Earlier this year we received a copy of The High Line, a publication of the Arrowhead Electric Cooperative. The page one feature was their vision of providing high speed broadband computer service “to every property in Cook County receiving electric service from AECI and the Grand Marais PUC.”
The page one article thanks all who have supported Arrowhead in their communication infrastructure. It would be interesting to know who comprised the all, but I have my suspicions and would not be surprised if the idea and much of the support came from within the cooperative and major resort owners. As part-time summer occupants of property in Cook County, we are not supporters of this project and consider the project as possibly overstepping the legal authority granted in the cooperative’s charter.
I believe most people know that a cooperative is owned and controlled by its members while normal operating decisions are granted to those elected to manage dayto day operations and in this case, similar to any corporation. I believe an excursion into a broadband communications operation is a substantial variance from that of an electric utility and as such should require the consent of a majority of the cooperative’s owners.
I don’t recall having been apprised of this new endeavor and I’d like to see Arrowhead Electric provide publicly evidence of the all who supported this project.
Warren A. Olson
St. Paul, MN
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