Wild Rice Electric’s
February 2016 • Volume 76 • Issue 2
News from Wild Rice Electric Co-op, Inc.
PO Box 438, Mahnomen, MN 56557
www.wildriceelectric.com
Over the Manager’s Desk
Congratulations!
Steve Haaven, CEO
Annual Meeting Plans
Nominating Committee report. The
election of directors is one of the most
important responsibilities of members.
Directors represent the membership
on governance and are critical in guiding the co-op’s direction.
Wild Rice Electric’s 76th Annual Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March
17th. I encourage members to mark the
date on your calendar right next to the
St. Patrick’s Day reminder. The annual
meeting is a time for members to participate in the governance of their co-op,
Mark your calendars for Thursday,
be updated on progress and accomMarch 17th, 2016.
plishments, and become informed on
challenges anticipated in the future.
2016 Budget
The Wild Rice Electric Board of DirecThe day’s events include registration
tors approved the 2016 Budget at the
beginning at 4:30 p.m., followed by a
December 22nd, 2015 board meeting.
delicious meal provided by Bob’s Cater- The budget serves as a roadmap for
ing of Ada. Back by popular demand is
completion of projects planned in
Tim Eggebraten of Detroit Lakes who
engineering work plans, as well as
will provide fantastic entertainment
investment in capital items required
from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Those of you
to operate the business in a safe
who attended last year’s meeting know and professional manner. A critical
what a great show he puts on. The gen- component is the projected revenue
eral business session, beginning at 6:30 from the sale of electricity to members
p.m., will include financial reports, CEO offset by expenses for the purchase
Report on activities of the past year, and of wholesale power, labor, and other
election of directors.
related expenses for such things as
interest, depreciation, administration,
th
At a January 20 meeting, the co-op’s
operation, maintenance, billing and
collection, and general expenses.
Nominating Committee named a slate
of candidates for this year’s direcThe major expense continues to be
tor election. Terms expiring include:
District 1–Jeff Nornes, District 2–Greg
the purchase of wholesale power
from our provider, Minnkota Power
LaVoy, and District 3–Gary Bergan.
Elsewhere in this issue of the Rural De- Cooperative. Minnkota Power recently announced a 3.3% increase in rates
light is a formal announcement of the
(continued on page 2)
Wild Rice Electric would like to congratulate lineman, Ken Ahmann, on the announcement of his
retirement.
Ken started as an apprentice with the cooperative on
May 16th, 1986. In 1991, Ken received his journeyman’s license. Some of Ken’s favorite benefits of the
job included meeting new people, as well as seeing
old friends and making new ones. Ken grew up and
started his family in the Mahnomen area.
In addition to working at Wild Rice Electric, Ken is
very active in the community. He actively serves as
the president for the Mahnomen Rod & Gun Club.
He also served on the Mahnomen Fire Department for over 21 years, and was a co-owner of the
Mahnomen Drive-In Theater for nearly 50 years. Ken
says these all have been very rewarding experiences.
Ken has been a wonderful employee and will be
missed. Ken’s last day was January 4th. We want to
thank Ken for his years of service and would like to
wish him and his wife Debbie the very best in the
years ahead.
Over
the Comments
Manager’s Desk
Staff
Duane
Gunderson
Steve Haaven
Tommy
Houdek
Around The Co-op
Director
of Finance
& Administration
Member
/ Communications
Director
CEO Services
Over the Manager’s Desk (continued from page 1)
effective April 1st, 2016. The increase is
the result of increased costs for building
transmission, meeting federal regulation,
and sales less than budgeted. The 2016
Budget calls for an increase in retail rates
to cover the added expense.
Budget projections were based upon
the equivalent of a 2.2% rate increase,
comprised of a $1.00 per month increase
in the base monthly charge plus two mills
($.002) per kilowatt hour. The monthly
base charge would increase from $27.00
to $28.00 per month, with the kilowatt
hour charge increasing from 11.2 cents
to 11.4 cents for the first 500 kilowatt
hours used per month with the remainder increasing from 10.7 cents to 10.9
cents per kilowatt hour. For the average
residential member using 1,400 kilowatt
hours, the increase in cost would be
$3.80 per month. A final decision on the
amount and rate design will be made at
the January board meeting when sales
and revenue information for the months
of December and January are known.
