Lewis & Clark Celebrates

Transcription

Pipeline Construction Update -Washington, D.C. TripChairman Red Arndt, Sioux FallsMayor Dave Munson, Luverne MayorAndy Steensma, Hull Director RandyFeenstra, Sioux Center’s HaroldSchiebout and Executive DirectorTroy Larson were in Washington, D.C.on April 15 and 16 to meet withcongressional leaders about theimportance of continued federalfunding in the FY09 Budget. Themeetings, which were organizedby The Bockorny Group, wentextremely well. L&C officials spokewith all six Senators, as well asRep. Herseth Sandlin, Rep. Walzand Chairman Visclosky, who chairsthe House Energy and WaterAppropriations Subcommittee. Theyalso met with the staffs of Rep. Kingand Rep. Peterson. L&C officials alsomet separately with Senator Grassleyand Rep. King in Sibley, IA, in lateMarch to discuss project funding.With the SD members, the discussioncentered mainly on legislative strategyand construction status. For the IAand MN delegations, it was more onthe critical importance of the projectand how we need their strong andactive support more than ever. Witheveryone, L&C officials expressed theirsincere thanks, stressed the importanceof not going backward with federalfunding and the pre-payments beingmade by the states and local members.The responses were very positive andencouraging. The congressional leadersexpressed their continued strong support,disappointment with the Administrationzeroing out funding and confidence L&Cwill receive funding for FY09, but howmuch remains to be seen. They want toat least hold last year’s level of 26.5M.Each expressed disagreement with thosewho view L&C, an authorized project, asa traditional earmark. They also praisedTea and Harrisburg Meter Houses and Service Lines:Gridor Construction began work in April on the two 28' by15' brick meter houses. Winter Brothers Underground startedconstruction in May on the just over three miles of 16" PVCpipe for the Tea and Harrisburg service lines. The deadline forsubstantial completion of both projects is 7/1/08.and how the federal government needsto hold up its end of the bargain.Visclosky indicated L&C has strongbi-partisan support. “Water is nota partisan issue,” he said. He alsocommended the pre-payments, whichhe said is uncommon.In the other meetings, Senator Johnsonasked a number of detailed questionsabout construction. He first inquiredwhat L&C could build with 35 million,which L&C officials said was a greatquestion. Senator Thune, who reiteratedL&C is a top priority for him, was pleasedto hear of the ever increasing supportfrom the IA and MN delegations.the members for prepaying and believe thiswill help them in theirfight for funding.L&C officials madetheir case directly toChairman Visclosky.The meeting was set upby Rep. Herseth Sandlin,who was unable to attend,but Rep. Walz attendedand fervently outlined theimportance of continuedfunding, the “guts” themembers’ showed in pre-payingTreated Water Pipeline – Segment 9:Resuming work in late February, SJL installed pipe in lowlying wet areas before the ground thawed (see photo belowof 36" pipe). Six miles have been constructed of this eightand a half mile segment of 36" and 30" steel pipe thatruns along 85th Street south of Sioux Falls from the maintransmission line (467th Ave.) to a half mile east of CliffAvenue. The contractor has finished a 330' bore of I-29. Thepipeline was installed through a 54" metal casing, 12' belowthe top slab of I-29. The deadline for substantial completionis 7/1/08. Combined with the Tea and Harrisburg projectsabove, these three projects will provide the infrastructurefor the “emergency connection” to those communities. If theagreement in principal resolving the service territory relatedissues among Tea, Harrisburg, Sioux Falls and LincolnCounty RWS has been finalized by then, L&C anticipatesputting this connection into operation this summer.Lewis & Clark Celebrates “Start Up”Sioux Center to Hull Connection First Segment to be Operational“This is a critical projectthat needs to get done thisis basic infrastructure thatis the key to the economicdevelopment and vitality ofour rural communities.”Lewis & Clark (L&C) is finally selling water!Over 60 people attended the “start upceremony” on May 1st at the meter housein Hull, Iowa, to celebrate the momentousoccasion of putting into service the firstsegment of pipeline. The nine mile segmentbetween Sioux Center and Hull was builtseveral years earlier than planned to serve asan “emergency connection” for Hull. In theshort-term, L&C will purchase 80,000 gallonsa day from Sioux Center and re-sell it to Hull.In recent years, Hull’s water tower has comeclose to running dry at times. Combined withthe addition of industries such as the newcheese factory being constructed, the Cityneeded a supplemental source of water untilL&C water arrives.