Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-05-14 BOWC MINBOARD OF WATER COMMISSIONERS MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020 (VIA ZOOM - DUE TO COVID-19) 204 Third Street N Stillwater, MN 55082 651-439-6231 President Speedling called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. Present: Commissioners Vania, Jensen, and President Speedling Councilmember Polehna Absent: None Staff Present: Board Manager Benson Supervisor of Distribution Tibbetts APPROVAL OF AGENDA President Speedling requested that the following be added to the agenda: • Shut Off Notices • COVID-19 Update - Cleaning Office • Joint Powers Agreement Bayport and/or Oak Park Heights Commissioner Vania requested that the following be added to the agenda: • Salary Percentage differences from last year • Well #6 Bid • Rate Increase • BeeHive update - June Meeting • Quarterly Utility Repair - June Meeting Motion by President Speedling, seconded by Commissioner Vania to approve the agenda with additions. All in favor. APPROVAL OF BOARD MEETING MINUTES Motion by President Speedling, seconded by Commissioner Jensen to approve the April 9, 2020 minutes. All in favor. APPROVAL RESOLUTION NO. 1543, DIRECTING PAYMENT OF BILLS President Speedling asked for an update on the refund to Kim and Scott Bracey in the amount of $1,251.97. Mr. Benson stated that the resident had set up autopay for quarterly, but were paying monthly on their bill. He notified them, however before they were able to investigate and change the information, more money was paid therefore, they are receiving another refund. He felt that the issue has been resolved now. Board of Water Commissioners May 14, 2020 President Speedling asked what was Cities Digital. Mr. Benson responded that is the department's Laserfiche software that retains permeant records such as the curb cards for each property and the Water Board minutes etc., which is an annual charge. Motion by Commissioner Vania, seconded by President Speedling to adopt Resolution 1543, directing payment of bills. All in favor. SUPERVISOR OF DISTRIBUTION REPORT Supervisor of Distribution Tibbetts provided an update on the broken main that was repaired at 119 E. Cherry Street which was indicated on the Leak Survey and reported that in shutting down the valve the valve failed and that they will have to have an insertion valve installed. They know it is still leaking and are working on that. He stated that the 3rd and Churchill is another valve that will have to be done this summer. Mr. Benson responded that the 3rd and Churchill has been capped off and is not leaking. Mr. Tibbetts stated spring cleanup has commenced and the irrigation systems will be activated and checked to ensure they are working correctly. Starting to mark 2020 Street Project which is the Greeley Street North area between Myrtle and Linden as well as a section of Williams Street North and 4th Street between Laurel and Wilkins Streets. Lily Lake tank grounds have been restored after Sprint did a radio tower rehabilitation. Mr. Tibbetts stated that he would check today if the contractor has removed the antenna etc. Commissioner Vania asked if a hydrant with a red plastic bag means it is on order to be replaced. Mr. Tibbetts responded in the affirmative and the hydrant on Owens and Rice will be replaced when Washington County's project happens next year. He checked with the Fire Department to make sure it would not interfere with their operations. WELL #9 GENERATOR & WILKINS STREET PRESSURE REDUCING VALVE UPDATE - MATT ELLINGSON T.K.D.A Mr. Matt Ellingson of T.K.D.A. stated he is requesting permission to advertisement for bids for the Well #9 Generator & Wilkins Street Pressure Reducing Valve projects. He provided the board with updated costs which is $322,000. He stated that the reason for the increased costs is the recommendation to upsize the transformer for the generator, generator costs have increased, replacement of driveways on both sides of the well house and increase in T.K.D.A. services costs. It is T.K.D.A.'s intent to bring the bids to the Water Board meeting in July for approval. Commissioner Vania asked Mr. Benson if this will help the department's performance and be stable. Mr. Benson stated that he did provide an update at the April meeting and that costs have increased in all aspects of the project. He stated that this work would defiantly help the department. President Speedling asked if the costs would be lower if done later due to the present conditions. Mr. Ellison responded that he did not think costs would be reduced because contractors are still busy. Page 2 of 7 Board of Water Commissioners May 14, 2020 Mr. Benson stated that this work will help feed the middle from the high systems with the installation of the pressure reducing valve on Fourth Street North. President Speedling inquired about any mitigation items that could be discussed because this project has taken longer than expected. He also asked for Mr. Benson's recommendation. Mr. Ellingson stated that he was directed to work with his clients regarding delays to projects as they have not been able to work as efficiently because of the pandemic. Mr. Benson felt the project should move forward and that any savings, if there are any, would be minimal to the entire project. Commissioner Vania felt it should be a 50/50 split on the consultant increase than what was estimated. He was interested in just splitting the costs on the inefficiency caused by the pandemic. Mr. Ellingson again reviewed the costs that increased the project. Councilmember Polehna asked why are these costs added now, rather than at the time of the estimate of costs. Mr. Polehna informed the Board that the City may be short on funds due to possible lack of State Aid - he cautioned the Board to keep track of these costs. Mr. Ellingson responded that the original costs are determined at a high-level determination because a more detailed determination is not done at that time such as the size of the generator based on the well motor start