SOUTHEAST UNDERGROUND FACILITY PROTECTION COUNCIL
MEETING MINUTES FROM ATLANTA, GA
DECEMBER 1, 1998
See the attached list of attendees.
The meeting began with introductions. After introductions, a copy of the meeting agenda and a copy of the September 23, 1998 conference call minutes were distributed. The Council approved the minutes as they appear on the web page.
Next the status of pending action items were discussed. No one had an example of the color code card with them. However, orders have been placed through the Georgia UPC, Inc. The new member package should be ready soon. Ron provided examples of the new graphics he has designed. Once the package is complete, it was suggested that it should be added to the web page and a user should be able to print it. The Council also agreed that the data on the web page will need to be updated. Members should contact the web mistress to provide updates on personal data i.e. telephone numbers, company name etc. Other data should be kept up to date through the Council secretary.
Jeff provided information on the 1999 trade shows selected for attendance by the Council. It was determined that the International Concrete & Aggregates Show in Atlanta was not a good selection because of short notice and our inability to obtain registration information. The ICUEE happens to conflict with the OCSI meeting. Therefore the Council selected the Southern Builders Show to be held in Atlanta on June 3 & 4 of 1999 and the Excavator Safety Show to be held in Nashville. The tradeshow subcommittee will furnish the name of a third show and the date of the Excavator Safety Show to the Council as soon as possible.
As discussed in previous meetings, it was suggested that the Council members contribute to a trade show fund that will be used to pay the expenses for the selected trade shows. These expenses will include handouts, booth rental, etc. Rick advised that the Georgia UPC has the ability to deposit the funds in their account and pay the expenses as they are incurred. Each company represented agreed to check with his or her company to see if this is permissible. Jeff agreed to obtain the average cost of each show and a subcommittee consisting of Annette, Claudette and Jerri will determine the costs of handouts. Once these expenses are determined, each participating company can provide their portion of the fund.
Jeff stated that Bill Turner handled the Green Industry Expo and no one contacted him regarding funding. The show did not turn out to be the forum we are looking for. Several individuals signed a list, committing their company to help pay for the event. Bill can send an invoice to the people on the list in order to get reimbursed.
The Council discussed upcoming meetings and the various conflicts. February 3 does not work for several attendees. May 23-26 is the No Dig Expo in Orlando, FL and May 20 & 21 is the SOCS meeting in Gulf Shores, AL. September 28-30 is ICUEE in Louisville, KY and is being handled by the national committee. March 9 was selected for the first meeting of 1999 and will be hosted by PUPS in Myrtle Beach, SC. June 2 was selected for the second meeting to be held in conjunction with the Southern Builders Show in Atlanta, GA. A host for that meeting and the 1999 goals and objectives will be announced at the March 9 meeting.
New Council Officers effective 1/1/99 are as follows: Chairperson – Jeff Showers MCI/Worldcom, Vice Chairperson – Danny Barrett AT&T, Secretary - Ron Horne Sprint, Vice Secretary - Bill Buchanan MCI/Worldcom.
CALL CENTER UPDATES
 | ALABAMA - Annette advised that on September 23 the Alabama Line Location Center received its 2 millionth call. They will soon be involved in a PC upgrade and they have re-instituted telecommuting. Their disaster recovery efforts are going well and trade show participation is good. Birmingham/Shelby County UCC’s are going well and both Opelika and Mobile are trying to establish UCC’s. |
| SOUTH CAROLINA - Kellie and Susan advised that the Palmetto Utility Protection Service Center has updated their PC’s to a MCI System. In October they received 41,000 tickets. They are involved in 12 UCC meetings per month and have increased radio spots. They also used flying banners during ball games in an effort to promote "Call Before You Dig". |
| MISSISSIPPI - Sam stated that the Mississippi One Call Center started the year with a 30% increase in ticket volume and has averaged 25 to 30 percent. They are involved in a software alliance with Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas. This is part of their disaster recovery effort and they use an assisted approach to receiving calls in the centers. The center also plans to assist members with establishing UCC’s in 1999. The Mississippi Statute will be introduced as is with the exception of removing the repealer. |
| GEORGIA - Rick advised that the Georgia UPC will have an Internet based entry and delivery system installed by the end of the month. There will be a change in the ticket format, which should not cause a problem for the user. The UPC has experienced an 18 to 20 percent increase in the ticket volume this year. |
Informal discussions were concluded and the meeting was adjourned.
Future Meetings |
Date |
Host |
City |
Location |
| March 9, 1999 | PUPS | Cayce, SC | Electric Coop. of SC 808 Knox Abbott Dr. Cayce, SC 29033 |
| Danny Lee | BellSouth | 205-321-1098 |
| Annette Reburn | AL Line Location Center | 205-414-1840 |
| Tina Creel | AL Line Location Center | 205-414-1840 |
| Rick Dunkerly | Utilities Protection Center of GA | 770-623-4332 |
| Jerri Pierce | MS One Call Systems | |
| Sam Johnson | MS One Call Systems | |
| Kellie Howell | Palmetto Utility Protection Service | |
| Susan Wilson | Palmetto Utility Protection Service | |
| Tim Brubaker | AT&T | |
| Bobby Brightwell | MediaOne | |
| Jeff Showers | MCI / WorldCom | 919-377-5682 |
| Dan Simpson | MCI / WorldCom | |
| Bill Buchanan | MCI / WorldCom | |
| Tom Taylor | Sprint | |
| Terry Zachman | Sprint | |
| Ronald Horne | Sprint |
This page was updated on Thursday, May 27, 1999
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