The purchase of wholesale power from
our provider, Minnkota Power Cooperative, is a critical component in the co-op’s
financial picture. This one item accounts
for more than 72% of the entire cost of
doing business. Obviously, any increase
to the purchase price impacts financial
statements. To fully understand and
appreciate the magnitude of the challenge
generation and transmission utilities,
such as Minnkota Power, face in providing reliable and affordable electricity we
have to step back and look at where the
power comes from.
Minnkota Power’s base power facilities
include 1,000 MW of electric capacity
from three coal-fired power plants located in the central part of North Dakota. In
addition, Minnkota’s generation resources contain 358 MW of wind power
purchased under contract from NextEra
Energy wind farms located near Langdon
and Ashtabula, ND. Finally, another 109
MW of hydro power from the Missouri River comes from the Western Area
Power Administration (WAPA). That’s
right, about one-third of stated capacity
already comes from renewable resources
like wind and water.
No surprise to anyone is that the use
of coal to produce electricity has come
under major scrutiny and mandate by the
Environmental Power Agency (EPA). For
example, Minnkota Power has spent over
$425 million in recent times to address
sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide, and mercury. Now, carbon is being targeted under
the Clean Power Plan. Most of us have
been updated on the recent gathering by
ENERGY ASSISTANCE
Copies of the Cold Weather Policy are available at: Wild Rice Electric Cooperative, Inc.
502 North Main, PO Box 438, Mahnomen, MN 56557 Phone: (218) 935-2517 -- Toll free (800) 244-5709
If you need help paying your electric utility bill, you may qualify for state or federal fuel assistance. Disputes
regarding the options available can be appealed to the Wild Rice Electric Cooperative, Inc. Board of Directors.
For complete qualification and application information, contact your local county welfare or community/
citizen’s action council listed below. These organizations may also provide budget counseling.
IF YOU LIVE IN Becker County or Mahnomen County: contact Mahube Community Council, PO Box 747,
Detroit Lakes, MN 56502, Phone: 847-1385; Mahube Community Council, PO Box 78, Mahnomen, MN
56557, Phone: 935-5022; Energy Assistance Program, 3303 US Hwy 59, Waubun, MN 56589, Phone: 218473-2711; Becker County Human Services, 712 Minnesota Ave, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501, Phone: 218-8475628; Mahnomen County Human Services, 311 North Main, Mahnomen, MN 56557, Phone: 218-935-2568.
world leaders in Paris to address the matter on the global stage. I hope all of the
politics and resulting actions will eventually filter down to a balance between
addressing environmental situations and
economics.
There is no doubt we all want a clean
environment, but how do we get there?
We must remember that many of the
members we provide electric service to
already have a difficult time paying their
monthly bills. There is no question that
rates have increased dramatically in the
past decade to address a list of environmental mandates. It appears that will
only continue and expand. My hope is
that future actions will balance the capital
investments required to bring older
plants into compliance, or build new
generation, with the cost members have
to pay. There is no hiding the fact that it
is the individual or business paying their
monthly bills that stand the cost.
Operation Round-Up
Wild Rice Electric established Operation Round-Up as a means to assist
local area charitable and educational
projects. The program allows members
the opportunity to voluntarily round up
their monthly payment to the next even
dollar. The cents that remain are placed
into the Operation Round-Up account.
IF YOU LIVE IN Clay County: contact West Central Minnesota Communities Action Inc., 411 Industrial
Park Blvd, PO Box 596, Elbow Lake, MN 56531, Phone: 1-800-492-4805 or 1-218-685-4486; Clay
County Social Services, 715 11th St. No., Suite 502, Moorhead, MN 56560, Phone: 218-299-5200.
