2017 December GCEC Florida Currents

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative

D E C E M B E R 2017

Merry Christmas from the employees and trustees of Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative

Reflecting on the Past Year PAGE 4 Celebration of Learning PAGE 28 n

Gulf Coast

Members acknowledge that $3.96, plus actual postage, is the cost to publish 12 issues a year of Florida Currents (USPS8300). Published by Ruralite Services Inc., 5605 NE Elam Young Pkwy., Hillsboro, OR 97124—a not-for-profit Oregon cooperative corporation—the magazine serves the communications needs of consumer-owned electric utilities in Florida. Preferred Periodicals postage paid at Hillsboro, OR 97123 and at additional mailing offices.

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HOW TO CONTACT FLORIDA CURRENTS

Have a problem receiving your edition of Florida Currents? Utility members should contact the local utility office listed on the back cover.

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May your future be merry and bright (because you’re saving money using LED lights).

We value your membership. We value you.

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MANUSCRIPTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS

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Inside

December 2017 Vol. 7, No. 1

Protecting Marine Life One Application at a Time 10

Trend Offset Printing Services 10301 Busch Drive North Jacksonville, FL 32218

Eco-conscious chemist creates a skin care line that won’t destroy coral larva.

© 2017 Ruralite Services Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Also In This Issue In the Kitchen 16 Great Picture Hunt 18 Travel Journal 20

Festival Roundup 22 Outdoor Pursuits 24 Parting Shot 30

Your utility pages: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32

D E C E M B E R 2 0 17

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Gulf Coast

Reflecting on the Past Year

By John Bartley, CEO/General Manager Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative

It is hard to believe 2017 is coming to a close. Earlier this year, I became your CEO and general manager.

I am taking this time to reflect on the past several months.

As I evaluate this past year, I John Bartley keep a high level of member service and our members receiving an excellent value for their membership in the forefront of my mind.

I developed a list of some of our accomplishments during the past year.

Our ultimate goal is to safely provide you with a reliable source of energy services.

Thank you for being a member of the cooperative. I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2018.

Capital Credits We are in the process of mailing out capital credit checks. Those who were members of Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative in 1983 and 2016 will receive credits totaling $500,000. Estates of deceased patrons will share an additional $50,000.

GCEC is a member-owned, nonprofit organization. Therefore, at the end of each year and after all operating expenses have been paid, a prorated percentage of its margins—referred to as capital credits—is allocated to members based on the amount they spent on electricity during the year.

The decision to make a retirement and how much to pay is made by the board of trustees and is based on the financial health of the cooperative.

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D E C E M B E R 2 0 17

Fortunately, the financial health of the cooperative has allowed for the amount of capital credit retirements to increase the past few years.

Employee Training and Safety At least once a month, our employees participate in safety training sessions that cover everything from first aid and CPR to the training our line technicians need to safely work on power lines each day.

Our No. 1 priority is the safety of our employees, our members and the public.

In 2017, we celebrated 441 days without a lost-time accident. This represented more than 70 employees working a total of 282,240 hours without a lost-time accident.

Empower Workshops More than 400 teachers from Alabama and northwest Florida became the students at energy education workshops cohosted by GCEC in June and July.

The Empower Energy Education Workshops provided fun, engaging, fastpaced activities about electric generation and distribution, with a focus on energy education.

Attendees received tools and curriculum to integrate the activities into their K-12 classrooms. Materials included hands-on activities designed to teach tomorrow’s leaders about all energy sources—from fossil fuels to renewables.

The conference allowed attendees to network with other teachers, share ideas and build lifelong connections.

The Empower Energy Education Workshop is part of an initiative to promote a balanced approach to energy education in the classroom. By equipping teachers to fully explore all forms of electricity generation, students are more likely to receive a reality-based education and become better decision-makers as adults.

Equipment and Material Purchases The co-op bought many needed items in 2017, including several new trucks and right-of way-equipment, all while reducing the overall material inventory level from the previous year through continuously improving material management practices.

Turning over material and rotating equipment helps our employees provide you with reliable service by restoring power when needed.

Growth Fanning Bayou phases 4-6 for 201 homes were completed this year, as well as Hodges Bayou phase 1 for 54 homes.

Hurricane Irma GCEC’s territory experienced tropical storm force winds and outages, but was spared from the worst of Hurricane Irma.

Other electric cooperatives in Florida were not so fortunate.

