The board that sets your electric rates is making changes to its meetings in an effort to get more customers to attend.
OPPD is making its public meetings later in the day and having two meetings on the same day to see if more people show.
Thursday, their first try attracted about four people from outside the utility.
Retired UNO Professor David Corbin has been attending OPPD meetings nearly five years.
He's not thrilled with the changes.
"It looked like it was for their convenience, not for the public's convenience,” Corbin said.
Changes need to be based on public demands, not on OPPD ideas, Corbin said.
"Ideal would mean you give people options,” Corbin said. “Some people can make it in the evening. Some people can make it at noon. Spread them around. Don't always have it at the same time."
The utility is giving the new meeting times a couple more months to see if it works.
"It’s a work in progress,” said Jodi Baker, OPPD media specialist. “This is a way the board members will really get to evaluate what is drawing more people, what might encourage more people to attend. The idea of communicating with our stakeholders, that's huge to us. We want our customers to have a say in how the utility runs.”
Regardless of meeting times, Baker says it's important that people know they own OPPD as stakeholders.
"We want people to be more aware of the inner workings of the utility,” Baker said. “We also want them to have a voice. There's a chance for the public to speak at every board meeting and address the board members with what's on their mind. Perhaps things they think we're doing right, things they think we're doing wrong."
The next public meetings will be at 9 a.m. and noon on Nov. 17 and Dec. 15, instead of 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. on separate days.
