GRAND VALLEY POWER LINES

[Grand Valley News]

coloradocountrylife.coop 7MARCH 2017

[Grand Valley News]

coloradocountrylife.coop

DELIVERING RESULTS: FIVE-STAR CUSTOMER SERVICEBY TOM WALCH || CEO

Delivering results for the hometown consumers we serve — that’s the challenge Grand Valley Power employees embraced for eight decades. As a local electric distribution utility, Grand Val-ley Power is a pretty small fish in a big sea. We have to come to terms with the fact that we don’t have much control over many factors that are critical to our success. Our wholesale power costs are driven by a cost-based formula that, in turn, is driven by environmental concerns and global market forces. The growth of our utility hinges on the boom-and-bust Western Slope economy, which in recent years saw the bust outpace the boom. Reliability results are subject to the whims of weather, as well as a transmission system that crosses the most rugged mountain-ous terrain in the country.

Our Grand Valley Power team recognizes that if we are going to deliver results for our consumers, we need to focus on the things that we can control. That’s why we strive to set ourselves apart with outstanding customer service. That is how we can de-liver value. To track how we’re doing, three years ago we started asking the folks we serve. Every time one of our service planners, servicemen or construction crews schedules contact with a con-sumer, we send out a follow-up survey. We ask consumers to rate the performance of our team members on a scale ranging from one to five, with five being the highest rating possible. In 2014, 32 out of 36 survey respondents — almost 89 percent — gave our workers a rating of five. While that was good, it wasn’t good enough. We used those results to challenge ourselves to provide five-star customer service across the board.

Over the past three years, 115 out of 123 survey respondents — over 93 percent — gave us five stars. Almost as remarkable, over those three years, our team members never received a single rating below four on this five-point scale. In 2016, 39 out of 41 respondents — more than 95 percent — gave us five stars.

The surveys we send out give consumers a chance to provide

specific comments and tell us what we can do to improve our quality of service. The responses we receive are even better than the ratings. Here are some of my favorites:

“Perry Rupp [GVP service planner] was very helpful!”

“Tom Holman [GVP service planner] is fabulous to work with.”

“Service was great! Good job.”

“Lineman was extremely helpful, professional and compassionate.”

“The men completing the job were courteous and when they left you couldn’t tell they have been here!”

“Very pleased with courteous service.”

“I think my serviceman’s name is Clint [GVP serviceman ClintBlaylock]. He was very professional, quick, kind and efficient.”

“Keep on what you’re doing, very professional.”

“I don’t know how you improve excellent!!!”

How can we improve? Tracking these results is a start. Setting ambitious goals helps us get better. Understanding our mission will help us get there. More than anything, though, taking pride in delivering results, every day on every job, will help us improve.

Take another look at some of the adjectives consumers used to describe our team: helpful…fabulous…professional … compas-sionate … courteous … efficient … excellent. These are the kind of people I want providing my electric service. These are the folks I’m proud to be associated with here at Grand Valley Power.

Tom Walch

COMMENTS TO THE CEO

You are a member of a cooperative and your opinion does count. If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please let me know by writing

to: Ask the CEO, P.O. Box 190, Grand Junction, CO 81502, or send an email to me at twalch@gvp.org.

Check out our website at www.gvp.org.

BOARD MEETING NOTICE

Grand Valley Power board meetings are open to the members, consumers and public. Regularly scheduled board meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 9 a.m. at the headquarters building located at 845 22 Road, Grand Junction, CO.

The agendas are posted in the lobby of the headquarters building 10 days before each meeting and posted on the GVP website. If anyone desires to address the board of directors, please let me know in advance and you will be placed on the agenda.

[Grand Valley News]

coloradocountrylife.coop MARCH 20178

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One of the things that makes electricity a unique commodity is that it is difficult to store. It must be produced and deliv-ered when it is needed. This requires a tremendous amount of coordination, planning and maintenance on the part of utilities, such as Grand Valley Power.

Grand Valley Power and other utilities measure the reli-ability of their electrical service with indexes that measure the frequency and duration of power outages. This data is used to compile the System Average Interruption Duration Index, or SAIDI.

