A follow-up from my Feb 2012 blog on transparency. I was waiting for the minutes to become available from the May 21, 2012 meeting.
The GVEA board voted at that meeting to endorse roughly half of my proposals:
1. Post complete meeting packet and maintain historically (they agreed for 3 years)
2. Post a list of GVEA committees and membership
3. Post a list of external committee members (of board and CEO, my intent)
4. Post meeting agendas and minutes of subsidiaries (and Good Cents, the board's idea)
5. Post historical minutes of Membership Advisory Committee (MAC) (instead of just the last meeting)
6. Post Form 7 (GVEA's financial statement to the Rural Utilities System) - the board also will post the IRS Form 990 on their website.
And finally, CEO Newton agreed to find a way to set up a notification system for when GVEA is heading into expensive peak power and see if we can get members to reduce and thus save us all high cost energy.
With Newton's departure, I hope the implementation of these items won't be delayed as more than competent staff remain to carry forth the board's request.
It took me a nearly 5 year effort to get the board to agree to post the meeting agendas and minutes. I'd been working on these other items for several years as well, but consolidating them into a single readable document for the board seemed to resonate. One of the interesting side facts is that I caught some flack for handing out the very same issues on transparency to the MAC board in May. I think they have worked that out, but most amazing to me that it was an issue at all.
Finally, I welcome my new District 4 board member Frank Eagle to the GVEA board and thank outgoing District 4 board member Ward Merdes for his efforts on the board the last 3years. Ward's main issue when running was 'Susitna Now'. I opined to him that he would soon be inundated with an incredible amount of work on the GVEA board. He now agrees, but was still surprised how much. And Susitna-Watana remains a long ways off.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Public Embarrassment - David vs. Goliath
For some reason, GVEA President-CEO Brian Newton, perhaps a result of his 'for shame' comment at the Annual Meeting, decided it would be a good idea to organize a protest/rally outside the Northern Alaska Environmental Center (NAEC). The NAEC is one of the 4 organizations who oppose restarting the Healy 2 coal fired powerplant without some conditions GVEA didn't like. The board found out some days before and required Newton to be open about his and GVEA's involvement, which he then followed. Chena Hot Springs and Chena Power owner Bernie Karl was the featured speaker.
The rally of about 75 was outnumbered 2:1 by Northern Alaska Environmental Center very enthusiastic counter-rally attendees and became quite the happening. (This article isn't exactly correct). A generally friendly event, as the GVEA sponsored rally faded out, people on both sides mixed in the side street to share opinions.
A couple weeks later, the GVEA Board of Directors held a special board meeting at Sophie Station with the one executive session topic - Personnel Matters. A few days later, GVEA issued a press release that Brian Newton had resigned from GVEA effective immediately to 'pursue other opportunities in the Lower 48'.
It seems logical that this resignation is the result of the bungled rally, but more deeply, I believe, the result on escalating board dissatisfaction with Newton's performance on a number of issues of late. There has been lots of negative press besides about his high salary and benefits ($450,000 though that likely includes some travel costs).
GVEA local counsel Cory Borgeson was announced to be acting CEO. Perhaps his long time legal partner John Burns (recently Alaska Attorney General) will be taking Cory's place as local counsel. While John seems a straight up guy, this might be a bit of a conflict of interest. GVEA said they will be doing a nationwide search for a new CEO.
As a side note, Chena Power (see Bernie Karl above) apparently owes GVEA over $56,000 in past due electricity charges. Unlike most consumers, Chena Power has not had their power cut for delinquency as is required by tariff. I would hope that Chena Power can make payment so they don't get cut off.
For the record, this is the first time a head of GVEA has left under such circumstances. It's hard on an organization and the board when this happens. I hope they can find a replacement who is able to work with the various constituencies to bring affordable and environmental sound energy to GVEA members/ratepayers.
The rally of about 75 was outnumbered 2:1 by Northern Alaska Environmental Center very enthusiastic counter-rally attendees and became quite the happening. (This article isn't exactly correct). A generally friendly event, as the GVEA sponsored rally faded out, people on both sides mixed in the side street to share opinions.
A couple weeks later, the GVEA Board of Directors held a special board meeting at Sophie Station with the one executive session topic - Personnel Matters. A few days later, GVEA issued a press release that Brian Newton had resigned from GVEA effective immediately to 'pursue other opportunities in the Lower 48'.
It seems logical that this resignation is the result of the bungled rally, but more deeply, I believe, the result on escalating board dissatisfaction with Newton's performance on a number of issues of late. There has been lots of negative press besides about his high salary and benefits ($450,000 though that likely includes some travel costs).
GVEA local counsel Cory Borgeson was announced to be acting CEO. Perhaps his long time legal partner John Burns (recently Alaska Attorney General) will be taking Cory's place as local counsel. While John seems a straight up guy, this might be a bit of a conflict of interest. GVEA said they will be doing a nationwide search for a new CEO.
As a side note, Chena Power (see Bernie Karl above) apparently owes GVEA over $56,000 in past due electricity charges. Unlike most consumers, Chena Power has not had their power cut for delinquency as is required by tariff. I would hope that Chena Power can make payment so they don't get cut off.
