HomeMy Public PortalAbout06-05-1995 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, JUNE 5,1995
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. Monday, June 5, 1995, in the Council Chambers
3 in said City. Chairperson Howard "Jack" Elstro presided with the following Councilmembers in attendance: Etta
4 Lundy, Jane Brookbank, Mary Ellen Donat, Don McBride, Larry Parker, Gene Allen, Bob Dickman and Sally
5 Hutton. The following business was had to-wit:
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7 APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF MAY 15,1995
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9 Councilmember McBride moved to approve the minutes of the previous meeting as prepared, seconded by
10 Councilmember Parker and on a unanimous voice vote the motion was carried.
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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
15 for 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 221,904.48
19 Investments Purchased From:
20 Cash Operating Fund 3,200,00.00
21 Bond Sinking Fund
22 Utility Bond Reserve Fund
23 Depreciation Reserve Fund 817,049.26
24 Insurance Reserve Fund 201,628.71
25 Consumer Deposit Fund
26 Cash Reserve Fund
27 28
Group Insurance Fund
Total Investments 4,218,677.97
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30 Transfer to City in Lieu of Taxes:
31
32 Transfer from Cash Operating Fund to:
33 Depreciation Reserve Fund
34 for Property and Plant
35 Cash Reserve Fund for Payment
36 to City in lieu of taxes
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38 Transfers from Depreciation Reserve to:
39 Cash Operating Fund
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41 Transfers from Consumer Deposit to:
42 Cash Operating Fund
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44 Transfers from Cash Operating :
45 Interest and Bond Principal
46 Bond Sinking Fund
47 Cash Reserve Fund
48 Utility Bond Sinking Fund
49 Depreciation Reserve Fund
50 Insurance Reserve Fund
51 Consumer Deposit Fund
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53 Interest and Bond Principal
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55 End of Month Petty Cash
56 Revenue Bonds
57 Interest Coupons Redeemed
58 Bond Coupons
59 Miscellaneous Bills Already Paid 1,540,706.70
60 Total prepaid invoices 5,981,289.15
61 Total Bills Not Paid 1,135,880.88
62 Grand Total 7,117,170.03
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RP&L Minutes Cont'd
June 5, 1995
Page 2
1 REMARKS BY CHAIRPERSON
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3 There were none.
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5 UNFINISHED BUSINESS
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7 Councilmember Brookbank asked about the general manager's salary. Councilmember Donat responded that the
8 committee had arrived at a 3 percent raise. Councilmember Brookbank said she thought that was something all
9 the Council should discuss. Chairperson Elstro said that could be done at the next Council meeting or at the
10 meeting at RP & L on the fourth Monday.
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12 STREET LIGHT REPORT
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14 There was none.
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16 REPORT BY GENERAL MANAGER
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18 Filling in for General Manager Irving Huffman,who was out of town,was Herschel Philpot,financial manager of
19 RP& L,and Dale Norris. Philpot asked the Board for authorization to do emergency rehabilitation to the coal
20 unloading zone. Norris explained that RP&L replaced two 18-inch I-beams over the coal unloading area at a cost
21 of$12,485. He added that the tracks had to be taken up and the ties underneath in the yard had deteriorated.
22 Norris said they had obtained two bids to replace the ties with concrete and the money had already been
23 budgeted. One bid was for$38,000 and the other was for$56,000. He asked the Board for permission to do the
24 work for the lesser amount, noting that they had called in Black&Veach to make sure the work would be done
25 right. Black&Veach recommended that more steel be put in and that raised the price about$3,600,then when
26 they got to the tracks,they did not feel safe putting them back into the concrete so they decided to put new tracks
27 in for another$6,000. Norris said those changes had raised the bid to around$46,000 which was still under the
28 other bid and well within the budget. Councilmember McBride moved to authorize the emergency work, second by
29 Councilmember Brookbank and the motion was carried on a unanimous voice vote.
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31 Philpot read the bids for the step up transformer, a bucket truck, underground cable puller and an air compressor.
