Polk County RPPD"The Power of Communication"

115 W 3rd St., Stromsburg NE 68666-0465 Phone 402-764-4381 pcrppd@pcrppd.com

Polk County RPPD ~ The Power of Communication December 2018 ~ Page 1

F o l l o w u s o n F a c e b o o k ! Stay abreast of outage infor-mation, district and community events, employees and much more. Please feel free to like, comment and share our page.

Our Facebook page is used to promote the good and well being of our business and the commu-nities we serve. Our posts will be business relevant. This means of communication will allow us to get information to you in a t i m e l y m a n n e r . We a l s o want to hear from you! Over 500 followers and growing.

Merry Christmas from Everyone at Polk County RPPD

Polk County RPPD Recognized by Stromsburg Chamber

"Committed to enhancing the lives of our customers by providing safe, reliable and economical energy through excellence in customer service and innovation."

We will be closed for the Christmas Holidays on

the 24th and 25th. The office will close at 3 p.m. on New Year's Eve and be closed New

Year's Day.

Stromsburg Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors, Cinda Koinzan and Brent Hollinger presented Polk County Rural Public Power District a Certificate of Appreciation at the November 8th, 2018 board meeting.

From left, General Manager, Phil Burke and Board President, Mardell Johnson accept the award on behalf of the District from Cinda Koinzan and Brent Hollinger.

Several District employees have served on the chamber board or special event committees and as officers throughout the years. Customer Services Manager Judy Rieken said, "It is an honor to receive this award and it falls in line with our commitment to community service. We feel it is important to help out in all the communities we serve and welcome the opportunity to do so."

Polk County Rural Public Pow-er District began providing service to four communities under an ex-isting agreement with NPPD until that contract was fulfilled in 2003.

In 2004, Polk County RPPD and the communities completed a new, 15 year PROA (Profession-al Retail Operations Agreement) with Clarks, Silver Creek, Os-ceola and Shelby. This contract expires in the spring of 2019. General Manager Phil Burke has attended board meetings in each community to visit with board members and begin negotiat-ing new agreements.

When the District began serving these communities, they realized improvements were needed to get the infrastructure updated.

Each community owns their elec-tric distribution system. Polk County RPPD leases and maintains each sys-tem. As part of the agreement, the communities retain a 12 (twelve) percent lease fee. The lease fee is collected for each active meter and billed monthly. These monies are paid back to each community on a quarterly ba-sis as compensation for the use (lease) of their electric system. It is the discretion of each com-munity as to how these funds are utilized.

Polk County RPPD has com-pleted many improvem e n t s i n these communities through-out the years totaling over a mil-lion dollars. Conductors have been upgraded, three phase services have been rebuilt or expanded to businesses, schools, elevators and the hospital. Several bad or rot-ten poles have been changed out. Thousands of dollars have been spent by provid-ing back up feeds or loop feeds so that power may be restored more quickly from an alternate source. The chart

below indicates system investments to each community over the last ten years. Several thousands of dollars were invested prior to 2007.

The District is also required to make additional payments to the counties to guarantee they receive (5) five percent of total revenues in each commu-nity. This is required by Ne-braska §§ 70-651.03-04. This is referred to as gross revenue tax.

Both of these billing compo-nents (17 percent) are itemized on each statement as "Gross Rev Tax/Lease Agree".

As new agreements are dis-cussed, the District's goal is to take a look at the current lease amount and determine a lev-el that is fair to the commu-ni t ies and the cus tomers . Manager Burke will con tin-ue to work with each com-

Manager Burke Works Collectively with Communities to Renew PROA

munity until new agreements are completed in early 2019.

We want to work with each community, but fear the lease fees are becoming a burden to the customers.

Polk County RPPD ~ The Power of Communication December 2018 ~ Page 2

Notice:Seasonal services will

be billed December 20th for the 2018 usage. These bills are due upon receipt and past due January 10th, 2019.

The annual minimum is billed January 20th, due upon receipt and delinquent on February 10th, 2019. If you choose to pay both bills prior to year end or by January 10th, please call our office for the correct amount. Thank you.

Important Reminder

~Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.~

C. S. Lewis

F o r r e s t G u m p ' s a l l t i m e favor i te: "My momma always said, L i fe was l ike a box of choco la tes . You never know what you're gonna get."

Life is definitely unpredictable! Any one of us may experience a l i fe changing event such as i l lness, job loss, or unknown c i rcumstances tha t leave us financially unprepared.

In ex t remely co ld weather heating bi l ls may at t imes be dif f icult to pay. Please, seek assistance prior to the shut off date. Assisting agencies phone numbers are l isted on the back of past due notices. I f the need arises, we wil l do our best to work with you on an acceptable payment arrangement. Ignoring past due notices typically results in addit ional fees.

Switch to Radio Frequency Meters Brings Benefits

Polk County RPPD has been working this past year to replace our current Automatic Meter Read-ing (AMR) meters to Advanced Metering Radio Frequency (RF) meters. We have nearly 150 RF meters installed and will continue upgrading until all meters have been updated.