etc. Commissioner Jensen asked for a reminder how this project will be paid for. Mr. Benson stated that the money will come from the Water Department General Fund. He stated that the money is dedicated for this project and the overage can be covered as well. She raised concern on the 30% increase. Mr. Ellingson stated that they try to be very conservative on their estimates for equipment such as the generator they put a 30% contingency, even though he has not seen that much of an increase on equipment. As the engineer of the project they do not want to be the low bidder of the project. He also stated during this time, projects that are being worked on now has kept people employed which benefits owners, consultants, and the contractors. Commissioner Vania stated his main concern was the ability to have backup for the water system. Mr. Ellingson stated that next year they will be working on Risk and Resilience of a Water System mandated by the EPA that all water systems will have to review their risks (cyber, security, and physical standpoints). They look at systems to increase redundancy and reduce exposure to provide safe water. Motion by Commissioner Vania, seconded by President Speedling to approve the T.K.D.A. cost proposal dated May 12, 2020, authorize advertisement for bids, and directing staff to mitigate costs associated with delay (COVID) to reduce the T.K.D.A. consultant increase. All in favor. Mr. Ellingson provided an update on the 4th Street Pressure Reducing Valve project. He stated that the project is under the State requirement of $150,000 for advertising for bids, therefore they will solicit a quotation from a minimum of three contractors. It will be coordinated with the City in their street improvement project to reduce street restoration costs for this project. Estimate $7,000 for T.K.D.A. construction services. He Page 3 of 7 Board of Water Commissioners May 14, 2020 would bring the quotes back to the Board and be completed in cooperation with the City street improvement project. Motion by Commissioner Vania, seconded President Speedling to approve T.K.D.A. cost proposal dated May 12, 2020 and authorize the obtaining of quotes for the project. All in favor. COMMUNITY EDUCATION (INFOGRAPHIC) AND WEBSITE COMMISSIONER JENSEN Commissioner Jensen stated that she was unable to get as much done as needed to have web designer present the new website for the Board review. She requested that this item be put on the June meeting. PAY EQUITY REPORT Mr. Benson reviewed the Pay Equity Report which is reviewed every three years to determine that the pay scale is still coordinated with positions of the same class (men/women). He continued that the information is taken from the Flaherty & Hood Classification Study. He will bring the report to the June meeting for formal approval. Councilmember Polehna left the meeting at 8:47 a.m. SAFE WATER COMMISSION - SMART CONTROLLER PROGRAM Mr. Benson provided information from the Safe Water Commission that hopes to keep the program moving forward. They are asking to send out more flyers because it was not in the City newsletter. They are considered essential workers. Mr. Benson continued that the flyer would cost approximately $1.00 per flyer. Mr. Benson stated everyone who completed the survey would be getting the letter and did not feel it needed to go in the City newsletter. Commissioner Vania was supportive of the letter and the insertion in the City newsletter. Commissioner Jensen felt that the direct letter would be the most efficient, but expressed concern that it comes from the Safe Water Commission rather than the Board of Water Commissioners. Use verbiage about the partnership from the backflow letter that was sent. It should come from both organizations. Logos should be included on the envelope and the letter. Commissioner Vania agreed. Motion by President Speedling, seconded by Commissioner Vania approving $1,000 for the mailing and that Mr. Benson and Rick from Safe Water Commission work on the appropriate language with the letter to be sent to the Board for editing/review prior to mailing. All in favor. SAFE WATER COMMISSION - PRESIDENT SPEEDLING President Speedling reviewed his experience on the process and was impressed on the follow through and the report that was given to him. He stated that his only concern was that it could ultimately cost him a lot of money to fix by adding zones to his property based on the recommendation. Commissioner Vania said they should not be promoting systems, just recommendations. President Speedling was impressed with the phone application. He did state he is looking forward to saving money, and overall, he was impressed. Page 4 of 7 Board of Water Commissioners May 14, 2020 It was the consensus of the Board that Mr. Benson reiterate to the Safe Water Commission that the report/recommendations should be used as an education tool if the resident should replace their system. This should not make people feel they should upcharge a system because it will not legitimize what the Board is trying to do with this program. Commissioner Jensen stated that maybe during the permit process it would be the time to tell the resident what type of system they should have. Mr. Benson felt that it was not the Boards place to tell residents what type of system they must have. He reminded the Board that the program was only for systems installed prior to 2016 or 2017. Commissioner Vania explained his system to the Board. President Speedling stated that his water consumption would be down to 50,000 gallons with a savings of $118.00 over 24 weeks with no upcharges. He will send his report to the Board members. STILLWATER LAKES - BRIDGEWATER WAY 4" WATER SERVICES Mr. Benson provided a history of the service installation (4" service and 1 1/2" service) at Stillwater Lakes on Bridgewater Way. Mr. Benson has conveyed to Stillwater Lakes that the department will set one meter for each of the smaller buildings and bill the association and they would have to split the bill for the individual units. He stated he