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HomeMy Public PortalAbout07-17-2000 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND,INDIANA,SERVING AS A BOARD IN CHARGE OF THE OPERATION OF THE RICHMOND POWER&LIGHT PLANT MONDAY,JULY 17,2000 The Common Council of the City of Richmond,Indiana,serving as a Board in charge of the operations of the Richmond Power&Light Plant met in regular session at 7 p.m.,Monday,July 17,2000 in the Council Chambers in the Municipal Building in said City.Chairperson Bing Welch presided with the following Councilmembers in attendance: Howard"Jack"Elstro,Bruce Wissel,Karl Sharp,Larry Parker,Paul Combs,Phil Dickman and Sarah"Sally"Hutton. Etta J.Lundy was absent.The following business was conducted: ROLL CALL Eight present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES No minutes were available. APPROVAL OF BILLS,INVESTMENTS AND TRANSFERS Upon recommendation of the Finance Committee,Councilmember Hutton moved to approve the following bills for payment,seconded by Councilmember Combs and the motion was carried by voice vote. Bills Already Paid: Payroll and Deductions June 23 Payroll and Deductions July 7 Investments Purchased From: Cash Operating Fund Bond Sinking Fund Utility Bond Reserve Fund Depreciation Reserve Fund Insurance Reserve Fund Consumer Deposit Fund Cash Reserve Fund Group Insurance Fund Total Investments Transfer from Cash Operating Fund to: Cash Reserve Fund for Payment To City in lieu of taxes Transfer from Cash Operating Fund to: Depreciation Reserve Fund For Property&Plant Transfers from Depreciation Reserve to: Cash Operating Fund Transfers from Consumer Deposit to: Cash Operating Fund Transfers from Utility Bond Reserve Fund to: Bond Sinking Fund Transfers from Cash Operating to: Interest and Bond Principal Bond Sinking Fund Cash Reserve Fund Utility Bond Sinking Fund Depreciation Reserve Fund Insurance Reserve Fund Consumer Deposit Fund Interest and Bond Principal - End of Month Petty Cash Revenue Bonds Interest Coupons Redeemed Interest Coupons Redeemed Bond Coupons Miscellaneous Prepaid Invoices $ 10,731.18 Total Prepaid Invoices 10,731.18 Total EFT/Direct Deposit of Payroll: Total Prepaid Invoices: 10,731.18 Total EFT Transfers: Total Prepaids plus EFT Transfers: 10,731.18 Total Bills Not Paid: 518,906.45 Grand Total of Bills to be approved: $ 529,637.63 RP&L Minutes Cont'd July 17,2000 Page 2 REMARKS BY CHAIRPERSON There were none. UNFINISHED BUSINESS There was none. STREET LIGHT COMMITTEE REPORT Councilmember Elstro said there was no report. REPORT BY GENERAL MANAGER General Manager David Osburn requested authorization for RP&L to start accepting credit card payments from its customers,noting that this issue had been brought to the Board for discussion two years ago and it has been reviewed and is ready to be put into place. He explained the reasoning behind this step is to offer its customers more flexibility in paying their bill and he said he believes that within the next two years the utility will be offering some kind of online payment or some type of internet based billing.He said when you get into those kinds of transactions using credit cards would be a necessity.He said the utility is proposing that it accept credit card payments only on the two rate classes of residential and commercial. In answer to a question by Councilmember Parker,Tracey Garrett,finance manager of RP&L,responded that only Master Card and Visa credit cards would initially be used but they would have the option later on to add Discover and American Express if they chose to do so.She explained the cost and elaborated on the amount,saying,based on using Master Card and Visa credit cards,not debit cards,based on an average$100 electric bill,if they took in one percent of the sales and collected$35,000 a year in credit cards,it would cost the utility$784 in both the transaction and percentage fee. Councilmember Elstro moved to authorize the General Manager and the Finance Manager to initiate credit card payments for RP&L customers,second by Councilmember Sharp and the motion was carried on a 7 to 1 vote,with Councilmember Parker voting against. Osbum stated that in a previous meeting he had requested authorization to enter into a uniform contract with RUS and in that it was also requested to authorize a settlement with the Cintas and the whole issue had to do with a buyout agreement with them.He said they had held off signing a contract with RUS until the other issue had been resolved and that has happened with a savings of an estimated$110,000.That being the case,Osburn said,he recommended that they proceed with Cintas and sign a three-year contract with that company. At the request of Councilmember Parker,City Attorney Bob Bever explained that he is glad that they challenged the contract they had with Cintas and explained the procedure used which resulted in the savings.Councilmember Dickman moved to authorize the General Manager to enter into a new agreement with Cintas for the employee uniform cleaning service,second by Councilmember Parker and the motion was carried on a voice vote. Osbum said the utility has been proceeding with the replacement of the CIS system and evaluating different packages and have had some success.He said where they are now in the project is that they plan to send two members of the team to another utility to look at an operating system and talk to the utility that is actually using that system to see if it is doing what it is supposed to do.He said those dates are August 3 and 4,and they will be traveling to Hagerstown, Md.He said he would entertain a Board member accompanying that team and asked any who are interested to get back with him and he would set that up. Osburn said he had met with Jim Disney concerning the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the Gorge which is located on RP&L property and that resulted in a decision by RP&L to look at the future needs and outline an area they think would satisfy the veterans group.He said it is in an area where it would not hamper the utility's needs and it is good for them to let them use the property,but he added that he feels it is important to bring this issue to the Board in the near future. NEW BUSINESS There was none. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business,on a motion duly made,seconded and passed,the meeting was adjourned at 7:20 p.m. Bing Welch,Chairperson ATTEST: Myra Miller,Deputy Clerk