Bill Fontenot, Cleco Interim Chief Executive Officer, was the guest speaker at today’s (Tuesday) meeting of the Rotary Club of Ville Platte. He has been employed by Cleco for more than 30 years and has been serving in his current position for the past six month. He shared with club members what has been going on at the company since it was purchased by an investment group 18 months ago. Fontenot said the investment group has four Louisiana residents on its board of directors, is preparing to spend 30 million dollars on new software, will double the amount of tree trimming as before, has begun automated meter reading and investing in new technology.
With the buy- out, the investors gave $136 million in bill credit to its customers, 7 million dollars to the Louisiana Economic Development Agency and 6 million dollars to charitable groups.
Cleco is looking at natural gas to be the usable source for power generation for the company in the future, more than renewable sources such as wind and solar.
Fontenot was the guest of his father, Rotarian Leonard Glen Fontenot.
In other business, Club President Wayne Vidrine:
--announced that the annual club Christmas social is scheduled for Tuesday December 12 at La Veille Banque;
--told club members that $2200 will be donated to the Beaumont Rotary Club as part of that club’s Operation Warmth to provide coats for school age children impacted by the recent hurricanes;
--heard from Maggie Ortego that the “Choices” program will be taught by club members to 9th graders in several schools in the parish the week of December 4 to urge students to stay in school and graduate.