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Dunn Electric rejects string of resolutionsMenomonieA series of alternative energy and anti-nuclear power resolutions met a rather hostile audience here last Saturday in the Dunn County Electric Cooperative annual meeting.Only one of nine proposals passed; five resolutions were rejected and three were tabled.Eight of the resolutions were the work of a newly-formed group, Members United for a Democratic Cooperative. They distributed a handout explaining their resolutions and providing their statement of purpose:“We want an uninterrupted supply of energy, produced economically and safely. We want to conserve on energy, we want to develop alternative sources of energy and we want equitable membership policies.”The 25-member group, like other member member groups in recent rural electric co-op annual meetings, attempted by their resolutions to gain support for alternate energy, decentralized decisionmaking and withdrawal from nuclear power generation.But as the resolutions came up for discussion, it was apparent that an “us and them” mood prevailed and worsened, with the majority of the 185 voting memberspresent against approximately 30 members who supported the proposals.In fact, the session neared a shouting match at times, with speakers occasionally being heckled and told to sit down.After the voting, one member who had frequently commented against the resolutions made this brief speech, which met with applause:“I hope the people who came here this afternoon, I think with hopes of jamming some resolutions down our throats, have learned a lesson,” he said.“With the type of atmosphere we’ve had, it has made it very difficult to address some of the valid points of these resolutions.”The “atmosphere” to which the speaker referred included a half-dozen youngsters carrying anti-nuclear signs outside the meeting, anti-nuclear posters scattered around the Menomonie High School building and rather strident criticisms from group members of the way the meeting was conducted.From the Members United for a Democratic Cooperative side came the comment, “people, this is not a game,” after two resolutions were swiftly tabled in an apparent parliamentary procedural effort to avoid voting on them.Rejected were resolutions providing for better access to Dairyland Power Cooperative’s books and records (Dairyland provides most of Dunn County Electric’s power); for termination of Dunn Electric’s contract with Dairyland that requires the county co-op to buy all its power from the La Crosse-based distributor and so discourages Dunn from generating its own power; for research on the untapped potential for hydroelectric power in Dunn’s area; making memberships in the co-op husband-wife joint memberships (allowing either, not both, to vote) unless requested otherwise; and urging Dunn to sever all agreements and refrain from new contracts with owners or operators of nuclear power plants.This last resolution, introduced and defended by Daniel Dickel (who emphasized he was not a member of any protest group), was similar to others presented this spring to area cooperatives near the proposed Tyrone nuclear plant. The Pierce-Pepin board of directors adopted a resolution urging Dairyland Power to drop the Tyrone project, while the Barron board rejected one against the nuclear breeder reactor.All of the resolutions rejected or tabled by the voters were advisedagainst by the board of directors’ resolutions committee, made up of Henry Berg, Alton Christ-opherson and Fred Baskin.Tabled were resolutions setting up a conservation/weatherization program, “condemning’’ Dairyland Power’s participation in the Tyrone project, and directing Dunn’s representative on Dairyland’s board of directors to submit a resolution halting Dairyland’s participation in Tyrone.The resolution that passed amended the co-op’s bylaws to read “each member shall pay for the electricity used by such member and delivered...by Dunn Country Electric Co-op...” rather than “each member shall...purchase from the Cooperative all electric energy used on the premises....” That change, said its supporters, would allow members to produce their own power without ever being charged for it.Another bylaw amendment passed 264-86, limiting board of director members to three-year terms, beginning in 1981.In elections, Ben Wolf, Elmwood, defeated Fred Baskin of Eau Galle in his re-election bid; Alton Christopherson, Elk Mound, was re-elected, and Pat Eggert, Colfax, succeeded Harold Lausted of Colfax.Ms. Eggert also was nominated to replace William Watland as Dunn’s representative on Dairyland’s board of directors, but Mr. Watland was re-elected. Alton Christopherson was elected to replace Fred Baskin as Dunn’s representative on the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association’s board.In comments after the four-hour session, coordinators of Members United for a Democratic Cooperative said they still considered the day’s efforts successful, since the changes in directors offer potential for change in the cooperative: The group had endorsed Mr. Wolf, Mr. Christopherson and Ms. Eggert.Coordinators Paul Helgeson of rural Boyceville and Chuck Harschlip of rural Rock Falls also were happy with the limiting of directors’ terms to three years.“The resolutions, when you get down to them, don’t mean too much,” Mr. Helgeson admitted. “I think any real change has to come from the board.“I think we’ve paved the way for more citizen involvement in the co-op.”The two coordinators said no plans are laid for further group efforts other than what the group did before Saturday’s session — “talking to neighbors.”i
Newspaper Details
Country Today
Eau Claire, Wisconsin, US
Wed, Jun 06, 1979
Page 37
Full Page
Clipped by
Judith R.
MO, USA 20 Mar 2024
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