— from Lois Ludwig, Lopez Island —
Thank you for publishing Chom Greacen’s excellent article about OPALCO. Her facts on the rate increases are correct. Her questions are valid. OPALCO board members insist their facility increase is the best plan to offset unforeseen expenses. I’m saddened that the Board is floundering in finding a solution to adjust for low-income electricity users. The easiest and most fair plan would be to raise the kwh rate and maintain the former facility charge.
My husband and I are full-time residents: debt-free, low-income senior citizens with no pension. We use electricity sparingly. Our March OPALCO bill was $76.26 (facility, $38.90 plus $33.35 (390 KWH), actual electricity usage lower than base rate. We can pay bills now. Although low income, we do NOT qualify for the PAL program. Our medical co-pay expenses have begun. What will happen next as the facility charge climbs to above $70?
I urge your readers to please voter for Ed Sutton and Randy Cornelius as new directors. We need a change.
Thank you for your endorsement. I am disappointed that Chom, Sandy and Eric did not do likewise. I think that in both candidate meetings last week that I was too soft on my concerns about recent decisions that were made by the current OPALCO Board.
I attended the Board’s regular meeting yesterday and the revenue issues that have resulted in the rate increases became more apparent. As our weather warms and conservation efforts have an impact, the revenues from electric service will go DOWN unless there is sufficient growth in our community to offset that trend.
Of significant concern to me is that, in this time of revenue uncertainty for OPALCO, the Board has chosen to become involved in the broadband business by acquiring Rock Island which will add another layer of financial
uncertainty to the mix. Management is projecting that a positive cash flow (by 2020) from broadband will offset declining revenues from power demand. I support the need to expand broadband access within our Islands.
I do NOT support OPALCO being in the broadband business.
My specific reason for competing for a board position is that I strongly believe that this issue needs to be revisited. In spite of Rand Cornelius’ statement that “the train has left the station”, he also suggests that OPALCO
should keep options open to divest that subsidiary. I concur !!
The information that was presented at the meeting yesterday suggests that this is a very tenuous time, financially, for OPALCO. New members with different perspectives on these issues are needed. New eyes on the data, new questions about options going forward, less connection to the past and more concern for the future.
I hope that your endorsement will help my effort to win this election so I can ask those questions for you!!
We can begin the process of changing out the existing Board Members with the two Orcas Members. Next year it will be the time for the San Juan Islands members and so on.
The BOD has the authority under the Bylaws to make almost any decision. That said, some major decisions should come to the membership for approval (Broadband and the currently projected massive rate hikes being two of them). Who knows, one or both might have been approved but the membership would have voted on its future.
Longer term the Bylaws need to be modified to reign in the power of the BOD and to prevent them from modifying the Bylaws. Bylaw approval should be in the hands of the owners of the COOP not a few Board Members.