July 2020 | Volume 82 | Issue 7
2020 Co-op Election Voting Guide
Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative is community-led and community-focused, which means the organization is governed by the members it serves. Although co-op elections are typically held at annual meeting every year, this year a new system has been established in light of the event being cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns.
A special waiver has been granted to co-ops by the state this year to allow for this needed adjustment. Fortunately, the formal nomination process was completed prior to the pandemic with only one candidate from each district coming forward.
Between August 1 and August 31, PCEC consumer-members will be able to vote for Board of Directors candidates and bylaw amendments either online or with a mail-in ballot.
The process for this remote election process has a number of checks and balances to ensure the privacy of co-op members and the security of election outcomes. Members can find detailed information about the election process by visiting www.PCEC.coop/vote – and can revisit the website in August to officially cast their ballot in this year’s co-op elections.
The goal of this process is to ensure every co-op member has an opportunity to exercise their right to democratic participation despite the inability to host a mass gathering during the pandemic. This protects a basic principle of the cooperative business model and empowers members with continued local control over their electric cooperative.
By-Law Changes Aim to Make Co-op Business More Efficient
Dave Deihl, General Manager
From the General Manager
Our co-op follows a set of guidelines, called by-laws, set by the Board of Directors and our consumer-members. These rules make sure the organization operates in a consistent way that is fair to all members. It also provides consistency for the policies and procedures of PCEC even as employees and directors change over time. The Board of Directors takes a look at the bylaws on a regular basis to make sure they’re still accurate to the practices of the cooperative and have kept up with the times. Over the past year the board has identified two opportunities to modernize outdated by-laws, which consumer-members will have a chance to vote on during this year’s co-op elections.
Initiating New Memberships
This amendment aims to make the by-laws more accurate by reflecting the real-world process of initiating new memberships. The current by-laws state that a membership begins once it is approved by the Board of Directors. Since the board only meets once a month, this wording created a gap in official membership status. The new wording makes it clear that a new membership begins as soon as power is delivered for the first time.
Unclaimed Capital Credit Notices
This change will save the co-op money by providing a central location for a list of unclaimed capital credit owners to be posted. Future notices will direct consumer-members to a central resource to search for their name. This will eliminate the need to print a full list of unclaimed capital credits in multiple publications and modernize the unclaimed capital credit process.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns you can reach me directly via email at GeneralManager@PCEC.coop.
Initiating New Memberships
Article I, Section 1 (c): Acceptance for Membership
No person, firm, association, corporation or body politic or subdivision thereof shall become a member unless and until he or it has been accepted for membership by the Board of Directors of the members. A person, firm, association, corporation or body politic or subdivision shall become a member once they start receiving service from the Cooperative. No member may hold more than one membership in the Cooperative, and no membership in the Cooperative shall be transferable, except as provided in these Bylaws.
Unclaimed Capital Credit Notices
Article VII, Section 3: Unclaimed Credits or Funds
Notwithstanding any provisions herein contained to the contrary, the Cooperative shall recover, after a period of two (2) years, any unclaimed capital credits, patronage refunds, utility deposits, membership fees, or account balances for which the owner (member or former member) can not be found and are the result of distributable savings of the Cooperative, giving sixty (60) days notice in a newspaper of general circulation, published in the county in which the Cooperative locates its general headquarters. Such notice shall state the web page and/or other source(s) that can be accessed to view the owner’s name and approximate amount of owner’s interest and that if not duly claimed within sixty (60) days of said notice being printed in the newspaper, the same shall be turned over to the Cooperative which shall reallocate the same to other members. If no provable claim shall have been filed within sixty (60) days after the one-time publication of said notice, the Cooperative may credit against said account any amounts due and owing the Cooperative by said member and thereafter allocate to the other members of the Cooperative on a prorate basis. Such amounts of said members (the allocations herein contemplated) shall be allocated to those who are members as of the year and on a prorate basis for the year in which the 60th day falls after the published notice. Any member or former member, who fails to claim any capital credit or other payment within two (2) years after payment has been made available to such person, shall have made an irrevocable assignment and gift to the Cooperative of such capital credits or other payments.
Board of Directors Candidates
Debi Koechner
North District Director and current Board President Debi Koechner is a small business owner and retired education administrator. She has served on the Board of Directors since 2010 and has been a member since 1997.
The skills and talents Koechner believes would help her continue serving as a director include an administrative background valuable in understanding governance issues in the board room, the completion of the Credentialed Cooperative Director and Board Leadership Programs, and an understanding of how decisions impact members.
The top issues Koechner sees facing the co-op are recruiting and retaining highly qualified employees and being a leader with technology, cybersecurity and energy resources such as electric car charging stations and our solar field. She believes it is important for the co-op to be transparent and continue to communicate with members.
Koechner believes she is the best candidate for the position of North District Director because of her initiative, the diversity her service adds to the board and her dedication to representing co-op members.
“I am willing to take initiative to learn, ask questions, be accessible in the community, and consider the long term impact of decisions that are made in the board room,” Koechner said.
Kelly Parkhurst
West District Director Kelly Parkhurst is the Executive Vice President at Nodaway Valley Bank. Parkhurst, who grew up on a diversified farm north of Cameron, has been a member since 1990.
The skills and talents Parkhurst believes would help him continue to serve as a director include: his educational background of a Bachelor’s of Science in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri, the ability to plan strategically, experience in managing business operations and information technology, an interest in helping solve problems to deliver the best customer service possible, business experience with Platte Valley Bank totalling 33 years and the desire to solve problems so people can achieve their greatest potential.
Parkhurst sees managing the costs of energy demand, maintaining the co-op’s electrical grid to ensure reliability of service, managing the growing presence of distributed electrical generation by members, and managing the supply, demand and delivery of energy in a heavily regulated environment as the three biggest issues facing PCEC.
He believes the co-op’s status as one of the fastest-growing in the state, its many products and services, its emphasis on safety and its investment in community involvement are important features that help set it apart.
“I have a genuine interest in our community, its residents and businesses and their respective needs. I also have an interest in supporting PCEC and its endeavors,” Parkhurst said. “I have been a part of an organization for 33 years that is heavily regulated focused on serving its customers at a high level of satisfaction, while managing the growth and financial security of the organization. An integral part of the business that I am associated with is gaining the trust of our customers which I have been successful in accomplishing.”
Gary Shanks
South District Director Gary Shanks has been a self-employed farmer and business owner for 51 years. Shanks has served on the Board of Directors since 1990, and has been a Platte-Clay member since 1970.
The skills and talents Shanks thinks would help him continue serving as a director are largely based on his experience as a business owner. He believes he has a thorough understanding of how a cooperative works and how the electric power industry is evolving.
The top issues Shanks sees facing the co-op include keeping the rates low, maintaining a strong financial status for the cooperative and keeping the co-op up to date on environmental issues.
He believes it is important for PCEC to continue to focus on core cooperative principles, prepare for growth in the service territory and exceed members’ expectations for service and reliability.
“My experience serving as a director in the past has led to a good understanding of the needs and challenges facing our cooperative moving forward.” Shanks said. “I’m excited for the chance to continue serving on the Board of Directors and put my experience to good use on behalf of the members.”
A Better Online Billing Experience is Coming
Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative’s online billing portal will soon be updated with an easier to use interface for consumer-members. This will make viewing and paying your online bill easier. The cooperative continues to work on making accessing information about your bill more convenient than ever before. Stay tuned to this newsletter for future updates on additional features.
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.