VV 200911 - Roseau Electric Cooperative

&
VOLTS VIEWS
An aerial view
of the Country
Corn Maze.
NOVEMBER 2009
The Country
Corn Maze…
cobs and cobs of fun!
By Sara Jean Thompson
“I
think the kids thought I was
crazy,” chuckled Camille Krahn
when she talked about how the
idea for a corn maze got started.
“We’re farmers, so we get lots of
farm magazines and corn mazes are
always being featured in them. I often
thought that it would be something
fun to do.”
The Krahn family operates Green
Pastures Dairy, five miles south of
Warroad on County Road 5 and a half
mile east on County Road 12. “A couple years ago we visited a corn maze
near Winnipeg and after that we just
thought we should give it a try here.”
The adventure begins here. Some complete the
two and a half miles of trails in as little as 16
minutes while others walk for more than an hour.
Camille, along with her husband, Art,
and their seven children spent months
planning.
“Our family talked about it almost
every night all winter; at first we DID
think it was crazy,” said daughter
Naomi. Once the idea took hold there
was no stopping this family from embarking on an a-maze-ing journey.
The long, cold winter last year
provided ample time for researching.
“There must be 2,000 corn mazes in
the United States,” said Camille, and
she looked into many of them through
Web sites and magazines. “It was fun,”
she said, “I love projects.” The Krahn
family developed a plan with one
simple goal in mind…to see other
families enjoy the farm.
The first order of business was to
design the maze. This took some real
ingenuity for these first time mazemakers. “Some people use GPS to
create the maze, but I couldn’t figure
out how to do that, so I just used grid
paper,” Camille explained.
Knowing the corn was going to
be planted 30 inches apart in rows
going both directions, the grid paper
seemed like a good idea. The image
Camille created for the maze was of a
(continued on page 4)
Recovering the revenue shortfall
From your manager Mike Adams
L
ast month this newsletter included a feature article entitled,
“Minnkota Faces Revenue
Shortfall.” Well, I have lousy news for
you…that shortfall is $20 million and
Minnkota’s board has painfully decided those dollars should be recovered with a 0.5 cent adder to every
kilowatt-hour (kWh) they sell to us
and their wholesale customers. Your
staff and board have also painfully
decided to pass that 0.5 cent adder
per kWh on to you, our customer at
the end of the line. The adder will
remain on your bill in the form of a
surcharge for 12 months or until the
shortfall accumulated in 2009 has
been recovered.
Minnkota is way ahead of the
curve when it comes to wind energy.
In fact, its mix of approximately 32
percent wind is very aggressive and
the highest percentage of any utility in the country. Please remember
that within our state of Minnesota,
there is a mandate that 25 percent of
our energy portfolio must include
renewables by the year 2025. Our
wind energy numbers have received
numerous accolades from the media
and green enthusiasts.
The decision to invest in wind
seemed to be a good one, and probably will be a good one again someday,
but for now, it is the primary reason
for the revenue shortfall. Minnkota
does not own the wind generators
and is purchasing the wind energy
on a ‘take or pay’ contract. They were
on the cutting edge of signing wind
energy contracts with the original
wind developers in the region. Those
contracts were priced considerably
less than the same developers are
currently charging investors needing
to meet their 25 percent renewable
mandates. Consequently, it was a
pay me now or pay me MORE later
scenario.
Most of the wind energy is surplus at this time and resold into the
energy pool. Due to the depressed
economy, energy cutbacks and
industrial shutdowns, the energy in
the market is priced extremely low…
about 2 cents per kWh less than
normal. Minnkota purchased 1.4
billion kWh of wind in 2009. With a
loss of 2 cents for each of those kWh
purchased, the number amounts
to a $28 million shortfall. Some of
those dollars were recovered due to a
scheduled plant outage, but the bottom line is the energy surcharge on
your bill.