Once power was restored to GCEC members, we stepped in to help others.

Six employees assisted Talquin Electric Cooperative. At the height of the storm, Talquin had 32,000 members without power. GCEC’s crew removed trees and debris, and repaired lines and equipment.

Once most of the service territory was repaired and restored, GCEC employees headed to Glades Electric Cooperative.

GEC’s service territory was hit hard, requiring 693 poles to be replaced in two weeks, with employees working 18-hour days. At the height of the storm, 99 percent of Glades’ service territory was without power. Six GCEC employees were there more than a week.

Cooperation Among Cooperatives is what sets us apart from other utilities.

OSHA Compliance GCEC is 100 percent compliant with Occupational Safety and Health

Administration rules. We have gone to great lengths to ensure all of our employees receive safety training required by OSHA, and that all of our offices and equipment adhere to OSHA standards.

Padmount Equipment and Wood Pole Inspections To improve system reliability and extend the useful life of field equipment, in 2017, GCEC focused on best practices for maintenance and inspection of padmount transformers, junction cabinets and other underground equipment, as well as wood poles used for overhead lines.

GCEC is required by the Florida Public Service Commission and Rural Utilities Service to inspect each pole on our system once every eight years.

This year alone, we inspected 7,852 poles. GCEC also inspected 559 padmount equipment devices.

Work order inspections were completed, as required by the PSC, as well as our own independent routine inspection.

Right-of-Way Throughout 2017, we trimmed the rights of way in the Ebro, Howard Creek, Crystal Lake and Fountain areas.

If vegetation comes into contact with power lines, it can interfere with your electric service and cause a potentially dangerous situation. It is vital this vegetation be cleared from the power lines to provide reliable electric service and prevent a hazardous condition.

Your board and management team are taking a different approach to trimming than in years past. We are reclaiming our rights-of-ways.

The co-op tries to work with each landowner to preserve landscaping when maintaining rights-of-way. We realize most property owners regard trees as an asset. However, federal law states it is GCEC’s responsibility to eliminate hazardous conditions.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to bring you quality, reliable service.

David Syfrett and Johnny Hutto review work plans during line construction at Fanning Bayou.

Tyndall Air Force Base As we push forward with our 50-year contract with Tyndall AFB, we have corrected many issues with the water and electric systems. We have completed several water and electric projects, including replacing aging infrastructure to assist Tyndall in fulfilling its mission.

This contract has given us the opportunity to hire more employees and help stimulate local economies by buying materials and expanding your cooperative. We are proud to be a part of Team Tyndall.

Future GCEC is looking to roll out more online tools for your account and other marketing programs to assist members.

We constantly evaluate ourselves, and your feedback is sought each day.

I appreciate the opportunity to serve you. n D E C E M B E R 2 0 17

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Gulf Coast

GCEC Makes a Difference In keeping with the Seven Cooperative Principles and Touchstone Energy core value of Commitment to Community, Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative recently contributed to the following activities:

Christian Community Development Fund 



GCEC recently donated $2,000 to help the organization provide home renovations at no cost for Gulf County and Mexico Beach low- to very low-income elderly and disabled homeowners.

Diana Burkett, executive director of the Christian Community Development Fund, accepts the check from Trustee Doug Birmingham, left, Secretary Eddie Jones, center, and President Waylon Graham, right. Through volunteer labor, discounted skilled labor and materials, the Christian Community Development Fund supports area citizens in need, ensuring their residences are safe, secure and habitable by repairing or replacing deteriorated roofing, flooring, ceiling, walls, plumbing, electrical wiring, doors, windows, kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, and interior and exterior paint. Most projects are completed with $1,000 or less.

TAFB Beach Clean-Up The Tyndall Air Force Base Beach Clean-up was September 16. Approximately 70 people removed nearly 1 ton of garbage from TAFB beaches in four hours. As a sponsor of the event, GCEC provided coffee and doughnuts for the volunteers.

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

Employee and Trustee News

ACS Making Strides Against Breast Cancer



GCEC was a sponsor of the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk October 21 at Pier Park. Rebecca Green, Shannon Hill, Harold Ruth and Harold’s wife, Vicki, and daughter, Stephanie Rice, participated in the walk.

Hotzee Run GCEC was recognized by the Paul W. Airey American Legion Riders Post 392 for support of the 8th annual Mark Long Memorial Hotzee Run benefitting Covenant Hospice. Legion member Matt Salvo, right, presents a certificate of appreciation to GCEC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Kristin Evans. The event raised $15,000.

