April 2018 | Volume 80 | Issue 4
Annual Meeting May 10
4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Kearney office, 1000 W. Hwy. 92, 64060
Just west of I-35 on Hwy. 92
Co-op Member Registration
WooHoo! The first 1000 members who register will receive a $10 credit on their bill by June 1
- Pick up capital credit checks
- Picnic supper
- Community Fair
Entertainment
5 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
Music by The Marks Family
Annual Meeting Mobile App
- Download the PCEC mobile app from pcec.coop – annual meeting
- Create your profile
- See schedule of events
- Fill in survey on May 10
- Drawing for a $75 PCEC fuels card
Business Meeting
7 p.m.
- State of the Co-op – update on your co-op’s activities
- Vote for your Board of Directors – biographical sketches inside
- Win a year of electric service (1 winner, bill credit, maximum $1500)
- Win 6 months of electric service (2 winners, bill credit, maximum of $750 each)
- Town Hall following business meeting – bring your questions
Carnival
4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Kids-check out these great prizes!
- HP 11.6” HD Touchscreen Chromebook
- Samsung Galaxy Tablet
- 32” LED HDTV
- Bluetooth Self-Balancing Hoverboard (UL 2272 Certified)
- F100 Ghost Drone with Camera
- Bounce ‘n Play Super Fort Sport Bouncer
- Boys’ Power Wheels Dune Racer (Age 0-5)
- Girls’ Power Wheels Dune Racer (Age 0-5)
Please note: must be present and in business meeting to win all prizes.
These prizes awarded at end of business meeting.
Let’s mix business and pleasure May 10
Dave Deihl, General Manager
From the General Manager
Please join us May 10 for the Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative annual meeting. The doors open at 4 p.m. and we’ll be serving a light meal and registering members until 7 o’clock.
The business meeting will start at 7 p.m.
The people who said not to mix business and pleasure have never attended a co-op annual meeting.
The annual meeting is required in the by-laws. It’s one of the important functions of a rural electric cooperative—next to providing electric service. It is the way the membership provides governance for the co-op: a group of peers working on other members’ behalf.
To ensure continuity and also allow for change, each district has three representatives who serve for a three-year term. The terms are staggered which mixes the knowledge base. We’ll vote for Board members during the annual meeting.
School night? Yes, but it’s fun and we’ll have the kiddos and others who like to go to bed early out by no later than 9 p.m.
We’ll have carnival rides for the younger set and community and co-op business booths with great information available. Plus registering for prizes. And music.
New this year, we’ll have music by The Marks Family, an acclaimed bluegrass band that has provided entertainment at festivals, conferences and other special events, including other co-ops’ annual meetings. And one of the members works for a cooperative, so they’re part of the co-op family.
If you have interest in understanding how demand is calculated and how to reduce demand, we’ll be taking questions in the member services booth to explain how demand is determined on your bill.
We have plans in the works to create a portal for members to review detailed billing data. We anticipate rolling that out as soon as the technology and software is in place. In the meantime, please call the office if you have questions and we’ll be glad to send or share the date and time for your household’s peak demand.
Here are two more great reasons to attend the annual meeting: the first 1,000 members who register will get a $10 electric credit to be posted to their account by June.
Capital credit checks of more than $15 will be distributed at the annual meeting.
A capital credit check, for the new members, is the portion of the “profit,” returned to members, based on each household consumption, after taking into consideration good business practices. Members of the co-op are owners and share in the profits. Platte-Clay will mail out the capital credit checks by early June to those who do not attend the annual meeting.
We’ll continue mixing business and pleasure during the business meeting with a fast-paced overview of the co-op’s operations, voting on three Board members who will serve three-year terms and conclude with prize drawings.
Following the business meeting, we’ll hold a town hall meeting with the Board and staff available to answer any questions.
I do hope you can join us May 10 for a fast-paced and informative evening.
