K.C. ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION

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coloradocountrylife.coop 7AUGUST 2015

K.C. Electric Annual Meeting RecapBY DAVID CHURCHWELL || GENERAL MANAGER

II want to thank all of our members who attended our 69th Annual Meeting on June 4 at the Hi-Plains school. What a tremendous facility they built in Seibert; it is truly a building that the entire com-munity can be proud of. It was a pleasure to see everyone as we presented an update of 2014 and the business of the association was conducted. We had a great turnout with more than 130 members in atten-dance.

This year we had two contested elec-tions for board of directors. Incumbent directors elected to serve another three year term were Terry Tagtmeyer and Jim Michal from Kit Carson County and Lu-anna Naugle from Cheyenne County.

Employees and directors who were recognized with years of service awards included: (George Frecks, Acct. # 907200004)

• Sue Dutro, accountant from Hugo, 35-year award;

• Casey Hyle, journeyman lineman from Cheyenne Wells, five-year award;

• Jim Michal, director from Kit Carson County, 15-year award;

• Terry Tagtmeyer, director Kit Carson County, 15-year award.

Shown below are two pie charts indicat-ing our revenue by rate class for 2014 and our operating expenses for 2014. In 2014 total revenue from electric sales was $23,690,332, which was 1.3 percent higher than 2013 revenues. As you can see from Figure 1 below, commercial customers ac-counted for 40.7 percent of sales followed by irrigation customers at 36.4 percent, residential customers at 21.8 percent and all other classes accounted for the other 1 percent of sales.

Total cost of electric service in 2014 was $22,236,331, which was slightly lower than 2013. As usual, cost of power was our largest single operating expense at 75.2 percent of the total. (See Figure 2 below.) Operations and maintenance expense was next at 10.4 percent, followed by deprecia-tion at 6.4 percent, administration and general at 4.3 percent, consumer account-

ing and sales at 2.5 percent and interest and other deductions at 1.2 percent.

Operating margins for 2014 were $1,421,001, which was $452,474 higher than 2013 mainly because of lower oper-ating costs and increased sales revenue. Total margins for 2014 were $2,584,399 which was an increase of $144,783 over 2013.

As you can see, K.C. Electric Associa-tion continues to remain in sound finan-cial condition and in 2014 we returned $1,250,000 in capital credits to you, our member-owners. Receiving capital credits is one of the many benefits of being a member of an electric cooperative.

During the meeting, Board President Kevin Penny announced our 2015 schol-arship recipients:

• Rebecca Kraxberger of Genoa-Hugo High School — $1,000 from Basin Electric

• Caitlyn Nitsch of Burlington High School — $500 from Tri-State Generation and Transmission

• Thomas Rehfeld of Weskan High School — $500 from Tri-State Generation and Transmission

• Ashlyn Richie of Hi-Plains High School — $1,000 from K.C. Electric Association

• Kyle Specht of Cheyenne Wells High School —$1,000 from K.C. Electric Association

David Churchwell

[continued on page 8]

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Congratulations to each of these scholarship winners. I wish them good luck in their future endeavors.

K.C. Attorney Jeff Cure and Joye Devlin from the Kit Carson County Sher-iff ’s Department held a short discussion on fraud. Each and every day honest people become victims of scam artists. These scams many times come in the form of an email, phone call or even through the mail. Remember, if someone contacts you by phone and requests that you send them money, immediately hang up and call back the company that they claim to be representing. In our case, if someone calls you and indicates they are from K.C. Electric and tells you that they will disconnect your power unless you send them a money order, immediately hang up the phone and call the Stratton or Hugo office.

As usual, we gave away a lot of door prizes throughout the meeting. Once again, the grand prize of $1,500 went unclaimed since the person whose name was drawn was not in attendance. Instead, five members in attendance each won $100. (Clement Mitchell, Acct. #103600000)

As the meeting wound down, President Penny informed the members that the 2016 Annual Meeting will take place on June 2, 2016, in Stratton at Strat-ton High School. (Town of Cheyenne Wells, Account #458550000)

After the meeting, all members in attendance sat down and ate some deli-cious desserts prepared and served by the Hi-Plains senior class.

Thanks again to all of those who attended the meeting. I want to also thank Ben Orrell and all of the K.C. employees who assisted in putting the meeting together. We couldn’t do it without their help.

See you next year in Stratton.

K.C. Electric Annual Meeting Recap[continued from page 7]

Dave Ritchey presenting K.C. Electric scholarship to Kyle Specht of Cheyenne Wells.

Wayne Parrish presenting Tri-State Scholarship

to Caitlyn Nitsch of Burlington.

Kevin Penny presenting a 35 year award to Sue

Dutro. Sue is K.C. Electric’s accountant at the Hugo

office.

Kevin Penny presenting Director Terry Tagtmeyer

a 15 year award.

Kevin Penny presenting Director Jim Michal a 15 year award.

Terry Tagtmeyer present-ing K.C. Electric Scholar-ship to Ashlyn Richie’s mom. Ashlyn was at the FFA convention.

The Senior class and parents with the pies they provided for after the meeting refreshments.

Kevin Penny board president presides over K.C. Electric’s Annual Meeting at the Hi-Plains School .

