PIERRE, S.D. (KCCR) – A public hearing before a joint meeting of the Hughes County Commission and Pierre City Commission brought no comment on a proposal by East River Electric Power Cooperative to build a substation north of Pierre. The roughly eight acres of 160 acres of land owned by the City of Pierre sits in the extra-territorial zone requiring a joint meeting.

East River’s John Knofczynski (KAH-noff-chin-ski) says the substation is to help replace aging infrastructure.

Knofczynski says residents shouldn’t notice a difference except for fewer disruptions.

Pierre City Commissioner Jim Mehlhaff says it’s good that a municipal electric and rural electric provider can work together after recent contentious debate in the South Dakota legislature about electrical boundaries.

Approved by the Joint Commission was a re-zoning request and new plat for the substation.  Hughes County was represented by Commissioners Norm Weaver, Connie Hohn and Chair Randy Vance. East River wants to begin construction by October and hopes to have the substation online by mid-May.