IF YOU LIVE IN Clearwater or E. Polk County: contact Inter County Community Council, PO Box 187,
Oklee, MN 56742, Phone: 218-796-5144; Polk County Social Services, 612 No. Broadway, Suite 110,
Crookston, MN 56716, Phone: 218-281-3127.
IF YOU LIVE IN W. Polk County or Norman County: contact Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, 1407
Erskine Ave, PO Box 607, Crookston, MN 56716, Phone: 1-866-264-3729 or 218-281-9080; Norman
County Social Services, 152nd Ave E, Ada, MN 56510, Phone: 218-784-56510.
BUDGET COUNSELING: West Central Minnesota Communities Action Inc., 411 Industrial Park Blvd,
PO Box 596, Elbow Lake, MN 56531, Phone: 1-800-492-4805 or 1-218-685-4486; Consumer Credit
Counseling Service, 1201 25th Street South, Fargo, ND 58102, Phone: 1-701-235-3328; Family Life
Services, 15 South 10th Street, Fargo, ND 58102, Phone: 1-701-237-9247.
The average round-up amount is approximately $6.00 per year. A separate
board of trustees gathers to select local
projects to receive funding. Each project
is evaluated based on its impact to the
local area.
Since the program’s inception, 199
projects have received $85,688 in
contributions. The Operation RoundUp program also handles scholarships
to local seniors from unclaimed capital
credit checks. More than 300 students
from the 10 school districts within Wild
Rice Electric’s service area have received $121,250 in scholarship funds to
help further their education.
Should you wish to allow your monthly
bill to be rounded up to the next even
dollar amount and have those cents go
to Operation Round-Up projects, please
contact us or fill the form out on the
co-op’s website. This is a great way to
give back to educational and charitable
projects.
Stray Voltage Guide
Recently, the Minnesota Rural Electric
Association (representing rural electric
cooperatives), other utilities including
Minnesota Power, Otter Tail Power, and
Xcel Energy, and the Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association (representing
municipal power utilities) joined with
the Minnesota Farm Bureau, Minnesota
Famers Union, and the Cooperative
Network in developing an important
tool for dealing with stray voltage challenges. Also joining in the effort and re-
search were the Minnesota Department
of Labor and Industry and Department
of Agriculture. As a result, the Minnesota Stray Voltage Guide is now available
for livestock organizations across the
state and is being used to address any
concerns that may arise.
The completion of this guide marks the
first time in Minnesota that a broad
based, stakeholder group has come
together to agree on an approach for
handling stray voltage concerns. It is
the result of a nine-month voluntary
and collaborative effort. The presence
of stray voltage is a normal result of
electricity traveling through utility
distribution systems, which must be
grounded to earth to ensure safe and
reliable operation. However, if problems occur, the level of voltage present
on a farm can reach levels that could
impact livestock. Dairy farmers are our
member-owners. The Guide provides
another tool to ensure any challenges
they may be experiencing in this area
are being dealt with.
Other states have adopted standard
practices to address stray voltage
concerns, and there has been a lot of
research done. This research was used
in developing this Guide, and has served
as the foundation for the development of standards in other states. The
entire guidebook can be downloaded
at www.minnesotastrayvoltageguide.com.
There is no cost to download the guidebook. As always, I encourage anyone
with questions to contact us.
Your washing machine doesn’t clean your clothes.
Electricity does.
Your closet is empty. The hamper is full. It’s laundry time again. But don’t forget that electricity is
by your side to help make the job easier. At the
touch of a button, electricity adds water, mixes
in detergent, and spins your clothes clean.
When the fresh scent of laundry fills your home,
remember that Wild Rice Electric is delivering
a powerful value—each and every day.
www.wildriceelectric.com
(218) 935-2517
Notice of Annual Meeting
for Wild Rice Electric Cooperative,
Inc. Mahnomen, Minnesota
The annual meeting of the members of
Wild Rice Electric Cooperative, Inc. will be
held at the Mahnomen High School Auditorium, 209 First Street SW, in the City
of Mahnomen, Minnesota at 6:30 p.m. on
March 17th, 2016, to take action on the
following matters:
1.The reports of officers, directors and
committees.
