700 people attend FEC meeting

The member-owners of FEC re-elected Ray Shields, Meadville, to a three-year term on the cooperative’s board of directors. Shields, who has served 14 years on the FEC board, represents Linn County.

Board President Ron Cornett opened the meeting citing the 75th anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s creation of the Rural Electrification Administration, which resulted in the formation of Farmers’ Electric Co-operative three years later.

"I’m still ticked off about not having a power plant under construction at Norborne," Cornett said. "Now we are going to have to generate electricity with gas or by some other means, which means eventually the price to generate power will double."

Cornett said because of the current political climate, "It is currently not an option to build a coal-fixed power plant at this time."

Cornett discussed several different generating options available to the cooperative system in Missouri, pointing out the significant price increases to do so with each option.

"This is a good cooperative," Cornett said. "We have good employees. In fact, we are as good as anybody around. But part of our system is 70 years old and some of our equipment is getting very old."

Cornett said the cooperative was working to replace the oldest parts of FEC’s distribution system, as well as upgrading additional equipment as needed.

In closing his president’s report to the membership, Cornett told FEC members, "It’s time for government to shrink. You need to take an interest in your government. You need to take an interest in what’s going on around you and not sit back and be passive. Contact your representatives and senators and let our leaders know how you feel."

FEC’s Chief Executive Officer Mike Sanders continued the political theme in his speech to the membership.

"For the first time in four years, I don’t have to stand here and explain a rate increase," Sanders said. "But really, this is out of control. This is why the ‘Our Energy, Our Future,’ campaign is so important."

Sanders cited the current move by federal legislators to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating carbon emissions from power plants and other carbon producing manufacturing facilities.

"The Clean Air Act was never meant to regulate carbon," Sanders said. "There’s not one word about regulating carbon in the original Clean Air Act."

Sanders also focused briefly on the proposed cap and trade legislation battle in Congress. Sanders said most of the money from this proposal goes into the "general fund, not for research and development to fight any carbon problem."

Sanders also recognized three FEC employees who had retired or were going to retire in 2010. Sanders thanked Karol Colliver (February), Gary Hamilton, who will retire June 15 and Mary White, who will retire Aug. 31, for their years of service. He also noted the cooperative currently has 42 employees with a combined 730 years of service to the cooperative.

Sanders thanked those in attendance for making it to the annual meeting despite a tornado watch and the continued threat of flooding throughout the cooperative’s service territory.

Dana Macoubrie, FEC’s attorney, conducted the election of the open board seat as well as the election of the 2011 Committee on Nominations. Shields was elected by acclimation after no nominations were received from the floor. Elected to the 2011 Committee on Nominations were Kenneth Lee, Winston, Dennis Farmers, Cowgill, Judith Waters, Norborne, Kay Saale, Chillicothe, Charlotte Miller, Judy Holcer, Meadville, and Dennis Widhalm, Brunswick.

Sixty prizes were given away at the conclusion of the business meeting. The Grand Prize winner was Norman Case, Chillicothe. Case has the option of a large screen television, refrigerator, double oven or a washer and dryer.

Youth winners were also drawn for electric scooters. Anna Daugherty, Sumner, won the girls drawing for the scooter. Landyn Peterson, Chillicothe, won the boys drawing.