[0:03] I call this meeting of the Pierce City Commission to order, please stand and join me in the pledge of allegiance.

[0:35] for your blessing upon it. And for these in front of me and the many others who do the

[0:40] work to make this community such a great place to live and raise a family, we pray for

[0:44] your wisdom and your grace upon them, bless them with the resources that they need and give

[0:49] them grace as they step into all the leadership opportunities that they have.

[0:53] And Jesus name it, right, amen.

[0:58] Thank you, pastor.

[1:01] Mayor Johnson was unable to be here,

[1:03] So I'll be leading the meeting tonight.

[1:06] I see any changes.

[1:08] No changes tonight.

[1:09] All right.

[1:09] First item we have is the public comment period.

[1:12] We set aside 15 minutes or three minutes per person for anybody to come forward and bring

[1:19] anything to our attention.

[1:21] So at this time is anybody or the public comment period.

[1:26] I see no one moving towards a microphone.

[1:29] So we will move on on the first item tonight is under special business and we have a water department update and

[1:37] I believe Christy Honeywell is going to leave that one and

[1:41] We have I mean the back if we have questions, but go ahead. Christy. Thank you commissioners

[1:46] Yeah, so this is well, this will be your second presentation on one of our enterprise-fended departments the water department

[1:53] So this is gonna be pretty high level our peer water department is divided in as I would say two primary areas

[1:59] One is the treatment, distribution, and reservoir system, and then the second portion, I would call it more construction of water mains and other infrastructure.

[2:10] Next slide, Ryan, please. I think there's one coming up. Great. That one's it.

[2:17] So it's a relatively small department. We have 10 water staff who maintain three booster stations, 5,000 water meters, 600 plus fire hydrants,

[2:29] 2,052 water balves and serves over 14,000 residents.

[2:36] We have three pressure zones that make sure that we distribute all the way across the community.

[2:42] Next slide, please.

[2:47] A little bit about first about expenses and revenues in the water department.

[2:54] Our expenses include, of course, our debt payments, daily operations and personal services.

[2:58] The revenue needed to provide this water service is primarily generated through our water uses charges and debts or charges that are included on people's water bills.

[3:09] A little bit about the system itself, before 2022, we obtained our drinking water through 13 wells that ran along the river and the front-boy island.

[3:19] The first one you can see by the slide of above that was installed in 1927.

[3:27] Unfortunately, it was very beneficial for us for a long time, but unfortunately, we had

[3:31] high levels of iron and manganese in that water.

[3:34] So back in 2018, the voters came together and they voted to build a new water tumour plant

[3:43] that would treat our surface water from the Missouri River.

[3:45] The treatment plant came online in 2022.

[3:51] Next slide, please.

[3:55] This one just shows you on an average day

[3:57] Our water tumor plant treats approximately 2.1 million gallons of water.

[4:02] Demand of course changes throughout the year,

[4:06] basically on water usage and really the weather.

[4:11] Next slide.

[4:14] Our peak for this year was 5.2 million gallons of water. Of course it was a very dry year, so that makes sense.

[4:22] It really impacts that moving forward. That actually is a 27% increase from 2025, where our peak was 4.1 million gallons.

[4:33] Next slide please.

[4:36] Of course, moving water from the treatment plant to homes and businesses requires a large interconnected system.

[4:42] Our distribution system includes underground water mains, booster stations, and three reservoir tanks.

[4:50] The elevation and water level of each of these tanks work together to maintain reliable water pressure for customers throughout our system.

[4:59] Next slide, please.

[5:02] Okay, so the second portion I would say of our water department is our water construction crew.

[5:08] They're responsible for maintaining and repairing the water mains to serve our community.

[5:13] They work there on called 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

[5:19] Typical response time is less than 30 minutes.

[5:22] Probably in the past when I started in 2017, we probably did a lot more repairs and emergency repairs,

[5:29] but the crews that we have done a really good job of keeping up with the work and really installing new mains when we need them when they aged out.

[5:37] So right now we are, we average fewer than five water-main breaks a year, which is,

[5:43] Commissioner, you would probably remember when we did dozens in some years in the past.

[5:48] So we've been extremely proactive, instead of just patching these together, because if it broke

[5:53] on one spot in a block, it's pretty good chance that just down the way, it's going to happen again.

[5:58] And so we, and we've got a better inventory of the age and condition of those water lines

[6:04] to proactively know that this is the next place we need to focus on.

[6:10] The crews have really done engineering and the water crews have done a really good job of really seeing what we need to do across the community and taking care of that before we have those breaks.

[6:18] So that's really good. Next slide please Ryan.

