Lamar Utilities Board meeting of June 23, 2026

The Lamar Utilities Board met on June 23, 2026 for a regular meeting. They approved Purchase Orders 2025-05412 through 2025-05675 which totaled $154,371.55, of which $143,886.05 needed board approval.  P.O. 2025-05675 was to CIRSA in the amount of $81,809.55 for third quarter property insurance.  Another large P.O. was 2025-05413 to SD Myers LLC in the amount of $35,680 for 6 mil sub transformer oil clean.  The board voted to approve payment of bills which totaled $815,321.94.  Larger bills were from ARPA fpr power purchase in the amount of $625,200.98, Midwest Electric Transformer Services billed $106,220.00, Stuart Irby billed $18,350, and Western United Electrical Supply billed $10,641.11.

Superintendent Hourieh’s System Operating Report read: “In continuous efforts to improve system reliability and efficiency, we are working with High to Low Voltage transformers to rewind and condition a spare 6.25 MVA substation transformer.  This transformer will be converted from delta/wye to a wye/wye windings, so that it will phase in with all of our substations in case of an upset condition.  The process will take approximately 30 weeks.  We are also working with CCE Engineering; they are in the process of mapping and designing the 69kv relays protection schemes to replace a failed 21x-67 directional overcurrent impedance relay.  The new protective relay will be a new microprocessor based SEL 311 C relay.  Linear Labs continues to monitor and collect data on the T-2 wind turbine.  They have captured a variety of blade pitch system faults, which they are analyzing.  The turbine will continue to operate at a reduced capacity of 400 KW while updating the plc code and running it.”

By: Barbara Crimond