November 2018 | Volume 80 | Issue 11
Platte-Clay Crews Assist with Hurricane Recovery Efforts in South Carolina and Florida
After hurricanes ravaged South Carolina and Florida, Platte-Clay sent crews to assist with getting power restored to tens of thousands of households. The two crews of six were part of coordinated efforts by the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives to respond to calls for help from fellow co-ops in storm-damaged areas.
Crews were dispatched to Santee Electric Cooperative in Kingstree, South Carolina following Hurricane Florence and Talquin Electric Cooperative in Quincy, Florida following Hurricane Michael.
One of the seven core cooperative principles is “cooperation among cooperatives,” which guides Platte-Clay’s decision to participate in disaster recovery initiatives.
When disasters like ice storms and tornadoes have impacted the Northland in the past, other co-ops have assisted with getting power restored quickly and safely.
Florence Crew: Mike Bigus, Dustin Daniels, Curtis Bottom, Timmy Cunningham, C.J. Filley, Zach Key. Michael Crew: Tom Hale, Jeff McCullough, Dan Smithson, Seth Henry, Jake Fain, Chase Tyne.
Maintaining Open Lines of Communication with Our Members
Dave Deihl, General Manager
From the General Manager
At the end of September we celebrated the graduation (her word for retirement) of Platte-Clay’s longtime Communications Director, Cheryl Barnes. Cheryl first started with us in February of 2005, and we are incredibly grateful for her 13 years of service to our co-op. Cheryl played an integral role in moving our organization forward during her time here and led many innovative efforts to maintain an open and honest dialogue with our members.
We’re proud of everything Cheryl was able to accomplish, and we’re excited to see what’s next for her as she plans to spend more time on volunteer service initiatives like her role as President of the Blue Hills Neighborhood Association in Kansas City.
We are also proud to announce the hiring of Garrett Poorman to serve as our next Communications Director. Garrett comes to Platte-Clay from the Missouri State Treasurer’s Office in Jefferson City, where he also served as Communications Director. Garrett will continue the work Cheryl started of effectively communicating with our membership, and we are confident he has the skills necessary to accomplish that goal.
Platte-Clay values its reputation for being reliable and delivering consistent results. Whether we are navigating staff transitions, implementing technical upgrades or reevaluating our strategic goals, we always work to ensure the expectations of our members are met and exceeded.
Our team is in the process of evaluating how we can continue to reach that objective as it relates to the reliability of our service. A well-built system and past efforts to maintain it have contributed to a very low outage rate, with 75 percent of members experiencing less than an hour of outage time per year. By revisiting our practices and policies we hope to identify opportunities to even further reduce blinks and outages for our members.
QUICK FACT:
75% of Platte-Clay members experience less than one hour of outage time per year.
The team here at Platte-Clay works hard on behalf of our members to resolve issues before they ever even arise and communicate our progress on those projects as they unfold. This approach has enabled us to enhance our service while keeping you informed about the improvements we’re making. Maintaining open lines of communication with our membership will remain a top priority for our organization as we look toward the future.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns you can reach me via email at GeneralManager@PCEC.coop.
Smart Planning Makes Power More Reliable in the Northland
When you flip a light switch, you expect your lights to turn on. The team at Platte-Clay understands the importance of members being able to rely on their electricity, which is why they work year-round to improve the co-op’s system. Improving and maintaining reliability plays a big role in Platte-Clay’s process of planning for the future. Here are a few ways Platte-Clay is working to improve reliability…
1. WILDLIFE CONTROL
Platte-Clay utilizes a variety of equipment to prevent birds, squirrels and other animals from getting into energized hardware that could harm them and result in service disruptions.
2. REDUNDANCY
Platte-Clay’s system has been engineered to allow for outages to be isolated and contained through redundancy. Redundancy is essentially the ability to re-route power a different way if a section of the grid is not able to be used.
3. EDUCATION
PCEC works to educate members about ways they can prevent outages. Some steps they can take are not planting trees near or below power lines and calling 811 before doing any digging.
4. PLANNING
Platte-Clay continues to invest in replacing outdated equipment and is reexamining policies like brush clearance in hopes of finding new opportunities to improve reliability standards.
We Want Your Feedback!
Platte-Clay is conducting a satisfaction survey this month to help gather feedback in order to improve our services. If you receive a phone call or email asking you to participate, please consider taking a few minutes to do so. Your input is valued and appreciated.
Recap: Community Blood Drive a Success
Thank you to those who participated in the 2018 Community Blood Drive. Members donated 85 units of blood this year – a new record! That amount will help an estimated 170 individuals in need of blood. The drawing winners were Carol Hafeman and Adam Eiberger.
Platte-Clay Moments
Associated Electric Cooperative CEO, Dave Tudor, provides an update to Platte-Clay Board Members. Our relationship with Associated helps ensure the reliability of our service.
General Manager Dave Deihl updates Pathfinder volunteers on PCEC financials, operations and strategic goals.
Krash the police K-9 shows off new skills during a presentation from the Kearney Police Department at Platte-Clay headquarters.
Open House December 7
Join us on December 7 at the Platte-Clay office in Kearney or Platte City for our Holiday Open House. Free chili will be served between 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM with holiday treats available all day. We will also be giving away four $50 Platte-Clay Fuels gift cards.
To assist those in need in our community, please bring a donation of gently-used or new coats and non-perishable foods. We will continue to collect throughout the month of December.
Platte City District Office
15055 Bethel Road, Platte City, MO 64079
Kearney Headquarters
1000 W. State Route 92, Kearney, MO 64060
Youth Tour Essay Contest
High School sophomores and juniors can submit a 600-750 word essay or produce a video for a chance to win a trip to Washington, D.C. or Jefferson City through Platte-Clay’s Youth Tour Essay Contest. The theme of this year’s contest is “What should the co-op’s role be in the future of electric vehicles?”
Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular and more are beginning to appear in Platte-Clay’s service area. This year’s Youth Tour theme encourages students to think about the implications of this relatively new technology.
Two students will win a trip to Washington, D.C. and four others will get to participate in the Youth Cycle Leadership Conference in Jefferson City. More information is available on www.PCEC.coop.
2019 YOUTH TOUR DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 14
Focus Group Meets to Provide Feedback
Platte-Clay’s standing focus group met in October to provide feedback to staff about a variety of issues. Topics covered included hurricane recovery assistance, program marketing and triennial survey.
Service Spotlight
Your home is your biggest investment. Let us keep our eyes on it when you can’t. With PCEC Security, you will know your home is safe and protected.
For a limited time, totally wireless systems start at $99 (usually $249), $24.99 activation and $38.50 per month with a three year contract.
The Northland Connection is published monthly by Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc., 1000 W. 92 Highway, Kearney, MO 64060. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Northland Connection, PO Box 100, Kearney, MO 64060 or mail@pcec.coop.
Platte-Clay is an equal opportunity employer.