Minutes of Regular Meeting of Southern Black Hills Water System Board
Crazy Horse Monument
Thursday, November 21, 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, November 21, 2024.
Chairman Wick called the meeting to order at approximately 1:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL – Board Members present were Wick, Baird, Krump, Nase, and Zolnowsky; Beard and Smith were absent. Others in attendance were manager Don Peterson, counsel Talbot Wieczorek, and members/observers Leeann Baker, Doug Musser, Sharon Dickson, Craig LaFollette, Van Capansky, and Sandy Besser.
AGENDA – Wick asked to augment New Business with a report on the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems Leadership Seminar. Motion by Baird, 2nd by Zolnowsky to approve the updated agenda; motion passed unanimously.
PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS - Six individuals representing six customer accounts were present for comments. In order to make the public comment portion of the meeting more effective, the secretary will record specific questions and comments and the Board response will be provided at the next monthly meeting. One member emailed his list of comments/questions to [email protected]. Sandy Besser of the Spring Creek Acres road district noted inadequate notice of contractor work and possible conduct issues of contractor employees along SCA roads and at SBHWS facilities; the latter issue will be forwarded to the contractor.
MINUTES - Motion by Krump, 2nd by Nase to approve the minutes of the October 21, 2024 meeting. Motion passed unanimously.
TREASURER’S REPORT – Don Peterson presented the treasurer’s report for October 2024. The report was reviewed by the board members. Motion by Baird, 2nd by Krump 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 October 31 was check #4540 and beginning November 1 was check #4541.
OLD BUSINESS –
Managers’ Report
The October water sales report was distributed.
Dar Coy submitted his two-week notice on November 8; his employment had already ended by the meeting date. Peterson has already started looking for a replacement.
The Veteran Helping Hands project planned north of Hot Springs was offered water service meeting their requirements for $350,000, which was declined in favor of drilling their own well and developing their own water service.
For the Paramount Point/Spring Creek Acres pump station project, the site for the 30,000 gallon ground storage has been excavated. The slab for support of the storage will be poured next week, then the site will be closed up for the winter. During excavation, the electric power connection to the existing SBHWS site was cut; the generator was used until service was reconnected.
An update to the Banyan software corrupted Peterson’s work computer; apparently the update assumes functionality not available on the older computer. All existing company data is accessable from backups; the recovery plan is to obtain a newer work computer.
NEW BUSINESS -
Two bids were received for the rebid of the Paramount Point / Spring Creek Acres project Part C for elevated storage for the overall project. Bids were opened November 13.
Wick reported on his impressions from the SDAWRW Leadership Seminar held November 13-14 in Pierre:
EXECUTIVE SESSION -
Motion by Baird, 2nd by Nase to enter into Executive Session at 1:41; motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Nase, 2nd by Krump to move out of Executive Session at 2:57; motion passed unanimously.
Motion arising out of Executive Session: motion by Krump, 2nd by Nase to accept the offer on the Paramount Point / Springs Creek Acres Project C for elevated storage from Fuller Construction of Chadron in the amount of $2,548,250 with acceptance conditioned upon acceptance of contract numbers by the SBHWS Engineer; motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Baird, 2nd by Nase to reenter into Executive Session at 3:07; motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Nase, 2nd by Krump to move out of Executive Session at 3:12; motion passed unanimously.
UPCOMING MEETINGS -
The next meeting of the Southern Black Hills System Board will be Tuesday, December 23, 2024 at 1:00 PM at the Crazy Horse Monument in Custer.
ADJOURNMENT - There being no further business, the chair declared the meeting adjourned at 3:13.
Crazy Horse Monument
Thursday, November 21, 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, November 21, 2024.
Chairman Wick called the meeting to order at approximately 1:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL – Board Members present were Wick, Baird, Krump, Nase, and Zolnowsky; Beard and Smith were absent. Others in attendance were manager Don Peterson, counsel Talbot Wieczorek, and members/observers Leeann Baker, Doug Musser, Sharon Dickson, Craig LaFollette, Van Capansky, and Sandy Besser.
