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Dear Northern Lights Co-Op members,

Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for your ballots to arrive in the mail, where we will be asked to decide what type of benefits are appropriate compensation for the NLI board of directors.

NLI directors are elected volunteer positions, requiring no more than a few hours of work output each week. For their few hours of work, each director receives a health insurance stipend of nearly $28,000 annually, which may be redeemed for cash.

There is no doubt that the NLI volunteer directors serve in an important role, but $28,000 annually — the equivalent of over a year’s wage for many in our county — is not commensurate with the expectations of that position.

The directors should do the right thing and save the $28,000 insurance for the line workers and other laborers who break their backs under inhospitable conditions to keep our lights on, while returning the savings to the members.

I urge all NLI members to vote in favor of removing this exorbitant compensation for volunteer directors.

FRANK RINELLA

Cocolalla