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 05, 2017 in the Littleton Water and Light (LWL) conference room. Present were, Commissioner Perry Goodell, Commissioner Peter Cooper, Commissioner Ralph Ross and Superintendent Thomas Considine.
MINUTES REVIEW:
The minutes of the May 15, 2017 regularly scheduled Commissioners meeting were reviewed. Commissioner Cooper 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. Considine stated that a customer inquired about changing their electric rate back to residential from small commercial. As a result of a change of use at the property the electric rate schedule was changed to small commercial because the activities that appear to take place in the building are similar to commercial activities. The customer stated that they were a residential service rate because the space was rented prior as an apartment. They would like the rate returned to escape the demand charges associated with a small commercial account as they are a not-for-profit thrift store.
Mrs. Kenney, LWL Office Manager discussed the R-1 and R-2 electric rate in comparison to the Small Commercial Rate G-1 electric rate with the BOC. Generally the R-2 electric rate is restricted to public lighting (street lighting) with the exception of permitted houses of worship (Churches) that are also included. Some churches have gone through a metamorphosis over the years and are now running business type activities off their property i.e. day-care, soup kitchens, and luncheons etc. Typically those types of activities would qualify as small commercial rate/activities though in these situations the usage is being billed through the one meter at the R-2 meter rate.
No decision was made by the BOC as this was more for informational purposes, a heads up, as the customer has not officially made an appeal to the BOC to change the electric rate.
SUPERINTENDENT/ GENERAL MANAGERS REPORT:
1. Storm damages in the North Littleton Road area between Wheeler Hill Cemetery and Mt. Misery due to a high wind shear on May 19, 2017 were substantial. Several utility poles were broken and about forty (40) spans of overhead wire were on the ground entangled in trees felled during the storm. LWL personnel with the assistance of FairPoint Communications (set broken pole on NH 135), NHDOT, and Littleton Police worked for more than 161 hours to restore power, some temporary, to the affected areas. Repair work is expected to continue for several more weeks before finally completed. The monetary impact of this event (242 hours actually paid) to LWL budget will be felt in May.
2. Daymark Energy (La Capra Energy) consultants are scheduled to attend the August 7, 2017 regular Commissioners meeting. A brief status as to the state of the wholesale and capacity markets and LED electric rate tariff design is expected to be discussed at a minimum.
3. Electrical Systems Consultants (ESC) paid LWL a site visit on Thursday, June 1, 2017 and discussed the on-going 15 KV conversion project. The Lafayette substation was of principal importance as the layout of the station does not appear to have the proper electrical clearance to support the increase in voltage from 4,160 kV to 12,470 kV. ESC will present LWL a comprehensive report summarizing their findings and recommendations.
4. The proposed parking area for the Parker Mountain Trails pump track located at the top of School Street adjacent to Tower Hill Road is ready to begin construction. Tree clearing limits were flagged by the bike group. Due to the overhead wires in the area LWL plans to take NE Tree Service off routine maintenance trimming and have them remove the trees from this area. The BOC had no exception to using NE Tree for this work.
GENERAL/OTHER BUSINESS:
1. Mr. Considine presented the BOC with a power point slide presentation with regard to capitalizing LED Street lighting costs. As more and more LED lights are installed LWL is losing revenue. A decrease of energy sales (about 30%-40%), the capital cost to purchasing the fixtures (about four (4) times more expensive than the traditional HPS fixture) and installation costs (LWL labor and equipment) are expenses that LWL incurs immediately. The customer will realize an immediate drop in usage following installation. This leave LWL without a mechanism to recover those expenses previously discussed. As a method/ means to recoup a return on this significant investment LWL is suggesting capitalizing all costs associated with installing the LED fixtures, less labor and equipment, which is expected to be expensed at the time of installation.
Commissioner Ross stated that the twenty (20) year recovery as proposed was too long a period and suggested that a five (5) recoupment period may be more appropriate though he was not convinced that capitalizing these expenses was the best way to make any return on this investment.
Following some additional discussion it was agreed to ask Daymark Energy for some insight and best practice techniques as they have worked previously on developing an LED street light electric rate tariff for some of their other larger clients.
Commissioner Cooper made a motion to begin capitalizing the expenses that are associated with installing LED street lighting and depreciate the expense over a period of five (5) years, seconded by Commissioner Ross.
The vote was in favor of the motion 3-0-0.
ADJOURNMENT:
Commissioner Ross made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by
Commissioner Cooper.
The vote was in favor of the motion 3-0-0.
Meeting adjourned at 2:30 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.