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2011 Annual Meeting The 73rd edition of South Kentucky RECC’s Annual Membership Meeting, held on June 23, saw more than 1,200 members register despite the threat of bad weather and the later date of the meeting. In all, an estimated 3,500 to 4,000 people were in attendance.
The primary purpose for the Annual Meeting is the business meeting, which started around 7 p.m. The cooperative’s bylaws provide that each year there shall be an Annual Membership Meeting for the presentation of reports from SKRECC officers and leadership. Allen Anderson, CEO of South Kentucky RECC, reported to the membership the major activities and highlights of 2010 and start of 2011. Among those highlights is the installment and implementation of Automated Metering Infrastructure, or AMI. Currently, meter installations are nearly completed in Pulaski, Rockcastle, Laurel, Casey, and Lincoln counties, with change outs underway in Wayne and Russell counties. This will open the door for many future services to be offered to SKRECC members, such as time-of-use rates, prepaid metering, and constant, updated information to help members make wise choices about their electricity usage. Anderson also reported that in 2010, South Kentucky RECC’s system reliability was 99.97%, which means, on the average, each member was without power for 2.9 hours out of the 8,760 hours in a year. He added that as good as those numbers are, the co-op is striving to make them even better. Finally, the other major issue Anderson spoke about was the proposed rate adjustment for which the co-op has filed. According to Anderson, this is only the second increase South Kentucky has requested in the last 22 years – the last of which was in 2006. He said the co-op has been taking cost-saving measures, however, SKRECC has faced healthy increases in the materials and equipment used to provide electric service to members. During the last five years, wooden poles have risen by 15%, wire by 40%, electric transformers have increased 80%, and diesel and gas prices have nearly doubled. Anderson told the membership that the proposed 6.99% adjustment would be about $10.23 per month for the average 1,200 kWh member, and it will not go into effect until late 2011 or even early 2012. Two incumbent directors were reelected to their positions on the board – District 2 Director Charles Gore and District 6 Director Rick Stephens. District Three (northern Pulaski County) will have a new director. Upon former director Jerry Purcell’s retirement in District 3, Rick Halloran has been elected by petition to serve. After the Business Meeting, South KY RECC recognized the Washington Rural Electric Youth Tour recipients. They are: Reilly Leslie, Adair County High School Brittany Smith, Clinton County High School Megan Barbour, McCreary Central High School Jacob Burton, Monticello High School Samantha Arthur, Pulaski County High School Jacob Phelps, Russell County High School Jacob Adams, Somerset Christian School Lucas Garrett, Southwestern High School Dillon Staples, Wayne County High School The co-op also recognized the 10 high school seniors in the service area who received $1,000 scholarships as part of the Senior Scholarship Program. They are: Brandi Moore, Adair County High School Rhianna Evans, Casey County High School Heather Covey, Clinton County High School Logan Barnett, Lincoln County High School Lori Duncan, McCreary Central High School Kesa Evans, Monticello High School Brittanie Mincey, Pulaski County High School Caleb Flanagan, Russell County High School Heather Wheet, Southwestern High School Dillon West, Wayne County High School South KY RECC believes that investing in our youth has a profound effect on the improvement of the quality of life in the communities we serve, which fulfills our mission. South KY RECC’s Mission Statement reads, “South Kentucky RECC was formed for people not profit. Its mission is to reliably provide electricity and related services to its members at a competitive price, and to improve the quality of life in their communities.” |
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