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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 Utilities Commission Annual Reportcity it 7 of' Evanston, -- -- --- - — - ------UTILjITIES-COMMISSION— - 2015 Annual Report PURPOSE: To protect and promote the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens, businesses and institutions of Evanston, it is necessary to participate in the planning and improvement of electrical, natural gas, telephone, water and sewer services in Evanston to insure reliable and competitive service. Members of the Commission will listen to citizens' concerns. (49 0-93) (103-0-93). QUALIFICATIONS: Members must be familiar with the utility industry, must have engineering/ financing experience, and must be familiar with the regulations of the various industries. Members must be residents of the City or work in the City. NUMBER OF MEMBERS: Seven (7) members appointed by the Mayor. TERM: Four (4) year terms. Members may serve no more than two (2) terms. MEETING DATE: 2nd Friday of each month at 7:15 A.M. LOCATION: Evanston Water Treatment Plant, Large Conference Room (555 Lincoln Street). REPORTS TO: Administrative and Public Works Committee, STAFF CONTACT: David Stoneback, Director of Public Works Agency, 847-448-4311, dstoneback(c�,citvofevanston. ore MEMBERS TERM David Everhart 08/20/2018 David Grumman, Vice -Chair 10/24/2015 Richard Lanyon, Chair 02/28/2019 Jonathan Nieuwsma 07/09/2016 Eric Rosenberg 05/13/2017 Richard Shure 05/26/2019 Mark White 02/25/2018 Vacancy COUNCIL LIAISON: Alderman Donald Wilson 2015 PLANNED MEETING DATES: January 9, 2015 June 12, 2015 February 13, 2015 July 10, 2015 March 13, 2015 August 7, 2015 April 10, 2015 September 11, 2015 May 8, 2015 October 9, 2015 1 1 P a g e ., Cie r f . Evac stooma -- -- ------ ----- --- -- --U'TILI'TIES COMMISSION-- 2015 Annual Report November 13, 2015 December 11, 2015 2015 CANCELLED MEETINGS: There were no cancelled meetings in 2015. SUMMARY OF MAJOR PROJECTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS The commission maintains continuous oversight of utility competitive service and reliability through monthly reports and discussion at regular meetings and occasional meetings with utility representatives. The commission believes that it has been instrumental over the years in increasing the reliability of utility service for electricity, natural gas, sewer and water. The commission also reviews the annual list of sewer and water projects included in the City capital improvement program to assure this critical infrastructure is in top condition. Beside sewer and water main relining or replacement in 2015, particular attention was given to the finished water storage facilities, including clear wells, reservoir and standpipes. Community aggregation has been successful in reducing the cost of electricity for Evanston residents and small businesses. The commission has worked closely with the Utilities Department and Office of Sustainability in preparing the requests for proposals and reviewing the proposals received with the .goal of maximizing achievement with the city's Climate Action Plan. There was no activity on this matter in 2015 due to the multiyear contract. To assist the city in achieving its goals for emission reductions outlined in the Climate Action Plan, the commission developed a plan for implementation of benchmarking energy efficiency in buildings. The first phase may apply to large commercial and residential buildings and over time, benchmarking can be applied to other types of buildings. The commission presented its plan to the city council on March 16, 2015, and received direction to proceed. The commission also received support from the Environment Board and Citizens for a Greener Evanston. A broad - based stakeholders group was convened and has met twice to be informed and provide input. A smaller more focused working group has met several times to work on specific issues. City staff from the Office of Sustainability and Law Department have prepared an initial draft ordinance. By the close of 2015, the draft ordinance received an initial review by the working group. A final review and presentation to the stakeholder group will occur early in 2016 and we expect city council consideration by the end of the first quarter of 2016. The largest 15 of the total of 43 City facilities are being benchmarked to show leadership in this initiative. A report on city facility benchmarking will be presented along with the draft ordinance. 211-1age Ci[y of� -Evanston° - - - --- - UTILITIES COMMISSION - 2015 Annual Report The city pays Commonwealth Edison for street lighting based on Illinois Commerce Commission rules. The electrical energy used for street lighting is not measured, but is based on the rated lighting fixtures for set hours of operation and unit costs. The commission is proposing to measure a few select street lighting circuits to determine if the calculated costs of street lighting are representative of actual electrical energy usage and costs. Much time has been spent in 2015 reconciling the city and Commonwealth Edison databases on the bulbs used in the 156 street lighting circuits. This exercise alone has resulted in a 25% savings in the cost of street lighting for the month of December 2015 compared to December 2014. Next, the commission will proceed with measurement of select circuits. Water bills issued by the city originate with the Water Distribution Bureau of the Public Works Agency and the commission has worked with city staff to make the bills more user friendly and contain more helpful information for the customer. The Neptune application now allows customers to track and manage their water use information, which will achieve more efficient use of water. FUNDING Funding to support commission meetings and projects is incidental to the budget of the Public Works Agency. The commission does not give or receive grant funds. AWARDS AND SPECIAL EVENTS The commission has not received any awards, does not give awards and does not hold special events. The commission applauds the Utilities Department for conducting public tours of the water treatment plant and for its public outreach efforts, stressing water conservation and the production of high quality drinking water. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The Utilities Commission acknowledges the support of the city council and staff. 31Page