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, June 16, 2014 in the Littleton Water and Light Department (LWL) conference room. Present were Commissioner Perry Goodell, Commissioner Eddy Moore, Commissioner Ralph Ross, Financial Services Director Cheryl Wilkins and Superintendent Thomas Considine.
MINUTES REVIEW:
The minutes of the June 2, 2014 regularly scheduled Commissioners meeting were reviewed. Commissioner Moore made a motion to accept the minutes as presented, seconded by Commissioner Ross.
The vote was in favor of the motion 3-0-0.
CUSTOMER & PUBLIC CONCERNS:
Mr. Robert Kasle of Next Era Energy Resources was in attendance and asked the BOC if he could reserve his comments to when the power procurement discussion was to take place. The BOC approved Mr. Kasle’s request.
FINANCIAL DIRECTORS REPORT:
1. Mrs. Wilkins brought the BOC up to date with the progress of the NISC iVue software implementation. Month end processes were completed under the direct supervision of the NISC Accounting and Business Solution (ABS) project manager the week of June 9th. Month end procedures were completed and reconciled though not having the billing software active made it challenging. It is expected that upon activation of the Customer Information Services (CIS) utility billing software the month end reconciliation processes will become more streamlined.
2. The Department will discontinue using the Harris Utility Billing software at the close of business on Wednesday, June 25th and will manage the office on paper for the remainder of the week. To facilitate the start-up (Go-Live) of the iVue CIS software department personnel may be requested to work a ˝ day on Sunday, June 29th to enter payments into the new system. NISC support personnel will be on site the week of June 30th to assist department personnel with start-up processes and associated implementation activities.
SUPERINTENDENT/ GENERAL MANAGERS REPORT:
The department will be meeting with representative from Northeast Utilities on Thursday, June 26th to discuss a proposed interconnection to the U199 transmission line. Preliminary discussion is expected to include capacity, ownership of sub-transmission, and a visit to a prospective substation site.
GENERAL BUSINESS:
1. The BOC reviewed an invoice that reflects the services render by the department in connection with the Mill Street River District (MSRD) Demonstration Project. With the exception of possibly removing the banners and replacing them with something else the department is finished with the project.
Following some discussion the BOC agreed that the department would recoup the hard cost of the materials used to install and connect the lighting circuit to the power supply. The MSRD will be invoiced $ 14,982.60 for the hard costs incurred by the department.
Commissioner Moore asked what the cost per month would be and who was paying the monthly bill?
Superintendent Considine stated that the estimated cost to operate each light would be about $3.78 per month (current rate), chargeable to the Town of Littleton unmetered street lighting account. The town account will be adjusted appropriately and they will be invoiced for the additional energy used beginning in July.
2. The NH Fire Training Academy requested (via their contractor) that the water connection fees associated with the new training site on Trudeau Road in Bethlehem be waived.
In accordance with LWL policy due to the change of use at the property a larger service connection has been requested that typically the new owners (State of NH) would be responsible for. The property owner would pay the difference between the existing 5/8” connection and the new/upgraded 1” or $1,367.
Following some discussion the BOC agreed to grant a waiver of the applicable connection fee as the owners are a government agency.
3. The BOC discussed what the department energy procurement strategy should look like going forward in light of last winter’s severe weather (Nov 2013 – March 2014) impact on the N.E. spot market and the department’s open position. Energy prices through that period spiked to 18.5 cents per kWh which is more than twice the current department retail wholesale price. The department recorded an increase in energy sales of about six (6) percent during January though overall the department realized a significant loss throughout this period even though our energy procurement was hedged at about seventy-five (75) to eighty (80) percent.
Mr. Robert Kasle, representing Next Era Energy Resources discussed that in Next Era opinion the current natural gas reserves will not recover adequately enough to prevent a repeat of what happened last winter in the wholesale power market. He understands the department skepticism as the load following products are new to the market place but in his opinion the department is mitigating risk to the open market. He suggested that as a trial the department only agree to an 18 month contract to evaluate the load following products performance against the more traditional block strategies.
Mr. Kasle thanked the BOC for considering the products and excused himself from the meeting at 1:45 p.m.
Following much discussion on the topic Commissioner Moore made a motion to enter into an eighteen (18) month (July 2014 – Dec 2015) Load Following power supply agreement with Next Era Energy providing that the term are acceptable. Seconded by Commissioner Ross.
The vote was in favor of the motion 3-0-0.
Commissioner Ross suggested that the department should continue using the block procurement strategy approach and hedge future loads in starting with 2016, 2017 and 2018 that are beyond the term of the Next Era agreement.
The BOC agreed with Commissioner Ross suggestion and directed Superintendent Considine to make arrangements with La Capra Associates to secure the anticipated load resources. They also stated that if the terms (existing power supply buyout) do not favor the LWL that Superintendent Considine has the BOC authority and approval to decline the agreement with Next Era.
4. Commissioner Moore asked if any contact has been made with the department with regard to the proposed LIDC building behind the transfer station that was presented to the Littleton Zoning Board last week.
Superintendent Considine stated that the department has not been contacted with regard to utility accessibility to the proposed site by the owners or engineers.
ADJOURNMENT:
Commissioner Ross made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by
Commissioner Moore.
The vote was in favor of the motion 3-0-0.
Meeting adjourned at 2:35 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.