In 2016, the total average hours of outage time per con-sumer for Grand Valley Power’s entire customer base was 93.4 minutes per consumer. This is up from the previous two

years but still well within industry norms. One of the main reasons for the 2016 increase was due to power supply inter-ruptions, which is entirely out of GVP’s control.

In looking at the outage summary below, the system out-age time is still considerably below 2012 and 2013.

5-YEAR OUTAGE SUMMARY:2012 – 100.5 minutes per consumer2013 – 134.6 minutes per consumer2014 – 54.2 minutes per consumer2015 – 56.9 minutes per consumer2016 – 93.4 minutes per consumer

GVP Strives for System Reliability

BURNING WEEDS CAN BE EXPENSIVE!As spring approaches with all of its activities, it is time to again give you a friendly reminder to watch out for those weed fires. Every year, GVP has some poles that end up damaged or destroyed by fire, as well as unhappy consumers who have to pay for the damage.

It is the policy of Grand Valley Power that the person responsible for causing a pole to be damaged must pay for replacing it. This is the only fair way to handle these situations. Others should not have to pay for someone else’s carelessness. Depending upon the type of pole and hardware that it carries, several thousand dollars can be involved in replacing even one pole. It is much cheaper to prevent a pole from catching fire than to pay for a new one.

Grand Valley Power wants to again remind you of the following suggested procedures to follow while burning weeds:

1. Follow all rules established by the fire district in which you reside. Most of the districts require permits.

2. Plan your burning before you begin. If there are power poles in the area to be burned, clean the weeds and debris from around them before you start to burn.

3. If the fire does get away from you and a pole does become en-gulfed in flame, immediately call the fire department and Grand Valley Power.

4. Caution! Water and electricity do not mix. When putting out a burning pole, you should not spray water close to the conductors as it may cause a short circuit. You or the firemen could be in the path of that current, and serious injury or death could result.

5. Remember, not reporting a fire-damaged pole may cause a seri-ous accident to happen later. So, report any fire damaged poles that you see to Grand Valley Power immediately.

Spring is here. Farmers are busy tilling their fields to prepare for planting, and contractors are busy with their many projects around the valley. Grand Valley Power wants to remind the operators of big equipment to look up as they come in close proximity to power lines and communication equipment.

Not only is farm equipment getting bigger and contractors are utilizing larger equipment, but also more and more commu-

nications equipment is being attached to Grand Valley Power’s infrastructure. While clearance may be adequate to the electric lines, the attached communications equipment lowers those clearances for equipment transported underneath them.

So remember to look up and be safe!

Farmers and Contractors — Remember to Look Up

coloradocountrylife.coop 9MARCH 2017

[Grand Valley News]

coloradocountrylife.coop

With the Ides of March soon approaching and the weather finally warming, it can be all too easy to overlook things that we see every day, such as power lines. However, failure to notice high-voltage power lines can be a deadly oversight. Grand Valley Power not only encourages everyone to use electricity wisely, but also to look up and live and call before you dig.

By observing the following guidelines for indoor and outdoor activities, everyone can stay safe around electricity:• Always be aware of the location of power lines.• Be careful when working on or around your roof installing

antennas or satellite dishes, installing or cleaning gutters or do-ing repair work. Make sure you maintain 10 feet of separation between the power lines and yourself or any object you may be handling.

• Never trim trees near the power lines. Call our office if you need a tree near the power lines trimmed.

• Never climb trees near the power lines. Even if a tree is clear of the lines, the additional weight may cause a limb to lean into the power lines.

• Never play on or around electrical equipment. Most electrical equipment in the yard is capable of causing severe burns and electrical shock.

• Never fly kites around power lines. If a kite is heading for the power lines, let go of the kite before it makes contact and im-mediately notify Grand Valley Power. GVP linemen will remove the kite from the power lines and return the kite to its rightful owner, if it is still in one piece.

• Electrical outlets should be checked for loose-fitting plugs. Replace miss-ing or broken wall plates so wiring and components are not exposed.

• Make sure cords are not frayed or cracked. Do not nail or staple them to walls, floors or other objects. Extension cords are not in-tended to be used as permanent household wiring.

• Check the wattage of lightbulbs to ensure that the total watt-age of the bulbs does not exceed the rated capacity of the fixture. Fixtures usually have smaller internal wiring, which may overheat and cause fires when overloaded.

