The names of candidates for three seats on the Board of Trustees, along with several proposed bylaw changes will be on the mail-in ballot being sent to all Co-op members the week of April 5.

The packet of information includes biographies of the Trustee candidates, text of bylaw changes proposed by the Bylaws Committee and the actual ballot, which must be received by JCCS accounting firm by April 23.

The mail-in ballot is your chance to vote for the trustees who will represent you, and to vote on the proposed changes to the Bylaws. Trustee seats up for election are District 1, Columbia Falls to Essex; District 4, Helena Flats to Columbia Falls Stage and District 7, South Kalispell.

Reorganization and additional staff for the Collections Department have resulted in many benefits to Flathead Electric members. The department now has three team members available to consult with and help Co-op members who are having difficulty paying their bills.

Employees focus on eliminating duplicate and unnecessary procedures so they can spend more time contacting members about their past-due accounts. Because of this effort, 65 percent fewer meters had to be disconnected for non-payment in 2003 than in the previous year. The amount the Co-op had to write off to bad debts for 2003 was 24 percent less than in 2002, helping to increase year-end margins.

"New reports developed to assist the staff in monitoring past-due accounts were invaluable in keeping up with the sometimes-overwhelming workload," said Janice Weaver, Member Services and Billing Manager. "The Member Service Representatives and Cashiers helped us eliminate the need for costly field tagging. Every phone and office contact is recorded to prevent expensive trips by Meter Services personnel to visit the premises."

Assistance programs also make collections duties easier, Weaver said. Staff members helped low-income members apply for grants from the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program through the state, Energy Share of Montana and Help Net.

Flathead Electric also provided programs such as Keep the Lights On and the 50 Percent Basic Waiver for low-income members. More than $270,000 was granted to members who qualified in 2003. These funds helped satisfy the Co-op’s annual low-income requirements for the Universal Systems Benefits Program imposed by the Montana Department of Revenue.