2015 January Daviess-Martin County REMC Newsletter

NEWS FROM YOUR COOPERATI www.dmremc.com CONTACT US

Daviess-Martin County REMC TOLL FREE

800-762-7362

GENERAL MANAGER

Ken Frye

OFFICE HOURS

7:30 a.m.– 4 p.m., Monday-Friday STREET ADDRESS

12628 E 75 N, Loogootee, IN 47553 MAILING ADDRESS

P.O. Box 430, Loogootee, IN 47553 SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS

To report an outage or emergency, call 812-295-4200 or 800-7627362 day or night.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dean Harrawood, PRESIDENT John Edwards, VICE PRESIDENT August Bauer, SECRETARY Michael E. Arvin, TREASURER Terry Chapman Dale Marchino Steve Streepy BILL PAYMENT OPTIONS

Online bill payment Budget billing Auto bank draft Drive-through window Night depository Credit card payment (VISA, Discover and MasterCard accepted) Pay-by-phone MISSION STATEMENT

“Our mission is to provide dependable electricity and quality services for our members at reasonable cost.”

Like us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/Daviess MartinCountyREMC

TIP OF THE MONTH

Don’t forget about air ducts!

They’re out of sight, but don’t forget about your air ducts. Taking care of them can save money and energy. Check ducts for air leaks. Take care of minor sealing jobs with heat-approved tape, especially in attics and in vented crawl spaces. Call the pros for major ductwork repairs.

— U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

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Power of policy impacts members It seems you can’t turn on a TV, listen to the radio or pick up a newspaper without hearing about ineffectiveness in government. It often seems that no matter what we do or who we vote for, we don’t feel truly represented KEN FRYE in either our state or national governments.

At Daviess-Martin County REMC, we understand how that feels, and we have been there ourselves. That feeling, along with a strong desire to take action, is the reason why we have dedicated staff members who work to ensure our members’ interests are represented, and heard, by elected officials.

Members of our government relations and policy teams work tirelessly to tackle complicated regulatory and policy issues.

They apply these issues to the ever-changing energy market and then evaluate how those issues impact our communities.

They have a deep understanding of the needs of the communities we serve, and they use that knowledge to ensure that your needs are represented in major legislative decision making.

The ability to impact change is a huge part of being a member of Daviess-Martin

County REMC. We don’t lobby elected officials on behalf of investors with the aim to increase profit margins. We work with elected officials to make sure that your interests are being considered to ensure that you will always be provided with safe, reliable and affordable electric service. That is the cooperative difference.

But it isn’t just our government relations team that helps us affect policy and legislative change. Your voice makes a huge difference in how quickly and effectively we can drive change. Through our grassroots advocacy programs we encourage you to bring your ideas to the table and to make your voice heard. This is how we show state and national officials that we are acting in your best interest. Your collective voice shows that we represent communities and families, not corporate interests.

The next time you are feeling frustrated, the next time you want to be heard or the next time you want to make a change in your community, call DaviessMartin County REMC. Find out what we are doing to represent your interests, and find out how you can help affect impactful change in our communities.

KEN FRYE is general manager of DaviessMartin County REMC.

Pay-by-phone option available Daviess-Martin County REMC offers a convenient payment option: Pay-By-Phone. You can make a payment on your bill over the phone using a credit/debit card or check, any time of day, by calling toll-free 1-888-222-0624.

The system is automated and all of your personal information, such as card number and payment amount, will be entered by YOU. At any time, you may hang up and this will discontinue the phone call. k No additional fee k Available 24/7 k No computer or Internet access needed You will need to enter your account number or phone number. After dialing, you will go to the main menu. You’ll be prompted to press numbers for the actions you wish to complete.

Before you can make a payment with a check or credit card you will need to create a 4-digit PIN number.

ELECTRIC CONSUMER • JANUARY 2015 • ElectricConsumer.org

IVE ‘Win! Win! Win!’

Each month, Daviess-Martin County REMC asks our readers three questions to which the answers can be found in the articles of Electric Consumer. Follow these simple rules: 1.) Clip the coupon along the dotted line. 2.) Fill it out. 3.)

Return it to our office with your monthly payment before the 20th of the month. (Delinquent payments are not eligible.)

Each month a winner will be drawn from the entries submitted. Make sure you bring or mail in your most recent coupon, as the coupons are dated monthly. Members with automatic payment accounts will be entered in the contest as well. Copies will not be accepted, and coupons are not available at the office! Winners will be notified and their names published in the following monthly issue of Electric Consumer.

