Daily Press Writer
MONTROSE — Five candidates vie for three districts in this year’s Delta-Montrose Electric Association board election.
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The candidates each provided petitions with at least 25 members’ signatures to qualify for the 2007 ballot, which will be mailed the week of May 23.
“Nobody else can get on the ballot — there are no write-ins,” Polikalas said.
Members will be able to cast their votes until the morning of June 14, when they will have the opportunity to vote in person. Although the election regards only three of the nine districts, all members may vote for all seats.
In district one, which includes the west Montrose area, Michael Sramek is running unopposed. He stands to replace Paul Gottlieb, who reached his term limits this year.
Sramek has been a Montrose resident 27 years. He owns and manages Hycon Constructors, a Montrose-based utility construction company. The company builds communication towers, microwave sites and electrical substations across the American West, Alaska, Hawaii and Guam, according to a DMEA press release.
District two includes Paonia and extends to the east and north of the town, including Cedaredge and part of Grand Mesa’s southern slope. Kenneth Byers challenges incumbent Ed Marston for this district.
Byers has owned Dependable Lumber in Paonia since 1985. His son and daughter now run the business. He previously served in the Navy and later worked for Union Carbide in Uravan, conducting surface exploration for uranium.
Marston has lived in Paonia 33 years and has served several terms on the board. He supports DMEA’s decision not to extend its contract with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. This could create the opportunity over time for power to be derived from local sawmills, coal mines or perhaps renewable resources rather than purchased from large, distant power plants.
District three is in the North Fork area, which includes Hotchkiss, Crawford and part of Montrose County. Tony Prendergast and Kathleen Welt compete for the seat of Charles Klaseen, who has reached his term limits.
Prendergast has served on several boards in Western colorado, including Western Colorado Congress and Saddle Mountain Ditch Company. He’s served as president of the Black Canyon Land Trust. Much of his time has been devoted to community service and he’s a fourth generation Western Coloradoan.
Welt has a degree in Natural Resources Management from Colorado State University and works as an environmental compliance, health and safety professional in Delta and Gunnison county energy industries. She supports energy conservation and using alternative energy to generate local power.
The DMEA ballots will also include an opportunity for members to vote regarding a proposed capital credits policy that would enable the board to return the credits to members more quickly.
It wouldn’t set a particular time frame for when the returns would come, but rather give the board more flexibility in how early the credits are “retired” or paid back.
The Daily Press will be follow the election, providing further information and interviews with candidates over the next few weeks.
Contact Robert Allen via e-mail at roberta@montrosepress.com
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