32 He said these were published in the Palladium-Item May 18 and May 25 and asked for a motion to accept the
33 proof of publication. Councilmember Hutton so moved, second by Councilmember Allen and the motion was
34 carried on a unanimous voice vote.
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36 Two bids were received for the step up transformer.The first was from ABB for$549,895 and the second was
37 from Magnatech for$547,741. Bids for the bucket truck totaled three and were received from TIECO for$63,496,
38 Liftall for$57,989 and ALTECH submitted two, one for$62,060 and the other for$60,988. Philpot said the cost
39 would depend on the chassis.
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41 Two bids were received for the cable puller.The first,from Carey Corem for$35,800 and the second from
42 Sherman Riley for$35,200. Only one bid was received for the air compressor and that was for$12,792.
43 Councilmember Donat moved to refer the bids to the general manager for tabulation, evaluation and
44 recommendation, second by Councilmember Hutton and the motion was carried on a unanimous voice vote.
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46 NEW BUSINESS
47
48 Councilmember Allen stated that she wanted to verify that Huffman's contract expires in July 1996 and that the
49 Board needs to notify him a year in advance if it is not going to renew that contract. She said she felt the Board
50 needs to discuss that before the end of July this year.
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52 Councilmember Brookbank said she feels cable TV will be a campaign issue this fall and asked Councilmember
53 Lundy to bring back any information available from any kind of workshop on cable in the municipality offered at
54 the upcoming APPA conference in Seattle,Wash.
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56 Councilmember Allen said that she read in a newsletter articles written by Michael Craycraft and Jeffrey Jackson
57 noting records that may or may not be disclosed which included test questions, other examination data,test
58 scores if the person's name is identified, personnel files of public employees and applicants for public
59 employment. She said in light of what has happened before,there needs to be a policy of the utility as to how they
60 view that. She suggested the Board seek an attorney's advice on having such a policy. Councilmember Allen
61 added that she feels the Board needs some sort of committee responsibilities, adding that she thinks it does not
62 seem right that the finance committee discussed the raise for the general manager. She said in most
63 organizations that responsibility lies with the human resources committee. She stated that committee
64 responsibilities should be laid out so that everyone knows what the responsibility of each committee is.
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RP&L Minutes ConfD
June 5, 1995
Page 3
1 Councilmember Dickman said he had, at random, pulled an invoice for$60,000 worth of wire and asked Philpot if
2 he gave it to him whether or not he could give the Board a real summary of who the other bidders were and what
3 the amounts were that they bid. He also stated that RP&L keeps an inventory of coal of little over$2 million and
4 asked if that much is needed, asking if RP& L could operate with $1 million in inventory and the other million in
5 the bank earning interest.
6
7 Norris responded that RP& L has started to burn off the pile and reminded the Board that a little more than a year
8 ago there was talk of a strike and RP&L prepared for one. He said the utility is now in the process of slowly
9 downgrading but has to be careful in what it does because it is under stricter rules now than it was 10 years ago.
10 Philpot said 56 ton of coal is an adequate supply. Norris stated that both units were ready for the summer burn.
11
12 Councilmember Lundy stated she had several questions about the personnel policy which incuded what it should
13 be and the Board's duties. She said it is not clear to her what the Board's job is, adding that either a new policy
14 needs to be made or the old one clarified.
15
16 Philpot said once the utility puts 900 ton of coal up it has to be burned, noting that about 1,000 ton is burned on a
17 normal day. In answer to a question by Councilmember Dickman about what percentage of inventory is totally
18 unusable, both answered that it was very small.
19
20 ADJOURNMENT
21
22 On a motion duly made, seconded and passed and carried on a unanimous voice vote,the meeting was
23 adjourned.
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29 30 Howard "Jack"Elstro, Chairperson
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33 ATTEST:
34 Norma Carnes, City Clerk
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