- Senator ColemanLeft to Right: Larson, Munson, Feenstra,Visclosky, Schiebout, Walz, Steensma,Arndt and Josh Albert (HersethSandlin’s Legislative Director)continued from page 3Senator Grassley said “we need to seeit through the local support (prepayment) is very important.” SenatorHarkin, who along with Johnson serveson the Appropriations Committee,said he understands the importance ofthe project and will press the need forcontinued funding. Senator Coleman said“This is a critical project that needs toget done this is basic infrastructure thatis the key to the economic developmentand vitality of our rural communities.”Senator Klobuchar said, I’ll “do whateverI can to help.”401 East 8th Street, Suite 306Sioux Falls, SD 57103Putting their support into action, theSenators and Representatives sentjoint letters requesting 35M for L&Cto their respective Energy and WaterAppropriation Subcommittees. L&Ccontinues to be grateful for the steadfastsupport from its congressional leaders.As has often been said, the need for highquality and dependable drinking watertranscends state lines and party lines.Senator Grassley in his videotaped remarksnoted, “We know this is just the first step ofa much bigger effort for a full and completedsystem. The finished product will providemuch needed water to the tri-state region.It will also improve the quality of life andbring expanded opportunities for economicdevelopment. But the first step means thereare a heck of a lot more steps to take. We’renow making the case for additional federalfunds with the help of local communities.Your investment not only in your time andwork, but your very own resources, helpspush our argument here in DC.”“Nine miles down and only 328 to go!”- Chairman Red ArndtCongratulations were shared by a numberof dignitaries, including Sioux CenterMayor Dennis Walstra, Hull Mayor JohnKooima, former Hull Mayor Dennis Wright,Reclamation’s Ted Hall, Dave Ehler fromCongressman King’s office and State Rep.Dwayne Alons. Chairman Red Arndt,who celebrated his 60th birthday in style,remarked, “Although this is a small startutilizing a temporary source of water, this isa big first step forward for Lewis & Clark. Ittook eighteen years, but we’re finally sellingwater. Nine miles down and only 328 to go!”Opening the valve are Walstra, Kooima, Arndt and Director John Buss,a founding member of the System, who was also celebrating a birthday.5

Chairman’s Report - Red ArndtLewis & Clark (L&C) enjoyed verysuccessful legislative sessions in MNand SD. In MN, the bonding bill thatpassed the Legislature and was signed byGovernor Tim Pawlenty in April includesa provision swapping the State’s L&Cpre-payment of 5.3M in bond funds forgeneral funds.Three years ago a bonding bill was passedthat approved the 5.3M pre-payment.However, using bond funds across statelines for the main trunk line and watertreatment plant was a challenge. Lastyear the swap language also passed, butthe bonding bill was vetoed for reasonsunrelated to L&C. Worthington, Luverne,Lincoln-Pipestone RWS, Rock CountyRWD and everyone at L&C were verypleased everything worked out this year.We really appreciate the time and effortso many people put into getting the swapprovision passed. A special thanks goesto our legislative delegation of SenatorJim Vickerman and RepresentativesAaron Peterson, Doug Magnus andRod Hamilton. They really went to batfor us. We also thank the Governor forhis support, as well as Senator KeithLangseth and Representative AliceHausman, who chair the Senate andHouse Capital Investment Committees.Through the years I’ve made over 50trips to St. Paul. Many others have madecountless trips as well. It took a lot ofhard work, but it is fantastic to finally getit done.Construction Nearing Completion on Bank