TOWN OF MIDDLEBOROUGH OFFICIAL MEETING POSTING NAME OF PUBLIC BODY: Middleborough Gas & Electric Commission DAY AND DATE OF MEETING: Wednesday, October 19, 2016 TIME OF MEETING: 6:000 PM LOCATION OF MEETING (INCLUDIN G ADDRESS): Selectmen Meeting Room, 10 Nickerson Avenue. MEMBER OF PUBLIC BODY POSTING MEETING: Thomas Murphy POSTED BY TOWN CLERK S OFFICE: *FORR CANCELLATIONS MEMBER OF PUBLIC BODY CANCELLING MEETING: [Type text] CANCELLATIONN POSTED BY TOWN CLERK S OFFICE: DATE: TIME: AGENDA This meeting is being recorded by MCCAM and may be viewed on MCCAM, Verizon and Comcast. For those wanting to watch Commission meetings at their convenience, MCCAM offers ON DEMAND viewing through the internet. Type MCCAM02346.com in your web browser; at the MCCAM website, click on GOV Channel Program Schedule; choose MG&E for the latest meeting on view and the video will open. 1. Pledge of Allegiance 2. Announcements & Recognitions 3. Unanticipated 4. Public Comment 5. Review and Possible Vote to Accept and Release Minutes: Open Session: September 21, 2016 6. New Businesss 7. Old Business 8. Management Team Report: a. Financials b. Purchase Gas Adjustment for November 1, 2016 c. Rate Comparisons (tentative based on MMWEC release schedule) d. Projects: Bill Taylor s Update on Electric Division Garage Addition 9. Correspondence 10. Adjourn
Draft October 13, 2016 Middleborough Gas & Electric Commission Meeting Middleborough Town Hall; Selectmen s Meeting Room Wednesday, September 21, 2016 In attendance: Chairman Dan Farley, Commissioner Jack Healey, Commissioner Lincoln Andrews, Commissioner Tom Murphy, and Commissioner Terri Scott. Others Present: Jackie Crowley, General Manager; Sandra Richter, Public Communications Manager; Bill Taylor, Electric Division Manager, and Jeannette Mello, Secretary. Chair Farley opened the meeting at 6:00 p.m. with a welcome and the Pledge of Allegiance. Chair Farley announced that the Gas & Electric Commission Meeting of September 21, 2016, is being recorded by Middleboro Community Cable Access Media (MCCAM), and can be viewed on MCCAM, Verizon and Comcast channels. For residents that want to view the meetings at their convenience MCCAM offers through the internet by accessing MCCAM02346.com in the web browser and when the MCCAM website is on, click on GOV channel program schedule and choose MG&E for the latest meeting on view. Announcements & Recognitions Sandy Richter, Public Communications Manager, read MGED s Proclamation on 2016 Public Power Week and Public Natural Gas week. This proclamation recognizes communities that operate their own Public Power and Public Natural Gas Systems. To celebrate MGED will have an Open House at the Main Office on Oct 2-8, 2016, with refreshments and give ways. Comm. Healey made a motion to approve the Proclamation 2016 Public Power Week and Public Natural Gas Week. Comm. Scott seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously. The Proclamation was signed by all of the Commissioners. Unanticipated Comm. Andrews communicated a request from a resident that when viewing the Residential Rate Comparisons graphics Middleborough should be more clearly defined. Public Comment No public comment. Review and Possible Vote to Accept and Release Minutes: Open Session: August 17, 2016 August 17, 2016 Open Session New Business: Comm. Murphy made a motion to approve, accept and release open session minutes of August 17, 2016, as presented. Comm. Scott seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Commissioners Healey and Andrews abstained. A. Discussion and Possible Vote on Revised MGED Personnel Policies: 1. MGED/PERS-6 Telephone/Personal Company Cell Phone Use Draft 1, October 13, 2016
Draft October 13, 2016 GM Crowley is updating the Company s Personnel and Operations policies. The policy for cell phone use includes use restrictions for on the job for safety and productivity. Text messaging for business phones has been added and helps during outages. It was also added that when an employee uses a company cell phone for phone calling, texting, and web browsing all usage history is considered Company s property. Comm. Andrews made a motion to approve the revised MGED/PERS-6 Telephone/Personal and Company Cell Phone Use. Comm. Murphy seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 2. MGED/PERS-14 - Information Requests GM Crowley updated the Information Requests Policy to address security concerns, public information available does not include confidential customer information or sensitive information on MGED s electric and gas natural distribution systems or infrastructure. Comm. Murphy made a motion to accept the revised MGED/PERS-14 Information Requests as stated. Comm. Scott seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. B. Outline of General Manager