 to 10 a.m. in the board room so they can have extra time to discuss strategic planning and the board’s Balanced Scorecard. The regular agenda will continue at 1 p.m. following a lunch break.

Commissioners also scheduled a number of special meetings so they can meet with community partnership groups around the county. Those meetings will be Sept. 27 at 12:30 p.m. at the Icicle Inn in Leavenworth; Oct. 4 at noon at the Icicle Ridge Winery in Peshastin; Oct. 25 at noon at the Roaster Restaurant in Wenatchee; Nov. 1 at noon at the Walnut Café in Cashmere; Nov. 8 at noon in Entiat at the City Library; and Nov. 15 at noon at the Bison Bistro in Manson.

The next regular meeting of the PUD commission is at 10 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 24, 2007, in the boardroom at PUD headquarters, 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.

Steve Lachowicz
Communications director
Chelan County PUD
509.661.4639office
509.679-0148 cell
509.661.8133 fax
steve.lachowicz@chelanpud.org