Board of Water and Sewage Commissioners
Monday, December 10, 2007, 12:00 P.M.

PRESENT: Paul Adamski, Eugene Tubbs, Mae Nachman, Jim Cooper and Carl Rasmussen.

ALSO PRESENT: Kim Halverson, Eric Niffenegger, Joel Lemke, Brenda Thomas, Rob Molski, Jaime Zdroik, and Angel Gebeau of Earth Tech.

Index of these Minutes:

I. ADMINISTRATION
1. Approval of minutes of the November 12, 2007 meeting.
2. Introduction of our new Conveyance Systems Manager Rob Molski.
II. ACCOUNTING
3. Consideration of claims for the Water and Sewage Departments.
4. Consideration and action on Capital Improvements, Operation, Maintenance and Expense Schedules for the Water and Wastewater Departments.
5. Approval to borrow 1.2 million for sanitary sewer projects.
III. WATER OPERATIONS
6. Report on water distribution operations.
7. Report on water supply operations.
8. Report on Patch Street building demolitions.
9. Update on S.E.H. projects.
IV. SEWAGE TREATMENT OPERATIONS
10. Report on sewage treatment operations.
V. ADJOURNMENT

The next Water and Sewage Commission meeting will be January 14th, 2008.

I. ADMINISTRATION

1. Approval of minutes of the November 12, 2007 meeting.

Motion made by Mae Nachman, seconded by Eugene Tubbs to approve the minutes of the November 12, 2007 Water & Sewage Commission meeting with the following change on Item 2, Page 3 to now state; "We will also be replacing the infrastructure on Plover Street from Shaurette St. to Ellis St. and a small section of Shaurette St. from Division Street to Pine Street."

Ayes all. Nays none. Motion carried.

2. Introduction of our new Conveyance Systems Manager.

Kim welcomed Rob Molski as our new Conveyance Systems Manager. He and Kim will be in charge of the new sewer crew starting January 1st, 2008.

II. ACCOUNTING

3. Consideration of claims for the Water and Sewage Treatment Utilities.

Paul Adamski presented the statement of claims for the Water Utility for November. The balance as of November 1, 2007 was $1,704,800.49; the bank deposits recorded in November 2007 were $1,055,200.29. Checks issued since the November 12th, 2007 meeting numbered 41783 through 41812 were in the amount of $164,275.13. Checks numbered 41813 through 41845 for $30,131.60 were presented for action on December 10th, 2007. The net balance on hand December 10th, 2007 was $2,465,046.80.

Motion made by Eugene Tubbs, seconded by Carl Rasmussen to approve the water utility claims for the months of November 2007 as audited and read.

Ayes all. Nays none. Motion carried.

Kim commended office staff for their hard work to get the dollar amount placed on the property tax roll lower than last year's total.

Paul Adamski also presented the statement of claims for the Sewage Treatment Utility for November. The balance as of November 1, 2007 was $2,123,390.76; the bank deposits recorded in November 2007 were $155,460.35. Checks issued since the November 12th, 2007 meeting numbered 25883 through 25897 were in the amount of $34,053.25. Checks numbered 25898 through 25915 for $31,918.85 were presented for action on December 10th, 2007. The net balance on hand December 10th, 2007 was $2,118,352.52.

Motion made by Jim Cooper, seconded by Mae Nachman to approve the sewage utility claims for the month of November 2007 as audited and read.

Ayes all. Nays none. Motion carried.

4. Consideration and action on Capital Improvements, Operation, Maintenance and Expense Schedules for the Water and Wastewater Departments.

WATER DEPARTMENT

Kim explained the 2007 expenditures were provided to the Commission to show history of what has been spent in the past.

Kim is requesting all items listed on the 2008 Capital Operations and Maintenance Plan for the Water Department be approved except for the S.E.H. Project Recommendation in the amount of $3,000,000 as the report and recommendations are not complete but should be available in January 2008.

The water main projects are estimated amounts. Those projects will have to be bid out.

Quotes were received for the roof replacements; the least expensive quote was taken for each.

The training and education expenses are estimated at $25,000 every year. Last year's training amount was less than that at $19,714.03.. We ask for the amount not to exceed the $25,000. If for some reason we would be getting to that limit we would come back to the Commission. The same amount has been set for computer software upgrades, equipment and training. The $10,000 limit under the computer breakdown is included in the $25,000. A list of all training and education participants was provided to the Commission for 2007.

Paul requested the previous two years info be added as an additional column to the Capital Operations and Maintenance Plan in the future.

Kim explained that the Engineering Department did a study of the streets and they have a list of what streets are in need of repair. Instead of the projects being driven by what streets are in need of repair like it has been in the past, the projects will be driven by what mains need to be repaired or replaced.

