Good morning NIECI,
It’s the middle of May and we’re having temps in the 90s. I wasn’t ready for that! Now this weekend I’m heading up to Canada to fish with my family and friends, sounds like we will be welcomed with temps in the 40s. Friends taught me years ago, we rented a cabin, it’s ok to use it. We might not be the hardcore fishermen we used to be, but we are much more comfortable than we used to be.
We are gearing up for the 85th Annual Meeting of North Itasca Electric Cooperative, Inc. 2024 was a bit of a challenge but we made it through just fine. We met all our lenders’ financial requirements. This tells you we are financially healthy and able to pay our commitments to lenders and to you.
We allocate patronage to you based on your contribution to the bottom line. The more you use the higher the patronage allocation. We use these funds to help operate the cooperative. After roughly 20 years we pay that patronage back to you in the form of a capital credit check. We were able to pay those out in 2024 also, keeping our word to you, our Member-Owner.
Daryl wrote an article for the WATTS this month. He talked about our right-of-way clearing in his article and he talked about safety. Over the past several weeks Minnesota has seen several destructive wildfires. I pray for those dealing with loss of property and for those fighting these fires. For all of our safety we are paying close attention to our right-of-way. When trees meet powerlines, fires can start. Often, the trees falling are outside what we can cut; we are only allowed to clear 20’ on either side of a single-phase line. Imagine that 60’ tree only thirty feet from the line. If it falls the wrong way it will contact the line. This is why we look for “danger trees” as we are clearing ROW. When we see these trees, we cut or push them over before they are an issue.
North Itasca Electric applied and was awarded funding from the Department of Commerce. We will use this funding to develop a wildfire mitigation plan. Once the plan is developed, we will execute the plan. This is to protect the life and property of our Member-Owners and to protect the financial well-being of your cooperative. If we were to neglect our right-of-way, I couldn’t imagine being responsible for the loss of a life or a home. I take our responsibility for safety very seriously. I empathize with Member-Owners when they lose their trees; my job is to ensure the system is safe and reliable.
I look forward to visiting with you at our open house at the end of May. Roxanne and Andrew have guests coming to tell you about the ways we can help you save energy. I will be happy slinging burgers and brats around the grill to share a little lunch. We also have the Annual meeting coming up where we will report on the state of YOUR cooperative in Northome this year.
Come out to one or hopefully both events, we always enjoy our time with our Member-Owners. With a little luck from above I might have a new fish story to tell you.
By your side! Miigwech
Brad
