December 2018 | Volume 80 | Issue 12
Platte-Clay Employees Plant Trees at Smithville School for Annual Volunteer Service Day
Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative employees planted 17 trees at the newly constructed Eagle Heights Elementary School in Smithville on Saturday, November 3 as part of its annual volunteer service day.
“Platte-Clay is proud to give back to the communities we serve – communities we call home,” said Dave Deihl, CEO and General Manager of Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative. “We emphasize community involvement throughout our co-op and empower employees to engage in volunteer activities. This year’s tree planting effort is one of the many ways we’re working toward that goal.”
The tree planting marked Platte-Clay’s fifth annual volunteer service day. A total of 55 employees and family members participated in the event, which was held in conjunction with the Smithville School District. The trees used for the project were selected from Full Features Nursery and Landscape Center in Smithville.
“Concern for Community,” one of the Seven Cooperative Principles, is a top priority for Platte-Clay Electric and helps guide its community involvement initiatives.
Working For You and Representing Our Members’ Interest
Dave Deihl, General Manager
From the General Manager
As an electric cooperative, Platte- Clay is proud to play a big role in shaping the communities we serve. We take our responsibility to work for the best interests of our members seriously, and everything we do is rooted in finding ways to better serve the Northland.
Many times, your Platte-Clay team finds itself with unique opportunities to be a voice for our members. We recently had the chance to talk with Missouri Governor Mike Parson and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler in separate meetings to discuss issues important to our community.
Governor Parson, who members of Platte-Clay’s staff spoke with at the Clay County Economic Development Council, discussed his administration’s ongoing workforce development efforts. A well-trained workforce benefits Platte-Clay by making sure the co-op can find talented workers to fill a variety of positions as employees retire from their roles over time.
One example of how we work to support workforce development was our involvement with the launch of Metropolitan Community College’s Lineman School, which gives us a good recruitment option for filling lineman positions in the future. A strong workforce benefits our co-op, and ultimately, our members.
We also recently had the opportunity to take part in a roundtable with Acting EPA Administrator Wheeler about a variety of issues impacting our co-op members. A point that was emphasized throughout the event was the need to provide certainty to rural communities by taking reasonable approaches to big policy decisions about energy.
We were joined at the roundtable by our co-op peers from North Central, Grundy, United and Farmers’ Electric Cooperatives. Representatives from Associated Electric Cooperative out of Springfield and the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives out of Jefferson City were also in attendance.
It’s always an honor to represent our members when interacting with public officials. Decisions made by leaders at every level have the potential to impact our operations and our membership, so we make sure our voice is heard by those leaders at every appropriate opportunity. That’s part of what sets us apart as a coop – our members are always our top priority.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns you can reach me via email at GeneralManager@PCEC.coop.
We Want Your Feedback!
Platte-Clay is conducting a satisfaction survey this month to help gather feedback in order to improve our services. If you receive a phone call or email asking you to participate, please consider taking a few minutes to do so. Your input is valued and appreciated.
Committed To Safety: Celebrating Another Year of Safe Work
Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative recently celebrated another year of successful safe work practices at its annual all-employee safety meeting. Safety Director Jim Cox, CEO Dave Deihl and Board President Debi Koechner thanked employees for their commitment to safety and congratulated the Safety Committee, composed of employees, for their dedication to creating a safe work environment.
Safety Director Jim Cox congratulates PCEC crews
PCEC linemen also listened to a presentation from Barton County Electric Cooperative linemen who experienced a serious work safety accident last year. They spoke about situational awareness and offered advice for how to avoid repeating their mistake.
The celebration follows the successful rollout of PCEC’s new “Zero Harm: Think Safe, Work Safe, Go Home Safe” safety motto earlier this year. The Zero Harm safety campaign emphasizes the importance of employees following protocol and maintaining high levels of caution to keep workers and the public safe while work is being done on the electrical system.
Logos and signs featuring the Zero Harm slogan have been placed throughout PCEC’s offices and on trucks and equipment to remind employees to keep safety a top priority while working.
Board Corner: Making Sense of the Co-op’s Budget and Business Planning Process
Debi Koechner
Board President
Your Platte-Clay Board of Directors, which is composed of member owners just like you, plays an important role in reviewing, understanding, questioning and ultimately approving the co-op’s annual business plan, including the budget. This process is guided by the strategic plan developed by the co-op in August of 2017.
