Your PUD News Release
PUD launches office recycling at headquarters complex
Chelan County PUD
News Release
9/29/2008
Chelan County PUD and Waste Management are working together on the first commercial recycling program in the Wenatchee area.
Earlier this year the PUD looked at what more could be done to make its operations sustainable. Recycling at the Headquarters Complex was identified as a priority, but collecting and storing the material was a challenge. A call to Waste Management resulted in a test program launched in August to recycle office paper, magazines, newspapers, aluminum cans and plastic bottles. In the first month, the amount of material picked up for recycling by Waste Management has gone from two, 96-gallon totes a week to 12.
“The employees are really eager to be involved,” said Kathleen O’Bryan, who worked with her supervisor, Patty Etzkorn in Purchasing and Contract Services, to launch the program in just six days after getting the go-ahead from PUD managers.
Will Russell, local Waste Management operations supervisor, praised the PUD’s enthusiasm and said his company is talking with other local businesses to expand commercial recycling.
The material from the PUD is trucked to Waste Management’s large recycling center in Woodinville for sorting and reuse.
In other business, commissioners:
- Approved a temporary change to its policy for managing interest rate swaps to allow the general manager more flexibility to protect District interests during the turmoil in the financial markets. Until Jan. 31, 2009, commissioners agreed to allow General Manager Rich Riazzi to take certain actions, if needed, on interest rate hedge transactions without prior board approval, while following all the limits and provisions of the board-adopted interest rate hedge policy, and then immediately report any actions to commissioners and to the public at the next commission meeting.
- Reviewed their draft budget for 2009. Dues and memberships are the largest expense, 41 percent, of the proposed $553,000 spending plan followed by salaries and benefits, 33 percent; per diem and stipends, 13 percent; and travel/conferences and training, 10 percent. Overall commissioner spending is budgeted to go up about 2 percent next year.
- Heard from Customer Service Director John Stoll that so far 21 customers had asked for billing comparisons based on a new rate structure being discussed at three public meetings this week. Of those customers, 12 would see their annual power bill go down under the proposal which is designed to encourage conservation, Stoll said. Residential customers can request a bill comparison on the PUD Web site at http://www.chelanpud.org/ or by calling 661-8002.
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PUD commissioners adjourned their meeting and will continue at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1, for a celebration at the renamed Kirby Billingsley Hydro Park to honor the memory of public power advocate, former manager and PUD Commissioner Kirby Billingsley.
PUD commissioners will hold a special meeting to discuss rate design at 5:30 tonight at the Chelan County Fire District 3 station in Leavenworth. Special meetings are also scheduled at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at the Confluence Technology Center in Wenatchee and on Thursday, Oct. 2, in the Riverwalk Room at Campbell’s Resort in Chelan.
The next regular commission meeting will begin at 11 a.m., Monday, Oct. 6, 2008, 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.
Kimberlee Craig
Public Information Officer
509-661-4320, direct line
509-679-6858, cell
kimberlee.craig@chelanpud.org