Co-op targets $12 million in improvements
Flathead Electric Cooperative heads into its annual meeting March 26 with an ambitious agenda for the coming year.
The cooperative expects to spend $11 million to $12 million on capital projects this year, about $4 million more than usual, general manager Ken Sugden said. The money will be spent on projects to serve new members, replacement of worn-out underground cables and poles, and highway project relocations.
About half of the capital-improvement budget this year is allotted to two new electric substations approved by the board in January. One is in Lakeside and the other in North Kalispell, both high-growth corridors.
"We're trying to catch up to the growth," Sugden said. "We'd normally be looking at building one [substation] a year."
After a tumultuous period in 1999 and 2000 when the company posted two straight years of negative earnings, Flathead Electric took advantage of four years of strong margins to emerge on solid ground.
With estimated revenues of $86 million and an expense budget of $82 million, 2005 is expected to be a financially good year for the cooperative, Sugden said, even with a $2 million rate decrease that went into effect in January.
Four seats on the cooperative's board of trustees are open. Incumbents Karl Schrade (north and west of Kalispell), Paul Holland (Bigfork and areas north and east of Bigfork) and Earl Messick (Libby area) are seeking re-election.
A trustee will be elected to fill the remaining two years of Bruce Measure's term representing south Kalispell. Measure resigned to accept a position on the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, and George Taylor was appointed to serve until the election.
Nominating petitions signed by 25 percent of the cooperative members in the district are due five business days before the annual meeting. Candidates must live in the district they seek to represent. A map showing the boundaries of the cooperative's nine districts is on display at Flathead Electric office, 2510 U.S. 2 East in Kalispell.
Mail-in ballots are due back to the cooperative office by April 20, and new trustees will be seated at the April 27 board meeting.
Candidates will give short speeches at the annual meeting. Along with a financial overview of the past year and an audit report, a question-and-answer session is provided for members.
A drawing card this year, Sugden said, is a 1998 Ford pickup that will be given away as a door prize. It was used by a meter reader and is being retired from the cooperative's fleet.
Registration for the annual meeting starts at 9 a.m. March 26 at the Flathead High School auditorium. The business meeting begins at 10 a.m. and concludes by noon.
Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com