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STANDARD MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAIDD RICHFIELD, UTAH PERMIT NO. 87 FALL - 2016 Volume 59 No.4 HIGHLIGHTS Youth Leadership Camp Pictures -PAGE 6 - Attendees of the 2016 Youth Leadership Challenge On Sunday, September 25th, around 12:50 p.m. power was knocked out for thousands of resi- dents in Garkane’s southern sys- tem, which includes Kanab, Big Water, Orderville, Glendale, Hatch, and surrounding towns in Garfield County. It was determined that the main transformer was shot with a high-powered rifle in multiple places. Garkane is working with local police authorities and possi- bly federal authorities to find the individual/s responsible. is is a very serious criminal offense that will bring a severe punishment to those found guilty. Garkane was able to re- store power around 8:00 p.m. by installing a portable substation. A portable substation is a very com- Criminal Act Leads To Power Outage Garkane employee inspects a transformer after it was shot by vandals plex and multi-faceted piece of equipment that is very useful for cases like this. Crews were able to quickly install it to reduce outage time and have power restored be- fore dark. Because of the extensive damage to the original transform- er, repairs may extend for the next twelve months. Garkane wishes to reiter- ate the serious nature of this type of criminal offense. Any sort of vandalism made to electricity equipment is considered a crimi- nal offense and is punishable by law. If anyone has any informa- tion regarding this incident, we invite you to call the Kane County Sherriff’s Depart- ment at 435-644-4999. $50,000 REWARD OFFERED (SEE PAGE 2)

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Page 1: Attendees of the 2016 Youth Leadership Challenge Criminal ... · 2 FALL - 2016 $50,000 REWARD For information leading to the arrest and conviction of person/s responsible for the

STANDARD MAILU.S. POSTAGE PAIDD

RICHFIELD, UTAHPERMIT NO. 87

FALL - 2016Volume 59 No.4

HIGHLIGHTS

Youth Leadership Camp Pictures

-PAGE 6 -

Attendees of the 2016 Youth Leadership Challenge

On Sunday, September 25th, around 12:50 p.m. power was knocked out for thousands of resi-dents in Garkane’s southern sys-tem, which includes Kanab, Big Water, Orderville, Glendale, Hatch, and surrounding towns in Garfield County. It was determined that the main transformer was shot with a high-powered rifle in multiple places. Garkane is working with local police authorities and possi-bly federal authorities to find the individual/s responsible. This is a very serious criminal offense that will bring a severe punishment to those found guilty. Garkane was able to re-store power around 8:00 p.m. by installing a portable substation. A portable substation is a very com-

Criminal Act Leads To Power Outage

Garkane employee inspects a transformer after it was shot by vandals

plex and multi-faceted piece of equipment that is very useful for cases like this. Crews were able to quickly install it to reduce outage time and have power restored be-fore dark. Because of the extensive damage to the original transform-er, repairs may extend for the next twelve months. Garkane wishes to reiter-ate the serious nature of this type of criminal offense. Any sort of vandalism made to electricity equipment is considered a crimi-nal offense and is punishable by law. If anyone has any informa-tion regarding this incident, we invite you to call the Kane County Sherriff ’s Depart-ment at 435-644-4999.

$50,000 REWARD OFFERED (SEE PAGE 2)

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HIGHLIGHTSFALL - 20162

$50,000REWARD

For information leading to the arrest and conviction of person/s responsible for the vandalism at the

Garkane substation on Sunday, Sept. 25th

ANONYMOUS TEXT LINE: Send to #: 847411Text KANE, enter a

space and then type your message and hit

send.

PHONE LINE:

435-644-4999This is a recorded line

so if you wish to be contacted, please leave

your information

ANONYMOUS EMAIL: You may go to the Kane County Sheriff’s webpage and submit a tip via email. Look for the submit a tip link and use the form to submit your anonymous tip online. After submitting a tip using the web service, you will be assigned a six-digit code with numbers and letters. When you submit a tip through an email or text, it is sent to a 3rd party tip service acting as a privacy buffer between you and the Kane County Sheriff’s Office to preserve your identity and contact information. When you use the phone line, your number will be captured by the counties caller ID, unless you use *67 first.

