Opening Prayer – Mr. Norris opened the meeting with a prayer.

Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting – Mr. Keber made a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes from the February 16, 2012 meeting and approve the same. This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.

Accept Resignation of Bob Harris from Board of Directors -The Board reluctantly accepted Mr. Harris’ resignation due to health problems, toasting him with sparkling water.

Each member of the Board thanked Mr. Harris for the great job he has done while serving the citizens of Butts County on the Authority Board, wished him luck and told him that he would be missed.

Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting – Mr. Harris made a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes from the March 13, 2012 meeting and approve the same. This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously.

Septage Receiving Presentation – Rick McKenzie, Wells Septic – Rick McKenzie explained the pretreatment process for a facility that he is proposing to be built on the Authority’s wastewater treatment site. It was suggested that the Authority might be able to lease an area for the facility to Wells Septic.

Mr. McKenzie agreed to hire Mike Lott of Rindt-McDuff engineering to review the feasibility of siting the facility at the abandoned original influent station at Bucksnort Ranch LAS.

A print out of the presentation slides from Wells Septic is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Jackson Lake Sewer Study Presentation – Mike Lott, Rindt-McDuff - Mike Lott went over the study done by Rindt-McDuff Associates to evaluate the costs to provide a centralized sewage collection system for the Lake Jackson area of Butts County, Georgia. The estimated total cost for a sewage collection system would be $26,471,500. This price does not include sewage treatment. Board members quickly determined that this would not be financially feasible.

A copy of the Lake Jackson Sewer Study is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Manager’s Report

Update on Construction Projects and Grants

• Hwy. 16 Sewer – Pipe installation is nearly complete on the west phase of the project. Due to vendor claims against the contractor, funds now being processed through a third party escrow agent.
• Hwy. 36 Sewer – Manhole sections have been sealed with hydraulic cement. Pipe cleaning is underway.
• Burford Ground Storage Tank Rehabilitation – The project is one month behind the original completion schedule, but is anticipated to be finished this week.
• Crew – The Authority’s crew has installed pipe on the first section of Singley Road and throughout “Hangar Road”, tying back into Woody Road.  Hay baling underway at Bucksnort Land Application System. Other small projects include raising water valves on Bibb Station Road and a hydrant extension at the Worthville Fire Station.
• Taps Sold – Six taps were sold on the existing system during March, with one tap for project under construction.

Operations Report

Water billing for March 2012 was down 17% from February 2012 at $170,149, and down 3% from March 2011 with a total customer base of 5,259 and an active customer base of 4,658. Sewer billing for March 2012 was down 27% from February2012 at $26,234, and down 12% from March 2011 with a total customer base of 129 and an active customer base of 121.

The average daily finished water pumped in March 2012 to the Authority, Jackson and Jenkinsburg from the Burford and Stewart plants was 1.9 MGD, with a maximum of 2.2 MGD. The rolling 12-month average loss was 10.4% with the current monthly average loss of 22.1%. The total amount of finished water pumped in March 2012 per plant was: Burford – 54 MG; Stewart – 6 MG. The average wastewater influent at the Bucksnort Ranch LAS was .148 with an average daily effluent of .251/.550 MGD and a maximum 7-day effluent of .329/.550 MGD.

Ms. Seleb advised the Board that there has been a 30% drop in usage from Ready Pac since January 2012 at 5,864,000 gallons to 3,490,000 this month.

Financial Report – Ms. Seleb went over the financial summary for Water & Sewer Operations and SPLOST through March 2012. Finances are within budget thus far for FY 2012. Copies of these financial summaries are attached and made a part of these minutes.

Review Bills Paid – Board members reviewed check registers and credit card statements for the month of March 2012. Copies of the check registers and credit card statements are attached and made a part of these minutes.

Adjourn – A motion was made by Mr. Keber to adjourn meeting at 7:15 p.m. This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.

Opening Prayer – Mr. Norris opened the meeting with a prayer.

Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting – Mr. Keber made a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes from the February 16, 2012 meeting and approve the same. This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.

