Hometown Power

CHRIS HILL | SDML DIRECTOR OF MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC SERVICES

Another year at the Capitol is ending. This year we  worked on House Bill 1060 which was An Act to Modify  provisions related to the procurement for the state and  other purchasing agencies. The language will change the  current law from $25,000 to $50,000 for state agencies to  go out to bids for supplies. We also added the language  “utility infrastructure” to the term public improvement. Bids  for public improvement extend the purchase to $100,000  before a state agency needs to go out to bid.

Using the term utility infrastructure will help the purchasing  power of our municipalities as it relates to infrastructure  such as transformers. Some of our members have  mentioned that with supply chain issues and infl ation,  certain transformers have increased in prices so much that  they were going above the purchasing limit and needed  to be sent out to bids. We all know that when a municipal  electric utility is looking to bring new businesses or  residents to their community, they need the infrastructure  as quickly as possible.

This bill will allow municipalities to procure the utility  infrastructure in a timely fashion when available from the  distributor. We can all hope that some prices come down,  but for now, this will help to alleviate some of the issues  to help make purchasing utility infrastructure as quick as  possible.

With Session behind us, we look forward to the district  meetings and the South Dakota Municipal Electric  Association Conference and Technology Expo, which are  right around the corner.

The fi rst district meeting is slated for March 14 in Sisseton  and we’ll wrap them up in Murdo on March 30. Upon  completion of the district meetings, we will be in Watertown  on April 3-5 for the SDMEA Conference and Technology  Expo. Registration is open now; I hope you’ll join us.

After that, we start planning the SDMEA Golf Tournament  and the Sporting Clay Shoot. The proceeds from the  sporting clay event went to a scholarship opportunity  for students from one of our 35 member municipalities  entering the Energy and Transmission program at Michell  Technical College. Please reach out to anyone from our  member communities if you know someone interested  in this scholarship. We are hoping that this scholarship  opportunity will help to encourage the student to enter the  energy fi eld and think about moving back home to help  make their HOMETOWN great! ■