AGENDA – Wick asked to augment New Business with a report on the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems Leadership Seminar. Motion by Baird, 2nd by Zolnowsky to approve the updated agenda; motion passed unanimously.
PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS - Six individuals representing six customer accounts were present for comments. In order to make the public comment portion of the meeting more effective, the secretary will record specific questions and comments and the Board response will be provided at the next monthly meeting. One member emailed his list of comments/questions to [email protected]. Sandy Besser of the Spring Creek Acres road district noted inadequate notice of contractor work and possible conduct issues of contractor employees along SCA roads and at SBHWS facilities; the latter issue will be forwarded to the contractor.
MINUTES - Motion by Krump, 2nd by Nase to approve the minutes of the October 21, 2024 meeting. Motion passed unanimously.
TREASURER’S REPORT – Don Peterson presented the treasurer’s report for October 2024. The report was reviewed by the board members. Motion by Baird, 2nd by Krump 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 October 31 was check #4540 and beginning November 1 was check #4541.
OLD BUSINESS –
Managers’ Report
The October water sales report was distributed.
Dar Coy submitted his two-week notice on November 8; his employment had already ended by the meeting date. Peterson has already started looking for a replacement.
The Veteran Helping Hands project planned north of Hot Springs was offered water service meeting their requirements for $350,000, which was declined in favor of drilling their own well and developing their own water service.
For the Paramount Point/Spring Creek Acres pump station project, the site for the 30,000 gallon ground storage has been excavated. The slab for support of the storage will be poured next week, then the site will be closed up for the winter. During excavation, the electric power connection to the existing SBHWS site was cut; the generator was used until service was reconnected.
An update to the Banyan software corrupted Peterson’s work computer; apparently the update assumes functionality not available on the older computer. All existing company data is accessable from backups; the recovery plan is to obtain a newer work computer.
NEW BUSINESS -
Two bids were received for the rebid of the Paramount Point / Spring Creek Acres project Part C for elevated storage for the overall project. Bids were opened November 13.
Wick reported on his impressions from the SDAWRW Leadership Seminar held November 13-14 in Pierre:
- PFA mitigation programs are coming; expect significant impact in testing and implementation
- Water system employee performance increases are running at roughly 4% per year
- The one-time fee to the railroad for a water service line crossing a rail line is now set at $750
- Ken Royce of North Dakota spoke on Missouri River water usage, he noted that downstream usage can limit upstream rights to Missouri River water
- Speakers from the National Rural Water association noted that Senator John Thune’s elevation to senate majority leader bodes well for support of water activities
- A session on cyber security focused on the type of espionage attacks against water distribution
- Jim Feeney was inducted into the Rural Water Hall of Fame as a charter member of SDARWS; his work on state water project funding played an essential role in getting SBHWS initiated
EXECUTIVE SESSION -
Motion by Baird, 2nd by Nase to enter into Executive Session at 1:41; motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Nase, 2nd by Krump to move out of Executive Session at 2:57; motion passed unanimously.
Motion arising out of Executive Session: motion by Krump, 2nd by Nase to accept the offer on the Paramount Point / Springs Creek Acres Project C for elevated storage from Fuller Construction of Chadron in the amount of $2,548,250 with acceptance conditioned upon acceptance of contract numbers by the SBHWS Engineer; motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Baird, 2nd by Nase to reenter into Executive Session at 3:07; motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Nase, 2nd by Krump to move out of Executive Session at 3:12; motion passed unanimously.
UPCOMING MEETINGS -
The next meeting of the Southern Black Hills System Board will be Tuesday, December 23, 2024 at 1:00 PM at the Crazy Horse Monument in Custer.
ADJOURNMENT - There being no further business, the chair declared the meeting adjourned at 3:13.
