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Sherburne County Star News reported, `Elk River is entirely on its own in the matter of electric
<br /> power."An open house in April gave the community a chance to view the new facilities.61
<br /> The Utility's independence from outside power sources was short-lived,however: by 1951,
<br /> increased demand forced the Commission to consider alternatives for additional supply.
<br /> After debating the purchase of another generator, the Commission elected instead to again obtain
<br /> electricity from the RCPA through the Anoka County Cooperative, signing a three-year contract
<br /> with a two-year renewal option. Ironically, the power was produced in Elk River by a new
<br /> RCPA coal-burning plant, outfitted with two 11, 500-kilowatt steam-generating units. Elk River
<br /> anticipated purchasing 2.5 million kilowatts per year.62
<br /> Because of the perpetual shortage of capacity,the Utility was committed to maintaining the
<br /> hydroelectric plant, even though it provided a relatively small amount of power. In the early
<br /> 1950s, 36-inch-wide sheets of 3/8-inch steel replaced timber flashboards washed away by a
<br /> spring flood. The top edge of the new flashing was reinforced by angle irons;pipes served as
<br /> bracing on the downstream side.63
<br /> This period also witnessed a change in oversight of the Utility's operations. Superintendent
<br /> George Wombill died unexpectedly in 1952, and was succeeded by his assistant, Richard Halter.
<br /> Halter had begun working for the Utility as a lineman and meterman in 1928, moving to the
<br /> power plant in 1933. As a result, he was extremely familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of
<br /> the existing system.64
<br /> This proved useful for the Commission's financial, strategy in the early 1950s. By maximizing
<br /> the electric power plant's existing potential and buying additional power rather than increasing
<br /> capacity, the Commission focused on reducing debt from the utility's purchase and expansion. In
<br /> 1954,the Commission prepaid a bond issue of$70,000, on which payments were scheduled to
<br /> start in 1956 and continue through 1963. This decreased the Utility's overall debt to $170,000.
<br /> This relatively low balance meant that it could reasonably incur more debt for improvements. In
<br /> addition to adding another engine to the power plant, the Utility wanted to put unsightly
<br /> distribution lines underground in the business district.65
<br /> It also had to deal with under-capacity in the water supply, which forced the village to enact
<br /> lawn-sprinkling regulations in 1951. A new rotary centrifugal pump, installed later in that year
<br /> by the Bergerson-Caswell Company of Minneapolis, could handle 500 gallons per minute,
<br /> replacing a 300-gallon-per-minute pump. The new pump was only used when demand was high.
<br /> Otherwise, water was supplied by an older pump rated at 175 gallons a minute. Together,these
<br /> 61 "Heavy Snow Follows Rain and Sleet Here,"Sherburne County Star News,March 4, 1981;"Changeover to New
<br /> Electric Plant Done in Record Time,"Sherburne County Star News,March 11, 1948.
<br /> 62 Seelhammer and Mosher, Growth of Sherburne County,503,529;Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission
<br /> Minutes,September 10, 1951; United Power Association:Story of a Rural Electric Cooperative, 13.
<br /> 63"Work on Dam Completed,Lake Raised,"Sherburne County Star News,n.d.;interview with Russell Anderson,
<br /> conducted by Weber,August 19, 1993.
<br /> 64"Utilities Continues Tradition of Service It Started Here in 1916,"Sherburne County Star News,c. 1958;
<br /> Seelhammer and Mosher, Growth of Sherburne County,493.
<br /> 65"Utilities Group to Pay Off$70,000 Bonds,"Sherburne County Star News,c. 1954;"Utilities Liquidates$70,000
<br /> Bond Series,Saves$6,000 in Interest,"c. 1954.
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