Call Meeting to Order
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM by Jim Haney.
Present: Jim Haney, Parke Smith, Mike DeWald (via video conference), Sue Ann Mitchell, Bob Marcuccilli, Joe Cleland, Frank Kurth
Absent: None
Report of Meeting Notice
The meeting date and time were posted and advertised as required.
Approval of Previous Minutes
Parke Smith presented the January 20, 2021 regular meeting minutes and made a motion to approve as submitted. The motion was seconded by Joe Cleland and was carried by the roll call vote of:
6 Yeas (Mitchell, Marcuccilli, Haney, Smith, Cleland, DeWald)
0 Nays
1 Abstain (Kurth)
Treasurers Report and Other Financial Matters:
Mike DeWald reviewed the financial reports. Mike noted the following:
Receipts were higher than normal.
There were two payments to Carson this month.
The balance reached over the $2 Million mark for the first time this month.
The scheduled payment to the USDA was made for approximately $394K.
There was an increase in maintenance expenses.
The ending balance was $ 2,059,281.
Mike DeWald made a motion to approve the Unaudited Schedule of Cash Receipts and Disbursements, the Monthly Analysis of Funds and Balances, the Monthly Analysis of Cash Investment Accounts, and the monthly claim form. The motion was seconded by Parke Smith and was carried by the roll call vote of:
7 Yeas (Mitchell, Marcuccilli, Kurth, Haney, Smith, Cleland, DeWald)
0 Nays
0 Abstain
Re-Investment of CDs Maturing February 22, 2021
Mike DeWald also noted that the district has $350,000 of CD’s that will mature on 2/22/2021. At the recommendation of Jeff Rowe, Mike talked to Baker Tilley regarding potential options. The rates that they quoted were 0.10% and lower for CD’s. Lake City Bank is still offering 0.25% on the Money Market account. Mike recommended and made a motion to transfer the CD maturity money to the money market account and keep an eye on CD rates in the future. The motion was seconded by Sue Ann Mitchell and was carried by the roll call vote of:
7 Yeas (Mitchell, Marcuccilli, Kurth, Haney, Smith, Cleland, DeWald)
0 Nays
0 Abstain
Astbury Monthly Report
Astbury provided a written report prior to the board meeting and Donn Neff was in attendance. Donn noted:
The two property owners with repeat call-out issues discussed at the January 2021 meeting, were sent letters by Andy Boxberger.
Donn is in discussion with REMC and NIPSCO regarding the power issues at Lake Estates. He is also gathering quotes for standby generators as an alternative resolution to the issue. The board directed Donn to work with the Lake Estates Manager to explore the possibility of tapping into an upstream power source at Lake Estates as an additional potential solution.
There were no major call-out issues or unusual volume of calls this month.
Property Owner Connection Status
Greg Gear reported no significant changes in the total number of unconnected properties.
The Dice property has been sold at a tax sale and the new owners have taken the deed.
DLZ Update Regarding Drainage Issue at 45 EMS B48A
Casey Erwin was in attendance and presented his findings relative to the issue at 45 EMS B48A. The grinder at this location is lower than the surrounding area and regularly has water on top of it.
Casey provided preexisting condition, installation, and post installation condition photos, including photos that show the apparent change in grade resulting from the construction of the adjacent house that was completed after grinder installation. He presented three possible scenarios for resolution:
Raise the grinder, which would have costs associated and may generate unknown issues with the overflow path for runoff water.
Leave the grinder as is and lower the drainage grate.
Install an additional drainage grate near the grinder.
The property owner was present at the meeting and discussed the issues with the board. As part of the discussion, it was noted by several board members that the grade near the grinder has probably been altered as the result of new home construction and property excavation. The board acknowledged that there is an issue with the drainage around the grinder, but generally does not believe the repair to be the responsibility of the district. The board directed DLZ (as soon as weather permits and prior to the next board meeting) to assess the depth of the drainage tile and grate near the grinder to determine if the grate could be lowered.
Property Owner Request Regarding 80 EMS B61i Purchased at Tax Sale
This property was acquired by the new owner at a tax sale.
The property owner requested that the board pay the cost for or provide financial assistance for the installation of a grinder and connecting to the system. The property owner was unaware of the cost of equipment and connection, district policy regarding connection requirement, or funding regulations related to board activities. Jim Haney provided a historical and legal background for the project and district. After some discussion, the request was denied.
Other Items That May Come Before the Board
Jim Haney requested that DLZ be prepared to discuss the Engineering Agreement at the next meeting.
Public Q & A
None
Adjournment
Motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:32 was made by Jim Haney. The motion was seconded by Joe Cleland and was carried by the roll call vote of:
7 Yeas (Mitchell, Marcuccilli, Kurth, Haney, Smith, Cleland, DeWald)
0 Nays
0 Abstain
Parke Smith, Secretary