David Locke retired in August after over 16 years as Water Foreman, with nearly 26 years of service to HU.
Locke began working at HU in August of 1988 as a meter reader. He gradually made his way up the ladder, working as a laborer and then equipment operator before being promoted to Foreman of the Water Crew in April 1997.
“David was very well educated with Hartselle Utilities’ water system which made things easy for his crew,” says friend and Construction Department co-worker Sidney Mills. “His knowledge and know-how will be greatly missed.”
Over time, decay and wood-destroying insects can cause utility poles to lose their strength, and Hartselle Utilities hires a company to inspect and treat poles, where possible, to extend service life.
According to Electric Superintendent Jonathan Hampton, through mid-November, crews from Osmose will inspect approximately 1,300 poles in the southeast section of the electric system, south of Main Street South and east of Highway 31.
Hampton expects that some poles will need to be replaced, which could disrupt service. However, he says, customers will be contacted before service is interrupted.
Recently, several Hartselle Utilities customers have reported receiving phone calls from someone falsely claiming to be a representative of Hartselle Utilities, demanding payment for past-due utility bills. The caller reportedly asked the customers, in one case a business with a home office in another city, to purchase a ‘Green Dot’ money card to pay their bill immediately in order to keep utilities from being disconnected, says Customer Service Manager Terri Harris.
“This is not how we handle delinquent accounts,” Harris says. “We make a reminder call 24 hours before utilities are disconnected,” she explains, “but we never call people after hours for disconnect notices, nor will we solicit payment or financial information over the phone from within our office.”
Hartselle Utilities does offer payment online and over the phone through a toll-free number. “If you are ever in doubt as to whether a call is actually from Hartselle Utilities,” Harris suggests, “hang up and call us at 773-3340. We can provide you with the toll-free number that you can call to pay your bill.”
Hartselle Utilities Board of Directors, seated in front from left to right; Jimmy Moore, Secretary/Treasurer; Daxton Maze, Chairman; Mike Gunter, Vice-chairman. Standing from left to right, Terry Phillips and Ed Monroe.
Daxton Maze has been elected Chairman of the Hartselle Utilities Board, replacing outgoing Chairman Mike Gunter, who served as Board Chair for six years.
Maze joined the Hartselle Utilities Board in July 2011, six months after he graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in Civil Engineering. Maze was already a familiar face in Hartselle as a baseball standout and top graduate from Hartselle High School in 2006.
Maze will be the youngest Board Chair that Hartselle Utilities has had. While the board’s perspective and initiatives remain the same, Maze noted that Hartselle is experiencing an influx of younger people and families who work in the Tennessee Valley and choose to live in Hartselle because of the great school system. “The younger generation has a different viewpoint and also different needs from their utility provider, and I hope to bring insight into that,” he says.
“Over the past two years, the board has developed a good working relationship with the Hartselle Utilities staff and the community, and I expect that to continue. I’m looking for this to be an easy transition,” Maze says. “Our goal is to provide exceptional, affordable, and reliable utilities to our customers, and our expectation is to continue to provide the great customer service that Hartselle Utilities has been providing for many years.”
Mike Gunter is now Vice-Chairman of the board, and Jimmy Moore continues as Secretary/Treasurer. Terry Phillips and Ed Monroe are the remaining board members.
In addition to changes in the Board, two key staff members at Hartselle Utilities have retired, and several staff members have been promoted or changed position within the utility. “Almost twenty percent of our workforce has a new face or job,” says General Manager Bob Sittason, “which is something you generally don’t see all at once at Hartselle Utilities. We have been able to fill most of the open positions from within.”
Over the summer, Gas System Operator Tony Vest and Water Foreman David Locke, both with over 25 years of service to Hartselle Utilities, retired. Kyle Laney, former Installer, was promoted to Gas System Operator; David Taylor, Utility Inspector/Safety Coordinator, was promoted to Water Foreman. Jeremy Dorrance, former Meter Reader, replaced Taylor as the new Utility Inspector/Safety Coordinator.
Brian Kelsoe transferred to the position of Warehouseman, and Glenda Turrentine was hired as a new Meter Reader. In addition, Jason Summerford was promoted from Lift Station Crewman to Apprentice Lineman, and Michael Halbrooks was promoted from Installer to Wastewater Equipment Operator.
Typically, most of the water a household uses enters the sewer system as waste. However, in the summertime, many residents use water outdoors – to irrigate lawns and wash cars, for example – and this water never enters the sewer system. For this reason, HU sets a cap for the summer sewer rates, at 120 percent of the average of each customer’s winter usage. Customers are not charged a sewer fee for water used above the cap.
HU uses the months between November and April to calculate winter averages, and then caps each customer’s summer sewer rates at 120 percent of that figure.
HU customers who use a great deal of water outdoors year-round might consider an outdoor irrigation meter, says Customer Service Manager Terri Harris. The cost to install one-inch irrigation meter is $275. However, there is no sewer charge for water received through an irrigation meter.
Base charges for water, sewer and gas services will increase effective July 1, 2013. The average residential customer will see a monthly increase of $.76 for water services; $2.82 for sewer services; and $1.88 for natural gas services.