NOVEMBER WINNER: Gary Mills, Shoals

$50 MONTHLY DRAWING (FOR BILLS DATED JAN. 5; PAID BY JAN. 20)

1. The deadline for submitting director petitions is __________________________________________.

2. The dates of Touchstone Energy Camp are ______________________________________.

3. Through our _________________________ advocacy we encourage you to bring your ideas to the table and make your voice heard.

NAME: ______________________________________________________ ADDRESS: __________________________________________________ ACCOUNT NO.: _____________________________________________ PHONE NO.: ________________________________________________

ElectricConsumer.org • JANUARY 2015 • ELECTRIC CONSUMER 5

KEEPING CURRENT • DAVIESS-MARTIN COUNTY REMC

Winners of annual report photo contest announced Daviess-Martin County REMC is excited to announce the winners of its eighth annual report cover photo contest. We would like to thank all of our members who entered photos. The response was great. Choosing the winning photos was a difficult task.

The $50 first-place winner was Paula Counsil of Plainville. It will be printed as the cover of the 2014 Annual Report to be distributed at the 2015 DaviessMartin County REMC Annual Meeting held April 9 at the Shoals High School Gymnasium.

The $25 second place winner was Joyce Foerster of Shoals. The $25 third place winner was Pat Daugherty of Loogootee. …

The first place-winning photo was taken by Paula Counsil at a stripper pit near Epsom. Shown in the photo are Isaac Wagler, Darrell Wagler and Raymond Isaac.

The third place award went to Pat Daugherty for this photo of a group of horses on County Road 800 North in Daviess County.

Joyce Foerster won second place for her photo of this bald eagle perched in a tree along East River Road in Shoals.

Employees recognized for years of service Seven Daviess-Martin County REMC employees were honored for years of service at the end of 2014.

Robert Wilson, manager of finance, and Gary Potts, journey lineworker, each completed their 40th year serving members in this area. They were recognized at the recent annual meeting of Indiana Electric Cooperatives.

Two employees reached 35 years in 2014: John Crays, manager of operations, and John Wininger, journey lineworker.

Other employees reaching a milestone in 2014 include: 8

k Nathan Albright, journey line-

worker – 20 years k Janice Sellers, senior billing rep-

resentative – 15 years k Alan Sims, journey lineworker – 10 years This type of dedication to the cooperative is a result of the support of the member-owners we serve. You provide us an excellent working environment and are involved and appreciative in the cooperative’s activity. The employees and directors thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve. …

ELECTRIC CONSUMER • JANUARY 2015 • ElectricConsumer.org

Daviess-Martin County REMC employees receiving recognition for years of service include, left to right, Gary Potts, Alan Sims, Janice Sellers, Nathan Albright, John Wininger, Robert Wilson and John Crays.

Daviess-Martin County REMC News

Electing BOARD DIRECTORS The process of director nomination

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ominations for members of the Daviess-Martin County REMC board of directors shall be made by petition as set out below. The election will be held at the annual meeting of the corporation scheduled for April 9, 2015. (a) The petition shall be signed by no less than 20 members of the cooperative who reside in the district from which the nominee is being selected to run. For the purposes of the petition, a husband and wife shall be deemed one member.

Parents, children, spouses and brothers and sisters of the nominee may not sign or witness the petition. In lieu of a petition, incumbent board members may file a written notice at the office of the cooperative not less than forty-five (45) days before the annual meeting of the members of the cooperative stating his or her intention to seek a seat on the board of directors. (b) Each petition shall contain a certification by the witness, which witness must be a member of the cooperative and not a nominee, and which witness must be at least 18 years of age and reside in the applicable district(s) that he or she witnessed the signing of the petition by the petitioning member and that to the best of his or her knowledge the member is not related to the nominee as set out above. There may be more than one petition for each nominee provided the petitions total required number of signatures.

The petition form itself shall state, among other things, that the witness: must be a member of the cooperative; must reside in the applicable district; and be at least 18 years of age. (c) The board of directors shall approve a form of petition consistent with the terms of this section, and the peti-

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ELECTRIC CONSUMER • JANUARY 2015 • ElectricConsumer.org

tion shall be available at the office of the cooperative. (d) At least sixty (60) days before the annual meeting all members shall be given notice by mail informing them of (i) the districts from which a director is to be elected; (ii) the method by which nominations may be made; and (iii) whether the named incumbent director(s) intends to seek a seat on the board of directors. This notice may be sent out in the monthly newsletter of the cooperative. (e) Petitions must be filed at the office of the cooperative not less than forty-five (45) days before the annual meeting of the members of the cooperative. No nominations shall be accepted from the floor at the annual meeting. (f) Upon receipt of a timely filed petition, the secretary of the cooperative shall review the same and determine whether the petition contains the required number of qualified members’ signatures. If the petition does contain the proper number of signatures, the secretary shall certify the name to the board of directors as a nominee for the director’s seat for the applicable district. (g) If there are two or more nominations for one director’s seat the election shall be by ballot. If there is one nomination for a seat the vote shall be by voice. (h) In the event that no qualifying petitions are filed or the nominated director is not elected, the board of directors shall declare a vacancy in the position of director for that district at its first meeting after the annual meeting. During such meeting the board of directors shall appoint a director to fill that vacancy for the unexpired three-year term. The director so appointed must reside in the district for which he is being appointed. …

Why a board of directors?

