Trustees take action on youth tour, cyber security and fiber optics
While there was plenty of squabbling at Wednesday night’s meeting, the Socorro Electric Cooperative board of trustees did agree on some things. Among the items approved by the board were:
• To engage in the Government-in-Action Youth Tour, a program offered through the New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
Socorro Electric General Manager JosephHerrera said Socorro Electric is one of two co-ops in the state not currently involved in the program, which offers students an opportunity to visit Washington, D.C., to observe government at work.
Herrera said the cost is about $2,600 per student and would be paid for out of the co-op’s charitable foundation fund, which currently has about $76,000 in it.
Trustee Prescilla Mauldin asked how many students the co-op would sponsor, and Herrera said probably one from each of the five high schools that lie within the co-op’s service area. He said an essay contest on the subject of what it means to be a co-op member would be held to determine which students are awarded the scholarships.
After the board agreed to become a part of the program, attorney Dennis Francish reminded the board that the co-op’s foundation is a separate entity from the co-op board, though its officers make up the foundation’s committee. He said decisions about how the foundation spends its money should be made by that committee.
• To allow Herrera to pursue an agreement with an IT consulting firm to advise the co-op about cyber security. Herrera said he felt the guidance was needed in this day anD age when companies are susceptible to computer hacking.
• An agreement between the co-op and the city of Socorro regarding the use and maintenance of fiber optic lines.
• The cancellation of credit cards issued to three former managers.
The board also decided to put the co-op’s franchise agreement with Dish Network on the agenda for the next meeting. Herrera said the co-op had been expending resources on the satellite television enterprise, while getting little in return and it might be time to sever the relationship with Dish Network.
“I think we should stay in the business of an electric utility and get out of the entertainment business,” he said.
The board will also address writing off “redbook” accounts totaling $28,000 at its next meeting. The redbook was a leger that kept track of loans made to employees and trustees and has now been discontinued. Herrera said he has contacted everyone who still owes money and has gotten varied responses. He said some of the accounts date back more than 10 years.