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coloradocountrylife.coop 9AUGUST 2015

IIn June, K.C. Electric Association sent one student to Washing-ton, D.C., for the 51st Youth Tour. Young people who experience Youth Tour have the opportunity to explore our nation’s capital, make lasting friendships, learn more about how our government operates and see the impact electric cooperatives have on the leg-islative process. Youth Tour is one of the programs electric co-operatives across the country are best known for. You may have participated when you were a kid, or perhaps your child was a part of the program. But electric cooperatives go far beyond the Washington, D.C., Youth Tour when it comes to making a differ-ence in our young members’ lives.

At K.C. Electric, we are invested in youth education and engagement programs throughout our local community. One specific example is high-voltage demonstrations for Scouts, 4-H and FFA. In addition, we are part of the Farm Safety program for youth.

We are not the only ones getting involved. We are happy to be a part of the bigger co-op community, which strives to provide young Americans with safety and educational programs during the summer and throughout the year.

Electric co-ops in several states, including Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Wyoming, run a summer camp near Glen Eden, Colorado, in July that teaches kids about the cooperative busi-ness model. In fact, the kids get to create and run a co-op for the week. They pay their dues (50 cents) to become a part of the co-op and proceed to handle co-op business, from voting for board members and choosing a general manager to setting prices and determining inventory for their chosen business.

Some co-ops, including those in Colorado, are even taking students to their state capitals so they can see their state govern-ment at work. These programs allow students to create a mock state Senate where they can write and pass laws. They leave the program having learned more than just how a bill becomes a

law; they leave with practical experience, leadership skills and a desire to work hard for their future.

There are many great co-op programs out there that focus on youth education and engagement. But what all of these programs have in common, no matter how big or small, is the fact that electric cooperatives come together for a common cause to not only teach our youth about the cooperative difference, but also to give them the opportunity to see and reach their potential.

At K.C. Electric we want to make sure we are working for our members. Applications for 2016 Youth Tour programs will be mailed to school superintendents and counselors when school starts in the fall. Do you know of any youth programs that you would like to see the co-op get involved in? Let us know by emailing borrell@kcelectric.coop or calling 719-743-2431 and asking for Ben.

Caring About Youth is the Cooperative WayBY BEN ORRELL || MEMBER SERVICES SPECIALIST

2015 Colorado Youth Tour delegates

Ensure your children are protected from the electrical service connection to your home. Keep ladders or long poles stowed and away from youngsters who might be tempted to use them to reach the wires connected to your house. If you have added a room addition or deck, make sure the service connection remains well out of reach. Contact K.C. Electric if you are unsure the distance is safe.

Out of the Reach of Children

Periodically inspect your dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked. This will save energy and may prevent a fire. Manufacturers recommend using a rigid venting material — not plastic vents that may collapse and cause blockages.

Source: energy.gov

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THE COUNTRY KITCHENYUMMY ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE2 sticks margarine or butter, divided 6 cups chopped or shredded zucchini1 cup grated carrots 1 small onion, finely chopped1 can cream of chicken soup1 cup sour cream1 package Stove Top stuffing½ to 1 cup of grated cheese (depending on how cheesy you want it)

Melt one stick of margarine in skillet. Sauté zucchini, carrots and onion. Mix cream of chicken soup and sour cream. Add zucchini mixture and put in buttered casserole dish. Combine stuffing with second stick of margarine (melted) and pour over veggies. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Judy Beeson, Stratton

COTTAGE CHEESE COFFEE CAKEDough:2 cups warm milk1 ½ packages dry yeast½ cup sugar1 stick butter2 eggsFlour

Filling:1 pound small curd cottage cheese1 egg, beaten½ cup sugarCinnamonVanilla

Topping:1 cup sugar 1 ½ cups flour2/3 cup CriscoPinch of saltCinnamon (optional)

Dough: Mix first five ingredients and then add flour until dough is easy to knead. Knead dough and place in a large bowl. Allow to rise until double size. Knead again and let rise for 15 minutes. Divide dough into three equal parts. Spread dough into a 13-inch by 9-inch well-greased pans.

Filling: Mix filling ingredients well and spread evenly over dough.

Topping. Mix ingredients together until crumbly. Sprinkle generously over cottage cheese filling. Bake at 350 degrees until topping is brown and dough is done.

Jerry Meyers, Bethune

CLAIM YOUR CREDIT ON YOUR BILLEach month, K.C. Electric offers con-sumers a chance to earn a $10 credit on their next electric bill. If you recognize your 10-digit account number in this magazine, call 719-743-2431 and ask for your credit. It couldn’t be easier.

In June, Charles Schulte of Bethune called to WIN a prize and Jim Mitchek of Kit Carson and Carol Ackerman of Cheyenne Wells called to claim their savings.

Get acquainted with your account number, read your Colorado Country Life magazine and pick up the phone. That’s all the energy you’ll need to claim your energy bucks.

You must claim your credit during the month in which your name appears in the magazine (check the date on the front cover).

Pay attention to the forecast and make sure you are inside when a thunderstorm approaches. Lightning can strike up to 10 miles from the area in which it is raining. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder or lightning before returning outdoors.

Watch the Weather