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Watts Happening (USPS 004-345) is published monthly - $2.50 per year subscription for non-members - by Flathead Electric Cooperative, Inc., 2510 U.S. Hwy 2 East, Kalispell, MT 59901. Periodical Postage is paid at Kalispell, MT. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
Watts Happening,
Flathead Electric Cooperative, 2510 U.S. Hwy 2 East, Kalispell, MT 59901.

     The board members of Flathead Electric Cooperative are constantly challenging the staff to find ways to lower costs and rates to our members. At the December meeting, the board announced a rate decrease for over 44,000 residential and small commercial members amounting to more than $2 million in 2005. This action follows the 2003 reduction in the basic charge from $21 to $16 for the same members. Residential and small commercial accounts represent 90 percent of the meters billed each month.
     The Co-op has exceeded the goals needed to satisfy our obligations to our lenders and improved our financial standing enough to pass a rate decrease to our members. Internal cost controls, lower than expected maintenance, customer service and interest costs and expected lower wholesale power costs allowed the board to pass along the results of these efficiencies. That’s what a co-op is all about; we do well, the members do well.
     The decrease became effective with bills sent out starting Jan. 5. The rate per kilowatt hour decreased from 6.22 cents to 5.9 cents. The decrease amounts to more than $3 per month for residential members, or $38 per year.
Bruce Measure, recent Flathead Electric board president who resigned after being appointed by Governor Schweitzer to the Northwest Power Planning and Conservation Council, said, “We are once again operating on all cylinders; we have a Flathead Electric that our members can trust. We’ve rebuilt our financial condition, we’re rejuvenating our system, keeping up with the Valley’s booming growth, given members two rate decreases because of a great group of employees and are providing the best service of any utility anywhere.”
     Another benefit of the financial stability of the Cooperative will come in February, when members who were with the Co-op in 1982 and 1983 receive about $725,000 of capital credit refunds.
     Be sure to look for your Annual Meeting notices in the mail in March. By attending the meeting on March 26, you’ll be able to see and hear about other good things the Cooperative has accomplished in 2004 and projections for 2005.

Measure will represent Montana on power council
Downen takes over as president of Flathead Electric board

     Gov. Brian Schweitzer has appointed Bruce Measure, 2004 president of the Flathead Electric Board of Trustees, as one of two Montana representatives on the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.
     Measure, a Kalispell attorney, was first elected to the Flathead Electric board in March 2002 representing District 7, south Kalispell. Subsequent to his appointment to the council, he resigned as a Flathead Electric trustee to avoid a conflict of interest.
     The council was created by Congress to represent the interests of Bonneville Power Administration consumers in Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
     After Measure’s resignation from the FEC board, Jay Downen of Whitefish was elected as president.
     The board is in the process of selecting a replacement for Measure to serve until elections following the March 26 Annual Meeting. The candidate elected will serve the remaining two years of Measure’s term.
     Congratulations to Measure on his appointment to this important position.

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