When I started work at your
cooperative in the Member Services department during the early
’80s, Minnkota was building a new
coal-fired generating plant. The unit
was referred to as its “Jewel on the
Prairie.” We were extremely proud
of the project, but there were bills to
be paid. We had an increase in our
wholesale power costs of approximately 55 percent during those first
three years. Things eventually settled
down by the middle to end of that
decade and we have enjoyed lowcost, reliable energy for the past 20
years.
We have little control over
Minnkota’s wholesale power costs to
us and they make up approximately
60 percent of our total costs of doing
business. On the distribution side, we
have depreciation and interest on our
plant, which include maintenance
and operation of those facilities, plus
(continued on page 6)
IN THIS ISSUE ...
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3
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6
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From your manager
NOVEMBER 2009 – Vol. 54, No. 11
Reporting an outage
From within our office
Operating statistics
2010 director elections
Bylaws
Member connection
1107 3rd Street N.E.
The Volts & Views (USPS-663420) is published
monthly by Roseau Electric Cooperative, Inc.,
P.O. Box 100, Roseau, MN 56751. Periodicals
postage paid at Roseau, MN. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to ROSEAU ELECTRIC
COOPERATIVE, INC., P.O. Box 100, Roseau,
MN 56751.
Michael R. Adams . . . . . . . . . .General Manager
R.E. Spicer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant Manager
Don Brunell . . . . . . . . . . . . Line Superintendent
Ryan Severson . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Member Services
Tracey Stoll . . . . . . . . . . . . . Information Services
Regular Business Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. • Phone (218) 463-1543
OUTAGE CALLS: 463-1544; Toll-Free 1-888-847-8840; DirecTV 1-800-301-6904
DirecTV
Volts & Views •
Official Publication of
Roseau Electric Cooperative, Inc.
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joel Erickson
Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melvin Ortmann
Secretary-Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . Collin Jensen
Directors . . . . . .Roger Amundson, Jack Ehlers,
Shawn Gust, Curtis Hukee,
Dale Moser, Mark Sax
November 2009
Reporting an outage
Please familiarize yourself and your family with a course of action in the
event you have a power outage. First and foremost, always be safe and stay
clear of potential dangers from electricity!
From within
our office
RANDY SPICER
Assistant Manager
If you experience an outage, follow these steps:
Rate increase
in November
1. Wait a few minutes to see if the power will come on by itself.
2. If it does not, call your neighbors to see if they are off too.
3. If their power is also out, report that when you call your cooperative
about the outage. Have your customer number and location number
(from your bill).
4. If your neighbors are not out of power, check your fuses or circuit breakers both in the house and on the meter pole (if you have fuses and breakers there). Check your meter: if it is turning or has a red light in it, you
may need an electrician. This is an important step because if you call the
cooperative and the problem causing the outage is on your side of the
meter, you will be billed for the service call. Calls after regular business
hours will be billed at overtime service call rates. To reset breakers, turn
them all the way to the “off ” position, then all the way back to the “on”
position. If you have fuses, replace if they are blown or suspect.
5. If the fuses or breakers are good, report the outage by calling 463-1544 or
888-847-8840. You will be asked for your customer number, your location number, your full name and the name we have on our records for the
account. If you have some idea what may have caused the outage, please
give this information also.
It is also important to report an outage during or after a major storm,
even if you think the cooperative should know of your outage. Be patient,
but check back after a couple hours if the power hasn’t been restored.
During business hours call 463-1543 or 888-847-8840, which will connect you with the Roseau office. Regular business hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays. After business hours call 218463-1544, which will connect you with our dispatch office and then someone
will contact the line worker on call.
OPERATING STATISTICS
Through August (YTD)
Consumers Served
kWh Purchased
% Increase (Decrease)
Revenue
Cost of Power
Other Expenses
Operating Margins
Non-operating Margins
Patronage Dividends
Total Margins
Monthly Total
2008
2009
8/08
—
118,396,472
5.10%
8,088,219
4,678,414
3,135,681
274,124
90,732
197,803
—
116,531,104
(1.58)%
9,095,920
5,082,360
3,316,555
697,005
96,641
200,760
6,353
10,441,613
(6.53)%
792,083
497,758
453,543
(159,218 )
14,078
109,535
562,659
994,406
(35,605 )
8/09
6,339
9,723,866
(6.87)%
870,550
539,459
407,536
(76,445 )
11,819
83,019
Y
our cooperative will experience its largest dollar
wholesale rate increase in its
billing history. The approximate
wholesale cost will be around
$900,000 based upon one year’s
purchases. The increase will
take effect with the November
energy bill.