Stabilization, Well Facilities UnderwayPipeline Construction Updateof 6.4M forL&C, despitea very tightbudget. Thisrepresents one-thirdof Governor Mike Rounds’ plan topre-pay SD’s remaining share of theproject by 2010. We greatly appreciatethe Governor’s strong support andleadership. In addition to savingtaxpayer’s money by stopping theimpact of inflation and helping L&Ckeep construction moving forward, SD’spre-payment commitment, along withthe pre-payments by IA, MN and thelocal members, is a powerful tool for ourcongressional leaders to use as they makethe case for continued federal funding.Lewis & Clark (L&C) has begun what will be a very busy fifth season of construction. There are currently five pipeline projectsunderway, with construction hopefully beginning on a sixth (TWP-8/7B) this fall. The six projects represent 90 miles ofpipeline. In addition, the first phase of the water treatment plant (WTP) is planned for bid in July. The first phase will includethe clearwell, high service pumps and electrical building, which are separate structures from the main WTP building.Work on the “modified stone toerevetment” continued through much ofthe winter and is nearing completion.After placing 51,000 ton of rock and49,000 willow trees during the winteron the bank stabilization portion of theproject (see photos to the right), LakeRegion Contracting (subcontractor)this spring planted a combined 59,000cottonwoods and dogwoods further upthe river bank, as well as seeded the riverbank to native grass. The original plan tostabilize the river bank was to bury therock inland and let it “launch” as erosioneats away the bank. However, the erosiondoes not occur in a uniform pattern andthe rock does not always launch evenly,so this method usually requires follow-upwork. The modified stone toe revetmentwas urged by the National Park Serviceand Army Corps of Engineers. It is amore environmentally friendly approachbecause of the soil and vegetation thatcovers the rock. From an engineeringstandpoint this method is moreeffective because the river bank wasfirst sloped and the rock evenlyTreated Water Pipeline – Segment 5:SJ Louis Construction (SJL) in March completed the successful pressure testing of this 16 mile segment of 54" pipe. Thepressure testing was done in sections because of the pipe’s length. The photo below shows a blow off hydrant operating to takepressure off the line after a portion of the pipeline was pressure tested last fall (no chlorine residual in the water). The projecthas been accepted for substantial completion. Some minor clean up remains.Treated Water Pipeline – Segment 6/7A:SJL resumed work in May. Five of the eleven miles of54" steel pipe have been constructed in this segment thatruns along 467th Avenue from the Clay County line southto 308th Street. The deadline for substantial completionis 11/1/08.In SD, we are very thankful to theLegislature for approving a record levelContinued on page 6Bids Opened for Last Segment of the Main Transmission LineThree bids for Treated Water Pipeline– Segment 8/7B (TWP-8/7B) wereopened on May 15 in the amountsof 30,700,000, 31,300,000 and 35,542,650. A bid protest has beenfiled, so it is unknown when thiscontract will be awarded.Located in central Clay County,TWP-8/7B is the last eleven milesegment of the main 54" transmissionline between the Missouri River andSioux Falls. It will connect the rest of themain transmission line with the watertreatment plant (WTP) site,which is locatedthree milesnorth of Vermillion along Highway 19.Construction is hoped to begin by thisfall, with a substantial completiondeadline of 11/1/09.Once the contract is awarded, L&C willhave 90 miles of primarily 54" pipeeither completed or under construction.The total distance of pipe throughout theproject is estimated at 337 miles.This segment of pipeline connects to theWTP site, so it will operate under higherpressures than other portions of the maintransmission line. As a result, the pipewalls are thicker. For TWP-8/7B, thethickest sections of pipe used are .425"of steel (half inch of cement mortarlining used on the inside). Bycomparison, the pipe wall thicknesson portions of the treated water pipelinenear Tea was .251". The difference isabout 5,000 more pounds of steel foreach 50' long section of pipe. Eachsection of pipe on