Keith County board pauses on retroactive NPPD bill after meter reading discrepancy; staff to return with 90-day estimate

County staff told the Keith County Board of Commissioners that a three-phase power installation at the courthouse had a leg that was not being read correctly for an undetermined time. The utility (NPPD) provided the county with an estimate of retroactive charges but the board said state rules limit payment of claims and they could not pay more than 90 days in arrears without further review. Why it matters: county officials said the error may have caused the county to underpay for one-third of courthouse electricity for years; an unknown retroactive charge could be significant and the county must determine its legal obligation before remitting payment. What happened in the meeting: staff described the technical problem as one leg of a three-leg metering arrangement not recording through the meter. The utility supplied an estimate that in staff's account reached back several years, but staff noted statutory limits on paying bills retroactively (the board referenced a state statute that constrains paying bills more than 90 days past due). The board asked staff to hold action for a week, calculate what 90 days of back charges would look like, and seek clarification from the utility on when the meter stopped recording and on the basis for the retroactive estimate. Discussion and next steps: commissioners asked whether NPPD could identify the date the meter stopped recording and whether the county would face increased future bills; staff said NPPD had not provided an exact failure date and that the county would see higher bills going forward because the previously-unbilled phase is now being recorded. The board agreed to defer payment and asked staff to present a recommended dollar amount for the 90-day period and return with a proposed course of action at the next meeting. No formal vote: the board did not make a formal payment motion at the meeting; members agreed to delay and directed staff to gather documentation and proposed amounts per the 90-day statutory limit before voting. Closing: staff will request additional documentation from the utility, produce a 90-day estimate for the board, and return with a recommendation at a future meeting.