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How are my utilities services provided? This important question is seldom asked. Can <br />you imagine a morning without electricity and water? Could you get started each day without an <br />alarm clock or the TV news? How about a coffee maker, stove, or water for the toilet and <br />shower? The benefits of these services is an obvious point. Still, our utilities are simply there <br />when we need them, and we rarely consider how we could manage without them. My area is <br />lucky to be serviced through Elk River Municipal Utilities, a public company with a rich history <br />in our community. Writing this essay opened my eyes to the contributions ERMU has made to <br />Elk River and to the many benefits municipal utility companies offer to customers throughout <br />Minnesota. <br />Private companies provide utilities to almost 1.5 million households and are by far the <br />most common form of utilities service in Minnesota. These corporations deliver a necessary <br />service while also striving for high profit margins that will please their shareholders. <br />Cooperatives and municipal utilities are other options for connecting services to consumers. Both <br />of these are non-profit organizations, though cooperatives often take a margin of their sales. <br />Municipal utilities serve approximately 357,000 citizens. Since municipal utilities are local <br />institutions, they generally serve a far smaller area than private corporations. Municipal utilities <br />are essentially owned and operated by the local citizenry. <br />Municipal utility companies are run by city councils or appointed commissions. Elk <br />River Municipal Utilities is overseen by two elected council members and three appointed <br />citizens. The members of this commission hold three year terms. Citizens can attend meetings <br />and speak with representatives about issues. Dates and notes from previous meetings for the <br />ERMU are listed clearly on the website. Private companies are far less transparent. Their board <br />meetings are almost always closed and notes available only to significant stockholders. <br />9