HU has welcomed four new employees recently. Jonathan Kilpatric was hired in September as an Installer in the Construction Department; Adam Overton started in January as an Electric Lineman; Lane Reagin began in February as an Electric Groundman; and Wade Sims was hired as a new Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator in March.
In addition, in December Ryan Halbrooks was promoted from Meter Reader to TV Inspection Operator in the Wastewater Department.
Congratulations to Ryan and our new employees.
Do you have expired or unused prescription drugs in your home? On Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., bring your unwanted prescription drugs to the Pizza Hut parking lot on Hwy. 31 SW, and they will be safely disposed of, no questions asked.
“Prescription drugs are the most abused drugs, period,” says Hartselle Police Chief Ron Puckett. And according to a report released in October by the Trust for America’s Health, a nonprofit organization in Washington that studies health policy, the number of drug overdose deaths in Alabama has tripled since 1999. Then, there were 3.9 drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people; that number has grown to 11.8 per 100,000, giving Alabama the 26th highest drug overdose mortality rate in the United States. The TFAH report found that nationally about 6.1 million people abuse prescription pills, and overdose deaths have at least doubled in 29 states, where they now exceed vehicle-related deaths.
Just as alarming, a 2013 study from The Partnership at Drugfree.org and MetLife Foundation found that one in four teens has misused or abused a prescription drug at least once. “And we have found that most people who take prescription drugs out of someone’s medicine cabinet are family members,” says Chief Puckett.
Health officials used to recommend disposing of unused or expired prescription drugs by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash. That is no longer considered to be an environmentally-safe option. Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove pharmaceuticals from the wastewater stream. Medicines in the wastewater stream and in landfills can end up in public water supplies, posing potential safety and health hazards.
To provide a safe way to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs – and keep them out of the hands of those who might abuse them – the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration coordinates the annual Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.
According to Sue Brantley, Executive Director of the Mental Health Association in Morgan County, participation in the local Take-Back Day has increased over the last several years. “They have collected everything imaginable – from liquids, cough medicines and pills to pain medications. You can drop off anything except needles and other sharps,” she explains. “We encourage everyone to take a close look at what is in your medicine cabinet – you don’t want to be an unwitting supplier to your children, grandchildren or friends, and you can help prevent prescription drug abuse by safely disposing of your unused or expired medications,” Brantley says.
For more information, call (256) 351-4816.
In early February community representatives from Hartselle and Morgan County traveled to Washington DC for their annual trip to present members of Congress with a federal legislative agenda, outlining federal funding needs and priorities for the area. The group met with Rep. Mo Brooks, Sen. Jeff Sessions, Sen. Richard Shelby and staff from Rep. Robert Aderholt’s office.
The top priority during this year’s visit was to request support for the region’s efforts to obtain a FEMA grant providing Pre-Disaster Mitigation funding for flood control. The city plans to request $300,000, with Hartselle providing a 25 percent local match of $100,000, to build a second retention pond on the west side of the railroad tracks.
The city received $245,000 in funding in 2010 for flood mitigation, and construction on the first retention pond is expected to begin late this year.
Community leaders have asked members of Congress for help with flood mitigation in previous conversations, but Hartselle Mayor Don Hall says that the July 4 flood – the second in four years – helped to move the issue to the top of Hartselle’s priority list.
“The July 4 flood was a major event, and it affected our downtown businesses economically,” says Mayor Hall. “It had a serious impact on their bottom lines. And with the streets all but impassable, it became a safety issue. In that situation, it is difficult for emergency vehicles to get from the East side of town to the West,” he explains.
Mayor Hall feels confident that Hartselle will be able to receive assistance from FEMA when funds become available. Other projects that the group discussed with the Congressional delegation include:
Seven HU employees were recently recognized for having reached milestones in their careers with Hartselle Utilities. In the year 2013, five employees reached the Ten Year service mark and two employees reached the Five Year mark. Congratulations to the following, and thank you for your hard work and dedication.
“Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow shall keep them from their appointed rounds.” Of course, this quote refers to postal carriers, but it could just as easily apply to utility meter readers. Hartselle Utilities’ Meter Reading Team are Serviceman/Team Leader Matthew Reeves and Meter Readers Glenda Turrentine, Josh Hensley and Brian Hill. They read gas, electric and water meters, inspect meters to confirm that they are in good condition, clean out water meter boxes, and check for signs of tampering or fraud.
Meter readers have set routes which they follow. Generally, they will park their vehicles and walk their route, traveling a half mile or more from their vehicle – so don’t be alarmed if you see one of these friendly faces with no vehicle nearby.
While reading meters through the cold and rain is often part of a normal day’s work for HU meter readers, snarling dogs, wasps’ nests and climbing through rubbish, spider webs and overgrown shrubs to reach a meter box shouldn’t be. And the number one threat comes from dog attacks. To help us safeguard them against the very real danger of dog attacks, please:
● Keep the area around your meter clear and accessible.
