Summary of Bylaw changes
The Cass County Electric Cooperative Board approved changes to the Cooperative’s bylaws, effective October 29, 2019. A summary of the changes is provided below, with specific redlines of the changes are available on the Cooperative’s website at www.casscountyelectric.com.
The bylaws were amended to address readability, consistency, typographical and grammatical errors. In addition, the following substantive changes were made:
1. Amendments allow landlords the ability to submit a membership application to the Cooperative on behalf of a tenant.
2. Amendments provided additional guidance and procedures to facilitate absentee or electronic balloting.
3. Amendments provide for the Board to initiate Director Vacancy and replacement efforts before the date of a Director’s actual resignation.
4. Amendments reduced the required signatures on a Petition for Director Removal from ten percent of the membership to five percent. In order to be valid, all signatures must be obtained within 60 days of the Director Removal Petition date.
5. Amendments specifically allow the Cooperative to use a Member’s Capital Credit payments to offset a Member’s outstanding account balance.
6. Amendments provide the ability, but not requirement, of Cooperative staff to advise a Director candidate if their election petition does not conform with Cooperative rules and requirements.
7. Amendments provide that the Credentialing Committee will be made up of all Directors who are not running for reelection.
8. Amendments streamlined timeframes for the Director election process, so Directors have adequate time for determination of qualifications and public identification of candidates. Further amendments set timelines to address situations where there are no qualified nominees for positions and others are added later in the process.
9. Amendments removed the requirement that a Director needed Board approval to participate remotely.
10. Amendments provide that reimbursement for Director participation in Cooperative or community related events must be preapproved by the Board at established rates.
11. The Bylaws provide the Cooperative the discretion to retire small capital credit accounts. Amendments changed the definition of Small Capital Accounts from $250 or less to $500 or less.
12. Amendments clarified that the standard of conduct applicable to Directors also applied in their roles representing the Cooperative on other related boards.
13. Amendments to the indemnification requirement clarified that there could be no double recovery from the Cooperative if a claimant received other insurance proceeds or recovery from any other party.
14. Amendments provided for an approval process for EFTs much like the Cooperative requires with multiple signers on checks.
15. Amendment provides for additional opportunities to notify members of Bylaw changes, including by email, published in the Highline Notes or in a newsletter.