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative is proud to announce the promotion of two employees, the transfer of another and a milestone for a trustee.

Lisa Brunn and Tammie Newsome have been promoted from cashier/receptionists to member service representatives.

Lisa was hired earlier this year to work in the Wewahitchka office. She spent the previous five Lisa Brunn years working in banking.

Tammie was rehired earlier this year to work in the Southport office. She previously worked for the cooperative for 15 years. During that time, she completed the Continuum Customer Service Training Program.

David Syfrett has transferred from foreman to staking technician in the Southport office. He has worked for the cooperative for more than 17 years, and held the titles of line crew leader and lead line technician before being promoted to foreman. He Tammie Newsome has completed numerous trainings, including the Florida Department of Transportation’s 16-hour Maintenance of Traffic course.

Gary Cox, District I, Group 2 trustee for GCEC, recently earned the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Board Leadership Certificate. This program consists of 10 courses focusing in greater depth on specific industry and governance issues. Courses provide advanced study in areas such as risk management, David Syfrett ratemaking and policy development.

To earn the Board Leadership Certificate, trustees must earn the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Credentialed Cooperative Director certification. That program requires attendance and demonstrated understanding of the basic competencies contained in five core courses: Director Utilities and Liabilities; Understanding the Electric Business; Board Roles and Relationships; Business Planning; and Understanding Financial Planning.

Gary represents members residing in Gary Cox Calhoun County, east of the Chipola River. He began serving on GCEC’s board of trustees in 2010. He has served as vice president of GCEC’s board of trustees and on the Florida Electric Cooperatives Association Board of Directors.

Gary retired from the Calhoun County school system in 2008. A graduate of Blountstown High School, Chipola Junior College and Troy State University, he completed his master’s at the University of West Florida. n

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Gulf Coast

Home Energy Assistance Programs Available The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity offers two programs for assistance with home energy needs.

The first is the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. LIHEAP helps low-income families with home heating and cooling costs.

The second is the Weatherization Assistance Program. The extent of services provided by WAP is contingent on available funding, but services provided by this program—depending on available funding—include repair or replacement of inefficient heating and cooling units; measures to control air infiltration, including weather stripping, caulking, thresholds, minor wall, ceiling and floor repairs, and window and door replacement; installation of attic and floor insulation; repair or replacement of water heaters; installation of solar screens; application of solar reflective coating to manufactured homes; and installation of attic ventilation.

For more information about these programs, visit www.floridajobs.org or contact the agency for your county at the numbers listed in the chart at right. n 8

D E C E M B E R 2 0 17

BAY: Bay County Council on Aging Inc., (850) 769-3468 CALHOUN: LIHEAP: Capital Area Community Action Agency Inc., (850) 674-5067 WAP: Calhoun County Board of County Commissioners, (850) 674-2571 GULF: Capital Area Community Action Agency Inc., (850) 229-1717 JACKSON: LIHEAP: Jackson County Senior Citizens Organization Inc., (850) 263-4650 WAP: Community Action Program Committee Inc., (850) 438-4021 WALTON: LIHEAP: Tri-County Community Action Inc., (850) 892-3615 WAP: Community Action Program Committee Inc., (850) 438-4021 WASHINGTON: LIHEAP: Tri-County Community Action Inc., (850) 638-4520 ext. 28 WAP: Community Action Program Committee Inc., (850) 438-4021

Gulf Coast

Trading Post For Rent Horse barn with five stalls, paddock and about 4 acres of pasture in Wewahitchka, one block from the old courthouse. Lease by the stall, with discount for multiple horses. (740) 334-0341.

Trading Post is a FREE service to members of Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative.

GCEC reserves the right to edit or reject ads. PLEASE PRINT LEGIBLY OR TYPE. Please circle the category that applies: For Rent

For Sale Miniature donkeys. Jacks and Jennys, black, brown, gray and paints. All ages. $300 and up.

Make great pets. Also standard donkeys. Betty, (850) 899-7424.

For Sale

Real Estate

Free

Miscellaneous

Trade

Wanted

Items:

Quarter horses. Ride well on trails, gentle, good for lessons. (850) 773-1957.

15kW Generator Set. B/S engine, Gillege Gen. Propane powered with trailer. Low hours.

