CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Steve AmRhein called the meeting to order at 5:31 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence.
All board members were present, with Suzanne Parmer participating virtually. Also in attendance were CEO Brett Abplanalp and Matt Raver.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Brian Scheidler moved to approve the agenda as presented. Dale Wernke seconded the motion, and the motion carried unanimously.
2025 AUDIT PRESENTATION
Earl Ridlen of London Witte Group (LWG) presented the results of the 2025 audit, which received a clean opinion with no required journal entries.
Following discussion in executive session, Wernke moved to accept the 2025 financial audit results. Parmer seconded the motion, and the motion passed unanimously.
SAFETY MOMENT AND COOL MOMENT
A safety moment was presented by Abplanalp, who noted that April 21-25 was National Work Zone Awareness Week.
For the cool moment, Abplanalp highlighted a partnership with the Decatur County Community Foundation and Champions of Youth. He also recognized April as Board Appreciation Month and expressed his appreciation to the board for their service.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Open and Closed Action Items, AX Charges, Check Register, 2025 Form 7, and Safety Reports were reviewed.
APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES
Carl Riedeman moved to approve the minutes of the Feb. 25, 2026, board meeting. Parmer seconded the motion, and the motion carried unanimously.
OPERATIONAL AND STRATEGIC OVERSIGHT
Abplanalp provided updates on operations and key performance metrics, noting that February was another very cold month with sales exceeding budget. He also reviewed board-approved metrics for PowerStream Fiber, reporting that both take rates and revenues are above plan. Abplanalp further noted that the metering initiatives are nearing completion.
He then covered the board-approved metrics for the construction work plan (Reliability 2.0) and presented the finalized 2026 company goals.
A motion to approve the 2026 company goals was made by Jason Barnhorst, seconded by Wernke, and approved unanimously. Finally, Roundup award allocations to local organizations were presented.
FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT
Raver presented the February 2026 financial report to the board.
• Financial statements for Decatur County REMC
• Financial statements for the electric plant only
• Financial statements for PowerStream Fiber
GOVERNING DOCUMENT APPROVAL
The board continued its annual review of the Cooperative’s Bylaws, with redlined drafts reflecting prior board input presented for consideration. A motion to approve the bylaw revisions was made by Wernke, seconded by Parmer, and approved unanimously.
The following policies were reviewed with no material changes: Policy 10-4: Employee Health & Wellness; Policy 10-7: Nepotism; Policy 10-16: Anti-Harassment; and Policy 4-12: Working Capital & Reserve Funds. A motion to approve these policies as presented was made by Scheidler, seconded by Riedeman, and approved unanimously.
TARIFF APPROVAL
Abplanalp presented a new Station Power tariff that aligns with the wholesale tariff and includes an added distribution margin. A motion to approve the new tariff was made by Wernke, seconded by Riedeman, and approved unanimously.
GOVERNANCE
The board discussed and reached consensus to move the May board meeting from May 27 to May 26. Barnhorst provided a report from the NRECA Annual Meeting he attended.
AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS/BOARD COMMITTEES
Updates were provided by Brian Scheidler for Hometown Energy,
Steve AmRhein for IEC, and Barnhorst for Hoosier Energy.
ADJOURNMENT
Riedeman moved to adjourn the meeting. Scheidler seconded the motion, and the motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:29 p.m. The board then entered executive session.