[6:23] So I just wanted to talk to you a little bit about like three main projects that we have done probably in the last six or seven years.

[6:30] The first one I will talk about is actually the Highway 34 Water Loop project that created a

[6:37] redundant water service that was out off a 34. It replaced some aging water mains through

[6:42] that project area. That was a really big project for us of substantial cost to us, but

[6:48] we did that back in 2023 or 2024. I'm looking at Robbie right now in 2023-24.

[6:58] The second, of course, the biggest project we've done, like we discussed was the water

[7:02] treatment plant that came online in the fall of 2022, so that one's been a great

[7:08] project for us and it's operating very well.

[7:11] The third one, which actually is the first one on your slide, is the Yucle water main project.

[7:16] That one actually has been in the works for a very long time, it's we are partnering with

[7:22] on the Euclid project. We are replacing water main along that stretch.

[7:30] That one is a really big project for us. You can see that it will replace more than 6,000 feet of water

[7:35] main and some of those are exceeding 100 years. So that one is a great project for the community

[7:40] moving forward.

[7:43] And then really the last slide to talk about what we want to do in the future.

[7:49] Of course, we want to upgrade the water tumble plant skates system and we need to do some new

[7:59] the servers. You have to replace them quite a bit. So even five, six stairs down the road. So we'll

[8:06] also have to do something in the future maybe four years or so. We'll have to start replacing

[8:11] our filter system on the water system and on our water system. On our water system, we've put

[8:17] aside money every year to do that. So we'll continue to address aging water mains and other

[8:23] distribution system needs, including upgrading some of our storage reservoirs. We've been

[8:28] That's been on the books for a while, and we'll continue to look forward to do that.

[8:34] So, a state of last week, we do plan to bring a resolution in mid-October to talk to you about water rates.

[8:43] I encourage residents to visit our website and review the MRAS rate study for additional information.

[8:49] And with that, I'll answer your questions.

[8:51] Thank you, Christy. That was a nice overview of everything we have going on here.

[8:57] It seems crazy that we were drinking that well water for literally 100 years.

[9:04] And it was fine, but you know, it corroded pipes, it made everything orange.

[9:08] And it was after the flood, the quality of that water deteriorated as well.

[9:14] And you know, we literally have the best water in America right in our front yard.

[9:18] and we were drinking mineral rich well water for far too long.

[9:23] It was a substantial investment on our part, but the people voted nearly 80% to proceed

[9:29] with that, and it's doing exactly what we needed to do.

[9:35] It's a very glad we proceeded with that, but it was a major investment, and we'll be

[9:40] literally paying for that for the foreseeable future.

[9:43] You touch base on that Euclid project, you know, we do a lot of water management, but it's

[9:50] usually a block or a two at a time, you know, that's exceeds an entire mile of main line

[9:56] water.

[9:57] I mean, financially, that was a pretty big hit to the city, I mean, our crews are helping

[10:01] with that, but I mean, it's the Morris people that are doing that, but financially, that

[10:06] was a pretty heavy lift force and DOT and talked about redoing Euclid and it took a while to

[10:14] get to that point where they did it. The trouble is the cost for our portion that was going up

[10:21] every year that they didn't do it and so it turned into a pretty substantial cost to the city.

[10:27] It needed to be done but you know some of that water line was a hundred years old. It didn't

[10:34] was anything, but it was pretty vulnerable to failure.

[10:39] And so over a mile of mainline, plus all the joints and the feed

[10:43] off to that deal, that's a big project.

[10:46] So, but needed to be done, and we're pretty happy that project is

[10:50] winding down, in fact, the water is essentially done for that part.

[10:54] That's correct.

[10:55] So, anyway, any other comments or Christie or questions?

[11:01] Okay, thank you, Christine and Robert.

[11:04] So next we have the consent calendar.

[11:07] On the consent calendar, we are the minutes of the regular meeting of September 15th,

[11:11] 2026, and we have the claims, is there a motion regarding the consent calendar?

[11:17] Take a motion to approve the consent calendar.

[11:19] Second.

[11:20] The motion of the second.

[11:21] Lacy, please call the roll.

[11:22] Mr. Hezinga?

[11:24] Aye.

[11:24] First, aye.

[11:25] Lewis?

[11:26] Aye.

[11:26] Right, so.

[11:27] Motion passes.

[11:29] Thank you, Lacy.

[11:30] We have nothing under unfinished business, so we're going to move into

[11:34] new business now and we have a Street Closer Request for Construction Lowell Avenue for Morris

[11:40] Incorporated October 5 through 9, 2026.