● Do not fence in your meter box, if at all possible. Build fences and gates behind, rather than in front of, your utility meter.
● Keep dogs safely secured during the day, or place them in a different area from where the meter is located.
● Call our Customer Service office at (256) 773-3340 if you have a dog that is unrestrained during the day. We will work with you so that your meter can be read safely.
Like all Hartselle Utilities’ employees, meter readers will always carry identification. If you ever have a question or a concern, call Customer Service at (256) 773-3340.
According to Kyle Laney, HU’s new Gas System Operator, during September natural gas customers should have received a brochure explaining the hazards of natural gas leaks, the 811 info line for locating underground services, and what to do if you suspect a natural gas leak. The brochure is part of HU’s public information campaign, Laney says, to make sure that natural gas customer and others who live near natural gas pipelines understand steps that need to be taken to prevent and respond to accidents.
HU adds an odor, similar to the smell of rotten eggs, to natural gas to let customers and others who live near the pipeline know quickly if there is a problem. If you smell natural gas, leave the house or building; call HU at 773-3340; and do not light any flames and avoid all sources of ignition.
Earlier this year a Cost of Service Study, which looks at how costs are allocated, showed that HU’s electric residential customer charge – its base rate – is too low. “A utility has costs you need to cover with your base rate, such as transmission and distribution and some maintenance, that are apart from the actual cost of the electricity we pass through our system,” explains HU General Manager Bob Sittason.
However, Sittason says, the change needed to be revenue neutral. “We are lowering the energy rate – what customers pay for the electricity they use – to offset the increase,” he says.
Effective Oct. 1, the Residential Customer Charge will increase by $2.00 per month and the energy rate will be decreased by $.00163.
HU is creating a new commercial GSA 1 customer class, breaking out a GSA 1 customer class between Single Phase service and all other services at the GSA 1 level, Sittason explains.
The Customer Charge for the new GSA 1- Single Phase customers will be $20.00, and the kWh energy rate will increase by $.00310 from the current GSA 1 energy rates.
For GSA 1- All Other customers, the Customer Charge will be $25.20, the same as the current GSA 1 rate, and the kWh energy rate will increase by $.00310.
TVA has announced a rate increase of 1.5 percent, effective October 1. HU will pass on this approved rate increase, which will add $1.50 per kWh to the average residential customer.
Friday, Nov. 1, the City of Hartselle and Hartselle Beautification Association will sponsor Caring Day, Hartselle’s annual food drive to help local food pantries prepare to help families and individuals for Thanksgiving. On Nov. 1, residents can place donated canned goods five feet away from street-side recycle bins. The canned goods will be picked up and taken to the Caring Place and distributed among the Caring Place, the First Assembly of God, the First Church of the Nazarene, and the First United Methodist Church food pantries.
Canned goods may also be placed in drop off bins from Oct. 18 until Nov. 1 at the following locations: City Hall, Hartselle Utilities, Joe Wheeler EMC, The William Bradford Huie Public Library, the Chamber of Commerce, Hometown Grocery, the Hartselle Enquirer, Ace Auto Body, Sparkman Civic Center, both Fire Stations, Walgreen Drug Store, CVS Pharmacy, Dollar General Store, Kroger, Dollar Tree, and all banks in Hartselle. The schools will also be participating again this year. Last year, 8,860 cans of food were donated during the Caring Day drive.
In order to streamline operations, HU has changed several natural gas meter reading schedules, combining several natural gas routes. “We have three meter readers,” explains Customer Service Manager Terri Harris, “and they read 16,000 meters each month. Over the years we added new customers at different times, and many were on different meter reading schedules. We’ve looked at making these changes for a while, and chose this time of year because of the minimal impact the change will have on natural gas customers.”
The following meter routes will be affected: 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 138, 139. Customers on these routes will see a new account number on their bill, and customers in all routes except 138 and 139 will see a change in their due date to the 15th of each month..
All customers in the routes which were modified were sent a letter explaining the changes and informing them of the new payment due date. If you have any questions please call Terri Harris at 773-3340.
HU Water Department crews are checking water services – the lines that run from the main to the tap at the residence or business – looking for leaks. Particularly, they are looking for service lines made of poly service tubing, says Water System Operator Steve Terry. HU started using poly service tubing in the late 1960s, Terry says, and the material used now is much harder. “We track repairs that are a result of material failure,” says Terry. “For the last two years, poly service tubing has accounted for 75 percent of our repairs, so that’s what we’re targeting.”
The work is part of the department’s ongoing asset management program to monitor and maintain HU’s water mains. “We’ve budgeted $35,000 this fiscal year for service line replacement,” Terry says. “We’ll do as many as we can each year, with the goal that we’ll eventually replace all the poly service lines with something more durable.”