MORGAN COUNTY RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION
Minutes of Regular Board Meeting
Headquarters Building – Fort Morgan, Colorado
March 27, 2017: The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Directors of Morgan County Rural
Electric Association was called to order at 9:00 a.m. on the above date. Directors present were:
Dave Arndt, Randolph D. Graff, Larry Hoozee, Terry Linker, Wm. Grant Midcap, Brian Pabst,
Timothy Peggram, Brian D. Schlagel, and Cary Wickstrom. Absent: none.
Also present were David Frick, General Manager and Matthew Richardson, Corporate Attorney,
and initially, those members of staff who personally provide monthly staff reports to the Board of
Directors.
EXECUTIVE SESSION: The Board convened an executive session to discuss an arc flash
incident and resulting injury to a cooperative employee with cooperative attorney, Matthew
Richardson.
BOARD REORGANIZATION: By nomination and balloting in accordance with Section 2 of
Article VI of the cooperative’s bylaws, the Board elected the following officers:
President: Randolph D. Graff
Vice President: Cary Wickstrom
Secretary: Larry Hoozee
Treasurer: Timothy Peggram
The Board elected the following individuals to serve as MCREA’s board representative for the
TriState, CREA, and Western United Power boards:
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Board Delegate: Brian D. Schlagel
CREA Board Delegate: Timothy Peggram
Western United Power Board Delegate: Brian Pabst
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
♦ By motion made, seconded, and carried the minutes of the regular meeting of the Board
of Directors of February 20, 2017 were approved.
APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP: After reviewing the applications for Membership in
the cooperative presented at today’s meeting for consideration by the Board of Directors,
♦ By motion made, seconded, and carried applications for membership numbered
24767 through 24778 were approved.
CANCELLED MEMBERSHIPS: The Directors reviewed the monthly list of members who have
withdrawn from the cooperative since the last meeting of the Board.
MEMBER INPUT: The Directors discussed recent input from members regarding the
cooperative’s off-hours call service, as well as member interest in the cooperative providing
broadband/wireless services.
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 EXECUTIVE SESSION: The Board convened an executive session to discuss an arc flash
incident resulting injury to a cooperative employee with Manager Frick, Bobby Brenton, and
Matthew Richardson.
SAFETY & HEALTH REPORT: Manager Frick presented and summarized the monthly Safety
and Health Report. MCREA staff underwent training in Fire Safety/Fire Extinguisher Use; Fall
Protection/Ladder Safety, Chains; Slings, Ropes & Tagline Use/Safety; Equal Protection Grounding
Training (CREA); and Supervisor Reasonable Suspicion Training (CMDT). Manager Frick
reviewed with the Board the number of crew observations, reports, trainings, and various safety
meetings conducted to date in 2017. Lastly, Manager Frick reported regarding instances of damage
to MCREA equipment and personal property and a near-miss incident during the previous month.
STAFF REPORT – HUMAN RESOURCES: Ms. Kristie Binder reported that MCREA’s new
Billing Clerk began work on March 13, 2017. MCREA had no resignations or internal transfers
and conducted no performance appraisals during the preceding month. Ms. Binder finished by
apprising the Board of the upcoming conferences, meetings, and events.
STAFF REPORT – ENGINEERING: Steve Sundet submitted the monthly engineering report to
the Board. Mr. Sundet presented the Board with the contractor proposals received after the request
for proposals for the MCREA four-year construction plan and sectionalizing study.
♦ By motion made, seconded, and carried, the Board accepted ECI’s bid to contract with
MCREA to perform the four-year construction plan and sectionalizing study.
Mr. Sundet presented data and images regarding the age of MCREA’s poles and copper and steel
line by location within the certificated area.
STAFF REPORT – OPERATIONS: Mr. Sundet presented the monthly operations report to the
Board. MCREA sent a crew to assist Mountain View Electric restore service after a recent spring
snowstorm. Mr. Sundet reported to the Board on MCREA’s progress with both new construction
and service retirements, as well as progress on the installation of the new SCADA/AMI system.
Thirty-five routers and 2,700 meters have yet to be installed and that project is still on schedule.
The new system has already increased efficiency; as re-reads were down to 133 in March of 2017.
There had been as many as 1400 re-reads necessary in recent months. Lastly, Mr. Sundet advised
the Board that contractor Govert has completed its work for MCREA and updated the Board on TriState’s plans to energize the Fort Morgan Substation in early April
STAFF REPORT – MEMBER SERVICES: Dave Henderson provided the Board with the
member services report. Mr. Henderson reported that 180 registered members attended the Annual
Meeting in March.
The Board then discussed MCREA’s continued participation in Rocky Mountain Institute’s request
for proposals regarding community solar facilities, with Wm. Grant Midcap excusing himself from
the discussion.
♦ By motion made, seconded, and carried, the Board withdrew MCREA from further
participation in Rocky Mountain Institute’s request for proposals regarding community
solar facilities.