Water Distribution Model Presentation by Woodward & Curran – Jennifer Suttles and Lorraine Campagne explained that the objectives of the Water Distribution Model were to develop a well-calibrated, representative hydraulic model in order to identify the areas of low pressure, areas not meeting recommended minimum fire flows, and areas with potential water quality issues due to water age. Specific recommended improvements included looping lines, additional storage, and operational changes, such as allowing tanks to fill and empty to a greater extent. The probable cost of recommended improvements totaled $4,399,000.

Ms. Suttles and Ms. Campagne excused themselves from the meeting at 6:35 p.m.

Copies of the slides used to illustrate the Water Distribution Model and a table of recommended improvements with probable costs are attached and made a part of these minutes.

Manager’s Report

Update on Construction Projects and Grants

Hwy. 16 Sewer – The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has given Jones General Contracting permission to restart; work started back on Monday, March 12, 2012.

No agreement was reached with Great American Travel Center on the required bond needed to draw funds from the Employment Incentive Program (EIP) grant for the east portion of this project. Representatives of the Butts County Board of Commissioners have met with staff of the Department of Community Affairs and agreed to give EIP grant back to the State.

A motion was made by Mr. Norris to complete the Hwy. 16 Sewer project using the Authority’s own funds. This would be by use of 2007-2012 SPLOST funds which would eventually be reimbursed from the next round of SPLOST. This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously. Mr. White abstained from the vote because he owns property in the project area.

Hwy. 36 Sewer – Work is beginning on manhole leaks with testing expected to follow soon.

Burford Ground Storage Tank Rehabilitation -The anticipated project completion date was March 8th. Eighty-percent of the painting has been completed. Ms. Seleb and Water Production Superintendent Herbert Head are satisfied with the progress of the work.

Crew – The crew has installed pipe on the first section of Singley Road and is ready to run down “Hangar Road.”

The crew continues to repair service lines and mains as needed, flushing dead end lines, tagging hydrants, and assisting with LAS maintenance and repairs.

Potential for Receiving Septage at Bucksnort Ranch LAS

Ms. Seleb advised the Board that she has been approached by Rick McKenzie of Wells Septic from Pike County regarding a possible commercial septage pre-treatment facility. The proposed process removes solids, including most pollutants, from septage prior to putting the treated wastewater into the public sewer system.

The Authority doesn’t accept untreated septage because the natural treatment system at the Bucksnort Ranch facility is not designed to handle to the high-strength waste from septic tanks. Pre-treatment of septage is a needed service in this region.

In a preliminary discussion of sites with Wells Septic, it was suggested this type facility could be built on land at the Bucksnort Ranch LAS that would be leased to the private company.

The Board directed Ms. Seleb to move forward and suggested that Wells Septic present a specific layout for consideration.

A process brochure from Wells Septic is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Retirement Program Options

Ms. Seleb reviewed an option available to the Authority to join Butts County’s defined benefit retirement program through GebCorp, a corporation that serves the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia. A cost projection prepared by GebCorp showed that this program would be less costly than the current defined contribution program, but would provide greater benefits to employees.

With the defined benefit program, employees would know for certain how much retirement income they could expect. This type program rewards long-term employees, which fits the demographics of the Authority’s staff.

A cost estimate prepared by GebCorp showed that, for the current year, the Authority’s costs, 7% of wages, would be less than those of the existing defined contribution program, 8% of wages. While each employee would enter into the program as a new participant, long-term staff could use funds already in their defined contribution plan to buy prior years of service.

A motion was made by Mr. Keber to request that the Butts County Board of Commissioners allow the Authority to participate in its defined benefit retirement plan. This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously.

PowerPoint slides comparing the two plans and the analysis prepared by GebCorp are attached and made a part of these minutes.

Turbidity Limit Violation

Ms. Seleb advised the Board that the water system violated a drinking water standard for turbidity (cloudiness) on the evening of February 18th. She went on to say that this was not classified as a public health emergency, but that, under the State law, customers had a right to know what happened, what should be done and what the Authority did to correct the situation.

On the date of the violation, a night operator of the Burford plant increased water flow and released water into the distribution system prior to completely adjusting chemical feeds for the increased flow. In order to meet the requirement of notifying all customers within thirty-days of the incident, the violation notice was included in the 2011 Water Quality Report which was produced and mailed on an accelerated schedule. The notice was also posted on the Authority’s website.

