News

We are pleased to announce that Lori Lamberth, P.E., will join the Subscribed Regulatory Compliance Service (“SRCS”) staff on May 1 in the position of Senior Compliance Analyst – Engineer. In addition to delivering and supporting SRCS compliance products and services to subscribers in east and northeast Georgia, Lori will provide support services for all SRCS Subscribers and staff.

Lori is a native of Camden, SC, and a graduate of Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering with thirty years of engineering, design, and management experience. Of that, twenty-seven years is in the natural gas and liquids pipeline industry, including nine years with AGL Resources, Inc. (now Southern Company Gas) in various engineering, regulatory compliance, and management capacities and eighteen years in private consulting providing engineering and design services to the natural gas and liquids pipeline industry.

Lori and her husband, Larry, live in Suwanee. They have two daughters – Alayna, who is also an engineer and a recent graduate of Georgia Tech, and Ashlyn, a high school senior. The Lamberths enjoy boating and spending time with friends and family at their home on Lake Hartwell.

The Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia is seeking applicants for the position of Regulatory Compliance Analyst for the northeast Georgia area of its Subscribed Regulatory Compliance Service (SRCS).  The successful candidate will work directly with Operators, Master Meter Operators, and Contractors in an area extending from the outskirts of metropolitan Atlanta eastward and northeastward to the South Carolina state line.

The Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia is the largest non-profit natural gas joint-action agency in the United States, serving Members in Georgia, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Florida that meet the gas needs of more than 245,000 customers. The Subscribed Regulatory Compliance Service is a department of the Gas Authority that was formed in 2006 to meet the growing need for a comprehensive, effective, and affordable service to assist public gas systems and related entities in achieving and maintaining compliance with pipeline safety regulations.  SRCS Subscribers are not required to be Gas Authority Members.

The Regulatory Compliance Analyst will assist subscribing municipal gas system Operators and Master Meter Operators achieve and maintain compliance with 49 CFR Parts 191, 192, and 199/40, and state-specific pipeline safety regulations, including assistance with administration of a web-based work order and record keeping system; administration of a web-based Operator Qualification Program; assistance with and deliver of OQ training and evaluating; report preparation; inspection preparation, attendance and response; and manuals development, implementation, and maintenance.  The Operator Qualification portions of the service are also available to contractors.  See www.srcsgasauthority.com for more information.

Qualified candidates will have a bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical field, or equivalent related industry experience, and at least five years of recent, relevant experience in gas distribution operations. Candidates should have a thorough understanding of the pipeline safety code, excellent written and oral communication skills, and a working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook, as well as Google Chrome. The successful candidate will be responsible for implementation of the service with a designated group of up to 20 Subscribers in east and northeast Georgia.

Applications will be accepted until February 28, 2022, or until position is filled.  Interested individuals should send their resumes, including references and salary requirements to bdefoor@gasauthority.com. The Gas Authority is an equal opportunity employer.

In the interest of everyone’s health and safety, SRCS staff will work from our home offices unless it is absolutely necessary to go elsewhere, in which case we will apply the CDC guidelines as minimum requirements for in-person contact.  That being said, we are fully committed to continuing to deliver our products and services to you as efficiently and effectively as we can under the current circumstances.

To that end, we are implementing Microsoft Teams as a screensharing platform in which you and SRCS staff can view each other’s computer screens to discuss documents, tools such as SHRIMP, or anything else that can be view on a computer monitor.  Teams does not allow control of another person’s computer; only the viewing of other person’s screen.  Teams also has many other functions that we are exploring as aids to file sharing and other workflow tasks.

A Teams meeting can be scheduled in advance or started immediately by any SRCS staff member, and you do not need additional software to participate.  When a meeting is desired, our staff will send you an invitation by email in the form of an Outlook Meeting Request that will contain a link saying “Join Microsoft Teams Meeting.”  Accepting the request puts the meeting on your calendar where, after clicking on this link, you will have the option to “Download the Windows app” or “Join on the web instead.”  Downloading the app takes some time while joining on the web takes you directly to the meeting where you can join when you are ready.  Either will work.  After that, we can talk you through screensharing.  For voice communication, Teams includes voice over internet provider (VOIP) audio or you can mute the VOIP and talk by phone.

We know there is no substitute for face-to-face meetings.  We also know that your work must go on and we will continue to look for ways to better assist you.  If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions, please let me know.

Thank you for your commitment to providing safe and reliable natural gas service, and stay safe!

We are pleased to announce that Bruce Bagnasco, P.E., will join the Subscribed Regulatory Compliance Service (“SRCS”) staff on February 25 in the newly-created position of Senior Compliance Analyst – Engineer.  In addition to delivering and supporting SRCS compliance products and services to subscribers in northeast Georgia, Bruce will provide valuable advice, review, and input from an engineering perspective.

Well known to natural gas system operators in the Georgia and beyond, Bruce brings a wealth of industry knowledge and experience to the Gas Authority.  After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering, he spent ten years designing projects in New York before moving to Georgia in 1997.  Since then, Bruce has provided a wide range of engineering services to natural gas system operators in the southeast, focusing primarily on municipally owned gas systems in Georgia.  Bruce is a Professional Engineer in Georgia, North Carolina, and New York.

Bruce and his wife, Diana, are in the process of moving from Lawrenceville to Hartwell.  They have two children, Paul, 25, who lives in Chicago and Briana, 23, who lives in Malta.  The Bagnascos enjoy skiing, tennis, water sports, and traveling.

Tim Franklin has been promoted to Manager of Subscribed Regulatory Compliance Service.  Tim joined the SRCS as Assistant Manager two weeks after its inception in 2006, bringing a wealth of experience from the Georgia Public Service Commission, Atlanta Gas Light Company, and the United States Marine Corps.

