Chugach Consumers

Chugach Electric Association Board of Directors
Contested Issues Voting Record
April 28, 2005 - January 31, 2007 [summary]
By their votes you shall know them!

Meeting Date Agenda Items
(Chugach Consumers comments in italics & brackets)

Directors

Links in dates are to meeting minutes
Vote evaluations by Chugach Consumers:
    a = absent (counts as no if outcome affected)
    b = abstained (choice NOT to vote -- counts as no)
    B = abstained (required NOT to vote -- not counted)
    e = excused absence (counts as no if outcome affected)
    w = weaseled out of vote by leaving room etc. to avoid being on record (counts as no)
    n/y = no/yes (NOT preferred)        GRAY   
    N/Y = No/Yes (PREFERRED)    
    YELLOW 
Importance: 1 = Low to 10 = High
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4/28/05 Annual Meeting - Special Board meeting - Election of officers:  Chairman - Lipscomb = y; Christopherson = N 6 N N y y y y N
Treasurer – Vazquez = Y; Davison = n 5 Y Y n n Y n Y
5/11/05 I. Declare Executive Session - personnel. It is now known that CEO Joe Griffith was terminated under this item.  6 Y Y Y Y Y n Y
5/12/05
5/18/05
Executive Sessions continued from the 5/11/05 board meeting. Subject: Termination of CEO Joe Griffith. NOTE: Why is this rated 40 when 10 is normally the highest importance? Because nothing is higher then hiring a CEO. This process was conducted in total secrecy so we can only insert a non-vote rating item on this crucial action. This rating can be thought of as rolling up what would normally be multiple other votes had the deliberations been done in the open. We are not suggesting anything was wrong with handling this item behind closed doors as it was a personnel item and the subject could have requested it be done in the open but he did not do so. It is the only rating related to the termination of CEO Joe Griffith except for the vote to go into the first executive session on 5/11/05. There were no public votes that revealed the positions of directors on the retention question for Griffith. Chugach Consumers has arrived at its conclusions as to the individual directors from interviews since then over the following year and from the assessment of attitudes and the observation of the public actions of CEA directors. 40 Y Y n n Y n Y
6/15/05 IX.D. Director Vacancy - Birch resigned [elected to Assembly]  Start process to fill vacancy.  3 Y Y Y Y a n
7/27/05 IX.A. Selection of Director (Kreig) - Kreig = Y; Campbell = n 10 Y Y n Y n Y
Links in dates are to meeting minutes
Vote evaluations by Chugach Consumers:
    a = absent (counts as no if outcome affected)
    b = abstained (choice NOT to vote -- counts as no)
    B = abstained (required NOT to vote -- not counted)
    e = excused absence (counts as no if outcome affected)
    w = weaseled out of vote by leaving room etc. to avoid being on record (counts as no)
    n/y = no/yes (NOT preferred)        GRAY   
    N/Y = No/Yes (PREFERRED)     YELLOW 

Importance: 1 = Low to 10 = High   New Director in Red

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8/10/05 IX.C. Publication of the "Outlet" 6 Y Y n n Y n Y
8/24/05 IX.A. Personnel Issue (motion to table waiving 7 day rule to remove Lipscomb as Chairman) 4 y N y y N y y
9/7/05 Special Board meeting:  1. Changing Chairman of the Board of Directors,
 - motion to waive 7-day rule to discuss
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- motion to remove Lipscomb as Chairman 4 Y Y n n Y n Y
- motion to elect Christopherson Chairman 3 Y Y Y n Y n Y
10/19/05 IX.C. Resolution in Support of Distribution of Railbelt Energy Funds 6 Y Y Y Y Y n Y
11/16/05 IX.A. 2005 Operating Budget Revision - reduce budget $1.5 million 6 Y Y n Y Y n Y
IX.D. Joint Action Agency - table motion to remove requirements (tax exemption, $100K cost limit)  4 Y Y n n Y n Y
12/7/2005 VIII. G&T Division Rate Case – Direct Interim CEO to prepare rate case (failed) 4 N N a y N y N
IX.D. Appointment of 2006 Nominating Committee - motion to amend adding Hall, Lund (failed) 3 N N a y N y N
IX.D. - motion to appoint Magowan 3 Y Y a Y Y b Y
IX.G. Alaska Power Association Membership (notice to withdraw) - Waive 7 day rule to discuss 2 Y Y a Y Y n Y
IX.G. - main motion (give six month notice of withdrawal)  4 Y Y a n Y n Y
IX.I. Increase 2006 G&T Operating Budget for Rate Case (add $1 million) (failed) 4 N N a y N y N
IX.I. Increase 2006 G&T Oper. Budget for AREA JAA Membership Costs (add $100,000) (failed) 3 N N a N N y N
1/18/06 VIII. JAA – bring off table motion to remove requirements (tax exemption, $100K cost limit) (failed) 3 N N y y N y N
Links in dates are to meeting minutes
Vote evaluations by Chugach Consumers:

         n/y = no/yes (NOT preferred)        GRAY   
         N/Y = No/Yes (PREFERRED)     YELLOW 

