June 2000

News & Views from Your Elected Representatives

Minutes of the Meeting Held on:

April 25, 2000

The April 25, 2000 meeting of the board was called to order by President Nancy Towslee with all directors in attendance.
      Administrative Services Manager Jack Belleque reported that so far this year, 200 revolvement claims, totaling over $20,000, have been paid out to past customers. Publication of the names and amounts will appear in the Statesman Journal two more times this year.
      Engineering and Operations Manager Roger Kuhlman advised the board that March 2000 was another month where Salem Electric had no preventable power outages--this was the sixth time in company history this has happened. He complimented our dedicated line crew.
      Member Services Manager Terry Kelly reported that 24 homes of customers meeting the income guidelines, received total weatherization in 1999. So far in 2000, 14 homes have been funded through the Salem Electric low-income weatherization program.
      General Manager Bob Speckman reported on a devastating home fire impacting one of Salem Electric's employees. Staff took up a successful collection to assist the family in recovering some of their loss. This staff effort speaks to the "family" feeling within the company.
      Much of the meeting was spent in reviewing the results of Salem Electric's annual audit completed by our new audit firm, Salem’s local CPA firm of Kenneth Kuhns and Co. The firm performs audits on several other Oregon electric cooperatives. Salem Electric was complimented for having excellent internal controls and no changes were recommended. The firm provided a review of the Balance Sheet and Statement of Cash Flows. A copy of the audit report is available for review at the Salem Electric office.

Meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

Curt Culver
Secretary/Treasurer

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SE Annual Meeting

Nancy Towslee and Jeff Anderson were both re-elected by the membership at the Salem Electric Annual Meeting which was held May 9, 2000.
      In an organizational meeting following the annual meeting, the Board reappointed the following officers to a second term:

President: Nancy Towslee	Vice-President: Murray McCreary	Secretary/Treasurer: Curt Culver

    Nancy Towslee and I joined a number of Oregon electric cooperative managers and board members attending the National Rural Electric Cooperative association’s "Legislative Rally" in Washington, D.C. in early May.
      Each year about 4,000 representatives of consumer-owned cooperatives from all over the country "press the flesh" and lobby their state delegations.
      This year we were able to see the entire Oregon delegation in both the House and the Senate.
      Federal legislation aimed at dismantling Regulation was a hot topic. We learned that the Senate was moving a deregulation bill to the full committee. Our presence in D.C. could not have come at a better time, as a number of congressmen from the East coast were threatening legislation to take away the benefits of the Northwest hydro system which provides us with low-cost power. We reminded the delegation that the benefits of the regional hydro system, coupled with the costs of salmon recovery and conservation, were entirely being funded by "local" ratepayers in the Northwest.
      This is an important fact to note, as one Eastern congressman believes the federal treasury is subsidizing our low-cost energy and has distributed a letter to the full Congress. We were assured that our representatives would cosign a letter correcting this errant lawmaker.
      It’s very apparent that we must maintain a close watch, not only on federal legislation, but on what’s happening in our own backyard at the State Capitol.

      Jeff Anderson
      Director