Higginbotham retires 23-year career at the Frankfort Plant Board

Frankfort Plant Board Assistant General Manager John Higginbotham retires effective Nov. 1. During his 23-year career at FPB, he has ascended through the ranks, worn many hats and has been a part of many positive changes that have affected the community.

Higginbotham joined FPB in 1994 as a Program Director for Cable 10 Community TV, then a Director from 1995 to 1998. Since then, he has served as Director of Marketing, Community TV & Special Projects, Director of Advertising and Programming, Director of Media Services, Superintendent of Cable/Telecom, and has been in his current position since 2014.

“When John leaves today, he takes with him a vast knowledge of this company and the experience of updating our cable and telecom systems through the technological advances of the past two decades,” said FPB Finance Director David Denton. “Not only has he been a valuable asset to FPB, but he has also contributed greatly to this community. We wish him and Jan the best!”

During his career, Higginbotham helped take Cable 10 from a one-camera Standard Definition set-up to a three-camera full High Definition studio. He initiated the multi-camera “Game of the Week” high school sports productions, initiated the first production trailer and subsequent trailer upgrades to a full HD multi-camera production trailer, and conceived and oversaw the startup of the Cable Advertising Department.

“From the beginning of my career at FPB – and it holds true to this day – my supervisors encouraged me to learn new things, test innovative ideas, think big and take big risks,” Higginbotham said. “My goal has been to instill that same opportunity and trust in the cable-telecom staff, and in my opinion, our subscribers have benefitted from this management style.”

Under Higginbotham’s leadership, FPB launched many new services that are now considered necessities to operate in today’s society including Internet access, digital cable, security systems, local telephone service, HD service, DVR service, and Video On Demand services. He also conceived and helped execute the Digital Terminal Adaptor project so that all customers would have access to digital programming.

In addition to his day-to-day work, Higginbotham also contributed to professional and community service organizations. He was on the Board of Directors of the National Cable Television Cooperative, a member of the American Cable Association and served as chair of the Telecommunications Committee for the Kentucky Municipal Utilities Association. He also served on the boards of the American Red Cross, the Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce and is a past president of the United Way of Franklin County.

Higginbotham retires as FPB is exploring future upgrades to the cable/telecom infrastructure.

“Our infrastructure is aging as the telecom industry is going through a revolution in access to information,” Higginbotham said. “The board and staff have important decisions to make in the coming 12 to 18 months while being mindful of additional debt to the ratepayers. My experience says there is more than one way to solve a problem, and with the extensive training and experience of the FPB staff, there is no doubt in my mind the right solution to our customers’ needs will be met for years to come.”

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FPB Board appoints David Denton as interim general manager

The Frankfort Plant Board appointed Finance Director David Denton as Interim General Manager effective November 1. Denton will serve in this role until the board appoints a permanent general manager. The vacancy comes as current General Manager Herbbie Bannister is retiring at the end of this month.

Denton joined FPB in June 2012 as Finance Director. He earned his bachelor’s degrees in accounting and finance from Western Kentucky University and has more than 14 years of work experience as a Certified Public Accountant.

“David Denton is uniquely qualified to step in as Interim GM,” said board member John Cubine. “As Finance Director, he is involved with all aspects of the company, has an excellent working relationship with staff, is well respected and has an excellent team to cover his current duties during this interim assignment.” 

The board also welcomed its newest member, Dawn Hale, who was recently appointed by Mayor Bill May to serve a 4-year term. Hale brings leadership experience to the board, having previously served on Frankfort’s City Commission. She also is a former president of the South Frankfort Neighborhood Association and former executive director of the Sunshine Center.

The board kicked off its October meeting Tuesday night with a public hearing to receive comments about a one-time $5 credit for customers converting to paperless, electronic billing. The goal of this promotion is to reduce the cost of customer billing, but will also reduce the amount of paper used for bills and will encourage customers to use features included in the FPB customer portal encouraging more operating efficiencies. There were no public comments. The proposal will be brought to the board in November for a vote.

