CO-OP NEWS

CONTACT US Office: 260-726-7121 / 800-835-7362

WEBSITE www.jayremc.com

EMAIL remc@jayremc.com

OFFICE HOURS 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday

STREET ADDRESS 484 S. 200 W. Portland, IN 47371

MAILING ADDRESS 484 S. 200 W. Portland, IN 47371

POWER OUTAGES To report a power outage, call 260-726-7121 or 800-835-7362, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kenneth Denton Rick Dues Dru Hall Kent Homan Klint Moser Michael Ninde Steven D. Ritchie, Chairman Diane Schrock, Secretary Ronald Smithson

STAFF Neil Draper President/CEO Becky Napert Business Manager Pete Byrum Operations Manager Jeff Myers Engineering Manager Carly Nichols Marketing and Communications Coordinator

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The power ofpreparation

With severe weather events occurring more frequently, now more than ever, it makes sense to be prepared. During a prolonged power outage or other emergency, this means having enough food, water and supplies to last at least a few days.

In honor of National Preparedness Month in September, I want to remind members of our community about the power of preparation. While you don’t have to achieve a “doomsday prepper” level of preparedness, there are several practical steps you can take to keep you and your family safe.

Even at a modest level, preparation can help reduce stress, anxiety and lessen the impact of an emergency event. We recommend starting with the basics.

Here are general guidelines recommended by the Federal Emergency Management Agency:

• Assemble a grab-and-go disaster kit. Include items like nonperishable food, water (one gallon per person, per day), diapers, batteries, flashlights, prescription medications, first-aid kit, battery-powered radio and phone chargers. • Develop a plan for communicating with family and friends (i.e., via text, social media, third party, etc.). • Have some extra cash available; during a power outage, electronic card readers and cash machines may not work. • Store important documents (birth certificates, property deed, etc.) in safe place away from home (for example, a bank safe deposit box). • Keep neighbors and coworkers apprised of your emergency plans. • Fill your car with gas. • Organize your supplies so they are together in an easily accessible location that family members know about. CARING FOR VULNERABLE FAMILY MEMBERS If you have older family members or those with special needs, make sure they have enough medication and supplies for a few days. If they don’t live with you, arrange for a neighbor to check in on them. If a severe weather event is expected, consider having your relative stay with you if feasible, otherwise call them daily. If you have an infant or young children, make certain that you have ample formula, diapers, medication and other supplies on hand to weather a multiple-day outage.

KEEPING FOUR-LEGGED FAMILY MEMBERS SAFE For families with pets, having a plan in place in the event of a prolonged outage or an emergency will help reduce worry and stress especially if you need to make a decision during an emergency.

• Bring pets indoors during a storm or other emergency. Pets can become disoriented and frightened during severe weather and may wander off during an emergency. • Microchip your pet and ensure the contact information is up to date. • Store pet medical records on a USB drive or in an easy-to-remember location. • Create an emergency kit for pets (include shelf-safe food, bottled water, medications and other supplies).

At Jay County REMC, we care about your safety. Planning for an emergency situation today can give you more confidence to deal with severe weather and potential outages in the future.

Finally, to tie in with my preparation message, fill out the form on page 29 to enter to win an emergency preparedness kit from Jay County REMC.

NEIL DRAPER

CEO

DID YOU ATTEND OUR ANNUAL MEETING? LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT AT HTTPS:// WWW.SURVEYMONKEY.COM/R/3V2P7SL

Members attend the business meeting during the Jay County REMC Annual Meeting at the Jay County Fairgrounds last month.