If You See Something, Say Something(0001250700)

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HIGHLIGHTSFALL - 20163

Customer Appreciation BBQ’s

Colorado City members braved the strong winds There was plenty of mustard to go around at Duck Creek

We enjoyed a great turnout in Hanksville(0001150900)

Garkane Partners With After-Hour Calling ServiceIf you have called Garkane after busi-ness hours, you may have noticed a change. Garkane has teamed up with a special partner to help with after hour calls. Excellent customer service requires good communica-tion and now Garkane’s members can obtain important electric service information at all times. Garkane’s new partner, Cooperative Response Center (CRC) like Garkane, is also a

member owned cooperative and in fact, Garkane is a part owner. As a Garkane resource, CRC representatives take pay-ments, dispatch repair crews and handle large volume outage calls. CRC pro-vides these services to many other co-ops around the country, so their expertise and experience is invaluable in helping with Garkane customer questions. When Gar-kane members call in after regular busi-ness hours, our call center partners are

equipped and ready to provide helpful assistance but they will need informa-tion. For example, they may ask ques-tions to verify member account, loca-tion and obtain proper authorizations. If a power outage is involved, they will need sufficient information to provide line crews direction for a timely repair. In the future, better technology will pro-vide Garkane outage and trouble call in-formation even before a member picks

up the phone. But, until such tools are installed, we will need our members to patiently provide individual information in order to operate efficiently. This pro-cess is needed to protect our members and help our crews maintain safety dur-ing an outage. All of CRC’s call centers are located in the United States and we feel this partnership increases our cus-tomer serve - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.

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Garkane Energy Cooperative, Inc.

VOLUME 59 - NO. 4

GARKANE HIGHLIGHTS is published quarterly (January, April, July, and Octo-ber), by Garkane Energy P.O. Box 465 Loa, Utah 84747 1-800-747-5403

As the official publication of the Coopera-tive, the purpose of this newsletter is to communicate to members information con-cerning their electric cooperative, and to offer suggestions and ideas regarding the safe, efficient and economical use of elec-

tric energy.

BOARD OF DIRECTORSLaDon Torgersen- Koosharem (435) 638-7531Chad Williams-Teasdale (435) 425-3213Terry Griffiths-Orderville (435) 648-2591Carl Boyd, Jr.-Tropic-President (435) 679-8418Tracy Potter -Torrey (435) 425-3128Reed Munson-Escalante (435) 826-4422Rodney Ence-Duck Creek Village (435) 682-2526William Hammon -Centennial Park (435) 467-1886 Nanell Robinson-Kanab (435) 644-2752Andy Gant-Kanab (435) 689-0348Preston Barlow - Hildale/Colorado City (435) 691-1740

GENERAL MANAGER/CEODan McClendon

HIGHLIGHTS Neal R. Brown, Editor

SurpluS ItemS For SaleBids from Garkane Members are currently being accepted on the following items:

Item #1: 1980 flatbed trailer, (sold as is) tanks used with oil, with oil press mounted on.

Item #2: 1993 CAT Forklift, 7030 hours. Hydrolic leak and shifting issues, overheats

Item #3: 1999 GMC Jimmy, 87,000 miles, good condition, new tires, new alternator, air conditioning, power steering, automatic, V6, 4x4, power windows, power locks, trailer towing package

Please submit bid in a sealed envelope with “Bid - Item #” clearly written on the outside to Garkane Energy, P.O. Box 465, Loa, UT 84747. Sealed bids will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. Friday, November 11, 2016. Garkane Energy reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids.

Vin #UTT06968Hatch, UT office

Vin #1GCHK24D07E192216Hatch, UT office

Vin #1GKDT13W2XK519973Kanab, UT office

October 31, 2016 Board Meeting Hatch, UTNov. 24, 25 Thanksgiving Holiday Offices ClosedNov. 28, 2016 Board Meeting Hatch, UTDec. 19, 2016 Board Meeting Hatch, UTDec. 23, 26 Christmas Holiday Offices ClosedJan. 2, 2016 New Years Observed Offices Closed

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HIGHLIGHTSFALL - 20165

We have inserted eight randomly selected Garkane Account Numbers in the text of various articles in this month’s edition. If your account number is less than 10 digits it will begin with a zero. For example, if your account number was 4444 and was inserted into one of the vari-ous articles in this month’s edition, it will be listed as (0000004444). If you find your account number, call Garkane toll-free at 1-800-747-5403. We’ll credit $25.00 to your account as a lucky winner! Just one more reason to read HIGHLIGHTS.

