Pella co-op drops green energy fee

Pella Cooperative Electric has withdrawn a proposed fee for new solar and wind customers who connect with its distribution system, after complaints the $85 monthly charge discouraged the use of green energy.

The cooperative announced its decision on Thursday. It came after cooperative members complained the proposed charge was discriminatory in a July 26 Reader’s Watchdog column.

“While this is absolutely untrue, the fact is that Pella Cooperative Electric is a member-owned utility and we need to ensure every member is being treated fairly,” a news release from the cooperative said. “Because we are a cooperative, we have decided to withdraw the proposed increase … until such time that we can better educate our members and the community as to the fair and equitable recovery of fixed costs.”

After the Watchdog column, several environmental groups and solar energy supporters appealed to the Iowa Utilities Board to put an end to the new fee.

The groups included the Environmental Law & Policy Center, the Iowa Environmental Council, Iowa Solar Energy Trade Association, Iowa Interfaith Power & Light, Solar Energy Industries Association, Vote Solar, and Bryce Engbers and Mike Lubberden, the two men featured in the Watchdog column.

They said the new fee, which could have come in addition to a monthly $27.50 facilities fee, was prohibited under Iowa Code.

That code says energy cooperatives "shall not consider the use of renewable energy sources by a customer as a basis for establishing discriminatory rates or charges for any service or commodity sold to the customer or discontinue services or subject the customer to any other prejudice or disadvantage based on the customer's use or intended use of renewable energy sources."

Josh Mandelbaum, a staff attorney at the Environmental Law & Policy Center in Des Moines, said his group is more than willing to work with the co-op on solutions moving forward that do not penalize those who embrace solar.

“It’s our hope they will permanently drop this and come up with cooperative solutions. They need to look for ways to benefit all of their members,” he said.

Mandelbaum said the Pella co-op need only look to the Farmer’s Electric Co-op in nearby Kalona, which has a number of solar programs and the largest solar array in Iowa.

The 600-member co-op, he said, encourages green energy by having a community solar garden, in which customers can buy shares and get credit for the solar energy produced.

Hubbell abandons White Birch

Hubbell Community Management has terminated its contract with the White Birch Condominiums after members complained of an illegal election.

Homeowners said the company and members of the board violated association bylaws when they disqualified homeowners behind on their dues from voting in annual election of new board members.

Homeowners said the board members and Hubbell "owed a fiduciary duty of care" to all association members. They have asked the company to turn over all accounting and financials no later than Sept. 1.

I first wrote about the concerns of homeowners of White Birch Condos in Ankeny in April. Last summer, the balance of power on the association's board of directors shifted from condo owners to new investors, including Frede Louw, who became the association president.

In July, homeowners belonging to the association tried to retake control from three investor family members who did not live at the complex. The homeowners managed to get five condo owners on the ballot. But the homeowners were told later that any votes cast by residents not current on their association dues would not be counted.

A housing law expert within the Iowa attorney general's office told me homeowner association boards can't rely on rules not written into bylaws.

Corrections official: Hospice workers don't get paid

Iowa prisoner David Jones wrote this week alleging that hospice workers at the Anamosa maximum security prison don't receive an allowance while other inmates are compensated for some jobs.

He also alleged prisoners are paid a "gratuity" to referee sports events and receive monetary prizes for cribbage tournaments and other games.

But Fred Scaletta, a spokesman for the Iowa Department of Corrections, says no hospice volunteers in any DOC facility receive compensation.

"It is a volunteer, community service, opportunity for the offenders, which are modeled like the hospice volunteers in the community," he said. "Volunteers are selected based on their willingness to volunteer so they know of all the expectations and responsibilities."

Scaletta said sports referees are paid from offender-funded benefit accounts. "Occasionally there are sports tournaments sponsored by offender self-help groups. These activities are overseen by the activity supervisor and there are typically prizes for the winners. The prizes have been monetary (a dollar or two) or bottles of pop, hygiene items, etc., also purchased from offender-funded benefit accounts."

Lee Rood’s Reader’s Watchdog column helps Iowans get answers and accountability from public officials, the justice system, businesses and nonprofits. Contact her atlrood@dmreg.com, 515-284-8549 on Twitter @leerood or atFacebook.com/readerswatchdog.