Manual transfer switch. $2,300 OBO. (850) 8320933 or (850) 265-3501.

DR 11.5-hp wood chipper. $2,300 new in 2013.

Used less than 10 hours. $850 OBO. (850) 8557690 after 4 p.m.

Candles handmade in Panama City. Hundreds of scents and colors, pillars and votives. (850) 640-4072.

Miscellaneous Greenhead turkey shoot every Friday at 6 p.m. through January 19. 5725 Highway 77. (850) 249-8765.

Real Estate FSBO. Two adjacent lots, about 2.5 acres on paved road, 10 miles north of Wewahitchka, 45 minutes from beaches. Borders the Chipola

Name: Address: City:

Phone:

Mail your ad to: The Trading Post; Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative; P.O. Box 8370; Southport, FL 32409; return with your electric payment; or email ad information to tradingpost@gcec.com. ** Due to press deadlines, please expect up to 60 days from submission for your advertisement to appear.

River and Cypress Creek. Cleared and ready to build. Quiet and peaceful; no neighbors.

Deeded restrictions. Underground utilities, deep well and many fruit trees. $69,900. (850) 648-4214. ½-acre corner lot. (850) 639-2220.

Tree-Trimming Program Ensures Safety and Reliability

Do you live in the Crystal Lake, Fountain and Bayou George areas? Gulf Coast Electric will be clearing rights-ofway in those areas during December.

GCEC has about 2,600 miles of distribution line. If vegetation comes into contact with power lines, it can interfere with your electric service and cause a dangerous situation. Vegetation must be cleared from power lines to provide reliable electric service and prevent a hazardous condition.

When a person signs up to be a

member of the cooperative, there is an agreement between the member and GCEC to allow right-of-way maintenance. The agreement gives GCEC the legal right to remove from the rightof-way anything that could interfere with safe, reliable electric service for all members.

The co-op realizes most people regard trees as an asset, but if the cooperative’s right-of-way clearance is not maintained, tree limbs and other growth coming into contact with power lines could increase

the number of power outages.

GCEC tries to work with landowners to preserve landscaping when maintaining rights-of-way. However, federal law requires GCEC to eliminate hazardous conditions. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to bring you quality, reliable service. n

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Gulf Coast

If you have visited one of our offices between Thanksgiving and Christmas, you probably noticed red and green paper light bulbs decorating the lobbies. For the past several holiday seasons, Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative has given its members the opportunity to buy light bulbs for $1 each and write the name of a loved one on it to be displayed between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

This year’s fundraiser begins Monday, November 28. All proceeds benefit Project Helping Hand.

Project Helping Hand began assisting members in 2004. Funds raised for this program are only shared with GCEC members.

Working with Family Service Agency, Project Helping Hand provides temporary assistance to GCEC’s members in need. The program assists the elderly, the disabled, the low-income, the ill, the military and others experiencing difficulty paying their utility bill.

If you are not planning a trip to one of our offices, but would like to donate to Project Helping Hand, donations are accepted by phone, or you may clip out and return the form below. You may want to agree to have a recurring amount of $1, $3 or $5 added to your monthly electric bill.

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative would like to thank all of its members for their continued support of the Project Helping Hand program. n

Project Helping Hand Name: ___________________________________________________________ GCEC account number: _____________________________________________ Mailing address: ___________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Telephone number: _________________________________________________ Signature: ________________________________________________________ I pledge to have the following amount added to my utility bill each month and deposited into the Project Helping Hand account. I understand this is a perpetual agreement, and I must notify Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative by phone or mail to remove this recurring donation from my bill.

Select donation amount: _______ $1 Select: ____One-time contribution

_______$3

_______$5

____Recurring contribution

Cut out, complete and return this form with your electric payment or mail to: Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative; Attn. Kristin Evans; P.O. Box 8370; Southport, FL 32409.

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Help your neighbors by contributing to Project Helping Hand. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, buy a paper light bulb for $1 in honor of a loved one.

Gulf Coast

Above, Jacob O’Bryan, left, and Brennis Smith help a Southport Elementary School student use a battery-operated crimper as teachers and classmates look on. Below, Brennis describes the tools used by electric utility workers. Right, Jacob demonstrates the controls in the bucket of a truck.

Celebration of

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Learning

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Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative joined other community businesses and organizations at Southport Elementary School’s annual Celebration of Learning Day on November 9.

