The 81st Member Appreciation Day and Annual Meeting of the Miami-Cass County Rural Electric Membership Corporation was held at the Miami-Cass REMC headquarters, Peru, Indiana, on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020.
Due to COVID-19, the meeting was held virtually, a first for the cooperative. Members registered for the meeting by completing a card and returning it into the REMC just prior to the meeting. All registered members were entered into a drawing for a chance to win one of the following prizes: $500 bill credit, $100 bill credit, $50 gift card or $25 gas gift card. There were 372 cards sent to the REMC which represented 7.58 percent of the voting membership.
Kim Burton welcomed everyone at 5:30 p.m., and the invocation was given by Pastor Cole Westward. The national anthem was then played.
REMC Board president Jim Savage called the meeting to order and thanked everyone who was able to join the first-ever virtual annual meeting. He stated that in much the same way that the REMC set out to help drastically improve the lives of those in rural Miami and Cass counties by bringing them electricity, the cooperative is now working to bring high-speed internet to those same rural areas by building a fiber optic network. He also stated that all of the Miami-Cass REMC employees are dedicated to bringing the best, most-reliable electric and internet services to their members. Lastly, he stated that the board had recently accepted and approved the annual financial audit.
A motion was made and seconded to dispense with the reading of last year’s annual meeting minutes, along with the proof of mailing notice and treasurer’s report. Motion carried. A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes as printed in the September Indiana Connection magazine, which was mailed to each registered member. Motion carried.
CEO Rob Schwartz welcomed everyone and commented on the unusual circumstances of meeting virtually. He shared that 2020 has been one of the busiest years since 2008 and that the REMC remains financially strong. He also said that he doesn’t foresee a rate increase for 2021, and that the REMC would evaluate at the end of 2021 if another rate study is needed.
Schwartz also shared about the purchase of the broadband company Broadway Broadband and about the priority to install fiber in all areas where it is fiscally responsible. High speed wireless options will be provided where that is not possible.
Jeremy Fetty, Miami-Cass REMC attorney, announced that the board appointments ran uncontested this year and that the following board members were thus duly elected to serve for another three-year term.
DISTRICT 1 – Todd Smith
DISTRICT 4 – Tony Caldwell
Prize drawings were conducted with the grand prizes being two $500 credit and ten $100 credits on member’s electric bill. In addition to the bill credits, ten $50 gift cards and twenty $25 gas cards were given.
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 6 p.m.
