Shane Crowell, a county staff member handling public utilities matters, explained two related items to provide water service to the county's new EMS station in Hillsdale: a benefit-unit subscription application and a right-of-way easement conveyance with Rural Water District No. 2.

Crowell said the EMS station is at approximately 250 Fifth and Old KC Road in Hillsdale and that water service has been extended and the meter paid for; the benefit unit agreement is a housekeeping step Rural Water District No. 2 requires so the district can record the owner's benefit unit in the register of deeds. "They wanted us to sign it so then they can subsequently record it in the registered deeds office," Crowell said.

Crowell explained the county selected an inch-and-a-half meter rather than a standard 3/4-inch residential meter to allow for fire apparatus and an internal fire sprinkler system. "We went with the inch and a half meter service with that, which heightened the equity charge that you have for the plant aspect of it, but with the future allowance of fire equipment there and such with that, we needed more than a 3 quarter inch residential service to fill fire trucks and things of that nature," Crowell said.

Commissioner Vaughn moved to approve the benefit-unit subscription application as presented; Commissioner Diedeker seconded the motion. The board voted unanimously to approve the application.

On a related agenda item, Crowell described a right-of-way easement conveyance to Rural Water District No. 2 for a 30-foot easement (15 feet on either side of the placed line) to formalize the mainline extension and allow the district to maintain the line and serve future development near the EMS station. Commissioner Bonds moved to approve the easement; Commissioner Diedeker seconded. The board voted unanimously to approve the easement conveyance.

Both approvals were recorded as routine consent decisions; staff did not attach further conditions. The county will complete recording and administrative steps with Rural Water District No. 2 and the register of deeds to finalize the benefit-unit record and easement.