A new general manager will likely be hired in January or February, who Landaker says will be bound by a soon to be unveiled board-approved strategic plan that calls for "more strict financial controls."
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By Bob Ochoa
Editor
Larry Landaker
Out with the old, in with the new. That's the message in the video interview below from Pedernales Electric Cooperative board president Larry Landaker, in response to the sentencing this week of the PEC's former general manager Bennie Fuelberg."What it means," Landaker said, "is that it is no longer possible for a board member to simply say, 'I didn't know what was going on' . . . and it is no longer going to be possible to allow anybody to run amok with a company like the board did (under) Mr. Fuelberg."
Landaker, of Wimberley, is into his second year of a three-year term on the board, and twice elected president by board members. He was first elected to the board by PEC's member-customers in June of 2009, joining other newly elected directors in what was then considered the first "democratic and open" board election since the end of the "Fuelberg era." Fuelberg resigned from PEC in 2008.
Over the years, the Pedernales Electric Cooperative has grown to become the nation's largest co-op power distributor. According to PEC's brand new website, the co-op "delivers electricity to more than 236,000 active accounts throughout 8,100 square miles — an area larger than the state of Massachusetts — and we have the most meters of any electric cooperative in the United States."
A new general manager will likely be hired in January or February, who Landaker says will be bound by a soon to be unveiled board-approved strategic plan that calls for "more strict financial controls."
Watch the video and see what Landaker has to say about what's in store for the PEC and its member-customers in the coming year. If the video is slow to load, make a sandwich, let it play to the end then replay it without interruption.
5 comments:
Who's going to control the lavish spending of the Board? Didn't PEC, under Landaker, just spend upwards of $500,000 for that ridiculous new website? I'm pretty sure it was a no-bid contract on top of that!
You ask a question, why don’t you name your source for the $500,000 website accusation? This type of unfounded rumor is not what the PEC needs right now. If it is true however, it should be investigated. It is good to be suspicious due to the history of the organization but let’s not spread rumors for which we have no corroboration.
The real question with respect to the cost of the new PEC web site is this: Why don't we know how much it cost?
Why is it that information about many PEC expenses is available only after owners file information requests and wait several weeks for an answer?
An outfit called Tocquigny was awarded this contract, and payments to Tocquigny can be traced through the lists of checks over $10,000 that are part of the monthly Board packets.
I'd say that the true cost of this web site reconstruction, beginning with the insulting survey the firm sent out, is nearer $1.5 million than $500,000.
Perhaps Mr. Landaker or some official from PEC will post the actual number here.
Milton Hawkins
The field and line workers of the PEC are some of the nicest, hardest working folks I have met. Although I would like to see more ethnic diversity of the rank and file as reflected by the population in the very large service area. I think we could do with fewer payment centers to cut back on overhead and costs. As for the top execs and managers, I would say they are overpaid and they act like a bunch of stuffed shirts at the annual June meetings. They need to loosen up a bit.
Regarding the cost of the PEC WEB site: I can think of a good reason for someone questioning the cost of the WEB page but wanting to remain anonymous. He or she may, with some justification, be afraid of losing a job or of some other retaliation. But as to why the cost of the WEB site is a secret, I can't think of any good reason for that. If the Board is simply hiding the cost to avoid embarrassing themselves for wasting another ton of the PEC members' money, that's the same sort of self-serving secrecy and deceit we had from Fuelberg and his moppets.
Carlos Higgins
CarlosTX@sbcglobal.net
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