The reason for this increase
is explained in this newsletter and previous newsletters.
Minnkota Power is adding a 0.5
cent per kilowatt-hour (kWh)
to our wholesale power bill.
We are passing this on to
the members in a similar fashion. Roseau Electric is not adding anything to the cost. All the
monies raised from the adder
go directly to Minnkota. Your
cooperative will be impacted by
line loss and unmetered yard
lights. We expect this cost to
our cooperative membership to
be about $60,000.
The adder amount will be
listed separately on your energy
bill. The increase will effectively
raise your off-peak rate from
4.4 to 4.9 cents and your regular
rate from 8.8 to 9.3 cents (per
kWh). Your individual dollar amount will depend on the
amount of kWh you use. If you
use 1,000 kWh/month, your bill
will increase $5 per month.
The only good news from
the increase is it is supposed
to be temporary. The bottom
line is this increase and future
increases are due to increased
environmental mandates and
alternative energy mandates.
18,393
November 2009
• Volts & Views
3
A bridge in the
midst of the
maze was a
popular stop
and offered a
little perspectiv
e
as to where to
go next.
The concession
stand offered
treats available
for purchase,
word game
cards, maps and
even glow-inthe-dark trinkets
for nighttime
adventurers.
a fun
hts offered
Friday nig venture for those
ad
and scary h to try it.
ug
brave eno
Corn Maze
(continued from page 1)
man on a tractor pulling a hay wagon
by a barn.
Once the corn grew 6 to 10 inches
high, grid paper in hand, Art began
the process of mowing the maze. The
man on the tractor seemed to take
shape nicely, the hay wagon proved a
little more challenging and the design
at the top became even more confusing. It took about four days to create
the design with a push mower in the
seven-acre corn field. Several times
Art and Camille Krahn along with their
seven children were pleased with the
debut year of “The Country Corn Maze.”
4
Volts & Views •
November 2009
throughout the summer the trails were
groomed as the corn grew around the
two and a half miles of trails.
After tending to their creation all
summer, at the end of August it was
time to see if the maze really looked
like it was supposed to. The only way
to find out was to hop on a plane. Just
days before opening the maze to the
public, Art had a chance to fly up and
take some aerial pictures.
“Up until then, we didn’t know if
the maze we designed actually looked
the way we wanted it to.” Camille explained, “We were pleasantly surprised
that it turned out!”
Throughout the summer Camille
diligently worked on putting up the
Web site, www.countrycornmaze.
com. “Our site is really a high-grade
blog,” said Camille, who also operates a family blog. The site tells a lot
about what to expect at the corn maze,
while also answering the big question:
“What if I get lost?” Answer: “You
will get lost! That’s part of the fun…If
you can’t find your way out, we’ll find
you when we harvest the corn! Just
kidding!”
Hayrides were fre
e
and offered a re
laxing ride.
The Country Corn Maze was
open for business Fridays and Saturdays from Aug. 29 through Oct. 3. In
that time, nearly 2,000 people went
through the maze.
“It was about what we expected,
we had all ages come through,” offered
Camille enthusiastically. “Lots of
birthday parties and school groups; it
was great! Friday nights were especially fun.”
Friday the maze was open until 11
p.m. Anyone venturing in after dark
needed a flashlight and an adventurous spirit. “It’s a whole different
atmosphere going through at night. It’s
scary! You lose your sense of direction, you can hear the corn rustling,
people would hide and jump out…
it was fun to hear all the hooting and
hollering.”
