February - Rio Grande Electric Co-op

Rio Grande Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Update
Happy Valentine’s Day
February 2010
A Message From The
General Manager/CEO
By Dan Laws
“...the single biggest event that will affect
the size of your electric bill is the weather.”
With the recent cold snap, electric bills will be soaring. In Kinney County, we saw temperatures reach lows not seen for more
than twenty years. For members of Rio Grande Electric Cooperative, the single biggest event that will affect the size of your
electric bill is the weather. Extremely cold nights or hot days do more to raise your electric bill than anything else. I don’t want
to mislead you; there are brief anomalies from time-to-time in the market place that drive up the cost of wholesale power. And,
those anomalies will impact your bill, but consistently, year-in and year-out, weather is the biggest driving factor.
So, why am I overstating the obvious? Because it’s good news for you. It means you have more control over what you pay each
month than you think. You can raise the temperature at which you keep your home in the summer and you can lower the temperature in the winter. You can shut off water heaters that may not be used or not heat the water to as high a temperature. Of course,
you invest in energy efficient appliances. If you are a rancher or a farmer, you control stock water or irrigation pumping with
timers or other smart controls to minimize unnecessary usage.
Ironically, extreme weather often times coincides with the arrival of family and friends. Most of us love to have company and
entertain…especially when it’s our grandchildren. I am sure you would agree the time of year we most often have company is
during holidays or summer, because children are out of school. Our kin folk don’t mean to be a burden, but despite their good
intentions, there are additional costs. You spend more for food. You spend more for gas in the family vehicle. Most certainly,
you will spend more for entertainment. All of these costs are experienced immediately before the visit, during the visit, or immediately after the visit. Since these expenses occur close in time to the visit, it is easy to make the connection.
Not so with your electric bill, however. Company will definitely impact your electric bill, but because of the way billing cycles
come about, it can be some time after the visit before you realize the impact your company had on energy costs. With other
expenses, you immediately know and can mitigate costs. Since you consume electric energy before you know what it costs,
managing your exposure is more difficult.
For these reasons, I encourage you to always assume a worst case scenario, so that you won’t have as big a surprise when you
see your electric bill. Conserve where possible, and in so doing, you not only reduce your expense, you also reduce the Cooperative’s expenses. With company it is more difficult to conserve. No one wants their guests to be uncomfortable, so during visits
we are going to use more. If you had company over the Christmas Holidays, you will not see the impact on your electric bill
until the February billing cycle. So, when you look at your electric bill, remember to think back to your activities over the last
thirty days. When you do so, remember to think about what the weather was doing.
Here at Rio Grande we have only one interest and that is meeting your electric energy needs. Some day, we may be able to let
you know in advance what your energy is going to cost so you can plan. In the meantime, please know that you have a dedicated
staff and board of directors working collectively to keep your energy costs as low as possible and as reliable as possible.
Important: Critical Care Member Form, page 6
Rio Grande Electric Co-op
February, 2010
1
Cold Weather Tips for People, Pets,
and Pipes
Protect Yourself
• Make sure you have sufficient heat at home, and enough blankets.
• Check on people who live alone.
• Make sure you have enough medication to get you through a winter storm.
• Wear layers of clothes when outside. Senior citizens are even more susceptible to
extreme temperature changes and hypothermia.
Protect Your Pipes
• Wrap all exposed pipes located outside or in unheated areas of the home.
• Remove garden hoses from outside faucets. Insulate outside faucets with Styrofoam
cover, rags or paper.
• Cover vent around the foundation of your home.
• Know where your property owner’s cut-off valve is located and how to use it.
Protect Your Pets
• Make sure doghouses are not too large. A correctly sized doghouse should allow your
dog to comfortably lie down and that is it. A doghouse that is too large will not provide
proper insulation to keep your dog warm and frostbite on tails and tips of ears can occur
in severely cold weather. The dog should have a mat or bed inside the doghouse.
• Pets who are outside in cold weather will need extra calories to keep warm. When the
temperature is below freezing, you may need to increase calories by as much as 30%
depending on the pet and housing conditions.
• Shivering is a sign your pet is too cold and indicates the start of hypothermia. A shivering pet should be slowly warmed until signs of hypothermia are gone.
KEEP THE COLD AIR
OUTSIDE THIS WINTER
Fort Stockton
Dell City
O
ld Man Winter has struck in many places in the rural territory of RGEC, and
found some of us not prepared for the cold winter blast. Make sure you are ready
for years to come by making some changes that can keep money in your pocket rather
than paying higher energy bills.
