The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM by Jim Haney.
- Present: Jim Haney, Joe Cleland, Emily Shipley, Mike DeWald, Parke Smith
- Absent: Bob Marcuccilli, Open Seat
Report of Meeting Notice
The meeting date and time were posted and advertised as required.
Public Comments
- Randy Cripe – B40E
- Property owner received an invoice for grinder pump damage and stated that the damage was pre-existing. Mr. Cripe provided pictures that showed damage to the grinder existed the month prior to his taking ownership of the property.
- Property owner asked for the damage charges to be rescinded.
- Larry – Lake Estates
- Property owner received an invoice for grinder pump damage. The property owner representative stated that the damage was the result of a tree falling on the grinder during a windstorm. The property owner representative provided pictures of the tree on the grinder and commented that the tree appeared to be healthy and that this was an act of God and he didn’t believe Lake Estates should be responsible for damages.
- Property owner asked for the damage charges to be rescinded.
- Jim Haney made a motion for the board to discuss the property owner requests and provide a response. The motion was seconded by Mike DeWald and was carried by the voice vote of:
- 5 Yeas
- 0 Nays
- 0 Abstain
- After discussing the request regarding the grinder damage at B40E, Joe Cleland made a motion to rescind the damage assessment as requested. The motion was seconded by Emily Shipley and was carried by the voice vote of:
- 4 Yeas
- 1 Nays
- 0 Abstain
- After discussing the request regarding the grinder damage at Lake Estates, Joe Cleland made a motion to rescind the damage assessment as requested. The motion was seconded by Emily Shipley and was carried by the voice vote of:
- 4 Yeas
- 1 Nays
- 0 Abstain
Approval of Previous Minutes
- Parke Smith presented the September 22, 2022, Regular Meeting minutes and made a motion to approve as submitted. The motion was seconded by Joe Cleland and was carried by the voice vote of:
- 5 Yeas
- 0 Nays
- 0 Abstain
Treasurers Report and Other Financial Matters
- Mike DeWald reviewed the Cash and Fund Balance Matrix and noted that there were minimal changes and a balance of $2,283,441. No action is required for this document.
- Mike also reviewed the Management Cash Budget. Mike noted:
- This report represents approximately two-thirds of the budget cycle.
- There was a positive cash flow of $5,228 YTD at 9/30, which is almost $34K behind budget.
- Maintenance costs were $33K over budget through 9/30 (line 201 YTD).
- The budget appears to be on track, with the exception maintenance costs.
- No action is required for this document.
- Mike then presented the Unaudited Schedule of Cash Receipts and Disbursements, as prepared by O.W. Krohn and Associates. Jim Haney made a motion to approve the Unaudited Schedule of Cash Receipts and Disbursements, Monthly Analysis of Fund Balances, and Monthly Analysis of Cash and Investment Accounts as presented. The motion was seconded by Parke Smith and was carried by the voice vote of:
- 5 Yeas
- 0 Nays
- 0 Abstain
- Mike presented the monthly Claim Approval Form for a total of $207,681.75. Mike noted that this is a significantly higher amount than usual and that the majority of the increase can be attributed to costs associated with increasing inventory and the shift to quarterly reconciliation payments to Astbury to replenish maintenance funds. Mike DeWald made the motion to approve the Monthly Claims, seconded by Parke Smith and was carried by the voice vote of:
- 5 Yeas
- 0 Nays
- 0 Abstain
- Mike DeWald also made a motion to transfer $200K from the asset replacement fund to the operation and maintenance fund. The motioned was seconded by Emily Shipley and was carried by the voice vote of:
- 5 Yeas
- 0 Nays
- 0 Abstain
Rate Study
- Jeff Rowe was present and provided an overview of the rate study conducted by Baker Tilly. Jeff shared that the study compared current fund balances against required and recommended balances and that budget baseline costs were considered from the 2023 budget. The proposal recommended that the board consider a slight rate increase that could be implemented immediately, or over a period of years.
- The board will consider the recommendations to identify rate changes and develop a plan to meet public hearing requirements for a potential roll-out of new rates for the start of the 2023 year.
Independent Contractors Committee Update
- Bob Marcuccilli was not present, so Jim Haney provided an update on the maintenance agreement negotiations. Jim noted that a request for proposal from two companies other than Astbury received no response and that there was agreement in principle between Astbury and the LRSD.
- Jim Haney made a motion for the board to authorize the committee to work with Carson to finalize language for the proposal. The motion was seconded by Joe Cleland and was carried by the voice vote of:
- 5 Yeas
- 0 Nays
- 0 Abstain
Astbury Monthly Report
- Tom Astbury presented the monthly report.
- General Operations
- Effluent metrics were unavailable this month.
- Influent metrics all fell within acceptable rates.
- Corrective maintenance
- Digester pump #2 is at Reed Electric for repair. Repair is expected to be completed and the unit reinstalled in the next several weeks. In the meantime, the district is operating off pump #1 with no issues.
- The new refrigeration unit for the influent composite sampler has been received.