$25 CREDIT8 Hidden Account Numbers

Located In The Text Of This Newsletter

Cash in on

Hidden account

NUMBERS

Director LaDon Torgersen Receives Director Gold Certificate

The Director Gold Credential has been created to recognize coop-erative directors committed to con-tinuing their education beyond the Credentialed Cooperative Director

(CCD) certificate and the Board Leadership Certificate (BLC). Director Torgersen has demon-strated his ongoing commitment to advancing his industry knowl-edge. In order to achieve this rec-ognition, a director must hold the CCD and BLC certificate and earn three additional credits from the Board Leadership Cer-tificate series of courses. LaDon is an experienced and educated director that provides valuable input into board discussions. Re-ceiving the Director Gold Cer-tificate from NRECA, a national industry organization is further proof that Garkane’s Board is comprised of skilled, educated directors who seek the best inter-est of its members.

Board President Carl Boyd(R) presents Director Torgersen(L)with the

Director Gold Credential certificate

Garkane Directors Get CertifiedThese Board Members Recently Completed

The Requirements To Be Credentialed Cooperative Directors (CCD)

Carl Boyd, District 6 -Tropic -

Tracy Potter, District 3- Torrey -

Chad Williams, District 2- Teasdale -

Andy Gant, District 7- Kanab -

Nanell Robinson, District 10- Kanab -

(0000190808)

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HIGHLIGHTSFALL - 20166

At the ropes course, learning trust, courage, and overcoming an intense fear of heights

Getting some exercise, saying hi, and learning from wonderful, inspirational speakers

Escaping a water fight, balancing together, and getting ready for the awards banquet

(0000136301)

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2016 Youth Leadership Challenge

“I’ve Got The Power”

The 2016 theme, I’ve Got The Power inspired students to realize how much power they have in making positive change in the world

Scholarship Recipients: (left to right) Audrie Lindsey, Kai Griffin, Tauna King, Horatio Williams, Hannah Bagley, Florence Hammon, McKay Lewis

McKay Lewis was voted to be the 2017 Youth Director for next year’s camp. He is pictured with Audrie Lindsay, the 2016 Youth Director

Over 130 students from five west-ern states assembled for the annu-al Utah Rural Electric Association (UREA) Youth Leadership Chal-lenge. Each year, Garkane awards outstanding students with schol-arships to help further their educa-tion. This year, Tauna King from Kanab High School was selected to represent Garkane at the Wash-ington D.C. Youth Tour. Piute High student Hannah Bagley, Escalante High student Kai Grif-fin, El Capitan High Student Florence Hammon, and Centen-nial Academy student Horatio Williams all received a $1,000 scholarship for their outstanding participation at the camp. One student from each participating co-op is selected to return the fol-

lowing year to be a Youth Direcot and help plan the camp. McKay Lewis from Koosharem, was se-lected to be the Youth Director and for his efforts, will receive a $1,000 scholarship. He attends Richfield High School. Of the nine co-ops that send students to the UREA camp, McKay was selected to be the President of the Youth Directors. The Lead-ership camp is available to all students who are in their Junior year of high school and whose parents have a Garkane account. A Garkane representative will be visiting each school to introduce this exciting, and education op-portunity. If you are interested, please contact your high school counselor.

(0000179602)

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HIGHLIGHTSFALL - 20168

Garkane Will Pay For Your Feedback

Garkane Will Be Rolling Out PREPAID Metering In 2017

Garkane will be doing online sur-veys to get feedback on customer service, reliability, and other re-lated items. Garkane realizes that phone surveys are expensive and largely innefective, so instead, we have decided to provide an online survey so participants can finish them on their own time. The sur-vey is not very long, but we know your time is valuable. We will give you a $20 credit on your account.

Get $20 when you fill out a Garkane survey

If interested, email:[email protected]

You will be sent a link to the survey Limited to first 300 respondents

Much like cellular prepay pro-grams, customers can make elec-tricity payments in advance with cash or credit cards. Members costs are computed automatical-ly in near real time. The member can call to check their account anytime to determine the remain-ing amount. The member can add money electronically with a credit card, can make a payment at the office or at a payment kiosk. It al-lows members to better budget their electricity costs and avoid be-ing disconnected and reconnected, which involves extra charges. Due to limited meters, we will be rolling this program out to a few customers first, then making it available to all members. We have provided 24-hour access to your account by placing payment ki-osks in convenient access areas.This program should be in place in the first quarter of 2017. If you are interested, please call:Garkane office (800)747-5403

