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fect them and how they wish us to proceed. This inter- change is accomplished several ways. Conference Calls and Reports During the legislative session MMUA put out a weekly legislative log, which covered the status and background information about legislation likely to affect municipal utility operations in Minnesota. MMUA also conducted weekly Government Relations conference calls during which members were briefed and asked their thoughts about specific legislation. During the rest of the year these calls were scheduled on an as-needed basis and often included reports about actions on the federal level. Legislative Rallies The most important government affairs events for MMUA in 2010 were the MMUA Annual Winter Meeting and Legislative Rally and the APYA Washington Legis- lative Rally. MMUA also participated in the American Public Gas Association Legislative Rally. Although the main purpose of these events is to learn about state and national issues and make contact with members of the Minnesota Legislature and the Minnesota Congressional delegation, these meetings represent another opportu- nity to speak to MMUA members individually and to secure their input. Individual Meetings In addition to the hundreds of e-mails and phone con- tacts MMUA government relations staff had with members throughout the year, we held special meetings with the utility commissions at Brainerd, East Grand Forks, Elk River, Glencoe, Grand Rapids and Sleepy Eye. MMUA held meetings with employees at Elk River, Rochester, Thief River Falls and Winthrop. MMUA held individual meetings with managers (or top staff) from joint action agencies CMMPA, MMPA, MRES, NMPA, SMMPA and attended the open house held by Heartland Consumers Power District. Staff also met with municipal utility managers from Austin, Chaska, Owatonna, Elk River, North St. Paul and Shakopee. During the MMUA Technical & Operations Conference, MMUA met indi- vidually and collectively with municipal utility manag- ers and superintendents from several communities who might not attend other conferences. Annual Meetings MMUA's three major membership meetings-the Win- ter Legislative Conference, the Summer Meeting, and the Technical & Operations Conference-offer excellent opportunities for talking with members about particular concerns or developments on legislative and congressio- nal issues that affect them. Other Meetings MMUA government relations staff attended the energy conference last winter put on by Alexandria. Staff also attended customer appreciation day at Owatonna. We met individually with legislators numerous times. We look forward to many such meetings in the future. Outreach Due to the growing need of Minnesota cities to secure adequate revenue, a number of members have expressed concerns about potential efforts to sell the utility or re- quire significant increases in municipal utility contribu- tions, in either cash or labor, to other operations of their respective cities. MMUA has provided members with useful information on various issues including utility enterprise fund reserve policies. These outreach efforts have increased the cohesiveness between MMUA and its members and has further proven the value of legislative research activities. Legislative Report MMUA staff spends several weeks after the end of each legislative session compiling a legislative report, which provides a narrative of the history of legislation of inter- est to MMUA. This report not only provides MMUA members with an accounting of MMUA legislative activities for the year, it offers and invaluable reference resource for the future. Research & Analysis Payment in Lieu of Tax The payment in lieu of tax (PILOT) study performed by MMUA Government Relations staff has shown that municipal electric utilities are providing, on average, six percent of their operating revenue to their respective cities. The survey now includes information about loans made by municipal utilities. This survey is an excellent way to prove the worth of municipal utilities to their cities. Next year MMUA staff will expand the PILOT survey to include the transfer of natural gas revenues. A growing number of managers are asking for copies of this study, as they look for direction in response to requests for more support from their city governments. 2010 Year In Review - 5 MMUA's lack Kegel, and Congressman Collin Peterson, at the Summer Meeting.