Every three years FPB must sign Retransmission Consent Agreements for the right to carry local broadcast channels. FPB currently provides access to local stations in both Lexington and Louisville. As these fees have skyrocketed in recent years, FPB is exploring the possibility of keeping that fee increase to a minimum for customers. This would mean not carrying duplicate channels.

Earlier this year, FPB hired The Matrix Group, a market research consulting firm out of Lexington, to conduct a survey to garner customer feedback on broadcast channels. A sample of 554 cable customers completed surveys including 150 telephone interviews and 404 online surveys in late July and August of 2017.

Martha DeReamer, a consultant with Matrix, presented the findings, which showed that only 22 percent of cable customers would prefer to keep all channels and have a larger rate increase. While 60 percent of customers surveyed feel that having access to local stations in both Lexington and Louisville is important, half indicated that they would prefer dropping duplicate channels in order to have a smaller rate increase. Twenty-eight percent of respondents indicated interest in a proposed skinny bundle offering, while 48 percent of those indicated an interest in the option of adding 12 more channels for an additional $10.

The board accepted the results of the survey and asked staff to make recommendations at the December meeting.

Consultants from Crowe Horwath, a public accounting firm, presented FPB’s annual audit report for the year ended June 30, 2017. Consultant Scott Nickerson CPA, reported that FPB has a clean unqualified audit opinion.

John Painter with nFront Consulting gave an update on the evaluation status of proposals related to Combined Cycle Natural Gas generation and renewables for the Kentucky Municipal Energy Agency (KyMEA) power supply portfolio.

The board voted to revise the FPB Ethics Code policy dealing with post-employment restrictions. The new policy states that if any FPB employee or board member who is required to execute a financial disclosure accepts employment with any person or business that contracts with or does business with FPB shall personally refrain from working on any matter in which he or she was directly involved during the last 36 months of his or her tenure with FPB for a period of one year after the employee or director leaves FPB.

In other business, the board approved a Master Service Agreement with Jones/NCTI Inc. for online customer care and technician courses, awarded a contract to Irby for underground faulted circuit indicators, approved a contract with VASS Solutions for AMI consulting services, awarded a contract to Reed Smith for legal counsel regarding FPB participation in KyMEA, and made revisions to the Community Room rental agreement.

Every two years, the board elects new officers. At its October meeting, the board elected Anna Marie Rosen as chair, Walt Baldwin as vice-chair, and Dawn Hale as secretary/treasurer.

The FPB Board of Directors’ next monthly meeting will be Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017 at 5 p.m. at the FPB administration building at 151 Flynn Ave in Frankfort.

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Notice of Water Interruption and Boil Water Advisory

On Wednesday (10/18/17) there will be an interruption of water service from 10 a.m. 3 p.m. in the following areas:

·       713 Fairview Ave. to Schenkel Ln.

·       98 and 99 Aspen Ave.

·       102 to 107 Maple Ave.

·       676 and 670 E. Main St.

·       114 to 124 Schenkel Ln.

Immediately following there will be a Boil Water Advisory.

A vigorous boil for at least two minutes is recommended. This Boil Water Advisory is a precautionary measure due to a loss of pressure in the water main caused by Plant Board crews installing three new main line valves.

This Advisory will remain in effect until lab analysis of water samples taken confirms that the potable water supply in the affected area is safe to drink. You will receive a notice when the advisory is lifted.

If you have any questions concerning the Boil Water Advisory, please call 352-4372.

Update in South Frankfort power outage - 10/14

Repairs have been made and all power has been restored.  

Update on South Frankfort power outage

A crew is working to repair two lines of spacer cable that burned up on Shelby Street. Power will be restored a soon as repairs are complete. 

Power outage downtown 10/14

Electric crews are working on a power outage downtown. Service will be restored as soon as repairs are made. 

