ElectriCities meeting called off

From staff reports
Monday, August 03, 2009

The ElectriCities annual meeting — planned as a one-day gathering in Raleigh this year because of member municipalities’ tight travel budgets — has been canceled altogether because of those same economic concerns.

Elizabeth City was slated to receive a Public Power Award of Excellence at the meeting. The presentation has been rescheduled for the September meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the N.C. Eastern Municipal Power Agency.

The ElectriCities Board of Directors canceled the annual meeting scheduled for Aug. 27 in Raleigh, City Manager Rich Olson reported in his weekly update to City Council. Registration costs will be fully refunded.

“Since an informative program based on current issues was planned for the meeting, ElectriCities will prepare a summary of the presentation for our use which I will share with the Council upon receipt,” Olson’s memo states.

This year’s meeting originally was planned as a day-and-a-half conference at the upscale Grove Park Inn resort in Asheville. That plan was curtailed because of economic conditions.

Last year, representatives of Elizabeth City and other municipalities served by ElectriCities held their annual meeting at a resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

The Award of Excellence focuses on the energy efficiency efforts of the Energy Division, such as whole house energy audits and home weatherization.