For the record, this is the first time a head of GVEA has left under such circumstances. It's hard on an organization and the board when this happens. I hope they can find a replacement who is able to work with the various constituencies to bring affordable and environmental sound energy to GVEA members/ratepayers.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Public Hearing on Livengood line extension
GVEA had requested the RCA (Regulatory Commission of Alaska) to allow them to expand their service area to Livengood in expectation of providing power to the proposed Livengood mine. I've found out that the expectation is a need of 100 mw of power, more than any single source of generation or demand we have now. GVEA admits they would need to build new generation.
There were enough comments to the RCA that, 4 months later, the RCA just announced a public hearing on the matter for May 2, 2012 at the Westmark Yukon Room from 1 pm - 5 pm. Here is the order for this.
I had suggested to the board that, should they go forward, GVEA consider installing a generator at Livengood and trucking gas direct and keep the accounting separate so that the mine pays the full cost for generating their own electricity.
There were enough comments to the RCA that, 4 months later, the RCA just announced a public hearing on the matter for May 2, 2012 at the Westmark Yukon Room from 1 pm - 5 pm. Here is the order for this.
I had suggested to the board that, should they go forward, GVEA consider installing a generator at Livengood and trucking gas direct and keep the accounting separate so that the mine pays the full cost for generating their own electricity.
GVEA Annual Meeting
The GVEA Annual Membership meeting is at the Carlson Center April 25, 2012 from about 6 pm - 9:00+ pm. http://www.gvea.com/inside/about/annualmeeting
I plan to speak about transparency, cost of energy, debt, and the proposed service area extension to Livengood. How I fit all that into 2 minutes, don't know.
Small progress, finally GVEA has raised the show-up rebate from $15 to $25. You might also win a 20 year old std cab pickup or some cash.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Membership Advisory Board March 2012 meeting
So, after presenting my transparency ideas to the GVEA Board, I thought it might be useful to also present them at the next MAC meeting, particularly as a couple of these ideas were mentioned from the previous board meeting (reducing executive sessions). It is apparently rare that non-MAC members show up at the monthly MAC meetings, like only a couple per year.
As a courtesy, I printed up paper copies for each of the members and, as I was walking up to where I would speak, I passed them out. Up jumps GVEA Vice President of Marketing & Member Services Dave Gardner, who says I'm not allowed to pass out anything, only speak. When a MAC member asked why, Dave indicated it was against policy, that I might be handing out Avon brochures.
I don't normally call out individuals on issues, but in this case, the individual called himself out most unflatteringly.
I found this pretty absurd and was embarrassed at his shameless sputtering and what would seem to be a complete fabrication. GVEA has no policy on what members can pass out at MAC meetings, particularly as members rarely show up. I asked Bill Nordmark, president of the GVEA Board and he was unaware of any policy about this. Of course, their policies are far from transparent, so one can't look them up.
It seems to me that Dave Gardner, having been the facilitator of the MAC meetings for a couple of decades (according to him) needs to let someone else do it for a while. The perception is that he thinks the MAC is HIS committee.
GVEA does provide a lot of good educational information to MAC members at these meetings, but I'd like to see the MAC run their own meetings.
As a courtesy, I printed up paper copies for each of the members and, as I was walking up to where I would speak, I passed them out. Up jumps GVEA Vice President of Marketing & Member Services Dave Gardner, who says I'm not allowed to pass out anything, only speak. When a MAC member asked why, Dave indicated it was against policy, that I might be handing out Avon brochures.
I don't normally call out individuals on issues, but in this case, the individual called himself out most unflatteringly.
I found this pretty absurd and was embarrassed at his shameless sputtering and what would seem to be a complete fabrication. GVEA has no policy on what members can pass out at MAC meetings, particularly as members rarely show up. I asked Bill Nordmark, president of the GVEA Board and he was unaware of any policy about this. Of course, their policies are far from transparent, so one can't look them up.
It seems to me that Dave Gardner, having been the facilitator of the MAC meetings for a couple of decades (according to him) needs to let someone else do it for a while. The perception is that he thinks the MAC is HIS committee.
GVEA does provide a lot of good educational information to MAC members at these meetings, but I'd like to see the MAC run their own meetings.
On Transparency
It's been a while since I posted, but I have been attending GVEA board meetings and, as usual, bringing up various aspects where I believe GVEA could increase transparency, which is a part of their proclaimed mission/policy.
In that vein, at the last meeting in February, I presented the board with a 12 item list of things they could do to bring about increased transparency. The entire presentation can be viewed here, but listed below are the 12 topics. At the subsequent MAC meeting, one suggestion was actually on the agenda: to post MAC meeting minutes on the GVEA website historically (not just the most recent meeting's minutes) and it passed. More on that meeting in a subsequent blog.
In that vein, at the last meeting in February, I presented the board with a 12 item list of things they could do to bring about increased transparency. The entire presentation can be viewed here, but listed below are the 12 topics. At the subsequent MAC meeting, one suggestion was actually on the agenda: to post MAC meeting minutes on the GVEA website historically (not just the most recent meeting's minutes) and it passed. More on that meeting in a subsequent blog.
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