www.kvremc.com

CONTACT USToll Free: 800-552-2622

Local: 219-733-2511

OFFICE HOURS 7:30 a.m.– 4 p.m. Central Time

Monday-Friday

STREET ADDRESS 8642 W. U.S. Highway 30

Wanatah, IN 46390

MAILING ADDRESSP.O. Box 157, Wanatah, IN 46390

EMERGENCY POWER OUTAGESTo report a power outage, please call 800-552-2622.

We are available to serve you 24 hours a day. When calling,

please provide the name in which your account is listed. Also, please be sure

to check your fuses or breakers.

KANKAKEE VALLEY REMC STAFFScott Sears, Chief Executive Officer

Lori Young, Executive Assistant

Angie Swanson, Office Manager

Josh Pepple, Director of Operations

Amanda Steeb, Communications and Marketing Director

Dave Howell, Purchasing and Facilities Manager

Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/KVREMC

Often, when we hear the phrase “New Year’s resolutions,” we equate that to personal goals. But as your cooperative’s leadership team

can attest to, business goals are just as important.

Your cooperative is committed to providing safe, reliable and responsibly sourced electricity to its member-consumers. This year, we’ve developed some exciting new plans and I can’t wait to share them with you over the next several months.

Your board of directors and staff will be participating in a strategic planning session to discuss how the energy world — and our member-consumers’ needs — are changing. During this two-day session, we will identify new initiatives and pinpoint necessary technical upgrades. We’ll also talk about how to improve existing co-op programs and services, and begin developing new ones. I will share further details in next month’s Indiana Connection.

Last year, we began building a new substation in North Judson. The Lena Park substation, which is scheduled to come online during the first quarter, will allow us to improve power quality and reliability to the growing North Judson area.

Phase Two of our broadband project is also slated to begin this year. During the past six months, an

engineering company has helped us design a fiber loop to connect our office and our substations. Once the loop is operational, information will move faster and more efficiently between our office and facilities. The construction crew will begin the fiber loop this spring.

Many member-consumers have told us how important reliable internet is to them. Although we aren’t currently able to offer broadband, we are keeping up to date on broadband developments and are leaning on colleagues at other cooperatives to learn about the technology. Creating a fiber loop between our facilities will help us prepare for future needs of the cooperative and our member-consumers.

Significant changes are occurring in the energy sector with a drive for more renewables and a more balanced energy mix. Building on the Co-Op Solar program we began offering our member-consumers a few years ago, this year, we’ll talk more about “envi-ronmentally beneficial electrification.” Your REMC supports a healthy, clean environment. We purchased a Chevy Bolt electric vehicle last year and will introduce more environmentally-fo-cused programs.

For the co-op and the community to thrive, we must focus on your priorities. So, as we navigate complex issues throughout this year, please let us know how we can help you reach your goals.

SCOTT SEARSCEO

co-op news

CO-OP SETS goals for the year

Save the Date

KVREMC ANNUAL MEETINGMark your calendars to attend KVREMC’s Annual Meeting

on June 4 at the Porter County Expo Center.

FEBRUARY 2020 5

6 FEBRUARY 2020

Indiana Youth TourJUNE 18-25Kankakee Valley wants to send you on a weeklong,

all-inclusive trip of a lifetime to Washington, D.C. Visit

the nation’s capital, experience American history, tour

monuments and museums, meet legislators and make

new friends. Must be a high school junior to apply.

Applications can only be accepted online and must be

submitted by March 2.

ScholarshipsThe Operation Round Up Trust scholarship is open

to high school seniors who will be attending a

college, university or a trade school in 2020. Two

$2,000 and four $1,000 scholarships are awarded

annually. To be eligible, students’ parents or legal

guardians must be Kankakee Valley REMC member-

consumers who participate in Operation Round Up

as of Feb. 4, 2020.

The application deadline is March 4 at 3:30 p.m. CST.

touchstone energy campJUNE 3-6A fun, powerful and unique camp experience

designed for students entering seventh grade in

2020. Horseback riding, canoeing, zip lining, archery,

swimming, learning about electrical safety and bucket

truck rides. This all-inclusive camp experience is held at

Camp Tecumseh in Brookston, Indiana.

Applications can only be accepted online and must be

submitted by March 2.

APPLY FORyouthprograms

Visit kvremc.com and click on the “Community Programs” tab and then the “Youth Programs” tab for applications.

FIGURING YOUR BILL If you would like to figure your electric bill (to compare to the one Kankakee Valley REMC sends you), here’s how:

• Track the kilowatt-hours you used on your meter for the month (or use the amount shown on your bill — they should be about the same).

• Multiply your kWh by the rate shown at right in Line A. (This is the KVREMC’s residential rate; it stays the same each month.)

• Multiply your kWh by the power cost adjustment rate in Line B. (This is a factor KVREMC pays for power; it

may vary from month to month.)

• Add the amounts from above to the facilities charge (Line C). (This charge is the same each month.)

• Add 7 percent Indiana sales tax to get your total amount due.

