Commissioner to customer-owners: Help me help you

Werner Janssen, PUD Commissioner

4/22/2008

Thank you for allowing us to serve you as commissioners of the Chelan County Public Utility District.

I am sharing these thoughts as one member of our five-member Board of Commissioners. It is important for our customer-owners to understand that unless the commissioners are meeting in a legally announced public session with at least three members (a quorum) present, comments and/or opinions by individual commissioners are personal. We discuss issues as individuals. We speak as the commission once the vote is taken.

The involvement of your elected commissioners does not eliminate your responsibilities as a customer-owner. For the Chelan PUD to maintain its uniqueness as a service organization it is critical for you to be involved by staying informed and offering your insights and your opinions.

As a commissioner, my responsibility is to you, our customer-owners. I represent you, and I need to hear from you and rely on you to formulate my thoughts and decisions.

As a commissioner, my relationship to the employees of the Chelan PUD is only through our General Manager Rich Riazzi. The commissioners have the responsibility to hire and evaluate the general manager. Our influence over the operation of the Chelan PUD is through working with the manager and not through any direct involvement with operational departments or individual employees.

It is my personal opinion that the Chelan PUD could do more for its customer-owners. Should we be more involved in encouraging alternate energy development? What about a rate structure to encourage electric use reduction? Do we have sufficient emphasis on conservation? Are we providing sufficient help to those in our county who are challenged economically? We need to hear from you. We definitely have an opportunity to be involved with industrial activity in the area, and we can work with private utilities to supply their electrical needs. However, we must never forget that the vast majority of our customer-owners are individuals and families who live and work within Chelan County. If you stay involved, you can assure the future of the Chelan Public Utility District as a service organization for your benefit.