This year, our annual meeting is Friday, October 21. The meeting will be held in our local Hartford office and live-streamed on Facebook at noon for everyone to watch. It will also be recorded, so attendees will have access to the video after the meeting has ended.
Check your mailboxes, Wiregrass Electric Cooperative (WEC) members! WEC will send out the annual meeting packets later this month.
Once again, the annual meeting will be conducted virtually due to member feedback. Members have shared that they appreciate the convenience and safety of mail-in ballots and registration and remote attendance. While on-site registration will be available at WEC headquarters on October 21, members are strongly encouraged to use the packet to register by mail.
The packet includes information about board candidates, a letter detailing the seating of board members and a registration card.
“Last year, we once again saw a significant response via mail, with around 1,400 votes in an election that included a set of bylaw changes aimed to improve the board nomination and election process and promoting the cooperative spirit,” says WEC CEO Les Moreland. “We were comforted by the participation, but also the member feedback on the convenience of the process. So much so that we are continuing the process for 2022. Although there will be no ballots to mail in this year, we want to encourage participation in the open democratic process by offering rewards for registering.”
Members will notice there are no materials to vote on in the 2022 Annual Meeting packet, although the outer envelope states a ballot is included. That’s because this year, no one came forward to contest open board of trustees seats in Districts 1, 4 and 7. Therefore, according to WEC’s bylaws, the sitting representatives for those districts who submitted bids for reelection will continue serving in their current capacities. There are also no proposed bylaw changes for this year. In the place of ballots, packets will include a letter explaining the bylaw that automatically seats unopposed candidates.
Envelopes were printed before the July board meeting when the decision to not print ballots this year was made. WEC ordered many annual meeting items early due to an ongoing shortage of paper supplies.
“Although there is no formal election this year, we hope members still take the time to fill out the registration forms by the October 20 deadline,” says WEC Chief Operating Officer Brad Kimbro. “Annual meeting time is a when members can learn about all of the wonderful things our cooperative is doing. We look forward to their virtual attendance at this year’s meeting.”
Each member who returns the mail-in registration in the required envelope by October 20 will earn a $5 bill credit. Members who register will also be entered into a drawing for several large bill credits, including two top prizes of $500.