Pedernales Electric Co-op addresses member concerns

About 50 Pedernales Electric members attended the January board of directors meeting in which the board amended the cooperative's bylaws to allow for significant changes to the director election procedure. The modifications further open board elections and will promote member participation by eliminating both the Nominating Committee and the proxy voting process.

PEC Board President E.B. Price commented on the action. "The earlier changes were a great move toward a more open, inclusive election process, but the board recognized an opportunity to do even more. These adjustments are a direct response to member concerns and help ensure PEC's commitment to democratic elections."

With this change, PEC members will have the opportunity to vote directly for nominees online, by mail or in person. To guarantee fairness in the balloting process, PEC is interviewing independent election service companies to receive and count votes.

Juan Garza, who will become PEC's general manager in early February, said he plans to work to ensure the cooperative is an open and transparent organization, and will work "to implement the reforms the board is sure to make in the future."

During the "Items from Members" portion of the agenda, members were complimentary of the decision to hire Garza, who had been eligible for the Austin city manager position.

About a dozen members voiced their displeasure with the board of directors and called for the immediate resignation of the entire group. The board president acknowledged that directors are taking member concerns seriously and are trying to rectify problems, but the resignation of the entire board "would completely destabilize PEC at one of the most important junctures of its history."

Members also mentioned multiple requests that the PEC board of directors further support renewable energy and not penalize members for low electric consumption. Last year, PEC announced it would purchase an additional 50 kilowatts of wind power from a plant scheduled to go online in December 2008.

And residential rates, which were reduced beginning Jan. 1, currently charge the same kilowatt hour rate for members, regardless of how much electricity they use.

In other business, Assistant General Manager Jeanell Davis reported on the December activities for the cooperative. The average member used 1,647 kwh of electricity, and the average bill was $166.09, compared to an average bill of $188.51 in December 2006.

And the cooperative now has 832 full-time, part-time and temporary employees.

The 24-hour call center fielded 52,471 telephone calls, and more than 15.5 miles of overhead line and 16 miles of underground line were installed last month.