s Goals for 2016-2017 Discussion and Possible Vote to Approve Comm. Andrews gave a synopsis on the process that started about 3 months ago. Comm. Andrews met with GM Crowley to discuss GM goals for 2016-2017. After spending 3-5 hours, over two dates, he realized that GM Crowley need help in some areas within the Department; and with the help of GM Crowley and her knowledge of the Electric and Gas Divisions needs the following goals were developed. The GM goals for 2016-2017 were displayed on the overview. In addition to the GM s goals, some of the items added involved projects. Each of the following goals were discussed and reviewed including the completion of the Electric Division s garage expansion; to improve reliability and future load expansion for the long term a second substation will continue to be planned; Electric Division s Main building major renovation project with a target for work starting in Spring-Summer 2018; hire a HR Manager target date third quarter 2017; succession planning for key skilled worker retirements; an entry level management position to help GM Crowley with tasks associated with energy supply; create a new personnel policy and training for anti-bullying for employees; revise Electric Division s service pricing for labor and materials; restructure portfolio of natural gas for deliverability and supply for longer term options; advance integration of GIS electric and gas systems with technical information stored in a record keeping system as a platform to provide work orders, predict infrastructure utilization, labor and materials tracking and essential reporting of statistics. The last goal is to add new customer information and sign up forms to MGED s website. Comm. Scott left the meeting at 7:02 PM for a prior commitment. Comm. Healey made a motion to approve the GM Goals for 2016-2017. Comm. Murphy seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously. Comm. Andrews asked that GM Crowley give quarterly updates on her goals. Old Business No Old Business. General Manager s Report A. Financials The draft July financials are consistent with last month. In August and September financials electric revenue will catch up to expenses due to the warm weather in July and August, reflecting a reduction in the Rate Draft 1, October 13, 2016 2
Draft October 13, 2016 Stabilization Account (RSA) for the electric side. On the gas side, increased revenues have been applied to the RSA throughout the year; therefore, GM Crowley said that she is comfortably in saying that there will be a 15 cent rate reduction on the Purchase Gas Adjustment starting November 1 st. This reduction will save the typical gas heating customer about $60 over the winter for heating costs. The RSA long term projection on the gas portion supports the rate reduction. The RSA projection on the electric portion at the end of the year will be about 3 million. The projections are within the guidelines of the RSA Policy. B. MGED Rate Comparisons The Residential Gas Rate Comparison chart review for August usage is based on the average usage of 12 ccfs., the lowest gas usage of the year. IOU s (Investor Owned Utilities) are showing their lowest seasonal rate. The Residential Electric Rate Comparison chart review for August usage shows MGED to be one of the lowest in cost. The municipals have the most competitive rates in the region. Investor Owned Utilities (IOU) are the highest. The combined electric and gas bill energy costs chart shows the electric usage to be higher due to the hot weather and air conditioning. The MGED s bill shows that the customers are paying $83.50 less for the combined bill than Wareham and Carver, $17 less than Taunton, $10 less than Braintree, and $3 more than Mansfield, and $50 less than Bridgewater. C. Projects GM Crowley updated the Commission on one of the surplus trucks that was offered to the Town in August 2016 has now been taken by the Department of Public Works. The transfer will count as a non-financial contribution to the pilot. Correspondence There was no correspondence. Adjourn Comm. Murphy made a motion to adjourn the September 21, 2016 meeting of the Middleborough Board of Gas & Electric Commissioners. Comm. Andrews seconded the motion. Motion approved unanimously. Open Session adjourned at 7:10 PM. The next scheduled meeting of the Middleborough Board of Gas & Electric Commissioners will be on Wednesday, October 19, 2016, at 6:00 PM, Selectmen s Meeting Room at the Middleborough Town Hall at 10 Nickerson Avenue in Middleborough. The Gas & Electric Commission Meeting of September 21, 2016, was videotaped and broadcast by Middleboro Community Cable Access Media (Comcast and Verizon) and audio-taped by the General Manager. Respectfully submitted, Jeannette Mello Secretary Draft 1, October 13, 2016 3