Lamar Utilities Board Finds Lower Cost Equipment Source

Lamar Light and Power Safety Training Session

Lamar Utility Board members ratified an earlier vote to cancel an agreement with one equipment provider when an earlier contract was bumped up due to rising production costs.  During its November 15^th meeting, the board ratified a motion to cancel an order for pole mount and pad mount transformers with Stuart Irby and approved a transaction for the materials from T & R Electric Supply Company for $202,680.  The quote from Stuart Irby was for $418,888.  Light Plant Superintendent Houssin Hourieh said there would be no cancellation payment.  The low bid of $5,987.54 from Border States for junction boxes was also approved.

The Lamar Utility Board approved purchase orders totaling $1,163,170.80 from a total of $1,182,962.13 for the month including the Arkansas River Power Authority October estimate of $806,422.08 for power purchases.  The board also approved payment of $296,453.30 on equipment and services for the month.

In other action, the board approved the annual resolution adjusting the interest rate on customer deposits from 0.08% for 2022 to 1.69% for fiscal year 2023 as recommended by the Public Utilities Commission.  The most recent highest rate was 5.69% for 2001 and the lowest to date has been the current year at 0.08%.

The annual safety inspection of all bucket and digger trucks has been completed as well as high voltage sticks, blankets and line hoses with no failures found.  With CIRSA staff on site, the Light Plant crew attended hazardous operations, defensive driving and flagger training.  The line crew also completed construction of 750 feet of three-phase 24.9kv line extensions for Dean Jaggers at CR 6 and Highway 50.

The board has two more meetings before the end of the year, on November 29^th and December 13^th.

By Russ Baldwin