TWP-8/7B that hasthe .425" wall thickness will weigh anestimated 8.3 tons. Using more steel,combined with the price of steel andenergy costs both skyrocketing torecord levels, will make this segmentof pipeline the project’s most expensiveby far in terms of a per mile cost.Last section of pipe being installed on TWP-5, connecting it witha previously completed segment of the main transmission line.placed, as well as having the “lockedlogs” jutting into the river to softenthe current’s impact. The photo belowshows a completed portion of thebank stabilization.The general contractor, WelflConstruction, began constructing thewell facilities in early April. Two wellhouses and four valve vaults are beingconstructed, along with 2,900' ofpolyethylene encased ductile iron andPVC pipe that range in size from 12" to36" (see photo below of 24" pipe). Thepipe connects the wells to the vaults,well house and raw water pipeline.The well facilities will be substantiallycompleted in July.Lewis & Clark Regional Water System Staff:Troy Larson, Executive DirectorJim Auen, Water Plant SuperintendentDan Zulkosky, Construction AdministratorLori Seten, Office ManagerPhone: 605.336.8688Fax: sky@lcrws.orglseten@lcrws.org234

Chairman’s Report - Red ArndtLewis & Clark (L&C) enjoyed verysuccessful legislative sessions in MNand SD. In MN, the bonding bill thatpassed the Legislature and was signed byGovernor Tim Pawlenty in April includesa provision swapping the State’s L&Cpre-payment of 5.3M in bond funds forgeneral funds.Three years ago a bonding bill was passedthat approved the 5.3M pre-payment.However, using bond funds across statelines for the main trunk line and watertreatment plant was a challenge. Lastyear the swap language also passed, butthe bonding bill was vetoed for reasonsunrelated to L&C. Worthington, Luverne,Lincoln-Pipestone RWS, Rock CountyRWD and everyone at L&C were verypleased everything worked out this year.We really appreciate the time and effortso many people put into getting the swapprovision passed. A special thanks goesto our legislative delegation of SenatorJim Vickerman and RepresentativesAaron Peterson, Doug Magnus andRod Hamilton. They really went to batfor us. We also thank the Governor forhis support, as well as Senator KeithLangseth and Representative AliceHausman, who chair the Senate andHouse Capital Investment Committees.Through the years I’ve made over 50trips to St. Paul. Many others have madecountless trips as well. It took a lot ofhard work, but it is fantastic to finally getit done.Construction Nearing Completion on Bank Stabilization, Well Facilities UnderwayPipeline Construction Updateof 6.4M forL&C, despitea very tightbudget. Thisrepresents one-thirdof Governor Mike Rounds’ plan topre-pay SD’s remaining share of theproject by 2010. We greatly appreciatethe Governor’s strong support andleadership. In addition to savingtaxpayer’s money by stopping theimpact of inflation and helping L&Ckeep construction moving forward, SD’spre-payment commitment, along withthe pre-payments by IA, MN and thelocal members, is a powerful tool for ourcongressional leaders to use as they makethe case for continued federal funding.Lewis & Clark (L&C) has begun what will be a very busy fifth season of construction. There are currently five pipeline projectsunderway, with construction hopefully beginning on a sixth (TWP-8/7B) this fall. The six projects represent 90 miles ofpipeline. In addition, the first phase of the water treatment plant (WTP) is planned for bid in July. The first phase will includethe clearwell, high service pumps and electrical building, which are separate structures from the main WTP building.Work on the “modified stone toerevetment” continued through much ofthe winter and is nearing completion.After placing 51,000 ton of rock and49,000 willow trees during the winteron the bank stabilization portion of theproject (see photos to the right), LakeRegion Contracting (subcontractor)this spring planted a combined 59,000cottonwoods and dogwoods further upthe river bank, as well as seeded the riverbank to native grass. The original plan tostabilize the river bank was to bury therock inland and let it “launch” as erosioneats away the bank. However, the erosiondoes not occur in a uniform pattern andthe rock does not always launch