HUNT LIMA DRAINAGE DISTRICT

REGULAR MEETING

Date:    October 9, 2025                                                                                                 Time 9:00 am  

President Joe Zumwalt called the meeting to order at 9:03am on Thursday October 9, 2025.

New Commissioner Search Update: Brock Yuskis resigned from the Hunt Lima Lake Drainage District commission last month. His term does not expire for another year. Richard Zollinger has stepped forward as a candidate for appointment to fill out Yuskis’ term. Zollinger is the Land Manager for Farmland Reserve, which owns land in the district. He has served on a drainage district board in Missouri along the Missouri River and has extensive experience in farming. Zumwalt motioned to nominate Zollinger to fill the rest of the vacant term. Commissioner Melissa Shriver-Hackamack seconded. Motion carried.  From here, Zollinger’s name will be submitted to the Hancock County Board October 21 for final approval.

Additions/corrections to previous months reports

Commissioner Melissa Shriver-Hackamack will change a spelling on “Snook” from last month’s minutes. She will also remove a footer for adjournment on first page.

Approval of Minutes of previous month(s)

Hackamack made motion to approve. Seconded by Zumwalt. Motion passed.

Approval of Financial information for this month

Zumwalt made motion to approve. Seconded by Shriver-Hackamack. Motion passed.

Approval of Current Bills approved for payment

Zumwalt made motion to approve. Seconded by Shriver-Hackamack. Motion passed.

 

Old Business

Levee Improvement Project -

    - Project status North of UFC Elevator - Klingner and Associates gave estimate on material needs for     the project to finish this section of the levee. Officials with the Corps of Engineers gave verbal                 approval to the project. Commissioners verbalized need to get approval of plans in writing from             the Corps of Engineers before proceeding with the work.

    - Levee Ramp Issues - Another landowner is having issues with levee crossovers on the river side of     the levee. Zumwalt suggested dumping creek run rock     onto the area to keep the ramp driveable.             Currently looking for a trucking company to haul the rock. The landowner has been advised dress             rock would be helpful to keep sharp edges down.

    - Excess Interest Money - Money not used on project is gaining interest in the bank until all bills                   pertaining to the project are paid.

Ditch Maintenance Update

• • Priorities for Fall 2025-  AL4 (Adwell Lateral)

  • Brush on bluff canal and culvert at Meyer- We are due to order chemical in the spring. It was decided to place an order now for 50 gallons. Landowners like the Kerrs are also helping this year with spraying brush. Thank you!

  • Groundhog Den- A groundhog den had been identified. It is believed to be vacant. Jeremy and Jeff will work on correcting that issue.

Equipment/Building Repairs & Parts 

• Update on Bathroom at South Pump Station - Jeremy reports that work on the Bathroom is done, except for clean-up. 

• Update on South Pump Station Cooling Issues - Jeremy made contact with Klingner and Associates Engineer Bob Venvertloh.  We contacted him after a time of not hearing from him on ideas and designs to address cooling issues at the South Pump House. He has promised to get designs to the commission and attend a HLLDD meeting in the next couple of months.

• Tractor with cab and Loader for North Pump Station- Still looking for a tractor that would meet our needs.

Trespassing Issues  - New signs have been erected at key points along the levee. Jeremy reports no pictures have caught trespassers on the levee since the signs were put up. A sheriff’s deputy was in the bottoms at various times, including September 27th.

Office Supplies, Quick books, website, email updates - Email and website still working. Hackamack hopes to gather more e-mail addressed at Annual Meeting in November.

IRS - Zumwalt reports he has written a response to the current letter received in late summer. We will wait for more direction.

Relief Well Testing - The crew has not been back to do the relief well inspection at the South Pump Station. Zumwalt will follow up.

New Business

Final assessments - Payments are still coming into the district, even as the county collector has taken over collecting the late payments. Names of landowners who have not paid will have their names in the newspaper. Zumwalt says the district will pay $5 for the listings.

 

Dallas Rural Water District - The Water District continues to ask for HLLDD to approve putting a water pipe over the levee. The water district is struggling to find a water source right now. It owns a strip of land over the levee and to the west of its current building. The strip of land is between BDM Roskamp and Bemis Properties. It currently has no known easements to get to this strip of property. The current plan includes drilling test wells on this strip of land. If the wells are good, the crews would place pipes from the well over the current levee. It would then cover the pipe with 6 feet of fill dirt to prevent freezing. The Dallas Rural Water District would have to apply for a permit from the Corps of Engineers to do this project over an existing levee. The Corps of Engineers has been contacted, but nothing can proceed until the Hunt Lima Lake Drainage District gives clearance for a possible 408 certification. Zumwalt made a motion to give conditional approval to the project. That allows the water district to go forward with test wells and permitting requests, but still allows the Hunt Lima Lake Drainage District to stop the process if conditions are not met to its satisfaction. There was discussion about the need for the community to have water, versus possible liability to the Drainage District. Zumwalt made the motion, Hackamack seconded to give conditional approval to that project, provided three conditions:

1. The Dallas Rural Water District assists in flood fighting efforts for HLLDD in the future, no different than similar to  the township, county, or electrical coop in flood times.

2.  The Dallas Rural Water District does not utilize the HLLDD levee to access test wells or permanent wells if they come to completion.

3. The last condition that must be met is that the project is determined to NOT jeopardize the Hunt Lima Lake Drainage District’s participation and coverage in the PL84-99 Army Corps of Engineers rehabilitation program. The project must Not Jeopardize the Hunt Lima Lake Drainage District levee or its eligibility In PL84-99.  Shriver-Hackamack requested that a physical statement from the Corps verifying this should be obtained beforehand as well. If the USACE approves this project, it will do so in a manner that satisfies the need for a written, physical statement of the district’s continued eligibility for the PL84-99.  An issued 408 permit from the Corps for the water district allows the drainage district to guarantee that any waterlines/improvements are constructed in a manner or to USACE specs that maintain our status. 

4. Clarification is needed before final approval as to the liability coverage provided by DRWD should a pipe rupture on the HLLDD easement area and cause erosion or any other type of damage to the levee, bluff canal, and correct drainage.  

 

Annual Meeting in November - Scheduled for Thursday, November 13th at 11a.m. The regular November meeting will be held the same day at 9a.m.

Landowner Richard Bemis spoke to the Commissioners about his concerns that the ditch near his property was not dug out enough. Zumwalt says with the limited time the district did as much as they could to clear any blockages before it had to move onto a drainage ditch that needed more immediate attention. 

The commissioners were told that a landowner was concerned that a ditch near his property needed cleaned out. Zumwalt reported that the ditch in question was a private ditch, which is not maintained by the district. There was discussion about a nearby private ditch cleared recently. Some people who are not involved in the actual work believed that maintenance on the private was paid for by the Hunt Lima Lake Drainage District. Zumwalt addressed this confusion by stating that the district did NOT pay for the ditch work on the private ditch. He plans to contact the landowners in question to clear up confusion. With the commission’s mission of complete transparency, Zumwalt will retrieve the commission’s bill as well as possibly the landowner’s bill to confirm that this work was not paid for by the drainage district.

 

Zumwalt made motion to adjourn. Seconded by Shriver-Hackamack. Motion passed.

Meeting Adjourned