In accordance with the requirements of the Bylaws of Coastal Electric Cooperative, the following excerpts are being published for the information of the members. Members will receive an offcial notice of the meeting in April.
Article IV
Board Members
SECTION 1. General Power
The business and affairs of the cooperative shall be managed by a board of nine members, which shall exercise all of the powers of the cooperative except such as are by law, the Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws conferred upon or reserved to the members.
SECTION 2. Election and Tenure
In order to equitably distribute the representation on the Board of Directors, three members of the Board of Directors shall be elected at the annual meeting each year, one each from the counties of Bryan, McIntosh, and Liberty to serve for a term of three years, so that there always shall be a perpetual board of experienced members to conduct the affairs of the cooperative. Members from the area in Long County served by the cooperative shall be eligible to serve in the position of director created for McIntosh County.
SECTION 3. Qualifications
No person shall be eligible to become or remain a board member of the cooperative who:
(A) Is not a bona fide member and maintains a residence in the area served or to be served by the cooperative. The individual must maintain an active presence in at least one of the communities served by the cooperative and maintain a residence in the territory served or to be served by the cooperative; or
(B) Is in any way employed by or financially interested in a competing enterprise or a business selling electric energy.
(C) Is an employee of the cooperative or who was employed by the cooperative within a period of three years immediately preceding the date on which such employee would take offce if elected; provided, however, that any member of the Board of Directors shall be eligible to be employed by the cooperative on an interim basis not to exceed a period of 24 consecutive months.
Upon establishment of the fact that a board member is holding the office in violation of any of the foregoing provisions, such board member shall resign, and if such board member fails to resign, the Board of Directors shall remove such board member from office.
Nothing contained in this section shall affect in any manner whatsoever the validity of any action taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors.
SECTION 4. Nominations
(A) Nominations by the Nominating Committee
It shall be the duty of the Board of Directors to appoint, not less than 120 days nor more than 165 days before the date of a meeting of the members at which board members are to be elected, a committee on nominations consisting of not less than six nor more than nine members who shall be selected from different sections so as to ensure equitable representation. No member of the Board of Directors may serve on such committee. The committee, keeping in mind the principle of equitable representation, shall prepare and post at the principal office of the cooperative at least 100 days before the meeting a list of nominations for board members which shall include at least one candidate for each board position to be filled by the election.
(B) Nominations by Petition
Other nominations for such election of board members may be made by written petition signed by not less than 30 members which shall be submitted to the secretary of the cooperative or his nominee not less than 90 days prior to such meeting.
(C) Notice of Nominees
The secretary shall be responsible for posting at the headquarters of the cooperative the nominees for the election made by the Nominating Committee and by petition, and if feasible, shall include same in the notice to the members for the meeting at which the election is to be held.
(D) Nominations from the Floor
Additional nominations for the election of board members cannot be made from the floor at such meeting of the members; except that in the event of death or for any other reason there is no candidate nominated by the Nominating Committee to run for a board position, then in such event additional nominations from the floor may be made. However, no member may nominate more than one such candidate.
(E) Failure of Compliance
Failure to comply with any of the provisions of this section as to the election of directors, except bad faith or intentional failure to comply, shall not affect the validity of the election of any director nor shall it invalidate the actions of all or any of the directors.