Your PUD
News Release
Customers invited to rate-design meetings
Chelan County PUD
News Release
9/22/2008
Chelan County PUD commissioners invite customer-owners to public meetings in three communities starting next week to discuss potential rate revisions for electric, water and sewer services.
The potential rate changes are intended to encourage power and water conservation and more closely align rates between different types of customers. A final public hearing will be held Oct. 20.
The community meetings will be at 5:30 p.m. on:
- Sept. 29 - Leavenworth at the Chelan County Fire District No. 3 station, 228 Chumstick Highway
- Oct. 1 - Wenatchee at the Confluence Technology Center, 285 Technology Way
- Oct. 2 - Chelan at Campbell’s Resort in the Riverside Room, 104 W. Woodin Ave.
Commissioners will ask what customers think about proposed rate changes based on a cost-of-service study done earlier this year and on last year’s strategic planning sessions. Comments can also be submitted online at http://www.chelanpud.org/cost-of-service.html.
After a brief presentation and a question and comment period at the community meetings, PUD staff will host stations where customers can talk further with employees knowledgeable about water and sewer rates and business electric rates.
Customers can call (509) 661-8002 or can request a bill comparison online for their home or business’ address to see how new rates would affect them.
If adopted by the board, the new rates would go into effect April 1, 2009.
In other business, PUD commissioners:
- Received a 2009 budget preview. The preliminary spending plan shows a 5.9-percent increase in operations and maintenance spending and a $103 million capital budget. The final proposed budget will be presented in December.
- Extended the closing date for the PUD’s purchase of the city of Cashmere’s electric system to Oct. 30. City and PUD staff are finalizing right-of-way and environmental issues.
- Authorized the purchase of land for a switchyard and a substation for a future Entiat transmission line. A parcel of 9.5 acres will be purchased near the highway, just south of Earthquake Point, for a switchyard, and one acre will be purchased just north of Crum Canyon for a substation.
- Received an update on PUD business with subsidiaries of Lehman Brothers. Lehman Brothers, the parent company, declared bankruptcy last week. Staff reported that the PUD has requested that $442,000, owed the PUD for sold energy, be paid by Sept. 23. If payment is not received, the PUD will begin the collections process.
- Received notice that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved the new power sales contract and transmission agreement with Alcoa Wenatchee Works that will provide power through 2028.
- Canceled the scheduled Entiat (Sept. 25) and Wenatchee (Oct. 23) Customer Partnership Group meetings to be rescheduled later.
- Heard from Conservation Program Manager Mark Wiser that compact fluorescent light bulbs are gaining in popularity and that they can now be recycled free at Home Depot. PUD customers are being notified of the new recycling program in the Lightly e-newsletter.
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The next regular meeting of the PUD commission is at 1 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 29, in the boardroom at PUD headquarters, 327 N. Wenatchee Ave. The normal starting time of 11 a.m. is changed.
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