October is National Energy Awareness Month!
fOCUS on FORT MORGAN
October 2021
THE CITY OF FORT MORGAN EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER
Wellness pg. 4 Department Profile pg. 6
Message from the Manager pg. 3
Welcome New Employees pg. 12 Birthdays and Work Anniversaries pg. 13 October Dates of Celebration pg. 14
IN THIS
EDITION: 2
FOCUS on Fort Morgan Employee Newsletter - Oct. 2021
Upcoming Events pg. 15 Utility Week BBQ pg. 16
Welcome! MESSAGE FROM THE MANAGER Did you know Fort Morgan is consistently ranked among the lowest electric rates in the state? Our Light & Power Department is 100% citizen-owned and entirely debt-free, a rare achievement for municipal electric utilities! The committed employees of this department maintain the electric distribution and transmission system within an area of about 25 square miles, shouldering the responsibility of preserving 6,000 electric meters within the City, and 1,000 meters outside City limits. Primary electric suppliers to the City of Fort Morgan are Western Area Power Association and Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska. Meanwhile, the devoted team of four staff members comprising our Utility Billing Department work just as hard to provide top-notch service to the many customers in the City’s service area. They field about 150 phone calls per day, and make time to read 6,000 electric meters, 4,465 gas meters, and 4,044 water meters each month! About 7,500 utility statements are mailed on the last day of each month. Without our dedicated and hardworking employees, the City could not thrive. Like many of you, the remarkable people highlighted in this month’s edition have great responsibilities and work diligently in their roles to keep Fort Morgan on track. Again, I encourage you to take a look at the ‘Department Profile’ section of this newsletter to read more in-depth about how each employee contributes to the successful operations of our Light & Power Department and Utility Billing Department. With a chill in the air and the annual employee picnic behind us, it is safe to say autumn has arrived. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are all right around the corner! During this time of celebration and giving thanks, the department heads and I would like you to know how much your efforts throughout the year are appreciated. As I mentioned in the last edition, our event party planning committee is hard at work on the Christmas party, and I hope you will be able to attend. More information to come soon. Thank you for all you do, and I hope you enjoy this month’s edition of the newsletter.
Steve Glammeyer It is time again for a new edition of the “Message from the Manager” and City Employee Newsletter. I hope you enjoyed last month’s edition and learned a lot about the Library and Museum.
This month, tying into national “energy awareness month,” we are pleased to showcase the departments and staff from the Light & Power Department and Utility Billing Department. Please join me in thanking these individuals for what they do to keep our homes and businesses running!
Steve FOCUS on Fort Morgan Employee Newsletter - Oct. 2021
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OCTOBER WELLNESS
OCTOBER CLEAN UP CHALLENGE! Hope you will join us in
a Community Clean Up Challenge in October. More details to come! MENTAL HEALTH In 1990, Congress officially established the first full week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW). In 2021, it runs from October 3 October 9. 4
FOCUS on Fort Morgan Employee Newsletter - Oct. 2021
FOCUS on Fort Morgan Employee Newsletter - Oct. 2021
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DEPARTMENT PROFILE LIGHT & POWER DEPARTMENT
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our WORK
Thank
to
our
you
Light
The Light and Power Department maintains the electric distribution and transmission system within an area of approximately 25 square miles. The Department has
&
Power
Department
approximately 6,000 electric meters within the City and approximately 1000 meters outside the City limits, which includes providing service to several irrigation wells. The City
for
keeping
our
homes
has approximately 7.5 miles of 115 KV transmission system and approximately 90 miles of 12.5 KV distribution system with
and
approximately one-third of it underground. The City also has five substations located around the perimeter of the City.
businesses
up
our INSPIRATION
The mission of the Light and Power Department is to provide the best possible service to the consumer with a minimal amount of power outages by continuing to maintain and upgrade the electric system throughout the City at the least possible cost. The Light and Power Department also strives to maintain a
positive, service oriented relationship with the public. The crew of the Light and Power Department are dedicated employees that have a whole lot of pride in their profession, are very dedicated to their work, and to the customers of the City of Fort Morgan. The department is always willing to help anyone or any department that may need assistance. 6
FOCUS on Fort Morgan Employee Newsletter - Oct. 2021
and
running!