Tim has played an integral part in the growth of the SRCS from 25 Charter Subscribers to 65 Municipal, 4 Master Meter, and 20 Contractor Subscribers.  His roles and responsibilities have included direct support of Subscribers, development of the gas work order and inspection modules for the HiperWeb system, creation of the SRCS Emergency Plan and Welding Procedures, maintenance of all SRCS Manuals and Plans, participation in Security & Integrity Foundation working groups and the GPERI committee, and supervision of the SRCS Compliance Analysts.

Tim and his wife, Marie, live in Commerce and spend a lot of time with their young grandson.

We are pleased to announce that the SRCS has a new Subscriber – the City of Cordele.  Public Works Director Steve Fulford and Administrative Superintendent Tina Bearden explored several options before deciding to join our service.  Compliance Analyst Chris Welborn will soon begin working with Tina to set up SRCS products and services.

Located on I-75 about halfway between Atlanta and the Florida State Line, Cordele has a healthy residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural customer base.  The addition of Cordele and its 1,100 customers brings the SRCS Subscriber count to 65 municipal Operators (62 in Georgia and 3 in Alabama), along with five Master Meter Operators, one Production Operator, and 19 contractors.

Please join us in welcoming Cordele to the SRCS!

Effective April 1, the Water, Sewer and Gas Board of Wedowee is an SRCS Subscriber.  Wedowee, which is already a Gas Authority Member, is located in east central Alabama near the other two current SRCS Subscribers – East Central Alabama Gas District and Roanoke Utilities.  This proximity to other Subscribers in Alabama and Georgia makes this a perfect fit for efficient delivery of SRCS products and services.  Mayor Tim Coe and Gas Superintendent Phil Thompson will soon begin working with Compliance Analyst Chris Welborn to set up Wedowee in the SRCS.

With the addition of Wedowee, the SRCS now serves 64 Municipal Operators (61 in Georgia and 3 in Alabama), 5 Master Meter Operators, 1 Production Operator, and 14 Contractors.

Please join us in welcoming Wedowee to the SRCS!

Please join us in welcoming Decatur County Industrial Air Park as an SRCS Subscriber.

Located near Bainbridge in southwest Georgia, the Industrial Park provides natural gas, water, wastewater, and other infrastructure services to 20 industrial customers with room for more.  And, as the name implies, the Decatur County Airport is part of the Industrial Park.

Earlier this year, Decatur County and the City of Bainbridge entered an agreement for Bainbridge to operate the Industrial Park gas system.  County Administrator Alan Thomas and City Manager Chris Hobby recognized that combined operations would result in more effective and efficient performance and compliance.  Since Bainbridge is a longtime SRCS Subscriber, it made sense for Decatur County to become a Subscriber so that the City can perform operation, maintenance, and emergency response activities seamlessly between the two systems.

Industrial Park Manager Andy Oliver and his staff are working with Bainbridge gas personnel and SRCS Compliance Analyst Sam Yarley to make a smooth transition to SRCS products and services by the end of June.

2016 began with great news as Grantville joined Subscriber on January 1!

Al Grieshaber, who became Grantville’s City Manager in July of last year, first heard about the SRCS during a Member Orientation Session in the fall and asked for more information.  After hearing details about the history and services of the SRCS, he decided to join right away.  Along with Director of Public Works & Utilities Ron Owens, Coordinator of Public Works & Utilities Joan Henry, and City Clerk Lynn Basham, Al will soon meet with SRCS Compliance Analyst Maurice Chaney to begin setting Grantville up in the SRCS products and services.

Grantville’s 667 customers bring the total SRCS meter count to more than 281,000.  Sixty-two Municipal Operators – 60 in Georgia and 2 in Alabama – are now SRCS Subscribers, as well as five Master Meter Operators, one Production Operator, and thirteen Contractor-Subscribers.

Please join us in welcoming Grantville to the SRCS!

Please join us in welcoming the City of Cartersville to the SRCS effective September 1.  Serving much of Bartow County and a portion of Floyd County, Cartersville has more than 9,400 customers including several large industrials.  Over the past two decades, Cartersville Gas Director Gary Riggs and his staff have promoted the interests of municipal natural gas systems through leadership roles on the GMA Gas Section Executive Committee, the Georgia Utility Coordinating Council Legislative Committee, the Georgia Utility Facility Protection Advisory Committee, and the North Georgia Corrosion Control Committee.

Along with Gary, we will work closely with Regulatory Compliance Supervisor Greg Thacker, Regulatory and Construction Coordinator Jacob O’Bryant, and Distribution and Construction Superintendent Michael Dickson.  SRCS Compliance Analyst Maurice Chaney and Assistant Manager Tim Franklin have already begun setting Cartersville up in our products and services.

The addition of Cartersville brings the SRCS to 59 Georgia Municipal Operators, 2 Alabama Municipal Operators, 1 Producer, 5 Master Meter Operators, and 12 Contractors.  The total active meter count for SRCS Subscribers is now more than 290,000.

Welcome aboard, Cartersville!

As you know, 49 CFR Part 192 requires that certain manuals and plans are to be reviewed and updated by you at intervals not exceeding 15 months, but at least once each calendar year.  September is typically when we send a reminder of this requirement.

Please take the time to ensure that the following manuals and plans have been reviewed and updated as needed:

• Operations and Maintenance Manual (O&M) – this should also include a review of your Welding Procedures, Operations and Maintenance Procedures (B31Q Procedures)
• Emergency Manual
• Operator Qualification Plan
• Public Awareness Plan

Once the review has been completed and any updates have been made, complete the documentation in those manuals where a review sheet is included.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your SRCS analyst for assistance.