Mountain Parks Electric Inc

“The cooperative was formed by the members to provide electric service at cost on a cooperative basis.”

“The members of the cooperative vote on the board of directors. Elections are done on a one member one vote basis.”

“The following acts require approval of the members of the cooperative. 1. Amendments to articles of incorporation; 2. Dissolution/liquidation of the cooperative; 3. Disposal of a substantial portion of the cooperative's assets; and 4. Merger or consolidation of the cooperative with another organization; additionally, mpei bylaws reserve to membership the power to remove directors from the board by a vote of 10% of the membership, with no requirement for board approval. The bylaws also allow members to call a meeting by a petition signed by at least 50 members.”

“Management and paid preparer review draft of return prior to filing. Board of directors review annual filings at regular monthly meetings.”

“The board of directors and staff annually review the conflict of interest policy in a board meeting. Any conflicts are made known if they exist.”

“The board of directors uses a compensation survey when determining the compensation of the cooperative's general manager. The survey includes salaries from similarly situated cooperatives throughout colorado and the nation. The board and the general manager use a compensation survey when determining the compensation of the cooperative's other employees meeting the definition of officer and key employee, if any. The survey includes salaries from similarly situated cooperatives throughout colorado and the nation.”

“The cooperative will provide a complete copy of its governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and audited financial statements to any member who requests a copy of any such document. Annually the cooperative provides a copy of the audited balance sheet and income statement to the members of the cooperative with the annual report. Finally, the annual report and bylaws can be found on the cooperative's website.”

“In order to provide retirement benefits to its employees, the cooperative has established a defined contribution plan under section 401(k) of the internal revenue code. The cooperative makes employer contributions to the plan based on the plan document. These employer contributions are available to all participating employees meeting the eligibility requirements, include officers and highly compensated employees. The cooperative also provides health and life insurance to all eligible employees through a qualified plan. The amounts reported on part vii, column (f) for the officers and highly compensated employees are comprised of the total amount contributed to the defined contribution pension plan and the insurance premiums paid for their benefit. In addition to the above plans, the cooperative also provides post-retirement health insurance benefits through an unfunded welfare benefit plan. The value of these benefits has not been estimated”

“Patronage dividends result from the purchase of wholesale power from a generation & transmission cooperative. Patronage dividends also result from the payment of interest from cooperative banks and the purchase of supplies and services from other cooperative organizations. The expenses associated with purchases from and payments to such cooperative organizations are a direct component of cost of the electric service provided by the cooperative to its members.”

“The cooperative previously included all labor costs as components of other functional expenses used for normal financial reporting. Accordinly, no amounts were reported for compensation on line 15 for the 2013 calendar year. However, for the 2014 calendar year, the cooperative began separately stating the total of all labor cost expensed to the income statement for form 990 reporting purposes. To increase consistency, labor costs of $4,614,325 were reclassified from line 17 "other expenses" resulting in a comparative line 15 total of $4,614,325.”

“Revenue less expenses reported on page 1, part i, line 19 differs from the total net margins reported on the cooperative's audited financial statements due to book to tax adjustments required to conform to the form 990 instructions. The first adjustment is for the equity method income recorded on the cooperative's books and included in total net margins. U.s. Gaap requires the cooperative to record on its books the equity method income from its wholly owned subsidiary. Equity method income is not income for irs form 990 purposes and as such has been reported as an other change in net assets. The second adjustment is for the patronage dividends allocated or to be allocated by the cooperative to members. Whereas the form 990 requires such amounts to be reported as an expense, patronage dividends allocated or to be allocated are an increase in capital and equity, specifically patronage capital, on u.s. Gaap basis financial statements.”

“The accounting records of the cooperative are maintained in accordance with the rus uniform system of accounts as prescribed for electric borrowers of the rural utilities service (rus). The uniform system of accounts does not record expenses in the general expense categories provided on part ix lines 1 - 23. The cooperative separately reports salaries and wages, employee benefits and payroll taxes that are allocated in accordance with their accounting system, but other expenses that are described in lines 1 - 23 are reported on line 24 under the expense categories required by the uniform system of accounts.”