The operator who made the error has been disciplined by the Authority’s personnel committee. The personnel committee also sent a letter to all plant operators which stressed the importance of never releasing water that did not meet all Federal requirements.

Copies of the Water Quality Report, the notification shown from the Authority’s website, and the letter sent to the water plant employees is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Operations Report – Water billing for February 2012 was nearly equal to January at $205,501 and up 11% from February 2011 with a total customer base of 5,255 and an active customer base of 4,641. Sewer billing for February 2012 was down 1% from January at $36,024 and up 12% from February 2011 with a total customer base of 129 and an active customer base of 122.

The average daily finished water pumped in February 2012 to the Authority, Jackson and Jenkinsburg from the Burford and Stewart plants was 1.9 MGD, with a maximum of 2.3 MGD. The rolling 12-month average loss was 10.0% with the current monthly average loss of 14.6%. The total amount of finished water pumped in February 2012 per plant was: Burford – 47 MG; Stewart – 6 MG. The average wastewater influent at the Bucksnort Ranch LAS was .173 with an average daily effluent of .240/.550 MGD and a maximum 7-day effluent of .300/.550 MGD.

Financial Report – Ms. Seleb went over the financial summary for Water & Sewer Operations and SPLOST through February 2012. Finances are within budget thus far for FY 2012. Copies of these financial summaries are attached and made a part of these minutes.

Review Bills Paid – Board members reviewed check registers and credit card statements for the month of February 2012. Copies of the check registers and credit card statements are attached and made a part of these minutes.

Adjourn – A motion was made by Mr. Norris to adjourn meeting at 7:50 p.m. This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously.

We routinely monitor your water for turbidity (cloudiness). This tells us whether we are effectively filtering the water supply. Normal turbidity levels at our plant are less than 0.3 turbidity units. On February 18, 2012, our filtered water turbidity exceeded the standard of 1 turbidity unit. Because of this level of turbidity, there is an increased chance that the water could have contained disease-causing organisms.

Population Served:  Unincorporated Butts County, City of Jackson and City of Jenkinsburg

What should I do?

You do not need to take any action. If there is ever an eminent danger of water contamination , we will make immediate contact with customers through emergency public health announcements. We do not know of any contamination from the February 18 violation, and none of our testing has shown disease-causing organisms in the drinking water.

What does this mean?

Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disenfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.

What happened? What was done?

On the evening of February 18, 2012, plant operation staff did not properly adjust treatment chemicals during an increase in water treatment flow at the Emerson Burford Water Treatment Plant. Water was pumped into the system at a turbidity exceeding 1 NTU for a period of approximately two hours. Once chemical feed was properly adjusted, the turbidity returned to acceptable levels.

Opening Prayer – Mr. Norris opened the meeting with a prayer.

Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting – Mr. Harris made a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes from the January 17, 2012 meeting and approve the same. This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.

2011 Water Audit -Ms. Seleb advised the Board about the standardized water loss audit to be done annually required by the GA Water Stewardship Act of 2010. The audit is due by March 1, 2012 for all systems serving a population of 10,000 plus. Ms. Seleb has just completed the audit for the combined systems of the Authority, Jackson, and Jenkinsburg.

The Department of Resources is expected to adopt rules this winter that will include minimum standards and best management practices for the following:

• monitoring and improving water efficiency & effectiveness

• improving water conservation

• implementing water loss control programs

The water audit tries to identify exactly where losses occur and how they can be lessened by looking at a number of factors outside of the overall loss. This process assumes there is a certain unavoidable loss to be expected and the Authority is very close to the minimum unavoidable number.

The calculated Infrastructure Leakage Index was 1.17 with a data validity score of 80 out of 100. Ms. Seleb advised the Board that it wouldn’t be prudent to invest anymore than is required in improving these numbers as there is not much return on the investment.

The Board was pleased with the water audit and congratulated Ms. Seleb on doing such a fine job.

