The Billings Heights Water District board accepted the resignation of its general manager, Duke Nieskens, during its regular monthly meeting last Wednesday evening. Nieskens has served as the district’s general manager for the past 19 years.
“I have genuinely enjoyed my time with the District, and with the hard working, knowledgeable, and very capable” staff,” Nieskens said in his letter, going on to recommend naming assistant general manager, Peyton Brookshire as his replacement. Nieskens’ resignation is effective as of Dec. 20, 2021.
Board member Jeff Engle reported that a committee has been meeting with city officials to iron out differences regarding a $3 million payment that the city is seeking from the district to compensate for the city’s undercharging of the district for three years. He said that the meetings have been going well, and they hope to have a proposal for the board’s consideration at their November meeting. While both the city and the district had attorneys present at their first meeting on September 30, both parties decided that they would not need attorneys at future meetings. The next meeting is set for Oct. 29.
There was discussion about whether the committee meetings with the city are required to be public meetings. Making them public would be a detriment to the progress they are making said Engle who disagreed that they had to be public meetings. He said that there is a fine line between the District’s legal position and public’s right to know. Public discussions have the potential to compromise the District’s legal position, he said.
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