 Look for air leaks inside and around the exterior of your home. Check around mounted lighting fixtures, electrical outlets, and exhaust fans. Fill gaps
around dryer vents, chimneys and faucet pipes.
 Take time to inspect weather stripping between doors and their frames. You can
caulk cracks around windows, door frames, and along walls.
 Leaky windows can be replaced, or consider a temporary fix by using plastic
film kits that will create the effect of an interior storm window.
 Installing a programmable thermostat that will automatically raise and lower
home temperatures for energy savings.
 Make sure your attics are properly insulated.
 Have your furnace checked to make sure it’s operating safely. Change your
filters monthly.
Rio Grande Electric Co-op
February, 2010
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Employee Service Awards
Each year RGEC recognizes employees who have reached special
milestones in their careers with the Co-op. Those honored this
year include:
20 years: Ernesto Mata, Construction Supervisor, Carrizo Springs
Debra Massingill, Plant Accounting Manager,
Brackettville
David Meyer, Construction Supervisor, Brackettville
Elena Luna, Consumer Accounting Specialist III, Brackettville
Jaime Muniz, Electrical Technician, Brackettville
15 years: Frank Rodriquez, Manager of Technical Services, Brackettville
From left: Ernesto Mata, Catarino Aranda, David Meyer,
Martha Gerardo, Debra Massingill, Jaime Muniz,
Vicki Drummond, Susan Moore, Jan Nelson,
Martin Flores, and Elena Luna.
10 years: Jan Nelson, Benefits Administrator II, Brackettville
Martha Gerardo, General Accounting Supervisor,
Brackettville
Martin Flores, Electrical Foreman, Brackettville
Catarino Aranda, Field Tech/Staking Tech, Carrizo Springs
5 years: Ruth Tait, Administrative Secretary, Brackettville
Susan Moore, Customer Service Representative I,
Brackettville
Jeannette Page, Call Center Supervisor, Brackettville
Vicki Drummond, Customer Service Representative I,
Brackettville
Gary Nichols, Project Manager, El Paso
Susie Estrada, Customer Service Representative I, Dell City
Gary Nichols and Susie Estrada
Supervisory
Certification
Carrizo Area Operations Manager Ken Buscher
recently completed the Supervisory Certification
program through National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association. The program consists of a ninecourse requirement.
Part of RGEC’s commitment to its employees and
members is the fulfillment of the fifth Cooperative
Principle: Education, Training, and Information,
which states, “Cooperatives provide education and
training for their members, elected representatives,
managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives.”
To learn more about RGEC, or the Cooperative
Principles, visit our web site at www.riogrande.
coop.
RGEC GM/CEO Dan Laws presents Ken Buscher with his
certificate of Supervisory Course completion. Mr. Buscher
has been with the Co-op for 27 years.
Rio Grande Electric Co-op
February, 2010
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A Reminder How Good Deeds Can Be Rewarding
Co-op members and good deeds often go hand-inhand, and the proof is in the pudding when members
of Rio Grande Electric recently made a good will
pilgrimage to the Warrior and Family Support Center
at Fort Sam Houston.
Lynn and Rose Reagan are Co-op members, and
Rose is a retired Colonel. They made the trip to San
Antonio to donate 183 Rio Grande Electric portfolios
on behalf of RGEC to the recuperating service members and their families, most of which are from Iraq
and Afghanistan.
The donations were greatly appreciated, and will be
included in the service members’ welcome packets.
From left: Rose Reagan, Program Manager Judith Markelz, and
Office Manager Evelyn Jackson.
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Cooperative Principle # 7:
Commitment To Community
Rio Grande’s Brackettville employees put on the gloves for
a day of trash pick up for the “Adopt-A-Highway” program.
The Co-op has participated 2 years along a two-mile stretch
of US Hwy. 90.
Rio Grande Electric Co-op
February, 2010
Rose said, “It was a very rewarding experience and
if Rio Grande Electric would like to donate items in
the future, I would encourage Dan to go personally
and get a tour of the facility. These people have done
remarkable things.”
Electrical Safety Poster Contest!
To promote electrical safety among elementary school students, RGEC is once again conducting the Electrical Safety
Poster Contest! The winner of each division, grades 1-3,
and grades 4-6, will have his/her poster incorporated into
the design of the book covers RGEC supplies to schools
next school year AND will receive a $50 Wal-Mart Gift
Card! Certificates will be awarded for the best posters in
each division.