A copy of this water audit is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Manager’s Report

Update on Construction Projects and Grants

• • Hwy. 16 Sewer – The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has not given Jones General Contracting permission to get back to work on the project.  There has still been no agreement with Great American Travel Center and the EIP grant will likely be de-obligated.
  • Hwy. 36 Sewer - Due to wet weather, Jones General Contracting has done no testing or cleanup in the past thirty days. The Corps of Engineers is requiring the Authority to purchase 4.4 Wetland credits. (See below.)
  • Burford Ground Storage Tank Rehab - The project is well underway with structural steel installed and interior sandblasting ongoing.
  • Crew – The crew continues to repair service lines and mains as needed, flushing dead end lines, tagging hydrants, and assisting with LAS maintenance.

Operations Report - Water billing for January 2012 was up 5% from December at $205,663, and down 2% from January 2010 with a total customer base of 5,249 and an active customer base of 4,643. Sewer billing for January 2012 was down 1% from December at $36,406, and up 16% from January 2011 with a total customer base of 129 and an active customer base of 122.

The average daily finished water pumped in January 2012 to the Authority, Jackson and Jenkinsburg from the Burford and Stewart plants was 2.0 MGD, with a maximum of 2.2 MGD. The rolling 12-month average loss was 11.3% with the current monthly average loss of 6.3%. The total amount of finished water pumped in January 2012 per plant was: Burford – 56 MG; Stewart – 6 MG. The average wastewater influent at the Bucksnort Ranch LAS was .173 with an average daily effluent of .187/.550 MGD and a maximum 7-day effluent of .217/.550 MGD.

Hwy. 36 Sewer Wetland Mitigation - Ms. Seleb advised the Board that the Authority has had to purchase 4.4 wetland credits for the Hwy. 36 Sewer Project. She advised that none were available in the Upper Ocmulgee region, but she was able to go through Oconee River banks with a total purchase price of $24,520. Woodward and Curran was able to handle this for the Authority at a cost of $750.

A motion was made by Mr. Harris to accept the procurement of the Wetland credits. This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously.

Financial Report – Ms. Seleb went over the financial summary for Water & Sewer Operations and SPLOST through January 2012. Finances are within budget thus far for FY 2012. Copies of these financial summaries are attached and made a part of these minutes.

Review Bills Paid – Board members reviewed check registers and credit card statements for the month of January 2012. Copies of these check registers and credit card statements are attached and made a part of these minutes.

Adjourn – A motion was made by Mr. Keber to adjourn meeting at 6:05 p.m. This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously.

Opening Prayer – Mr. Norris opened the meeting with a prayer.

Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting – Mr. Harris made a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes from the December 13, 2011 meeting and approve the same. This was seconded by Mr. Keber and approved unanimously.

Presentation of Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 Audit – Rae Johnston gave a brief overview of the Financial Statements for FY 2011. She summarized the Authority’s financial situation by stating that the Authority had remained stable during the year despite a floundering economy. Ms. Johnston excused herself from the meeting at 6:00 p.m.

A motion was made by Mr. Norris to accept the audit as it is written. This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously.

A copy of the FY 2011 Audit is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Manager’s Report

Update on Construction Projects and Grants

Hwy. 16 Sewer – Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) inspectors have temporarily stopped sewer installation on the west side of I-75. OSHA requires a different shoring method for the deep trench required.

The Great American Travel Center still has not provided the bond and agreement needed to draw funds on the Employment Incentive Program (EIP) grant portion of the project. The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) will allow the County/Authority to post the bond if requested although Great American Travel Center must still execute the project agreement. United Bank has offered to issue a letter of credit to the Authority for the project for .25% of the issue plus a $155 documentation fee.

Butts County has received a letter from DCA which detailed concerns about slow progress on the EIP portion of the project. A copy of this letter is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Jones General Contracting will be billing the Authority for pumps and generators. These items are in the EIP portion of the project, which cannot yet be drawn upon, but the contractor is not able to hold off any longer on delivery.

A special meeting is scheduled on Monday, January 23, 2012 with the Butts County Board of Commissioners, Butts County Development Authority, Butts County Community Services Department staff and the Authority to discuss this project and other economic development issues.

Hwy. 36 Sewer – The Contractor has completed all line work with only testing and cleanup left to do.

Burford Ground Storage Tank Rehabilitation – The rehabilitation project is set to begin on January 23, 2012 and should be finished within 45 days.

