Meeting Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM by Jim Haney.
- Present: Jim Haney, Mike DeWald, Parke Smith, Sue Ann Mitchell, Bob Marcuccilli, Greg Mitchell
- Absent: Frank Kurth
Report of Meeting Notice
The meeting date and time were posted and advertised as required.
Approval of Previous Minutes
Parke Smith presented the June 19, 2019 regular meeting minutes and made a motion to approve. The motion was seconded by Mike DeWald, and on call of roll was carried by the vote:
6 Yeas 0 Nays 2 Abstain
Treasurers Report and Other Financial Matters:
Mike DeWald presented financial reports and commentary. Mike reported:
- Unmetered receipts were less than normal due to a shift in the calendar for collections.
- There was nothing unusual to report for expenditures.
- On August 1, 2019, the USDA will be drafting the LRSD account in the amount of approximately $400,000.
- Greg Mitchell made a motion to approve the Unaudited Schedule of Cash Receipts and Disbursements, the Monthly Analysis of Funds and Balances, Monthly Analysis of Cash Investment Accounts, and Monthly Analysis of Fund Balances. The motion was seconded by Sue Ann Mitchell, and on call of roll was carried by the vote:
6 Yeas 0 Nays 0 Abstain
Mike DeWald presented the Cash and Fund Balance Matrix, the Management Cash Budget, and the Monthly Claim Approval Form.
- Jim Haney had conducted an internal audit and fount that there were a few errors from the previous March through June reports, including items that had been paid, but not approved. Mike DeWald did some investigations as to how the mistakes occurred to prevent a reoccurrence.
- Jim Haney made a motion to submit a list to the LRSD Board with corrections and approval to make corresponding payments in the amount of $5,060.16. The motion was seconded by Parke Smith, and on call of roll was carried by the vote:
6 Yeas 0 Nays 0 Abstain
- Jim Haney made a motion to approve the Monthly Claim Approval Form and the list of bills paid after 6/19/19 in the amount of $60,467.19. The motion was seconded by Bob Marcuccilli, and on call of roll was carried by the vote:
6 Yeas 0 Nays 0 Abstain
Transition of Billing and Collection Services
There was a board conversation regarding the change in billing and collections services.
- General comments were positive regarding the smooth transition.
- There were a few small errors in ACH payments but have been corrected.
- The board may encourage additional electronic billing with ACH or e-check in the future.
- A question was raised as to how liens are appearing on monthly reports. Liens and balances are entered separately, but legered together – this practice will be monitored and may be adjusted as needed.
Engineering Update- DLZ
No one from DLZ was in attendance, as there were no action items.
Astbury Monthly Report
Matt Rippey was present and provided the updates from Astbury. Matt reported:
- Tiny Builders finished replacing the collars and adjusting the grade to the two manholes on EMS B45. Both manholes were lowered by replacing the original collar with four-inch traffic rated manholes collars. The old collars where retuned to the district. To finish up the project some additional lime stone was used to cover the manholes. Matt indicated that the homeowners seemed satisfied with the result.
- A delivery driver damaged a grinder station on EMS B74. A delivery driver from Everest Excavating was backing up between 51 and 49 EMS B74 when he drove over the corner of a grinder station. The lid as well as the tank wall were damaged. We are looking into a way to repair the grinder station tank. The tank manufacturer was contacted to see if there was a repair kit available but currently, they do not make one. We have looked into a few other methods to make this repair, but we have not settled on one yet. The board will need insurance information from the homeowner and/or delivery service. The board also directed Andy Boxberger to draft a written letter of notice of responsibility to the homeowner.
- As a part of the district’s preventative maintenance program the lift stations are to be cleaned on an annual basis. Last week lifts station 2 and 3 were cleaned. Lift station 1 will be scheduled for cleaning during a time of low flow. Cleaning the lift station wet well not only removes any material that may damage the pumps, but it also gives us an opportunity to inspect the pumps, cables and piping for any potential problems. During this project it was noted that lift station 2 did have an accumulation of grease in the wet well.
