Minutes of Regular Meeting of Southern Black Hills Water System Board
Crazy Horse Monument
Thursday, June 20, 2024
The Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Southern Black Hills Water System was held at the Crazy Horse Monument on Thursday, June 20, 2024.
Chairman Wick called the meeting to order at approximately 1:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL – Board Members present were Wick, Baird, Beard, Krump, Nase, Smith, and Zolnowsky; due to the resignation of Seaboldt the Board now has two open seats. Others in attendance were manager Don Peterson and members/observers Mike Rutherford, Van Capansky, Bill & Sharon Dickson, Craig & Lavonne LaFollette, and Pat & Cheryl Franz.
AGENDA – Motion by Krump, 2nd by Nase to approve the agenda. Motion passed unanimously.
PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS - Eight individuals representing six customer accounts were present for comments. Comments largely repeated those public comments expressed at the May meeting. There were objections to the terse synopsis in the May minutes, with particular mention of omission of the advice to defer the Paramount Point / Spring Creek Acres project until after the leveling of all customer rates. There was a request to conduct the regular meetings in the evening in order to facilitate broader public attendance. There were further requests for the publication of explicit plans. Multiple attendees expressed the desire to work with the Board in resolving conflicting views.
MINUTES - Proposal by Smith to amend the minutes in response to the public comments, motion by Baird , 2nd by Krump to approve the minutes of the May 23, 2024 meeting so amended. Motion passed unanimously.
TREASURER’S REPORT – Don Peterson presented the treasurer’s report for May 2024. The report was reviewed by the board members. Motion by Smith, 2nd by Baird to approve the treasurer’s report and transfer $15,000 from the regular checking into the RD account. Motion passed unanimously. The check sequence ending May 31 was check #4441 and beginning June 1 was check #4442. The Money Market account interest rate will be increased to 2.75%
OLD BUSINESS –
Managers’ Report
The May water report was not yet available at the date of the meeting; it will be provided at the regular July meeting.
Jerry Styles of Hermosa has property to the west of town that he is planning to sell, and intends to provide an easement to SBHWS for a water service corridor; he asks for two water taps as compensation.
Technicians from the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems will be conducting a check of the anode bags along the Phase1 / Phase2 main lines which are in place to prevent corrosion of iron pipe. This check is conducted every five years.
NEW BUSINESS -
The warranty on the Micro COMM Service Plan has expired; renewal will cost $3500 per year with parts included, labor costs would be additional. Motion by Beard, 2nd by Krump to renew the Service Plan; motion passed unanimously.
An alternative solution for the relocation of the Hach Equipment chlorine analyzer to the Argyle booster station has been identified. Previously it was expected to need to acquire additional land at the site in order to handle the waste water disposal contaminated by reagents used by the analyzer. Instead, a membrane-based analyzer can be used which has no waste water byproduct; the cost of such a unit would be $10,923, with an annual cost of $130. Motion by Baird, 2nd by Nase to acquire a membrane-based unit; motion passed unanimously.
Our legal counsel has advised that the Board should require that developer provide the easement for water main at the Westward Pines and Maurer subdivisions outside the right-of-way. Motion by Smith, 2nd by Beard to accept that advice and so advise the developer’s engineering team.
After clarification from DANR on the form of the required rate adjustments, the budget committee meeting will meet again before the July meeting in order to make a recommendation for rate adjustments to address DANR’s conditions for the March 28 loan award.
Motion by Baird, 2nd by Nase to enter into Executive Session at 2:58; motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Smith, 2nd by Krump to move out of Executive Session at 3:45; motion passed unanimously. There were no motions arising out of Executive Session.
UPCOMING MEETINGS -
The next meeting of the Southern Black Hills System Board will be July 25, 2024 at 1:00 PM at the Crazy Horse Monument in Custer. Future meetings are scheduled for August 22 and September 26.
The annual membership meeting is tentatively scheduled for October 17.
ADJOURNMENT - Motion by Beard, 2nd by Nase to adjourn the meeting; there being no further business, the chair declared the meeting adjourned at 3:46.