Crew – The Authority’s crew has been working on the sewer force main on the west side of I-75, setting manholes. This is part of the local match required on the EIP and OneGeorgia grants.  The crew also continues to repair service lines and mains as needed, flushing dead end lines, assisting with LAS maintenance & haying, and equipment repair & maintenance. Ms. Seleb is working on Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority environmental requirements for the meter replacement project.  The crew is ready to start the water main extension on Singley Road, but easements are still being acquired for Seven Lakes Hangars.

Operations Report – Water billing for December was up 9% from November at $196,434, and up 8% from December 2010 with a total customer base of 5,250 and an active customer base of 4,645. Sewer billing for December 2011 was up 33% from November at $32,639, and up 27% from December 2010 with a total customer base of 129 and an active customer base of 122.

The average daily finished water pumped in December 2011 to the Authority, Jackson and Jenkinsburg from the Burford and Stewart plants was 1.9 MGD, with a maximum of 2.1 MGD. The rolling 12-month average loss was 11.9% with the current monthly average loss of 15.2%. The total amount of finished water pumped in December 2011 per plant was: Burford – 55 MG; Stewart – 6 MG. The average wastewater influent at the Bucksnort Ranch LAS was .195 with an average daily effluent of .205/.550 MGD and a maximum 7-day effluent of .337/.550 MGD.

Governor’s Water Supply Program – Ms. Seleb advised the Board that the new Governor’s Water Support Program will be making $300,000,000 available for projects over a four-year period. Available this year will be $60 – $70,000,000 in loans and $50,000,000 in grants. This is being made available for reservoir construction or expansion, wells, re-use and desalination. She suggested that the Authority may want to apply for funding for wells.

Consider Sewer Service to Existing Property on Windy Lane – Ms. Seleb advised the Board that Sammy Simmons would be willing to give a sewer easement for the planned Patillo industrial project on Glade Road and Windy Lane if his two existing homes along the easement route could tie onto sewer. According to Authority policy, sewer is only allowed for residential properties in the Planned Residential zone.

After discussion, a motion was made by Mr. Harris that this sewer line be preferably run along the right of way of Windy Lane rather than across Mr. Simmons property. This was seconded by Mr. Keber and approved unanimously.

Sewer Study – Ms. Seleb advised the Board that Rindt McDuff continues to prepare the sewer study, with presentation at February Board Meeting.

Water Model - Ms. Seleb advised the Board that Woodward and Curren are almost finished with the report and should have a presentation ready for February Board Meeting.

Financial Report – Ms. Seleb went over the financial summary for Water & Sewer Operations and SPLOST through December 2011. Finances are within budget thus far for FY 2012. Copies of these financial summaries are attached and made a part of these minutes.

Review Bills Paid – Board members reviewed check registers and credit card statements for the month of December 2011. Copies of these check registers and credit card statements are attached and made a part of these minutes.

Adjourn – A motion was made by Mr. Norris to adjourn meeting at 8:00 p.m. This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously.

Opening Prayer – Mr. Norris opened the meeting with a prayer.

Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting – Mr. Harris made a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes from the November 15, 2011 meeting and approve the same.  This was seconded by Mr. Keber and approved unanimously.

Burford Ground Storage Rehabilitation Bid Results - Ms. Seleb advised the Board of the rebid results for the Burford Ground Storage Tank rehabilitation.  A motion was made by Mr. Norris to award the bid to Tank Pro with the lowest overall bid at $191,127. This was seconded by Mr. Harris and approved unanimously.

A copy of the bid tabulation is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Ad for Georgia Trend Feature – Ms. Seleb advised the Board that Butts County is one of the counties to be featured in the Georgia Trend magazine in January 2012. The Authority has been asked to participate in the $14,000 two-page ad with the County, Industrial Development Authority, Chamber of Commerce, Board of Education, Hospital Authority, and Cities.  She added that she was given only a few days to commit and, after discussing with Chairman White, has tentatively offered a $1,500 contribution toward the cost of the two-page ad.

A motion was made by Mr. Keber to contribute to the Georgia Trend feature ad. This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously.

