Familiar names dot the ballot for the first election of board members for the Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative, including long-time County Councilmember Ron Kouchi. John Hoff of Lawa’i, who has been a candidate for County Council, state House of Representatives
Familiar names dot the ballot for the first election of board members for the Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative, including long-time County Councilmember Ron Kouchi.
John Hoff of Lawa’i, who has been a candidate for County Council, state House of Representatives and other offices, is also a candidate for the KIUC board.
Of the 31 candidates, though, only Vince Cosner, a retired Kauai Electric employee living in Lihu’e, was nominated for election by both a nominating committee and by securing signatures of 35 other co-op members on a petition.
Nine people will be elected to the permanent board, which will replace a 17-member board in place now.
Unless electric rate-payers opt out of co-op membership, all those named on electric bills automatically became co-op members when KIUC took over ownership of the utility from Kauai Electric.
Ballots for the first board election will be mailed on Friday, Jan. 31 to all those named on electric bills, and those receiving ballots have until 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 to return ballots to KIUC’s offices in the Dynasty Court building of Kukui Grove Village West.
KIUC officials had scheduled a candidates’ forum on Thursday, Jan. 30, but that event has been canceled.
The names to appear on the ballot include the following, who were nominated to be considered for board membership by a nominating committee: Cosner, Ron Agor, Walt Barnes, Fran Brennan, Robin Puanani Danner, Ryan de la Pena, Dennis Esaki, Gregg Gardiner, Scott Giarman, Randall J. Hee, Mark Hubbard, James D. Mayfield, Rohit J. Mehta, Susan Stayton and Saburo “Sab” Yoshioka.
Those placed on the ballot by collecting at least 35 signatures of other co-op members include Cosner, Kouchi, Hoff, John Bandmann, George F. Birchard, Ben Bohach, Brian Davis, Ming Fang, David R. Hamman, Adam Killerman, Ale Lomosod, Paul Lucas, Abel Medeiros, Nick Morrison, Gerry Murdock, Monroe Franklin Richman, M.D., and Athey Spence.
More information on the candidates is available by logging on to www.kiuc.coop/candidates.htm.
Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