has not heard back from Stillwater Lakes on this issue. Mr. Benson stated that his main concern is that through design changes they will not be using the 4" services that were going to be used for fire protection to the smaller properties. The service is stubbed to the property and laid but not going to be used. Stillwater Lakes wants to leave it abandoned where it is. According to a resolution adopted in 2006, the Water Board determined that any abandon services will be abandoned at the water main and cap the "T". This means they would have to dig up the road and repair the road to do that. He is concerned that should the 4" services be left as is the Water Department may be held responsible for the maintenance or removal of those services in the future. Commissioner Vania recommended that the direction of the Board be done in writing and that the Water Department is not responsible for the abandon pipe beyond the "T" of the main. Motion by President Speedling, seconded by Commissioner Vania that the 4" service shall be capped at the main according to the Resolution passed in 2006 and written correspondence shall be sent to the corporation notifying them that any abandoned services from the main to the buildings is not owned by or the responsibility of the Stillwater Water Department. All in favor. COVID-19 UPDATE - CLEANING OFFICE Mr. Benson stated that he has received a cleaning quote from City-wide with different options to a full building cleaning depending upon what they must do. He informed the Board that he does not need approval at this time, but will be available should the need arise. Page 5 of 7 Board of Water Commissioners May 14, 2020 Mr. Benson stated that masks are being used. If there is two people in the office, they are wearing masks, but not wearing them at their work stations according to CDC guidelines. He provided what is available in the trucks and in the office such as hand sanitizers etc. He stated that plastic barriers will be installed like what has been done in grocery stores etc. He continued by stating that he has arranged with the Public Works Director for backup to do the well house rounds should the need arise. He stated that the department's current phone system does not have the ability for dialing in then out, however the City could help the Library and Water Department in this area if needed for working from home. They have two laptops which Tracy or he can use if they work from home. SHUT OFF NOTICES They are not issuing shut-off notices as recommended by the Department of Health. JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT Mr. Benson stated that he talked to City Administrator McCarty regarding a joint powers agreement and he was going to reach out to City Administrator Johnson on this issue and he has not heard anything back at this time. He reminded the Board that this option was offered to Oak Park Heights at the time of the bridge construction and they chose not to go in that direction. Commissioner Jensen asked about the property south of 36 and Manning. He stated that the land is in Stillwater Township and provided the Board with the proposed layout of the water loop and then install under Highway 36 for that property. He has been working with the Public Works Director and T.K.D.A. on the two lines for the property. SALARY PERCENTAGE DIFFERENCES FROM LAST YEAR Commissioner Vania questioned the Water AD which is 40% and he was expecting 30% and the power usage was low. He questioned why it was low. Mr. Benson stated there are two billing cycles in the numbers. Commissioner Vania questioned the 41% in salaries and last year was 32% in salaries. Mr. Benson responded that the 41% includes Ms. Knowles' wages for one month and her severance. WELL #6 BIDS Mr. Benson stated that the well has been tested. After the test it was recommended to replace the pump as there was nothing observed to cause the pump issue. He stated that the pump is smaller and runs all day. This pump was rebuilt 7 years ago which is less than anticipated. He will get quotes for the pump rehab but it is recommended not to do pump rehab this time of year, it is better to do in the winter. RATE INCREASE Commissioner Vania asked that the rate increase will be discussed at the June meeting. He would like to know revenue lost and the amount received so far. Mr. Benson stated that it was the consensus postpone the rate increase until the pandemic lessens. President Speedling felt a monthly update would be good to have. Page 6 of 7 Board of Water Commissioners May 14, 2020 WELL #8 Mr. Benson stated that the work is on hold for Well #8 until the security plan was done and whether a camera would be placed. Mr. Benson will contact the contractor to see if the bid price would still be valid if the work is done in September. Commissioner Vania would like an update at the June meeting. BEEHIVE UPDATE - JUNE MEETING (FROM MARCH 4, 2020 MEMO) Commissioner Vania asked that this item and James be at the June meeting and if any of the recommendations were done. Commissioner Vania will provide Mr. Benson with the March 4th memo. QUARTERLY UTILITY REPAIR - JUNE MEETING Mr. Benson stated that with pandemic, this has been pushed back. The request for quotes for utility repairs have not been sent out to contractors. Commissioner Vania asked that this item be put on the June meeting. Mr. Benson responded that he will do his best to get the information done for the June meeting. He stated that the company must have the capability and response time to do the work. NEXT MEETING DATE Next regular meeting is June 11, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. Commissioner Vania felt there should be an organization meeting on May 29, 2020 and confirm the meeting date. Mr. Benson stated that the Board will be getting the information the same time the City Council is. ADJOURNMENT Motion by President Speedling, seconded by Commissioner Vania to adjourn at 10:03 a.m. All in favor. ATTEST: R0U- Aive_ov Robert G. Benson, Board Manager Steve Speei` , President Page 7 of 7