Christopher LaRose

The meeting began with a public comment period, during which one former mayor expressed gratitude for the board's leadership in maintaining utility systems. Another member of the public, a new utility customer, raised concerns about a significant, over 300% increase in their electric bill, requesting a meter efficiency check due to suspicion that usage from other units might be affecting their meter readings. Representatives from two community partners, the Leingwell Museum (receiving $100,000) and Eastern Connecticut Housing Opportunities (receiving $50,000), spoke regarding the Neighborhood Assistance Act tax credit contributions. The Leingwell Museum representative detailed how the funds would be used to replace a critical, failing heating system in their 17th-century building. An update was also provided by a representative from NCDC regarding economic development efforts.

The Special Meeting included a fifteen-minute public comment period during which no comments were offered. The primary focus was on Budget Driver Presentations covering Water and Wastewater, Natural Gas, Electric operations, and Administrative Functions, which included updates on Purchasing, Information Technology (IT), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), communications, customer service, and maintenance departments. The session concluded with an Executive Session to discuss confidential trade secret/proprietary information and personnel matters.

The meeting included a brief public comment period, during which no comments were offered. Key discussions featured the presentation of the 2025 audit results by CliftonLarsonAllen, which yielded an 'unmodified' or 'clean audit' opinion. Updates were provided on natural gas production and LNG plant operations, the impact of recent winter weather on natural gas consumption, the proposed Bean Hill Substation relocation project, and ongoing construction progress at the wastewater treatment plant and Shipping Street Pump Station. Action items included the unanimous approval to appoint Jeff Brining as a member of the CMEEC Board of Directors and as the NPU Member Delegate to CMEEC, and an agreement to hold a special meeting in March 2026 to discuss ratemaking. The board also entered into an executive session to discuss confidential trade secret information and personnel matters.

The document pertains to a joint meeting of the Noah Public Utilities Board of Commissioners and the Sewer Authority. Key discussions included reviewing financial updates, specifically the fiscal year 2025 audit results, which yielded unmodified opinions for financial statements, the federal single audit, and the state single audit, with no reported findings. The auditor detailed financial highlights, noting an increase in net position of approximately $24.6 million, primarily driven by a substantial grant revenue increase related to the wastewater treatment plant activity. There was also an extensive discussion concerning the 10% revenue obligation to the city, confirming that interest income from off-balance sheet investments is excluded. Furthermore, the meeting included a strategic presentation on natural gas production and LNG plant operations, detailing the storage capacity of the liquefied natural gas facility (55,000 gallons) and operations during cold weather, including five run days during the last cold snap.

The meeting included a presentation on projected load forecasts over the next decade and the impact on grid reliability, as well as a discussion regarding reactive power and load power factors in relation to the transmission system. The Audit Committee presented results of the 2025 financial audit, noting unmodified opinions and internal control recommendations, which were subsequently accepted by the Board. The Governance Committee reported on its charter revisions, which were approved, and discussed future compensation policy goals. Additionally, the Board reviewed monthly performance metrics, energy market analysis, and project portfolio summaries, including performance updates for microgeneration, energy storage, and fuel cell projects. Member representatives provided updates on municipal utility rate adjustments and equipment procurement.