At district meetings, you can exercise the privilege, responsibility, and benefit of being a co-op member-owner.
Meetings are staggered so members in a particular district meet once every three years at a location within the district. Co-op personnel plan informal agendas that include providing information on new programs and services, as well as updating you on electric utility industry issues that could affect your cooperative.
Primary purpose of district meetings is for member-owners to elect their representative to the co-op’s board of trustees. Candidates who have met requirements stipulated in the bylaws and who have followed established filing procedures can be considered for election.
Per the KEC Bylaws:
No person shall be eligible to become or remain a Trustee, or to hold any position of trust in the Cooperative, who:
(a) Is not a member of the Cooperative and an actual user at his primary residence premises of electric energy made available by the Cooperative, and a bona fide resident of the particular District which he is to represent; PROVIDED, that the operating or chief executive of any member which is not a natural person, such as a corporation, church, etc., or its designee, shall, notwithstanding that he does not receive service from the Cooperative at his primary residential abode, be eligible to become a Trustee from the district in which such member is located if (1) he or such designee is in the substantial permanent occupancy, direction or use of the premises served by the Cooperative, and (2) is a permanent and year-round resident of the district in which such member is located; AND PROVIDED FURTHER, upon the cessation of existence of such organization, or termination of its membership in the Cooperative, or failure to take electrical service therefrom, or any other non-compliance with any of the provisions of these Bylaws, such Trustee(s) shall immediately become ineligible to remain or serve as a Trustee of the Cooperative and it shall be the duty of the Board of Trustees to declare such position vacant and withhold the same from such person, or to cause him to be removed therefrom as the case may be; or
(b) Is in any way employed by or financially interested in a competing enterprise or a business selling electric energy or supplies to the Cooperative, or a business primarily engaged in selling electrical appliances, fixtures or supplies to the members of the Cooperative; or
(c) Is the incumbent of or candidate for an elective public office in connection with which a salary or compensation in excess of One Thousand Dollard ($1,000.00) per annum is paid; or
(d) Is an employee or former employee of the Cooperative; or
(e) Has been convicted of a felony offense; or
(f) Is a close relative of an incumbent Trustee or of an employee of the Cooperative.
As used in these Bylaws, “close relative” is defined as a person who is related to the principal person by consanguinity or affinity within the third degree, including but not necessarily limited to a person who is either a spouse, child, grandchild, great grandchild, parent, grandparent, great grandparent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, nephew or niece, by blood or in-law of the principal.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no Trustee shall become ineligible to continue serving or to be re-elected as a Trustee upon becoming a close relative of any employee or another Trustee because of marriage or adoption to which he/she was not a party.
Any Trustee who has attained the age of sixty-five (65) years or older and who has served for at least twelve (12) consecutive years on the Board may voluntarily retire or decline to be nominated for re-election, in either of which event, he shall become a Trustee Emeritus of the Board, eligible to attend any meeting for which the Board requests his presence and in such event shall receive the same per diem and expenses paid to current Trustees for each meeting attended at the specific request of the Board. An Emeritus Trustee shall be entitled to such other compensation, not prohibited by law, for his services and as may be provided by resolution of the Board of Trustees.