Annual Meeting FAQs

BYLAW AMENDMENTS

Q: I’m in favor of some bylaw changes and not others. How do I vote only on the ones I want?

A: The proposed Bylaw amendments are presented as a single vote – approve all or reject all. Traditionally, Talquin has presented all proposed Bylaw changes to the Members for approval in their entirety. The process to separately present a vote on proposed Bylaw amendments to Members is expensive due to considerations of time, printing, postage, and charges related to Cooperative’s third-party election service provider. Also, because the proposed Bylaw amendments are interrelated, it makes the most sense to get an up-or-down vote on all the revisions at one time.

Q: What is arbitration?

A: Arbitration is a form of “alternative dispute resolution” – a legal proceeding for resolving disputes outside the court system. It involves a neutral third party (the “arbitrator”) who reviews the case and makes a ruling that is legally binding for both sides. When compared to the traditional court system, arbitration proceedings are generally a faster, less costly, and less complicated method of resolving a dispute.

Q: What is a class action?

A: A class action is a type of civil lawsuit brought on behalf of other similarly situated people (the “class”) who have been allegedly harmed in the same way by the same defendant. A class action waiver states that a Member agrees to waive their right to participate as a class representative or class member and, instead, agrees to resolve any dispute on an individual basis.

Q: Can a Member opt out of the arbitration provision?

A: Yes. Members can opt out of the arbitration agreement by sending a notice to the cooperative at Talquin Headquarters located at 1640 West Jefferson Street, Quincy, Florida 32351 giving notice of their rejection (“Rejection Notice”) within sixty (60) days after the date of the Annual Meeting where this arbitration agreement was added to the Bylaws. The Rejection Notice must include the Member’s full name, current address, current telephone number, and the account number, and be signed by the Member. The Rejection Notice must be mailed with return receipt requested to: Rejection Notice Department.

VOTING

Q: Who can vote as a Member?

A: Only the Member listed on the Membership may vote. No spouses, other household members, etc. may vote on behalf of the Member.

Q: What items are being voted on?

A: Three districts for Board of Trustee are being voted on.

District 3 Joseph Alexander (Incumbent)
District 6 Jason O’Steen (Incumbent)
District 9 John Paul Bailey and Sam Fenn (Incumbent)

Bylaw Amendments are on the ballot.

Q: Why is there only one candidate on the ballot for District 3 and District 6?

A: Per Talquin’s Bylaws, all candidates must be nominated by petition (Art. IV, Section 3(b)). The candidates for the District 3 and District 6 trustee seats are the current incumbents. The incumbents were the only candidates to submit nominating petitions, so they are running for re-election unopposed.

Q: Why does the Cooperative conduct a vote on a Trustee if there is no candidate running in opposition to them?

A: Talquin’s Bylaws require that all Trustees be elected by a majority of the Cooperative’s Members at the Annual Meeting. Traditionally, Talquin has presented all elections to the members for a vote whether they are contested or uncontested. As part of the proposed Bylaw amendments this year, the Board is proposing that any candidate who is unopposed after the conclusion of the nomination period for future elections will be deemed elected and will not appear on the ballot (proposed Art. IV, Section 3). In years where there are no contested Trustee elections, this will result in significant savings to your Cooperative.

Q: Is anyone who has an account and pays an electric and/or water bill a Member?

A: Membership eligibility is defined in Article I, Section 1 of Talquin’s Bylaws as follows:

SECTION 1. REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP.

Any person, firm, association, corporation or body politic or subdivision thereof may become a member in Talquin Electric Cooperative, Inc. (hereinafter called the “Cooperative”) by:

(a) Filing a written application for membership therein;

(b) Agreeing to purchase from the Cooperative utility services as hereinafter specified;

(c) Agreeing to comply with and be bound by the Articles of Incorporation and By-laws of the Cooperative and any rules and regulations adopted by the Board of Trustees; and

(d) Paying the membership fee hereinafter specified. NO MEMBER MAY HOLD MORE THAN ONE MEMBERSHIP IN THE COOPERATIVE, and no membership in the Cooperative shall be transferable.

Q: A Member who has one account has one vote, but does a Member who has 10 accounts have 10 votes?

A: Anyone that meets the eligibility requirements can become a Member. A Member with multiple accounts is limited to one vote. According to Article III, Section 5 of Talquin’s Bylaws, only one vote per Membership is allowed:

SECTION 5. VOTING.

Each member shall be entitled to only one vote on each matter submitted to a vote. A majority of a quorum is required to approve each motion or matter presented to the members for a vote.

Q: If I do not live in Districts 3, 6, or 9 should I vote in those elections?

A: Yes, we ask that all Members, regardless of their district of residence, vote for one trustee in each district. We also ask that all Members vote on the proposed Bylaw changes.

Q: What do I need to do if I have not received my ballot in the mail?

A: Replacement ballots can be requested by calling 850-627-7651.

PRIZES

Q: Who is entered to win prizes?

A: Only the Member is eligible for entry into the prize drawing. Prize winners will be drawn from all registered Members who participated in mail-in voting.

Q: What are the prizes?

A: Prizes include: three (3) $500 bill credits and five (5) $250 bill credits.

Q: When will the prize drawing be held?

A: The prize drawing will be held at the conclusion of the business meeting.

ANNUAL MEETING

Q: Who can attend the Annual Meeting?

A: Cooperative’s Trustees, key staff, and qualified candidates who names appear on the ballot, are encouraged to attend the business portion of the Annual Meeting in-person. Members may also attend the business portion of the Annual Meeting in-person at the Lake Jackson Member Services office (4808 Portal Drive, Tallahassee). No bill credits or door prizes will be offered to Members for in-person attendance.

Q: When is the Annual Meeting?

A: The Annual Meeting begins at 9:00 AM on Saturday, April 29, 2023. The business meeting will be streamed live online at www.talquinelectric.com and Talquin Facebook.

Q: Why has Talquin updated the Annual Meeting program from an in-person meeting to a hybrid (virtual/optional in-person) meeting?

A: Since the Annual Meeting program has changed to a virtual event, with the option to attend in-person, Talquin decided to host a series of four (4) events in each county we serve, called Talk with Talquin – Member Update Events. Not only does this allow us to better reach our Members but it has also proven to be more cost-effective.

If your question was not answered above, please click HERE to submit an Annual Meeting FAQ form.