School personnel will be responsible for entering their
school in the contest, selecting and photographing one winner in each division at each school and sending winning
posters to Rio Grande Electric Cooperative. Poster judging
must be completed and RGEC notified of winners by April
9, 2010. The winning posters from each school will then be
judged by RGEC’s board of directors, and an overall winner
selected in each grade division. Posters will be judged on
creativity and electrical safety principles represented. Each
poster should be labeled on the back with the following
information: Grade, student’s name/age, school & school
district.
ELIGIBILITY: The contest is open to all students, grades
1-6, in any school district in the following counties: Webb,
Uvalde, Val Verde, Reeves, Hudspeth, Dimmit, Kinney,
Terrell, Presidio, El Paso, Maverick, Edwards, Pecos, Jeff
Davis, Zavala, Crockett, Brewster, Culberson, Otero (NM)
and Eddy (NM). Parents need not be members of RGEC.
Schools: Contact Linda LaMarre at llamarre@rgec.coop, or
call 1-800-749-1509 to enroll your school.
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Member Involvement Survey
T
he 2010 Member Involvement Survey will be included in
this month’s billing statement. This allows us ample time to
review each survey and compile the information before area
Member Advisory Committees meet in the spring. The Member
Advisory Committees select members from those who indicate their
willingness to serve on the Member Involvement Survey.
As an added incentive, one member who returns a completed survey
will receive a credit of $100 on their account. This is done by conducting a drawing from among all completed surveys received.
For those who may be unfamiliar with the Member Involvement
Survey, it is your chance to tell us at what level you would like to
be involved in the management of the Co-op. As a member-owned
organization, it is both your right, and your responsibility to participate in the management of the cooperative. The survey serves as a
tool to find out which individuals are willing to do so.
Included on the survey are sections for the following: Advisory
Committee, Nominating Committee, and Board of Directors.
Opportunities To Serve
To serve on the Advisory Committee for your area, one of your
fellow members, whose term is
expiring (3 years), must select you
as their replacement. To qualify,
you need only have an active
membership and be willing to give
up a few hours of your time twice a
year. The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to create a forum in
which the directors, management, and members may discuss problems and concerns that affect the membership at large.
Nominating Committees are selected each year by the board
of directors. The purpose of the committee is to select qualified
candidates to place on the ballot for vacancies or expiring terms on
the board. To qualify, you must have an active membership and be
a resident in the director district for which nominations are sought.
Nominating Committees meet once a year, review the director district membership list, select nominees, obtain an affidavit of eligibility from each nominee and report the results to management.
Members of the board of directors are selected by majority vote
of the membership and serve 3-year terms. To qualify, candidates
must have a residence in the director district for which a nomination
is sought, and must be free of any conflict of interest. (A complete
list of qualifications can be found in the RGEC bylaws, available
at www.riogrande.coop) To serve, a member must be willing to
meet on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, alternating between
Brackettville and Fort Stockton, Texas. If elected, a director must
be willing to spend the time needed to review and become familiar
with RGEC’s operations. This includes bylaws, policies, tariffs, and
applicable corporate law, as well as materials sent out periodically
by management. In addition to the aforementioned, you, along with
fellow directors, will be called upon to make decisions regarding
policy and other issues as they relate to the director’s fiduciary
responsibility.
Rio Grande Electric Co-op
February, 2010
To help you remember to complete and
return your RGEC Member Involvement
Survey, RGEC will conduct a drawing from
among all the completed surveys returned.
The lucky member whose survey is drawn
will receive a $100 credit to his or her
RGEC account.
Surveys must be returned to RGEC by
March 5, 2010,
in order to be eligible for the drawing.
Your participation in the Cooperative is
very important! RGEC relies on those like
you to represent the interests and concerns
of the membership. It’s what makes democratic governance of the Co-op work, and
sets cooperatives apart!
Return completed survey forms to:
RGEC Member Involvement Survey
P.O. Box 1509
Brackettville, TX 78832
(Please remember to include your name on
the form)
Incomplete survey forms will not be included in the drawing.
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What is a Critical Care Member?
Rio Grande Electric Cooperative maintains a list of those requiring electrical power to operate specialized life-sustaining medical equipment. We
call it the Critical Care or Life Support Registry, and it is important that
you provide us with current information at least annually, or whenever
your condition or contact information changes. The form on the following
page should be completed by you and your doctor, and returned to RGEC,
if you are one who requires such medical equipment.