For most people, it took about
an hour to get through the maze. But
there were some that made it through
in record time. “I think the fastest
anyone made it through the maze was
16 minutes,” Naomi recalled. “And
there were some that took over an
hour. We were also surprised by how
The hay bale castle was a popular attraction. Youngsters grinned from ear to ear as they scaled the walls, played tag, slid down the
sides of the bales and jumped around. Little eyes grew wide as they spotted Speck, the calf, in the corner of the castle.
many people came out the entrance
end to an adventure-filled time at the
and never made their way all the way
Country Corn Maze.
around.” When asked the secret to getThe entire family worked at the
ting through the maze, Camille said
maze almost every weekend and was
there was some truth to the old story
humbled by the comments visitors
about mazes. “Take all left turns,” she
shared. “I can’t believe how grateful
said.
people are,” said Camille. “Everyone
The main goal of the maze was
seemed to really enjoy themselves.
to wander around the curves, paths
One man said it was like being inside
and dead ends until you found your
a video game!”
way out. Part of the fun was
The Krahns were very
finding all the letters to a
impressed
with the respect
“It’s a whole different
word game. Each adventhe
visitors
had for their
atmosphere going
turer received a game card
property.
Th
ey had been to
through at night. It’s
before entering the maze
other
mazes
where the trail
scary! You lose your
and had to attempt to find
boundaries had not been
sense of direction,
letters hidden on signs
respected. “We didn’t have
you can hear the corn
throughout the maze. If
that problem at all; for the
rustling, people would most part, everyone stayed
you found all of them and
hide and jump out…it on the trail and left the
figured out the saying on
was fun to hear all the corn alone.” Camille went
your card, you received a
hooting and hollering.” on to explain that the corn
free dum dum pop.
The maze was not the
would be chopped and
only attraction at the farm. There were
made into silage for the cows.
many other family-friendly things
Most people wanted to know if
to see and do. The Krahns included
they were going to do it again. The
hayrides, a large water balloon slinganswer to that is a very certain, YES!
shot and a hay bale castle, along with
Folks in this rural part of northern
campfires that made for a perfect
Minnesota can count on enjoying the
farm and bringing their friends and
family to the maze again next year.
So what will next year’s maze look
like? The Krahns are keeping that a
secret, but they did say folks can look
forward to a few new surprises.
Ready, aim, fire! One of the main attractions at the maze was the giant water
balloon slingshot.
November 2009
• Volts & Views
5
2010 Director Elections
R
oseau Electric Cooperative, Inc. is
organized as a cooperative and is
owned by its members. The membership
elects a board of directors to represent
them in the operation of the cooperative.
Three directors will be elected at
the 2010 annual meeting scheduled for
March 27 at the Roseau School Theatre
in Roseau. The directors whose terms
expire in 2010 are:
DISTRICT 2 (3-year term)
Jack Ehlers
DISTRICT 5 (3-year term)
Roger Amundson
DISTRICT 8 (3-year term)
Shawn Gust
Nomination by petition
Starting in 2010, no nominating
committee will be used. All nominations
will be done by petition, including the
incumbents.
Roseau Electric Cooperative
Director Districts
6
Volts & Views •
November 2009
Any 10 or more members who reside in Districts 2, 5 or 8 may nominate
an eligible member for a director position in that district. No member may
be elected to a director position unless
nominated in this manner. No write-in
ballots shall be accepted.
Petition forms are available
at the cooperative’s office
Director candidates must pick up a
petition and a director packet at Roseau
Electric Cooperative, Inc. in Roseau. The
packet contains additional forms that
must be signed and turned in before the
deadline.
Petition deadline
The cooperative must receive the
completed petition no later than the
close of business at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 26, 2010.
Petition for Nomination
The following members wish to nominate [insert name] ______________________________________________ ,
for the director position from District [insert “2”, “5” or “8”] _________ for the three-year term, and to place such
name on the ballot for the March 27, 2010, election at the annual meeting of the Cooperative, in accordance with
Article III, Section 5, of the bylaws.
NAME
ADDRESS
CUSTOMER NO.