2.The election of three directors of the
Cooperative. One director shall be
elected from each of the Cooperative’s three districts for a term of three
years. A member who is absent from
a member’s meeting may vote by mail
on a ballot (an “Absentee Ballot”).
Absentee Ballots are available by request. A properly executed Absentee
Ballot must be received on or before
9:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 17th,
2016, to be counted as the vote of the
absent member at the meeting.
3.All other business which may come
before the meeting and adjournment
thereof.
Dated at Mahnomen, Minnesota on February 2nd, 2016.
Mark Habedank, Secretary
Wild Rice Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Mahnomen, Minnesota
Proof of Mailing
STATE OF MINNESOTA
COUNTY OF MAHNOMEN
Mark Habedank, being first duly sworn,
on oath, deposes and says that he is duly
elected, qualified and acting Secretary of
Wild Rice Electric Cooperative, Inc.; that
on February 2nd, 2016, he caused to be
mailed to each member of the Cooperative, a notice of annual meeting of the
members of the Cooperative by having
the notice published in a periodical,
published by and on behalf of the Cooperative which is mailed to each and every
member monthly, and that the attached is
a true and correct copy of said notice of
said meeting as aforesaid.
Mark Habedank, Secretary
Wild Rice Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Mahnomen, Minnesota 56557
Nominating Committee Report
Mahnomen, Minnesota
January 20th, 2016
The undersigned duly appointed Nominating Committee met at the Wild
Rice Electric office, 502 North Main Street, Mahnomen, Minnesota on
January 20th, 2016, at 11:00 A.M.
Arthur Bakker was duly nominated and elected Chairman and Charles
Puffinberger was duly nominated and elected Secretary of the Committee. The Committee then proceeded to make nominations and respectfully submits the following report thereof, viz:
WE, the undersigned, duly appointed Committee on Nominations by the
Board of Directors of Wild Rice Electric Cooperative, Inc. at a meeting
duly held on January 20, 2016, hereby, respectfully nominate the following for directors in Districts 1, 2 and 3: to succeed in District 1 – Jeff
Nornes (three-year term); District 2 – Greg LaVoy (three-year term);
and District 3 – Gary Bergan (three-year term); whose terms expire and
whose successors will be elected at the annual meeting of said Cooperative to be held on March 17th, 2016, viz:
Nominees
District 1 (3-Year Term): Jeff Nornes
District 2 (3-Year Term): Greg LaVoy
James Benedict
District 3 (3-Year Term): Gary Bergan
George Van Dam
The Nominating Committee:
Front (left to right): Sigurd Severinson, Thomas Teiken, Richard Zurn, Jenifer Spielman
Back (left to right): Charles Puffinberger, John Darco, Arthur Bakker, Mike Weik, Brian Floan
Statement of Secretary with Respect to Election of Directors
At the annual meeting of the Wild Rice
Electric Cooperative, Inc. to be held at
Mahnomen, Minnesota, on March 17th,
2016, three directors are to be elected
to fill the directorships now held by Jeff
Nornes, Erskine, MN; Greg LaVoy, Naytahwaush, MN; and Gary Bergan, Hawley,
MN. The following nominations have
been received from the committee on
nominations, viz:
District 1:
(3-Year Term)
Jeff Nornes
District 2:
(3-Year Term) Greg LaVoy
James Benedict
District 3:
(3-Year Term) Gary Bergan
George Van Dam
Also, any fifteen (15) or more members
may make other nominations in writing
over their signatures not less than twenty
(20) days prior to the meeting and the
Secretary shall post the same at the same
place where the list of nominations made
by the Committee is posted.
Any member who may be absent from
said annual meeting may vote by mail
for directors by requesting a ballot for
directors from the Secretary of Wild Rice
Electric Cooperative, Inc., PO Box 438,
Mahnomen, MN, 56557, and by marking
on the ballot, an “X” opposite the names
of the number of candidates equal to the
number of directors to be elected and
enclosing the ballot in a sealed envelope
bearing his name, addressed to the Secretary of Wild Rice Electric Cooperative,
Inc., PO Box 438, Mahnomen, MN, 56557,
and mailing the same in time so that it
will reach the Secretary on or before, the
date of the annual meeting and before
the ballots for directors are collected and
canvassed by the ballot inspectors.
