Press Release
GRANTS, N.M. – Ongoing COVID precautions continue to impact Continental Divide coop's annual meeting of its membership. As a result, the co-op’s governing board is allowing its members to register and vote a day early for board trustee candidates. This year’s annual
This year’s annual meet ing of the members will be called to order at 8:30 a.m., Fri., April 29, at Continental Divide’s main office in Grants at 200 E. High St. Member registration and voting will take place until 4:30 p.m. at both the Grants office and at its Gallup office, 2500 N.M. Highway 602. Registration and voting will end at 4:30 p.m., and the meeting will be recessed.
At 8 a.m., Sat, April 30, 2022, the meeting will reconvene at Grants High School, 500 Mountain Road. Member registration and voting will take place until 11 a.m. Continental Divide’s business meeting will begin at 11:15 a.m.
“There will be no premeeting festivities, such as Cibola General Hospital's annual Health Fair and the National Park Service's Junior Ranger Day,” said Mac Juarez, the co-op’s member services manager. The pandemic and state
The pandemic and statemandated public gathering restrictions prevented Continental Divide from holding annual meetings in 2019 and 2020. "This year, the co-op is determined to conduct the meeting and ensure its membership can make a quorum for election purposes," Juarez said.
Every year, three co-op trustee seats are up for election. Districts with elections this year are as follows:
• District 1
which encompasses Grants city limits, is currently represented by Mike Chambers. Vying to represent District 1 are Ruben Sandoval, Chambers and Michael Hawkins.
• District 3
which encompasses communities served east of the Skyway travel stop at Exit 89 off Interstate 40 (including Laguna, Seboyeta, To’hajiilee and Highland Meadows) and areas along the first seven miles of NM Highway 117 South. Current District 3 Trustee Claudio Romero of Seboyeta is unopposed. • District 4
• District 4 which encompasses
which encompasses San Mateo and areas northeast of Homestake (except Ambrosia Lake) on State Road 605 North, including Rincon Marquez, Whitehorse and Hospah. Current District 4 Trustee Lloyd Ortega of San Mateo is unopposed. The co-op is not pro
The co-op is not proposing any bylaw amendments to its membership this year, Juarez said.
At Continental Divide’s 2019 business meeting, no official actions were taken, because the required quorum of 557 registered members was not reached. The number of registered co-op members needed to satisfy this year’s business-meeting quorum is 544. “A quorum requires that 3 percent of the co-op’s total membership register,” Juarez said.
The number of members needed for a quorum is arrived at in late March when the co-op is required to audit the number of active co-op members – account holders – in each district to ensure they fall within the proper boundaries for registration and voting purposes. In addition, a team of employees researches the coop’s database to ensure members with multiple accounts receive only one certificate of registration. Per Continental Divide bylaws, members are allowed only one vote, regardless of the multiple services they may have, according to Juarez.
When Continental Divide is unable to register the number of members needed for a general quorum, board of trustee elections can still proceed, if a quorum of 3 percent of members from that district is registered at the annual meeting.
In addition to quorum and election results, the co-op’s business meeting presents a chance for coop members to be briefed on business activities during the past year, challenges and plans for the year ahead. Continental Divide’s auditing firm will present the financials, and the chief executive officer of wholesale power provider Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association will address the membership “We also recognize the winners of our annual Governmentin-Action Youth Tour contest for high school juniors and discuss other educational opportunities available through the coop,” Juarez said.
Finally, Continental Divide will conduct prize drawings throughout the business meeting with this year’s grand prize of $1,500. Co-op members must be present to win a prize. At registration, members will receive a numbered ticket and entered into the prize drawings. The GHS auditorium doors will open at 8 a.m. No food or drink will be allowed inside the auditorium.