(from your bill)
1. ____________________________ ____________________________________
______________________
2. ____________________________ ____________________________________
______________________
3. ____________________________ ____________________________________
______________________
4. ____________________________ ____________________________________
______________________
5. ____________________________ ____________________________________
______________________
6. ____________________________ ____________________________________
______________________
7. ____________________________ ____________________________________
______________________
8. ____________________________ ____________________________________
______________________
9. ____________________________ ____________________________________
______________________
10. ____________________________ ____________________________________
______________________
11. ____________________________ ____________________________________
______________________
12. ____________________________ ____________________________________
______________________
13. ____________________________ ____________________________________
______________________
14. ____________________________ ____________________________________
______________________
15. ____________________________ ____________________________________
______________________
E
L
P
AM
S
The Cooperative must receive the completed petition no later than the close of business Tuesday, January 26, 2010.
At the annual meeting scheduled for March 27, 2010, elections will be held for a three-year term each for one director
in District 2, one director in District 5 and one director in District 8.
The directors whose terms expire in 2010 are as follows:
DISTRICT 2
DISTRICT 5
DISTRICT 8
3-year term
Jack Ehlers
3-year term
Roger Amundson
3-year term
Shawn Gust
Any 10 or more members who reside in District 2, 5 or 8 may nominate an eligible member for a director position
in that district. No member may be elected to a director position unless nominated in this manner. In the event of joint
membership, only the signature of one joint member shall be acceptable.
From your manager
(continued from page 2)
administration expenses. We balance
those costs with the need for service
reliability and customer service. You
have become accustomed to good, reliable service at a reasonable price and
we wouldn’t have it any other way.
As we move into the future,
Minnkota will inevitably be faced
with rising costs. Environmental and
energy conservation mandates, temporary surplus capacity, the country’s
economic downturn, transmission
upgrades, a potential tax on carbon
that would hit our area much harder
than the East or West Coasts…the
list is lengthy. Minnkota continues to
grow and someday that surplus energy
will be necessary for its own needs
and potentially profitable in the pool.
Minnkota is taking the responsible
steps necessary to ensure that we have
a reasonably priced, reliable source of
energy well into the future.
If it is any consolation, the nation’s
entire electrical industry is faced with
most of these same issues. Consequently, Minnkota continues to have
some of the best rates in the country
and our extended contract with them
ensures that you do too.
Roseau Electric Cooperative Bylaws
Section 5. Nominations.
(a) Any ten (10) or more members who reside in any one district may nominate an eligible member for
a director position in that district. Such nomination shall be in writing and signed by said ten (10)
members, or more, and delivered to the secretary at least sixty (60) days before the members’ meeting.
Incumbent candidates shall also obtain and timely submit such a petition. Not less than one-hundred
twenty (120) days before the annual members’ meeting, notice of the aforementioned sixty (60) day
deadline for the petitions shall be provided to the members by mail or through the Cooperative’s regularly published magazine, periodical or other publication.
(b) In the event that no nominees via petition are received at least sixty (60) days before the members’
meeting, the seated board of directors may nominate one or more candidates per district to be elected;
provided, however, that such candidates be designated as board-nominated on the ballot(s) and provided that no incumbent may be so nominated by the board of directors.
(c) The members may, at any meeting at which a director(s) shall be removed, as heretofore provided, elect
a successor(s) thereto without compliance with the provisions found herein with respect to nominations.
(d) If a member is absent from any meeting, the member may vote by mail for the election of directors as
provided in these bylaws, or as may be permitted by law.
(e) No member may be elected to a director position unless nominated in the manner provided by this
section. No write-in ballots shall be accepted and no nominations may be made from the floor.
(f) Failure to comply with any of the provisions of this section shall not affect in any manner whatsoever
validity of any election of directors.
The secretary shall be responsible for mailing, along with the notice of the members’ meeting, or separately,
but at least ten (10) days before the date of the members’ meeting, a statement of the number of directors to
be elected and the names and addresses of the candidates nominated for each district.
