In the past calendar year, there have been just 10 separate ethics complaints turned into the Board of Public Utilities.

Other highlights of the 2009 annual report: A reconstituted BPU Ethics Commission and a new ethics training policy.

Mike Manske, who is the Ethics Administrator and considered an independent contractor of BPU, returned to the utility in 2009. Manske said complaints have been stemming down.

"We had five or six complaints the first month I was here," he said. "We've only had one complaint in the last month."

The BPU Ethics Commission, which did not meet for a long time, began meeting on a monthly basis last summer. Five commissioners serve on the ethics board. Along with the commission, each employee, elected official or official affiliated with BPU must not receive ethics training within their first 90 days.

"Responsiveness is huge," Manske said. "We have a working ethics commission again. That's important to the process."

One of the requirements Manske started after returning to BPU was having complainers leave their names and contact information.

"I will investigate every single complaint," he said. "But if I don't have a contact information, I can't get back to you."

Since then, virtually all the anonymous complaints have stopped, he said.

Here are all the ethics complaints, lifted word from word from the 2009 annual report found online here:

• Inquiry concerning the use of BPU computers for personal email; advisory opinion issued.

• Residency complaint received; upon investigation finding, administrative action taken against offending employee. 


• Complaint on customer billing issue; referred to and resolved by Customer Service.

• Complaint on unfair promotion and hiring practices alleging favoritism; referred to and resolved by Human Resources. 


• Complaint on customer billing issue; referred to and resolved by Customer Service. 


• Residency complaint received; upon investigation finding, administrative action taken against offending employee and an all-BPU-memo issued to all employees regarding residency requirements and compliance with personnel policies.

• Complaint by former employee alleging wrongful discharge and retaliatory action in response to alleged breeches of confidentiality by BPU officials; referred to and resolved by Human Resources. 


• Complaint on alleged improper personal use of BPU vehicles (parked at private residence during a normal work day); referred to and resolved by Human Resources.

• Complaint alleging employee does not possess the required educational credentials of position, and has benefited from favoritism from senior management; investigation pending. 


• Residency complaint received; investigation pending.

The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities will hold its fifth annual Build Green Conference on Thursday, April 29, 2010, in Kansas City, Kansas.

Conference speakers will update attendees about building green, energy efficiency, and sustainability.  There will be afternoon break-out sessions for both residential/commercial/industrial interests and local governmental initiatives. 

Two keynote speakers will kick-off this year’s Conference. 

Kansas Lieutenant Governor Troy Findley, who leads the Governor’s Energy Policy Sub-cabinet Committee, will discuss Kansas’ energy future. 

Joe Reardon, Mayor/CEO, Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas will discuss local energy and other green initiatives.

Other presentations will include:

• Energy efficiency
• Climate protection
• Sustainable designs
• Renewable energy

In addition, exhibitors will display useful “green” products and services for homeowners and businesses.  Luncheon activities will include presentation of BPU’s annual energy efficiency awards and a talk by Loren Taylor, Historian, on “The History of Electrical Power in Wyandotte County.”

The all-day Conference begins at 8:00 a.m. at the Jack Reardon Convention Center, 500 Minnesota Avenue, in Kansas City, KS.  Supporting sponsors include Staples Advantage, Tetra-Tech, and Wyandotte Publishing.

Registration for the Build Green Conference is $35, and includes continental breakfast, lunch, and door prizes. 

Registration after April 8 will be $45.  For more information and to register, contact Winnie Boykin (913) 573-9898.  Exhibitors interested in reserving a booth space should call Johnetta Hinson (913) 573-9180 or Patrice Townsend (913) 573-6813.

The Board of Public Utilities approved of $66,000 in economic development assistance.

The funds will be provided to a housing development on Leavenworth Road and 123rd Street. Phase one of the development includes 44 lots, with homes ranging from $194,900 to $264,900.

Per BPU policy, the utility can provide assistance for supporting water line installation costs at $1,500 per each home.

Randy Willbanks, co-owner of Heartland Piper LLC, said over 15 homes have already been sold by the project.

