Regular meeting of the Board of Directors of Decatur County Rural Electric Membership Corporation held Oct. 22, 2025, at the headquarters facilities on 1430 W. Main, Greensburg, Indiana, at 5:30 p.m.
Call to order
The regular meeting of the Decatur County REMC Board of Directors was called to order at 5:30 p.m. by Chairman Steve AmRhein. Steve Nobbe recorded the minutes. All board members were present. Also present were CEO Brett Abplanalp and employee Matt Raver.
United Fund Campaign
Joane Cunningham and Abplanalp shared an overview of the United Fund’s mission and explained how employee contributions directly support and strengthen our community.
Approval of agenda
Suzanne Parmer moved to approve the agenda as presented. Brian Scheidler seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously.
Safety moment and cool moment
Abplanalp opened the meeting with a safety moment focused on electrical safety, home fire prevention, and Teen Driver Safety Week. For the “cool moment,” Abplanalp highlighted several standout events from the past month, including Community Day at South Decatur, a Rotary Club presentation, and the recent member open house.
Approval of previous meeting minutes
Scheidler moved to approve the minutes of the Sept. 24, 2025, regular board meeting. Parmer seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously.
Operational and strategic oversight
Abplanalp provided updates on several ongoing initiatives, including the meter replacement project and the fiber project. His presentation included a budget request to engage the design contractor for the BEAD-awarded project.
Wernke moved to authorize Abplanalp to execute the agreement with the BEAD contractor and begin design work. Scheidler seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.
Then the company performance metrics were presented, highlighting the following:
The median temperature in September was 3.5% cooler than the five-year average
Wholesale energy purchases were up by 0.6%, with demand down -5.7% compared to the five-year average
Year-to-date energy sales were 3.65% above budget
Financial oversight
Raver presented the financial update for September, noting the following:
The net utility plant increased by $785,247 compared to the previous month
Year-to-date revenues were $688,856 above budget
Power costs are over by $479,691, resulting in a gross margin over budget of $209,166 YTD
Controllable expenses were under budget by $61,901
The ending cash balance for the month was $177,310
Abplanalp provided an update on the pole replacement program, noting that the Operations Team is significantly ahead of the planned schedule for the year. He recommended beginning work on the poles originally slated for next year.
Parmer moved to approve an additional $250,000 to proceed with those advanced pole replacements. Wernke seconded the motion, and it was approved unanimously.
The board went into executive session at 7:08 p.m.
The board reconvened in general session at 8:01 p.m.
Governance
Abplanalp presented a resolution to establish the date and voting methods for the 2026 Annual Meeting.
Wernke moved to approve the resolution stating that the 2026 director election will be conducted by Survey & Ballot Systems and will include online voting, mail-in voting, and SmartHub voting to ensure broad and convenient member participation. The resolution also set the Annual Meeting date for June 12, 2026. Carl Riedeman seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.
Affiliated organizations/board committees
Jason Barnhorst updated the board on Hoosier Energy business.
AmRein updated the board at the last IEC board meeting.
Adjournment
Riedeman moved to adjourn the meeting. Scheidler seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 9:32 p.m. The board then went into executive session.