Any provisions relating to the rights of a
membership apply equally to all holders
of a joint membership, specifically and
without limitation: The presence at a
meeting of any member constitutes the
presence of all members and is a waiver
of notice of the meeting, and the vote of
any of those holding joint membership,
separately or all, jointly constitutes one
joint vote.
Dated at Mahnomen, Minnesota, January
20th, 2016.
Mark Habedank, Secretary
Wild Rice Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Mahnomen, Minnesota 56557
Ads
FOR SALE
Small square oats straw bales and
tailgate for 1977 Dodge pickup
take off original equipment, $200.
218-847-4017 & lv message.
Oak firewood, blocked, pickup load;
walk behind snow blower, new tires
as is; 1998 Chevy Lumina good body
needs engine. 218-584-4603.
Alfalfa grass large round 5x5 bales
stored in shed, 1 pair tractor chains,
32 in house door heavy $75.
218-596-8383.
Grass hay in small square bales. Very
good horse or young stock hay, $3 a
bale. 218-204-0274.
Butcher hogs $200 for whole $100
for half delivered to Ulen Locker February 8. 701-388-2747.
2 pair downhill skis, boots & poles,
$200. 2 4’x6’ canvas fish houses, $150.
218-280-3699.
4 Bridgestone Blizzak tires
245/70R16. Only 600 miles on
them. Bought new for $700, will sell
for $500.00. 218-847-4530.
2014 Artic Cat Eltrigu 6000 105
miles, lake use only. New helmet, coat& gloves. $8000. BO.
218-731-5571.
Plasma cutter. Thermal Dynamics cutmaster 82 excellent condition, $1,300.
218-238-6049.
7 1/4” DeWalt circular saw, new
10-7-15 $100. AIRCARE evaporative humidifier, new 12-12-15 $75.
218-238-5882.
Conn tenor saxophone, $650.00.
Complete with mouthpiece, accessories and hard case. No dents. Call
218-847-2051.
Skid steer attachments for sale, snow
and dirt buckets, tree pullers, skeletal
and grapple buckets and pallet forks
new and used available. No texts
please, 701-261-3574.
90 small square alfalfa bales, 2nd crop,
no rain, conditioned, stored in shed, $6
per bale. Also 2 free sets of band duals,
218-532-7273.
American Energy Countryside pellet/corn stove. 218-356-8270 or
612-868-7150.
EE Dividing Head w/ Tailstock,
$100; McCulloch chain saw pro, like
new, $100; bench drill press, $65,
and 265 fuel barrel on stand, $50.
218-935-5110 days.
2008 John Deere 2520-27 HP Tractor w/ 62” ride on mower, 47” snow
thrower, King Kutter 72” – 6 way
blade, balout box w/ weights, and
lawn and tree sprayer. $16,000 for
all. 218-331-1301.
John Deere dealership parts manual library. About 60 Binders. 50’s,
60’s, 70’s. Some older. Make offer.
218-584-8279.
Grumman 17’ canoe, light weight
w/ portage should pads, $400.
218-567-8297.
Canaries for sale, 218-847-8059.
Conn Tenor Saxophone with mouthpiece, neck strap, all accessories
and hard case. $650.00. Call
218-847-2051.
Back seat under seat storage box
for a 2008-2013 GMC/Chevy
pickup. Good condition. $100.
218-937-551.
Registered Red Angus bulls. Top
bloodlines, nice dispositions. Yearlings, $1700.00, two and three
year old, $2000.00. Will keep until
you need them, will deliver. Call
218-841-2688
1.4 full cords of seasoned birch
firewood, $125 cash. 1978 Massey
Ferguson Tractor w/ Massy quick
tach loader, has multi-power. Asking $8,900. 218-584-5311 or
701-262-7947.
For sale small square wheat straw
bales. Asking $2.50 per bale. No
rain and stored in shed. Please
call 218-849-4297. Please leave
message.
