Valerie Richards

The board meeting agenda includes reviews of various company policies, legislative updates, and safety meeting reports. Management will present reports covering operations, technical services, public relations, financial status, and CEO updates. Key strategic discussions involve power supply options and potential withdrawal from Tri-State G&T, alongside FERC regulatory filings and high-impact load tariffs. The agenda also includes an executive session for employee and organizational reviews, and discussions regarding future meetings, training, and organizational delegates.

The board meeting included the oath of office for re-elected members Stuart Morgan and Moe Moffat. The annual election of officers resulted in Brian Zimmerman as President, Stuart Morgan as Vice President, Moe Moffat as Secretary, Marcus Milanuk as Treasurer, and Toni Blomenkamp as Assistant Secretary. Lacey Gulbranson reported on Wheat Belt's favorable 'mod rate,' and Tim Jones presented preliminary financials. The board discussed and voted to issue bonds for $4.7M in 2025 to cover storm costs from April 2024. Contract extension agreements with Tri-State G&T were tabled for further information, and the Strategic Planning session was scheduled for the last week in January.

The 2022-2024 Strategic Plan for Wheat Belt, officially approved in April, outlines a three-year roadmap focusing on four main initiatives: Culture, Operational Efficiency, Safety, and Customer Experience. The Culture initiative aims to define core values, implement performance development, and enhance employee engagement. Operational Efficiency focuses on financials, data integrity, resilient infrastructure, and policies. The Safety initiative emphasizes maintaining safety importance and implementing improvement plans. The Customer Experience initiative involves developing and implementing a customer experience methodology. The plan is designed to benefit both customers and employees.

The board meeting included a budget hearing, where it was reported that the 2024 projected budget would be approximately 650k less than budgeted due to cost-cutting efforts and the Tri-State power cost increase not taking effect until August 2024. The 2025 budget was presented and approved. Updates were provided on storm damage assessment with FEMA representatives, and the board approved a contract for inspecting 50 miles of line. Bond options and processes were discussed, leading to the proposal of two resolutions for potential bond issuance in 2025. The accomplishments of the 2024 Work Plan and the components of the 2025 Work Plan were reviewed. Discussions also covered LB1370, which provides requirements for electric generation facilities and public power districts. The board was reminded of the upcoming strategic planning session.

The Wheat Belt PPD Board of Directors is considering a contract extension with Tri-State Generation and Transmission until 2066. The board approved safety bonuses for employees and acknowledged the sale of Wheat Belt Bonds. Updates included Tri-State's upcoming Annual Meeting, the filing of a Demand Response Tariff with FERC, and discussions on a statewide training facility. The board also explored options for improving current software capabilities.