CU board approves Watershed Committee budget

At its meeting Thursday, the board approved a $305,000 2008 budget for the committee, which is partially funded and managed through City Utilities.

New board memberships took effect Friday: Phil Wannenmacher, chairman; Mark McNay, vice-chairman; Lisa Officer, secretary; and Patrick Platter, assistant secretary.

The board also heard a city transit report for October. Transit revenues for the month increased 38 percent to about $76,000, compared to about $55,000 a year ago. The increase was due to the Oct. 1 rate increase – the first in a decade. October ridership, however, was down 17 percent to about 147,000, compared to 178,000 in October 2006.

Also discussed at the meeting was a $304,000 contract that has been awarded to Baxter Springs, Kan.-based BBC Electrical Services Inc. to complete post-ice storm repairs. BBC, which had the lowest bid among four other firms, will begin work later this month and finish in mid-June.

In other CU news, the utility is asking its electric customers to provide updated contact information. Beginning today, more than 90,000 customers will receive brochures asking them to verify a primary telephone number, address of service and account number. Customers can update or verify the information by calling (417) 874-8266, completing the form at www.cityutilities.net or returning the postage-paid direct mail piece.

The updated information will be entered into CU’s new High Volume Call Answering system, which will be used in events like the ice storm earlier this year.

“During the January ice storm, we found that many customers’ phone numbers did not match the service address for their home in the computer system,” CU General Manager John Twitty said in a news release. “To have a customers’ phone number match accurately to their service address can help us restore power much more effectively if severe weather causes an extended outage.”

The answering system should be in service by spring.[[In-content Ad]]