CNPPID board OK’s moving to final phase of consolidation study with DPPD

CNPPID board OK’s moving to final phase of consolidation study with DPPD
Courtesy/ Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District.
September 9th, 2022 | CNPPID

Holdrege — The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District’s board of directors voted Tuesday to proceed to the fourth and final phase of a study of potential consolidation with Dawson Public Power District.

The process began in December 2020 when both organizations’ boards agreed to study whether a consolidation would be an economic and strategic fit that benefits customers and stakeholders of both entities.

On Aug. 31, the two boards held a joint meeting in Kearney to discuss the potential final consolidation plan. Included in the plan were the main criteria involved in the final negotiation phase. Those items include the chartered territory; subdivisions and directors management and organizational structure; financial model and facilities.

Discussion of facilities includes the potential construction of a new water resources headquarters in Holdrege as well as adding new facilities in Bertrand and at Kingsley Dam at the location of the former Hilltop Inn. None of the discussed main points is final; they will be determined as part of developing the final negotiated plan for the boards to consider.

Dawson’s next monthly board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 12 when its board will vote on proceeding to the final phase.

Should Dawson’s board also vote to move forward, the final vote in the process wouild likely take place in mid-October. At that point, the board ratified final consolidation plan would be submitted to the Nebraska Power Review Board. The Power Review board will examine the consolidation plant, hold a hearing and render a decision at their December meeting. With approval from the Power Review Board, it is estimated the new combined entity could officially come into being in July, 2023.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting:

-The directors approved a purchase requisition for $93,773 to B’s Enterprise of Norfolk for lumber used to build bridges. They also approved the purchase of a backhoe for $98,179 to NMC Exchange of Doniphan.

-The board gave authorization to list the leasehold sale of a lot at 21 North Point, Johnson Lake for public auction with Marshall Land Brokers and Auctioneers of Kearney.

-Directors approved a pricing addendum to a water leasing agreement with the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program for $100/acre with a cap of 3,000 acres, the same terms as the 2022 agreement.

-A bid was approved for $125,450 to Cellsite Solutions of Cedar Rapids, Iowa for purchase of two buildings to house microwave equipment at the Jeffrey and J-2 Hydroplants. The 10’ x 16’ buildings will be refurbished and delivered to the sites.

-Irrigation and Water Services Manager Scott Dicke reported that final irrigation deliveries were completed on Friday. Remaining water in the canals will be used to meet end-of-season demand for irrigation deliveries.

-Dicke added that Central is providing meal tickets for customers and local FFA chapters to attend Husker Harvest Days next week in Grand Island. Irrigation customers can contact Bailey Henkel at Central to arrange a ride to HHD.

-Civil engineer Tyler Thulin reported that Lake McConaughy’s elevation was at 3218.1 feet as of Tuesday morning (37.4% of capacity). Inflows have increased to 600 cubic feet per second (cfs), up 320 cfs over the past two weeks. The increase is due to Environmental Account water being moved from Glendo Reservoir in Wyoming to Lake McConaughy and the transfer of water from Glendo to replace storage water used by North Platte River irrigation canals. Releases have decreased to 1,400 cfs, 350 cfs of which are intended for other irrigation canals along the Platte River and the remainder is for the Nebraska Public Power District to fill Sutherland Reservoir prior to a maintenance project at the Keystone Canal headgates. Releases from Lake McConaughy will be zero from Oct. 1
through mid-November while the project is underway.

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