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<br /> Official Publication of the BNwa„Ai1 July/August
<br /> Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association Awing”; 2018
<br /> Volume 25,No.7
<br /> Elk River moves to ride electric vehicle 'wave of the future'
<br /> Is it time for municipal utilities to reach , '.�- .`.
<br /> back to a strategy from their earliest days, ; ~ .•
<br /> and once again promote electric use? ! •
<br /> Elk River Municipal Utilities (ERMU) ,
<br /> thinks so,at least when it comes to electric , .'� ,_-,_
<br /> vehicles(EV). r
<br /> "It's the wave of the future," said Elk n
<br /> River Mayor John Dietz,who also serves as n.• ;rI..r. l
<br /> chair of the ERMU Commission. l -� riYW
<br /> ERMU currently operates three public �' "14
<br /> charging stations in Elk River—one down- ..� '`;{
<br /> town,one in the ERMU parking lot adjacent j •-
<br /> to City Hall and one at the Coborn's fuel sta- "" _
<br /> tion on U.S.Highway 169. '` ...±7:-.-...
<br /> The public charging stations reduce'range n
<br /> anxiety'and build consumer confidence that . , sK..r I 1
<br /> the EV buyer can drive beyond their neigh- .. '"_ ;,•3 i• g 4t I '11, r l a
<br /> borhood.They are visible and have received r - 1. ° 1, I: Ir'tttlol
<br /> good publicity, but what ERMU really ------ ' li 3 1..e v. . 31'
<br /> wants—in an era of increased costs but lit- -r. .`-'t Do m
<br /> tie or no growth in electricity sales for many 5 a c4 a
<br /> utilities—is to promote at-home chargers. m ctlD
<br /> N c
<br /> Increased sales, mostly off-peak, are the
<br /> Elk River Municipal Utilities has installed three public electric vehicle charging stations,including -
<br /> ERMU:see page 5 please this one adjacent to its headquarters and city hall.
<br /> MMUA files amicus brief MMUA broadens training to include Leadership;
<br /> in railroad crossing case students give new Academy the highest marks Inside
<br /> MMUA has joined the Minnesota Stories -
<br /> Telecom Alliance, Minnesota Cable MMUA has for years provided informa-
<br /> Communications Association and the tion on timely topics and systematically
<br /> Minnesota Rural Electric Association trained people how to perform certain tasks. t . , - Thanks
<br /> in submitting an amicus brief to the Now it is embarked on a program to train MMUA!
<br /> Minnesota Court of Appeals.The effort people how to lead. ,...0.--- ` j page 3
<br /> follows from a Minnesota Public Utili- While leadership has been a part of vani-
<br /> ties Commission(MPUC)docket involv- ous workshops and meetings over the years, r
<br /> ing telecommunications carrier Qwest it has only been since the advent of the Vim. ,r- in •
<br /> and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe MMUA Leadership Program that the asso- ;„'1c
<br /> (BNSF)Railroad. ciation has offered Public Power in Minne- I'
<br /> The MPUC on Nov.7 issued an order sota a systematic method of developing its
<br /> in favor of Qwest (CenturyLink) and leadership core.
<br /> against BNSF,finding that Minn.Stat. Two groups of students are currently en- Kent Myers,second from left,joined Wally Soh-
<br /> link,237.045 applied to"paralleling' as well rolled and participating in the program. Bill Schwandt and Mark Kotschevar(left
<br /> PP P g� to right)at last years Annual Conference.
<br /> as crossings of railroad rights-of-way MMUA Executive Director Jack Kegel is
<br /> (ROW).This allowed CenturyLink to in- a member of the first group."Participating .• MPUC Approves
<br /> stall new replacement cable within the in the Leadership Academy has made me % a Xcel TOU Rate
<br /> BNSF ROW after providing required a better leader. The program starts by fo- ( `f a , ii. t " ill
<br /> Pilot Program
<br /> notice and paying the statutorily set fee cusing on a key issue that every leader con- „ '. . page 4
<br /> of$1,250.BNSF had sought$27,000 in fronts—building better teams,"Kegel said. ej# ,L
<br /> licensing fees. "Building trust, embracing conflict, gen- . ;r
<br /> BNSF argued that the law stablish- erating commitment and accountability, ;
<br /> ing the$1,250 fee did not apply to par- and focusing on results are some of the key Chris Olson Jenny Hazelton Todd Kispert
<br /> alleling because it only expressly refer- skills in a leader's team-building toolbox."
<br /> enced crossings. The MPUC, however, Chris Olson,finance manager at Alexan- cal Intelligence and Conflict—Navigating
<br /> dna Light&Power and an MMUA board the Minefields, Myers leads his students
<br /> agreed with CenturyLink and held that g y
<br /> the term"paralleling" was defined and member,started in the program this year. through a systematic method to lay the
<br /> used throughout the statute,and that it He is impressed. groundwork to deal with difficult issues.
<br /> would render the definition meaningless The program itself is interesting and Though not always easy or comfortable, AU Recommends
<br /> if the term did not apply to paralleling good and instructor Kent Myers does"a re- "this will be extremely beneficial to anybody Denial of Permit
<br /> as well as crossing. ally good job of it,"Olson said."He's a good who goes through it,"Olson said. for Wind Farm
<br /> BNSF has appealed the MPUC order choice." Class attendees often know somebody page 9
<br /> to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.The The first session is Building Great Teams. else in the class, but they certainly don't
<br /> MPUC ruling would benefit utilities Myers gets everybody in the room engaged. know everybody.Others come in with no ac-
<br /> needing to run power lines, pipes and He also leads people into uncomfortable is- quaintances among their fellow students.
<br /> other infrastructure within a railroad's sue areas and gives them the tools to have That changes quickly.
<br /> ROW. the 'crucial conversations' that are neces- Following the first day of class,there is a i
<br /> An amicus brief advises the court on sary in a relationship, including those at group dinner,with focused discussion.Con-
<br /> special or unique impacts of the case. work. versations often continue into the evening.
<br /> MMUA is awaiting word on whether the "You have to do that,"Olson said.
<br /> court will accept its brief. The second session deals with Politi- Leadership:see next page please
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