If you have questions or concerns, please e-mail me at generalmanager@pcec.coop
Nominating Committee finalizes Board candidate slate
The Nominating Committee is a volunteer group that meets with potential candidates to explain the responsibilities, time commitment and learning curve involved with serving on the Board of Directors.
Members of the 2018 committee are, L-R: Sandy Sondag; Jane Lacy; Larry Furbeck; Jeff Couchman, committee chair; John Boddicker and Dennis Kress.
We appreciate the committee members making a commitment to review Board responsibilities with members interested in running to represent their district.
Rural Missouri mailed to everyone as official annual meeting notice
The co-op by-laws require that members receive the official notification of the annual meeting between 10 and 25 days before the meeting.
Because of the sequential Northland Connection mailing in the bills, the co-op uses Rural Missouri as the official notice since it is sent to all members at the same time.
Although not all members wish to receive the Rural Missouri, every month, everyone will in April (only) as a Platte-Clay by-law requirement.
Board candidates’ biographies posted
Biographies of the members running for the Board of Directors have been posted at both offices, 15055 Bethel Rd., Platte City and 1000 W. Hwy. 92, Kearney.
As of the Northland deadline, there are three members running for the Board. You can find their biographical sketches in the newsletter, in the Rural Missouri and posted at the co-op offices.
In the event a member is interested in running for the Board and has missed the earlier deadlines, it is possible to be nominated from the floor during the business meeting.
Emergency reschedule date May 17
In the event of a tornado warning in Kearney or other emergency on May 10, the annual meeting will be rescheduled for May 17 for the safety of Platte-Clay members.
Members will be notified of a cancellation and date change via the co-op’s Facebook page and web site, pcec.coop
The co-op will provide local media, and radio and television stations with cancellation information.
Please note: in Missouri, a thunderstorm isn’t an emergency.
If rescheduled, the annual event will be a business meeting only to review the state of the co-op, review the finances and to elect members to the Board of Directors.
In the event the meeting is postponed, on May 17 the Kearney location, 1000 W. State Route 92, will open the doors at 5:30 p.m. to allow members time to park and to get settled. The business meeting will start at 7 p.m. with no other activities.
Now is the time to update your account name(s) and telephone numbers
This is a great time to update all names and telephone numbers associated with your Platte-Clay account.
Only the member who owns the account may add the names of other parties, such as a spouse or parents to the account.
No one except an owner of the account can pick up a capital credit check or learn about the status of an account.
Call 816-628-3121 anytime, 24 x 7 x 365 and a member service representative can easily add or update account information.
Having the current telephone number is important because Platte-Clay calls to alert members about scheduled outages in the affected area to make it easier for members to plan accordingly.
Plus, when calling in, the automated telephone system, called Interactive Voice Response unit, (IVR) recognizes the telephone number(s) associated with the account, saving time and allowing members to report outages or problems automatically without waiting in a queue.
Please call 816-628-3121 to update your account.
Don’t leave: must be present to win all prizes
It is really disappointing when someone comes in from outside the building and friends tell them their name was called to win a prize. But they weren’t there to collect it.
Members and their children who enter a drawing must be present to win any prize.
The business meeting starts at 7 p.m. and usually runs about an hour. Members learn about the co-op’s year, elect Board members, and at the end of the meeting, have a chance to win a prize. This year the grand prize is a year of electric service, or a maximum value of $1500. There are two runner-up prizes — six months’ of electric service, or a maximum of $750 each.
Kids prizes are listed on the front page of the newsletter.
Board of Director Candidates
Kendall Davis
Excelsior Springs, Mo.
South District
Kendall Davis is the coordinator of the Welding Department and a professor of technology and instruction for Metropolitan Community College of Kansas City. Formerly he was the owner-operator of a welding company.
Kendall has been a member of Platte-Clay since 1983 and has served on the Board since 1991. Currently vice president, he has served on the Board in several capacities during his tenure.