Future energy industry trends are discussed and considered in the business plan. Platte- Clay’s Board of Directors and staff keep informed about these trends through research, attendance of national and regional conferences, representation on other cooperative boards and community involvement. The understanding and monitoring of these industry trends, which is accounted for in the budget, allows the co-op to be in a position to provide for the educational needs of members in advance of new technology becoming readily available.
The first strategic goal that drives the planning process is safety: Focus on and enhance the culture of safety within PCEC. We ensure that the budget reflects expenditures to provide the equipment and training for the best safety practices and environment. As a result of an even higher focus on employee safety, this goal will transcend other goals such as making our facilities safer.
Since the highest risk of safety is during weather outages when conditions are dangerous, the next goal ties in as we try to minimize the number of outages: Maintaining and improving the long-term reliability of service for all members. This entails the continuation of brush and tree trimming so lines are less likely to come down in strong winds, the rebuilding of electrical lines as needed and much more.
Another strategic goal is: Increase PCEC’s involvement with all communities within its service territory. Activities the board reviews in the budget approval process include energy audits to assist members in saving on bills and improving energy efficiency, improvement of the environment both on our campus and in the community, supporting youth education through experiences and scholarships and many other activities.
I stated at this year’s annual meeting that our employees are our most valuable resource, which is reflected in our goal to craft and implement a plan focused on developing and sustaining a long-term, quality workforce. To achieve that goal, the Board of Directors supports management’s various initiatives to retain quality employees through creating a positive workplace culture and providing empowerment opportunities for staff at every level.
The next strategic goal relating to finance is an obvious one to address in a budget meeting: Review and recommend changes to the long-range financial plan, providing strategic guidance on equity, financial coverage ratios, plant investment and patronage capital retirement. In simple terms, the budget meeting is the time where we review, discuss and recommend changes, if needed, on aspects of cooperative business. Monthly financial reports are reviewed throughout the year in which revenue and expenditures are compared to the budget as well as the prior year.
Each year a financial audit is conducted by an outside auditor. The board meets with the auditor, without management or staff in the room, to ask questions about our organization’s finances and whether financial statements are produced in accordance with specified criteria. Another aspect of this goal includes taking account of the condition of our facilities and determining what repairs and upgrades might be needed. While our facilities are valuable assets to the co-op, they are only as valuable as the condition they are in.
Closely related to the maintenance of our facilities is the next goal of protecting PCEC’s assets in the affiliated businesses of fuels and security. Analysis of the financial state of these businesses and their future opportunities helps to determine the budget and sales needed to support these businesses as an asset to the cooperative and a service to its members.
Board members spend a tremendous amount of time reviewing and studying budget materials so they can get questions answered and participate in strategic discussions to make the best possible decisions for the membership with the information available. We know the members who are impacted by PCEC’s services because we are part of those very communities. We are honored you chose us to represent you and we take the responsibility you’ve given us very seriously.
Platte-Clay Moments
Winter weather moved into the Northland early this year, with the first big snowfall occurring on November 12.
PCEC General Manager Dave Deihl speaks with Smithville Superintendent Dr. Todd Schuetz during the annual volunteer event.
Director Kim Goepferich participates in a recent panel for the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation.
Lineman Seth Henry is greeted by his son, Cash, upon return from Quincy, Florida where he helped with hurricane recovery efforts.
Opportunities for Platte-Clay Students
Several opportunities are currently available for high school and college students whose parents are Platte-Clay members.
Sophomores and Juniors: Enter to win a chance to travel to Washington, D.C. through the PCEC Youth Tour Essay Contest. Topic: Electric Vehicles. Deadline: February 14, 2019. View more details online at: www.PCEC.coop/yt
Seniors and College Students: Win one of three $1,000 awards by entering here: www.PCEC.coop/scholarship. Deadline: March 4, 2019.
Service Spotlight
This self-service retail petroleum company really does provide “more miles for your money.” The Platte-Clay Fuels Card, available to members and to area businesses, gives a capital credit refund at the pump. Use your checking, savings or credit card at the pump too – we also accept fleet cards.
The self-service stations are conveniently located along the major interstates, in Platte City, just west of I-29 and Missouri Hwy. 92 and in Kearney, just west of I-35 and north of Missouri Highway 92.
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.