The economic assistance will bring in more revenue for the future.

BPU installed a electrical system for the development at a fee of $154,000 and the utility will collect about $117,730 in system development and meter fees.

The house development will be completed within three years.

The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU), in accordance with Federal Regulation, 10 CFR, Part 905.11, is taking public comment and making available for review its draft 2010 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).

Integrate Resource Planning (IRP) is a process that involves consideration of demand-side options in addition to traditional supply-side options in meeting the power needs of an electrical system.

Such planning focuses on the need to seek and evaluate opportunities for savings of demand and energy in addition to evaluating traditional supply resources. It is an on-going planning process that is updated as conditions, prices, costs, technologies and power requirements change.

The object of such planning is to find a least cost solution which will supply customers the amount and quality of electric service they desire while at the same time promoting the utility’s long term financial health.

BPU is required by law to file an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) with Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), an Agency of the U.S. Department of Energy, and update the plan every five years. As part of this requirement, BPU must also submit annual progress reports and the status of its IRP.  The report being made available is the draft BPU’s 2010 IRP.

Public comments on BPU’s draft 2010 IRP will be accepted for 30 days from notice of this publication. Comments can be forwarded to the Director of Electric Supply Planning, Blake Elliott using any of the contact methods which appear below.

Paper print copies of the draft 2010 IRP are available to the public by request. To receive a print copy, please contact:

Director of Electric Supply Planning
Board of Public Utilities
312 N. 65th Street
Kansas City, Kansas 66102
Att: Blake Elliott

Electronic copies are available by submitting requests to belliott@bpu.com, and are also available on BPU’s website at the following link:

http://www.bpu.com/documents/Integrated%20Resource%20Plan%202010.pdf

For additional questions regarding the draft 2010 IRP, please contact Blake Elliott, (913)573-6837.

The Board of Public Utilities have set Monday, May 3 and Tuesday, May 4 aside for public hearings concerning proposed changes and revisions to the utility's water and electric rates.

The public hearings will begin Monday at 7 p.m. On Tuesday, they'll pick back up at 9 a.m. The hearings will offer the public to comment and will be held at BPU's Administrative Building, 540 Minnesota Ave.

Proposed rate increases would be geared towards increasing revenue.

More on the public hearings from a BPU release:

Affected parties wishing to intervene can appear at the public hearings, present testimony of witnesses under oath, conduct cross examination of employees and representatives of the BPU, present oral arguments and file written briefs in support of a position.  However, these parties must file a petition for intervention pursuant to the Rules of Procedure for Rate Increase Hearing forty five (45) days prior to the scheduled hearing date and file and serve exhibits, list of witnesses, and summaries of testimony and evidence at least thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled hearing date.

Board of Public Utilities employees Patrice Townsend (right) and Cynthia Johnson (left) have been awarded a 2010 Black Achievers in Business and Industry Award.

The award is presented to African Americans who are in management business positions throughout the Kansas City area.

“Patrice and Cynthia are terrific well-respected utility employees, professional in their work capacity and active within the community,” said Don Gray, General Manager of the BPU. “Both have achieved greater responsibility within the organization, continued their education and professional development, and remained active in civic and other causes.”

Townsend has worked for BPU for 25 years, beginning as a customer service representative. She's currently the utility's Key Account Utility Specialist. She's a graduate of Sumner High School, Kansas City Kansas Community College and Rockhurst College.

Johnson, meanwhile, has been with BPU for 24 years. She started as a stock control clerk and is now BPU's Superintendent of Stores. She graduated from Washington High School. 

“BPU is honored that the Black Achievers Society has recognized Patrice and Cynthia’s leadership qualities and the role these two employees play in our community,” Gray said. “It’s well deserved that others recognize the difference these two individuals make, both within BPU and within their community.” 

The Board of Public Utilities Ethics Commission will meet tomorrow at 5 p.m. at the West Wyandotte Branch of the Kansas City, Kan., Public Library.

On the agenda includes items concerning ethics training, a review of billing statements, to review the draft of the 2009 Annual Report and the continuation of a line-by-line review of ethics policy.

