LMUD reports on Sept. 26 meeting
The Lassen Municipal Utility District Board of Directors met Tuesday, Sept. 26. The publicly owned utility district issued a statement highlighting the important events at the meeting.
Net energy excess rate
The board approved adjusting the Net Energy Excess Rate from 5.5 cents per kilowatt hour to 10 cents per kilowatt hour. LMUD has approximately 100 customers who are affected by this rate. Currently, customers receive a credit of 5.5 cents per exported kilowatt hour, with the recently approved rate adjustment, this rate will increase by 4.5 cents. Customers will now receive a credit of 10 cents per exported kilowatt hour. The rate will be reviewed once a year beginning in May of 2024.
Public Power Week events
Theresa Phillips reported that LMUD has serval events planned for October for Public Power Week including Food Truck Friday. LMUD will host a food truck event from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 at 50 N. Gay St. in Uptown Susanville. The event will promote LMUD’s, Winter Energy Assistance Rate for income-eligible customers.
General manager report
Interim Joint General Manager Nick Domingez presented the board with a plaque from the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority in appreciation for LMUD’s participation in the Red Mesa Solar Project. The project will generate 70 megawatts of solar energy and is distributed through LMUD’s partnership with UAMPS. LMUD’s purchase power agreement with NTUA will provide three megawatts of eligible renewable energy to LMUD customers at a cost of $37 per megawatt hour over 20 years. This project demonstrates LMUD’s commitment to the state’s renewable energy goals and LMUD’s compliance with the state mandate of 30 percent renewable energy by 2030.
Lassen Municipal Utility District Board President Fred Nagel suggested more pay for the publicly owned utility district’s co-interim general managers because they’re handling two jobs. They opted for four-weeks vacation time rather than additional compensation.Interim joint general manager’s temporary compensation package
Last month, Board President Fred Nagel began the discussion of additional compensation for Operations Manager, Cort Cortez and Business Manager Nick Dominguez, by recognizing the additional workload and time commitment each has taken on as co-interim general managers.
After some discussion, Dominguez expressed that, although he and Cortez appreciate the board’s desire to compensate them for their additional time and efforts, in LMUD’s current economic climate, he and Cortez agreed that financial compensation is not advisable at this time.
Dominguez expressed his appreciation for the gesture and suggested that if the board wished to recognize the extra hours they have worked since the departure of the former general manager, they suggest the board consider additional vacation in lieu of financial compensation. After some discussion, Vice President Bud Bowden made a motion to give both Dominguez and Cortez an additional four-weeks of vacation to be taken after a new general manager has been selected. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
