Power Board

JULY 2020 BOARD MINUTES The regular meeting of the Bristol Tennessee Essential Services Board of Directors was held on Wednesday, July 15, 2020 at noon at 2470 Volunteer Parkway, Bristol, Tennessee. Call to Order Larry Clarke called the meeting to order at 12:00. Board Members Present Larry Clarke, Erin Downs, Vince Turner, Doug Harmon and David Akard Staff Present CEO Dr. Mike Browder, Director of Engineering Clayton Dowell, Director of Accounting and Finance Lola McVey and Director of Management Services Tara Ellis Minutes Mr. Clarke presented the minutes of the June board meeting. Mr. Turner made a motion to approve the minutes. Mr. Akard seconded the motion and the minutes were unanimously approved. Annual Election of Officers The officers of the corporation are elected at the July meeting each year to serve a one-year term. Mr. Turner nominated Ms. Downs to serve as Board Chair. Mr. Akard seconded the motion and it was unanimously approved. Ms. Downs nominated Mr. Turner to serve as Vice Chair. The motion was seconded by Mr. Harmon and unanimously approved. Mr. Harmon nominated Mr. Akard to serve as Secretary. Mr. Clarke seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously. Safety Report Ms. Ellis reported that BTES has completed 350,510.8 safe working hours as of June 30, 2020 without a lost time accident. A safety meeting was held on July 7 for outside crews that covered Equipment and Tool Maintenance. Ms. Ellis also reviewed some of the measures taken to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 at BTES. She reported on daily Leadership Meetings and attending remote TVPPA and APPA meetings to learn COVID-19 best practices. She also reported on BTES remote working, staggering crew start times, temperature checks and masks, among other measures. Financial Reporting There were no monthly financial reports because June 30 is the end of the fiscal year which requires more time to close out the books. The June 30 financial report will be presented at the August board meeting. Kilowatt Hours Sold and Customer Numbers Dr. Browder reported that kilowatt hours sold in June was higher than last June and some kWh bought in June will be billed in July 2020. Total broadband customers increased, most of which are Internet customers. There was discussion about PrePay, the new billing option. Dr. Browder showed a PrePay video to promote the new billing option. Ms. Ellis gave an update on the status of delinquent accounts because of the temporary suspension of residential disconnects that ended June 30, 2020. TVA Monthly Fuel Cost Dr. Browder indicated that the August 2020 monthly fuel cost will decrease to $.01516 per kWh for residential (RS) customers. July1, 2020 August 1, 2020 Fuel Cost Fuel Cost 500 kWh $8.03 $7.58 1000 kWh $16.05 $15.16 1500 kWh $24.08 $22.74 2000 kWh $32.10 $30.32 Pending Items Carina Updates Mr. Dowell reported no relays opened in the last month. Based on information from KG Technologies that tested the relays, the feature that turned the power back on automatically needs to be added back to the relays. It had been removed to assist with diagnosing the problem of the relay unintentionally opening. This item will be taken off of the Pending Items list unless something unusual needs to be reported. PrePay Program Ms. McVey reported that we have eleven customers on PrePay. We are focusing on offering this product to those affected by COVID-19 through July and rollout to all customers on August 1. Cybersecurity Report Mr. Dowell reported that a Cybersecurity assessment is still pending but is on hold until we feel it is safe for out of town vendors to be in our office. He is still in contact with three vendors. CEO’s Report Dr. Browder reported we have been meeting with TVA about the South Bristol Delivery Point. Topics of discussion are access from Route 394, routes to get electricity there and how TVA will serve other LPCs. We could use some of the property for a solar project. Dr. Browder also reported that the TVPPA Rates & Pricing Committee is working on an electric vehicle rate. Board Comments Mr. Clarke reported that he has completed the Performance Evaluation for Dr. Browder and it went well. Mr. Akard inquired about the COVID-19 Educational Support Program for the new school year. Ms. Downs asked about the Help Your Neighbor funds collected. Ms. Ellis reported that $7,418 has been collected from BTES customers to date. She also asked about the advantages and disadvantages of becoming an Authority. Mr. Akard made a motion to adjourn, Mr. Clarke seconded. The motion was approved. Respectfully Submitted, David Akard, Secretary