Nov 10, 2007 - 04:04:46 CST
Electric cooperatives headquartered in Dickinson and Hazen are moving toward consolidation.Their boards have already attached the name "Roughrider Electric Cooperative," to the proposed new territory that would stretch from near Montana to the Missouri River, including Billings, Dunn, Stark, Mercer and Oliver counties.
The consolidation must first be approved by a majority of members of the existing West Plains and Oliver-Mercer cooperatives.
Oliver-Mercer co-op will hold a series of public meetings Nov. 13 and Nov. 15 to tell its members how and why the consolidation would come into being.
West Plains' informational meetings already have been held.
Members of both can vote either by mail, or by attending special meetings of their cooperatives on Dec. 6.
If the approximately 6,200 members of the two cooperatives approve the consolidation, it would go into effect Jan. 1, or soon thereafter.
The new cooperative would be divided into three districts for board representation; one district from the west to Highway 22; a second from Highway 22 to Highway 49; and a third from Highway 49 east to the Missouri River.
The new cooperative would begin with a 12-member board that would eventually be reduced to nine.
Capital credits from the existing cooperatives would remain intact and would be paid out to members over time.
The Oliver-Mercer meetings will be held Nov. 13 at 8 a.m. at the Golden Valley Civic Center, 1:30 p.m. at the Hazen City Hall and 7 p.m. at the Beulah Civic Center, and Nov. 15 at 9 a.m. at the Pick City Hall, 1:30 p.m. at the Stanton Civic Center and 7 p.m. at the Center Civic Center.
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