HU Gas System Operator Tony Vest will retire July 1. Vest started with HU as an installer in the water department in 1987, and later became a gas installer and a crew foreman before taking over the gas department.
HU’s Gas System has grown tremendously during Vest’s 17 years as Gas System Operator. In the 1980s, he reports, the system consisted of 45 miles of pipe and 443 customers. Today, there are 210 miles of pipeline and 4,200 customers. “We typically add 40-45 customers a year,” he explains.
One of the biggest changes to the gas system under Vest has been the cast iron pipe replacement program. “We had about 40 miles of cast iron pipe, which is vulnerable to cold weather and ground changes, which is why the DOT mandated that systems get rid of it,” Vest explains. “We bit off a section each year, and are now down to less than four miles of cast iron.”
Vest retired from the National Guard in 1997, and other than his time in the military has lived in Hartselle his entire life. He and his wife, Donna, have two children and one granddaughter.
“I’ve enjoyed my time here,” Vest says. “What will I miss the most? Working with the guys in the field.”
Fifty percent of Hartselle’s storm-related outages are caused by trees and limbs falling across the lines, says Electric Superintendent Jonathan Hampton. “And over eighty percent of our non-weather related outages are caused by squirrels,” he adds.
To minimize damages from both, Hartselle Utilities has a system-wide plan to monitor and trim trees and remove brush within ten feet of power lines, says Hampton. “We’ve got to trim the trees – even if you don’t mind it potentially affecting your power, your tree might affect 300 more people,” he explains.
In June the Hartselle Utilities Board approved the Electric Department’s Line Clearing Schedule for Fiscal Year 2014, which begins in July. Throughout the next year, HU crews and contractors will be working in the Southwest quadrant of the city, west of Hwy. 31 and south of Nance Ford Road. They will place notices on doorknobs to let customers know that they will be in an area.
If you receive a notice – a bright orange door hanger from Hartselle Utilities – and have trees on your property near electric lines, it is likely the trees will be trimmed or removed. To understand the work intended for your property, call (256) 773-3340.
Planning can minimize the need for tree trimming, according to the National Arbor Day Foundation. Within 30 feet of power lines, only plant trees with a mature height of less than 20 feet tall. Flowering dogwoods and crabapple trees, for example, won’t get tall enough to interfere with Hartselle Utilities’ power lines.
In addition to the 30-foot perimeter for shorter trees, trees with a mature height of over 40 feet
should be planted at least 60 feet away from power lines, according to National Arbor Day Foundation guidelines. This will minimize damage to power lines from trees knocked down during bad weather.
In addition to causing outages, trees near power lines can pose safety hazards. Here are some tips to keep you and your family safe:
If a tree branch breaks off and lands on an electric line, call Hartselle Utilities immediately at (256) 773-2533.
Do not touch the branch or wire.
Don’t cut down trees or branches near power lines.
Stay clear of power lines when removing any object caught in a tree.
Never let your ladder touch a power line.
Power lines are not insulated. If you touch a power line, you will be severely injured or killed. Always assume a power line is energized and dangerous.
Make sure children do not climb trees that are anywhere near overhead power lines.
Before planting or digging projects, always call call Alabama One Call toll free (7 am – 5 pm): 811 or 1-800-292-8525 for free help in identifying underground pipes or lines.
An ambitious concept that began with a group of civic-minded community leaders in 2006 is nearing completion. The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the entryway to the John Mark Stallings Special Needs Accessible Playground of Morgan County (SNAP) was held in May, leaving one final section to be completed, hopefully, in 2014.
The boundless playground, designed specifically for the estimated 1,700 special needs children in Morgan County, includes a swing area, playground, splashpad and pavilion. The most recent addition is the $56,500 entryway, with a lighted clock tower and backlit LED logo. The entryway also houses the plaque dedicating the playground to John Mark Stallings, beloved son of Gene and Ann Stallings who, despite having Down Syndrome, impacted and inspired thousands of people during his 46-year life.
Over the past six and a half years, volunteers from the Hartselle Civitan, Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions clubs, along with the City of Hartselle, United Way, Hartselle Medical Center, Wal-Mart, the Volunteer Center of Morgan County and the Morgan County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments have worked together to raise over $450,000 for SNAP, according to project manager Bob Francis. At last count, 389 individuals and organizations have donated money, products and services to the project. “When you take into account the in-kind services from so many individuals and companies in our area, the value of this playground to our community is over $800,000,” Francis explains, “and that’s something our community can be proud of.”
The final section of SNAP will be a second playground area with an estimated cost of $215,000. “We hope to have that completed in 2014,” says Francis, who has managed the project since 2006. He points out that the time frame for completion is largely dependent on how fast the organization can raise the funds needed.
“This is a place where all children, both special needs and non-special needs children, can come and have fun,” Francis says.
“It only takes one of these children coming out here and smiling – that’s the reward for having done it,” he says.
To donate to the SNAP playground project, visit snapplayground.org/donate or send money to P.O. Box 512, Hartselle, AL 35640.