PREPAY - WHY DO IT?• It is a softer approach to

the disconnect process

• It allows members to track how their bill is progressing each month

• It eliminates the need to pay the $75 re-connect fee

PREPAIDCUSTOMER ACCOUNTS

DON’TREQUIRE A

DEPOSIT(0000085409)

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HIGHLIGHTSFALL - 20169

Garkane Will Pay For Your Feedback

Garkane Will Be Rolling Out PREPAID Metering In 2017

SHINE Programrebranded from old Greenway Program

The Greenway program was start-ed in 2009 as a way to support re-newable energy technologies at a slightly higher cost. These renew-able energy technologies consisted of wind, solar, biomass and geo-thermal. By adding renewable en-ergy power sources to our energy portfolio, the reliance on fossil fuels and emissions are reduced. Garkane has always been interest-

ed in renewable energy technology, and has recently explored options to build its own community solar project. Combined with this future solar project, and its current Boul-der hydro plants, Garkane now has options to provide a similar pro-gram, but with your investment go-ing towards locally genererated re-newable energy. If you are enrolled in this program already, or wish to

enroll, you can count on your dol-lars going towards local renewable energy projects within Garkane’s system. The Shine program stands for: S - Solar H - Hydro I - InvestmentN - N’ theE - Environment

SIGN UP TODAY!Help support

Garkane’s focus on renewable energy

and energy efficiency

Did you know that 30% of Garkane’s

power supply comes from renewable

energy?

ENROLLMENT FORM

1 block 100 kWh ($1.95) per/month

1 block 200 kWh ($3.90) per/month

1 block 300 kWh ($5.85) per/month_____ blocks @ ($1.95) per/month

I would like to enroll in Garkane Energy’s SHINE Program. I give per-mission to Garkane Energy to use these funds for renewable energy investments on my behalf. I agree to pay the extra charge of $1.95 per 100 kilowatt hour (kWh) block on my monthly electric bill as so specified below.

Name on Power Bill:

Street Address:

City, ST, Zipcode:

Account Number:

Signature:

Return this form to: Garkane EnergyAttn: James Clegg1802 S. Hwy 89aKanab, UT 84741

Or Signup at www.garkaneenergy.com/Shine

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HIGHLIGHTSFALL - 201610

Statement Of Utility Consumer Rights The Utah Public Service Com-mission has established rules about utility consumer / company relationships. These rules cover payment of bills, late charges, security deposits, handling complaints, service disconnections and other matters. These rules assure customers of certain rights and outline customer responsibili-ties.

CUSTOMER RIGHTS The utility company will:Provide service if you are a qualified ap-plicant. Offer you at least one 12-month deferred payment plan if you have a fi-nancial emergency. Let you pay a secu-rity deposit in three installments, if one is required. Follow specific procedures for service disconnection which include pro-viding you notice postmarked at least 10 days before service is disconnected. Of-fer winter shut-off protection of energy utility service to qualifying rate-payers. Advise you of sources of possible finan-cial assistance in paying your bill. Con-tinue service for a reasonable time if you provide a physician’s statement that a medical emergency exists in your home. Give you written information about Com-mission rules and your rights and respon-sibilities as a customer under those rules.

CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILI-TIES You, the customer will:Use services safely and pay for them promptly. Contact the utility company when you have a problem with payment, service, safety, billing, or customer ser-vice. Notify the utility company about billing or other errors. Contact the utility company when you anticipate a payment problem to attempt to develop a payment plan. Notify the utility company when you are moving to another residence. No-tify the utility company about stopping service in your name or about stopping service altogether. Permit access to your property for essential utility company personnel and equipment. To contact the utility company, call the telephone number shown on your utility bill. If you have a problem, call the utility company first. If you cannot re-solve the problem, you may obtain an

informal review of the dispute by call-ing the Utah State Division of Public Utilities Complaint Office at the follow-ing telephone numbers:

801-530-6652 in Salt Lake City or 1-800-874-0904 Toll Free

Residential Customer Utility ServiceUtility bills can often be one of our big-gest household expenses. Utahans have the right to safe, dependable service from utility companies.

The Utah Division of Public Utilities in the Department of Commerce represents the interests of the general public before the Public Service Commission. The Division works to assure that all utility customers have access to safe, reliable service at reasonable prices.

