The Latest Facts About Tillamook PUD

Posted: October 16, 2020 at 1:13 pm

In 2019, Tillamook PUD completed a renovation project involving the District’s warehouse facility, which had not been updated since the early 1970s. In addition to improving the warehouse facilities to meet the current operational needs and safety standards, an Operations Center was added to the warehouse scope of work.

The Operations Center was included to provide line crews with the much-needed space to store and maintain an assortment of tools necessary to their profession and for basic, everyday needs such as drying boots and raingear. The Operations Center also gives the entire Operations Team a common and functional area to work in on both a daily basis and at critical times, such as during storms or emergencies. The total cost of this project came in under the original budgeted amount, at just under $3.1 million total.

A current facilities improvement project that Tillamook PUD has had on its essential maintenance list for quite some time is the Tillamook PUD parking lot project. This work includes restoring the substrate and paving located by the fleet building, which is accessed frequently by heavy line trucks and equipment. The project will also address several District and public safety concerns by including additional outdoor lighting and fencing, and essential sidewalk improvements. The cost to complete this project is estimated at $683,000.

Tillamook PUD has also been gradually working to update the office headquarters building to meet ADA requirements and to accommodate modern work practices at the utility. The current Tillamook PUD office headquarters was designed and constructed over 30 years. As such, several necessary improvements have been identified to keep the facility satisfactory from both an operational and legal perspective. Currently, the office renovation project cost is estimated to be $1.7 million.

There are multiple approaches to funding infrastructure and facility improvement projects, including the option to raise customer rates or select from a variety of financing options available.

Tillamook PUD currently utilizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Loan program, which allows the District the ability to borrow monthly at a 1.28 percent interest rate and pay the money back over a period of 30 years. Using this approach for funding projects represents a .1 percent increase in the customer rate base for every million dollars borrowed. This means for a $10 million investment in infrastructure and facilities, the typical residential ratepayer would pay about $1.20 a month.

The alternative to this method of project funding is to raise rates as necessary to pay projects off immediately, rather than borrow and pay off projects costs over 30 years. As such, to fund a $10 million project in one year, a 20 percent rate increase would be required.

You can report an outage during regular business hours by calling (503) 842–2535 or toll free at (800) 422–2535. For after hours reporting, you can call the Tillamook PUD dispatch line at (503) 842–2122 or toll free at (800) 842–2122. You can also report online through your SmartHub account anytime day or night. When reporting, be sure to provide your full service address, including the city.
Sign up for Nixel to receive important outage updates and information from Tillamook PUD via text message or email. You can also follow Tillamook PUD on Facebook and Twitter, and check the Power Outages Section on our website.

Tillamook PUD always follows current State and Federal laws when seeking funding. All Board decisions and rate or bond authority hearings take place in scheduled, advertised, public meetings with time allowed for public comment.

In 2018, Tillamook PUD secured $46 million in borrowing authority to rebuild our electric system according to our construction work plan. The key term here is authority. Actual funds will only be borrowed as needed.

For a public utility, it is common to secure capital funds to rebuild infrastructure, to ensure there is always safe and reliable power. Those capital funds can be raised by increasing customer rates and building reserves over time, or by securing low-interest borrowing authority.

As Tillamook PUD borrows money for capital projects, an increase in rates can be necessary to pay off the new debt. This percentage can vary depending on the amount borrowed. Typically in year’s past, this has been represented by 1–2% rate increase every two years, depending on the amount borrowed.

To connect electrical service at an existing residence or business, please contact our customer service office at (503) 842–2535 or 800–422–2535 during regular business hours, Monday — Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tillamook PUD has no interest in taking any property in Tillamook County through eminent domain.  It is sometimes necessary to secure easements through public and private property to build the infrastructure necessary to provide safe, reliable power to our community. For projects that require easements, Tillamook PUD staff strive to work collaboratively with property owners on the terms and structure of easement requests.
You can gather information about Tillamook PUD projects, including infrastructure improvements, by visiting the Projects section on our website.

There are five Directors currently serving on the Tillamook PUD Board. Each Director lives in and represents an area of Tillamook County. The Director and the areas they represent are:

Tamra Perman- Subdivision #1, South Tillamook County area including Neskowin, Pacific City and Cloverdale.

David Burt- Subdivision #2, Sections located in the south and west areas of Tillamook County including Pleasant Valley, Long Prairie, Netarts and Oceanside.

Harry Hewitt- Subdivision #3, Sections located in the City of Tillamook.

Valerie Folkema- Subdivision #4, Sections located in the north area of central Tillamook County including Sollie Smith Road, Kilchis River and Miami Foley.

Barbara Trout- Subdivision #5, North Tillamook County areas including, Rockaway Beach, Nehalem and Manzanita.

We offer rebates for several residential weatherization measures and energy saving appliances, such as:

  • Energy Star Window Replacements
  • Insulation Upgrades
  • Heat Pump Installations
  • Heat Pump Water Heaters
  • Qualifying Energy Star Clothes Washer & Dryers
  • Selected Energy Star Manufactured Home Measures

We also offer energy efficiency rebate incentives for commercial customers, these include:

  • Heat Pump Installations
  • Lighting Projects
  • Qualifying Site Specific Projects – Blowers / Compressed Air / Refrigeration / HVAC

Tillamook PUD has several options available to pay your electrical bill. There are no additional fees associated with any of the payment options available to our customers.

  • Online

You can pay online using SmartHub. Click on SmartHub icon on our website and follow the direction prompts to set up your account. You can use a MasterCard, Visa or checking account. To sign-up for automatic payments, please see the “Enroll in Auto Pay” information listed below.

  • Enroll in Auto Pay

Choose to automatically pay your monthly bill directly from your bank account, debit card, Visa or MasterCard. If you would like to sign up for this option, please contact our office to receive an Auto Pay form.

  • Drop Box, Drive-Through, Office Counter or Phone

Our office is conveniently located at 1115 Pacific Avenue in Tillamook. Our friendly office staff is available to process your payment if you use our drive-up window, come into our office, or call over the phone, during our office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM — 5:00 PM. A drop box is available in our drive-up if you make your payment outside those hours.

Special Billing Options:

Paperless Billing- Choose to receive paperless billing statements each month. This resource allows you to manage your account anytime, anywhere, and helps reduce your monthly mail.

Budget Billing- You may qualify for our budget payment plan if you have good credit with us and you have lived in the same home for more than a year. With the budget payment plan, we estimate the cost of your next 12 months electric service and average that cost for a monthly payment. Your monthly bill will indicate the budget payment amount along with the actual energy used and its cost.

For more information about payment and billing options, visit the Payment Options section on our website.

To update personal account information such as your mailing address or contact phone numbers, contact our Customer Services staff at (503) 842–2535, (800)–422–2535 or at [email protected].

There are many options available so you can connect with us!