DEPARTMENT PROFILE LIGHT & POWER DEPARTMENT
DOUG LINTON, ELECTRIC SUPERINTENDENT Started with the City in 1989. I am responsible and oversee the day-to-day operations of the cities Distribution and Transmission System Hobbies: Traveling down South, CSU football # McBride Bros. JOHN BAIN, CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISOR/FOREMAN Started with the City in 1994. I am responsible of the daily workload of the crews, future system requirements, and organizing upcoming projects. Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends, anything outdoors, camping and riding ATV’s in the mountains.
DAVID ARNDT, JOURNEYMAN LINEMAN AND METER TECH Started with the City in 1998. I am responsible for testing, setting, and maintaining the records of all the electrical meters on the system
Hobbies: Spending time with family.
BILL LORENZINI, LEAD LINEMAN Started with the City in 2002. I work closely with the crews, organizing workloads/ responsible for the day-to-day activities. Hobbies: Camping and Working.
FOCUS on Fort Morgan Employee Newsletter - Oct. 2021
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DEPARTMENT PROFILE LIGHT & POWER DEPARTMENT
DUANE BRISTOL, JOURNEYMAN LINEMAN
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Started with the City in 1991. I started working as a mechanic at the Parks Department until 1999 and then transferred to the electric Dept. as an Apprentice Lineman. I work on the service truck for the day-to-day calls/ Outages and do general maintenance of powerlines and help instruct Apprentice Lineman.
ROGER WUNSCH, JOURNEYMAN LINEMAN Started with the City in 2021. Setting Poles, working with hot primary, operating Directional Bore Machine, working on the crews, and help with instruction of apprentices.
Hobbies: Star Wars and hanging out with family.
Hobbies: Spending time with grandkids, camping and riding ATV’s. BRAD MCCORMICK, JOURNEYMAN LINEMAN Started with the City in 2008. I am responsible for the construction of overhead and underground powerlines and help with training of the apprentice lineman Hobbies: Racing Trucks, camping and spending time with family.
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FOCUS on Fort Morgan Employee Newsletter - Oct. 2021
EVAN ALBRANDT, APPRENTICE LINEMAN Started with the City in 2018. Maintain and repair of overhead and underground powerlines. Helping Journeyman Lineman in various jobs.
Hobbies: Hunting, fishing, and offroading.
DEPARTMENT PROFILE LIGHT & POWER DEPARTMENT
JADEN JOLE, APPRENTICE LINEMAN Started with the City in 2018. Maintain and repair of overhead and underground powerlines. Helping Journeyman Lineman in various jobs. Hobbies: Hunting and spending time with family.
RANDY KALLWEIT, APPRENTICE LINEMAN
TRENT MOUNT, APPRENTICE LINEMAN Started with the City in 2021. Maintain and repair of overhead and underground powerlines. Helping Journeyman Lineman in various jobs.
Hobbies: Playing golf, watching sports, and hanging out with family and friends.
Started with the City in 2019. Maintain and repair of overhead and underground powerlines. Helping Journeyman Lineman in various jobs. Hobbies: Spending time with family, the gym, and snowboarding.
FOCUS on Fort Morgan Employee Newsletter - Oct. 2021
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DEPARTMENT PROFILE UTILITY BILLING DEPARTMENT
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our WORK The City of Fort Morgan Utility Billing Department serves over six thousand customers every month. We handle the phones (for most of the departments), billing, meter reading, payments and management of accounts. We are a team of four and take pride in our customer service and our work. We are all crosstrained and have the ability to help where is needed. We try to keep things up beat and work as a team even in the times of stress. Our
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
JAIMIE ANGUIANO, ACCOUNTING CLERKCASHIER-METER READER
KINDRA ORMSBEE, UTILITY BILLING SUPERVISOR
CATHY RUHL, ACCOUNTING CLERK CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
TINA WALKER, ACCOUNTING CLERKCASHIER-METER READER
department has a combined 53 years of experience in serving the citizens of Fort Morgan!
Thank
you
Billing
our INSPIRATION
for
excellence
in
thousands
Utility
your
serving
of
City
We are inspired to work at the City because we enjoy providing excellent customer service to the citizens of Fort Morgan. 10
FOCUS on Fort Morgan Employee Newsletter - Oct. 2021
utility
customers
every
month!
DEPARTMENT PROFILE
LIGHT & POWER DEPARTMENT, UTILITY BILLING
The City of Fort Morgan's Light and Power Department is 100% citizen-owned and entirely debt-free, a rare achievement for municipal electric utilities. City electric rates are some of the lowest in the state all while the Light and
FUN FACTS! Utility Billing staff drive the city once a month and
Power Department maintains a very reliable distribution system.
read about 15,000 meters. Among the four of us, we have a combined 168 years of Colorado history!
