Annual Meeting

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 restrictions of large gatherings, availability of vendors and venue and deadlines coming into play, virtual was the best decision for this year’s meeting. When this decision had to be made, it was prior to the lifting of the COVID-19 mandates and followed suit with most Ohio’s electric cooperatives.

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 two 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. We are optimistic that we will see everyone again in 2022. Buckeye Rural 2021 Annual Meeting will be held exclusively online, on Saturday, August 14, 2021 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 2020 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.

2020 Annual Meeting Minutes

Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative, INC.

2020 Annual Meeting of Members Minutes

Rio Grande, Ohio

August 8, 2020

On August 8, 2020, Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BREC) conducted its first 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. One of the 2020 BREC's Youth Tour representatives, Meredith Humphreys, led the attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Attorney Robert R. Miller read the Official Notice of Meeting from page 20 in the July 2020 issue of Ohio Cooperative Living magazine and the Certificate of Mailing.

In the July 2020 Ohio Cooperative Living magazine, members were instructed to submit any corrections to the published 2019 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 2019 Annual Members Meeting minutes.

President Berridge recognized the current Board of Trustees. He spoke with the members about the tax-exempt status of the cooperative and explained that approximately three cents of every dollar supports our communities through sales tax, property tax, and tax on each kilowatt hour sold. This amounts to approximately 3.6 million dollars annually. President Berridge directed our attention to the financial breakdown of costs to operate located in the August issue of Ohio Cooperative Living.

In 2019, BREC returned more than $1.7 million in cash back to the members through general and estate retirements of capital credits. Over the years, we have returned more than $24 million to the member-owners.

Tonda Meadows, executive vice president and general manager, recognized the cooperative scholarship recipients and Washington D.C. youth tour winners. Veterans and members of the military and their families were also honored.

General Manager Meadows reported on the continued efforts to strengthen our lines by adding protective devices, equipment to re-route service to other lines, and an aggressive right of way program. In 2019, the cooperative took initial steps toward implementing a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system which will improve restoration time, monitor substations and devices, and offer peak load options to help control costs. The cooperative was also awarded a $2.5 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission POWER initiative to install fiber between some of our substations. BREC now offers text messaging for outage status so General Manager Meadows encouraged all members to enroll in that service.

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 2019.

Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives (OEC) provided a video summarizing various ways cooperatives throughout the state have upheld cooperative principals. On a national level, the cooperatives’ tax-exempt status was protected through legislation as well as successful efforts to protect against tax on healthcare benefits and reduce insurance to protect pension benefits . BPI continues to conduct measures to improve reliability throughout their facilities. The cooperative network supports their local communities through donations. In 2019, Buckeye Power was able to return $39 million. The Ohio cooperatives also pooled their resources this year to help provide electricity to a rural community in Guatemala.

The trustee election results were announced as follows:

District I – Lawrence County - Ronald Hatfield
District II – Gallia County - Roy Sprague
District V – Ross, Pike, and Scioto Counties – J. Wesley Williams

There was no unfinished or new business.

A motion was made, seconded and carried by voice vote to adjourn at 10:24 a.m.