As a 33-year LPEA member, I have raised a legitimate issue in a reasonable way. I have been threatened by the “greens.” The Herald used this word, not me: “The ‘greens,’ as they’re often called, started to come on in 2012 when Heather Erb and Britt Bassett won seats. Then in 2013, Michael Rendon, Mark Garcia and Jack Turner were elected. In 2014, Bob Lynch joined the board,” (Herald, April 26).

I learned the following from LPEA minutes, financials and attending board meetings:

The “green” members of the board (the board majority) defeated a motion to require LPEA board candidates to sign an affidavit that they were qualified to run and would abide by the bylaws.

Bassett was on the task force that wrote the community solar-garden policy; Bassett was in a room with unknown others, got paid to write the policy and sometime between September 2012 and November 2014 became a subscriber with Durango Solar Gardens/Shaw Solar. In the November minutes, Bassett reviewed the cost to generate power and requested that the fees Shaw was incurring be waived; Bassett requested that LPEA incur the costs. The “greens” voted your money away.

Durango Solar Gardens is quite simply an electric generation station; LPEA purchases the electricity generated, Durango Solar Gardens keeps track of the percentage generated for each of the subscribers and tells LPEA, and LPEA credits subscribers’ bills. In this case, it certainly seems that the developer/subscriber organization is “a business selling electric energy”.

The “greens” hired tax professionals to justify not sending 1099s to solar garden subscribers. The “greens” had a special meeting without proper notice against state law. They are seen in the parking lot before meetings determining their block votes.

Since the “greens” arrived, the directors’ budget vs. actual has cost members money when you add up the monthly director expenditures.

Nonprofits enjoy special tax exemptions that promote the idea of a public trust. It helps if board members think of themselves as advocates for the entire cooperative. Elect independent directors. Vote for James Wotkyns, Kohler McInnis and Karen Barger.

Christi Zeller

Durango