Things are moving fast at RGEC these days, and I have so much to tell you about, that I hardly know where to start!
Those of you who are devoted readers of our pages, or who have viewed the annual meetings have heard me talk about the 4-year Construction Work Plan. This is a biggie in the Co-op’s planning process. It outlines all our needs and goals, and is a road map of how and when we will reach them. I am so glad to be able to tell you that we applied for, and were approved for funding by the USDA Rural Development Program, in the amount of $42,890,000! This is not a grant, but a very low interest loan, which will allow us to move ahead with the projects contained in the plan. This Rural Development investment will be used to connect 702 consumers, and build and improve 383 miles of line. It also includes $3,990,000 in smart grid technologies.
Another thing I wanted to mention to you is that we have decided to bring back the “Town Hall” style meetings. We realize that not everyone has access to the internet, or the ability to join in a virtual meeting. Quite frankly, we have missed the face-to-face interactions with you, too. If you would like to schedule a meeting in your community, please call at least two weeks in advance of the requested date. Let us know how many will be present for the meeting and any specific areas of concern. If prior commitments prevent us from being available on the date you request, we’ll work with you to select an alternate date. Call 800-749-1509, ext. 1119 to schedule.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the 29 members who joined in the Member Advisory Committee (MAC) meeting, which was held virtually February 7. In addition to receiving updates on projects in their individual areas, those who took part conveyed their thoughts, feelings, and ideas on issues that affect their service and that of their neighbors. This helps us get a better understanding of what is important to you, and we can work together to get there. The MAC is also charged with selecting Director District Nominating Committees for each area. The nominating committees will select a qualified slate of candidates for the board of directors election, so you can see how important member participation at all levels is to the successful democratic operation of the Cooperative.
As you’ll see within the pages of this month’s edition, the February winter storms took a toll on our equipment in several parts of the service territory. Restoration efforts were hampered by freezing rain and high winds. With up to 40 spans of line down in some areas, the line crews undertook the daunting task of conducting repairs in high winds and freezing rain. It is through no fault of theirs that power was not restored to some of these areas more quickly. They put forth their most valiant efforts in a very harsh situation. We called in the cavalry to assist in some areas, so to speak, in the form of utility contractor crews. I am always concerned for the safety of the crews during outages like these, and I was very touched to see that our members were too, as evidenced by the many “thoughts and prayers” messages for their safety, which were posted to our social media pages. We are truly blessed to have such a caring and compassionate membership