WPPI presentation: River Falls has about $48,000 in VLU funds; board asked for input on priorities

Jenna, identified as the WPPI energy services manager who serves River Falls and New Richmond, presented the Value of Local Utility (VLU) program and how River Falls used those funds in 2025.

"So total, it's about $48,000 that we're looking at from this fund," Jenna said, describing four fixed-dollar categories: charitable contributions, economic development, school education/outreach (including scholarships), and customer services/branding (meter-count-based). She explained that the program is managed by WPPI member advisory groups and that the buckets exist to keep spending focused while allowing some flexibility.

Jenna listed examples of 2025 spending: Relay for Life support, a donation to Operation Help (utility-bill assistance after the ARC local program closed), Kids from Wisconsin sponsorship, downtown holiday lighting, three annual high-school scholarships, branded public-power materials, utility box wraps, and funds used for electrification programs such as landscape-equipment electrification and an EV charger program.

In questions, a board member asked whether the holiday-lighting program will change with a planned Main Street rebuild that may remove trees; staff said there is no specific replacement plan yet and the display will likely look different. When asked whether ratepayers receive at least what they pay into WPPI, Jenna said the answer requires granular analysis but that most utilities 'were still getting back more than what they were putting in' and River Falls appeared 'on the positive side' though it is not a perfect 1:1 return.

Why it matters: The VLU funds are a modest, recurring source of local discretionary money that the utility uses for community engagement, scholarships, and small economic-development efforts. The board was asked to consider future priorities and potential larger goals, including the idea of a longer-term revolving fund.