Lamar Utilities Board holds first meeting of 2026 on January 13

The Lamar Utilities Board met on January 13 for its first meeting of 2026.  Purchase orders 2025-02177 through 2025-02430 totaling $1,021,571.96 were approved.  Of this amount, $996,228.74 needed board approval.  Power purchased for December was the largest of these, in the amount of $537,677.43.  Other large purchase orders were $191,920.00 to Powell electrical Systems, Inc., $131,000.00 to SD Myers, LLC for a down payment on parts, $108,359.00 to SD Myers for installing a load tap changer and $5,000 for yearly dues to Prowers Economic Prosperity.  Bills totaling $852,479.23 were approved as well.

An annual “housekeeping” item which was approved was designating an open meeting posting area at the front entrance of Lamar Light and Power, 100 N. Second Street.  Superintendent Hourieh’s System Operating Report read: For 2026, we will continue our effort in upgrading our 4kv substation equipment.  If you recall, we have completed upgrading all of our 4 kv feeders protections relays, completed repairs and maintenance on 25 kv circuit breakers, and completed the inspection, testing, and maintenance of our two 69 kv transformers load tap changers (LTC’s).  This year, we are planning on starting the process of upgrading 15 4 kv medium voltage switchgear breakers, which will be implemented over the next four years.  Four breakers each year, complete SD Myers recommended 69 kv LTC’s upgrade.  We are moving forward with our ESRI-ARECGIS mapping system and out Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system.  To date we have installed 5,589 AMI meters.

By Barbara Crimond