Please note that, depending on weather conditions or the extent of damage
to the electric system, accurate restoration times may be difficult to predict. We’ll do our best to give you all available information that will help
you make decisions. Still, the possibility exists that some customers could
be without power for an extended period. Everyone, but especially those
dependant on medical equipment, should plan ahead for such situations.
Back up generators, extra batteries, flashlights, non-electric telephones and cellular telephones are just a few items to consider.
Before our crews interrupt electric service in your neighborhood to safely perform scheduled maintenance to our system, we will make every
effort to inform you about the planned outage. This applies to all members who will be affected by any scheduled power interruptions. In
order for us to do so, it is important that you provide us with current telephone (including cellular) numbers. This applies to all members -not only those in the Co-op’s Critical Care Registry. When time permits, RGEC may also notify the public of planned interruptions through
local or area newspapers.
Important reminders
Anyone who requires the use of medical equipment should have an alternate source of electric power on hand, such as a battery backup
system, and should consider investing in a portable emergency generator. It is important to follow all safety guidelines when installing or operating a portable generator. RGEC does not provide generators for customers during outages. It is your responsibility to plan for and acquire
a generator, if needed.
When the power goes out, cordless phones usually will not work. However, corded landline telephones should continue to operate normally.
If you have a cell phone, you should keep it fully charged. Remember to program the Co-op’s telephone number in your phone’s directory for easy access. All members should keep meter/account numbers handy for quick reference in the event of an outage. RGEC provides
refrigerator magnets which contain spaces for recording meter and account numbers. If you have misplaced yours, please call and we will
provide you with another one.
If you or a family member rely on life support equipment at home, we recommend that you contact your local emergency management office, ambulance service, sheriff’s or police department to see if they would want to have that information for their records. That way, in the
event of a power outage requiring someone in your home to be evacuated to another location, the emergency responders will have advance
information about the type of medical support needed for the transfer.
What the experts say
The Middle Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging, based in Carrizo Springs, serves nine of RGEC’s eighteen counties in Texas, and provides
information on a variety of services available to seniors. The Agency’s director is Gloria Perez. The agency will make an assessment to
determine need and priority. Critical Care members should be prepared in case of emergency situations -- their lives depend on it. Those with
electrically-powered medical equipment should have contingency plans in case of any power outage or natural disaster. Backup batteries,
emergency generators, extra oxygen, a supply of fresh water and non-perishable food items are but a few of the things to consider before an
emergency situation arises. For information in your specific area, call 2-1-1.
Working hard to serve you better
Unavoidable power outages do happen, despite the investment of millions of dollars each year to strengthen and maintain the electric system.
Sudden severe storms, vehicular accident damage, tree limbs, animal contact, equipment failure, or other problems can interfere with your
electric service and disrupt the flow of power to individual locations or to entire areas. The Co-op has emergency response plans in place and
is ready at all times to begin restoring service as swiftly and safely as conditions allow. But, our members must also do their part to prepare
for the eventuality of a power outage, for their own health, comfort, and safety
Be Prepared in case of emergency situations—your lives depend on it.
Rio Grande Electric Co-op
February, 2010
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Rio Grande Electric Cooperative
Critical Care Medical Form
Electric Account Number:_______________________Meter#______________________
Name of Account Holder:________________________________________________________
Name of Critical Care Person:_____________________________________________________________________
Relationship to Account Holder:
Self
Spouse
Parent
Child
Renter
Other, please specify___________________________________________________________________________
Contact Information: Please include both day and evening numbers.
Telephone number(s) of Account Holder:____________________________________________________________
Telephone number(s) of Critical Care Person or live-in caregiver, if different than Account Holder.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*********************************************************************************************
To be completed by physician - Please type
Description of patient’s medical condition:__________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Critical medical equipment at the residence requiring electric power for operation:___________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Name of Physician:_____________________________________________________________________________
Name of Medical Facility at which Physician Practices:________________________________________________
Pysician’s mailing address:_______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Physician’s Phone Number:_______________________________________________________________________
Note To Physician: With regard to planned power outages, Rio Grande Electric
Cooperative (RGEC) will attempt to contact your patient requiring electrically-powered
medical equipment in advance so that they can make arrangements for transport to
another location, if necessary. However, because of the wide variety of circumstances under
which (unplanned) power outages occur, RGEC cannot guarantee restoration time. If your
patient has critically immportant medical equipment that requires electric power for
operation, they should have a back-up source of power available at their residence.
