As a cooperative, Nolin RECC is owned by its members. Those members have democratic control of the co-op through their elected representatives, the Board of Directors. Nolin has six (6) directors, each one representing a particular part of the service area. These areas are called board districts.
How are Nolin board districts determined?
Board districts are determined as directed by the Nolin RECC Bylaws. Districts are set up in a way that tries to equalize the number of members within each district. They are established to provide representation for members across the entire Nolin service area so that every member can feel that they and their home area are represented on their co-op board.
Due to the changing nature of residential, commercial, and industrial developments, board districts are reviewed approximately every 5 years. When this takes place, detailed maps are reviewed by the entire board to determine if shifts in population and addition of new members have caused a need to reevaluate the equality of the districts. If one or more districts have seen increases or decreases in the number of members, an adjustment is made in the district boundaries to balance the numbers within each district.
When did the board district review process last take place?
This process of reviewing districts was undertaken in the summer of 2021 by the Nolin RECC Board of Directors working with the Nolin RECC President & CEO and Nolin RECC Attorney. This review resulted in a shift in the boundaries of several districts. A comparison of the old district boundaries and new district boundaries can be seen in the maps below.
Do directors only make decisions that affect their own area?
While directors represent a particular area, they each make decisions based on what is in the best interest of the cooperative as a whole. A director may bring activities taking place in their district to the attention of the board, but decisions are made based on what is best for the entire cooperative. In a similar way, any member may discuss cooperative matters with any board member, though they may want to make the initial contact with their own board representative.
How does voting for directors work?
When it is time for members to vote for directors, every member can vote for the entire slate of board candidates regardless of what district the director represents or where the member lives. Members are not limited to voting only for the candidates from their district.
Find more information about board districts in the Nolin RECC bylaws HERE