Property Owner Connection Status
Greg Gear reported that there are still 16 properties unconnected. Of those 16, 2 may attempt to connect (Gillespie, Marsh), and 4 are in tax sale. There was some discussion regarding potential solutions for the remaining 10-16 properties. It was noted that the next tax sale is 10/28/19.
Requests to have Failure to Connect Penalties Waived – Taylor
Property Owner Taylor (N 700E) requested that a portion of late fees and penalties be waived. The account is current, and the property owner has paid in excess of $5,000 in previous fees and penalties.
- The property owner claims he was under contract in time to avoid resumption of penalties in May. Written document was provided. Contractor mobilized onto the site prior to May 1.
- Due to weather conditions, the contractor was unable to complete the connection until May 15. Property owner asking for fees and penalties during May to be waived due to circumstance beyond his control.
- Jim Haney, noting that the property owner has already paid substantial fees and penalties, made a motion to rescind late fees and penalties for May (14 days) in the amount of $1,050. The motion was seconded by Parke Smith, and on call of roll was carried by the vote:
6 Yeas 0 Nays 0 Abstain
Rate Reduction Request – Clearwater MHP
This property owner is requesting a rate reduction for one unit.
- The property has been approved by the county for 33 lots.
- The property has already been granted rate reductions by LRSD for 7 lots (down to 26).
- The account is current and all appropriate paperwork has been submitted.
- An additional mobile home has been removed and the property owner is requesting a rate reduction for that lot.
- Evidence has not been provided to confirm that the connection has been terminated and capped.
- Jim Haney made a motion to table the request until proof of connection termination and capping has been provided. The motion was seconded by Sue Ann Mitchell, and on call of roll was carried by the vote:
6 Yeas 0 Nays 0 Abstain
- Greg Gear noted that LRSD has no established standard for disconnected markings at this time. Jim Haney suggested that Greg and Astbury create a standard for LRSD.
Other Items
- Andy Boxberger complimented the new table arrangement. Jim Haney recognized Sue Ann Mitchell for the suggestion.
- Greg Mitchell provided an update on the LRSD website redesign. Greg noted that a bill for the redesign work will be provided for the next claim approval cycle.
- Greg Mitchell noted that the Astbury webinar for the billing process was very good.
- Jim Haney noted that the USDA requires the LRSD to set aside improvement funding each month. Jim and Andy Boxberger looked into the requirements and limits. The fund is intended for replacement of office/facility items such as computers, trucks, etc., nothing noted for major system equipment replacements such as grinder pumps. Jim met with Greg Gear, Astbury, and Crane Barnes to determine an appropriate amount to plan for future replacements. Jim Haney may ask for a three-person committee (as well as representatives from Astbury, Crane Barnes, and DLZ) to make a recommendation to the board regarding the establishment of a future fund (similar to a capital improvement fund) to address long term replacement needs, such as grinders.
Public Q & A
Teresa Finley (22 B58)
- The property was sold in a tax sale in October of 2018.
- The original owner has passed away and the requester expects to receive ownership via estate transition by July 31, 2019.
- The inheriting property owner is trying to regain the property through the redemption process.
- The inheriting property owner cites health conditions as an extenuating circumstance and is living on disability payments.
- She has secured some funds and/or loans to pay for the grinder and installation but does not have enough funding to cover the liens and property taxes on the property.
- She is requesting that the LRSD liens be waived.
- The total amount due to satisfy the current obligations on the property are unclear.
- The board was unable to take action at this time, but suggested that she file a formal request to waive fees and penalties upon taking ownership of the property.
Adjournment
Motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:06 PM was made by Mike DeWald, seconded by Bob Marcuccilli, and on call of roll was carried by the vote:
6 Yeas 0 Nays 0 Abstain
Parke Smith, Secretary