[11:44] Josh, welcome.

[11:47] Yeah, you do have any commissioners?

[11:48] Yeah, I just feel like you're just here talking about this a month ago.

[11:52] So this is receiving another Street Closer Request from Chad Greece.

[11:57] This is for the Closer Flow Avenue from the intersection of airport road and low avenue.

[12:03] Back in July, Chad had elevated construction on site installing new water and sewer services

[12:08] for his new lots located on the west side of Lowell.

[12:12] Chad is now hired more to come in and prep and pay these patches back along the way I have a new.

[12:20] So even though there's going to be a section of Lowell completely closed like there was last time,

[12:25] there was still be the detour going through Chad's lots.

[12:27] So I talked to Chad a day and he has informed all the businesses to the south of him and everybody's aware of what's coming up and they know what route to go.

[12:38] So we shouldn't have any opinion traffic.

[12:41] The closure request is from October 5th to 9th and knocking on wood that another nature will cooperate when you get done a time no matter.

[12:49] So on behalf of Chad Grease, I'm a question, Commissioner Prieble, for the street closure request as President.

[12:57] All right, thank you, Josh, and for anybody watching Lowell Avenue is behind Walmart.

[13:02] And so it's that more south running street right there.

[13:06] And there's been a lot of new businesses, new buildings, and whatnot back there.

[13:12] But every time we new one comes in, they're doing street cuts into the existing road.

[13:19] And so anyway, we're at the point now where that's going to be repaired back to a good surface after almost cuts that kind of what kind of what's going on here.

[13:28] Yes, sir.

[13:29] Okay.

[13:30] I think question for Josh regarding this street closure request, but you did reference, all the businesses

[13:36] are still going to have access, you know, it's just going to be off to the side of essentially

[13:41] the main road, but things still get to where they need to be, and it's just a few days

[13:45] hopefully if weather cooperates and it's back open and for business better than ever.

[13:51] Correct. Yeah, he still has that gravel surfacing. So I mean it's it'll be in all weather surfaced.

[13:57] So keeping it through there. Okay. Thank you.

[14:00] With no questions, we're going to need a motion regarding the street closure request for this project.

[14:06] I would move for the approval of the Lowell Avenue street closure request as presented.

[14:11] Second, motion a second. Lacing, please call the roll.

[14:14] Mr. Haisinger, where's Seth?

[14:16] I, Lewis?

[14:17] Hi.

[14:17] Right, so.

[14:18] I, motion passes.

[14:19] Thank you, Josh.

[14:21] Yeah, this isn't too far away.

[14:22] So, thank you.

[14:23] All right, appreciate it.

[14:25] So, that concludes new business.

[14:29] And so, at this point, we're going to move in to dialogue

[14:32] and start with Commissioner Lerseff.

[14:35] Yeah, I have nothing.

[14:37] Mr. Lewis?

[14:38] Nothing tonight.

[14:40] Commissioner Wright's all.

[14:40] Thank you.

[14:41] I have two.

[14:42] Just a reminder, you can view the proposed e-bike ordinance under news and updates at cityappear.org.

[14:50] No date has been scheduled for the ordinance's first rating and please contact City staff with any questions.

[14:57] And then the next slide, please.

[15:00] Another reminder that the TFRiggs High School will celebrate homecoming this Friday night. The governors will take on the T-Titans at 7pm.

[15:10] Fireworks will follow the football game, and that's just the FYI. When you hear fireworks going off late at night.

[15:17] Thank you. That is all, Commissioner. Thank you, Commissioner Raetzel.

[15:20] Christine, anything? I have nothing to say, Commissioner.

[15:23] I don't have any slides, I just wanted, you know, this is airport related, but this past weekend was the opening of the Grouse season, which really is the kickoff to truly the airport activity out there where people are flying in and out both on the commercial side and on the private general aviation aircraft coming and going.

[15:43] and so the ground season's open, the preserve,

[15:46] fescent season's open and so there's

[15:49] and our commercial air service really

[15:52] amps up and then next middle and next month

[15:54] we'll start the additional flights from Sky West.

[15:58] So things are really starting to happen

[16:00] out at the airport.

[16:02] So that concludes the agenda item tonight.

[16:07] At this point I would take a motion to adjourn.

[16:11] Motion to adjourn. Second.

[16:12] Motion in a second, Lacey, please call her all.

[16:15] Commissioner Heisinga.

[16:16] Hi.

[16:16] Where's that?

[16:17] I, Lewis.

[16:18] Hi.

[16:18] Right, so.

[16:19] Motion passes, meeting adjourned.

Pierre City Commission

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