February 27, RID board meeting highlights

Highlights of the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Raymond Irrigation District held Monday February 27, 2017 commencing at 9:00 AM in the RID Board Room.

Attending: Byron Wilde Chairman, John McKee Vice Chairman, Craig Palmer Director, Gordon ZoBell, General Manager and recording clerk, Mark Jensen Operations Manager and Kelvin Kado, Office Manager as required.

IRP Project Update given by Mark Jensen

IRP 2321 W#5 phase #5 – The installation of pipe continues and the crew is now entering the Oudman parcel from the north end working south.

Maintenance report – Mark showed the board a slide presentation of work completed under the district’s IRP and maintenance program over the past month. Mark also noted that 3 data loggers monitoring return flows from the district are in need of upgrade. After hearing the options available, the board instructed Mark to have the loggers upgraded but not to such an extent that real time information is available. The total cost to upgrade the 3 sites will be approximately $750.00.

Irrican Power – The board reviewed the February 1, 2017 Irrican board meeting and AGM. On motion by Craig Palmer the board approved reducing the interest rate charged on “due to district loans” from prime plus 4% to prime plus 2%. The motion was carried.

RID financial – by Kelvin Kado- We will be meeting with our auditor Monday March 6, 2017 to complete the yearly audit.

A new description for the electoral areas of the district has been prepared for approval and will be amended on each election document. There is no change it is just a more specific description.

Rate enforcement:  Outstanding – two water users

Alternate parcel agreements need to be presented to the board for approval by the April board meeting of each year. A reminder that any major budget items that will affect the 2017 budget need to be presented at the March meeting as the budget will be approved in the April meeting.

Expansion Plebiscite in the RID – The process is ongoing nothing to report this month.

Moving Forward 2 grant – Gordon and Len Ring will meet with Kevin Whitmire of MPE engineering on March 8th to determine what MPE can do to assist the district with the completion of an emergency preparedness plan, of which the funding was approved for.

Terminable Irrigation agreements – On motion by Byron Wilde, and after much discussion, the board approved the cancellation of all terminable irrigation acre agreements within the RID. Further to the motion the board approved that all terminable agreements are to be given the option to be converted to “annual agreements” and that the cost per acre per year will be the same as permanent acres beginning in the 2017 irrigating season. The motion was carried. The manager was requested to send a letter of explanation, as soon as possible, to all users affected along with an annual agreement to be signed by the user and returned to the RID if they wish to continue to irrigate. The manager was also requested to compile of list of water users and legal land descriptions of lands that used alternate parcel irrigation acres in 2016 from the works of the district. This list is to be available at the March, 2017 regular RID board meeting.

RID Seminar and Annual meeting – date is March 23, 2017 – Gordon went over the agenda for the seminar with the board. The seminar and annual meeting will be held in the Raymond Agricultural Society main building on the date noted.

Directors Items – John McKee noted that he had been questioned by a water user as to whether the district would assist a user financially in converting from flood to sprinkler. This apparently is the case in some districts. After a brief discussion the board noted that they would not assist financially in this regard. On a separate note a luncheon of board members and senior staff and spouses is to be organized to honor Byron Wilde at his retirement from the board. The manager will organize this.

The board requested that Darin Wilde conduct a thorough review of the design capabilities of Raymond 8-1 gravity pipeline. It was noted that a possible twinning might be required to assist with delivery to the area.

Welling #2 – Gordon and Darin Wilde went over the current design of the pipeline with the board. It was noted that only one pivot can operate at one time on the east ½ of -14-6-21-W4. By twinning the subline that delivers to these pivots both could then operate at once. There is currently a 10 inch line in place. Originally the line was designed to deliver 1200 gpm to the east half of the section and the user towed one pivot between 2 quarters. The user now wishes to operate two pivots at the same time if possible. Darin Wilde went over what would happen to the dynamics of the line if the supply was increased. It was found that by twinning the line from highway 52 north approximately 4000 feet, a great benefit could be realized for the entire line. Gordon also noted that the user west of the noted pivots (Dunmire) wished to sell his permanent acres and that this would help with the dynamics of the line. After investigating what this would do to the line the board approved the installation of a new line to the east that would connect to the Welling #2 line at approximately the center of section14-6-21-W4. This new line would run east and deliver water to one of the pivots noted. The user requested that if the RID would supply the pipe the user would pay for the installation. On motion by John McKee the board agreed to supply the pipe as noted and the motion was carried. It was noted that at a future time the mainline could also be twinned. That project will be considered for future construction. In review the original pipeline was installed in 1985 and all users of W#2 contributed $4500.00 per 80 acre parcel at that time. The project was designed for approximately 400 gpm use per 80 acre parcel with 80% usage at one time. With the installation of several new pivots, since that time, the dynamics of the line have improved some.

Murray Turner – The manager noted that Murray is requesting that he be allowed to purchase 30 permanent irrigation acres from 2 RID water users. He wishes these acres to be placed on NE-7-5-19-W4. The land has been classified as irrigable and there is an Alberta Environment permit in place that gives the district permission to access water from Ridge reservoir at that location. The land is also included in the RID on the title. After reviewing this application the board tabled the item and asked that the manager to inform AE officials that the district may be allowing a water user to use the permit. The item will be discussed again in the March meeting.

Keeler Farms – Include parcels into RID in 33-5-21-W4 – The manager noted that members of the Keeler family would like to transfer 84 unused irrigation acres from various parcels owned by Katherine and Joseph Keeler to parcels located in 33-5-21-W4. The new parcels are not connected to the works of the RID but Keelers will sign a remote pumping agreement as required. They are requesting that the new land be approved by the board to be included in the RID so that the notation will appear on the title as being part of the district. On motion by Craig Palmer the board approved “that parcels located in 33-5-21-W4 be given approval for the process of including them in district to begin”. Carried. The irrigation acre transfer and possible approval will take place after the parcels have been through the process of including them in the RID.

Welling area nomination for director – Rod Wendorff was the only nomination received. The new director will take his place at the board table following the RID annual meeting to be held March 23, 2017.

Household Purposes Agreement – Stephen and Jennifer Anneke Martyn – Plan 0710891 Block 1 Lot 1 SE-3-7-21-W4. Approved on motion by Byron Wilde and carried.

Next meeting date – Wednesday, March 22, 2017 commencing at 9:00 AM in the RID board room.

Motion to adjourn and time meeting ended. – There being no further business the meeting adjourned at 4:30 PM on motion by Byron Wilde.