The board of directors is the legal body which both the REMC member and the government hold accountable for the actions of the REMC. As an REMC member, the director serves on a part-time basis, attending board and committee meetings locally, as well as state and national seminars, in order to keep informed, to testify for or against legislation affecting the REMC and to improve skills necessary to being good board members.

Specifically, the board of directors: 1. Determines policy guidelines for the daily operation of the REMC. 2. Employs a general manager to direct operations.

3. Determines a workplan and budget.

4. Sets rate and fee schedules for service.

5. Enters into contracts for power supply, services and loans for capital improvements.

6. Evaluates the performance of the REMC and the general manager.

7. Reports to the member owners on the financial condition of the REMC.

Qualifications for co-op directorship

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aviess-Martin County REMC director candidates must meet all requirements stipulated by the bylaws in Article IV, Section Three, Qualifications/Requirements/ Prohibitions, as follows: A. Qualifications In order to be eligible to become or to remain a board member of the cooperative, a person: 1.) Must be a member and bona fide resident in the district from which he is elected; and 2.) Must be 18 years of age.

B. Requirements A board member must: 1.) Attend eight (8) regular meetings each year; 2.) Attend a minimum of one statewide, regional, or national meeting each year; and 3.) If newly elected, attend and complete, within three years following election, all NRECA institutes/directors’ certification classes required by the board.

C. Prohibitions A person may not become or remain a board member: 1.) Who has been an employee of the cooperative during the period of 24 months immediately preceding the meeting of the cooperative at which he or she could stand for election to the board; and 2.) Who is in any way employed by or financially interested in a competing enterprise or business selling electric energy, or supplies to the cooperative, or a business primarily engaged in selling electrical or plumbing supplies, fixtures or supplies to the cooperative.

The districts from each of which one board member is to be elected are as follows: Daviess County k District 1 – Elmore, Madison, Steele and Bogard townships served by Daviess-Martin County REMC k District 2 – Van Buren and Barr townships served by Daviess-Martin County REMC

k District 3 – Washington and Veale

townships served by Daviess-Martin County REMC k District 4 – Harrison and Reeve townships served by Daviess-Martin County REMC Martin County k District 5 – Center and Perry town-

ships served by Daviess-Martin County REMC k District 6 – Mitchelltree, Halbert, Lost River and Rutherford townships served

by Daviess-Martin County REMC Lawrence County k District 7 – Marion and Spice Valley

townships in Lawrence County served

by Daviess-Martin County REMC Upon establishment of the fact that a board member is holding the office in violation of any of the foregoing provisions; the board shall remove such board member from office.

Nothing contained in this section shall affect in any manner whatsoever the validity of any action taken at any meeting of the board. …

Director petitions are available at REMC office

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embers of Daviess-Martin County REMC interested in running for a position on the board of directors and who reside in the district up for election, may pick up a petition at the REMC office.

The nomination process requires the candidate to live in the district and to submit a petition with the signatures of 20 members who reside in his or her district. Signed petitions must be returned to Daviess-Martin County REMC by 4 p.m. on Feb. 24, in order to be eligible for nomination at the 2015 annual meeting.

In lieu of a petition, incumbent board directors who wish to seek re-election shall do so by filing written notice thereof at the office of the cooperative on or before the same date signed petitions for new candidates must be filed.

The districts with elections in 2015 are:

k District II: Daviess County – Van Buren and Barr townships k District V: Martin County – Perry and Center townships k District VII: Lawrence County – Marion and Spice Valley townships Incumbent directors seeking re-election include Dean Harrawood of District II, Michael Arvin of District V and John Edwards of District VII. Directors are elected for three-year terms. Director elections will be held at the annual meeting Thursday, April 9, 2015.

Please contact the office at your earliest convenience if you have any questions or concerns regarding the election process or need clarification on determining the district in which you reside. …

ElectricConsumer.org • JANUARY 2015 • ELECTRIC CONSUMER 29