PUD discusses rate assistance, rate hikes

Wahkiakum PUD customers have responded to the call for donations to help eligible low-income customers keep the power on in their homes, Wahkiakum PUD commissioners heard Tuesday.

A recent wave of donations to the Residential Energy Assistance Program has raised the program’s fund balance to $170, PUD Auditor Erin Wilson told the commissioners. In mid-July, the fund balance stood at $90. Customers have the option to include a donation with their bill payments.

Commissioner Dennis Reid suggested changes to financial reports Wilson provided to the commissioners. He noted that the bottom line of the cash flow statement and profit and loss statement differed by $1,000. This is due to the inclusion of different funds, responded Wilson. She is working to design new reporting formats with a consultant engaged by the PUD.

Reid commended the PUD’s water crew for their work in achieving nine percent distribution loss throughout the Puget Island Water System during June. That’s below the Department of Health’s guidelines, he added. Distribution loss is calculated by subtracting water consumption from water production. The Department of Health encourages water systems to achieve distribution losses of 10 percent or less in order to conserve water. Both water systems operated by the PUD do not usually meet that standard.

Referencing the political campaign season, Commissioner Bob Jungers commented “Political platforms are being made. One is for the reduction and deferral of costs at the PUD to keep a ceiling on rate increases. I take umbrage at that, so I did a little number crunching. We raised our rates 7 percent on January 1, the first rate increase in six years. In that same period Bonneville Power Administration raised the rate which the PUD pays for wholesale power in excess of 16 percent and inflation increased general costs by 11.5 percent.”

He concluded the PUD had increased the robustness and reliability of its system over that time to the benefit of ratepayers.

Manager Dave Tramblie reported that he and Wilson had carried on internal discussions with office staff about taking over Town of Cathlamet water/sewer billing, but that there had been no further communication with town officials.

In July, Cathlamet Mayor George Wehrfritz sent a letter to each PUD commissioner expressing an interest in contracting water meter reading and water/sewer billing and account collections to the PUD.

The commissioners will next meet August 21 at six p.m. at Rosburg Hall.