Board Weighs Rates, Broadband Plans, and Meters in April

April is a busy month for the PUD’s Board of Commissioners. The 3 person commission has reviewed staff proposals requesting rate increases and expansion of the PUD’s broadband infrastructure. The board will continue to deliberate on these topics and more during its regular meeting on April 20th. Read more about the PUD’s rate proposals here, and review the PUD’s recently completed business strategy for expanding broadband here.

On Thursday, April 22nd, the PUD commission will receive a presentation from utility finance consultant FCS Group on options for replacing the district’s aging and ailing meter system. In 2017, after years of study, PUD staff proposed replacing all of the district’s meters with AMI or smart meters. AMI/Smart meters communicate by radio signal to and from the utility via cloud networks. Current meters communicate data to the utility via radio signal that is picked up by passing trucks with receivers. The proposal met opposition from some members of the public, and after much review, was tabled in 2018 pending a financial review of all metering options. The PUD hired FCS Group to perform that review in late 2019, but the project was postponed due to COVID-19.

Though our current meetings of the PUD Board of Commissioners are online only, they are always open for the public to view or participate. Check out our meeting calendar for agendas and links to login to Zoom. Public Comment is allowed at multiple points during the meeting.