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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981.05.13 CITY COUNCIL MINUTESRE: BILLS A motion was made by Morgan Garner to pay the bills and sedonded by Nile Boyle. All Aye. RE: ADJOURN A motion was made by Norris Reese to adjourn and seconded by Nile Boyle. All Aye. Mayo John C. Porter City Clerk Ro agley Those Present: SPECIAL MEETING With Irrigation Company May 13, 1981 Mayor: John C. Porter Councilman: Morgan Garner Sander Larson Jim Morris Also Present: Rose Bagley, City Clerk Earl Hoopes and Roger Hoopes of the Teton Pipeline Association were present. Keith Erickson, Bob Powell, and Melvin Cook representing the Rexburg Irrigation also came later. Mayor Porter said that we need to review and find out the number of acres that is irrigated by the Rexburg Irrigation Company. The city would then lease to them the amount of water needed with stipulations. The balance of the water would be open for bid annually. Anyone wanting to lease the excess would negotiate with the city and an agreement would be made with the city annually. That way the state would know that we need the water. These agreements would be made up each April. Earl Hoopes ask if the agreements could be made up each January instead of April. Mayor Porter said that he had discussed with the farmers on the east side of the City about the irrigation water they now use. Dell Palmer was the biggest user and has about 60 acres that he does not farm anymore. Most of the farmers in the area are sprinkling and do not use as much water, so the excess goes down the ditch. The city paid $15,800 to put in a storm ditch on the Barney Dairy Road. The county was supposed to pay half of that, but they ran out of money and won't pay any . The city needs to get enough from their irrigation water to reimburse them for that expense. The farmers east of Rexburg say that the ditch always has water in it. It has never been dry, so the excess water goes down the ditch. Earl Hoopes ask if there could be a fixed amount to be charged when the water is negotiated. Mayor Porter pointed out that a lot of people in Canyon Creek area are Rexburg people and have had property on the city ditch before. It isn't like we want to lease the water to strangers. We do have an obligation to the farmers in the Burton area. As soon as we find out how much water that is needed for the farms that are watered by Rexburg Irrigation we will guarantee them that much water and the rest will be up for negotiation. The mayor said that he would imagine that there would be about 2/3 of the water up for bid. Sander Larson said that he was concerned that those bidding for the water might get into a bidding war; they should negotiate for the water wanted. Mr. Hoopes said that people might bid higher because it would be a case of survival. Mr. Larson said that in years to come that he hoped that the city did not just look at the dollar but also the need. Mayor Porter said that the Fremont Madison Irrigation Company negotiate contracts on their surplus water every year and we would do ours the same and have specific guide lines. Earl Hoopes suggested that an extended bidding would be more responsible in their bidding. The mayor told him that a long range lease could cause problems to the city. Mayor Porter said that anyone that gets the water will have to change the point of diversion. He said in talking to the Rexburg Irrigation, they don't want to pay a lot of money for the water. Mr. Erickson ask about the water from the sewage plant they are getting a lot of guff about it. The Mayor told him that the city is putting in equipment to cholorinate the water, but we can put it in the river if the irrigation company don't want it. This water from the sewage treatment plant would give them extra water, if they want it. Jim Morris told them it was just a plus in their favor. Mayor Porter told them that at the next council meeting the council would set up the negotiations. It would have to be done at a public meeting. He told them for them in the mean time to decide how much land they have to be watered that is in use. Sander Larson assured tham that the city would give them the water that they needed to water the land that was being farmed. City C erk Ros gley Those Present: OrL -� Mayor John C. Porter SPECIAL MEETING IRRIGATION CO. 5/19/81 Mayor: Councilman: Councilwoman: Also Present: John C. Porter Jim Morris Morgan Garner Sander Larson Darlene Blackburn Rose Bagley, City Clerk Members of the Rexburg Irrigation Company were also present. Lorin Kauer presented his feelings. Mayor Porter said that he had gone through the minutes, and discussed these with the group. He told them that when it was first decided to sell the canal there was a sale of stock. People morgaged their shares of stock and the city would go to the bank and guarantee money for shares. From that he said that he assumed there must have been money involved. The farmers on the upper ditch participated in the digging of the ditch and when the division was made they gave the ditch to the city, although the city had to pay for the deversion ditch and headgate. In view of the minutes where money was involved, the city had to pay to take over the upper canal. Lorin Kauer reminded the conucil that the city had always dumped excess water in the canal. Leland Steiner told the group that there use to be four drains to take the water from the city canal to the Rexburg canal. Mr. Kauer said that was when the agreement was made that the Rexburg Irrigation Co. would get the excess water. Andy Anderson said that he remembered an agreement.