The Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Newberry Electric Cooperative, Inc. was held at Newberry Electric Cooperative, Inc., located in Newberry County, State of South Carolina, on Monday, September 30, 2024.
Chairman Johnnie L. Dickert called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m., followed by Trustee Melanie B. Hawkins's invocation, with the determination of a quorum present.
The secretary reported that the following Board Members were present:
Barbara C. Bishop Leon Fulmer, Jr. J. Craig Kesler
M. Blake Brigman Melanie B. Hawkins William Lominick, Sr.
Johnnie L. Dickert Douglas E. Hipp John W. Nichols
President and CEO G. Keith Avery, Attorney Thomas H. Pope, III, Vice President of Human Resources Leann Hutto, Vice President of Public Relations Debra Shaw, and Operational Support Technician Tara Chapman were also present. Executive Secretary Deirdre Murphy was absent.
Mrs. Shaw presented the 2024 NEC Operation Round Up Golf Tournament outcomes, held on September 16, 2024, at the Country Club of Newberry. The annual golf tournament raised $34,320. The funds will be split equally between the Newberry WIRE chapter and the Interface Community Service to be used for community needs.
Mrs. Hutto presented the proposed salaries for the staff and employees for 2025 to the Trustees. Trustee Kesler motioned for the approval of the employee salary proposal. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
Chairman Dickert asked the board if they wanted to go into Executive Session. Trustee Brigman made a motion to go into Executive Session, which was seconded and approved unanimously. President Avery, Mrs. Hutto, Mrs. Shaw, and Mrs. Chapman left the room. After President Avery and Mrs. Chapman returned to the meeting, Trustee Hipp made a motion to come out of the Executive Session. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously. No voting or actions took place during the Executive Session.
The Board continued with the reading of the August 2024 Regular Board Meeting Minutes. Trustee Nichols made a motion to accept the minutes as emailed. The motion was seconded and passed without opposition.
The Board dispensed with the reading of the August 27, 2024 Special Board Meeting Minutes. Trustee Hipp made the motion to accept the minutes as emailed. The motion was seconded and passed without opposition.
The Board dispensed with reading the minutes of the September 18, 2024, Membership & Public Relations Committee Meeting. Trustee Kesler made a motion to accept the minutes as emailed. The motion was seconded and passed without opposition.
Committee Chairman John W. Nichols reported that the Finance Committee held its regular meeting on Monday, September 23, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. The Committee members are Trustees Johnnie L. Dickert, J. Craig Kesler, William Lominick, Sr., and John W. Nichols. All were present, along with the President and CEO Avery.
Committee Chairman Nichols reported that the Finance Committee reviewed the cash disbursements for the month of August. All expenditures were in order, and the committee presented this report as general information. The consensus of the board was to accept the report as general information.
Attorney Thomas H. Pope, III requested an Executive Session. Trustee Hipp made the motion to go into Executive Session, which was seconded and passed without opposition. After some discussion, Trustee Hipp made a motion to return to the Regular Session, which was seconded and passed without opposition. No voting or action took place during the Executive Session.
Attorney Thomas H. Pope, III reviewed the proposed bylaw amendment Section 4.02. Qualifications. Trustee Hipp motioned to approve taking the bylaw amendment Section 4.02. Qualifications to the membership at the 2025 Annual Meeting. The motion was seconded and approved without opposition.
President and CEO Avery reviewed the functions and activities he attended in September. He and Chairman Dickert met with Rob Hochstetler, President and CEO of Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.
President and CEO Avery reviewed the operational data for August 2024 in detail. The total amount for August 2024 write-offs is $1,864.01. Trustee Hipp motioned to accept this amount. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
President and CEO Avery reviewed the month's Engineering/Operations and Operational Support reports. He stated that there had been continued testing for substation maintenance and the replacement of substation equipment. This included testing oil samples from all power transformers and substation regulators and changing out of the battery banks at the Trinity and Riley substations. The installation of isolation devices such as Air Break Switches and Cutouts to minimize outage times was also continued. Lee Electric’s overhead crew will continue pole change outs at various locations, and their underground crews will begin the installation of facilities on Woodside Shores Phase II.
President and CEO Avery informed the trustees that NEC would purchase the pole attachment for the Skid Steer. The new equipment was needed due to the safety concerns that have come from setting poles with the mini excavator and allowing for the ability to access areas that the line trucks cannot access. Jocelyn Dussault, the Communication Specialist, completed the New Employee Safety Orientation. Nick Woodruff, Trent Swygert, and Dawson Crowell completed the Apprentice 1 Certification. Phillip Padgett completed the CLCP Certification.
President and CEO Avery informed the trustees of the upcoming NRECA Region 2 meeting, which will be held from October 7 to October 9, 2024, and the 2025 NRECA Directors Conference, which will be held from January 26 to January 28, 2025. Nine members expressed interest in attending both meetings.
President and CEO Avery reviewed the memo from Susan M. Olander, the Vice President, General Counsel, and Assistant Secretary from Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange, regarding the appointment of a delegate for the Federated Rural Electric Insurance Election Meeting to be held on October 8, 2024, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center located in Columbia, SC. Trustee Hipp motioned to nominate President Avery as the voting delegate and Trustee Nichols as his alternate. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
President and CEO Avery informed the board of a memo from Brad Captain, Senior Vice President & Chief Corporate Affairs officer at the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, discussing the appointment of a delegate and alternate for the CFC District 2 Meeting that will be held on October 8, 2024, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center located in Columbia, SC. Trustee Hipp made a motion to nominate President Avery as the delegate and Trustee Nichols as the alternate. The motion was seconded and approved without opposition.
President and CEO Avery informed the board of a memo from Mike Couick, the President and CEO of ECSC, regarding the appointment of a delegate and alternate for the ECSC Membership Meeting to be held on October 8, 2024. Trustee Hipp motioned to nominate President Avery as the delegate and Trustee Nichols as the alternate. The motion was seconded and approved without opposition.
The summary of the Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. Engineering Committee Meeting on August 21, 2024, and the summary of the Central Electric Power Cooperative Power Committee Meeting on August 21, 2024, were accepted as information.
President and CEO Avery reviewed the memo from Mike Couick, President and CEO of the ESCS, regarding the appointment of the 2024 ECSC voting delegate and alternate nominations for the ECSC Membership Meeting to be held on December 11, 2024. Trustee Hipp made the motion to nominate President Avery as the voting delegate. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Trustee Kesler made the motion to appoint Chairman Dickert as the voting alternate. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
The Central Electric Cooperative, Inc. September 11, 2024 Board Meeting Summary was accepted as information.
The Central Electric Cooperative Power Cooperative September 10, 2024 G20 Meeting Summary was accepted as information.
President and CEO Avery informed the trustees of the CEEUS headquarters grand opening, which will be held on November 13, 2024. This was accepted as information.
President and CEO Avery informed the trustees that the 2024 Winter Conference would be held from December 8 to December 11, 2024. Six trustees expressed interest in attending the conference.
President and CEO Avery updated the Trustees on the extent of the damages to NEC’s electrical systems caused by Hurricane Helene on September 27, 2024. He discussed the operations of the office and lineman employees while recovering from the storm's impact. This included obtaining twenty additional crews from sister cooperatives and Lee Electric crews to assist in repairing the damage to NEC’s electric systems.
With no further business and no objections, Chairman Johnnie L. Dickert adjourned the September Regular Board meeting at 8:27 p.m.
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SECRETARY APPROVED
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CHAIRMAN