2.2 EMRUSR 01-14-2025 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mr. Mauren presented the "Who Owns What" residential and commercial flyers that illustrate ownership in reference to earlier discussions in item 5.5 about customer infrastructure communication. Mr. Mauren stated these flyers were used to educate customers through various media channels including ERMU's website. There was clarifying discussion with legal counsel on how to make the motion. Ms. Wilson asked a clarifying question about the AMI project residential policy and if it applies to the cost of her interior valve repair costs. Commission denied repaying the cost of Ms. Wilson's interior valve costs of $676 as the policy in question only applies to residential customers. Moved by Commissioner Bell and seconded by Commissioner Zerwas to pay the Dave Perkins Contracting invoice in the amount of $16,050 on behalf of Royal Supply Inc. for curb stop repair services related to the AMI project. Motion carried 5-0 5.1 Financial Report —October 2024 Ms. Karpinski presented the October 2024 financial report, highlighting strong performance in both electric and water services. She noted that December's billing included a zero power cost adjustment and forecasted that year-end results would exceed budget expectations for both electric and water, despite lower usage compared to prior yea r. Chair Dietz raised concerns about higher year-to-date water expenses compared to prior year combined with lower sales. Ms. Karpinski attributed this primarily to increased costs and depreciation related to the field services building going up significantly. Chair Dietz asked if the increase to administrative expense in the water budget was due to the market wage adjustment. Ms. Karpinski clarified that while water salaries are higher than the previous year, they are still below budget. She also noted additional contributors to this line item, including cost -of -living adjustments, increased costs for medical and dental benefits, and expenses related to PERA, FICA, and employee leave such as sick, holiday, and vacation pay. Chair Dietz inquired whether the 2025 water budget focuses more on projected expenses or revenues and how weather impacts revenue predictions. Ms. Karpinski explained that both expenses and revenues are key factors in the budget. She acknowledged weather variability as a challenge for usage -based revenue estimates and noted that past difficulties in collecting tier revenue data are expected to improve with updated data collection methods in 2024. Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission Meeting Minutes December 10, 2024 Page 6 33