Troy's new power manager wants to see the city's billing system overhauled, but it comes with a cost

Clay Campbell knows the dangers of lax safety measures all too well. Having worked for years as an electrical lineman, Troy’s new power manager has seen disaster strike with fatal results.

“I watched a transformer blow up in a substation and it melted people right there,” said Campbell. “It’s one of the top 10 deadliest jobs in the country… it takes me one mess-up and I don’t get to go home.”

Concerned by his department’s aging power grid, outdated equipment and impending staffing shortage, Campbell defended a series of budget requests during a July 7 city council meeting. Along with inflation increases, the requests would swell Troy’s power and lights budget by $151,273 over the previous fiscal year to $1,547,872.

To help cover the hike, Campbell pitched city councilors on switching the city’s residential electrical billing plan from a flat rate to a tiered system. The shift would bump the city’s base electrical rate by $2 but increase the average user’s bill by $15.

Pointing to his experience as an underground shift foreman at the ASARCO Mine, Mayor Dallas Carr said he understood Campbell’s safety concerns. But he also said councilors would have to take into account the effect the billing system would have on taxpayers.

“We just need to figure out how we can do this without getting shot,” City Councilor TJ Boswell said dryly.

Campbell backed his tiered system saying that it would still be cheaper than plans offered by competitors including Flathead Electric, Northern Lights and Lincoln Electric. The system would also give users more control over how much they spend on utilities.

“The tier system gives people the chance to either keep their bill the same and watch what they consume, or, if they just leave their lights on and let everything go haywire, they pay more for it because they are not being as responsible as they could be,” he said.

City Councilor Chuck Ekstedt said he liked the freedom that the system would offer consumers. Boswell noted that the plan could backfire if residents invested in more efficient lights and heating systems. The plan could also hurt residents with lower incomes, those unable to afford more efficient systems.

Campbell said he planned to keep the city’s commercial billing plan on a flat rate.

At the top of Campbell’s budget requests was paying for a software company to map out the city’s largely unmarked utility lines. Some of Troy’s electrical cables snake along unpredictable paths, veering away from driveways or running haphazardly through pastures.

While Campbell can rely on department workers Bob Boren and Dennis Dupuis to act as guides to the underground maze, the old timers are planning to retire within the next few years. With the mapping software, Campbell said it would take no more than a couple taps on an iPad to locate a line.

To chart all of the city's utilities — electrical, water and sewer — through the Colorado-based company Campbell selected, Troy would have to pay between $20,000 and $27,000 for work done with nonprofessional survey equipment.

The city would also need to pay a monthly maintenance fee for the service, which would start at $400 and increase based on changes to Troy’s utility systems. Campbell said he had budgeted for his department to eat $16,000 of the cost. He anticipated the sewer and water departments would pick up the rest of the bill.

Campbell requested the city put $160,000 towards a new bucket truck. In addition to having trouble with the truck’s boom, Campbell said the truck is not able to reach several of Troy’s 60 foot poles. With few trucks currently on the market, Campbell said it would be at least 400 days before the department could get their hands on a replacement.

“You can’t get any big deals right now,” he said. “Everything is a year and a half wait.”

City Clerk and Treasurer Tracy Rebo said the city would have to put the purchase up for bid since it would cost over $80,000.

Campbell is looking for two hires within the next few years to fill in for Boren and Dupuis. He asked the council to consider paying for the workers’ apprentice lineman programs contingent on the new employees working two to three years for Troy. This strategy would help prevent a revolving door of apprentice linemen at the department.

“They stay here five years total, that gets them invested in the city,” he said.

Campbell’s other requests include first aid kits, handheld radios and tire replacements.