Highlights of the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Raymond Irrigation District held Thursday July 20, 2017 commencing at 9:00 AM in the RID Board Room.
Attending: John McKee Chairman, Craig Palmer Vice Chair, Rod Wendorff Director, Gordon ZoBell, General Manager and recording clerk, Mark Jensen Operations Manager. Kelvin Kado as needed.
The Agenda for the, July 20, 2017 meeting was approved on motion by Rod Wendorff and carried.
The Minutes of the, June 22, 2017 board meeting were approved on motion by John McKee and carried.
BUISNESS ARISING
- IRP Project Update given by Mark Jensen
IRP 2321 W#5 phase #5 – The new pipeline is in operation and working well. The
project is over budget.
The following note was emailed to Jennifer Nitschelm on June 29, 2017 –
IRP 2321 is 28% over original estimate. We encountered cold
weather conditions from the moment we began the project in the fall of 2016
which persisted through the winter. We also encountered a very difficult reach
within the project with high ground water, deep cut and soupy conditions and
winter weather to say the least. This project was probably the greatest
challenge we have encountered to date with regard to construction conditions
all around. We also had to install pivot guidance wire on 3 pivots where were
interfered with the wire. We also had to go to great lengths to make sure the
pivot next to the soupy area was able to travel over the excavated area this
spring. In the end the project works well, the farmers are happy but we spent
more than anticipated.
This above email was noted by the RID board.
Growing Forward 2 grant – Some corrections have been made to the draft copy. The
final draft should be ready soon.
IRP 2334 Stirling #16 – easements have been completed and signed by all
landowners.
- Maintenance report – Mark showed the board a slide presentation of work completed under the district’s IRP and maintenance program over the past month
- Irrican Power – Steady flow of the canal has given good production, but this is another poor income year. We should be getting the June income report in the next couple of day (July25). No news about hedging or improved income possibilities yet this year. A hot summer may give some additional help.
- RID financial – (report from Kelvin Kado) Assessment list review is being done, as per usual July procedure, in preparation for the assessment billing August 15, 2017. Custom work billing for the past couple of months will be completed by July 26.
- ATB transfer, employee payroll to be initialled
- Report/review of Irrigation purchase applications, no new applications this month
- IRP 2321 Progress certificate completed. Total cost to June 30, 2017 $792,019.90 over budget
- Expansion Plebiscite in the RID – modeling is progressing but will take some time.
NEW BUISNESS
- Directors Items – John McKee noted that the RID parade truck was well received at the recent Stirling parade.
- Stirling Solar project – Officials from Solar Crafte have asked that the RID remove the old R/W that is no longer in use. On motion by John McKee the board approved that the unused R/W in SW-27-6-19-W4 be removed subject to Solar Crafte paying all expenses to remove the noted R/W and that Solar Crafte will allow a corridor that will give access to pipelines currently connected to the canal in that quarter to be left without solar equipment so connections can be made once the RID installs a pipeline to eliminate the current canal. Solar Crafte must also pay for any additional piping costs incurred by the RID if additional piping is required to make the connections to current pipelines feeding parcels to the north and west of the noted quarter. Carried.
- Main Canal Advisory Committee – Re April 10 minutes and July 31 meeting – In review of the draft April 10th Main Canal Advisory Committee minutes some omissions were noted by John and Gordon. These omissions should be added to the minutes of that meeting. They should read as follows.
Gordon ZoBell noted an explanation of the history of the main canal agreement. He noted that the agreement had always covered only that portion of the main canal that the three districts (RID, SMRID and TID) use collectively. The reach up to and including Horsefly check has been this defining point. It has always been understood that the main canal from that point east is exclusive SMRID works. The RID has need of only 18 kilometers of the main canal but through a negotiation process in 1981 the three districts agreed on the definition of the current main canal where costs would be shared. Gordon also noted that the “main canal advisory committee” is the organization that IRICAN Power Co-op was created from.
Gordon and John also mentioned that the RID is not interested in reviewing the main canal agreement and is not pursuing any change to the percentages at this time. In accordance with the agreement there was no request to review the agreement made during the May 1-Nov 1, 2016 window under Section 49 of the Agreement.
The above information was noted by the board and a request to add this information to the April 10 minutes will be made at the next Advisory Committee meeting.
- Household purposes Agreement (HPA) – Cory and Rubee Andrusyk – plan 0713927 Block 1 Lot 1 SW-12-6-21-W4 – Approved on motion by Rod Wendorff, carried.
- Household purposes Agreement (HPA) – Robert and Clarice Blazecka – Plan 1111597 Block 1 Lot1 Linc 0024 880924 NW-32-6-19-W4 – Approved on motion by Rod Wendorff, carried.
- IRP Financing agreement received – dated June 20, 2017 – Provincial share $534,450, RID share $178,150 – total $712,600 – This information was noted by the board.
- Next meeting date – Wednesday, August 16, 2017 at the RID board room.
- Motion to adjourn and time meeting ended. – There being no further business the meeting adjourned at 12:00 noon on motion by John McKee.