Marquette Board of Light and Power 1‐29‐13 MINUTES 2200 Wright St., Marquette, MI 49855 (906) 228‐0311 A regular meeting of the Board of Light and Power was called and held on January 29, 2013. The meeting was called to order followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Present: Edward M. Angeli John H. Prince Karen Kimar Johnson Jerry Garceau John L. Sonderegger Absent: None. On a motion by J. Sonderegger, seconded by K. Kimar Johnson and unanimously carried, the Board approved the January 8, 2013 Regular Meeting Minutes.
A motion was made by K. Kimar Johnson, seconded J. Prince and unanimously carried to approve the Accounts Payable totaling $755,181.45 as presented. J. Sonderegger questioned an invoice from Argonics. Director of Generation and Engineering Services John Reynolds said the purchase was for wear plates used in coal handling. E. Angeli questioned the cell phone charges. Assistant Director/Utility Operations David Lynch responded the usage is analyzed every six months to determine usage and adjust plans. He added that the company’s older cell phones were replaced recently which is included in the amount on the bills payable. D. Lynch said he would investigate further and get back to the Board. J. Prince questioned an invoice from H&H Kustodial. Executive Director Paul Kitti said H&H provides cleaning services at the Wright Street Office Complex. 1. Additions or Corrections to the Agenda. No additions or corrections were made to the agenda. 2. Time for Citizen Comment. No comments were received by the public. 3. Recommendation to Award the Purchase of EPA Protocol Gas. It was moved by J. Sonderegger, seconded by J. Garceau and unanimously carried to award the purchase of EPA Protocol Gas totaling $35,000 to Air Gas USA. E. Angeli asked what the cost of the gas has been previously and who is authorized to purchase it? Manager of Planning and Utility Compliance Erik Booth said the last purchase order was also for $35,000. He said that Plant Stock Clerk Ira Tillotson under the direction of Process Engineer Tim Kopacz is authorized to purchase the specialty gas, which is used to check emissions. 4. Recommendation to Award Contract for an Ethernet Switch at Plan No. 3. On a motion made by K. Kimar Johnson, seconded by J. Garceau and unanimously carried, the Board awarded the contract for the purchase an Ethernet switch at No. 3 Plant to Lasco totaling $6,726.50 per their low quote meeting specifications. The switch will connect the 1 Marquette Board of Light and Power 1‐29‐13 MINUTES 2200 Wright St., Marquette, MI 49855 (906) 228‐0311 cameras, phones, and network to the main campus network and is vital for maintaining network reliability. 5. Any Additional Business the Executive Director Wishes to Present. P. Kitti reported: 1). His introduction to City Commission, City Manager, Police and Fire Chiefs by Board Chairman E. Angeli went well and that a number of staff members and Union representatives were also introduced. He said the commissioners commented positively on our good working relationship and appreciated meeting the staff. 2). He and E. Booth met recently with Congressman Dan Benishek and State Senator Tom Casperson. P. Kitti said he got a thank you letter from D. Benishek for meeting with him and that it was beneficial to make contact with them in case their assistance is needed in the future. 3). The MBLP will participate in a City of Marquette’s Open House Tuesday, Feb. 5 at the Peter White Library. The utility’s new watt cycle bicycle demonstrator will be displayed at the open house. 4). The state met its goals in Energy Optimization programs according to a brief article in the Michigan Municipal Electrical Association newsletter. A letter will be sent out to our top 600 commercial accounts advising them of $210,000 in funds available to them through the Energy Optimization program. K. Kimar Johnson questioned if energy audit services are available to residential customers through the Energy Optimization program. P. Kitti said there are a variety of programs available to residential customers and that he would check to see if energy audits were included in the program. 5). P. Kitti advised that he met recently with staff to discuss system reliability and there will be a Board work session on reliability Feb. 12. J. Reynolds said the MBLP is in a constrained area, which can make getting energy off the grid difficult. A recent meeting with ATC indicated that additional transmission to Marquette could be 8 to 10 years out. J. Reynolds said staff has developed a logic chart to provide solutions to various scenarios, which will be shared with the Board. A consultant is completing an assessment on generation capacity. E. Angeli and J. Prince commented that the utility prides itself on the service we have provided for 125 years and that we need to be proactive going forward without relying on the outside world. J. Sonderegger questioned if we are paying ATC now for power. J. Reynolds responded we currently only pay for power we need. 6). E. Booth said a minor repair at the Tourist Park Dam was needed. He said that he conferred with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the utility has submitted a plan and schedule for the work. J. Prince asked if dam engineers AECOM had monitored the site. E. Booth responded in the affirmative. 6. Time for Citizen Comment. No comments were received from the public. 7. Any Additional Business the Board Members Wish to Present. J. Sonderegger said the Noquemanon Cross Country Ski Event was a big success. He commented that work done by the Disc Golf group near the trail needs to be cleaned up as it impacted a portion of the ski trail. K. Kimar Johnson said she had read about Alger Delta Electric Cooperative having an issue with a customer and a reclosure device and wondered if the MBLP has a similar policy. 2 Marquette Board of Light and Power 1‐29‐13 MINUTES 2200 Wright St., Marquette, MI 49855 (906) 228‐0311 D. Lynch said the utility does require co‐generation isolating devices to protect MBLP’s electrical system and employees and that Alger Delta is within its rights in accordance with a MPSC ruling. E. Angeli said the introduction of P. Kitti as the new Executive Director to the City Commission was smooth and that the utility was represented well. He added the utility has worked to develop a good working relationship with the City and that it is important for that to continue. He asked if any Board members would be able to assist in the judging of electrical posters. K. Kimar Johnson, J. Prince and E. Angeli said they would participate in the poster judging. E. Angeli said Administrator of Energy Optimization and Community Relations Yvonne Whitman will provide them with the judging details. 8. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 6:35 p.m. 9. Work Session: Security Penetration Test Results – Igor Kruhak. Supervisor of Information Technology Services Igor Kruhak gave a presentation on Cyber Security and reported on the results of a recent cyber security assessment conducted at the utility. He added the importance of continuing user education keeping up with new Cyber Security Technology. K. Kimar Johnson questioned I. Kruhak on how he stays up to date on technology. He responded he uses training manuals and attends conferences. J. Garceau asked how many security assessments have been conducted. I. Kruhak responded there have been two (2) assessments conducted to date. E. Angeli commented on the importance of the on‐going education of employees. _____________________________ John H. Prince, Vice Chair/Secretary Minutes of Regular Board Meetings are available at City Hall, the Peter White Public Library, or the MBLP Main office at 2200 Wright St., Marquette, MI 49855. The minutes can also be viewed at www.mblp.org. 3