2 - 185/70 R-14 tires 90% tread
$100 for the pair. 218-439-3489.
1998 Dodge 4x4 ½ ton pickup. Also
small square alfalfa, grass hay bales,
stored inside. 218-584-5502.
Craftsman 5 HP – 230 V- 30 gal. Air
compressor w/ 50’ air hose, excellent, $180. 3 electric 1500 w space
heaters $15 each. 218-584-5587.
90 2nd crop alfalfa small square
bales, excellent quality, conditioned,
no rain, stored in shed call Dale.
218-532-7273.
Car tote trailer, very good condition,
$500 obo. 218-431-0442.
Medium size oxygen and acetylene
tanks, $300 pair. Pro 10-10 chain
saw w/ 16” bar a new chain, $100.
Strike-master Electric Ice Auger 8”,
$200. Marlin 30-30 lever w/ 1x4
½ Bushnell scope, $200. Days
218-935-5110.
WANTED
Barbie doll house, 218-532-7175.
Our Ad Policy
• All ads must be 30 words or less.
• Ads will be abbreviated at the coop’s discretion.
• No real estate or commercial ads
will be accepted.
• Ads are published for members
at no charge as space permits on
a first-come, first-served basis.
Unpublished ads will not be
carried over.
• Ads are due by the 5th of the
month prior to publication.
• Members may submit only one ad
per issue.
• Ads must be resubmitted to run an
additional month.
• Ads must be typed or in clear,
readable print. Editor reserves the
right to edit or reject any ad.
• You can submit your ad by mail,
email or fax. Phone ads will not be
accepted.
• Fax ads to:
(218) 935-2519
• Email ads to:
[email protected]
• Mail ads to:
Wild Rice Electric
P.O. Box 438
Mahnomen, MN 56557
1975 GMC or Chevy cab over Model 4000.
Six young laying hens and rooster.
We have a good chassis, we just need the
218-584-4603.
cab. 218-937-5536.
Arctic Cat King Kat, McCulloch Titan
Parts for Murray 14.5 – 40 rider lawn mowChain Saw, used aluminum exterier. 218-584-5587.
or window awnings and shades call
218-791-3752, leave message.
Milton Bradley Game Raggedy Ann Copyright 1954, I Love Lucy items, and Dirt DevOld Fairbanks Platform scale, used on
il can Vac black & red. 701-866-7851.
farms years ago to weigh grain sacks
and farm products, most were 1,000 Wrist Watch Display Case. Motorized To
lb. scales w/ wheels. 218-567-8297.
Turn. 218-793-2447. Leave message.
PERIODICAL
502 North Main, P.O. Box 438
Mahnomen, MN 56557
Rural DeLight (ISSN 0194 505X)
Published monthly by Wild Rice Electric Cooperative,
Inc., P.O. Box 438, Mahnomen, MN 56557, in the
interests of its members and others. Periodical postage
paid at Mahnomen and additional mailing offices. USPS
468-810. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes,
Form 3579 to: Wild Rice Electric Cooperative, Inc., P.O.
Box 438, Mahnomen, MN 56557-0438.
Subscription rates: Members, $1/year; Non-members, $2/year. Phone: (218) 935-2517
In this Issue:
““ Over the Manager’s Desk with Steve Haaven
— Annual Meeting Plans
— 2016 Budget
— Operation Round-Up
— Stray Voltage Guide
““ Congratulations to Ken Ahmann on Retirement
““ Nominating Committee Report
““ Notice of Annual Meeting, Proof of Mailing
““ Want Ads
Annual Meeting:
Mark Your Calendars!
Date: Thursday, March 17th, 2016
Location: Mahnomen High School Auditorium
Time: Registration starts at 4:30 p.m.
Entertainment: Tim Eggebraten
News from Wild Rice
Electric Co-op, Inc.
Phone:
Serving you 24 hours a day
(218) 935-2517
(800) 244-5709
Office Hours:
8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Monday–Friday
Website:
www.wildriceelectric.com