LIHU‘E — Chair Gregg Gardiner yesterday accepted the remainder of a three-year term, and Walt Barnes what’s left of a two-year term, to fill vacancies created by Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative board resignations. They both were elected earlier this year
LIHU‘E — Chair Gregg Gardiner yesterday accepted the remainder of a three-year term, and Walt Barnes what’s left of a two-year term, to fill vacancies created by Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative board resignations.
They both were elected earlier this year to one-year terms by KIUC members, and by unanimous board votes yesterday (both asbtaining where their own appointments were concerned) were selected to fill the un-expired, three-year term left after John Bandmann’s resignation, and the two-year term left by Randall “Randy” Hee’s resignation, respectively.
Bandmann in his letter of resignation for personal reasons earlier this summer requested the board elect Gardiner to fill the remainder of Bandmann’s three-year term.
Ron Kouchi moved, and Sab Yoshioka seconded, the motion to move Gardiner from his soon-to-expire one-year term to fill the remaining 25 months of Bandmann’s term.
Susan Stayton moved, and Yoshioka seconded, a motion to have Barnes fill the remaining 13 months of Hee’s term.
Barnes earlier said he would not seek re-election, but had a change of heart for the sake of board continuity, he said yesterday.
The KIUC board could have seen four or five new directors without the board’s moves yesterday, and the KIUC bylaws recognize the problem of member “churn,” Barnes said.
Further, it would be hard to expect a slew of new board members elected to one-year terms to be able to meet educational requirements demanded of board members, he added.
“I can make my life work” and continue to serve on the board. “I don’t want to see four new directors.”
The board needs Barnes, said Yoshioka, in order to guarantee some continuity. “After two years, we’ll have a good working board,” Yoshioka said.
Regarding Gardiner’s selection, Barnes said, “I want to see you continue. I’d much rather appoint you than have you run for re-election.”
Earlier, Gardiner had said he hadn’t made up his mind about seeking re-election. “I still have the desire to continue to serve,” said Gardiner, thanking fellow board members for their vote of confidence.
“It has been a pleasure working on this project for the past four years now.”
Board vice-chair Dennis Esaki said he is happy to see Gardiner and Barnes continuing with the longer terms.
Kouchi said the board moves show entities like the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and national electric cooperative organizations that the KIUC board does have continuity in mind.
RUS officials approved a loan to KIUC for $215 million to purchase Kauai Electric about a year ago, and RUS representatives will soon be in possession of another loan application seeking $40 million to finance the purchase of the Kauai Power Partners unit at KIUC’s Lihue Energy Service Center.
Kouchi also recommended the board keep vacant until next month’s election the expiring, one-year seats vacated by Gardiner and Barnes. With seven board members, getting a quorum for the September board meeting (set for Monday, Sept. 22) shouldn’t be a problem, Kouchi said.
Newly elected board members will be seated as soon as next month’s election results are certified, said David Proudfoot, board attorney.
The KIUC board election, to fill three seats each for one-year terms, is set for Saturday, Sept. 27. Po‘ipu’s Abel Medeiros, the other board member elected in February to a one-year term, has said he will not seek re-election due to health concerns.
Resolutions honoring Hee and Bandmann for their service passed unanimously, and Hee at the meeting in the KIUC meeting room here again thanked the board for its work, and the public that elected him to a two-year term.
Hee resigned for a combination of personal and professional reasons. Bandmann was not present at yesterday’s meeting.
Another resolution, also passed unanimously, thanked Alton Miyamoto, KIUC president and chief executive officer, for his work in coordinating the purchase agreement for the Kauai Power Partners power plant.
An application was expected to be filed by close of business yesterday with the state Public Utilities Commission, requesting approval of the purchase of the Kauai Power Partners unit by KIUC, Miyamoto said. Commission approval is required before the sale can be finalized.
Finally, Gardiner reported on formalization of a sister-co-op agreement struck with the Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative, Inc., in northwestern Philippines.
That co-op has around 100,000 customers, and another 20,000 waiting for service still delivered by men manually drilling holes for power poles. The average electric bill is $3 a month, the co-op services 34 towns, the co-op office has no telephone service, and customer records are kept on index cards, said Gardiner and Kouchi, who with Esaki recently returned from the Philippines.
This particular co-op was chosen by KIUC because it is one of many in the Philippines with serious issues and needs that KIUC members may be able to assist with, Gardiner said.
It was also chosen because nearly a third of KIUC members are Filipino, and many Kaua‘i Filipinos are originally from the Ilocos Sur region, Kouchi said.
Associate Editor Paul C. Curtis can be reached at pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
