FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
April 16, 2018
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LAST WEEK
Rate Services Agreements
FMPA finalized rate services agreements last week that are available for use by Agency members. The firms selected in a competitive process were: Leidos Engineering, nFront Consulting, GDS Associates, NewGen Strategies and Solutions, and Public Resources Management Group. The RFP can be downloaded from FMPA.com. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
Organizational Changes
Jason Wolfe was promoted last week to Accounting and Financial Planning Director and Steve Ruppel will serve as Accounting Manager. Jason will continue reporting to FMPA’s Chief Financial Officer, and Steve will report to Jason. The changes follow the resignation of Rick Minch, who served as FMPA’s Controller for eight years. Contact: Jacob Williams
Florida Municipal Solar Project
Electronic invitations were sent last Friday from Ryan Dumas to an announcement event and signing ceremony for the Florida Municipal Solar Project. The event will be held May 4 at 10 a.m. at the Florida Solar Energy Center in Cocoa. RSVPs are requested by April 27. Contact: Mark McCain
Communication Task Force
The Communication Task Force for the Florida Municipal Solar Project met last Tuesday via conference call and finalized a logo for the project. The task force meets again this Tuesday at 10 a.m. to continue planning for the May 4 announcement event. Contact: Mark McCain
Stanton Participants Meeting
Jacob Williams, Frank Gaffney, David Schumann and Jason Wolfe attended the quarterly participants meeting for the Stanton projects last Thursday. Discussion topics included the plant’s recent operating performance and costs, as well as an update on current and future capital projects, including a pond expansion and Stanton Unit 1 turbine upgrade.
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THIS WEEK
Vero Beach Meeting
Jacob Williams travels to Vero Beach on Tuesday to attend a City Council meeting.
Member City Visits
Chris Gowder travels to Lakeland on Tuesday for a member city visit. Mark McCain, Mike McCleary and Sharon Smeenk travel to Leesburg on Friday to meet with Glenn Spurlock, the director of Leesburg’s electric utility. Mark also will meet with Mayor Dan Robuck.
Business Planning and Budget Committee
The Business Planning and Budget Committee meets Wednesday in the Board room at 9 a.m. to review the proposed Agency budget for fiscal 2019. The agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Rich Popp
Policy Makers Liaisons Committee
FMPA’s Policy Makers Liaisons Committee meets Wednesday at FMPA’s Orlando office. The start time for the business meeting is noon. Lunch will be served at approximately 11:15 a.m. The committee will hear a report from FMPA’s General Manager and two information items: 1) update on the Florida Municipal Solar Project, and 2) roundtable discussion by policy makers on the most important electric issue in their communities. The agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Mark McCain
Board of Directors
FMPA’s Board of Directors meets Wednesday in the Board room at 1:30 p.m. The Board will consider three action items: 1) SunTrust commercial credit card account, 2) first reading of Ordinance 18-1, and 3) appointment of a Nominating Committee. The agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Jacob Williams
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee meets Wednesday in the Board room at 1:45 p.m. or immediately following the Board of Directors meeting. The Committee will consider three action items: 1) extending the LAIR and Economic Development Rate starting in 2019, 2) first reading of Ordinance 18-1, and 3) ARP Conservation Program funding level for fiscal 2019. The agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Jacob Williams
Mutual Aid Assistance Workshop
Jacob Williams, Mike McCleary and Cairo Vanegas attend the Florida Electric Power Coordinating Group’s Mutual Aid Assistance pre-storm annual conference on Thursday in Orlando. The workshop will cover best practices in logistics, technology, preparation and response.
All-Requirements Project Weekly Load Statistics
The weekly update of the All-Requirements Project historical load graph has been posted on the Portal. The graph is updated through April 15. Contact: Jim Arntz
Special Dates
Congratulations to Luis Cruz, who celebrates six years with FMPA on Monday, April 16.
Congratulations to Amie Erickson, who celebrates 18 years with FMPA on Tuesday, April 17.
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COMING UP
Energy Auditor’s Roundtable
FMPA will host an Energy Auditor’s Roundtable on May 10 at 10 a.m. in Lakeland. The roundtable provides a forum for participants to discuss energy-audit topics, such as work procedures, policies, practices, industry changes, equipment, materials and more. Attendance is free, and lunch will be provided. Registration is requested by May 3. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
Meter Tech Roundtable
FMPA’s next Meter Tech Roundtable is scheduled for May 31 at 10 a.m. in Fort Pierce. The roundtable provides a forum for participants to discuss metering topics, such as policies, procedures, equipment, AMI, technology, safety, training, apprentice programs and more. The roundtable is open to anyone with an interest in metering or meter-related topics, including meter techs and meter shop staff. The roundtable is free, and lunch will be provided. Registration is requested by May 22. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
Distribution Reliability Roundtable
Mark your calendar for FMPA’s annual Distribution Reliability Roundtable on June 12. The roundtable provides a forum for participants to discuss topics, such as reporting procedures, definitions, interpretations, best practices and more. Event registration will be available soon. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
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INDUSTRY NEWS
EIA: Public Power Experienced Lowest Instances of Outages
Public power utility customers experienced the lowest instances of power outages in both frequency and duration for 2016, according to a report released earlier this month by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The national average for public power utilities was one outage and less than two hours of interrupted service. Investor-owned utility customers averaged around four fours without electric service, and co-ops averaged around six hours. When major events are excluded, the average U.S. electricity customer experienced one outage for an average of 112 m.
Voters to Weigh in on Potential JEA Sale
Jacksonville City Council members approved a plan last Tuesday to give the public a chance to weigh in on the potential sale of JEA by answering a question on the November ballot. The vote will be non-binding. The question will read: “Should the City of Jacksonville City Council call for a binding referendum to approve the terms and conditions of any City Council action approving the sale of more than 10% of JEA? The city’s General Counsel issued an opinion in February that a voter referendum is not required to sell JEA.
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FMPA Weekly is published by FMPA for employees and goveing boards of FMPA member utilities. Questions or comments about this newsletter may be directed to Jeff Grainger or Mason Troche in FMPA’s Public Relations Department.
Want more background on the names and terms used in this newsletter? Check out FMPA’s Glossary, which features some of the most frequently mentioned committees, companies, places and terms, or contact the person named in each FMPA story to lea more.
Have a question, comment or story idea for the newsletter? FMPA welcomes your feedback at any time. Contact: Jeff Grainger or Mason Troche