Please Join Us Online
After much deliberation, the decision was made to once again hold the Annual Meeting virtually. Our annual meeting typically attracts 800-1,000 people. With the uncertainty still swirling about large gatherings, availability of vendors and venue and deadlines coming into play, virtual was the best decision for this year’s annual meeting.
Our annual meeting is an important event and a highlight for our employees and members. It is somewhat disappointing to have to come to this conclusion three years in a row. We are still very interested in your concerns and ideas. In the past, we have always staffed a table to assist with any member inquiries. This year, we would like to encourage you to continue to reach out to us with your kind words, concerns and ideas. You can email them to info@buckeyerec.com or call us at 800.379.2080. Buckeye Rural 2022 Annual Meeting will be held exclusively online, on Saturday, August 13, 2022 at 10 a.m. We encourage our members to take an active role in your cooperative by viewing this important event on our webpage at https://buckeyerec.coop/annualmeeting. Further details may be found on our website or the upcoming August issue of Ohio Cooperative Living.
Please review the minutes from the 2021 annual meeting included in this issue. Members wishing to submit a correction or an addition to the minutes or an item for new business consideration must do so in writing or by emailing brecAM@buckeyerec.coop. Correspondence should be received before August 1 and contain member name, member number and service address.
BREC 2022 Annual Meeting
OFFICIAL NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS OF
BUCKEYE RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.
Annual Meeting of Members
Saturday, August 13th, 2022 at 10 a.m.
Members can access the meeting via video by visiting https://buckeyerec.coop/annualmeeting
Order of Business:
Commencement/Call to Order
Reading of "Notice of Meeting" and proof of publication or mailing
Reading of 2021 Annual Meeting Minutes and action thereon
Board, Office, Committee, and Management Reports
Unfinished Business
New Business
Adjournment
2021 Annual Meeting Minutes
Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative, INC.
2021 Annual Meeting of Members Minutes
Rio Grande, Ohio
August 14, 2021
On August 14, 2021, Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BREC) conducted a virtual annual meeting. All abided by the Ohio Department of Health social distance and large gathering guidelines.
President Berridge called the Annual Members Meeting of BREC to order at 10:00 a.m., welcoming all the members.
Roy Sprague, Secretary/Treasurer, gave the invocation. The 2021 BREC Children of Members first place scholarship winner, Kiki Barlow, led the attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Attorney Robert R. Miller read the Official Notice of Meeting from page 21 in the July 2021 issue of Ohio Cooperative Living magazine and the Certificate of Mailing.
In the July 2021 Ohio Cooperative Living magazine, members were instructed to submit any corrections or additions to the published 2020 annual meeting minutes. No changes were brought before the board, therefore a motion was duly made, seconded and carried by voice vote to waive the reading and to accept the 2020 Annual Members Meeting minutes.
President Berridge recognized the current Board of Trustees. He spoke with the members about the governance of the board, our non-profit status and payment of capital credits. He also explained the representation of districts by board members and how to run for a board position.
In 2020, BREC returned more than $2.6 million in cash back to the members through general and estate retirements of capital credits. Over the years, we have returned more than $26 million to the member-owners.
Tonda Meadows, executive vice president and general manager, recognized the cooperative scholarship recipients. Veterans and members of the military and their families were also honored.
General Manager Meadows reported on the effects of a global pandemic on BREC. Precautions were taken to ensure the health and safety of our employees and members. In 2020, the cooperative placed an emphasis on backfeeding capabilities and further supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) implementation to improve restoration time, monitor substations and devices, and offer peak load options to help control costs. BREC is working with the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission on the ARC grant that will allow us to connect most of our substations and allow future broadband expansion. In 2020 right-of-way clearing included 55 miles of line, 200 miles of mowing, and removal of approximately 2,300 off right-of-way trees. BREC received its highest member satisfaction score in 2020.
The August 2020 issue of Ohio Cooperative Living magazine includes articles from the cooperative’s president and general manager as well as financial and departmental reports for 2020.
Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives (OEC) provided a video summarizing various ways cooperatives throughout the state have upheld cooperative principals. On a statewide level, Buckeye Power, Inc. president and CEO, Pat O’Laughlin, spoke about reliability and a diversity of resources to provide power. Mr. O’Laughlin also spoke about the Central Ohio Lineman Training (COLT) Center where 128 lineman apprentices are enrolled. The cooperative network supports their local communities through donations. In 2020, Buckeye Power was able to return $37 million to the cooperatives in Ohio.
There was no unfinished or new business.
A motion was made, seconded and carried by voice vote to adjourn at 10:30 a.m.