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Member Outreach <br /> MMUA's Government Relations team attended the <br /> annual meetings for MMPA, CMPAS, and SMM- <br /> PA, which provided a great opportunity to connect <br /> t _ ;.- with Agency staff and their member utilities. <br /> •N+ MMUA Government Relations spent a lot of time <br /> on the road over the summer visiting member <br /> utilities, including: St. Peter, Madelia, Arlington, <br /> Round Lake, New Ulm, Hutchinson, Rochester, <br /> Above:House Energy Austin, Owatonna, Moorhead, Detroit Lakes, Haw- <br /> Chair Pat Garofalo ad- ley, Virginia, Hibbing, and Ely. <br /> dressed our group at " 1Z7141%.-..„, 4" <br /> ; , Amanda attended the Transmission Access Policy <br /> the MMUA Legislative •-- .� <br /> � �" � Study Group (TAPS) conference in Duluth, the <br /> Rally,April 19. Right: , : <br /> Visiting at the recep- - Midwest Energy Consumer's conference in Denver, <br /> tion were, from left to = and the Midwest States Public Power Association's <br /> right:Chris Olson and . '` annual meeting in Iowa. <br /> Al Crowser of Alexan- <br /> dria, Paul Hoeschen Member Resources <br /> of Sauk Centre, Reps. Amanda and Bill drafted"Guidance for Utility <br /> Torrey Westrom and Mary Franson,Sen. Bill Ingebrigt- Installations Across Railroad Right-of-Way," which <br /> sen,Bobbie Osterberg of Alexandria and Denny Rykken provided an overview of the new railroad crossing <br /> of Sauk Centre. fees law and letter templates for members to use <br /> when communicating with railroads. <br /> Relations staff continues to monitor these proceed- <br /> ings and participate when warranted. Amanda drafted the Legislative Report, which <br /> recapped the legislative proposals that were dis- <br /> Stakeholder Collaborations cussed and passed in the 2016 Legislative Session. <br /> At the request of Sen. John Marty and Rep. Dave After the votes were tallied,Amanda compiled an <br /> Baker, MMUA met twice with representatives election analysis, describing the changes in the <br /> of the Division of Energy Resources, the Center makeup of the Minnesota Legislature and MMUA's <br /> for Energy and the Environment, and the Clean legislative representation. <br /> Energy Resource Teams to discuss ways to assist <br /> municipal utilities with the Conservation Improve- Political Fund <br /> ment Program (CIP). This year, the Municipal Utilities Action Fund <br /> (MUAF)was created. The MUAF is MMUA's Po- <br /> Government Relations staff participated in the litical Fund, which provides an organized means of <br /> LMC Telecom Committee and Rural Broadband making campaign contributions to key legislators. <br /> Coalition meetings in demonstration of MMUA's The fundraising effort kicked off at the <br /> support for border-to-border broadband. Summer Conference and contin- <br /> ued at the T & 0 Con- <br /> Bill and Amanda regularly attended meetings of ference. Individual <br /> the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce's Energy MMUA members gener- <br /> Policy Committee. ously contributed towards <br /> the MUAF in 2016. With these <br /> MMUA Government Relations continued their in- funds, MMUA Government <br /> volvement in the MPCA's Clean Power Plan stake- 1 Relations staff attended several <br /> holder group. / mp;#/t fundraisers, making contribu- <br /> Il'1IUJ?i f` tions to key legislators and <br /> Bill and Amanda frequently attended meetings 2016 caucuses. <br /> throughout the year with the government relations <br /> staff of Minnesota's investor-owned utilities and <br /> cooperatives. <br /> 2016 Year in Review-7 <br /> 146 <br />