mountrail-williams electric celebrates 25 years o · mountrail-williams electric celebrates 25...

Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative

JULY

201

6WILLISTON577-3765

STANLEY628-2242

NEW TOWN627-3550

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In this issue: • Annual meeting highlights• Storms cause outages• Use power tools safely• Meeting minutes, and more!

Mountrail-Williams Electric celebrates

25 YEARSOn June 2, Mountrail-

Williams Electric Cooperative (MWEC) held

its annual meeting. � is year was

slightly di� erent from previous years, as the cooperative celebrated its 25th anniversary since the Mountrail Electric Cooperative and Williams

Electric Cooperative merger in 1991.� e event kicked o� with

informational booths, including Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Rural

www.mwec.com MOUNTRAIL-WILLIAMS ELECTRIC NEWS , JULY 2016 C1


Electric Supply Cooperative (RESCO), a kids’ safety table and bucket truck rides. Members had the opportunity to socialize with employees and learn more about the services MWEC o� ers, as well as the type of work they do. Members also were able to pick up their capital credits checks. � is year, the co-op gave back $3 million to its members.

Following registration, an evening meal catered by Mississippi BBQ was served by MWEC employees. � is year’s meeting saw more than 800 in attendance, the largest since the early 1990s. Members were entertained by Williston native Tim Ritter during the meal. Ritter, who has been performing for many years, invited attendee Miss North Dakota 2015 Delanie Wiedrich to the stage to sing a couple duets.

� e business meeting followed the meal and began with a call to order by Chairperson Roger Sorenson. Sorenson then introduced Delanie Wiedrich who sang the national anthem and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Meeting guests, including local o� cials and fellow cooperative employees, were introduced to the MWEC membership.

� e night’s guest speaker, Holly Ho� man, was then introduced by Sorenson. Ho� man, an accomplished motivational speaker who participated on “Survivor Nicaragua,” spoke to the audience about life challenges and how we can succeed through positivity.

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending,” Ho� man told the audience. She explained that participating on “Survivor” was more than she imagined it would be. Within the � rst few days, she was ready to head back to Eureka, S.D., and her family. It was a conversation with show participant and former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson that pushed Holly to � nish as the top female and � nal member of her tribe before being voted o� in fourth place overall.

Ho� man had the crowd laughing, crying and cheering as she spoke about her experience on the show and how her outlook on life completely changed. “Each of us has a conscious choice to make with regard to attitude – we can have a good one and make the most of our situation in life, or choose to be miserable,” Ho� man

quoted from her book, “Your Winner Within.”

MWEC has seen its service area grow quickly in recent years and has currently seen a slowdown. � e attitude in which we handle that situation is up to us.

A new acronym was created for MWEC by Ho� man,”Member Workers Everyone Cooperates.”

“As a cooperative, both members and workers need to work as one,” she stated, “hence everyone cooperates.” � e enthusiasm that Ho� man brought as a speaker to this event de� nitely connected with audience.

� e next item on the meeting agenda was the election of directors. Larry Johnson (West District) and Aaron Lynne (East District) won re-election with no opposition and will be serving for three more years. Roger Sorenson (Central) won re-election a� er a nomination from the � oor, Steve Martens, and a member vote. Sorenson won, with 103-26 votes.

Next, Andrew Adams of Eide Bailly, LLP, presented the results of the � nancial audit for the year ending Dec. 31, 2015. � e audit showed that the cooperative had good internal

C2 JULY 2016 , MOUNTRAIL-WILLIAMS ELECTRIC NEWS www.mwec.com


controls, the records were in good condition, and that the � rm had issued an unmodi� ed audit opinion.

General Manager Dale Haugen moved forward by thanking everyone in attendance for attending this annual meeting commemorating 25 years. He highlighted that commercial oil � eld loads and gas plants now comprise a majority of the cooperative’s sales, but that residential, seasonal and irrigation services remain the root of the cooperative.

Haugen then presented comparisons of power billing and plant investment from 2006 to 2016. Continuing, he discussed concerns and threats faced by electric cooperatives including the unknown impact of the Clean Power Plan, weather-related issues and cyber terrorism.