A copy of the advertising contract from Georgia Trend is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) Financing

Extra Money Offered on Tank Project – Ms. Seleb advised the Board that she received a letter from GEFA on December 8, 2011 advising that the Authority is now slated to receive $420,000 in principal forgiveness on the North Butts Tank Project loan, an increase of almost $100,000 from the first offer received in November. As an added plus, interest on the project has reduced from 3.0% to 2.5%. The added loan forgiveness is due to several other higher ranking projects having dropped out of the funding program. Ms. Seleb noted that GEFA will not allow refinancing of any of the Authority’s existing loans at new lower rates.

A copy of the letter from GEFA is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Pay-off Transmission Main Loan – Ms. Seleb made a suggestion to the Board that the Authorities use a portion of the $2.4 million remaining in 2007-12 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds to pay off the GEFA loan for the West Butts water transmission main of $1.3 million. The Authority is paying 3.92% interest on the loan, but earning less than 1% interest on funds in the bank. This would leave approximately 52 months of loan payments for the 2007 Bucksnort LAS expansion and save more than $500,000 in interest.

A motion was made by Mr. Keber to pay off the West Butts water transmission main loan. This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.

Manager’s Report

Construction Project Update

Hwy. 16 Sewer Project - The Great American Travel Center still has not provided the bond needed to draw funds on the project, but the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) will allow the County/Authority to post the bond upon request.

Ms. Seleb advised the Board that she received a letter from Jones General Contracting asking for more than $200,000 additional payment on the project for rock blasting and removal costs which were not covered in the original contract. Ms. Seleb stated that the contractor has indicated that he will go out of business and leave the project if he can’t be paid for rock. She went on to tell the Board that the DCA’s Brian Williamson had told her it would be okay to use the approximate $90,000 in uncommitted OneGeorgia grant funds to pay for the rock.

After a lengthy discussion concerning the potential time and costs of calling in the contractor’s bond, a motion was made by Mr. Norris to pay Jones General Contracting $80/CY, up to a maximum of $200,000, for rock blasting and removal, but not to pay until the job is finished. Mr. Harris seconded, and the motion was approved by a vote of three to one with Mr. Jones casting the “no” vote. Mr. White abstained from this vote as he has property in the project area.

A copy of the letter from Jones General Contracting is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Hwy. 36 Sewer Project – The Contractor is stalled at the bore under Hwy. 36, but the projected are anticipated for completion by the end of the month.

Crew – The Authority’s crew has been working on the Employee Incentive Program (EIP) force main on the West side of I-75. The crew also continues to repair service lines and mains as needed, flushing dead end lines, assisting with LAS maintenance & haying, and equipment repair & maintenance. The next project will be the main extension on Singley Road. The Authority is waiting on the survey and easements for Seven Lakes/Hangar Road projects.

Operations Report – Water billing for November was down 12% from October at $180,590, and down 6% from November 2010 with a total customer base of 5,250 and an active customer base of 4,645. Sewer billing for November 2011 was down 19% from October at $27,480, and down 12% from November 2010 with a total customer base of 129 and an active customer base of 121.

The average daily finished water pumped in November 2011 to the Authority, Jackson and Jenkinsburg from the Burford and Stewart plants was 2.0 MGD, with a maximum of 2.4 MGD. The rolling 12-month average loss was 11.9% with the current monthly average loss of 15.2%. The total amount of finished water pumped in November 2011 per plant was: Burford – 55 MG; Stewart – 5 MG. The average wastewater influent at the Bucksnort Ranch LAS was .170 with an average daily effluent of .186/.550 MGD and a maximum 7-day effluent of .297/.550 MGD.

Healthcare Insurance Rate Increase – Ms. Seleb told the Board that Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare Insurance has increased its rate by 24% effective February 1, 2012. Insurance broker Michelle Cole provided preliminary pricing from several other companies which showed potential for lower pricing.

The Board advised her to get additional rate quotes to discuss at the next Board meeting.

A copy of several insurance options is attached and made a part of these minutes.

City of Griffin Water Rate Change - The City of Griffin has dropped its rate for wholesale water from $4.83/1,000 for CY 2011 to $4.62/1,000 for CY 2012.

Financial Report – Ms. Seleb went over the financial summary for Water & Sewer Operations and SPLOST through November 2011. Finances are within budget thus far for FY 2012. Copies of these financial summaries are attached and made a part of these minutes.