Most Utahans receive good utility ser-vice, but problems can arise. The Com-mission rules provide Utah consumers with information on the relationship be-tween the utility and the utility customers. Two of the applicable Commission rules are R746-200 and R746-240. Some im-portant aspects of these rules are present-ed below. This information is not legally binding on any party. It is for information only. The full text in the Utah Code, Utah Administrative Rules, and utility compa-ny tariffs is legally binding.

DepositsUtilities’ deposit policies are related to the applicant’s credit history. Using utility services is much like purchasing any oth-er commodity. Sellers will usually agree to the use or sale of their products if they have confidence that they will be paid at a certain time. So it is with utility compa-nies; they are selling a product - electric-ity, gas, water or sewer - and must be paid in order to continue providing service.

If a utility company feels that a prospec-tive purchaser of services may be a credit risk, it may require a deposit in order to protect its interest. All utilities collecting security deposits must pay interest at a rate approved by the Public Service Com-mission. The deposit paid, and accrued interest, may be returned to the customer

after the customer has paid the bill on time for twelve consecutive months. Utah utilities must submit deposit polices to the Commission for approval. There-fore, the deposit required may differ from one utility company to another A new cus-tomer for utility service will have the right to pay a security deposit in at least three equal monthly installments provided that the first installment is paid at the time of application.

BillingUtilities usually bill customers monthly. The bill may not be due less than 20 days after the billing date. Bills are computed after the use period by reading the me-ter, or through computer readings. Gas, electric, and water utilities use meters to calculate usage. The utility is required to make an actual meter reading at least once in a two-month period and render a bill for the appropriate charge determined from that reading. If a meter reader is unable to gain ac-cess to a meter, the utility must take ap-propriate additional measures in an effort to obtain an actual meter reading. These measures include, but are not limited to, scheduling a meter reading at other than normal business hours, making an ap-pointment for meter reading or provid-ing a prepaid postal card with a notice of instruction upon which an account holder may record a meter reading. If after two regular route visits access has not been achieved, the utility will give notice that the customer must make arrangements to have the meter read. If the utility is still unable to make an actual meter reading, it may render an estimated bill or may dis-continue service. It’s a good idea to stay current with your payments. Any delinquent bills will be charged interest if they go unpaid past the due date.

DisputesSometimes problems can occur or dis-agreements arise over your bill If there is a problem, contact the company first. If the utility does not resolve the problem to your satisfaction, you have the right

to seek help from the Division of Public Utilities. The procedure in resolving your dispute is straight forward: after receiv-ing your complaint, a Division employee will act as a mediator between you and the utility company. You will not have service terminated for nonpayment of the disputed portion of the bill, as long as you keep up payment on all other services. Normally within five business days, you will be informed of the findings and/or solution to your complaint. Utilities are required to resolve complaints within 30 calendar days. If you feel that further action is necessary, you can formally file a petition with the Public Service Commission in order to resolve the dispute. The Com-mission may then call both you and the utility in for a hearing on the matter. You and the utility will be given the chance to present any arguments supporting your positions. The Commission will then ren-der a decision which is binding on both parties. If either party thinks the decision is still unsatisfactory, they can appeal to the Utah State Supreme Court.

Deferred Payment AgreementsOccasionally, there are customers who are unable to pay the entire account bal-ance at the time it is due. Rather than have service terminated, they may enter into what is known as a Deferred Pay-ment Agreement (DPA). This agreement allows the customer to payoff the past due amount, re-connection fees, and interest in monthly installments, provided that the total amount is paid off in 12 months. The customer must also pay the current month’s charge.

The customer has the right to set the amount of the monthly payment, (it must be at least one-twelfth of what is owed, however). The first payment must be received at the utility’s office within 48 hours after the agreement has been reached and can’t be less than that which was agreed upon. If service has been shut off, it will be restored as soon as the customer enters into a Deferred Payment Agreement. If the person defaults on this agreement, the utility may let the customer sign an-

(0000103201)

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HIGHLIGHTSFALL - 201611

Statement Of Utility Consumer Rights other agreement, reinstate the old one, or refuse to grant another one. Service may also be terminated at the compa-ny’s option.

Equal Payment PlanSome utilities have a budget billing or equal payment plan available for cus-tomers who want to make equal monthly payments throughout the year. If a cus-tomer becomes delinquent on an equal payment plan, the customer has two options for repayment. The customer can enter into a deferred payment agree-ment or pay a budget billing amount set by the utility plus the monthly deferred payment installment.

