HomeMy WebLinkAbout13 Your Public Owned Local PUDTo: hoard of I�irectora
From: Steven Poncelet
Date. December 06, 2017
subject: Your Public"fawned Local Electric and Water Utility
This Board item, Your Public -Owned Local Electric and Water Utility, is the fourth in a
new series of Board workshops concerning how we communicate with and serve our
customers and community.
The Mission of Truckee Donner Public Utility District is to provide reliable, high quality
water and electrical power services while meeting customer demand, and to manage
District resources in a safe, open, responsible, environmentally sound manner at the
lowest practical cost. To achieve this mission, the District operates an electric and
water utility along with the necessary supporting departments and programs. It is
imperative, given the complexity of the energy and water sectors, that the District
communicate effectively with our customers and community in order to educate them
on the value of public power and water and to engage customers to participate in the
many programs and services that we offer.
These communication and outreach efforts, along with the associated programs and
servicesI fall into well known themes that communicate the essence of how the
District's efforts serve our customers. Our current key themes include:
® The Best Water Right From Your Tap (9/6/17);
Save Energy, Water, Money and Live More Comfortably (10/4/17);
The Facts of Mountain Living (11/1/17);
Your Public�Owned Local Electric and Water Utility (tonight);
Your On -Line Account Anywhere (future);
v Truckee is EV Friendly (future);
• Clean, Reliable, and Affordable Electric Services (future); and
• Your Local Community Partner (future).
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four Pub llcmOwned Local Electric
This theme is at the heart of how we fit into the greater Truckee community and the
fact that we are a public -owned, non-profit electric and water utility. Your Public -
Owned Local Electric and Water Utility addresses:
• Local control and a public process open to everyone;
The advantages of being a not -far -profit electric and water utility; and
• The benefits of joint -action and collaboration to serve our community.
The District's Board is elected by the District's rafie payers with 4-year terms and
elections staggered every two years. The Board resides in the community and are
directly accountable to the public. In short, the District is governed by elected officials
who represent the overall interests of the community. The District's rate payers have
opportunities to provide input in the decision making process and can directly address
the Board. Often times, communications between Board members and the public is
much more informal and takes place at the supermarket, in neighborhoods, and at
events.
As a part of local government, the District is subject to various laws and regulations
that are designed to create access for the public and to promote transparency in
decision making. This includes how Board meetings are agendized and noticed, how
the District conducts business, and public access to information. The District strives
to be a leader in our community in following these democratic principals and recently
won the Truckee Chamber's Excellence in Government award for 2017.
The District is snot -for -profit entity and is owned by our customers, the rate payers.
This is in contrast to an investor -owned utility (IOU, such as Pacific Gas and Electric
or Liberty Utilities) or a private water company that exist to make money for their
owners or shareholders. Simply put, the District's focus is on serving the needs of our
community. The District, as a non-profit, only charges our rate payers for the cost of
service. There is no added profit margin and any value created by the District
accrues to our rate payers. This local control, non-profit business structure has led to
excellent service, low rates, and high reliability.
There are other benefits to the District being not -for -profit and owned by the local
community. This includes the many benefits of joint -action with other public -owned
electric and water utilities to share expertise, leverage resources, and execute joint
projects. Central to joint -action are the District's participation in the Northern
California Power Agency (NCPA), California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA),
Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, and American Public Power Association
(APPA). The District, as a small electric and water utility, would have a very hard time
competing against much larger private utilities were it not for the benefits of joint -
action. Also important is collaborating locally with both public and private
organizations to identify opportunities to leverage resources and support shared
interests. The District's recent participation in the Mountain Housing Council
affordable workforce housing and the Truckee Tomorrow Phase 11 economic
development efforts are two examples of the community corning together to address
shared interests.
All of the above speak to the value of Your Public -Owned Local electric and Wafer
Utility.
4. F 1���4L IIUIP�►�T
There is no fiscal impact associated with this workshop item.
5.
Receive this report and provide feedback.
Steven Poncelet
Public Information & Strategic Affairs Manag(
Michael D. Holley
General Manager