One of the main benefits of advanced metering is improving power outage detection and no-tification as they electronical-ly report the location of outages, making restoration faster and status notification to customers much easier.

RF meters operate by transmit-ting and receiving information wirelessly and are just one of the ways electric utilities, like ours, are bringing their systems into the 21st century. This new ad-vanced metering system will im-prove reliability and efficiency, enable the increased integra-t ion of renewable energy re-sources, provide more frequent meter readings throughout the day, and provide more timely in-formation regarding outages.

As with every new technol-ogy, myths soon follow which typ ica l ly l ead to misunde r-standing of how the technol-ogy works. The information to the left explains the most com-monly circulated advanced me-ter myths. Our responses, each supported by research, offer the facts.

Myth #1Advanced meters are less accurate than other meters.

Myth #2Advanced meters are a health threat because they communicate using wireless signals.

Myth #3Advanced meters will not keep my data secure.

Myth #4Advanced meters are hazardous, increasing the risk of fire and explosion.

Myth #5Advanced meters are an invasion of my privacy.

Truth:Advanced meters are rigorously tested for accuracy even before they leave the manufacturing plant. All meter manufacturers must follow performance standards set by the American National Standards Institute.

Truth: In-depth review of the scientific literature by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that the small amount of radio frequency (RF) energy produced by ad-vanced meters is not harmful to human health.

Truth: RF remitted by advanced meters is well below the limits set by Federal Communication Commission and below levels produced by other common household devices like cell phones, baby monitors, satellite TVs, and microwaves.

Truth: The utility industry is poised to use advanced security and encryption technology to safeguard your data. Util-ities are involved in national consortium and work with national cybersecurity to regularly audit their systems to ensure privacy and security of advanced meters. The privacy of your data is protected now and that will not change with the use of advanced meters.

Truth: These meters must meet requirements and standards spelled out in the National Electric Safety Code. Public Service Commissions require independent certification proving that advanced meters are safe and show resistance to heat, fire, voltages, surges, and self-heating.

Truth:These meters show how much energy you use, based on time of day, not how you use the energy. Utilities adhere to strict policies, following state laws that regulate the use of personal information for business functions like billing and customer service.

Technician, Jeff Waller meticulously examines calibration of each meter before and after each installation.

Polk County RPPD ~ The Power of Communication December 2018 ~ Page 3

Myth #5Advanced meters do not provide any benefits.

Truth:No more estimated bills, because now with advanced meters we can provide you with near-real-time energy usage information. This helps us greatly as we work with you to resolve any usage questions.

Ways to Beat the Holiday StressIt's the most wonderful time of the year! The holidays are here,

complete with family, food, and lots of good cheer. For some, however, it can also be the most stressful time of year, so it is important to eat right, get plenty of sleep, and take care of your health!

Although stress is not a proven cause of high blood pressure, studies have shown that when you're stressed your body releases adrenaline, causing your heart rate and blood pressure to go up temporarily. If you're constantly under stress, your body doesn't get the chance to rest, and as a result, your overall health may be affected.

Think about how stress affects you every day: it can make you feel anxious or depressed; you may experience body aches and pains; you could gain weight or loose sleep; and stress can even make you sick.

You may not be able to get rid of all of the holiday stress, but here are some tips to help you decrease it:

1. Take time for YOUTake time out for relaxation every day; whether you enjoy yoga,

listening to music, or going for a short walk. Just 15 minutes a day of whatever activity you find calming can help you manage stress and enjoy the holidays.

2. Celebrate with moderationExcess amounts of alcohol or caffeine are never a good idea, but

during the holidays they can put stress into overdrive, so it's important to limit your alcohol and caffeine consumption. Although many people use caffeine to keep awake or to compensate for lack of sleep, caffeine gives us false energy that ultimately creates more stress in our bodies.

3. ExerciseExercise relieves mental and physical tension. Not to mention, phys-

ically active adults also have a lower risk of depression. Try walking, swimming, biking or another form of cardio every day.

We hope these tips help you to have a Merry Christmas!

The Board of Directors and Management met for their annual strategic planning session. As a result of the session our mission statement was updated. We are...

"Committed to enhancing the lives of our customers by providing safe, reliable and economical energy through excellence in customer service and innovation."

Polk County RPPD ~ The Power of Communication December 2018 ~ Page 4

Merry Christmas! If you're looking for the perfect, freshest Christmas tree you can find, don't forget to check out Nebraska's many tree growers. Just a quick Google™ search found 20 plus sites. Make family memories while searching for the perfect tree! Follow up with hot chocolate and cookies. Oh, and don't forget LED lighting to make your tree cheery, bright and efficient.

Polk County RPPD is excited to annouce that outage information is now available online.

Visit www.pcrppd.com and click on the Outages tab, then click on the map image to view current outages in our system.

The map to the left shows we have one outage in the 68601 zip code. Simply hit F5 to refresh the map or zip code information.