Great afternoon NIECI!
Phew! We made it through a long winter! The boats are rolling into and through town like crazy. I’m guessing many of us have neighbors back that we haven’t seen for a while.
I’m getting geared up for our annual fishing trips. I don’t go out on opener, it’s a little too busy for me. The third weekend in May Canada hits the open sign on their lakes. I head up with friends and family to enjoy Sioux Narrows; I’ve been fortunate to visit that area since I was about 8 years old. Now I get to take my girls up to the same rocks I’ve been hanging out on for over 30 years. I’m blessed they love it up there too.
I’m looking forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting on June 15th in Northome, Minn. Please show up a little early so we can get you registered. I am very excited to have the safety demo trailer this year. Please bring the kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, friends, and neighbors! This is a show for all. You will be emotionally charged by the noise, arc, and flash provided in these important safety messages. Our crew went down to Lake Country Power to be trained in the safe use of the trailer. Thank you again to LCP for the use of your beautiful trailer.
You will see the various charts and graphs related to our performance in 2022 in this edition of the WATTS. 2022 was a challenging year, we had a few very strong storms that did significant damage to our system. Our crews were able to safely restore electricity in each of these events through their hard work and some creative thinking when needed. Material prices were quite the topic in 2022, well it turns out the prices are even worse in 2023. This is a contributing factor why we had to raise rates at the beginning of this year. Overall, through the hard work, planning, and commitment I’m proud of the results of 2022. We had a good year despite the hurdles we had to cross. Thank you to the employees and directors that made for another successful year at North Itasca Electric.
Road restrictions are still on, this limits the work the crews can take on. Living this close to the arctic, we are used to a shorter construction season. I would still encourage you to contact our operations department sooner than later to ensure your project gets completed. Chris is doing a great job with the material concerns and shortages but… If we have a little extra time to plan for projects, we can ensure they flow much smoother without undue stress on any of us.
The right of way crews will be starting very soon. This year we will be running south of Northome around the Island Lake area down to roughly Alvwood. We tackle roughly 1/6th of the system yearly. I have been accused of being difficult when it comes to the right of way. Yes, I am very passionate about this. Clear rights-of-way are vital to safety. You continue to hear me talk about the need to have lines fall clean to ground. This helps to ensure the line opens and the fuse or protection device operates. Lines hanging in trees can cause fires and very dangerous situations for all. Please understand, I do not want to upset you, I do not want to damage your property. I absolutely want to ensure a safe and reliable system for everyone, that requires clean rights-of-way.
That’s all I have for you this month. I want to give a huge shout out to my mom and all the Moms out there. This isn’t just the fishing opener this weekend, it’s Mother’s Day! For many years North Itasca Electric celebrated Moms with an open house. That dang pandemic put the breaks on all of that for a bit. I am very hopeful we can start bringing these events back. I miss having the excitement in the office. Getting the chance to visit with the Member-Owners we serve is the highlight of my day.
Tight lines out there.
By your side! Miigwech
Brad