Termination of Service Service may be terminated for several reasons, including:Nonpayment of a delinquent account; Nonpayment of a deposit where re-quired; Failure to comply with the terms of a Deferred Payment Agreement or Commission order; Unauthorized use of or diversion of residential utility service or tampering with wires, pipes, meters or other equipment; Conceal-ing information or deliberately furnish-ing false information for the purpose of obtaining utility service; Failure to pro-vide access to your meter during a regu-lar route visit to the premises following proper notification and opportunity to make arrangements.

The following will not be used as a basis for terminating service: A delinquent account, ac-crued prior to the commencement of a divorce or separate maintenance action in the courts, in the name of a former spouse, can’t be the basis for termina-tion of the current account holder’s service. Cohabitation of a current ac-count holder with a delinquent account holder who was previously terminated for nonpayment, unless these two ac-count holders also cohabited during the time the delinquent account holder received the utility’s service. This in-cludes service that was received at the current account holder’s present ad-dress or another address.

Special CircumstancesUnder special circumstances, the util-ity company will not always terminate residential service for reasons mentioned above. For example, if someone in the home is seriously ill, and a doctor’s state-ment certifies this condition will be ag-gravated if a utility service is terminated, services may not be cut off immediately. Service will continue for a month (30 days), or the specified time in the doctor’s statement, whichever is less. If needed, the person may petition the Public Service Commission for an extension of time.

The utility company should be contacted if anyone on the premises is using an iron lung, dialysis, respirator, or other life-support equipment. A medical condition doesn’t exempt someone from paying utility bills. Rather, it will merely de-lay termination if the person is unable to make complete payment. The bill will eventually have to be paid.

Termination Without NoticeWhenever the company feels that an emergency or serious health or safety hazard exists, service can be terminated without notice. They may also shut off a customer if there is unauthorized use of utility service, or tampering with pipes, meters or other equipment.

Termination With NoticeA notice of termination by a utility com-pany must include the billing information and information on steps to take to avoid termination including deferred payment agreements, a referral service (agencies or organizations that provide financial assistance) medical extensions, and the procedure for filing a complaint with the Division of Public Utilities.

A public utility must give written no-tice of disconnection for nonpayment to the account holder. Telephone compa-nies must give 7 days and other utilities must give 10 calendar days notice prior to a proposed termination of residential utility service. The notice time period is computed from the date the notice is post-marked.

The utility must make good-faith efforts

to notify the account holder or an adult member of the household by mail, tele-phone, or a personal visit to the residence. Telephone companies must do this 1 busi-ness day prior and other utilities at least 48 hours prior to the time when termination of service is scheduled. If personal noti-fication has not been made either directly by the utility or by a customer response to a mailed notice, (a non-telephone utility must leave written termination notice at the residence). For non-telephone utili-ties, personal notification, such as a visit to the residence or telephone conversa-tion with the party being terminated, is required only during winter months (Oc-tober 1 through March 31). For all other months of the year, the mailed 48-hour notice can be the final notice prior to the termination.

In rental property situations where the tenant is not the account holder and that fact is known to the utility, the utility will post a notice of proposed termination of service on the premises in a conspicuous place and will make reasonable efforts to give actual notice to the occupants by personal visits or other appropriate means at least five calendar days before the pro-posed termination of service.

Other ConsiderationsThe utility company will make reason-able efforts to provide third-party noti-fication (to clergy, friends or family) of a delinquent balance if requested by the customer. This provides a third person with notification of the proposed termina-tion notice. Bear in mind that this person is not responsible for the payment of any delinquent bill you might owe.

If you anticipate being on an extended vacation, it is best to make prior arrange-ments for paying your bills.

Third Party ChargesState code Section 54-4-37 governs third-party billing practices. A third party is any person or entity other than the account holder and the utility. The utility could perform billing services for a third party. If payment is not made for the entire bill, the utility is required to apply customers’ payments to tariff services first and then

Garkane is required by the Utah Public Service Commission to inform you of your consumer rights at least once every year. This serves as that notice.

proportionally to other charges unless otherwise directed by the customer. No public utility may disconnect or threaten to disconnect basic utility service for failure to pay third party charges.