- The effluent composite sampler has also been rebuilt. These units will be placed back in service shortly.
- Franke Environmental was onsite October 11 for the prior-approved repair project on the influent flow meter. The flow output is currently being monitored to verify that everything is operating as it should.
- The influent auger and screen are operational. Astbury is considering different gear oil and grease blends to use on the unit to resolve an oil leak issue. This is a top priority as this unit is now out of service.
- Preventative Maintenance
- Preventative Maintenance was performed as required on infrastructure and equipment that comprises the LRSD treatment system, including WWTP, lift station equipment, and collection system low pressure sanitary system (LPSS).
- Special Projects
- Voltage Control Transformers: On Monday October 10, the voltage control transformers were installed in the panels at lift station #2 and #3. Tom noted that Lift Station #1 has had no issues since installation.
- On-Site Pump Testing: Pump station is not yet up and running. The control panel will need to be rewired to operate without float switches.
- Drum scrubbers: Awaiting delivery of the drum scrubbers for lift stations #2 and #3. The last update is that they will be delivered later this month. The scrubbers will be installed by Astbury and will generate significant cost savings for the district.
- Future Projects
- Customer Education Pamphlets/Control Panel Stickers: Tom Astbury researched customer educational material from other districts and grinder pump manufacturers and is working on a draft to present to the LRSD Board for discussion.
- Issues for Discussion
- Lift Station #1: Repair of pump #1 in lift station #1 was completed. The unit was re-installed on Tuesday, October 4. A spare pump for this lift station has also been ordered, and the arrival date is estimated in late 2022 or early 2023. This new pump will be installed immediately upon receipt to take advantage of the warranty.
- Grinder Station Destruction: Greg Gear noted that 2 letters have been sent to the property owner regarding current use and availability. The board directed Greg to pursue repairs immediately and to coordinate pumping as needed on the grinder station at 328 EMS B1 which was destroyed by fire on August 23.
- Conversion to New Grinder Pump Design:
- Josh Denlinger, Dan Fox, Jim Haney, and Greg Gear met with Gasvoda and Crane (Barnes) on September 28 to discuss issues with adopting new style Barnes pumps.
- On September 30 Astbury personnel met with a Gasvoda representative for training on rewiring the panels to work with the new style Barnes pumps. The consensus was that the representative, though efficient, was not very helpful.
- Given the challenges of this proposed conversion and associated costs, the board directed DLZ to provide a list of other potential vendors so that other options can be considered.
Engineering Update-Jellystone Campground/Ferric Chloride Project-DLZ
- Bill Boyle reported that Casey Erwin is working on the proposal and anticipates completion in November. Bill also reported that Jelleystone will need guidance as to the feasibility and potential plan to route to the wastewater treatment plant by March 2023.
- Bill also reported that the Ferric Chloride Project plan will be completed by next week and will then be sent out to multiple contractors for response.
Letter/Questionnaire for Commercial Properties
- Greg Gear provided an update. Greg noted that 7 of the 8 surveys were returned. Based on the surveys, the board discussed/determined the following:
- The Barbee Hotel has not returned the survey and have been unresponsive to additional outreach. The board directed Greg Gear to follow-up with a certified letter to the property owner which will include a response deadline date of November 4 and notice of potential fines.
- Log Cabins on Kuhn increased from 6 to 8 connections (0.66 EDU Change). These additions occurred earlier in the year without the required permits. As a result, the property owners will be invoiced for the cost of the permit (and will need to complete the permit process), as well as the increase in rate, effective January 1, 2023.
- Lake Life reported an increase of seats from 225 to 312 (noting that the additions were all exterior seating), resulting in an increased EDU rate of 8.7. The board noted that the stated seat total was inconsistent with a Lak Life public sales flyer for the property which indicated that the property could seat up to 421. The board directed Greg Gear to contact Lake Life for more information regarding the discrepancy. The rate change will be effective as of January 1, 2023.
- Moorings Campground reported a reduction from 24 sites to 20 sites. The ordinance is based on county approved sites, not occupied sites, so there may be some misunderstanding by the property owner as to the request in the survey. The board directed Greg Gear to follow-up with the property owner for clarification and to inform them of the potential eligibility of a rate reduction for unoccupied sites.
Monthly Connection Report
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- Four properties remain unconnected.
- There were no new construction/rebuild permit requests.
- Andy Boxberger of Carson provided an update on the properties recommended for tax sale. One property has been abandoned, and the other property is occupied, but the property owner does not have sufficient funds to connect.
Other Matters That May Come Before the Board
- Joe Cleland introduced Rosa Ritchie as a potential candidate to fill the open seat vacated by Frank Kurth. The board decided to have each board member reach out directly to Rosa to schedule a time to meet to discuss her candidacy.
Adjournment
- Motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:36 pm was made by Parke Smith. The motion was seconded by Joe Cleland and was carried by the voice vote of:
- 5 Yeas
- 0 Nays
- 0 Abstain
Parke Smith, Secretary