The Minnesota House and Senate are considering an amendment to a state statute that would require water conservation rate structures to be in place statewide by January 1, 2013. The new wording in HF 1923 will give cities the freedom to choose between two options. A city could use water conservation rates to meet the … Read more
Last spring, North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple signed a bill into law that allocated $110 million in state financing for the newly-created Western Area Water Supply Authority (WAWSA). The Authority oversees the Western Area Water Supply Project, which will deliver treated drinking water from the Missouri River to multiple communities, rural water users, and industry … Read more
It’s time again for the annual North Central Utility Rate Survey. Each year, AE2S conducts a survey of water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste utility rates throughout the region. Two unique reports are prepared based on community population. One is for communities with populations of 1,000 to 4,999 and Regional/Rural Water Systems. The second is for … Read more
A major adjustment to a federal rule aims to ensure that bond issuers have access to the most competitive bond structure. Until now, financial advisors could serve double duty as both advisors and underwriters on the same bonding issue. The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) Rule G-23 went into effect in late November. The change … Read more
Major flooding issues last spring and summer in multiple communities throughout the region, in addition to the oil boom in western North Dakota and eastern Montana, shed light on why a strong Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework for a municipality can be very beneficial. However, it doesn’t take a natural disaster or rapid regional growth … Read more
Several interesting bills came out of North Dakota’s special session in November. One of particular note is Senate Bill 2371, which includes funding for several programs that are critical to flood disaster recovery and energy-impacted western North Dakota. Here are some of the highlights of SB 2371. $30 million from the General Fund has been … Read more