Your PUD
News Release
Commissioners accept pay plan
Chelan County PUD
News Release
4/21/2008
Chelan County PUD commissioners Monday accepted a $100 a month raise, bringing their monthly pay to $1,400. Commissioner Ann Congdon voted against the increase without comment.
The state legislature passed a bill this year increasing the monthly salaries of PUD commissioners, raising their monthly salary to $1,400. The state also authorized an increase to $1,800 a month for PUD commissioners as they are elected or re-elected and added a cost of living adjustment every five years.
The new law allows increases for PUDs if the utility has annual gross revenues greater than $15 million. Chelan County PUD had gross revenues of $231 million in 2007.
Commissioner salaries were last adjusted in 1998. Commissioners all said it was important to vote on the salary changes in open, public session.
PUD fleet emissions to be cleaner
Chelan County PUD has received a $74,000 Department of Ecology grant to retrofit 42 PUD diesel vehicles to reduce emissions.
Fleet Manager Gary Lentsch notified commissioners of the grant, noting that the exhaust system changes will reduce particulate matter created by the vehicles by 30 percent, carbon monoxide by 50 percent and hydrocarbons by 70 percent.
In addition to being better for the environment, the vehicles will now be quieter and create a healthier environment for crews who work near their vehicles.
In other business, PUD commissioners:
- Approved the forward sale of blocks of the PUD’s surplus power on the wholesale market up to 35 months in advance. The volatility of prices of other energy sources and the need to act quickly to take advantage of changing conditions prompted PUD staff to recommend the change from sales a maximum of 18 months in advance.
- Approved the purchase of a control system for the Chelan Powerhouse modernization from Alstom Hydro US, Inc. The $3.2 million system will control the new units in the powerhouse, which are scheduled for installation in 2009-2010. Modernization of the two generating units in the powerhouse, which produce about 48 megawatts of electricity, is estimated to cost a total of $42 million to $45 million over the three-year project.
- Congratulated Security Director Dick Robert for an award from the National Hydro Association for the comprehensive security program developed by the PUD to protect people and infrastructure following 9/11.
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Commissioners recessed and reconvened the meeting Monday evening at 6 p.m. at Inna’s Cuisine, 26 N. Wenatchee Ave., for a dinner with other Mid-Columbia PUD commissioners.
To accommodate a large agenda, the next regular meeting of the PUD commission is at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 28, 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.
Christy Shearer
Communications Audio-visual Specialist
Chelan County PUD
509.661.4258 office
509.421.4258 cell
509.661.8133 fax
christy.shearer@chelanpud.org