LIHU‘E — Jan TenBruggencate, Carol Bain and Allan Smith were re-elected to the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative Board of Directors Saturday afternoon. The board members will serve a three-year term, which will end March 2016. Incumbents Bain, TenBruggencate and Smith ran
LIHU‘E — Jan TenBruggencate, Carol Bain and Allan Smith were re-elected to the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative Board of Directors Saturday afternoon.
The board members will serve a three-year term, which will end March 2016.
Incumbents Bain, TenBruggencate and Smith ran against Jonathan Jay, John Benzie and former director Steward Burley.
The board is comprised of nine elected directors, and they are responsible for “setting major policies, hiring the CEO and leading the development of the strategic plan in consultation with senior management,” according to KIUC’s website.
This includes approving annual operating budgets, construction work plans, compensation plans and capital expenditure budgets, according to the KIUC board policies.
“I’m pleased with the result, but extremely disappointed at the low vote turnout, which I believe is one of the lowest in KIUC’s history,” TenBruggencate said. “I have tried to encourage friends and neighbors to vote their ballots, and I expect the cooperative will be seeking out other ways to encourage member partnership in the board of directors.”
Of the 25,068 cooperative members, KIUC received a total of 5,823 ballots in Saturday’s election.
While first-time candidate Jay was not elected to the board, he was “very concerned” about the low voter turnout.
“I think one of the biggest challenges KIUC faces is the crisis of democracy,” Jay said, adding he will continue to participate in the KIUC community by attending board meetings. “KIUC has to do something fundamentally different and fundamentally better (to encourage high voter turnout).”
Among the other challenges facing KIUC, Bain said two-way communication between members and the board of directors will be a priority.
“We heard a lot of feedback during the election,” Bain said. “Members want to hear more communication about projects well in advance. I am going to strongly encourage and work for better communication in our membership.”
Bain said furthering KIUC’s goal to “get off our dependence of fossil fuel” will be another challenge, and that solar is not the sole solution.
“Oil prices are between $90 and $100, which means our electric rates are extremely high,” TenBruggencate said. “As long as KIUC remains largely dependent on oil for its generation, rates will continue to be high. That’s why we are working so aggressively to bring renewable sources to power onto our grid, at costs far below the price of oil. Over time, and perhaps within two or three years, we should see our energy costs responding to those initiatives.”
Smith could not be reached for comment by press time.
The newly-elected directors will be sworn in during the KIUC annual meeting of directors, which is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at the KIUC Main Conference Room, located at 4463 Pahee Street in Lihu‘e. The board will hold its regularly scheduled meeting at 12:30 p.m.
KIUC election results
Name: Votes:
Jan TenBruggencate 2,977
Carol Bain 2,858
Allan A. Smith 2,835
Jonathan Jay 2,248
Stewart “Stu” Burley 2,016
John “Jack” Benzie 1,869
Three director slots were available, but not all voters chose to exercise all three votes on their ballot. Therefore, the number of votes may not equal the total number of ballots received. Votes were counted by the California-based Merriman River Group, which announced the official Saturday.
