The Board considered a two-year pilot program to waive utility connection fees for teachers relocating to the Leesburg area as part of a broader relocation package. This incentive targets educators within the Lake County School System, with the goal of bolstering teacher recruitment and retention. Debates ensued regarding the eligibility of the program—whether it should be extended to all teachers or limited to those in public schools. The definition of a teacher was also scrutinized, with the consensus leaning towards the inclusion of K-12 educators, excluding daycare providers. To verify employment, the suggestion of using vouchers was brought up. Following deliberation, the Board voted to approve the pilot program, with the caveat that the city commission would need to finalize the details.

Moreover, the Board discussed the possibility of discounted electric rates for teachers, which would be predicated on the number of new employees in the Leesburg feeder District over the last three years. However, concerns were raised about creating incentives based on job titles, with some members voicing opinions that such initiatives should be income-based.

On the subject of Capital Improvement Projects, the Board engaged in discussions about necessary system upgrades, including the replacement of older poles and transformers. A particular focus was on a transformer at the North Substation, which required a replacement. The time required to order new transformers and the system’s redundancy were weighed against the immediate need for repair. Additionally, plans for a new West substation were considered to alleviate load pressures on the west side of the service territory.

The electric department’s Deputy Director, Chris Atkins, provided an overview of the department’s operations, which spanned from revenue streams such as residential and commercial sales to capital improvement funding sources. The Board’s queries delved into the availability of grants for municipal utilities, the application process, and grants for electrification and solar projects. The need for a map of substations was also expressed, with a specific inquiry about the Center Substation located across from Dr. Glover’s office.

Reliability improvements were extensively discussed. The Board examined outage trends, both sustained and momentary, and explored strategies for fuse coordination and fault isolation. The development of a feeder system capable of monitoring and automatically switching around faults to improve system reliability was debated.

Another point was the surge protection program, which provides devices to protect homes from power surges. The Board contemplated methods to increase public awareness and participation in this program. In financial matters, the Board reviewed the power cost adjustment, which is expected to decrease, and deliberated on the potential for carrying over unspent budget funds to the subsequent year.