Review Bills Paid – Board members reviewed check registers and credit card statements for the month of November 2011. Copies of these check registers and credit card statements are attached and made a part of these minutes.

Adjourn – A motion was made by Mr. Jones to adjourn meeting at 7:15 p.m. This was seconded by Mr. Keber and approved unanimously.

Opening Prayer - Mr. Norris opened the meeting with a prayer.

Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting - Mr. Harris made a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes from the October 18, 2011 meeting and approve the same.  This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously.

Approve Application for Georgia Environmental Finance Authority(GEFA) Loan for North Butts Tank & Lines – Ms. Seleb advised the Board that she has been informed by GEFA that the $1,400,000 elevated tank project submitted earlier in 2011 has now been approved for “principal forgiveness”.  The project originally did not score high enough to make the cut of projects eligible for principal forgiveness.  Ms. Seleb advised the Board that other higher ranking projects have since dropped out, and moving the Authority’s application up to the last eligible project.  The Water Authority is now slated to receive $1,076,709 in 3% interest loan funds and $323,291 in principal forgiveness funds.

Mr. Norris made a motion to adopt a resolution to make formal application for a loan on the North Butts Tank project. This was seconded by Mr. Keber and approved unanimously.   A copy of the notification letter from GEFA and the resolution is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Consider Rejection of All Bids & Re-Bid Burford Ground Storage Tank – Ms. Seleb advised the Board that she and engineer Tim Ingram have revised the specifications for the Burford Ground Storage Tank to use a less expensive paint and to eliminate the complete sandblast of the exterior of the tank.  She went on to say that in an attempt to negotiate with revised specifications, the low bidder priced at $193,180; budget is $150,000. Ms. Seleb recommended that the Board reject all bids and rebid the project.

A motion was made by Mr. Harris to reject all the bids received and put the project out for bid again with the revised specifications. This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.

Notice to Proceed on Community Development Block Grant/Employment Incentive Program (CDBG/EIP) Portion of Hwy. 16 - A motion was made by Mr. Keber not to proceed on CDBG/EIP portion of the Hwy. 16 project because the bond required for the grant has not been provided by the Great American Travel Center.  This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved by yes votes from Mr. Harris, Mr. Keber, and Mr. Norris.  Mr. White and Mr. Jones abstained from the vote because Mr. White has property in that part of the county and Mr. Jones has helped the Great American Travel Center procure its bond.

Manager’s Report

Construction Project Update

• Hwy. 16 Sewer Project – The contractor is through rock at Kermit Williams Road. Only a couple hundred feet of sewer line has been installed in the past month.  The contractor is ready to begin on CDBG/EIP portion of the project but unable to start without a Notice to Proceed.  Ms. Seleb advised the Board that she has received a letter from Jones General Contracting requesting assistance with the cost of rock removal. Board members noted that there was no rock clause in the contract.  The letter received from Jones Contracting is attached and made a part of these minutes.
• Hwy. 36 Sewer Project - The work, also being done by Jones General Contracting, is underway and proceeding smoothly between Manholes 3 & 4.
• Crew – The crew continues repairing service lines, repairing leaks, painting fire hydrants, flushing dead end lines, LAS maintenance & haying, and equipment repair & maintenance. The Authority is waiting on survey and easements for Singley Road/Seven Lakes Hangar road project. This project should begin in approximately one month.

Operations Report - Water billing for October was down 10% from September at $205,325, and down 3% from October 2010 with a total customer base of 5,250 and an active customer base of 4,656.  Sewer billing for October 2011 was down 21% from September at $33,804, and down 16% from October 2010 with a total customer base of 129 and an active customer base of 118.

The average daily finished water pumped in October 2011 to the Authority, Jackson and Jenkinsburg from the Burford and Stewart plants was 2.1 MGD, with a maximum of 2.4 MGD. The rolling 12-month average loss was 11.5% with the current monthly average loss of 1.7%. The total amount of finished water pumped in October per plant was: Burford – 59 MG; Stewart – 5 MG. The average wastewater influent at the Bucksnort Ranch LAS was .170 with an average daily effluent of .186/.550 MGD and a maximum 7-day effluent of .297/.550 MGD.

