MEUW - Live Lines

Longtime Hustisford Utilities Superintendent Richard Kirchoff passed away on Sunday, August 5 at the age of 53. A lifelong resident of Hustisford, he continued to help out on the family farm this summer. In addition to running the utility, Dixie was also the local Fire Chief. He leaves a tremendous legacy to the community.

He began his career in public power in 1979 as an Apprentice Lineman. In that same year, he became a first-responder with the newly-formed Hustisford EMS. He had already been working as a firefighter since 1973. In 1982, Dixie became Hustisford's Fire Chief, and in 1985, Dixie took over the Superintendent job for Hustis-ford Utilities. He served 12 years on the MEUW Board of Directors (as MEUW President in 2002-3) and eight years on MEUW's Joint Training, Mutual Aid & Safety Committee and its successor, the Safety & Education Committee. He was the Treasurer for the Municipal Wholesale Power Group and served on various WPPI committees. In 2000 he received APPA's Larry Hobart Seven Hats Award, and in 2002 WPPI gave him an Individual Achievement Award.

He is survived by his children, Marcus and Jessica, his mother and six brothers and sisters. Memorials to Hustisford Fire and EMS would be appreciated. Checks may be made out to the Hustisford Fire Department-Chief Kirchoff Memorial Fund and mailed to Hustisford Fire Dept., P.O. Box 19, Hustisford WI 53034.

Sturgeon Bay Utilities' Operations Manager, David English, died unexpectedly on Saturday, August 4, from a drowning accident. He was 41 years old. A native of Illinois, David moved his family to the Sturgeon Bay area in 2005 when he took the Operations Manager position at Sturgeon Bay Utilities. He also served on the MEUW Lineman Rodeo Committee.

He is survived by his wife, Cheryl; two daughters, Ashley Elizabeth and Kelsea Marie; father; seven brothers and sisters and many aunts, uncles and cousins. A memorial fund has been established for their daughter's education. Checks should be payable to Cheryl English and mailed to Malcore Funeral Home, 701 North Baird Street, Green Bay, WI 54302.

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Waunakee Utilities Unveils New Building

Finding space in a growing community for a growing utility isn't always easy. Thanks to a growing company who built new facilities, the Waunakee Utility was able to renovate an existing structure to make room for their current and future needs.

Construction on the 36,000 square foot building began in August 2006. A 6,000 square foot cold storage addition has been constructed on the north side of the building, with a 19,000 square foot material laydown area adjoining the cold storage addition.

Numerous energy efficiency items have been added to the building, including:

A motion-activated lighting system;

Offices on the south side of the building to use more natural lighting;

Energy efficient, double-paned windows;

A high efficiency boiler system;

LED exit lights, which use 1/7 the amount of electricity that traditional lights use;

Inefficient lighting in the shop area was replaced with a high efficiency system;

Programmable thermostats;

A zone-controlled HVAC system;

Some of the flooring has been constructed with used tires;

A vending miser has been installed on the soda machine. This motion-activated device powers off the lighting on the machine when no one is present, ultimately saving energy.

Next time you are driving through "The Only Waunakee in the World", stop by Waunakee Utilities' new facilities and see these energy efficient systems for yourself, or just to say hi to General Manager, Tim Herlitzka and his dedicated staff at Waunakee Utilities!

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Public Power Week Is October 7-13, 2007
Jefferson Utilities Power Challenge

In 2006, Jefferson Utilities asked their customers to "Take the 2006 Power Challenge". To qualify for a $15 credit on electric bills, customers were challenged to use 15% less electricity (kWh) from September 1 to October 5, compared to the same period in 2005. Four-hundred fifty customers took the challenge. Of those 450 customers, 375 qualified for a $15 credit, which on average saved $6 to $7 per customer. Those who took the challenge saved Jefferson Utilities 270,000 kWh in just one month! According to Paula Heitzler, Office Manager at Jefferson Utilities, they are in the process of finalizing a new Power Challenge for 2007. What "shocking" new challenge will Super Socket Sam have in store for Jefferson Utilities customers this year?

