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10-26-2016 HUCMMINUTES Regular Meeting — Hutchinson Utilities Commission Wednesday, October 26, 2016 Call to order — 3:00 p.m. President Luhring called the meeting to order. Members present: President Donna Luhring; Vice President Monty Morrow; Secretary Mark Girard; Commissioner Anthony Hanson; Commissioner Robert Wendorff; Attorney Marc Sebora; General Manager Jeremy Carter. Absent: 1. Conflict of Interest None 2. Approve Consent Agenda a. Approve Minutes b. Ratify Payment of Bills A motion was made by Secretary Girard, seconded by Vice President Morrow to approve the Consent Agenda. Motion was unanimously carried. 3. Approve Financial Statements Jared Martig and GM Carter presented the financial statements. A motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Secretary Girard to approve the financial statements. Motion was unanimously carried. 4. Open Forum 5. Communication a. City Administrator — Matthew Jaunich i. Not present. b. Divisions i. Dan Lang — 1. Nothing to report. ii. Randy Blake — 1. Working on filling the vacant plant operator position as a result of that employee accepting the system controller position. iii. Dave Hunstad — 1. Finishing reconductor projects. 2. Finishing one new developer project on Denver Avenue. iv. John Webster — 1. The Department of Transportation issued a second flow valve rule. 1 v. Jared Martig - 1 . Meetings are set up with BS & A this next month to work on the conversion process. 2. The following changes are being implemented to streamline functions in customer service: a. Closure of the drop box at Cash Wise due to low volume of payments received there. b. Closure of the drive -up window, as customers can put payments in the drop box located in the office parking lot. c. Reducing billing cycles from five to one cycle, with the meter read date being the last day of the month. d. Using the same notice of disconnection schedules year round for a more consistent process. e. Discontinuing the use of door hangers for disconnection notices. They will be sent through the mail, with the exception of a customer trying to avoid disconnection by paying with a non -sufficient check. vi. Brenda Ewing — 1. Working on insurance renewals. c. Legal — Attorney Sebora i. Nothing to report. d. General Manager — Jeremy Carter i. GM Carter and John Webster are meeting next Monday at Heartland Corn with the stakeholders to continue pack gas discussions. ii. There is a Clean Power Plan stakeholder meeting next Monday. iii. Finishing up compiling the information on the commissioner matrix. A Notice of Vacancy was posted in the Hutchinson Leader for soliciting interest in sitting on the Board. iv. Attending the Great River Energy rate meeting this Friday. v. Finalizing the budget and capital expenditures for 2017. 6. Policies a. Review Policies i. Investment Policy ii. Health & Safety iii. Unsafe Conditions or Practices iv. Employee Right -to -Know v. Disconnection of Residential Services by Utilities vi. Disconnection of Commercial Services by Utilities vii. After Hours Reconnection Policy No changes were recommended. b. Approve Changes i. Payment of Your Bill ii. Accidents & Injuries The recommended changes to Payment of Your Bill were to remove the drop box location at Cash Wise due to the low volume of payments received E there. In addition, to remove the business office drive -up window as a location to drop off payments. The recommended changes to Accidents and Injuries were to omit the "See Customer/Human Relations Manager" language from the policy as the position no longer exists. A motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Wendorff to approve the changes to Payment of Your Bill and to Accidents and Injuries. Motion was unanimously carried. (Changes attached.) 7. Unfinished Business a. Update on Pack Gas Discussions GM Carter will have an update next month as he will know more after next week's meeting at Heartland Corn with all three stakeholders. 8. New Business a. Follow-up Discussion on Financial Reserve Policies GM Carter presented the draft Financial Reserve Policy for further discussion with the Board. HUC management and the Board had a workshop in September to discuss the policy as it relates to future capital expenditure reserves and appropriate operating cash reserves. GM Carter received feedback from the Board and will make the recommended changes to the policy and bring back in a future regular commission meeting for the Board to approve. President Luhring asked the Board what they prefer on reviewing the 2017 budget. Have a separate meeting/workshop or during a regular commission meeting. The Board decided on holding a separate budget workshop meeting next month. Adjourn There being no further business, a motion was made by Vice President Morrow, seconded by Commissioner Wendorff to adjourn the meeting at 3:54 p.m. Motion was unanimously carried. Monty orrow, Vice President ATTEST: ' ''/� SCC' �,.l C ZA(�c.� Donna Luhring, President 3 Payment of Your Bill Payments are due by the date shown on the statement. Payment Locations • HUC's business office at 22�5�Michigan Street Southeast _%-•, houCrDine.T.rtlttlbC�drWe-jp-Mnd9w-(4rin ) a-• Drop box at either HUC's business office or Hutchinson City Center 41- rl r . p box at Gash Wise Foods- -Gents Payment Methods • Cash, check or money order • automated phone system at 855-820-2288 with VISA/MasterCard/Discover • automatic bank payment plan • online at www.hutchinsonutilities.com *--phone tell free at 655 20-2 8-. When paying in any manner other than cash, no change will be given. No second party or post-dated checks will be accepted. Checks will not be held. A dishonored payment is treated as a non-payment. If notification of the dishonored payment is received by HUC, the customer will be charged a $30 processing fee. For billing questions, e-mail HUC customer service at HUCbilling@ci.hutchinson.mn.us. Exempt ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES Employees must immediately report to a Director, Manager or Supervisor job-related illnesses, all accidents and injuries (regardless how minor) that occur during the course of employment with HUC. The Employee and Supervisor must fill out and sign an accident report. E'w.,1t1i+wf4 umai 44t44ii4ns Mani gcsr• If a supervisor is not available and the nature of injury or illness requires immediate treatment, the employee is to go to the nearest available medical facility for treatment and, as soon as possible, notify his/her supervisor of the action taken. In the case of a serious emergency, 911 should be called. If the injury is not of an emergency nature, but requires medical attention, the employee will report it to the supervisor and make arrangements for a medical appointment. Worker's compensation benefits and procedures to return to work will be applied according to applicable state and federal laws. HUC contracts with Corvel as the worker's compensation managed care provider. Pursuant to Minnesota Law, HUC has established a labor-management safety committee that investigates or reviews all accidents to identify causes of the accidents and suggest ways to prevent reoccurrence of the accident. The safety committee may request to interview any employee involved in an accident or any employee who may have knowledge of an accident. All employees are required to cooperate with the safety committee. Non -Exempt ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES Employees must immediately report to a Director, Manager or Supervisor job-related illnesses, all accidents and injuries (regardless how minor) that occur during the course of employment with HUC. The Employee and Supervisor must fill out and sign an accident report. "!sio! tf�H-UH:mn Relations " 4-+r- 1-mnl. If supervisor is not available and the nature of injury or illness requires immediate treatment, the employee is to go to the nearest available medical facility for treatment and, as soon as possible, notify his/her supervisor of the action taken. In the case of a serious emergency, 911 should be called. If the injury is not of an emergency nature, but requires medical attention, the employee will report it to the supervisor and make arrangements for a medical appointment. Worker's compensation benefits and procedures to return to work will be applied according to applicable state and federal laws. HUC contracts with Corvel as the worker's compensation managed care provider. Pursuant to Minnesota Law, HUC has established a labor-management safety committee that investigates or reviews all accidents to identify causes of the accidents and suggest ways to prevent reoccurrence of the accident. The safety committee may request to interview any employee involved in an accident or an}, employee Nvho may have knowledge of an accident. All employees are required to cooperate with the safety committee.