• Chairman Tom Crowe called the April 25, 2019, meeting to order at 6:30 p.m., and Jason Barnhorst kept minutes of the meeting.
• All members of the board were present. Also present was DCREMC CEO Brett Abplanalp and DCREMC Bookkeeper Jennie Meyer.
• Upon motion by Steve AmRhein, seconded by Brian Scheidler, and carried, the agenda of the meeting was approved by unanimous vote.
• The financial report was reviewed on Call to Order. It was noted revenues and margins continue to fall below budget, with sales volume down 3.8% year-to-date. Controllable expenses are also below budget, but mostly due to timing.
• The financial report was accepted by the board as prepared and will be filed for audit.
• Upon motion by Jeff Lawrence, seconded by Michael Brelage, and carried, the consent agenda was approved by unanimous vote.
• The CEO report was given by Abplanalp and reviewed on CTO. The right-of-way spraying specification has been drafted. The Construction Work Plan (CWP), certification resolution, operations audit, 10-year financial forecast, and requested loan amount are in process. Once these numbers are verified, they will be presented to the board for approval.
• The Hoosier Energy board of directors meeting was held March 27. The Clean Energy Jobs Act proposal was filed in Illinois in February. This proposal would require all municipals and co-ops to meet state renewable portfolio standards (RPS). Under this legislation, all generation must come from carbon-free resources by June 1, 2030. Next meeting will be May 13, 2019.
• The Hoosier Energy annual meeting was held April 4 and was attended by Brett Abplanalp, Tom Crowe, Jason Barnhorst, and Jeff Lawrence.
• AmRhein gave the IEC board meeting update. AmRhein reported that the Project Indiana initiative recently powered 90 more homes in Guatemala. Information about this charitable cause can be found at www.ProjectIndiana.org.
• AmRhein also reported that, thanks to the efforts of IEC, DCREMC saved approximately $57,055 in property taxes for 2018.
• 2019 projects update was given by Abplanalp. 1.) Certification audit/safe app, including crew visits, 2.) Property fence completion and functional by the end of May, 3.) Prepay pilot program has begun, 4.) iVUE Connect software will be available in June, 5.) Pole replacement bid packets are out and are due back by May 8.
• Abplanalp also reviewed the strategic execution process. This is a cyclical process that will identify, analyze, and prioritize projects and align them with DCREMC 10-year financial forecast and budget. This will help prioritize spending.
• A resolution for commitment to zero contacts initiative was presented by Abplanalp. Upon motion by Brelage, seconded by Young, and carried, this campaign was adopted by DCREMC. Motion carried by unanimous vote.
• The following policies were reviewed with the board;
Policy 1-9, Director Participation in Political Affairs
Policy 1-2, Board of Directors Meetings
Policy, 1-3, Board-CEO & Employee Relationship
No need for updates were noted.
Old Business
• Upon consensus of the board, DCREMC staff will prepare a draft of a new financial policy manual and present it to the board for approval.
• Upon motion by Brelage, seconded by Dale Wernke, and carried, changes to Policy 2-9 Non-permanent Three-Phase Service were approved as presented on CTO. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
New Business
• Abplanalp reported on the impact of allowing smaller commercial accounts to be on the Large Coincidental Peak Service (LCP) tariff. Our rate consultant stated that the LCP rate was built for larger demand load profiles and if we allow smaller demand accounts on the tariff it would create reduced margins and in turn unwanted subsidies.
• Upon motion by Brelage, seconded by Young, and carried, the Large Coincidental Peak Service (LCP) tariff will no longer be available to members under 300kVA of transformer capacity. Motion passed by a vote of 7-1, dissenting vote cast by Lawrence.
• Upon motion by Lawrence, seconded by AmRhein, and carried, Electric Thermal Storage Rider (ETS) tariff was removed by unanimous vote.
• Upon consensus of the board, Policy 2-7C, Members’ Access to Board Meetings, will be 100% enforced. A copy of the policy will be posted on the DCREMC website.
• Upon motion by Barnhorst, seconded by Lawrence, and carried, the meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m.