Motion made by Eugene Tubbs, seconded by Carl Rasmussen to approve the 2008 Capital Operations and Maintenance Plan for the Water Department as follows: 4th Avenue Water Main Project $449,489; Plover Street Water Main Project $240,400; Shaurette Street Water Main Project $140,146; Well 6 Roof Replacement $4,429; Well 7 Roof Replacement $4,429; Well 8 Roof Replacement $4,429; Well 9 Roof Replacement $10,756; Well 5 Roof Replacement $7,379; Booster Station Roof Replacement $7,300; Data Closet Build $2,802; Horizontal Cat 6 Cabling to basement data closet $3,720; Training/Education $25,000 and Computer software upgrades, equipment, and training $25,000.

Ayes all. Nays none. Motion carried.

SEWER DEPARTMENT

Kim stated last year's training and education expenses were set at $10,000 but this year the amount was increased to $15,000 due to the four new employees. Last years training and education expenses were set at $10,000 and ended up only being $8,722.41.

Paul requested that Brenda provide the Commission with how much it adds to an average customer's water & sewer bill for employee training.

Kim is requesting all items listed on the 2008 Capital Operations and Maintenance Plan for the Sewer Department be approved except for the Aeration Blower Replacement. The Fremont Street Sanitary Sewer Project was added to the 2008 Capital Operations and Maintenance Plan because it is very poor condition. The road and the water main are also in need of repair on Fremont St. Neither the Water Department nor the City have money budgeted to redo Fremont Street. This will have to be postponed until 2010 but we would like to at least do some repairs to the sewer main and are looking into that at this time.

Kim would like approval to build the new storage garage but would bring the item back with costs after it is approved and bid.

Paul requested someone from staff at City Hall attend next month's meeting or let the Commissioners know what equipment will fill the old garage once the new one is built.

Motion made by Jim Cooper, seconded by Carl Rasmussen to approve the 2008 Capital Operations and Maintenance Plan for the Sewer Department as follows: 4th Avenue Sanitary Sewer Project $412,824; Plover Street Sanitary Sewer Project $222,689; Shaurette Street Sanitary Sewer Project $128,618; Fremont Street (Estimate Needed); Copier Replacement $2,300; LW Allen SCADA System Computer Work $10,000; UV Building Window Replacement $2,500; Influent Garage Door Replacement $3,600; New DAF Flow Meter $5,000; DAF Roof Replacement $9,588; New Storage Garage $200,000; and Training & Education Expenses $15,000.

Ayes all. Nays none. Motion carried.

5. Approval to borrow 1.2 million for sanitary sewer projects.

Kim explained this item is actually going to the Finance Committee tonight. This would be needed to cover the amounts approved under the 2008 Capital Improvements and Maintenance Plan.
Paul asked how this would impact the average sewer bill for the customers. Kim stated we won't know this information until the rate review has been completed.

Kim also stated it will be likely we will have to borrow at least this much annually until our large Clean Water Fund Loan is paid up four years from now.

The 1.2 million would include the sewer main projects plus the new garage and maintenance to some manholes.

Motion made by Carl Rasmussen, seconded by Eugene Tubbs to approve borrowing 1.2 million for sanitary sewer projects.

Ayes all. Nays none. Motion carried.

III. WATER OPERATIONS

6. Report on water distribution operations.

The report was distributed.

A total of 25 valves were operated in 2007.

A total of 0 business properties have been checked for backflow preventors in November 2007 for a total of 59 in 2007.

7. Report on water supply operations.

Our pumpage in November was 157,276,000 gallons, a decrease of 15,289,000 gallons of water from November 2006.

Kim stated pumpage is down again. Stora Enso in November became very close to being billed for not having enough usage per contract. We will be discussing this with Stora Enso and will be having the meter tested also.

8. Report on Patch Street building demolitions.

Kim saved the Water Department $5,800 dollars on the demolitions through negotiations and splitting the work between two companies. The demolitions will be completed by the end of the year.

9. Update on S.E.H. projects.

Kim explained there was an accident at the lab where the sampling was being done. Two water bottles were broken and now sampling results have been delayed. This is one of the reasons Pat Planton of S.E.H. will not be able to provide us with their recommendations until January's meeting.

IV. SEWAGE TREATMENT OPERATIONS

10. Report on sewage treatment operations.

Eric stated everything is running well at the plant. Phosphorus levels are up slightly yet but the levels should decline next month. The levels are still under permit limits.

B.O.D. (4.01 ppm), Phosphorus (1.23 ppm) and Suspended Solid (4.32 ppm) limits were met for the month of November 2007.

The next Water & Sewage Commission meeting will be January 14th, 2008 at noon.

V. ADJOURNMENT

Motion made by Mae Nachman to adjourn the meeting.

Ayes all. Nays none. Motion carried.

MEETING ADJOURNED
12:48 p.m.

BOARD OF WATER AND SEWAGE COMMISSIONERS
EUGENE TUBBS, SECRETARY

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