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Jeff Vonau Started on August 27
New MEUW Safety Director On Board!

Jeff Vonau has been hired to fill the vacant MEUW Safety Director position left when Steve Hedden resigned in late May. Some of you may know Jeff B he has 23 years of experience with the City of Eagle River. He has been an instructor at the last two Hotline Overhead Schools at Chippewa Valley Technical College. Jeff and his wife, Dorothy, currently reside in Eagle River, and now that their children are grown, Dorothy and Jeff are planning to relocate to southern Wisconsin. They enjoy travel, camping and motorcycling around the State.

Jeff's first day was August 27. John Boogren will now coordinate and staff the safety sessions in the eastern part of the state. Once Jeff has started work, one of our first priorities will be to assess the training schedule in western and southern Wisconsin and see what will work best in terms of getting Jeff trained and out into the field. You have all been very patient in that regard, and we appreciate that. Jeff looks forward to meeting and working with all of you. Please welcome Jeff Vonau to the MEUW Team!

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September 27 in Stevens Point
2007 MEUW Accounting & Customer Service Seminar

The 2007 Accounting & Customer Service Seminar has been set for Thursday, September 27, at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center in Stevens Point. The theme for this year's seminar is The Future Is Green.

In the morning, the Pubic Service Commission staff will give a presentation on PSC customer issues (which include a service limiter tariff update), winter collections, DPAs and back bills. Robert Kennedy from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue will give a presentation on sales tax and the Boardman Law Firm will present an open records law update.

The after-lunch speaker, Ron Strege from UW-Stevens Point, will keep everyone awake with a humorous presentation, "It Only Hurts When I Don't Laugh". Also in the afternoon, Kim Jennings of Stoughton Utilities will give a presentation on rate increases and rate case tips, and Virchow, Krause & Company Partner John Andres will speak about internal controls and post-employment benefits other than pensions.

The day will conclude with a presentation about the customer complaint section of the PSC website and the popular Open Forum.

Since meeting room temperatures often vary throughout the day, attendees are encouraged to bring a jacket or sweater for their comfort.

This year's pre-registration fee is $75. Registrations received after September 21 will be $80 each. Registration materials were sent to your utility in mid-August. If you need another copy, visit www.meuw.org/events, or contact MEUW Receptionist Shari Baumann (608/837-2263 or sbaumann@meuw.org).

Those who wish to stay overnight on the night of September 26 should telephone the Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center (715/344 0200) by September 12 to make your reservations. Be sure to ask for the MEUW block to receive the special rate of $89 single/double.

We hope to see someone from your utility at the 2007 MEUW Accounting & Customer Service Seminar!

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Who Moved My Exit ??!!
Work Zone Safety and Traffic Control
By Lisa Haen, MEUW Eastern Regional Safety Coordinator

Whether you've traveled down Main Street USA or across the Country, chances are you've run into construction roadwork. The manner in which a temporary roadway is setup can mean the difference between a smoothly completed job and a terrible day in history. So why is it we so often find work zones with improperly placed signs and cones along with confusing route directions given to motorists?

Improper work zone setup can often be caused by misinformation, lack of equipment and/or poor work habits. With all of the regulations, interpretations and information to sort through it's easy to see why there is confusion on our roadways. Management can "drive" themselves in circles dealing with the many variables of work zone safety and traffic control. So, let's straighten out the confusion and clean up the regulatory mess.

Although each job site is slightly different, there are some basic steps to consider when establishing a temporary work zone.

JOB BRIEFING - Employees should conduct a job briefing to consider all aspects of the job BEFORE heading out to the job site. This will ensure that each employee understands their responsibility and that all required equipment is taken to the job site. Topics of a job briefing should include (but not limited to); work zone layout, duration of job, weather conditions, available traffic control devises, PPE, traffic flow and speed limits.

TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES - Ensure that employees give clear and precise direction to motorists and pedestrians. Some examples of traffic control devises include signs, cones, barricades, channeling devises and vehicle flashers.

When placing cones, barricades or any other form of traffic control devises, employees should face oncoming traffic for the greatest protection. When placing signage, employees should follow the three step process including:

Getting the motorist/pedestrian's attention (i.e. road work ahead);

Tell them what the situation is (i.e. lane closed) and;

Tell them what you want them to do (i.e. merge left).

In addition, they should cone the work zone in parts:

Advance Warning Area B to warn motorists/ pedestrians that there is roadwork ahead;

Transition Area B to divert traffic away from the work zone;

Work Area B a work area includes a buffer zone and a work zone - ALL equipment and vehicles should be maintained in this area and vehicles should be placed so that, in the event of a vehicle intrusion, employees have enough time to react safely;

Termination Area B to divert traffic back to their normal route.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) - Of all these forms of PPE, the most valuable is the employee's attention to their surroundings. Employees should be aware of and protect themselves from motorists AT ALL TIMES during the course of their work. PPE includes (but is not limited to) Class 1, 2 or 3 Safety Vest, Hard Hat, and Safety Glasses. Class 1 vests are used for watching traffic, Class 2 is used when employees need to turn away from traffic occasionally and Class 3 is used when the employee's attention is away from traffic during the course of their work.

WORK ZONE SAFETY PRACTICES - The entire "work" zone is considered a "danger" zone largely because we have more inattentive/distracted drivers on the road than ever before. When employees become too comfortable in the roadways, they let down their guard and may find themselves ill prepared for an incident. An employee's best defense against traffic related incidents is a properly established work zone and sharp awareness of the work surroundings.

We need to continue to educate our employees by offering annual Work Zone Safety and Traffic Control training sessions. It is essential that our employees properly protect themselves and the public by establishing a temporary work zone.

With some awareness training and common sense, together we can prevent serious work zone related incidents in our utilities and our communities.

References:
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269, DCOMM 32.39, Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and ANSI Standards for PPE.

The WisDOT (January 2006, newest version) Work Zone Safety flip book is a valuable reference which provides guidelines for work zone setup. They include diagrams detailing a variety of work zone setups as well as other safety related information. NOTE: If your community does not have flip books available in each vehicle, contact your MEUW Safety Coordinator or call the UW-Madison Transportation Information Center at (800) 442-4615 for copies.

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See You in Oconomowoc!
September MEUW Events Reminder

All of the following events will be held in Oconomowoc, in or near the Olympia Resort. For more information, visit www.meuw.org/events.htm or call the MEUW office at 608/837-2263.

Friday, September 7 - MEUW Mutual Aid Seminar - There is no charge for this seminar, but we need to give the Olympia a head count, so please let us know if you plan to attend.

Saturday, September 8 - MEUW Lineman's Rodeo - Team and volunteer registrations were technically due in August, but we may be able to accommodate last-minute additions. Contact us ASAP.

Monday-Wednesday, September 10-12 - MEUW Qualified Pole Climbing School - We may be able to accommodate late registrations if we hear from you by September 6.

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October 23 in Marshfield
2007 MEUW Tree Trimming Workshop

The MEUW Safety & Job Training Program will be conducting a one-day Tree Trimming Workshop on Tuesday, October 23 at the Marshfield Electric Utility. The training will be provided by FISTA (Forest Industry Safety and Training Alliance).

Attendees will be split into two groups. One group will spend the morning working on chainsaw safety and tree felling. The other group will focus on proper pruning techniques. In the afternoon, the two groups will switch.

The workshop fee of $125 will provide attendees with training, lunch and refreshments. Training will be held rain or shine, so make sure attendees come prepared for the weather.

More information, including the day's agenda, hotel information and a strip map to Marshfield Utilities, will be sent to your utility in early September. It will also be available at www.meuw.org/events.htm.

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