Randy Cook

The meeting included the presentation of financial reports and the election of directors for districts three, six, and nine. Reports from the General Manager and President covered reliability projects, system maintenance, the energization of the North Wal Substation, and financial performance, including an increase in patronage capital. The agenda also featured a guest presentation on the state of the electric industry and the distribution of scholarship awards to member students. Discussions addressed distribution equity, rate adjustments, and the cooperative's commitment to community support and scholarship funding.

The 90th Annual Meeting of the Barron Electric Cooperative is scheduled to include the election of directors for Districts 2, 4, and 8 for a three-year term. A guest speaker, Jeremy Browning, Vice President of Generation at Dairyland Power Cooperative, will address attendees. The event will feature dinner catered by the Barron VFW, prize drawings for members, and a focus on cooperative history. Additionally, the document notifies members about a new rate schedule effective April 1, 2026, detailing reasons for the increase, such as higher wholesale power costs and rising equipment prices, alongside planned reliability improvements in Crystal, Spooner, and Beaver Brook. The board also discussed the effects of Winter Storm Fern on grid reliability and market conditions.

The board meeting focused on approving a new residential rate schedule, effective April 1, 2026, which results in an average monthly increase of approximately $6 for members using 1,200 kWh. Key financial matters included the approval of vouchers totaling over $255,000, and transfers for payroll and payment of the power bill. The board also pre-approved the purchase of audio-visual equipment for the garage sound system, approved a membership list of 71, and reviewed the Form 219 summarizing construction activity for October amounting to $475,203.87. Operational metrics were noted, showing year-to-date consumer hours off below the 2024 level and overtime hours also reduced compared to the previous year.

The board discussed a request to waive the new service fee and installation for the new Welcome Center at the Pioneer Village Museum, which will be further discussed under the CoBank Sharing Success Program. Information was presented regarding the funds from the DPC Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Settlement and a recommendation was approved to retain the funds and allocate them to members based on patronage for the years 2019-2022. The board also pre-approved SCADA to the 2026-2027 Budgets, approved a membership list, and reviewed construction activity for September. Outages and overtime hours were also reviewed.

The board reviewed vouchers for the month, ballot collectors and counters for the 89th Annual Meeting, information regarding Federated Youth Foundation (FYF), the 2025 pre-approved donation list, donation history and contributions. A membership list was presented and approved. Form 219 summarizing construction activity for the month of February was presented for approval. Outages year-to-date and overtime year-to-date were discussed.