Minutes of Regular Meeting of Southern Black Hills Water System Board
Crazy Horse Monument
Thursday, September 26, 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, September 26, 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 (by phone), and Zolnowsky; Smith was absent. Others in attendance were manager Don Peterson, counsel Talbot Wieczorek, and members/observers Kim and Michael Rutherford, Leeann Baker, Dennis and Melinda McKinney, Ronnie Varns, Terry and Brenda Thomas, William and Sharon Dickson, and Craig LaFollette.
AGENDA – Motion by Baird, 2nd by Beard to approve the agenda; motion passed unanimously. Motion by Krump, 2nd by Beard to reorder the agenda to have the Public Comment session after New Business and before Executive Session; motion passed unanimously.
MINUTES - Motion by Baird , 2nd by Krump to approve the minutes of the August 22, 2024 meeting. Motion passed unanimously.
TREASURER’S REPORT – Don Peterson presented the treasurer’s report for August 2024. The report was reviewed by the board members. Motion by Zolnowsky, 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 August 31 was check #4506 and beginning September 1 was check #4507.
OLD BUSINESS –
Managers’ Report
The August water report was distributed.
All submitted notification requests for the IRIS system have been entered into the database. A trial message is planned for the first week of October. An information message is planned to notify members when the monthly meeting agenda is posted.
A draft of the revised developer policy was handed out to board members; Wieczorek asked that board members review the draft and submit comments back to him.
All nine standby generators on the system had the annual inspection; minor maintenance was necessary for two of the generators.
A Veterans Helping Hands project is planning a training center for welding, mechanic, and butcher vocations with dormitories in the vicinity of Hwy 385 and Windmill Rd north of Hot Springs. Beyond the water needs of the personnel, the project safety requirements specify the need to provide 600 gallons per minutes for 40 minutes for fire suppression.
On September 4, Peterson, Wick, and Zolnowsky met with a Western Dakota Regional Water System planning team. The WDRWS is planned to bring Missouri River water to the Black Hills area. In order to serve southern hills municipalities, WDRWS is considering using future SBHWS distribution facilities funded via Bureau of Reclamation grants as well as tapping into SBHWS water sources as alternate supplies before the WDRWS delivery of Missouri River water is accomplished.
On September 5, Wick and Zolnowsky attended the Annual Meeting of WDRWS. Presentations were made on ongoing evaluations of routing, capacity, and treatment options. The next major task is obtaining federal authorization for a feasibility study for the WDRWS project.
Contracts have been signed for Parts A and B of the Paramount Point / Spring Creek Acres project. New developers along the new mains for PP/SCA are estimating service requirements for 250 additional customers to be served by the project. Bids for Part C will be opened October 9.
NEW BUSINESS -
Manager Peterson asked that the Budget committee recommendation for addressing the revenue requirement of the March 2024 Water Board additional loan for the PP/SCA project be made public and provided to members. Motion by Baird, 2nd by Zolnowsky to distribute copies at the September meeting and at the annual members meeting, as well as posting on the website; motion passed unanimously.
Management will convene a budget committee meeting in early October to recommend a budget and specific rates for 2025.
PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS - Eleven individuals representing seven customer accounts were present for comments. It was noted that the website did not display the agenda on portable devices. Comments included the suggestion that SBHWS would be justified in increasing the connection fee. There was also a request for information on rates charged by water systems nationally or regionally.
EXECUTIVE SESSION -
Motion by Beard, 2nd by Baird to enter into Executive Session at 2:01; motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Beard, 2nd by Baird to move out of Executive Session at 3:38; 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 October 21, 2024 at 1:00 PM at the Crazy Horse Monument in Custer.
The annual membership meeting is scheduled for October 24 at 6:30 PM at the Pringle Community Hall.
ADJOURNMENT - Motion by Krump, 2nd by Beard to adjourn. There being no further business, the chair declared the meeting adjourned at 3:45.
Crazy Horse Monument
Thursday, September 26, 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, September 26, 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 (by phone), and Zolnowsky; Smith was absent. Others in attendance were manager Don Peterson, counsel Talbot Wieczorek, and members/observers Kim and Michael Rutherford, Leeann Baker, Dennis and Melinda McKinney, Ronnie Varns, Terry and Brenda Thomas, William and Sharon Dickson, and Craig LaFollette.
AGENDA – Motion by Baird, 2nd by Beard to approve the agenda; motion passed unanimously. Motion by Krump, 2nd by Beard to reorder the agenda to have the Public Comment session after New Business and before Executive Session; motion passed unanimously.
MINUTES - Motion by Baird , 2nd by Krump to approve the minutes of the August 22, 2024 meeting. Motion passed unanimously.
TREASURER’S REPORT – Don Peterson presented the treasurer’s report for August 2024. The report was reviewed by the board members. Motion by Zolnowsky, 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 August 31 was check #4506 and beginning September 1 was check #4507.
OLD BUSINESS –
Managers’ Report
The August water report was distributed.
All submitted notification requests for the IRIS system have been entered into the database. A trial message is planned for the first week of October. An information message is planned to notify members when the monthly meeting agenda is posted.
A draft of the revised developer policy was handed out to board members; Wieczorek asked that board members review the draft and submit comments back to him.
All nine standby generators on the system had the annual inspection; minor maintenance was necessary for two of the generators.
A Veterans Helping Hands project is planning a training center for welding, mechanic, and butcher vocations with dormitories in the vicinity of Hwy 385 and Windmill Rd north of Hot Springs. Beyond the water needs of the personnel, the project safety requirements specify the need to provide 600 gallons per minutes for 40 minutes for fire suppression.
On September 4, Peterson, Wick, and Zolnowsky met with a Western Dakota Regional Water System planning team. The WDRWS is planned to bring Missouri River water to the Black Hills area. In order to serve southern hills municipalities, WDRWS is considering using future SBHWS distribution facilities funded via Bureau of Reclamation grants as well as tapping into SBHWS water sources as alternate supplies before the WDRWS delivery of Missouri River water is accomplished.
On September 5, Wick and Zolnowsky attended the Annual Meeting of WDRWS. Presentations were made on ongoing evaluations of routing, capacity, and treatment options. The next major task is obtaining federal authorization for a feasibility study for the WDRWS project.
Contracts have been signed for Parts A and B of the Paramount Point / Spring Creek Acres project. New developers along the new mains for PP/SCA are estimating service requirements for 250 additional customers to be served by the project. Bids for Part C will be opened October 9.
NEW BUSINESS -
Manager Peterson asked that the Budget committee recommendation for addressing the revenue requirement of the March 2024 Water Board additional loan for the PP/SCA project be made public and provided to members. Motion by Baird, 2nd by Zolnowsky to distribute copies at the September meeting and at the annual members meeting, as well as posting on the website; motion passed unanimously.
Management will convene a budget committee meeting in early October to recommend a budget and specific rates for 2025.
PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS - Eleven individuals representing seven customer accounts were present for comments. It was noted that the website did not display the agenda on portable devices. Comments included the suggestion that SBHWS would be justified in increasing the connection fee. There was also a request for information on rates charged by water systems nationally or regionally.
EXECUTIVE SESSION -
Motion by Beard, 2nd by Baird to enter into Executive Session at 2:01; motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Beard, 2nd by Baird to move out of Executive Session at 3:38; 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 October 21, 2024 at 1:00 PM at the Crazy Horse Monument in Custer.
The annual membership meeting is scheduled for October 24 at 6:30 PM at the Pringle Community Hall.
ADJOURNMENT - Motion by Krump, 2nd by Beard to adjourn. There being no further business, the chair declared the meeting adjourned at 3:45.