Any Questions?If you have any questions regarding util-ity service, billing, terminations, etc., or wish to make a complaint against a util-ity company, please contact the Division of Public Utilities. Mailing Address SM Box 146751 Salt Lake City, UT 84114

Telephone (801) 530-7622 - General (800) 874-0904 - Toll Free

& Responsibilities

Cold weather means increased elec-tric bills for most Garkane members. Individual economic conditions vary, and some of our neighbors could use a little help. That’s where Garkane’s WARM Program comes in. In 1984, Garkane instituted a charitable donation program to en-courage cooperative members to help other, needy members meet their winter heating needs. The WARM Program (Winter As-sistance for Rural Members) has benefited many individuals and families, through the generosity of their fellow cooperative members. In order to qualify, you need to first qualify for Heat assistance from the state of Utah or Arizona. Please show the true cooperative spirit by returning your contribution with your next payment. Contact your local Garkane office for more info.

Warm Contribution

Program

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Dear Members of Garkane,

I’d like to start off by thanking you for your patience and under-standing during the extended power outage that occurred on the afternoon of Sunday, September 25th. One of our main substations for our south-ern system was shot multiple times, causing extensive damage, which lead to the outage. Transformers of this size are very expensive and the lead-time for repairs can be as long as 12 months. I would like to empha-sise the serious nature of this type of criminal act. As you can see on page 2 of the newsletter, we have offered a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. We are work-ing with local and federal investigat-ing authorities. We have coordinated with the Kane County Sheriff’s Of-fice to process all tips and informa-tion anonymously. We NEED your help! Security and reliability of the grid is our number one concern, so we will continue to invest in the best protective equipment available to en-sure you have reliable power. On a lighter side, I would like to thank all of those that attended our customer appreciation BBQ’s. I treasure the relationships I have made in the short time that I have

From the CEO’s Deskbeen the Garkane General Man-ager. The community BBQ’s have given me the opportunity to visit with individual members, which is something I truly value. I hope our members will continue to attend our community events so we can become better acquainted. In the past, we maintained relationships through face-to-face interaction, but technology is quickly changing that. Advanced methods are also changing how we do business as Garkane seeks to operate the most in the most ef-ficient and effective ways possi-ble. You may have noticed that we have transitioned to using a new phone system, and we have imple-mented electronic billing through a new mobile application. We have also provided 24-hour access to your account by placing pay-ment kiosks in convenient access areas. Investment in technologies of this kind only makes sense as they provide added value to our operations and to our members. Garkane Energy operates as a cooperative, so even when we adapt and make changes, we still adhere to the seven cooperative principles. One of those principles is democratic member control. This means whenever you have questions or concerns, and if you are not satisfied after talking with management or staff, we invite

by Dan McClendon

HIGHLIGHTSFALL - 201612

garkane telephonenumbers

Loa Office435-836-2795

1-800-747-5403 (toll-free)

Hatch Office435-735-4288

1-888-735-4288 (toll-free)

Kanab Office435-644-5026

1-888-644-5026 (toll-free)

Colorado City/Hildale Office435-874-2810

Loa Office120 West 300 South

Loa, UT 84747

Hatch Office468 South North HWY 89

Hatch, UT 84735

Kanab Office1802 South HWY 89A

Kanab, UT 84741

Colorado City/Hildale Office1185 West Utah Avenue

Hildale, UT 84784

Half Price

POWER

If you have signed up for the Half-Price Power Program, please be aware that the winter peak hours are different from the summer hours. From October to March peak hours are from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Because of the re-cent rate increase, the Half-Price Power rates also increased. Dur-ing these hours, your electricity will cost 10.25¢ per kWh, the rest of the day you will continue to pay the lower rate of 5.25¢ per kWh.

Off-Peak and On-Peak Hours Change Oct. 1

ATTENTION!

you to speak directly to your director to voice your concerns. These elected representatives are accountable to the membership and our directors do a wonderful job of being available to commu-nicate with you. We have listed their contact info on page 4 of this newsletter. There are exciting things happening at Garkane. We have finished setting all the poles on the Tropic-to-Hatch transmission line, and will continue stringing the conductors. Soon, we expect to build a community solar array in Kanab, UT and later we plan

additional projects in our north and central areas. These projects will be funded through the SHINE program, and won’t be subsidized by members who aren’t interested in such projects. We are pleased to announce we have over 400 participants in the Half-Price Power program, providing a way for Garkane and participants to save money by reducing the peak demand. We invite you to stay in-formed on the issues that affect Garkane, because after all, this is your Cooperative. - Dan

24-Hour Outageand Emergency Number

(Including Propane)1-800-747-5403

(0001857901)