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2/15/06 II.-Proposed Bylaw Amendment - Director Term Limits (motion to waive 7-day rule to discuss) 3 Y Y n n Y n Y
    --Add to agenda 3 Y Y n Y Y n Y
II.-Amendment to Board Policy 128 – Confidentiality (motion to waive 7-day rule to discuss). This motion reformed Board secrecy policy (#128) dating from 10/9/02 when Chugach management was caught suppressing labor cost information earlier that year. 3 Y Y n b Y n Y
    --Add to agenda 3 Y Y n n Y n Y
IX.C. - Main motion (restores 3 term limit for directors) 6 Y Y a n Y n Y
IX.D. - Board Policy 128 main motion (repeals restrictions on director record keeping of executive sessions) 8 Y Y a n Y n Y
3/22/06

Minutes amended to reflect Lipscomb ducking votes on labor matters
[see p. 2]

III.B. - Consent agenda approve minutes 2 Y Y Y Y Y n Y
IX.A.- 2006-10 Financial Mgt. Plan 3 Y Y Y Y Y n Y
XI.-Authorize actions in executive session: HERE Union contract.  Note: After participating in the entire discussion Lipscomb weaseled out by hanging up the phone just before the votes, an obvious political move of convenience to avoid an awkward record on labor issues during his election. 3 Y Y a Y Y w Y
XI.-Authorize actions in executive session: Three IBEW Union contracts.  Note: Lipscomb weaseled out of this vote also, see above. 5 Y Y a n Y w Y
Links in dates are to meeting minutes
Vote evaluations by Chugach Consumers:

         n/y = no/yes (NOT preferred)        GRAY   
         N/Y = No/Yes (PREFERRED)     YELLOW 

