HomeMy Public PortalAbout09-05-1995 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF RICHMOND.INDIANA.SERVING AS A BOARD
JN CHARGE OF THE OPERATION OF THE RICHMOND POWER&LIGHT-PLANT
TUESDAY.SEPTEMBER 5.1995
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1 The Common Council of the City of Richmond, Indiana, serving as a Board in charge of the operations of the
2 Richmond Power & Light Plant met in regular session at 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 5, 1995, in the Council
3 Chambers in the Municipal Building in said City. Chairperson Howard "Jack" Elstro presided with the following
4 Councilmembers in attendance: Gene Allen, Jane Brookbank, Bob Dickman, Mary Ellen Donat, Sarah "Sally"
5 Hutton, Etta Lundy, Don McBride and Larry Parker The following business was had to-wit:
6 •
7 APPROVAL OF MINUTES
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9 Councilmember Donat moved to approve the minutes of August 21, 1995,second by Councilmember Hutton and
10 the motion was carried on a unanimous voice vote.
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12 APPROVAL OF BILLS. INVESTMENTS AND TRANSFERS
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14 Upon recommendation of the Finance Committee, Councilmember Donat moved to approve the following bills fnr
15 payment,seconded by Councilmember Hutton and by unanimous voice vote the motion carried.
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17 Bills Already Paid
18 Payroll and Deductions 222,853.72
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20 Investments Purchased From:
21 Cash Operating Fund 1,650,000.00
22 Bond Sinking Fund
23 Utility Bond Reserve Fund
24 Depreciation Reserve Fund
25 Insurance Reserve Fund
26 Consumer Deposit Fund
27 Cash Reserve Fund
28 Group Insurance Fund
29 -
30 Total Investments 1,650,000.00 .
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33 Transfer from Gash Operating Fund to;
34 Cash Reserve Fund for payment
35 to City in lieu of taxes
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37 Transfer from Cash Operating Fund to;
38 Depreciation.Reserve Fund
39 for Property& Plant
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41 Transfers from.Depreciation Reserve to:
42 Cash Operating Fund
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44 Transfers from Consumer Deposit to:
45 Cash Operating Fund •
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47 Transfers from Utility Bond Reserve Fund to;
48 Bond Sinking Fund
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50 Transfers from Cash Operating to :
51. Interest and Bond Principal
52 Bond Sinking Fund
53 Cash Reserve Fund
54 Utilty Bond Sinking Fund
55 Depreciation Reserve Fund
56 Insurance Reserve Fund
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58 Consumer Deposit Fund
59 Interest and Bond Principal
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61 End of Month Petty Cash
62 Revenue Bonds
63 Interest Coupons Redeemed
64 Bond Coupons
65 Miscellaneous Bills Already Paid 322,257.57
Less EFT/Direct Deposit of Payroll - (36,693.70)
Total prepaid invoices 2,158,417.59
Total Bills Not Paid . 636,201.46
Grand Total 2,794,619.05
RP&L Minutes Cont'd
September 5, 1995
Page 2
1 REMARKS BY CHAIRPERSON
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3 Chairperson Elstro commented that Councilmember Brookbank had made a statement at the August 21 RP & L
4 Board meeting about the cost of the Volvo front end loader purchased by RP & L. He said he had checked the
5 cost and found it to be$161,102.22 which was considerably less than she had stated. Chairperson Elstro said the
6 front end loader purchased by the Street Division was a Case International. Councilmember Brookbank thanked
7 Chairperson Elstro for passing along the proper information.
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9 UNFINISHED BUSINESS
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11 There was none.
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13 STREET LIGHT COMMITTEE REPORT
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15 Councilmember Allen stated that the owners of The Olde Richmond Inn had contacted City Controller Dennis
16 Grimes about installing ornamental street lights, noting they would be willing to pay for the street lights themselves
17 and also for the electricity. General Manager Irving Huffman said if it is their choice to put up ornamental street
18 lights that is their prerogative and he had no problem with that. He said it is a policy of RP & L that it would not
19 replace ordinary street lights with ornamental lights but he said any customer is free to put up ornamental lights of
20 his or her own on their own property.
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22 MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS
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24 There was none. ;
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26 REPORT BY GENERAL MANAGER
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28 Huffman asked Board members to authorize him to take bids for a 50-foot tree trimming truck to replace truck No.
29 15 which was in the auction held in July.He said it is in the budget.The trade in, he said,was a chipper truck.
