Pedernales Electric Cooperative’s Governance, Bylaws and Legal Committee met on Wednesday, February 3 and voted to send key governing documents to the Cooperative’s full Board of Directors for consideration. When the Board meets on February 22, it will consider approving revisions to PEC’s bylaws, and whether or not to put a revised articles of incorporation, which would include the Co-op’s first member bill of rights, up for a member vote.

If the revised bylaws are approved by the Board, any corresponding changes in policy would be effective immediately, including changes affecting the election of Directors.

While the Board has the authority to approve the bylaws at its meeting, the articles of incorporation would need the approval of the PEC membership before the document could be amended to establish the member bill of rights and update other articles. A potential vote on the revised articles would culminate at the Cooperative’s June 19 annual membership meeting. Members would be able to vote in person at the meeting or by completing and returning a mailed ballot. If approved by the membership, the proposed member bill of rights would establish core rights, such as election safeguards, that could not be changed without a member vote.

Members of the committee — District 7 Director and Committee Chairman Dr. Patrick Cox, District 4 Director O.C. Harmon, District 6 Director and Board President Larry Landaker and Advisory Director Lamont Ramage — spent months discussing the project, speaking to governance and ethics experts, and gathering feedback from PEC members.

PEC encourages members to go to www.pec.coop/CorpProfile/Bylaws.aspx to review the proposed member bill of rights, revised bylaws and articles of incorporation the Board will consider. PEC still is accepting comments at Bylaws@peci.com, and members will have the opportunity to address the Board at its February 22 meeting.