Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Platte-Clay Electric Coop cancelled its annual meeting expo and business meeting in 2020. Instead PCEC moved the process of voting on new members for the Board of Directors and bylaw amendments online and through mail-in ballots.

At the January 15, 2021 Board of Directors meeting, the board voted to once again forgo a traditional in-person annual meeting in light of public health orders restricting gatherings and an existing waiver granted by the State of Missouri. The Missouri Department of Agriculture has previously requested and received gubernatorial approval for waivers to Subsections 2 and 7 of Section 394.120, which would allow for the rural electric cooperatives to meet and vote as deemed necessary.

The Board of Directors has approved holding the election for board candidates and by-law changes using a combination of electronic and mailing methods in 2021, mirroring the process used in 2020. Last year, this method resulted in record-breaking participation among PCEC consumer-members.

“This will ensure all consumer-members have the opportunity to participate in the democratic process that defines the cooperative business model,” according to the release on PCEC’s website. “Watch this page, the newsletter and social media for forthcoming information on how you can vote in the year’s co-op elections.”

Members interested in running for the Board of Directors must contact Angie Kinard (angiek@pcec.coop) by February 12, 2021.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story