30 Councilmember Dickman asked if some bucket trucks had been taken off line from the line crews and Huffman
31 said they had not. He added that when a truck is traded in it is worn out and no longer safe for the crews. Usually
32 when a bucket truck is traded in it is a minimum of 12 years old.Councilmember Dickman questioned as to
33 whether a new bucket truck was needed for trimming trees, adding that perhaps it would be wiser to purchase a
34 used truck. Directing his comments to Chairperson Elstro, Huffman responded that it had not been RP&L's
35 policy to purchase used equipment from a safety standpoint. He said most used bucket trucks are bought by
36 people who are painting and who are not going to be around an energized conductor. He added that he would
37 rather try to keep a bucket truck 25 years rather than the usual 12 to 15 as opposed to going out and buying a
38 used truck. He:said the trucks have to undergo high voltage tests and have to meet OSHA standards.
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40 Councilmember Hutton moved to authorize Huffman to receive bids for the 50-foot tree trimming truck,second by
41 Councilmember Donat and the motion was carried on a unanimous voice vote.
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43 Huffman said he had attended a meeting of the Indiana Environmental group to make some of the initial
44 presentations of the LEBS project and tieing in the Kalina Cycle. He said they are very enthused about the project
45 and suggested the people;in.Region 5 in Chicago be contacted to make the presentation to them.He explained
46 there are two phases to this project which has an estimated cost of$60 million and is one of the most prestigious.
47 Huffman said he hopes the funding will pass through the U.S.:Congress,adding there are three bidders in the
48 process and;at the end of the one-year period it will be up to the Department of Energy to select one bidder. He
49 said RP&L is the only one which is including the Kalina Cycle. He said it is something new for the entire industry
50 in that it will allow the utilization of Indiana coal or high sulphur coal and do it more efficiently and reduce any .
51 pollutants far lower than what the standards call for today. He said it is a new form of generation and the utility
52 would have a saleable product of sulphuric acid which will be more efficient but will be something to offset some
53 of the utility's costs.
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55 NEW BUSINESS'
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57 Councilmember Lundy said she had received a telephone call from John Washington seeking information: He was
58 in the audience and she asked him if he had received what he asked for.Washington came forward and asked
59 Chairperson Elstro if he could ask Huffman a question and he answered that he would allow one question.
60 Washington then:asked Huffman a specific question about a pay raise he had received.-Huffman responded that
61 this Board has granted each of his increases and:has knowledge of them all. He said Washington had been given
62 the information he had asked for.Washington responded that the law says he has a right to inspect and copy the
63 records himself which means he does not have to be spoon fed by Jim Daugherty.
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RP&L Minutes Cont'd
September 5, 1995
Page 3
111 1 Directing his comment to Councilmember Dickman,Chairperson Elstro said that he was on the Finance
2 Committee but it was his understanding that he was not there on time and if that was going to be the case in the
3 future he would ask Councilmember Allen to serve on it.Councilmember Dickman said that was fine with him,
4 adding that he was unable to arrive any earlier than 7 p.m.
5
6 Councilmember Brookbank asked about the search for the person to fill the position of the No.2 man at RP&L
7 and Huffman said the person who is doing the searching had contacted certain members of the Board and the
8 next step is to have conversation with the Board. Huffman said the man has been collecting resumes and__
9 forwarding the proper ones to the Board members for review.Councilmember Lundy said the August 18 report ic-;'
10 the last one she had received.Councilmember Brookbank also asked Huffman where in the budget she would
11 find the purchase of the Volvo front end loader and he said that purchase was made in 1994.
12
13 Councilmember Dickman said he was not sure what the Finance Committee does other than look through the bills
14 and he said the only thing that had been questioned is the cost of the coffee.He added that he wasn't sure what it
15 accomplishes. Councilmember Hutton responded that it gives the Board members an opportunity to go through
16 the bills and if they have any questions they can ask them. Councilmember Donat said it was the Finance
17 Committee that also decided to hire the person to look for the No.2 man.Councilmember Brookbank commented
18 that that committee is the wrong one to do that,adding that she expected the new Mayor and Council to make
19 some changes.Councilmember Lundy said the way it is set up now,all nine Board members have a say in what
20 is done.
21
22 ADJOURNMENT
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24 There being no further business,on a motion duly made,seconded and passed the meeting was
25 adjourned.
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31 Howard"Jack"Elstro, Chairperson
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36 ATTEST:
37 Norma Carnes, City Clerk
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