___________________________________________________
Signature of Licensed Medical Doctor
Rio Grande Electric Co-op
February, 2010
_____________________
Date Signed
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RIO GRANDE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.
Summary of Board Meeting Minutes December 16, 2009
A meeting of Rio Grande Electric Cooperative, Inc.’s Board of Directors was
called to order at the Headquarters office in Kinney County, Texas at 8:05 a.m.
on December 16, 2009. The following Directors were present for the meeting:
Frank Archuleta, Jimmy Ballew, James Evrage, Kimball Miller, Henry Mills,
Mark Daugherty, Stephen Haynes, Donald Herschap, Rowdy Holmsley, Margarita Nelson, Priscilla Parsons, Bill White, and Cindy Whitehead. Also present
for the meeting were General Manager/CEO Daniel G. Laws, Administrative
Services Supervisor, and Administrative Secretary Sonya Cruz.
Approved
Heard
Heard
Approved
Approved
Selected
Heard
Discussed
Approved
Approved
Heard
Heard
Approved
Approved
Reviewed
Approved
Adjourned
November 18, 2009 Board Minutes as Presented
Financial Reports
Cost of Service Study Presentation by Marty Blake of The Prime Group
2009 Write-off of Bad Debts as Presented
2010 Salary Administration Plany
Annual RGEC Essay Topic, “The Cooperative Advantage;” Two Essay Winners will each receive a Laptop Computer Pursuant to Board Policy 1.4.5.
Engineering Update by Larry Powell, Director of Engineering
Wholesale Power Supply Status/Negotiations
Authorization to Execute CFC Resolution Increasing Corporate Credit Limit with US Bank
Authorization to Seek Proposals to Repave Commercial Access Road to Brackettville Warehouse
General Manager/CEO Report
Committee Reports
General Manager/CEO & Director Expenses
October’s New/Revoked Memberships
Check Register and Arrears Report
2010 Budget as Revised
1:54 p.m.
Note: The summary above is provided so that members can follow the activities of the
board, and is not intended to be exhaustive. Should you wish to know more details on
a particular item or items, please contact the director for your district or the General
Manager/CEO’s office.
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
*Jimmy Ballew, President
District 3
P.O. Box 559
Brackettville, TX 78832
830-563-2869 (H)
*William White, Vice Pres.
District 4A
HCR 3, 253 Packsaddle Circle
Del Rio, TX 78840
830-775-5053 (H)
*Cindy Whitehead, Secretary
District 3A
P.O. Box 1559
Brackettville, TX 78832
830-563-9751 (H)
Rowdy Holmsley, Treasurer
District 6
P.O. Box 221
Sheffield, TX 79781
432-836-4350 (H)
*Frank Archuleta
District 9
P.O. Box 221
Dell City, TX 79737
915-964-2464 (H)
*Mark Daugherty
P.O. Box 744
Alpine, TX 79831
*James Evrage
P.O. Box 531
Dell City, TX 79837
*Stephen Haynes
P.O. Box 1088
Rocksprings, TX 78880
R. Donald Herschap
P.O. Box 1751
Fort Stockton, TX 79735
Priscilla Parsons
P.O. Box 51
Crystal City, TX 78839
District 7
432-345-2604 (H)
District 9
575-963-2340 (H)
District 4
830-395-2283 (H)
District 8
432-336-7867 (H)
District 2
830-374-9775 (H)
*Kimball Miller
District 7
P.O. Box 2153
Fort Davis, TX 79734
432-249-0449 (H)
*Henry Mills, III
District 5
406 Canyon Creek Drive
Del Rio, TX 78840
830-775-5629 (H)
Save Energy $ Save Money
By resetting your programmable thermostat
from 72 degrees to 65 degrees for eight
hours a day (for instance, while no one is
home or while everyone is tucked in bed)
you can cut your heating bill by up to 10
percent.
*Margarita Nelson
District 1
HC2 Box 53
Carrizo Springs, TX 78831 830-876-3223 (H)
Dan Laws, General Manager/CEO
P.O. Box 240
Brackettville, TX 78832
830-563-2444 (W)
830-563-9717 (H)
* Credentialed Cooperative Director
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy
Rio Grande Electric Co-op
February, 2010
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