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Home My Public Portal About09-21-1998 Iu� 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,SEPTEMBER 21,1998 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,September 21, 1998,in the Council Chambers in the Municipal Building in said City.Chairperson Larry Parker presided with the following Councilmembers in attendance:Howard"Jack"Elstro,Etta Lundy,Bob Dickman,Sarah"Sally"Hutton,Geneva "Gene"Allen,Dennis R.Rice Sr.,Bing Welch and Bruce Wissel.The following business was conducted: APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of the meeting of September 8, 1998,were approved on a motion by Councilmember Hutton,second by Councilmenber Lundy and the motion was carried on a unanimous voice vote. 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 Allen and by unanimous voice vote the motion was carried. Bills Already Paid: Payroll and Deductions 225,648.94 Investments Purchased From: Cash Operating Fund Bond Singing Fund Utility Bond Reserve Fund Depreciation Reserve Fund 3,252,154.33 Insurance Reserve Fund Consumer Deposit Fund Cash Reserve Fund Group Insurance Fund Total Investments 3,252,154.33 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 111 Interest Coupons Redeemed Bond Coupons Miscellaneous Prepaid Invoices 69,723.15 Total Prepaid Invoices 3,547,526.42 Less EFT/Direct Deposit of Payroll (53,302.53) Total Prepaid Invoices 3,494,223.89 Total EFT Transfers: 66,441.42 Total Prepaids plus EFT Transfers: 3,560,665.31 Total Bills Not Paid: 866,966.80 Grand Total of Bills to be Approved: 4,427,632.11 'Jo RP&L Minutes Cont'd September 21, 1998 Page 2 REMARKS BY CHAIRPERSON Chairperson Parker stated that he had notified the chairmen of committees that they need to schedule a couple of meetings and they will be notifying their members at a later date. UNFINISHED BUSINESS There was none. STREET LIGHT COMMITTEE REPORT Councilmember Elstro said the installation of streetlights is taking place in the Woodgate subdivision. REPORT BY GENERAL MANAGER General Manager David Osburn turned the microphone over to Mike Patterson, 1003 Breckenridge Drive,who reported that he is representing his neighbors in the Woodgate subdivision in reference to the lights being installed by RP&L.He said the vote was taken within the neighborhood to have street lights and it was a narrow vote.However, he said,after the vote was taken when it was discovered that it will be orange lights instead of white,some of them said they would not have voted for the lights if they had known they were going to be orange.He said he took a poll of all the neighbors and 100 percent said that if given a choice,and even if they have to pay money to get them,they would prefer white lights.He cited poor visibility and ugliness as the two main reasons they did not want the orange lights. During a demonstration,Patterson attempted to show Councilmembers the poor visibility that occurs in an area where the yellow lights are used.Councilmember Rice commented that when he was at the Crime Prevention Institute and they used the sodium lights,you could not see certain colors.He said he had checked into many different cities and communities and found that the sodium lights are being used all over the country,and the reason for that is that there is nothing else available.He added that this is no criticism of RP&L.But,he said,he learned that General Electric is building a new white light bulb because they said this orange bulb is not suitable for city streets,but is used in warehouses,parking lots and places where ships are being loaded where color does not play a big part in what you see. Patterson said GE will be coming out with this bulb the first quarter of next year.However,he said,the cost of the bulb is unknown,adding that he has been told the bulb will use the same juice if it is the same wattage and it will fit the same ballast if the same wattage of bulb is ordered.Also,they are created to give a total spectrum of color.He said what he is really asking is that putting in this bulb be delayed. Osburn responded that street lighting has a definite purpose,which is to illuminate the road so drivers can see hazards and pedestrians and if is on a residential street,to provide security.He said the sodium light is being used by most all utilities now,country wide,because it give much more light output for less wattage and there is a significant cost reduction for the same amount of light.He added that this is why it has become standardized by most utilities,the Federal Highway Commission and the Indiana Department of Transportation.He said they do have a color rendition index but it is not as high as the other because it has a different purpose. He said when it is used for a street light,you want to recognize vehicles,hazards and pedestrians,but it is not designed to show what color of jacket the pedestrian is wearing.He said the light Patterson is talking about is to be used for flood lighting,industrial parking areas and retail shopping malls.He added that most utilities are phasing out the mercury vapor lights because they do contain mercury,and there is talk that the manufacturing of these will be banned by the Environmental Protection Agency and the utilities are trying to be one step ahead of that. Chairperson Parker asked the Street Light Committee to meet and put together the information received from Patterson and from Osburn and come back to this Board with a recommendation. Osburn requested the Board's approval of the repair of the circulating water pump in Unit No. 1 and explained that the choice is to rebuild it,even though the cost is only$10,000 to$12,000 less than that of a new pump.He said this is by the recommendation of the plant superintendent who is concerned about the balancing of the hydraulics and the pressures of the pumps.Councilmember Dickman moved to approve,second by Councilmember Rice and the motion was carried on a unanimous voice vote. In giving the Board a copy of a proclamation about Public Power Week,plans for which are being put together as to how RP&L is going to celebrate it,Osburn said he would like the Board to take a look at it and decide how to issue it. Chairperson Parker said he would talk to the attorney to see how it should be done NEW BUSINESS There was none. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business,on a motion duly made,seconded and passed,the meeting was adjourned. Larry Parker,Chairperson ATTEST: Norma Schroeder,Clerk