Minutes of Regular Meeting of Southern Black Hills Water System Board
Crazy Horse Monument
Thursday, April 27, 2023
The Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Southern Black Hills Water System was held at the Crazy Horse Monument on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
Chairman Wick called the meeting to order at approximately 1:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL – The following Board Members were present: Wick, Baird, Kraus, Krump, Nase, Seaboldt, and Zolnowsky; Beard and Smith were absent. Others in attendance were Don Peterson and Cheryl Chapman of Western Dakota Regional Water System.
AGENDA – Motion by Seaboldt, 2nd by Nase to approve the agenda. Motion passed unanimously.
MINUTES - Motion by Kraus, 2nd by Krump to approve the minutes of the March 23 meeting. Motion passed unanimously.
TREASURER’S REPORT – Don Peterson presented the treasurer’s reports for March 2023. The report was reviewed by the board members. Motion by Seaboldt, 2nd by Zolnowsky to approve the treasurer’s report and transfer $15,000 from the Money Market account into the RD account. Motion passed unanimously. The check sequence ending March 31 was check #4210 and beginning April 1 was check #4211.
OLD BUSINESS –
Action on the Forest Service Permit is still pending: we are awaiting legal advice from our attorney.
Managers’ Report
Ketel Thorstenson has completed the audit for 2022 and will present their report at the May 25 meeting.
Two developments have inquired about water service from SBHWS. The first has five lots on Argyle Road; the second plans 38 customer-owned lots and mobile homes at a site along Hwy 385..
We have been informed that SD DANR will have notice of the Environmental Review for the Paramount Point-Spring Creek Acres project published in the Custer Chronicle. This represents the last regulatory hurdle before we can begin the bid process for the project.
At a meeting on Apr 25, SDARWS provided specification and pricing information on a recommended customer notification mechanism. The features and price appear appropriate for SBHWS and management has begun planning to collect contact information.
NEW BUSINESS -
Cheryl Chapman of the Western Dakota Regional Water System gave a presentation on the background and current status of that project. She noted that there is no question whether there is enough water available to support this project: WDRWS would be taking about one teaspoon of each gallon of water in the average flow down the Missouri River. No formal stance was taken on becoming a member of WDRWS at this time, deferring commitment to before the WDRWS annual meeting to be held September 12.
John Zolnowsky provided his observations on the SDARWS Expo sessions from April 26. The most notable issue was the state inventory of lead service lines being planned by DANR to be rolled out in early May. Not only will each water system need to provide information about the lead contact for their lines (trivial for SBHWS since our system has none), but will also be charged with incentivizing their customers to document the service line from the meter into their premises. The data collection is scheduled to be completed in October 2024.
Don Peterson reported that as a Key account of the Black Hills Electric Coop, there is no alternate rate structure available to SBHWS to avoid the demand-controller penalties we have been accruing during summer months. Don noted that the low-level setting for the refill seems to be set higher than strictly necessary and will investigate why such a high level was chosen; a lower level would help avoid the need for peak hour pumping.
Motion by Seaboldt, 2nd by Krump to move into Executive Session at 3:03 pm; motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Baird, 2nd by Kraus to move out of Executive Session at 3: 30; motion passed unanimously. There were no motions arising from executive session.
PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS - None
UPCOMING MEETINGS -
The next meeting of the Southern Black Hills System Board will be May 25, 1:00 PM at the Crazy Horse Monument in Custer.
ADJOURNMENT - Motion by Seaboldt, 2nd by Nase to adjourn the meeting at 3:33 PM. Motion passed unanimously.
Crazy Horse Monument
Thursday, April 27, 2023
The Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Southern Black Hills Water System was held at the Crazy Horse Monument on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
Chairman Wick called the meeting to order at approximately 1:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL – The following Board Members were present: Wick, Baird, Kraus, Krump, Nase, Seaboldt, and Zolnowsky; Beard and Smith were absent. Others in attendance were Don Peterson and Cheryl Chapman of Western Dakota Regional Water System.
AGENDA – Motion by Seaboldt, 2nd by Nase to approve the agenda. Motion passed unanimously.
MINUTES - Motion by Kraus, 2nd by Krump to approve the minutes of the March 23 meeting. Motion passed unanimously.
TREASURER’S REPORT – Don Peterson presented the treasurer’s reports for March 2023. The report was reviewed by the board members. Motion by Seaboldt, 2nd by Zolnowsky to approve the treasurer’s report and transfer $15,000 from the Money Market account into the RD account. Motion passed unanimously. The check sequence ending March 31 was check #4210 and beginning April 1 was check #4211.
OLD BUSINESS –
Action on the Forest Service Permit is still pending: we are awaiting legal advice from our attorney.
Managers’ Report
Ketel Thorstenson has completed the audit for 2022 and will present their report at the May 25 meeting.
Two developments have inquired about water service from SBHWS. The first has five lots on Argyle Road; the second plans 38 customer-owned lots and mobile homes at a site along Hwy 385..
We have been informed that SD DANR will have notice of the Environmental Review for the Paramount Point-Spring Creek Acres project published in the Custer Chronicle. This represents the last regulatory hurdle before we can begin the bid process for the project.
At a meeting on Apr 25, SDARWS provided specification and pricing information on a recommended customer notification mechanism. The features and price appear appropriate for SBHWS and management has begun planning to collect contact information.
NEW BUSINESS -
Cheryl Chapman of the Western Dakota Regional Water System gave a presentation on the background and current status of that project. She noted that there is no question whether there is enough water available to support this project: WDRWS would be taking about one teaspoon of each gallon of water in the average flow down the Missouri River. No formal stance was taken on becoming a member of WDRWS at this time, deferring commitment to before the WDRWS annual meeting to be held September 12.
John Zolnowsky provided his observations on the SDARWS Expo sessions from April 26. The most notable issue was the state inventory of lead service lines being planned by DANR to be rolled out in early May. Not only will each water system need to provide information about the lead contact for their lines (trivial for SBHWS since our system has none), but will also be charged with incentivizing their customers to document the service line from the meter into their premises. The data collection is scheduled to be completed in October 2024.
Don Peterson reported that as a Key account of the Black Hills Electric Coop, there is no alternate rate structure available to SBHWS to avoid the demand-controller penalties we have been accruing during summer months. Don noted that the low-level setting for the refill seems to be set higher than strictly necessary and will investigate why such a high level was chosen; a lower level would help avoid the need for peak hour pumping.
Motion by Seaboldt, 2nd by Krump to move into Executive Session at 3:03 pm; motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Baird, 2nd by Kraus to move out of Executive Session at 3: 30; motion passed unanimously. There were no motions arising from executive session.
PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS - None
UPCOMING MEETINGS -
The next meeting of the Southern Black Hills System Board will be May 25, 1:00 PM at the Crazy Horse Monument in Custer.
ADJOURNMENT - Motion by Seaboldt, 2nd by Nase to adjourn the meeting at 3:33 PM. Motion passed unanimously.