Section 3. Qualifications. Persons eligible to become or remain a director of the Cooperative shall:
(a) be a member in good standing of the Cooperative, receiving electric service at the member’s primary
residence in the district from which the director is to be elected prior to being nominated for director;
For purposes of these bylaws, “primary residence” shall mean the residence that is the chief or main
residence of the person and where the person actually lives for the most substantial portion of the year.
(b) have voting rights within the district from which the director is to be elected;
(c) not be employed by, materially affiliated with, or have a material financial interest in, any director,
individual or entity which either is:
(1) directly or substantially competing with the Cooperative; or
(2) selling goods and services in substantial quantity to the Cooperative; or
(3) possessing a substantial conflict of interest with the Cooperative;
For purposes of this section, the terms “material” or “substantially” shall be interpreted as constituting a minimum of 5% of a member’s total hours of employment, sales, or income on an annual basis.
(d) not be an employee or not have been an employee of the Cooperative within the last three (3) years;
(e) not be a close relative of an employee, where as found in these bylaws “close relative” means any
individual who is, either by blood, law, or marriage, including half, step, foster, and adoptive relations, a
spouse, child, grandchild, parent, grandparent, or sibling, or principally resides in the same residence;
(f) be only one, and not more than one, member of a joint membership; provided, however, that none shall
be eligible to become or remain a director or to hold a position of trust in the Cooperative unless all
shall meet the qualifications herein set forth;
(g) if a representative or agent of a member is not a natural person, i.e. a corporation, partnership, limited
liability company, or similar, then the representative or agent designated as a nominee for director shall
be an individual residing within the external boundaries of the district from which (s)he is nominated;
(h) not have been convicted of a felony while a director, nor at any time prior to becoming a director; and
(i) agree to regularly attend all board, annual and special members’ meetings, and in no case have more
than three (3) unexcused absences within a twelve (12) month period of time.
Nothing contained in this section shall affect in any manner whatsoever the validity of any action taken
at any meeting of the board of directors.
(j) Exceptions. In regard to the restrictive provisions of this section that are based upon close relative relationships, no incumbent director shall lose eligibility to remain a director or to be re-elected a director
if, during a director’s incumbency, a director becomes a first kindred relative of another incumbent
director or of a Cooperative employee because of a marriage or an adoption to which the director was
not a party.
(k) Disqualification. After the board of directors determines that a director or a nominee for director lacks
eligibility under the provisions of this section or as may be provided elsewhere in these bylaws, it shall
be the duty of the board to promptly make a disqualification. After the board of directors determines
that any person being considered for, or already holding, a directorship lacks eligibility under this
section, it shall be the duty of the board of directors to withhold such position from such person or to
cause a director to be removed therefrom, as the case may be.
member
connect on
ENERGY TIP
Watch for early season sales on LED
holiday lighting, and change out your
old strings as they stop working. LED
lights burn cool, have a unique glow
that is very attractive, and the savings
in kilowatt usage is incredible!
ATTENTION FARMERS
Roseau Electric will allow the off-peak
rate for grain dryers as part of the load
management program. This is available on the electric elements only, not
motors. Contact your electrician or
Member Services at Roseau Electric,
463-1543 for more information.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Not all those who wander
are lost.”
– J.R.R. Tolkien, 1892 - 1973
DATES TO REMEMBER
Nov. 3 – Election day
Nov. 5 – Electric bill is due
Nov. 11 – Veterans Day
Office is closed
Nov. 26 – Thanksgiving holiday
Office is closed
OFFICE HOURS
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
AFTER HOURS/OUTAGE NUMBER
1-218-463-1544
CALL BEFORE YOU DIG
1-800-252-1166 or 811
DIRECTV – 1-800-301-6904
OUR WEB SITE ADDRESS
www.roseauelectric.coop
Cooperative Month
open house
winners
Lock & Go Electric Grill
Kathy Grahn, Roseau
Tabletop Electric Grill
Curtis Olson, Wannaska
$50 Credit Certificate
Shirley Miller, Falun
Jean Johnson, Warroad
November 2009
• Volts & Views
7