evenly,so this method usually requires follow-upwork. The modified stone toe revetmentwas urged by the National Park Serviceand Army Corps of Engineers. It is amore environmentally friendly approachbecause of the soil and vegetation thatcovers the rock. From an engineeringstandpoint this method is moreeffective because the river bank wasfirst sloped and the rock evenlyTreated Water Pipeline – Segment 5:SJ Louis Construction (SJL) in March completed the successful pressure testing of this 16 mile segment of 54" pipe. Thepressure testing was done in sections because of the pipe’s length. The photo below shows a blow off hydrant operating to takepressure off the line after a portion of the pipeline was pressure tested last fall (no chlorine residual in the water). The projecthas been accepted for substantial completion. Some minor clean up remains.Treated Water Pipeline – Segment 6/7A:SJL resumed work in May. Five of the eleven miles of54" steel pipe have been constructed in this segment thatruns along 467th Avenue from the Clay County line southto 308th Street. The deadline for substantial completionis 11/1/08.In SD, we are very thankful to theLegislature for approving a record levelContinued on page 6Bids Opened for Last Segment of the Main Transmission LineThree bids for Treated Water Pipeline– Segment 8/7B (TWP-8/7B) wereopened on May 15 in the amountsof 30,700,000, 31,300,000 and 35,542,650. A bid protest has beenfiled, so it is unknown when thiscontract will be awarded.Located in central Clay County,TWP-8/7B is the last eleven milesegment of the main 54" transmissionline between the Missouri River andSioux Falls. It will connect the rest of themain transmission line with the watertreatment plant (WTP) site,which is locatedthree milesnorth of Vermillion along Highway 19.Construction is hoped to begin by thisfall, with a substantial completiondeadline of 11/1/09.Once the contract is awarded, L&C willhave 90 miles of primarily 54" pipeeither completed or under construction.The total distance of pipe throughout theproject is estimated at 337 miles.This segment of pipeline connects to theWTP site, so it will operate under higherpressures than other portions of the maintransmission line. As a result, the pipewalls are thicker. For TWP-8/7B, thethickest sections of pipe used are .425"of steel (half inch of cement mortarlining used on the inside). Bycomparison, the pipe wall thicknesson portions of the treated water pipelinenear Tea was .251". The difference isabout 5,000 more pounds of steel foreach 50' long section of pipe. Eachsection of pipe on TWP-8/7B that hasthe .425" wall thickness will weigh anestimated 8.3 tons. Using more steel,combined with the price of steel andenergy costs both skyrocketing torecord levels, will make this segmentof pipeline the project’s most expensiveby far in terms of a per mile cost.Last section of pipe being installed on TWP-5, connecting it witha previously completed segment of the main transmission line.placed, as well as having the “lockedlogs” jutting into the river to softenthe current’s impact. The photo belowshows a completed portion of thebank stabilization.The general contractor, WelflConstruction, began constructing thewell facilities in early April. Two wellhouses and four valve vaults are beingconstructed, along with 2,900' ofpolyethylene encased ductile iron andPVC pipe that range in size from 12" to36" (see photo below of 24" pipe). Thepipe connects the wells to the vaults,well house and raw water pipeline.The well facilities will be substantiallycompleted in July.Lewis & Clark Regional Water System Staff:Troy Larson, Executive DirectorJim Auen, Water Plant SuperintendentDan Zulkosky, Construction AdministratorLori Seten, Office ManagerPhone: 605.336.8688Fax: sky@lcrws.orglseten@lcrws.org234