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4/19/06 Special Board Meeting #1 called by directors Vazquez, Kreig, Kalenka because Chairman Christopherson refused to include properly submitted motions on the Regular Board agenda. Christopherson went along with Chugach management's desire to even suppress public knowledge of the text of the motions themselves: 1) Release of Information on Labor Negotiations economics, 2) Release
of Information regarding Benchmarking
. This meeting was scheduled to occur in the middle of the regular monthly board meeting. This meeting was boycotted by a coordinated quorum [Christopherson, Lipscomb, Cottrell, Davison] in apparent violation of the Alaska open meetings statute. This boycott also sunk the regular board meeting! Although there was no vote, the boycott of this meeting will be rated as a vote because of the importance of the subject matter avoided.  More on item 2): Benchmarking is the comparison of CEA to other utilities to determine economic efficiency and performance and setting measurable goals for accountability to the consumers.  The information to be released in this item is also described in the 4/10/05 Alaska Journal of Commerce.   
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4/26/06 Special Board Meeting #2 called by directors Vazquez, Kreig, Kalenka because of Chairman Christopherson's continued refusal to include properly submitted motions above.  Christopherson refuses to permit even the making of motions by Directors Uwe Kalenka, Ray Kreig, Elizabeth Vasquez.  Director Kreig ordered by Chairman Christopherson not to discuss the motions even though all were inside an executive session of the board!!  Nothing was allowed to be known to those in the audience at the meeting by use of the tactic of immediately moving to adjourn the meeting which can't be debated. On move to adjourn. 9 y N y y N y N
4/27/06 Special Board Meeting #3 called by directors Vazquez, Kreig, Kalenka because of Chairman Christopherson's continued refusal to include properly submitted motions above. Held at Egan Center just before CEA annual membership meeting. This meeting was boycotted by a coordinated quorum [Christopherson, Lipscomb, Cottrell, Davison] in apparent violation of Alaska open meetings statute. Although there was no vote, the boycott of this meeting will be rated as a vote because of the importance of the subject matter avoided. 8 n Y n n Y n Y
Links in dates are to meeting minutes
Vote evaluations by Chugach Consumers:
    a = absent (counts as no if outcome affected)
    b = abstained (choice NOT to vote -- counts as no)
    B = abstained (required NOT to vote -- not counted)
    e = excused absence (counts as no if outcome affected)
    w = weaseled out of vote by leaving room etc. to avoid being on record (counts as no)
    n/y = no/yes (NOT preferred)        GRAY   
    N/Y = No/Yes (PREFERRED)     YELLOW 
Importance: 1 = Low to 10 = High   New Director in Red
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4/27/06 Special Board Meeting after CEA Annual Membership meeting at Egan Center to elect new board officers.  Official minutes were never done by CEA!    ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
5/17/06 IX.B.-Continue Alaska Power Association Membership - Move to table 1 n Y n n n n Y
- Main motion 4 y N y y y y N
6/21/06 IX.A.-Adopt Interim CEO Goals  5 y N y y y y a
IX.C.-Board Policy 128 Confidentiality - Puts back restrictions on director record keeping of executive sessions. This motion repeals reforms  made six months earlier to Board secrecy policy (#128). It reimposes secrecy and prevents the members from learning about mistakes and waste committed by management and the board. 8 N N y y y y a
8/2/06 II.-Sign CEO Bill Stewart Employment Agreement.  NOTE: Why is this rated 40 when 10 is normally the highest importance? Because nothing is higher then hiring a CEO.  Because this process was conducted in total secrecy this is the only vote related to the permanent hire of Bill Stewart as CEA.  It can be thought of as combining what would normally be at least five other votes.  40 y N y y y y N
8/16/07 IX.D.-Create Renewable Energy Committee 4 y N y y y y N
9/13/06 IX.E.-Labor Negotiations - Attorneys authorized to proceed as discussed in executive session 2 y N y y y y y
11/8/06 II.-Labor negotiations with IBEW - Attorneys authorized to proceed as discussed in executive session 6 y N y y y y N
11/15/06 IX.D.-Release of Labor Information Prior to Final Approval by the Chugach Board of Directors  Vasquez motion to ensure that membership knows about labor contract terms a reasonable time (3 weeks) before final Chugach board ratification. Although refused, at least her motion forced CEA to post the contract on the web six days before the 12/5/06 board's attempt to pass it. That made possible the discovery by Chugach Consumers of the outrageous giveaway in the terms of the contract. Chugach Consumers then filed an emergency complaint [U-06-135] at the Regulatory Commission of Alaska and obtained a Superior Court injunction stopping it. 8 n Y n n n n Y
 - Go into executive session 3 y N y y y y N
 - Move to table 2 y N y y y y N
Links in dates are to meeting minutes
Vote evaluations by Chugach Consumers:

         n/y = no/yes (NOT preferred)        GRAY   
         N/Y = No/Yes (PREFERRED)     YELLOW 

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12/19/06 II.-All Executive Sessions to be Recorded - Died for lack of a second.  This is rated as a vote because of its fundamental importance as a governance reform. 8 n Y n n n n a
II.-Amend the agenda to add: “Operating
Policy 016” [Use of Association vehicles]
3 n Y n n n n Y
II.-Amend the agenda to add: “Independent
Counsel for the Board of Directors”.
3 n Y n n n n Y
II.-Amend the agenda to add: "Making public the financial analysis of the Operating Agreement Contract” 8 n Y n n n n Y
II.-Amend the agenda to add: "Board obtain independent counsel to advise of Directors’ personal liability in the event of an unfavorable RCA ruling" 6 n Y n n n n Y
II.-Amend the agenda moving "Approval of the Labor Contract to last item of New Business" 1 n Y n n n n Y
IX.A.- Approval of IBEW Labor Contract – Outside Plant Personnel 10 n Y n n n n Y
IX.C.- Approval of 2007 Amended Capital Budget 7 y N y y y y a
IX.D.-Approval of the 2007 Amended Operating Budget 7 y N y y y y N
1/17/07 No contested votes but very important items covered in X. Director's Comments [by Kalenka and Vazquez, minutes p. 5+]                

 

More information:  Voting Analysis Method     Importance to You  
Detailed Contested Issues Votes:   2003 - 2004 (Sleepy Board)    Other Years

 


 

Please send comments or questions to Chugach Consumers

Jeff Lipscomb, Ray Kreig, Alan Christopherson, Elizabeth Vazquez, Uwe Kalenka, David Cottrell, Bruce Davison, Jim Nordlund