Commissioners this week heard from Evergy officials on progress on power reliability issues in Platte City.
Janet Waddell of Evergy provided an update on Evergy’s efforts to improve electrical reliability in Platte City at the Monday, Sept. 18 commission administrative session.
“We’ve done quite a bit of work, we’ve reexamined processes and equipment resources and worked with vendors,” Waddell said. “For the most part it has paid off.”
She said some things will always be problems, such as storms and people striking power poles.
“This has been a cross-functional team at Evergy,” she said. “I would love to say we’ve done our work, we’re done, but you’re never done.”
She said even though improvements have been made, they are not done working on power reliability in Platte City.
Evergy officials said the average number of minutes the Platte City area was without electricity had declined over the past several years. In 2021, Platte City residents spent 421 minutes without power, in 2022, 274 minutes. So far in 2023, Platte City has been without power for less than 80 minutes.
“For years Platte City has suffered from too many electrical outages,” said district commissioner Joe Vanover. “I am so grateful for Evergy’s work over the last year. It has made a tremendous difference for this community. Thank you.”
Also at the meeting, the commissioners approved an agreement for services with HMN Architects, not to exceed $10,000. The agreement will allow the Public Safety Committee to use the architectural firm to assist in inmate detention planning.
Vanover said a representative from HMN spoke to the committee during their last meeting and he feels the firm can provide valuable support to the committee’s work.
Commissioners also approved a more than $52,000 agreement with Electronic Office Systems to provide audio/visual meeting space improvements to the commission meeting room in the Platte County Administrative Center in Platte City.
Director of facilities Daniel Erickson said planning and zoning meetings often draw large crowds and people in the back of the room have trouble hearing with the current system, and visual elements and presentations are visible to the planning and zoning commission, but not to the audience. Additionally, the newest division of the Platte County Circuit Court may need to use the room until a courtroom can be carved out in the courthouse building.