The skills he brings to the Board include small business experience, his knowledge of the electric industry issues and his work on the Board on behalf of members.
Kendall said as a Board member he is interested in ensuring the co-op provides reliable electric service, meets environmental regulations and requirements and controls costs.
Kendall said that the number one and most outstanding asset at Platte-Clay is the employees and staff along with the many services the co-op offers to members.
As a result of his experience, time on the Board and education, Kendall said he is the best South District candidate. Members can be confident in his decisions, along with the rest of the Board, knowing that they are working to benefit the co-op and Platte-Clay.
Dennis Fulk
Weston, Mo.
West District
Dennis has been a member of Platte-Clay since 1974. He has served on the Board since 1993 in various capacities and as president, 2000-2014.
He is a self-employed farmer and brings the experiences and challenges of owning and managing a farm to the Platte-Clay Board. In addition to Platte-Clay, he has served on various local and industry Boards, including the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives (AMEC), serving as president and N.W. Electric Cooperative, vice president. He has represented Platte-Clay, meeting with Missouri Senators and Representatives during legislative conferences in Washington, D.C.
The main issues he sees are the graying of the industry, with employees reaching retirement age and onboarding new employees.
Other challenges include blending traditional services with new digital applications and technology, such as an app for smart phones and e-billing.
Although the industry continues to change and evolve, it’s important to focus on safety, he said, while maintaining the co-op’s high quality of service, the co-op’s commitment to excellence and PCEC’s commitment to co-op employees and members.
Theresa Wren
Turney, Mo.
North District
I have been a member of Platte- Clay since 1998, and on the Board since 2014. This year I am serving as secretary. I consider it an honor and a privilege to represent my district.
I bring to the PCEC Board numerous years of experience working within a cooperative environment, including operations management, financial management and most recently as a Production Agriculture Credit Analyst for a finance co-op headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., serving agriculture co-ops in Midwestern and Southern states.
As a successful leader, I have guided individuals, large teams and entire organizations, making sound decisions, achieving goals and taking swift and decisive action, especially in difficult situations, while inspiring individuals to perform well and grow within the organization.
I bring a proactive leadership style to the Board and am a strong proponent of follow through to ensure goals are achieved while ensuring the co-op’s vision remains at the forefront in all decisions.
I am very proud of our co-op and its achievements, as well as the staff who work to ensure a professional, timely and outstanding member service experience.
The most important things to know about the co-op is that it is financially sound, we have seasoned employees and management who are service oriented and Platte- Clay is known as a visionary co-op throughout the region.
Annual meeting is carnival, food, music, co-op business and prizes
The Marks Family will provide toe-tapping bluegrass music entertainment from 5 p.m. to 6:45.
Kids prizes will be drawn at the end of the business meeting, around 8 p.m.
The Board approved a $10 credit to members’ accounts to be given to members who attend the annual meeting as a thank you for participating in the co-op’ governance.
In the past, each member attending received a gift. The Board felt members would appreciate a gift that everyone would appreciate: a lower electric bill.
Capital credit checks of more than $15 will be distributed to members at the annual meeting; other members will receive their capital credit checks by early June.
As in the past, the meal will be traditional picnic fare, an all-beef hot dog on a bun, chips, a cookie and soft drink.
Because of the complexities of employees and volunteers serving more than 2,000 hot dogs to members in a short amount of time, the co-op is unable to make special dietary accommodations. We apologize for any inconvenience.
For those who rely on their phones, tablets or computers for information, download the annual meeting app from the co-op web site home page, pcec.coop to find the annual meeting schedule, a survey and a chance to win one of five $75 Platte-Clay Fuels cards for those who complete their profile. The survey will be live May 10.
The Northland Connection is published monthly by Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc., 1000 W. 92 Highway, Kearney, MO 64060. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Northland Connection, PO Box 100, Kearney, MO 64060 or mail@pcec.coop.
Platte-Clay is an equal opportunity employer.