Monthly Rate Schedule A (Residential):

A. Rate (all kWh per month) $0.09699 per kWh

B. Power cost adjustment tracking factor for February$0.000000 per kWh

C. Facilities charge$30 per month

Your electric cooperative is run by a democratically elected board of directors. If leading your electric co-

op interests you, consider running for directorship at the 2020 annual meeting to be held on June 4 at the Porter County Expo Center.

Member-consumers running for directorship must attend the mandatory meeting on March 31 at 6:30 p.m. CST at the KV REMC office. Candidates who do not attend the meeting will not be eligible to run for directorship.

The board is comprised of seven directors, five represent a specific geographical district and two represent the cooperative at-large. We will be electing one director to represent district 4 and one at-large director.

District 4 which includes Davis, Center, Oregon, Washington, and North Bend townships in Starke County and Union and West townships in Marshall County.

The At-Large Position is open to member-consumers who reside in an area served by KV REMC.

TWO DIRECTORS WILL BE ELECTED

DIRECTOR PETITION PACKETS

AVAILABLE NOWContact the office or stop by to receive one.

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A BOARD MEMBER?

FEBRUARY 2020 7

In 2019, your generosity allowed the co-op

to give back over $102,000 in grants to 45

area non-profit organizations through the

Operation Round Up program. It is only

through your generous giving, when you

round up your electric bill, that we can help

organizations assist those in need. Below are

organizations that received Operation Round

Up grants in the final quarter of 2019.

Call-A-Ride, located in Hebron, received

a grant for $2,500 to continue providing

transportation services to the elderly, handicapped and

indigent residents in Hebron and also Boone Grove

Township. The organization currently operates two

vans which have transported 112 clients to medical

appointments, pharmacy, food pantry, grocery stores

and other shopping needs. Operated by all volunteers,

Call-A-Ride celebrated 25 years in 2019.

Kouts Fire Department received a grant for $2,920

to purchase new pagers for first responders. The

department responds to over 330 calls per year. These

include fire alarms, structural fires, EMS assist calls

and motor vehicle accidents. The pagers enable the

first responders to receive accurate information on the

situations they are responding to for assistance.

Samaritan Counseling Centers, Inc. received a

grant for $1,000 to assist individuals with counseling

services. Samaritan Counseling Centers, Inc. assists

residents in LaPorte and Porter counties with services

tailored to their challenges. This grant will help ease

the financial burden, which is often an obstacle to

receiving help.

Visiting Nurse Association of Porter County Indiana

received $5,000 to support the VNA hospice program.

VNA celebrates the life of individuals, provides

compassionate care during the last months of life and

gives families hope. Through generous donations,

the VNA can provide all patients, regardless of their

finances, with the same service and care. The Arthur B.

and Ethel V. Horton VNA Hospice Center is one of only

two inpatient hospice centers in Jasper, Lake, LaPorte,

Porter and Starke counties.

Generosityat work

It’s no surprise that there is an increased potential for fire risks and electrical safety hazards in the winter. During the coldest months, consumers use additional electrical devices and appliances, like space heaters, electric blankets and possibly portable generators.

This winter, safeguard your loved ones and your home with these electrical safety tips from Electrical Safety Foundation International.

1. Don’t overload outlets Overloaded outlets are a major cause of residential fires. Avoid using extension cords or multi-outlet converters for appliance connections. They should be plugged directly into a wall.

2. Never leave space heaters unattended. If you’re using a space heater, turn it off before leaving the room. Make sure heaters are placed at least three feet away from flammable items. Space heaters take a toll on your electric bills.

3. Use portable generators safely. Unfortunately, winter storms can cause prolonged power outages, which mean many member-consumers will use a portable generator

to power their home. Never connect a generator into your home’s electrical system without the use of a double throw switch. Also, be sure to run it in a well-ventilated area outside your home. The carbon monoxide (CO) it generates is deadly, so keep it away from your garage, doors, windows and vents.

CO poisoning can happen any time of year. However, it is more common during the winter months. This is due to improperly functioning heating systems, unsafe heating practices and allowing vehicles to idle and “warm up” in attached garages. The exhaust can enter your home through heating and cooling ducts and other open connections. Prevention is key to avoiding carbon monoxide poisoning. Choose appliances that vent fumes to the outside whenever possible and have them properly installed and maintained according to manufacturers’ instructions. Remember, never use your gas stove/oven to heat your home, even if for a short time. Be sure your home and garage has working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

See page 10 for additional information on space heaters.

STAY WARM

and Safe

8 FEBRUARY 2020

Right-Of-Way MaintenanceClearing tree and overgrown

vegetation is vital to providing

safe, reliable power to our

member-consumers.

We clear certain area, known as

rights-of-way, to:

• Keep power lines clear of tree

limbs

• Restore power outages more

quickly

• Keep crews and members of

our community safe

• Reduce unexpected costs for

repairs

You will see our contract tree

trimming crews in the following

areas:

Porter County: Jackson, Pine and

Washington townships

Starke County: Center,

Washington, California and North

Bend townships

Every month in this new section, we’ll tell you where our maintenance and construction crews will be and what they will be doing.

Crews in the Community