USP Board of Directors Approves 2024 Budget
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Utility Safety Partners is governed by a 16-member board of directors. The board holds a fiduciary duty unto itself and all USP members; and, equally sets the strategic direction of the organization with the president.
One of the key functions of the USP board is reviewing and considering the annual business plan. USP operations begins preparing the business plan months before it’s delivered to the executive committee and then to the board — and we develop the plan by the following critical objectives:
- Reducing damages;
- Improving public, worker and community safety;
- Maintaining budget; and
- Meeting cash-on-hand and reserve fund targets
The best way to reduce damages is to secure a locate request prior to every ground disturbance but unfortunately, that didn’t occur in almost 30% of damages across Canada in 2021 (most recent data).
Considering the resources and proliferation of the ClickBeforeYouDig message by USP and so many of our members, the damage data is unfathomable.
By meeting the first objective, it would seem we would also meet our second critical objective of improving public, worker and community safety. While that is true, we also strive to meet that goal through education and awareness and USP spends a considerable amount of its resources doing so. Our financial obligations are equally critical.
A highlight of USP’s 2024 operations is expansion of the successful Safety Ambassador Program into Fort McMurray, bringing the total number of ambassadors across the province to six.
