George N. M. Posted September 21, 2021 Share Posted September 21, 2021 Thomas, if it were me, I would send a letter/email detailing your history with your electric cooperative to the Utilities Division of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission. I have mentioned this previously. It may not specifically help you but it may rattle some things up and improve things for others in the future. What you have described over the last 6 months or so does not strike me, as an old public entity attorney, as being in compliance with the cooperative's Certificate of Public Necessity (or whatever term of art NM uses) and being in the best interests of the members of the cooperative. I might also have a conversation with one or more of my County Commissioners on the theory that while they do not control the cooperative officially they have more clout than an ordinary citizen. Finally, I would speak at the cooperative's annual meeting about the situation which cannot be described without using the word "cluster." If I was really incensed I would think about running for the cooperative's governing board but if successful I might be letting myself in for much more work and grief than my beef was worth. I once had a friend who ran for the local school board, and won, because he was displeased about something at his children's school and he regretted it for 4 years. It turned out to be a LOT more time and work than he had anticipated and he said that every time his phone rang it was someone who was POed about something. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 21, 2021 Author Share Posted September 21, 2021 George; there has been an ongoing fight to replace the entrenched board members at the CoOp as a lot of folks are not happy with how things have been run. I don't really want to get into that as it's been quite nasty especially with trying to get them to obey the state's open meetings law... Right now I don't think making a fuss will help. Once it's done I may talk with the Utilities commission. I definitely wouldn't like to inherit all the cruft that has been going on for a long time now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted September 21, 2021 Share Posted September 21, 2021 When the estimate came in double I may have told them to stuff it and bought a gen set to run the shop. I see large trailered ones being sold from rental companies fairly often through my local Ritchie Brothers yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted September 21, 2021 Share Posted September 21, 2021 2 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: They got the money Monday and so we should have the estimate of when they will start in 2 weeks. Yet, another estimate...you probably can count on that one being double as well..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 21, 2021 Author Share Posted September 21, 2021 Hey I was expecting it done by the 4th of July; now I'm hoping for Christmas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted September 21, 2021 Share Posted September 21, 2021 Sounds like a kitchen remodel we had done one time. The contractor PROMISED it would be finished by end of October. Finally finished on Christmas Eve under threat of lawsuit..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 21, 2021 Author Share Posted September 21, 2021 Well we still have a payment to our shop electrician that was going to wait till the official inspection and signoff; but the job won't be done before he has to file his taxes. I hope the last tweaking will happen anyway! At least as a commercial electrician he has a reputation on the line. (And can be sued...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goods Posted September 21, 2021 Share Posted September 21, 2021 I hate contracting work out. My shop was supposed to be done in April, one thing still left to be done! They really want there last payment… At least it’s basically done and usable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 21, 2021 Author Share Posted September 21, 2021 I still have stuff pulled away from the walls so they could run conduit. I'm missing being able to access the *front* of the workbenches Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 23, 2021 Author Share Posted September 23, 2021 Just got a call from the CoOp; our next bill will have a US$15 "connect charge" on it. Seems likely they will be charging that before it's done. I asked if the $6000 they have already gotten from us didn't cover that: "No". I mentioned that since they have had $3000 of that since June; shouldn't interest cover that much---the office person had no clue if the money was being held in an interest bearing account. I may have to discuss that with the Utilities commission. If they are holding my money for over a quarter it *should* be in at least a money market account! If it is and they are not applying the interest to *my* account then something is WRONG! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted September 23, 2021 Share Posted September 23, 2021 I admire your patience... Or the high pressure gaskets you were installed with. Whichever the case may be... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted September 23, 2021 Share Posted September 23, 2021 Thomas, at current interest rates $3k held for 3 months might yield about a buck and half in interest. There is a principle involved, though. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted September 24, 2021 Share Posted September 24, 2021 I hope they haven't "lost" your $3000, what with their creative accounting...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 24, 2021 Author Share Posted September 24, 2021 That would be "Back filling the trench time!" Thanks George I haven't checked the Money Market accounts usually used by companies for such holdings in a long time! It was more of "Are you running the business as a business?" type of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 7, 2021 Author Share Posted October 7, 2021 Well I called the guy at SEC who was supposed to call me last Friday and tell me when they estimate the work will start---and I got the date! The Week of 10/18/2021 Of course he didn't call me last Friday, or "get right back to you with that info" when I called him last Tuesday and I had to sign a paper that they were not responsible for any "unknown" buried stuff that didn't show up when the "Call before you dig" marked the area previously and I expect they will come out again as the SEC doesn't seem to know what they buried there previously...However we will start parking on the other side of the house to let them have access to it free and clear. (They will be digging across 3 driveways, one to the shop and both ends of the half circle drive to the house. Luckily no pavement or gravel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted October 7, 2021 Share Posted October 7, 2021 How wide and deep will the trench be? Be sure they compact the back fill on the driveways so that a trench does not develop as the back fill compacts over time. In your sandy soil that may not be as big a problem as with soils that have more of a clay or organic component. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 7, 2021 Author Share Posted October 7, 2021 We're pretty much adobe out here; I already fill the spots that collect rain with sand and gravel from the arroyo. I was worried with the trench the electrician did from the street to the shop building as it runs along the driveway there; but even with the unusually wet summer there hasn't been any issues driving the trench! Now our garden has to be raised bed---folks look at you funny when you go into the hardware store and try to buy dynamite for "planting the tomatoes". I've been dumping our non animal kitchen waste and adding old horse manure into our "raised bed compost pile" Hope to get it another 8" deep before next planting season. The volunteers have done pretty well in it; enough so that it looks like it would be worthwhile to plant some hot weather tolerant plants next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted October 7, 2021 Share Posted October 7, 2021 The thing that would concern me, is the way the co-op has handled that project from the get go. Your luck would be, they will dig the trench then disappear leaving both driveways blocked and the vehicles stranded behind the trench. Best to have a plan B in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 7, 2021 Author Share Posted October 7, 2021 Plan B is already planned; as of Sunday *before* the start date we will start parking on the other side of the house and use the other door! Somehow I don't expect them to be there blight and surly Monday morning; in fact I'd consider us lucky if we see hide or hair of them before Friday at 4pm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 19, 2021 Author Share Posted October 19, 2021 Day 1: Monday Oct 18; no sign of hide nor hair of the CoOp. We have to get use to the cars being on the other side of the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 Maybe we should start a pool on whether the Coop will show up at Thomas' this week and how long they will take to do the job. I predict that they will show up Friday afternoon, dig the trench across his driveways and then disappear not to be seen again for an indefinite period of time. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 19, 2021 Author Share Posted October 19, 2021 I'm making sure that both vehicles are parked on the other side of the house so there is no excuse for "why they couldn't get started". On the pool; I'll take "Nothing done the week of Oct 18". Mainly because I'd be happy to lose! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 On 10/7/2021 at 5:51 PM, ThomasPowers said: Somehow I don't expect them to be there blight and surly Monday morning; in fact I'd consider us lucky if we see hide or hair of them before Friday at 4pm! Thomas, maybe like Arkansas....did they tell you WHICH Monday???????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 19, 2021 Author Share Posted October 19, 2021 Monday October 18; but they didn't mention the *year*! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 When is the next year Oct. 18 falls on a Monday? I'm in the pool for them showing up, digging the trench and leaving it open for a week. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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