In addition to four contested seats in the current La Plata Electric Association’s election, there are 10 questions pertaining to the co-op’s bylaws.
All were unanimously approved by the LPEA board of directors and deserve a “yes” vote.
In the past, many, if not most, companies in this country were built by men to serve men, not women. Men only later – only a couple of decades prior to today – would be forced to realize that women could be equally competent decision makers. LPEA’s bylaws recognized only men, and men and women couples.
The Bylaw Amendment Ballot Issue #1 replaces numerous “his” with “the member’s,” “the consumer’s,” the officer’s” and “the manager’s, and “husband and wife” with “married couple” in several articles.
An easy “yes.”
Question two requires a director of the co-op to have been a member for at least a year, and to have resided in the district for at least 120 days. This addition, according to the explanation accompanying the question, is to make it more likely that the director is familiar with the district, its residents and issues.
Another “yes.”
Question three eliminates the prohibition of becoming a director if the person is employed by a business selling electricity to the co-op or is a major supplier. According to the ballot explanation, if either situation arises, it can be dealt with by requirements in the co-op’s code of conduct which requires directors to disclose and recuse themselves in the event of a conflict.
Another “Yes.”
Bylaw Amendment #4 will require, for the first time, that a candidate for office will have to disclose their financial and in-kind contributions to a director’s campaign. That transparency is always good government, and deserves a “yes.”
Amendment #5 makes it possible by a vote of three-fourths of the directors to remove a director who does not meet the requirements to hold a director’s position. A “Yes.”
Six adds 15 days both to the notice of the upcoming election (from 60 to 75) and to the date that candidates must file their completed signature petitions (from 45 to 60) with the board. That will allow adequate time to print the ballots.
Seven allows email to be used to provide directors with the notice of a special meeting. An easy “Yes.”
Eight allows insurance as well as bonding to cover the work of a director or officer who is responsible for funds or assets. Another “Yes.”
Nine makes it possible to apply any capital credit to a member’s past due account before distributing the credit. And ten, makes it clearer how a member can submit a proposed bylaw change to the board: if the board does not advance the change to the membership, petition signatures can be acquired to make that occur. Both deserve a “Yes.”
All the proposed bylaws changes make for a better led and better operated co-op in the 21st century. Return your ballot before May 12.
