The Board meets on the first and third Monday of each month. Meetings begin at 1:00 p.m. and are held in the department conference room at 65 Lafayette Ave, Littleton. Board meetings are open to the public and time is allotted for public comments at each meeting.
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The regularly scheduled Board of Commissioners (BOC) meeting began at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, March 18, 2013 in the Littleton Water and Light Department (LWL) conference room. Present were Commissioner Ralph Ross, Commissioner Eddy Moore, Commissioner Perry Goodell, Financial Director Cheryl Wilkins and Superintendent Thomas Considine.
MINUTES REVIEW:
The minutes of March 4, 2013 regularly scheduled Commissioners meeting were reviewed. Commissioner Goodell made a motion to accept the minutes as presented, seconded by Commissioner Moore.
The vote was in favor of the motion 2-0-1. Commissioner Ross abstained from the vote.
FINANCIAL DIRECTORS REPORT:
1. The department recently had the opportunity to review and offer comment in regard to the auditor’s financial report for the year ended 2012. In accordance with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) statement number 34 the department is required to complete the Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) based on the auditor’s findings. The MD&A provides a reader a written analytical overview of the department financial/operating activities as presented in the independent auditor’s financial statement.
2. Commissioner Moore stated that he is being asked why the department did not submit a report in the Town of Littleton’s Annual report.
Superintendent Considine stated that the department did not receive a request to contribute.
SUPERINTENDENT/ MANAGERS REPORT:
1. The system wide outage that occurred on Thursday, March 7, 2012 shortly after 2:00 a.m. was discussed with the BOC. The outage was not the result of any department equipment failure and appears to have been caused by equipment failure at our power supply point of attachment (Pattenville Switch 1515) with National Grid.
It is evident that a potential (voltage) transformer failed which initiating a phase to ground fault resulting in an outage that affected the entire system. Fortunately (for the department and its customers) the responds by National Grid personnel was much quicker than the incident that occurred in May 2010, power was restored about 5:05 a.m.
The equipment damaged (primary metering package) in this event appears to be some of the same equipment that was affected in the May 2010 incident that was allegedly a lightning strike. The department’s system load at our tie point is currently not being measured due to the damage equipment. System load will be assessed based on historical averages and at the generation’s facility, similar to how our load was determined during the 2010 incident. No update as to when repairs will be made has been given by National Grid to date. The department is planning to upgrade the telemetry equipment at this location in coordination with the pending repairs.
2. The department is still receiving inquiries about the PSNH easement request in the Industrial Park. Callers are being referred to the Town as the department has no direct involvement in the project.
3. The BOC reviewed a graph that represents the closing energy prices (wholesale power supply) for January and February of 2013 on the spot market. The average price for power supply in the New England region so far this year is averaging 10.5 cents per kWh, the highest in several years. Fortunately, the department risk to the fluctuation in the market has been about twelve (12) percent during the same period. The department budget for power supply purchased outside our contract was estimated at 5.5 cents per kWh. Constrictions in the natural gas pipe line delivery infrastructure due to cold weather in the region is the reason given by ISO-NE as to why energy pricing is two and half (2 ½ ) times higher this year than the same period last year.
GENERAL BUSINESS:
1. The Mill Street Business district sent an email correspondence to the department (represented by Mr. David Ernsberger) requesting the department’s assistance in installing a number of Ornamental Street lights along Mill Street from Continental Park to the covered foot bridge. According to Mr. Ernsberger the district is requesting “funding support from LWL to purchase and install” the lights. After some discussion the BOC had several questions (i.e. other organizations involved, sustainment of the power supply, private or public lighting, etc.) that need to be addressed by the district before the BOC would make a decision.
Superintendent Considine will contact Mr. Ernsberger to request that a Mill Street district representative attend a meeting and provide the BOC a formal briefing.
2. The BOC reviewed two (2) proposals submitted by National Information Solutions Cooperation (NISC) in regard to providing the department with a utility billing, general ledger and asset management software system.
The proposed software will accommodate ARM/AMI interfacing (marginally supported presently) and should provide the department continuity between billing, asset management and general ledger activities that currently is less than ideal. The proposals differ in where the software will be hosted (locally/ remotely) which affects the monthly maintenance fee amount.
Department office staff will review a software system proposed by Northern Date Systems of Falmouth, ME on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 before making a recommendation to the BOC. The department has reviewed several systems that are all somewhat similar in functionality.
3. Commissioner Moore suggested that the department send a letter to the Littleton Board of Selectmen in regard to Article 6 (Reservoir Construction Project Municipal bond authorization) on the March 8, 2011 annual ballot. This letter would provide the town notice that the LWL would not require any bonds to be issued against the project on behalf of the LWL and that all work associated with the storage tank is complete and that nothing was left outstanding to our knowledge. The BOC agreed with Commissioner Moore’s suggestion and a letter will be prepared for the BOC to sign off on the project completion.
ADJOURNMENT:
Commissioner Moore made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by
Commissioner Goodell.
The vote was in favor of the motion 3-0-0.
Meeting adjourned at 2:40 p.m.
The regularly scheduled Commissioner’s meeting is held twice monthly on the first and third Monday, at 1:00 p.m., in the Department’s conference room.