He also reviewed plans for a new o� ce building at the Williston headquarters site. � e original building at that location had been constructed in 1956 and, even with additions and temporary o� ce space, this building was no longer adequate for the growing needs of this cooperative.

He went over architectural plans for this new building. � e estimated costs of the building, including demolition costs of existing buildings, removal of asbestos and contingency costs, is approximately $42.5 million. He also gave a presentation that, based upon current rates and even with this building, there would be no increase in those rates through 2025. Even while factoring in expected rate increases from Basin Electric and incorporating an aggressive plan to retire capital credits, he anticipates no member rate

increases over this same time period. Heather Feiring, coordinator for the

Williams County Operation Round Up, presented the year’s Operation Round,Up report. Operation Round Up is a voluntary program allowing members to round up electric bills each month to the next highest dollar. � e board is responsible for distributing the funds collected. Since 1997, the membership has contributed $347,000 through Operation Round Up. Recipients of these funds include

various health units, senior citizens organizations, � re departments and ambulance services.

� roughout the meeting, door prizes were drawn for from the night’s member registration. � e � nale for the event to commemorate 25 years was $250 for each registered member to use toward their electric usage.

MWEC would like to thank all members and guests who attended and helped celebrate “� e Power of 2 for 25 Years.” n



Storms cause major outagesWeather in North Dakota

can change quickly and cause electric outages

throughout the year. Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative (MWEC) recently saw a large storm system move through its service area this past June that affected many members from Tioga to Stanley to Parshall and Plaza.

MWEC crews began receiving outage calls beginning around 10 p.m. June 9. High winds and heavy rains caused multiple transmission and distribution poles and electric lines to fall to the ground. Some poles snapped just above the base of the pole. Dispatch and crews rerouted most services through other possible lines, but there were still many members whose power could not be restored that night.

Transmission and distribution crews, after working a long night, were out at sunrise to begin working on getting poles and lines replaced to restore power to those members who were affected by this storm system. Those crews worked tirelessly in muddy and hot conditions, having to use a track digger to get to some pole locations due to the waterlogged grounds.

MWEC would like to remind members and residents about safety precautions during outages and how to prepare for possible outages:• Reduce driving speeds when

crews are present.• Stay away from downed lines

or poles.• Unplug appliances with

electronic components, such as microwaves, televisions and DVD players. This will



Storms cause major outageshelp eliminate damage to your appliances from voltage surges when the electricity is restored.

• Wait a few minutes before turning on these appliances when the electricity is restored. This will reduce demand on the power supplier’s electrical system.

• If you use a standby generator, be sure it has been installed and wired properly. If improperly installed, a generator could cause dangerous conditions for utility employees working to restore power.

• Check the basement periodically for flooding. You can use a portable, gasoline-powered pump to pump out a basement or crawl space when the power is interrupted to an electric sump pump. Never wade into a flooded basement unless electricity supplying sump pumps, freezers and other appliances has been disconnected.

• Prepare a kit for such emergency situations. It should include:- Flashlights with fresh batteries.- Matches for lighting gas stoves

or clean burning heaters.- Wood for a properly

ventilated fireplace.- First aid kit, prescription

medicines and baby supplies.- Food that can be kept

in coolers and a manual can opener.

- A non-cordless telephone and/or fully charged cellular phone.

- Bottled drinking water.- Battery-powered emergency

lights and radio.

Summer power outages:• Keep freezers and refrigerators

closed. Wrap blankets around the appliances to provide extra insulation.

• Make sure you have bottled water and a supply of freeze-dried or canned food in your emergency kit to prevent dependence on your refrigerator.

• A barbecue grill is an excellent

way to prepare food. A charcoal grill should always be used outside.

• Air conditioners should be turned off during power outages. Do not turn them back on for several minutes after the power has been restored.