annual meeting recap

If you were able to attend the Jay County REMC Annual Meeting at the Jay County Fairgrounds on July 14, there is a chance you noticed the American flag we proudly displayed between two of our bucket trucks at the entrance. This was just one of the many details that made our annual meeting special this year. We brought some of the “old school” in with the “new school” to make this one of our most successful meetings ever. Our members are busy people with fast-paced lives, so this year we set out to determine the best option to fit that pace. Many of our members spend a great deal of time during Jay County Fair week living at the fairgrounds for various projects, animal shows, attending concerts, and overall enjoying this weeklong social event. It just made sense that by hosting our meeting at the fairgrounds, we could bring the annual meeting straight to you, our membership. Before the annual meeting even took place, the REMC offered convenient early voting dates and times in our lobby based on feedback received from last year. The voting week, starting July 9, even offered evening hours to accommodate members who were able to come vote after work. We were thrilled with the response. And, based on the number of voters that turned out, you were, too. Then came the day of the annual meeting. Voting tables, exhibition tables, and demonstrations in the round building were set up early in the morning on the 14th with the hope that our new format would be well received. The answer to our prayers came in the form of a steady all-day stream of REMC members and fairgoers who were interested in the information we had to offer, along with the live line demonstrations our linemen performed. Even our 5 p.m. business meeting was well attended, with every seat filled and several attendees standing as they waited for the election results. This year, districts 3, 6, and 7 were up for election, and each district was contested. Congratulations to Kent Homan, Dru Hall, and Rick Dues for winning those districts, respectively. These were hard-fought races this year and everyone did a great job! We are already looking forward to and planning for our annual meeting next year. As smoothly as our meeting went, and as much positive word of mouth we received, we want to know how the experience was for you. Members will receive a survey in their bills this month that can be filled out and mailed back in with your payment or dropped off in our office during our business hours. If you prefer an online option, fill out the survey at https://www.surveymonkey. com/r/3V2P7SL. If you return a survey or complete one online with your name, account number, and phone number, you will automatically be entered to win one of 13 possible bill credits. We can’t think of a better way to wrap up the 2022 annual meeting than getting your feedback and offering our members a few more rewards. The deadline to return your survey is Sept. 30, so be sure to mail those in or complete them online before that date to be entered for the bill credit drawings. Thanks again for voting, attending, and making the Jay County REMC Annual Meeting an event that we will be talking about for years to come!

A highlight of the annual meeting was a hot line demonstration by Jay County REMC linemen. Jay County REMC CEO Neil Draper addresses the membership during the REMC's annual meeting in July.

Win a $50 bill credit

Follow these simple steps for your chance to win a bill credit for $50 in electricity. CLIP THE COUPON BELOW. Complete and return the form to the office with your monthly payment by the bill due date in order to be entered. Or you can email your entry to marketing@jayremc.com.

JULY WINNERS: Curtis S. of Geneva and Gloria B. of Monroe

NAME:

ACCOUNT NO.:

PHONE NO.:

REMC RATES AND REBATES

RATES

RESIDENTIAL AND FARM SERVICE Service charge: $28 per month

Kilowatt-hour (kWh) charge:

• 0-500 kWh: $.0371/kWh • 501-1,500 kWh: $.0191/kWh • Over 1,500 kWh: $.0131/kWh Power Cost Adjustment: $.092/kWh

Outdoor Lights:

• 50-watt LED: $8.75 per month • 400-watt MV: $13 per month

Rebates

ELECTRIC WATER HEATERS 30 GALLONS OR LARGER • Replacement of an existing electric water heater: $125 • Gas to electric replacement: $175 • New construction water heater: $200 Visit jayremc.com for complete guidelines and restrictions. Additional rebates can be found at powermoves.com.

GIVE US YOUR Feedback

Did you attend our annual meeting this year or take advantage of the opportunity to vote early in our lobby? We would love to receive your feedback.

Our annual meeting format was changed drastically this year. Board of directors voting was offered in the office and during a day at the Jay County Fair for those attending our business meeting.

This format seemed to work well and over 100 members came out to vote during the fair. It was wonderful to see everyone in person, and we had good feedback on our live line demonstrations and our exhibition tables.

But, we want to know what you thought. Go to https://www. surveymonkey.com/r/3V2P7SL to fill out the official annual meeting survey.

Let us know what you liked and what you didn't. Any member who turns in a survey will automatically be entered to win a bill credit. You can win one of six $10 credits, four $20 credits, two $30 credits, and one $50 credit. Make sure you put your name, account number, and phone number at the end of the survey so that if we pull your information we are able to contact you. Or if you prefer there will be a paper survey that you can fill out in your bill this month. Simply fill out the survey and mail it back in with your payment to be entered into the drawing.

Deadline to enter your survey is Sept. 30. Any received after this date will not be eligible for the bill credit drawings. Thanks again for participating in the membership process and helping us make decisions for our annual meeting for 2023!

BENEFITS OF TREE TRIMMING

Clearing trees and overgrown vegetation is vital to provide safe, reliable power to our consumer-members.

We clear certain areas in our service territory, known as rights of way, to:

• Keep power lines clear of tree limbs • Restore power outages more quickly • Keep crews and members of our community safe • Reduce unexpected costs for repairs

Jay County REMC works to trim all trees back to a 15-foot clearance in order to maintain a three-year clearance.

Vegetation management improves service reliability for you – our members!