STARKVILLE — Squirrels eating power lines has become one of Starkville Utilities Department’s biggest issues recently.
As these small rodents gnaw and bite at cables, General Manager Terry Kemp said his department is finding new ways to prevent these creatures from feasting on Starkville’s power sources by putting up squirrel line guards all over town.
“It started out years ago — it was trees,” Kemp said. “I think we’ve done good with that. We’ve continued to make a huge investment in vegetation which is a problem, but here again, squirrels and wildlife are a big issue. We’re putting a lot of guards up, and hopefully we’re keeping an eye on that ball as well.”
Starkville Utilities serves more than 14,000 residents and businesses within the city of Starkville, as well as Mississippi State University, providing customers with water and electrical services.
As Starkville has grown in population over the last decade or more, Kemp said utilities are essential in a thriving community, and while his department is not quite where it needs to be yet, it is working every day to make things better.
“The way you used to do things, we would say, ‘Well, it works,’” Kemp said. “In today’s environment, that may not be working good enough.”
Kemp told Starkville Rotarians Monday that SUD has begun trying to be proactive with issues instead of just reactionary. To generate a better power environment for customers, SUD created the “Renew Principle” campaign to improve performance and strengthen relationships within the community.
The Renew Principle strategy has five points to prepare for challenges and opportunities, Kemp said — provide meaningful customer experience, pursue operational excellence, offer new technologies and services, improve the life in community and focus on the future.
“Once we knew where we were and realized we could do better, we created a little bit of a different framework,” Kemp said. “We started what we considered and what I would look at as a strategic improvement plan.”
After conducting a customer survey, Kemp said he received feedback on issues that customers would like addressed. After the survey, Kemp said his department received a 92 percent customer satisfaction rate.
To emphasize communication, SUD upgraded its phone system in order for customers to contact employers and make the department more accessible, Kemp said. SUD established a work order management system to address problems customers may have with their water or electricity.
“Our first rule is to make sure our services are affordable, reliable and available to everyone in the community,” Kemp said. “That’s our commitment to make sure our community is served well.”
Partnering with Knoxville Utilities Board and General Motors, SUD is in the process of developing a solar energy power supply at the Infinity Megasite in Lowndes County to make energy cleaner and more sensitive to the environment. Kemp said solar energy is part of the future, but the key is how to produce it without increasing costs.
Over the last few years, SUD has partnered with various organizations in Starkville such as the United Way of North Central Mississippi, Starkville Strong and the J.L. King Center, providing nearly $20,000 in donations to help with community initiatives and projects.
Kemp said he is dedicated to ensuring his customers have the services they need because with the ongoing need for working and learning online, providing reliable electricity is crucial in the quality of life of SUD customers.
“The way people live today, the way people work today impacts the way we have to deliver utility services,” Kemp said.
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