On June 16, 2022, Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative welcomed members to the 84th Annual meeting of the membership in Port Orford, Oregon. The Board of Directors extended the option for members to attend the Annual Meeting virtually and in person. Approximately, 80 members attended. The CCEC Board of Directors values member input and is committed to listening to all ideas and concerns. At the June board meeting immediately following the annual membership meeting, the Board spent considerable time discussing member motions. Likewise, the Board had more discussion and follow-up at the July board meeting and will move each motion to a conclusion.
(Below you will find proposed member motions in bold with follow-up discussion and action by the BOD in plain text.)
Motion 1: Open board meetings to member attendance.
- June 16, 2022, in regular session, following discussion the Board instructed staff to propose revisions to the current CCEC policy (300-030) that will open board meetings for member attendance.
- July 28, 2022, in policy committee meeting, a draft of the revised policy was reviewed and discussed by the Board. CCEC Staff was directed to make additional changes. The policy was prepared for a vote at the August meeting.
- August 25, 2022, in policy committee meeting, a draft of the policy was reviewed and discussed by the Board, CCEC Staff was directed to make additional changes. The policy was prepared for a vote at the September meeting.
- September 20, 2022, in policy committee meeting, a draft of the policy was reviewed and discussed by the Board in regular session. The board approved policy 300-030.
Discussion closed.
Motion 2: Move the CCEC Annual Meeting to a weekend and closer to the largest population center.
- June 16, 2022, in regular session, the Board agreed that, as the date, time and location of the annual meeting is determined on an annual basis, and not specifically set by the bylaws or any board policy, the Board will table this item until November when the Board sets the meeting schedule for 2023.
- December 29, 2022, in regular session, the Board discussed potential days of the week, dates, and location of the 2023 CCEC annual meeting and decided on Thursday, June 22,2023, at 10:00 a.m. in Gold Beach.
Discussion closed.
Motion 3: CCEC is to perform an external risk-assessment audit of Beacon Broadband, make the results available to the membership, cease infrastructure spending until the audit is available to members, and subsequently, hold a vote of the membership to proceed with Beacon Broadband based on the published audit results.
- June 16, 2022, in regular session, Director Cockerham motioned to order a Beacon Broadband project audit from an external agency familiar with the broadband industry. The motion failed for lack of a second. No additional motions were made.
Discussion closed.
Motion 4: Make Beacon Broadband a not-for-profit entity.
- June 16, 2022, the Annual Meeting presentation on the subject of Beacon Broadband provided an explanation of the for-profit corporate structure that was chosen by CCEC. No further action was necessary.
Discussion closed.
Motion 5: Reinstate all of Director Cockerham’s board member duties.
- June 16, 2022, in regular session,
- Director Cockerham made a motion to change the Beacon Broadband Board back to seven members. The motion failed for lack of a second.
- Director Cockerham made a motion to permit Director Cockerham back into CCEC executive sessions. The motion failed for lack of a second.
- Director Robison made a motion to deny Director Cockerham access to Beacon Broadband board meetings and CCEC executive sessions. The motion was seconded and passed with one abstention.
Discussion closed.
Motion 6: Establish board member term limits.
- June 16, 2022, in regular session,
- General Council Tyler Pepple informed the Board that any change to term limits requires a change to CCEC’s bylaws.
- a motion was made by Director Cockerham to limit board members to three terms. The motion failed for a lack of a second.
- the board instructed staff to benchmark term limits set by other northwest electric cooperatives.
- July 28, 2022, in regular session, CCEC staff presented a comprehensive list of term limits from the list above. Of the 25 northwest cooperatives surveyed, only two cooperatives have term limits. These two cooperatives have term limits set at 5 and 6 three-year terms. No further action was taken.
Discussion closed.