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 STAFF REPORT – OFFICE SERVICES: Robb Shaver reported current interest rates charged
by lenders to the rural electric industry and called attention to the monthly delinquent accounts
report. As reported by Ms. Binder, MCREA’s new Billing Clerk began work in the office services
department in March. Mr. Shaver presented slides to the Board showing MCREA’s real property
tax liabilities in the counties within its certificated area. Lastly, Mr. Shaver and the Board
discussed the cooperative’s security deposit policy.
FINANCIAL REPORT: Mr. Shaver reviewed the details of his customary monthly financial
statements and reports. He presented the Board analysis of the Rate Class 130 Demand Cap data
and of MCREA’s operating margins thus far in 2017. After questions, answers, and discussion, the
President directed that the monthly Financial Reports be filed.
TREASURER’S REPORT: Mr. Peggram presented the monthly Treasurer’s report, with attention paid to the monthly accounts payable check register reflecting checks issued during the
previous month. Following review and consideration of the register of accounts payable, President
Graff ordered that the check register be filed.
MANAGER’S REPORT: Manager Frick presented his monthly report to the Board. Manager
Frick reviewed with the Board a proposed anti-discrimination policy.
♦ By motion made, seconded, and carried, the Board approved the adoption of Policy 6-6,
titled “Anti-Discrimination."
Next, Manager Frick presented proposed revisions to Policy 9-9, titled “Health and Safety
Program.” The revisions are intended to clarify disciplinary action and to make the language of that
policy consistent with other MCREA policies.
♦ By motion made, seconded, and carried, the Board adopted the proposed revisions to
Policy 9-9.
Manager Frick advised the Board the staff recommended no changes to policies 9-5 and 10-11,
which were also scheduled for review.
♦ By motion made, seconded, and carried, the Board reaffirmed Policy 9-5 with no
changes.
♦ By motion made, seconded, and carried, the Board reaffirmed Policy 10-11 with no
changes.
Manager Frick presented a proposed GIS agreement with Morgan Quality Water for the Board’s
consideration.
♦ By motion made, seconded, and carried, the Board authorized the execution of the GIS
Agreement with Morgan Quality Water.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT: President Graff had no report.

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 TRI-STATE G & T BOARD REPORT: Brian Schlagel reviewed and discussed at length the
contents of the monthly written report he prepared and presented as the Cooperative’s delegate
Director to the Board of Directors of Tri-State G&T.
WESTERN UNITED BOARD REPORT: Brian Pabst reported that the Western United’s most
recent board meeting, including financials and strategic planning.
COLORADO RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION BOARD REPORT: No one attended
CREA’s most recent board meeting, due to inclement weather. However, President Graff reviewed
the minutes from that meeting with the Board.
OTHER MEETING REPORTS: Brian Schlagel and Cary Wickstrom reported on NRECA and
NRTC’s annual meetings, which they had attended in the preceding month. Timothy Peggram
reported to the Board on Midwest Power’s spring board meeting.

There being no further business to consider, the meeting was declared adjourned at 2:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted:

_______________________________
Larry D. Hoozee, Secretary

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