HomeMy Public PortalAbout08-03-1998 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,AUGUST 3,1998
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,August 3, 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 July 6 and July 20, 1998 meetings were approved on a motion by Councilmember Hutton,second
by Councilmember Dickman 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 233,189.27
Investments Purchased From:
Cash Operating Fund
Bond Singing 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
111 Interest Coupons Redeemed
Bond Coupons
Miscellaneous Prepaid Invoices 201,195.96
Total Prepaid Invoices 434,385.23
Less EFT/Direct Deposit of Payroll (55,581.83)
Total Prepaid Invoices 378,803.40
Total EFT Transfers: 61,896.27
Total Prepaids plus EFT Transfers: 440,699.67
Total Bills Not Paid 679.745.55
Grand Total $1,120,445.22
U L
I I
RP&L Minutes Cont'd
August 3, 1998
Page 2 -
REMARKS BY CHAIRPERSON
Chairperson Parker had no comments.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
There was none.
STREET LIGHT COMMITTEE REPORT
Councilmember Elstro had no comments.
REPORT BY GENERAL MANAGER
General Manager David Osburn said no bids had been received for the construction of containment structures at Happy
Hollow,State Hospital,and Johnson Street Substations and asked the Board to authorize the extension of the deadline
until the Board meets again August 17.Councilmember Dickman so moved,second by Councilmember Hutton and the
motion was carried on a unanimous voice vote.
Osbum informed the Board that the union had requested that the contract be opened up to negotiations since the two-
year contract will expire this year.He said those discussions will begin very soon,adding that on the committee for RP
&L will be Reid Sissom,Jim Daugherty,Tracey Garrett,Dennis Dixon and Dale Norris.
He said RP&L will host the Richmond/Wayne County Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours Wednesday,
September 9,from 5 to 6:30 p.m.He invited Board members to join them,noting that it will be at the service building
and there will be a tour of the generating facility.
Osbum commented on the weather radar,saying they had been going through some changes with it,and these had not
been smooth.He explained that for years RP&L has purchased the feed for that radar from a company out of
Indianapolis and they were notified three or four months ago the company would no longer provide that,so they had to
find another way of getting that source and radar to redisplay.When the company found another means,it required
them to make some program changes on their end,resulting in some times they would go off line.Osburn apologized
for the inconveniences but said he thinks they have it all ironed out now,adding the system has been very reliable.He
said they did change the format so it now displays the temperature and wind direction.In answer to a question by
Councilmember Parker,Osburn said RP&L provides the signal to TCI and they display it over one of the public
access channels,adding that that is the only source it is provided to.Osburn said the reception is out of RP&L's
control,noting that if there is trouble,it is up to TCI to correct it.
Osburn informed the Board that in the future plans for the Whitewater Generating Station is the installation of a bag
house and part of that was for environmental limits which will be changed next year.He said RP&L is going to have
to do something to meet those limits and that is what he has started to do,adding that it will be a significant expenditure
of between$3 and$4 million.Before he proceeds,Osburn said he wants to bring in an outside firm to look at the
options one more time and to look at the different things that can be done to make sure they're doing the right thing.He
said there are some other options and other controlled technologies that they can do and they might be able to
accomplish the same thing for a lot less.However,he said they may come back and reaffirm what RP&L thought two
or three years ago,and that is they are going to need a bag house.He said he is meeting with three different firms and
will ask them to give their proposals on what they would charge to do that study.He said he will come back to the
Board and ask for authorization to move ahead.
Councilmember Welch commented that still hanging is the Noxo program and asked Osburn whether or not it
addresses part of the issue.Osburn said it does address part of it,but not all,and they need to look beyond that,
however,Noxo will be a part of this study.He said the Noxo will only be on the small unit and the large unit,which is
2/3 of the capacity,still has to have something done to address it.Councilmember Rice,explaining he is the new
member on the Board,asked what Noxo is.Explaining the background,Osbum said Noxo came to RP&L and asked
them to participate in a Department of Energy project,funding one half the cost of the project.He said RP&L agreed
to be the host site for them if they achieved their funding,but they are still trying to get that funding.He said if it goes,
it will go on Unit No. 1,but not be on line until 2000.After some discussion about the troubles Noxo faced,Osburn
said they have taken care of their secured creditors and are moving along.
Councilmember Welch commented that he had heard some rumors that the truck,which hit the young child recently
south of the City,was an RP&L truck,but Osbum said it was a truck carrying coal to RP&L.
Councilmember Elstro had some comments about the signs that people are putting on the light poles,saying some of
them are placed so high they can't be reached to tear them off.Osburn said he would try to make that point again in a
statement,adding that there is real danger to linemen who might slip down on the pole and receive injuries from the
tacks and nails used to hold those signs in place.Councilmember Elstro said those commercials on TV that RP&L
runs ask people to refrain from placing anything on the poles.
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