• If an appliance repeatedly blows a fuse or trips a breaker, the appliance and the circuit should be looked at by a professional. Overloaded circuits or faulty appliances can cause fires.

• Finally, don’t forget to clean out your external dryer vent hood. Lint can gather around the flap in the vent hood, which not only restricts flow (thereby causing your dryer to run lon-ger), but it is also combustible and may start a fire.

Even if you do everything possible to prevent an electrical fire or contact, you should still have a plan that includes emergency numbers in case something does happen. Grand Valley Power encourages you to stay safe this spring.

HELPING YOU STAY SAFE THIS SPRING WITH SAFETY TIPS

WBY DEREK ELDER || MEMBER SERVICES MANAGER

[Grand Valley News]

coloradocountrylife.coop MARCH 201710

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIONAs an organization, Grand Valley Power has several specialized departments that perform unique responsibilities. While each department provides a skill set that is unique, it is the collaboration and cohe-siveness of the departments that provides GVP consumers with good quality and friendly service. It is much like the human body needing all of its unique parts to perform everyday tasks.

The finance and administration depart-ment of Grand Valley Power is a critical and yet seldom recognized department. Staff responsibilities are wide-ranging and critical to helping GVP fulfill its mis-sion statement: “Empowering Lives With Hometown Service.”

Cathy Gledhill is manager of the finance and administration department. Cathy, a Castle Rock native, has an ac-counting degree from Adams State Col-lege. She joined Grand Valley Power’s staff in 1981 after working for several years at Chadwick, Steinkerchner & Davis, a local CPA firm. In overseeing her department, she makes sure that financial statements are accurately prepared, works with the auditors engaged by the board of directors and keeps corporate policies up to date. Cathy is also GVP’s human resources de-partment, where she is charged with keep-ing up with all federal and state rules and regulations regarding labor. In this capac-ity, she also oversees GVP’s insurance program. Cathy and her husband have four children and five grandchildren.

Pat Kanda, a Grand Valley native, joined GVP in 1991 as staff accoun-tant. He received an accounting degree from Mesa State College (now known as Colorado Mesa University). Pat is GVP’s finance guru. He is in charge of the cooperative’s cash-flow, equity and debt management. He prepares GVP’s annual budget and also participates in GVP’s rate design studies. When not working, you can find Pat tutoring school district students in math, occasionally substitute teaching or playing golf. Pat has a pas-sion for students and is a former School

District 51 school board member.

Sarah Wheeler joined GVP in 2008 as ac-counting assistant. Sarah comes to the Grand Valley via northern California and Meeker, Colorado. She received her accounting degree from Colorado Mesa University. Sarah handles GVP’s payroll and assists the department in all other accounting func-tions. Occasionally you may see Sarah at the front counter, assisting with consumer payments and answering the phone. Sarah and her husband spend most of their spare time taking care of their two young boys.

Our consumer services representatives round out the finance and admin-istration department. They are the two women who greet you when entering our lobby or who answer your phone call when contacting GVP. Debbie DeRose and Nita Mancuso, both Grand Valley natives, have performed that function for many years. However, there is much more to what they do than meet, greet and answer the phone.

Debbie joined GVP in 1989. Besides greeting people, receiving payments and answering the phone, she also does other administrative duties as assigned to help the department fulfill its function. Like others in the GVP family, much of her outside activities are centered on her fam-ily, especially on being a grandmother.

Nita went to work for GVP in 1990. Nita said that “manning the front” was one of her main responsibilities along with others. She reconciles the coop-erative bank accounts and processes

payables. Her one other unique func-tion is that of being the plant lady. She tends to various plants weekly that are in the building. Her outside activities are primarily that of being a wife, mother, grandmother and long-distance runner.

The finance and administration department is similar to the circulatory system in a human body. While it may not be as noticeable as the digestive or nervous system, it plays a critical role in the cooperative and has long-term impli-cations to the health of the organization. The finance and administration depart-ment provides GVP consumers and fellow employees with good service and timely and accurate financial information that is vital to the overall health and success of Grand Valley Power.

GVP’s finance and administration department is staffed by (seated) Cathy Gledhill, manager; (standing, left to right) Pat Kanda, staff accountant; Sarah Wheeler, accounting assistant; and Debbie DeRose and Nita Mancuso, consumer services representatives.

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