FPB Joins Third Annual Imagine a Day Without Water Campaign

Effort to raise awareness about the value of water and water infrastructure

As the Frankfort Plant Board is in the midst of replacing its 130-year-old water reservoir, it is joining hundreds of organizations across the country to observe Imagine a Day Without Water, a nationwide day of education and advocacy about the value of water. Led by the Value of Water Campaign, the campaign aims to raise awareness about the crucial need for investment in our nation’s water infrastructure to ensure that no American community is left without safe and reliable water.

“Investment in our drinking water system is essential to our national health, safety and economic prosperity, said David Billings, FPB Chief Water Engineer. “Here in Frankfort, it is our priority to make needed investments to maintain a high-quality system that is safe and affordable for our community.”

“We're thrilled that the Frankfort Plant Board is a part of Imagine a Day Without Water. This national day of action educates our neighbors and public officials about the essential role water plays in all of our lives, and the threat that aging and underfunded water infrastructure poses to our communities and economy” said Radhika Fox, CEO of the US Water Alliance and Director of the Value of Water Campaign. “It is easy to take our water infrastructure for granted because it is often underground and out of sight. But, the systems that deliver water to and from our homes and businesses require reinvestment and upkeep just like roads and bridges. It is time to take action.”

The nation’s water infrastructure is aging and in need of investment, having gone underfunded for decades. Drought, flooding, and climate change are stressing our water and wastewater systems. A single nationwide day without water service would put $43.5 billion of economic activity at risk. In just eight days, a national water service stoppage would put nearly 2 million jobs in jeopardy.  

While many of these challenges are regionally-specific and will require locally-driven solutions, reinvestment in our water must be a national priority. Imagine a Day Without Water tells the stories of the challenges we face when our water infrastructure fails, but also of the innovative solutions being implemented in communities nationwide.

“In Frankfort, we joined Imagine a Day Without Water because we recognize the value of water and the upkeep of its infrastructure,” Billings said. “We are in the process of replacing our water reservoir that is more than 130 years old. If the current reservoir ever failed, this community would be in crisis.”

Despite the vast challenges facing American water infrastructure, the good news is that there is great opportunity in investment. A study conducted by the Value of Water Campaign has found that there is over $220 billion in economic activity to be gained nationwide by closing the water infrastructure investment gap. The American public is already widely supportive of implementing these needed investments. Above any other pressing political issue, Americans name rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure as the issue they most want our elected officials to address.

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The Value of Water Campaign educates and inspires the nation about how water is essential, invaluable, and in need of investment. Spearheaded by top leaders in the water industry, the Value of Water Campaign is building public and political will for investment in America's water infrastructure.

National Media Contact

Abigail Gardner |Value of Water Campaign Communications Director| agardner@thevalueofwater.org

o. 412 421 0809 | c. 412 977 3051

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FPB launches the Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA

FPB today launched the Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA on FPB Preferred Cable channel 144. 

This channel presents year-round coverage of Olympic sports from around the world, featuring U.S. athletes and teams. Programming includes live events from a broad portfolio of summer and winter Olympic sports, original series documentaries and rich, archival content.  

This week, the channel presents "Gymnastics Gold Week" with 30 hours of coverage from eight Olympic Games and 2017 world championship action. This special programming beginning Oct. 2 will feature U.S. Medalists ranging from Shannon Miller, Kerri Strug and "The Magnificent Seven" to Nastia Liukin, Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles.  

This addition to FPB's channel lineup is the result of an agreement change with NBC Universal which also removes Chiller (channel 121) from FPB's cable offerings. 

Boil Water Advisory Cancelled

The Division of Water of the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection has now canceled the Boil Water Advisory issued yesterday in South Frankfort.

This Advisory was issued 9/26/17 due to the loss of pressure in the water main caused by Plant Board crews repairing a water main break.

The streets affected were:

·       Logan St. from 4th St. to 2nd St.

·       3rd St. from Capital Ave. to Murray St.

If you should have any questions or problems with normal service or water quality please call 352-4372.