“Other expenses is comprised of the following: annual meeting expense $ 21,454 director expense 28,182 dues 71,088 maintenance of general plant 61,350 miscellaneous general expense 117,723 duplicate charge (credit) (96,808) office supplies expense 363,032 outside services 101,745 total other expenses per 990 $667,766”

“Salaries and wages are allocated to asset, liability, and expense accounts based on the accounting system described above. The following schedule reconciles amounts reported on lines 5-7 to the total wages accrued and/or paid: total per lines 5-7 $3,433,999 less directors fees reported on 1099-misc (53,100) less employee officer benefits included in line 5 (79,365) plus salaries and wages allocated to nonoperating margins 3,357 plus salaries and wages capitalized directly to plant 1,004,619 plus salaries and wages capitalized/expensed 807,091 total wages accrued and/or paid $5,116,601”

“Pursuant to the form 990 instructions, the amount of patronage dividends paid to the members (hereinafter referred to as patrons) should be reported on part ix, line 4 as "benefits paid to members". The phrase "patronage dividends paid" refers to the process, subsequent to year-end, by which the cooperative allocates patronage capital to and, therefore, operates at cost with its patrons. The cooperative's tax exempt purpose is to provide electricity to its patrons and to do so on a cooperative basis. Tax law defines "operating on a cooperative basis" as subordination of capital, democratic control, and operation at cost. The cooperative operates at cost through the allocation of true patronage dividends (also referred to as allocations of patronage capital) to its patrons. Patronage dividends are considered paid if the allocation is made (1) pursuant to a pre-existing obligation, (2) from the margins produced from the transactions done with or for patrons, and (3) in a fair and equitable manner on the basis of patronage (i.e. Purchases). Additionally, the allocation of patronage dividends should be made within a reasonable time period after the close of the cooperative's year-end of december 31. Each one of these requirements for a true patronage dividend is provided for in the non-profit operation article of the cooperative's bylaws and is summarized as follows: (a) in order to induce patronage and to assure that the cooperative will operate on a nonprofit basis, the cooperative is obligated to account on a patronage basis to all its patrons for all amounts received and receivable from the furnishing of electric energy in excess of operating costs and expenses properly chargeable against such services (i.e. Margins from the provision of electric energy). (b) the margins from the provision of electric energy are received with the understanding that they are furnished by the patrons as capital. (c) the cooperative is obligated to pay by credits to a capital account for each patron for all such margins. And (d) all such amounts credited to the capital account of any patrons shall have the same status as though they had been paid to the patron in cash in pursuance of a legal obligation to do so and the patron had then furnished to the cooperative corresponding amounts of capital. The amount reported on part ix, line 4 represents the amount of patronage capital that is either allocated or to be allocated to the patrons resulting from their purchase of electricity from the cooperative for the 2014 calendar year. As noted above, such amounts are allocated subsequent to year-end in a fair and equitable manner on the basis of patronage (i.e. Purchases). The amounts allocated are representative of the margins from the provision of electric energy to the patrons and are done pursuant to the obligation that existed in the bylaws prior to the cooperative providing electricity to its patrons. Therefore, these amounts meet the definition of the term "patronage dividends paid". Please note, however, that because patronage dividends is the process by which the cooperative operates at cost with its patrons and thereby a key component to accomplishing its exempt purpose, such amounts are an expense for form 990 reporting although not an expense for financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.”

“The cooperative has determined that certain long-term receivable should be included on part x, line 7 as "notes and loan receivables, net" for 2014. To increase consistency, such long-term receivables for the prior year have been reclassified from line 4 to line 7.”

“The cooperative has determined that its investment in a subsidiary corporation should be included on part x, line 12 as "investments - other securities". To increase consistency, such investment for the prior year has been reclassified from line 13 to line 12.”

“Equity method income from subsidiary corporation 6,825. Net change in donated capital 2,410. Patronage capital assignable 2,691,762. Patronage capital retired - total -1,419,216. Patronage capital retired - discount 17,356. Reclassification of unclaimed patronage capital retained per state law -253,705.”

“The board as a whole is responsible for overseeing the financial statement audit and selecting the independent financial statement auditor. Procedures did not change during the year.”