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Elk River <br />Municipal Utilities UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING <br />TO: <br />FROM: <br />ERMU Commission <br />Tony Mauren — Governance & Communications Manager <br />MEETING DATE: <br />AGENDA ITEM NUMBER: <br />May 14, 2024 <br />2.4 <br />SUBJECT: <br />ERMU Scholarship Award Winner <br />ACTION REQUESTED: <br />None <br />BACKGROUND: <br />Since commission approval in 2013, ERMU has participated in the Minnesota Municipal Utilities <br />Association (MMUA) Tom Bovitz Memorial Scholarship. This program was created to increase <br />goodwill within public power communities by inviting high school seniors that live in the service <br />territory to write an essay about their utilities and the benefits of public ownership. Utilities <br />participating in the scholarship select a local winner and submit it to MMUA's statewide <br />completion for an additional award opportunity. <br />Notably in 2024, MMUA has taken a one-year hiatus from its statewide scholarship program for <br />restructuring, and it was decided to increase ERMU's local award amount from $500 to $1,000 <br />to ensure that it is a benefit to students and to encourage participation. <br />DISCUSSION: <br />Staff advertised and promoted the scholarship through local high schools, social media, and <br />ERMU's website. The attached, winning essay is yet another success for the program, creating <br />an opportunity to educate our community about the advantages of public utilities. <br />We will be inviting winner Hayden Robinson to attend the June commission meeting. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: <br />$1,000 budgeted item. <br />ATTACHMENTS: <br />• ERMU Scholarship Award Winning Essay — Hayden Robinson <br />Page 1 of 1 <br />41 <br />