Minutes of the Annual Meeting Southern Black Hills Water System Board
Pringle Community Hall, Pringle, South Dakota
Thursday, October 19, 2023
The Annual Meeting of the Southern Black Hills Water System was held at the Pringle Community Hall, Pringle, South Dakota on Thursday, October 19, 2023.
Chairman Ted Wick called the meeting to order at approximately 6:30 p.m.
ROLL CALL– Manager Peterson verified 5 board members who are system users, 6 other system users attending the meeting, and 37 proxies received. That is sufficient for a quorum.
MINUTES - Motion by N Baird and 2nd by M Montgomery to approve the minutes of last year’s meeting held on September 8, 2022. Motion passed unanimously.
ELECTION – Peterson reported four petitions had been taken out, and three returned. Rich Krump submitted a petition for a one year term, Bob Baird and John Zolnowsky submitted petitions for 3 year terms. Motion by B Gardner, second by N Baird to elect all petitioners to the board; motion passed unanimously.
Auditors Report – Jordan Jones presented the 2022 Financial Summary-Modified Cash Basis. He answered questions from the Board of Directors and from individuals attending the meeting.
Managers’ Report
System Manager Don Peterson presented the Manager report.
Water Rates
Peterson presented the 2024 water rates. The rate will be $106 per month and $87 for a pasture tap, essentially a 3% increase with the intent to eventually treat pasture taps the same as residential connections. The $4 for a thousand gallons will remain in effect
Members Comments
There was discussion on the policy for lapsed membership.
ADJOURNMENT - Wick thanked all for attending the annual meeting and asked to close the meeting. Motion by A Hemingway, 2nd by P Franz to adjourn the meeting at approximately 7:25 PM. Motion approved unanimously.
Pringle Community Hall, Pringle, South Dakota
Thursday, October 19, 2023
The Annual Meeting of the Southern Black Hills Water System was held at the Pringle Community Hall, Pringle, South Dakota on Thursday, October 19, 2023.
Chairman Ted Wick called the meeting to order at approximately 6:30 p.m.
ROLL CALL– Manager Peterson verified 5 board members who are system users, 6 other system users attending the meeting, and 37 proxies received. That is sufficient for a quorum.
MINUTES - Motion by N Baird and 2nd by M Montgomery to approve the minutes of last year’s meeting held on September 8, 2022. Motion passed unanimously.
ELECTION – Peterson reported four petitions had been taken out, and three returned. Rich Krump submitted a petition for a one year term, Bob Baird and John Zolnowsky submitted petitions for 3 year terms. Motion by B Gardner, second by N Baird to elect all petitioners to the board; motion passed unanimously.
Auditors Report – Jordan Jones presented the 2022 Financial Summary-Modified Cash Basis. He answered questions from the Board of Directors and from individuals attending the meeting.
Managers’ Report
System Manager Don Peterson presented the Manager report.
- The 2022 DENR Secretary’s Award for Drinking Water Excellence was presented. The DENR certificate identifies and rewards those water systems and their operation specialists that have demonstrated excellence in water system management and maintenance.
- SBHWS has undertaken a customer notification program to be able to contact customers affected by service issues. Contact can be through phone call, text message, or email. Thus far, 199 forms have been received out of approximately 500 expected.
- The $3,600,000 funding SBHWS for the Paramount Point-Spring Creek Acres project from the DANR program, $3,060,000 in grant and $540,000 in loan, is in place; SBHWS is expecting to start drawing funds by the of October. Initial work in 2024 will be a pump house and a third well at the Paramount Point location, along with the burying of 5 miles of pipe along Hwy 79 toward Spring Creek Acres.
- SBHWS was granted permission by the Forest Service to put the Casey well water through the pipeline across Forest Service property. The terms of the permit were improved to eliminate the need for re-permitting future changes in future water sources; the board and management appreciate the efforts of the Forest Service in this regard. This permit process started in Spring 2019.
- SBHWS prevailed in a court ruling on the lawsuit against the town of Hermosa concerning taking of customers in the SBHWS service area; the assessment of damages is still open. Negotiation is ongoing with the new leadership in the town.
- There have been 15 new users added in the past year with 375 total users.
- Water sales through September of this year were approximately 8.3 million gallons, down slightly compared to the 8.9 million gallons in 2022 through August.
Water Rates
Peterson presented the 2024 water rates. The rate will be $106 per month and $87 for a pasture tap, essentially a 3% increase with the intent to eventually treat pasture taps the same as residential connections. The $4 for a thousand gallons will remain in effect
Members Comments
There was discussion on the policy for lapsed membership.
ADJOURNMENT - Wick thanked all for attending the annual meeting and asked to close the meeting. Motion by A Hemingway, 2nd by P Franz to adjourn the meeting at approximately 7:25 PM. Motion approved unanimously.
