Grants, N.M. – The Continental Divide annual meeting of its membership is Sat., April 29 at Grants High School.
Continental Divide Board President Keith Gottlieb will call the meeting to order at 8 a.m., and member registration will begin immediately, along with Cibola General Hospital’s annual Health Fair. Registration and the health fair end at 11 a.m.
This year’s activities will take place in the high’s school new gymnasium, except for the Grants Recreation Department's monthly fun-run near football field off Roosevelt Avenue. The 5K walk starts at 7:30 a.m., followed by the 5K run at 7:45 a.m. and the 10K bicycle race at 7:50 a.m.
After the registration cut-off, Continental Divide’s annual business meeting will convene at 11:15 a.m., inside the GHS auditorium. The number of registered coop members needed to satisfy this year’s business- meeting quorum is 540, said Mac Juarez, the co-op’s member services manager.
“We encourage members to register and stay for the business meeting to hear about the co-op’s business affairs. Arrive early enough to enjoy free hot dogs and the health fair,” Juarez said.
Every year, three coop trustee seats are up for election. Districts with elections this year are as follows:
• District 2, which encompasses Milan city limits and immediate surrounding areas, including both sides of NM State Road 605-North to the Homestake site, Lobo and Zuni canyons and Mt. Taylor Addition. Current District 2 Trustee Wes Malcolm of Bluewater is unopposed.
• District 7 includes Ambrosia Lake, Thoreau, Crownpoint, Standing Rock, Pinedale, Mariano Lake, Smith Lake, Churchrock, Ft. Wingate, McGaffey and Iyanbito. Current District 7 Trustee Joe Hoskins of Thoreau is unopposed.
• At-Large, which represents all eight districts, is currently represented by Keith Gottlieb of Cubero. Ruben Sandoval of Grants is the only other candidate on the At-Large ballot.
Co-op members also will be asked to vote on a proposed bylaw amendment to redistrict the service area to better distribute its membership. Passing the amendment would allow the co-op’s governing board to periodically revise voting districts.
“The proposed bylaw amendment is based on recommended language in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Bylaw Revision Guide. The language ensures that our service area continues to be divided into a reasonable number of districts that equitably represent the members, based on geography, population and other equitable considerations,” Juarez said.
The amendment also ensures that an existing board member’s term is not affected – increased or shortened – by voting district revisions, although it can be shortened with a trustee’s written consent, Juarez said.
At Continental Divide’s 2022 business meeting, no official actions were taken, because the required quorum of 544 registered members was not reached. “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 administrative officer of wholesale power provider Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association will address the membership “We also recognize the winners of our annual Government-in-Action Youth Tour contest for high school juniors and discuss other educational opportunities available through the co-op,” 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 be entered into the prize drawings. No food or drink are allowed inside the auditorium.