Crazy Horse Monument
Thursday, June 20, 2024
The Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Southern Black Hills Water System was held at the Crazy Horse Monument on Thursday, June 20, 2024.
Chairman Wick called the meeting to order at approximately 1:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL – Board Members present were Wick, Baird, Beard, Krump, Nase, Smith, and Zolnowsky; due to the resignation of Seaboldt the Board now has two open seats. Others in attendance were manager Don Peterson and members/observers Mike Rutherford, Van Capansky, Bill & Sharon Dickson, Craig & Lavonne LaFollette, and Pat & Cheryl Franz.
AGENDA – Motion by Krump, 2nd by Nase to approve the agenda. Motion passed unanimously.
PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS - Eight individuals representing six customer accounts were present for comments. Comments largely repeated those public comments expressed at the May meeting. There were objections to the terse synopsis in the May minutes, with particular mention of omission of the advice to defer the Paramount Point / Spring Creek Acres project until after the leveling of all customer rates. There was a request to conduct the regular meetings in the evening in order to facilitate broader public attendance. There were further requests for the publication of explicit plans. Multiple attendees expressed the desire to work with the Board in resolving conflicting views.
MINUTES - Proposal by Smith to amend the minutes in response to the public comments, motion by Baird , 2nd by Krump to approve the minutes of the May 23, 2024 meeting so amended. Motion passed unanimously.
TREASURER’S REPORT – Don Peterson presented the treasurer’s report for May 2024. The report was reviewed by the board members. Motion by Smith, 2nd by Baird to approve the treasurer’s report and transfer $15,000 from the regular checking into the RD account. Motion passed unanimously. The check sequence ending May 31 was check #4441 and beginning June 1 was check #4442. The Money Market account interest rate will be increased to 2.75%
OLD BUSINESS –
Managers’ Report
The May water report was not yet available at the date of the meeting; it will be provided at the regular July meeting.
Jerry Styles of Hermosa has property to the west of town that he is planning to sell, and intends to provide an easement to SBHWS for a water service corridor; he asks for two water taps as compensation.
Technicians from the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems will be conducting a check of the anode bags along the Phase1 / Phase2 main lines which are in place to prevent corrosion of iron pipe. This check is conducted every five years.
NEW BUSINESS -
The warranty on the Micro COMM Service Plan has expired; renewal will cost $3500 per year with parts included, labor costs would be additional. Motion by Beard, 2nd by Krump to renew the Service Plan; motion passed unanimously.
An alternative solution for the relocation of the Hach Equipment chlorine analyzer to the Argyle booster station has been identified. Previously it was expected to need to acquire additional land at the site in order to handle the waste water disposal contaminated by reagents used by the analyzer. Instead, a membrane-based analyzer can be used which has no waste water byproduct; the cost of such a unit would be $10,923, with an annual cost of $130. Motion by Baird, 2nd by Nase to acquire a membrane-based unit; motion passed unanimously.
Our legal counsel has advised that the Board should require that developer provide the easement for water main at the Westward Pines and Maurer subdivisions outside the right-of-way. Motion by Smith, 2nd by Beard to accept that advice and so advise the developer’s engineering team.
After clarification from DANR on the form of the required rate adjustments, the budget committee meeting will meet again before the July meeting in order to make a recommendation for rate adjustments to address DANR’s conditions for the March 28 loan award.
Motion by Baird, 2nd by Nase to enter into Executive Session at 2:58; motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Smith, 2nd by Krump to move out of Executive Session at 3:45; motion passed unanimously. There were no motions arising out of Executive Session.
UPCOMING MEETINGS -
The next meeting of the Southern Black Hills System Board will be July 25, 2024 at 1:00 PM at the Crazy Horse Monument in Custer. Future meetings are scheduled for August 22 and September 26.
The annual membership meeting is tentatively scheduled for October 17.
ADJOURNMENT - Motion by Beard, 2nd by Nase to adjourn the meeting; there being no further business, the chair declared the meeting adjourned at 3:46.