The department averages about 475 meter orders per month, 150 telephone calls per day, and mails about 7,500 utility statements on the last day of each month. FOCUS on Fort Morgan Employee Newsletter - Oct. 2021
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JORDAN DEAN Jordan started with the Fort Morgan Police Department September 13. He spent most of his life growing up in Fort Morgan, before moving to Greeley. In 2014 he graduated from CSU. Jordan attended Aims Police Academy and graduated from there in 2018. He spent three years in the Brush Police Department and about one year of that on the Morgan County Drug Task Force. Jordan chose to get into law enforcement to help people who can’t help themselves. In his spare time he enjoys working out, running, and playing guitar. He has two sisters, Jenn and Kiley. Kiley teaches at MCC.
MEET OUR NEW EMPLOYEES
WELCOME TO THE CITY!
Police Department, Police Officer I
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FOCUS on Fort Morgan Employee Newsletter - Oct. 2021
IN RECOGNITION BIRTHDAYS & WORK ANNIVERSARIES! 10/3
William
10/4
Adam
Tim
10/14
Ted
Conte
10/16
Kurt
Coup
10/18
Becky
10/22
Sam
10/25
Matt
10/28
Caryl
Thiel
Vance Schantz
Garcia-Leon
Malone,
Nick
Mosqueda,
Underwood
Wunder
10/6
Jessica
10/8
Reana
10/10
Carrie
10/12
10/13
Perez,
Mateo
Salcido
Schwindaman
Carlson
Crystal
Randy
and
Nickell
Kallweit
BIRTHDAYS WORK ANNIVERSARIES YEARS OF SERVICE Lynndee
Koehler,
4
years
10/2
10/21 Doug
Linton,
10/3
JW
Willis,
10/5
Derek
10/7
Dana
Kelly
27
32
years
Lynch,
1
5
10/25
10/28
year
Jorgenson,
Hoem,
1
year
10/29
Tucker,
10/12
Rocky
10/13
Brenda
10/20
Alice
Byrne,
2
years
Gary
Jill
Fritzler,
22
years
Westhoff-Curtis,
Brent
Nation,
9
8
Ed
Romero,
11
years
years
years
years
10/10 Clint
Kathleen
years
5
10/30
Kindra
10/31
Dave
Ormsbee,
4
years
years
Martinez,
1
year
Guggenmos,
Rodriguez,
18
24
Temple,
10
years
years
years
FOCUS on Fort Morgan Employee Newsletter - Oct. 2021
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OCTOBER IS ENERGY AWARENESS MONTH
Practice smart energy usage OCTOBER 31 IS HALLOWEEN Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago, mostly in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1.
OCTOBER 11 IS COLUMBUS DAY 14
This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.
OCTOBER 11 IS INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' DAY
FOCUS on Fort Morgan Employee Newsletter - Oct. 2021
OCTOBER 24 IS UNITED NATIONS DAY
Youth Sports MONTH OF
UPCOMING EVENTS
OCTOBER:
Youth Basketball season 10/18 - 12/18 at the Fieldhouse.
Community
OCTOBER PROGRAMS AT THE LIBRARY
10/5 at 5:30 PM - Creative Club!
REGISTRATION
In the Howard Rollin Memorial Community Room
DEADLINE is
October 17.
Youth Tae Kwon Do is held at the Fieldhouse every Thursday 8/5 - 10/28.
10/15 at 5:00 PM - Teen Night Out Zombie Murder Mystery! In the Howard Rollin Memorial Community Room
10/19 at 5:30 PM - Fall into Winter Author Series - Community History Writers. In the Howard Rollin Memorial Community Room
10/26 at 12:00 PM - Brown Bag Presentation Haunted Places of Colorado. In the Howard Rollin Memorial Community Room
Date and Time TBD - Family Pumpkin Painting Program! In the Children's Library
Every Thursday in October at 5:30 PM Monster Movie Nights! A showing of different Universal Classic monster movies. In the Howard Rollin Memorial Community Room
FOCUS on Fort Morgan Employee Newsletter - Oct. 2021
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FOCUS on Fort Morgan Employee Newsletter - Oct. 2021
thank you! We
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Morgan.
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