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Richmond Power & Light board approves $7.56 million in bills, votes to rebid bucket truck and highlights safety training
Summary
Richmond Power & Light (RPL) approved $7,562,869.85 in bills, authorized rebidding for a class 7 bucket truck after receiving no bids, and staff reviewed an extensive safety and security training program and a recent security assessment.
At its Aug. 4 meeting Richmond Power & Light approved bills totaling $7,562,869.85, voted to rebid a requested 2025-or-newer class 7, 71-foot bucket truck after no bids were returned, and received a multi-topic report on safety training and a new security assessment.
The finance committee moved to approve the bills and the motion carried by voice vote. The general manager, Tony (name not specified), presented the bills and then detailed the rebid request: the board had budgeted the vehicle but received no acceptable bids and authorized staff to rebid. A motion to rebid carried by voice vote.
Tony also gave a broad presentation on safety and training, noting RPL’s adoption of the 17th edition of the American Public Power Association safety manual, monthly safety trainings through IMPA and TVPPA, on-the-job apprenticeship requirements for line workers (including 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and multiple labs), meter-technology training, and multiple EMPA workshops the utility’s staff attend. He described recent hands-on sessions that included bucket-truck rescue, arc-flash, confined-space, first aid and bleeding-control training; he said the utility equips every vehicle with first-aid kits and AEDs.
Jane (staff member) described a recent de-escalation training module and said staff found role-play scenarios and conversations about post-trauma and empathy especially useful. Tony said RPL contracted a security-assessment update (the first since 2019) and is reviewing recommendations that include campus physical-security, visitor procedures and response plans; the report included input from Richmond Police, Richmond Fire and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.
Procedural outcomes at the RPL meeting: approval of minutes for July 7; approval of bills totaling $7,562,869.85; authorization to rebid the bucket truck after no bids were received; and acknowledgment of the safety and security work. The board adjourned after the report.
Why it matters: the board’s approval of large vendor/bill payments and the rebid of a capital vehicle are routine operational steps; the safety and security updates affect employee training, workplace risk management and emergency response capability.
Direction and next steps: staff will rebid the bucket truck and will begin implementing recommendations from the security assessment; no further board action on the truck was taken at this meeting beyond the rebid authorization.