An executive session will follow the public comment and forum session.

The Board of Public Utilities' Board of Directors have cancelled their regularly scheduled meeting tonight and also a workshop meeting scheduled for tonight.

BPU's next meeting is Wednesday, Jan. 20.

If you have any business with the Unified Government or Board of Public Utilities to conduct before the calendar flips to 2010, there will be a short week.

Both the UG and BPU will be closed this Friday in observance of the new year.

Still, if there are emergencies, BPU will be available.

BPU customers with power emergencies can contact (913) 573-9522; those with water emergencies can contact (913) 573-9622 during the late morning and evening hours and (913) 573-9522 from midnight to 8 a.m.

Three Board of Public Utilities plugs around Kansas City, Kan., are temporarily off right now.

Plugs at 65th and Kansas Avenue, 6623 Kansas Avenue and 7343 Leavenworth Road are off right now, per responders on the police scanner.

No word yet on why or when the plugs will be back on.

The Board of Public Utilities voted last week on to allow customers to build their own renewable energy resources and connect them to BPU's system.

The aim is to provide BPU customers an opportunity to connect renewable energy forms, such as solar and wind, with BPU. Customers can apply for connection to BPU's grid and monitor the amount of energy provided via net energy meters.

If a resident generates more energy than they receive, it will be credited in electric bill statements. If less energy is generated, reduced billings will reflect the amount of energy they create.

“BPU is proud to be leading the way in Kansas’ renewable energy efforts by allowing for net metering in our community,” said Don Gray, general manager of BPU. “It is our hope that providing this capability will lead to the further use of renewable energy alternatives while subsequently reducing overall emissions.”

The new policy is expected to take effect as early as January.

Both residents and businesses are allowed to take part in the program.

Members of the Board of Public Utilities Board of Directors approved of the 2010 budget last night.

The budget is $278.6 million, down from $25 million from last year. The cut represents an 8.1 percent in spending.

Three staffing positions were eliminated from BPU, bringing down the number from 681 to 678. It's the fifth straight year of staffing reduction.

“The 2010 budget reflects a $25 million reduction in spending from 2009, and the elimination of additional BPU staff positions,” stated Loretta Colombel, BPU Board President. “Staff has held the line on 2009 expenses and was told to reduce their 2010 budgets by at least five percent. In addition there will be no cost of living increases for non-bargaining employees. We approved a bare-bones budget for 2010.”

Over $175 million of the budget will be used in general operations, $34.2 million for debt services, $27.3 million for the PILOT (payment-in-lieu of taxes to the Unified Government) and $42 million in capital improvements.

The cuts in the budget were made due to the utility bringing in less money due to the economy and a cooler and wetter summer than usual.

“Like so many others, BPU has reduced spending and staffing as a result of national economic/market conditions,” stated Don Gray, BPU General Manager. “We are prepared to adjust and react as necessary throughout 2010 to ensure BPU continues meeting all of the community’s electric and water utility requirements”.

The Board of Public Utilities will be closed on Christmas and New Year's Day in observance of the two holidays.

Emergency service will be available for customers of the utility.

Those with power issues should contact (913) 573-9522, water issues (913) 573-9622 from 8 a.m. – midnight and (913) 573-9522 from midnight to 8 a.m.

The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities Ethics Commission will meet on Wednesday, Dec. 16, at the West Wyandotte Branch of the Kansas City, Kan., Public Library.

The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. in the library's Conference Room A.

A Barton County Senior District Judge has ruled that a petition filed by T.J. Reardon does not have enough valid signatures to warrant a grand jury.

In October, Reardon submitted a petition to the Clerk of District Court of Wyandotte County to have a grand jury investigate the Unified Government, the Board of Public Utilities and other organizations.

The signature included 1,154 signatures.

After the Wyandotte County Election Commissioner validated over 900 of the signatures, the UG and BPU filed objections in November.

Last week, Judge Barry Bennington ruled that less than 400 of the original signatures in Reardon's petition were valid. Because of the number, the grand jury will not be summoned.

Here is the ruling, in full.