Stillwater Utilities Authority trustees approve $2 million to begin replacing aging distribution poles

Stillwater Utilities Authority trustees voted unanimously March 23 to appropriate $2 million from the authority's rate stabilization fund and approve a budget amendment to begin replacing aging wooden distribution poles.

Loren Smith, the presenter for the item, told trustees the Stillwater electric system includes "approximately 10,300 wooden distribution poles" and that testing identified "approximately 2,500" poles in need of replacement. He said staff estimates about $2,500 per pole for replacements, but the funds approved will cover only a portion of the work and the project will be funded and executed over multiple years.

Trustees praised the proactive approach after recent regional outages. One trustee said, "I commend SEU for doing this," and noted that severe winds in a neighboring community had caused multiple pole failures about a year earlier. Trustees questioned the pace of replacement and whether the utility could replace a large share of poles annually; Smith responded that one crew could replace about 150 poles in a year and two crews about 300, and that staff prioritized the most critical poles based on a detailed evaluation.

The staff recommendation presented to trustees called for creating a project account to fund replacement materials and approving an initial $2 million appropriation from the rate stabilization fund along with the attached budget amendment. A trustee moved to approve the recommendation, a second was made, and the motion passed on a 5–0 vote.

In addition to the pole project vote, trustees approved a four-item consent docket earlier in the meeting by a 5–0 vote and subsequently moved to adjourn; the authority adjourned after the votes.

The authority did not set a specific multi-year schedule in the meeting; staff said it will return to trustees for additional approvals as funding needs and scheduling are refined. The replacement estimate implies a total program cost in the mid-millions—Smith said estimates range "like 5 million to 8.75 million" depending on infrastructure and scope—but the approved $2 million is an initial appropriation to begin purchasing materials and staging work.

The Stillwater Utilities Authority did not identify movers or seconders by name on the record for the motions. Trustees voted 5–0 on both the consent docket and the pole replacement budget amendment. The authority adjourned with no further business announced.