• Dress comfortably, and use natural ventilation to keep your home cool.n


MOUNTRAIL-WILLIAMS BOARD MINUTES

MOUNTRAIL-WILLIAMSELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

P.O. Box 1346Williston, N.D. 58802-1346

P.O. Box 129Stanley, N.D. 58784-0129

DIRECTORSRoger Sorenson ............................PresidentRobert Grant ........................ Vice PresidentBlaine Jorgenson ..........................SecretaryCheryl Hartsoch ............................TreasurerNick Haugen.................................... DirectorLarry Johnson .................................. DirectorWarren Bratvold.............................. DirectorAaron Lynne .................................... DirectorGarrett Lalim ................................... DirectorNeff, Eiken& Neff, PC ...........................Project AttorneyDale Haugen ...................General ManagerOFFICE PHONE NUMBERS:Williston .............................(701) 577-3765Stanley ...............................(701) 628-2242New Town ..........................(701) 627-3550WATS ..................................(800) 279-2667

Regular board meeting of May 27, 2016

Directors present: Sorenson, Grant, Hartsoch, Johnson, Haugen, Lynne, Jorgenson, Bratvold and Lalim.

Directors absent: NoneOthers present: General Manager

Haugen, in-house counsel Ellis and staff members.

The meeting was called to order at 8:30 a.m. at the TrainND facilities located in Williston. The agenda for the meeting was approved as presented. Minutes from the April 27 board meeting were approved as presented.

Attorney report: The attorneys reviewed abstracts and opinions on land being purchased for substations and other purposes; litigation involving cooperatives; a proposed possessory interest tax by Three Affiliated Tribes; and insurance coverages.

Financial forecast and budget: Terilyn Wallis from the Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) met with the board, reviewing prior meetings with the board to develop plans for meeting financial ratios, retiring capital credits, completing a depreciation study, and to frequently update the financial forecast.

She discussed the data input to develop this forecast, including the growth in consumers, growth in sales, growth in plant, capital credit retirements, wholesale power costs and other factors. Based upon these assumptions, there would be no rate increases in the immediate future.

The current CFC loan package should satisfy the cash requirements of the cooperative through 2018. The equity of the cooperative by 2025 is estimated to be 49.07 percent. The total utility plant by 2025 would approach $800 million.

President’s report: President Sorenson presented a letter from a member related to account charges. After a discussion, it was decided to have the staff meet with him and this will be brought back for consideration at a future meeting.

Annual meeting: Plans were reviewed for the annual meeting of the members, which will be held in Williston on June 2. The guest speaker will be Holly Hoffman. The board approved a registration award of $250 to members to recognize the significance of the 25-year anniversary since the merger of these cooperatives.

Building update: The board met with representatives of JLG Architects to review updated plans for a new headquarters building in Williston. This building will be located at the same site as the old office building which is now being leveled.

The office building will be connected to the parking garage allowing crews to access both buildings without going outside. There will also be access to both sides of the building for additional fire protection.

The exterior will be constructed with glass panels and precast concrete. The proposal is for 82,226 gross square feet.

Meeting reports: Director Grant gave a meeting report on the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives. He announced they had hired a new general manager, Josh Kramer.

Director Grant and Chairperson Sorenson attended the Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. They reported on their attendance.

Director Jorgenson gave a report on Upper Missouri Power Cooperative.

Operating/finance report: Jay Lux provided the financial and operating report for April.

The board approved the closeout of the following special equipment/work orders:

Closeout 617 .................. $104,888.34Closeout 618 .................. $242,791.27Closeout 619 .................... $32,013.19Closeout 620 ............................. $0.00Closeout 621 .................. $195,919.53Total ............................... $575,612.33Capital credit retirements: The

board approved the retirement of the following capital credit accounts:

Myrtle Lynne estateGeraldine Van Dyke estateBad debts: The board approved the

transfer of accounts receivable to bad debts. The cooperative will continue to use efforts such as retaining capital credits, using small claims courts, and other means to collect these sums.

Manager’s report: Manager Haugen reported his visit to another cooperative’s new building. He also updated the board on the cooperative’s current employment situation and reviewed a report from material testing services.

Adjournment: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. n

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mountrail-williams electric celebrates 25 years o · mountrail-williams electric celebrates 25...

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