Students and teachers who stopped by the GCEC booth listened as Jacob O’Bryan and Brennis Smith demonstrated safety equipment and tools.

Jacob rode in the bucket truck to demonstrate how the controls on the truck operate, as students encouraged him to go higher.

Brennis and Jacob also demonstrated how to use a battery-operated crimper, and gave students a chance to lend a hand.

GCEC is committed to providing electrical safety information to our students and communities. n

Employees Complete Safety Course Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative employees recently completed a pole-top rescue course, which is required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The purpose of this training is to teach employees how to save their co-workers in the event of accidental contact with an electric line. The course consisted of each employee “rescuing” a 150-pound dummy from the top of a pole. The employees learned the proper way to climb a pole, which tools were needed to rescue a coworker and the type of knots to tie in the straps. n

At right, Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative’s Charlie Little “rescues” the dummy from the top of a pole as part of a course required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Below, Manager of Operations Andy Dick, right, watches from the ground as Baylen Price climbs the pole. Watching from the bucket is Foreman Jeremy Horton. Frankie Bailey holds the ropes, and Luke Vickers looks on.

Photos by Kristin Evans

Jacob O’Bryan, left, and Brennis Smith.

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FL-154

Offices 722 West Highway 22 P. O. Box 220 Wewahitchka, FL 32465 (850) 639-2216 or (800) 333-9392

9434 Highway 77 P. O. Box 8370 Southport, FL 32409 (850) 265-3631 or (800) 568-3667 6243 East Highway 98 Panama City, FL 32404 Phone: (850) 481-1188 www.gcec.com

CEO/General Manager John Bartley

Trustees President Waylon Graham Vice President Jimmy Black Secretary Eddie Jones Treasurer Rupert Brown Doug Birmingham Robert Byrd Gary Cox Kinneth Daniels Betty Moore Trustees normally meet the third Tuesday of each month at 12:30 p.m. CST. The board meets at the Wewahitchka office in even-numbered months (February, April, June, August, October and December) and the Southport office in odd-numbered months (January, March, May, July, September and November).

The mission of GCEC: Fulfilling the changing needs of our membership and communities by providing cost effective, reliable and safe utility services through a dedicated and responsive workforce.

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GCEC President’s Message

Capital Credits Distributed

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative is distributing capital credit checks. Members of the cooperative in 1983 and 2016 will receive credits totaling $500,000. An additional $50,000 has been allocated for distribution to estates of deceased patrons.

The refund year is determined by a combination of the firstin, first-out and last-in, first-out philosophy.

As a member-owned, nonprofit organization, at the end of each year after all operating expenses are paid, a prorated percentage of margins—referred to as capital credits—are allocated to members based on how much they spent for electricity during Waylon Graham the year. The decision to retire them and how much to retire is made by the GCEC Board of Trustees based on the financial health of the cooperative.

Retiring capital credits is spread over time because GCEC uses the capital to finance plant and equipment purchases instead of borrowing funds and paying interest. Capital credits represent most of the cooperative’s equity, which has reached a level that enables the cooperative to borrow at the most attractive rates. Capital credits are used wisely to keep the cost of electricity as low as possible before they are retired.

How do you calculate my capital credits? The percentage of margins to the total amount of electric revenues received by GCEC is calculated. That percentage is multiplied by the total amount of your bills for the year. This is your capital credit allocation.

Is interest earned on capital credits? Although capital credits are your investment, GCEC’s bylaws (Article VII, Section1) do not permit interest to be paid. That would be like paying interest on borrowed money, which would increase rates.

What is the difference between capital credits and dividends? Capital credits represent a return of money being paid by the member for electricity. Dividends are earnings on an investment that was made by an investor with the desire to make a profit.

If I do not own the home or property, can I still be eligible to receive capital credits?

Regardless of ownership, if electric service is in your name, you are entitled to margins.

What happens if I move off the co-op’s lines? Capital credits cannot be applied to your final bill or be retired to you in a lump sum. That would give preference to people leaving GCEC rather than continuing to support it. You will be mailed a check when the year earned is retired. Keep the cooperative notified of address changes. n If you have questions regarding capital credits, contact the Panama City office at 481-1188, the Southport office at 265-3631 or the Wewahitchka office at 639-2216.

Holiday Hours for December GCEC offices will close at noon Friday, December 1, and will be closed all day Monday, December 25; Tuesday, December 26; and Wednesday, December 27.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Gulf Coast Electric!