Chairman’s Report - Red ArndtLewis & Clark (L&C) enjoyed verysuccessful legislative sessions in MNand SD. In MN, the bonding bill thatpassed the Legislature and was signed byGovernor Tim Pawlenty in April includesa provision swapping the State’s L&Cpre-payment of 5.3M in bond funds forgeneral funds.Three years ago a bonding bill was passedthat approved the 5.3M pre-payment.However, using bond funds across statelines for the main trunk line and watertreatment plant was a challenge. Lastyear the swap language also passed, butthe bonding bill was vetoed for reasonsunrelated to L&C. Worthington, Luverne,Lincoln-Pipestone RWS, Rock CountyRWD and everyone at L&C were verypleased everything worked out this year.We really appreciate the time and effortso many people put into getting the swapprovision passed. A special thanks goesto our legislative delegation of SenatorJim Vickerman and RepresentativesAaron Peterson, Doug Magnus andRod Hamilton. They really went to batfor us. We also thank the Governor forhis support, as well as Senator KeithLangseth and Representative AliceHausman, who chair the Senate andHouse Capital Investment Committees.Through the years I’ve made over 50trips to St. Paul. Many others have madecountless trips as well. It took a lot ofhard work, but it is fantastic to finally getit done.Construction Nearing Completion on Bank Stabilization, Well Facilities UnderwayPipeline Construction Updateof 6.4M forL&C, despitea very tightbudget. Thisrepresents one-thirdof Governor Mike Rounds’ plan topre-pay SD’s remaining share of theproject by 2010. We greatly appreciatethe Governor’s strong support andleadership. In addition to savingtaxpayer’s money by stopping theimpact of inflation and helping L&Ckeep construction moving forward, SD’spre-payment commitment, along withthe pre-payments by IA, MN and thelocal members, is a powerful tool for ourcongressional leaders to use as they makethe case for continued federal funding.Lewis & Clark (L&C) has begun what will be a very busy fifth season of construction. There are currently five pipeline projectsunderway, with construction hopefully beginning on a sixth (TWP-8/7B) this fall. The six projects represent 90 miles ofpipeline. In addition, the first phase of the water treatment plant (WTP) is planned for bid in July. The first phase will includethe clearwell, high service pumps and electrical building, which are separate structures from the main WTP building.Work on the “modified stone toerevetment” continued through much ofthe winter and is nearing completion.After placing 51,000 ton of rock and49,000 willow trees during the winteron the bank stabilization portion of theproject (see photos to the right), LakeRegion Contracting (subcontractor)this spring planted a combined 59,000cottonwoods and dogwoods further upthe river bank, as well as seeded the riverbank to native grass. The original plan tostabilize the river bank was to bury therock inland and let it “launch” as erosioneats away the bank. However, the erosiondoes not occur in a uniform pattern andthe rock does not always launch evenly,so this method usually requires follow-upwork. The modified stone toe revetmentwas urged by the National Park Serviceand Army Corps of Engineers. It is amore environmentally friendly approachbecause of the soil and vegetation thatcovers the rock. From an engineeringstandpoint this method is moreeffective because the river bank wasfirst sloped and the rock evenlyTreated Water Pipeline – Segment 5:SJ Louis Construction (SJL) in March completed the successful pressure testing of this 16 mile segment of 54" pipe. Thepressure testing was done in sections because of the pipe’s length. The photo below shows a blow off hydrant operating to takepressure off the line after a portion of the pipeline was pressure tested last fall (no chlorine residual in the water). The projecthas been accepted for substantial completion. Some minor clean up remains.Treated Water Pipeline – Segment 6/7A:SJL resumed work in May. Five of the eleven miles of54" steel pipe have been constructed in this segment thatruns along 467th Avenue from the Clay County line southto 308th Street. The deadline for substantial completionis 11/1/08.In SD, we are very thankful to theLegislature for approving a record levelContinued on page 6Bids Opened for Last Segment of the Main Transmission LineThree bids for Treated Water Pipeline– Segment 8/7B (TWP-8/7B) wereopened on May 15 in the amountsof 30,700,000, 31,300,000 and 35,542,650. A bid protest has beenfiled, so it is unknown when thiscontract will be awarded.Located in central Clay County,TWP-8/7B is the last eleven milesegment of the main 54" transmissionline between the Missouri River andSioux Falls. It will connect the rest of themain transmission line with the watertreatment plant (WTP) site,which is locatedthree milesnorth of Vermillion along Highway 19.Construction is hoped to begin by thisfall, with a substantial completiondeadline of 11/1/09.Once the contract is awarded, L&C willhave 90 miles of primarily 54" pipeeither completed or under construction.The total distance of pipe throughout theproject is estimated at 337 miles.This segment of pipeline connects to theWTP site, so it will operate under higherpressures than other portions of the maintransmission line. As a result, the pipewalls are thicker. For TWP-8/7B, thethickest sections of pipe used are .425"of steel (half inch of cement mortarlining used on the inside). Bycomparison, the pipe wall thicknesson portions of the treated water pipelinenear Tea was .251". The difference isabout 5,000 more pounds of steel foreach 50' long section of pipe. Eachsection of pipe on TWP-8/7B that hasthe .425" wall thickness will weigh anestimated 8.3 tons. Using more steel,combined with the price of steel andenergy costs both skyrocketing torecord levels, will make this segmentof pipeline the project’s most expensiveby far in terms of a per mile cost.Last section of pipe being installed on TWP-5, connecting it witha previously completed segment of the main transmission line.placed, as well as having the “lockedlogs” jutting into the river to softenthe current’s impact. The photo belowshows a completed portion of thebank stabilization.The general contractor, WelflConstruction, began constructing thewell facilities in early April. Two wellhouses and four valve vaults are beingconstructed, along with 2,900' ofpolyethylene encased ductile iron andPVC pipe that range in size from 12" to36" (see photo below of 24" pipe). Thepipe connects the wells to the vaults,well house and raw water pipeline.The well facilities will be substantiallycompleted in July.Lewis & Clark Regional Water System Staff:Troy Larson, Executive DirectorJim Auen, Water Plant SuperintendentDan Zulkosky, Construction AdministratorLori Seten, Office ManagerPhone: 605.336.8688Fax: sky@lcrws.orglseten@lcrws.org234

Pipeline Construction Update -Washington, D.C. TripChairman Red Arndt, Sioux FallsMayor Dave Munson, Luverne MayorAndy Steensma, Hull Director RandyFeenstra, Sioux Center’s HaroldSchiebout and Executive DirectorTroy Larson were in Washington, D.C.on April 15 and 16 to meet withcongressional leaders about theimportance of continued federalfunding in the FY09 Budget. Themeetings, which were organizedby The Bockorny Group, wentextremely well. L&C officials spokewith all six Senators, as well asRep. Herseth Sandlin, Rep. Walzand Chairman Visclosky, who chairsthe House Energy and WaterAppropriations Subcommittee. Theyalso met with the staffs of Rep. Kingand Rep. Peterson. L&C officials alsomet separately with Senator Grassleyand Rep. King in Sibley, IA, in lateMarch to discuss project funding.With the SD members, the discussioncentered mainly on legislative strategyand construction status. For the IAand MN delegations, it was more onthe critical importance of the projectand how we need their strong andactive support more than ever. Witheveryone, L&C officials expressed theirsincere thanks, stressed the importanceof not going backward with federalfunding and the pre-payments beingmade by the states and local members.The responses were very positive andencouraging. The congressional leadersexpressed their continued strong support,disappointment with the Administrationzeroing out funding and confidence L&Cwill receive funding for FY09, but howmuch remains to be seen. They want toat least hold last year’s level of 26.5M.Each expressed disagreement with thosewho view L&C, an authorized project, asa traditional earmark. They also praisedTea and Harrisburg Meter Houses and Service Lines:Gridor Construction began work in April on the two 28' by15' brick meter houses. Winter Brothers Underground startedconstruction in May on the just over three miles of 16" PVCpipe for the Tea and Harrisburg ser

Andy Steensma, Hull Director Randy Feenstra, Sioux Center's Harold Schiebout and Executive Director Troy Larson were in Washington, D.C. substantial completion of both projects is 7/1/08. on April 15 and 16 to meet with congressional leaders about the importance of continued federal funding in the FY09 Budget. The