Essex Council has approved recommendations from the Office of the CAO dealing with E.L.K. Energy Inc.
The changes bring forward a new structure where the Board of Directors would be reduced from nine members to six members.
Residents will also be nominated to be a part of the board.
Members would include: the mayor of Essex, the deputy mayor, two members appointed by council that are E.L.K. customers in the area, and two members appointed by council from either Kingsville or Lakeshore to represent E.L.K. customers outside of the Town of Essex.
Councillor Sherry Bondy says this is something she has brought forward many times.
"The Ontario Energy Board had a document on the board about the board composition make-up, I handed it over to council, a different council at the time, and they didn't read it. I'm glad something is coming from the office of the CAO because it will finally be taken seriously."
Bondy says there is not enough transparency at E.L.K. Energy.
"I can't even ask council members that are on E.L.K. what's going on, I can't get an answer for 12 years on their distribution system plan and we can't get their chair to come here to be a delegation to explain things to council. This is one first step in making E.L.K. accountable and answering to shareholders."
Essex Deputy Mayor Steve Bjorkman says this change is important.
"I believe that the people who are brought into it from Essex, who have the skillsets and the know-how's on how this machine works and how to make these decisions is still the voice of the Town of Essex. I don't believe the council should have a controlling interest on the board," he said.
Four out of six council members voted in favour of these changes.
E.L.K. supplies electricity to Essex, Lakeshore, and Kingsville.