City of Jackson Can-A-Thon and Christmas Stocking Fund – A motion was made by Mr. Jones to donate $1,000 to the Can-A-Thon and Christmas Stocking Fund. This was seconded by Mr. Harris and approved unanimously. Mr. Norris abstained from the vote as he is an employee of the City of Jackson.

Poor Fire Flow on Paul Maddox Road and south Walter Moore Road – Ms. Seleb advised the Board that fire flow tests had been done on Paul Maddox Road as part of the review for a twenty-home subdivision proposed by Joe Knight. While static pressure on the road is approximately 37 psi, fire flows are as low as 100GPM with 5  psi residual pressure at the end of the line.

This line ties back to Hwy. 42 in Jackson and is on the low pressure zone of the system. Inadequate flow and pressure has been recorded along the entire road, most of which is in the Jackson city limits. Pressure and flow can be increased by tying Paul Maddox Road and Walter Moore Road to the high pressure zone at Hwy. 42 in Jenkinsburg and/or Hwy. 16 west of Jackson. A check valve would need to be installed at Hwy. 42 in Jackson to stop flow back to the low zone.

Ms. Seleb recommended that the decision on exactly how to tie this line to the high pressure zone be made when the water model update is completed. The Board advised Ms. Seleb that the Authority should do what was needed to provide adequate flow and pressure to existing customers.

Thanksgiving Fish Fry – Ms. Seleb invited the Board members to the Authority’s Thanksgiving fish fry put on by staff at noon, on Friday, November 18th at the shop.

Financial Report – Ms. Seleb went over the financial summary for Water & Sewer Operations and SPLOST through October 2011. Finances are within budget thus far for FY 2012. Copies of these summaries are attached and made a part of these minutes.

Review Bills Paid - Board members reviewed check registers and credit card statements for the month of October 2011. Copies of these registers and statements are attached and made a part of these minutes.

Adjourn – A motion was made by Mr. Harris to adjourn meeting at 6:40 p.m. This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously.

Opening Prayer – Mr. Norris opened the meeting with a prayer.

Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting – Mr. Harris made a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes from the September 13, 2011 meeting and approve the same.  This was seconded by Mr. Keber and approved unanimously.

Review Bids for Mini Excavator – Ms. Seleb presented a tabulation of bids received for the mini excavator.  They are summarized as follows:

• Mason Tractor – Kubota KX121-3 – $37,217.58 – 36 month purchase at 0% APR

• Vermeer SE – Yanmar V1045-5 – $42,685.00 – 36 month lease with $4,268 balloon

• Gene & Matt Tractor Sales – Kubota KX121-3 – $39,305.00 – 36 month lease with $11,792 balloon

• Yancey Brothers – CAT 304D – $41,348.00 – 36 month lease with $24,000 balloon (guaranteed buyback at $24,000)

• Lashley Tractor – Kubota KX121-3, $38,850.00 – 36 month lease with $100 balloon

A motion was made by Mr. Norris to award the bid for the mini excavator to Mason Tractor with the lowest bid at $37,217.58, 36 month purchase and 0% annual percentage rate.  This was seconded by Mr. Harris and approved unanimously.

Approve Application for Loan Funding from Georgia Environmental Finance Authority(GEFA) for Meter Replacement – A motion was made by Mr. Keber to authorize Chairman White to sign the application for the GEFA loan for meter replacement.  The resolution is required as part of the loan application.  This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously.

A copy of this signed resolution is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Review Bids for Rehabilitation of Burford Ground Storage Tank – Bids for the Burford ground storage tank rehabilitation were significantly higher than the $150,000 budgeted for the project.  Ms. Seleb presented a summary of bids received:

• Southeastern Tank & Tower – $249,150

• Tank Pro – $256,314

• Worth Contracting – $297,500

• Mo Pac – $307,930

• Utility Services – $328,900

• Caldwell Tanks – $351,385

• Classic Protective Coatings – $370,125

• E & D Contracting Services – $501,004 

Ms. Seleb reported that she and the project engineer, Tim Ingram, have been negotiating with the low bidder on specification changes that could get project costs closer to the budget.  She said that several options are under evaluation and asked to present a recommendation at the November Board meeting.  Board members directed her to do so.  A copy of the complete bid tabulation is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Review Results of Singley Road Tap Survey – Ms. Seleb advised the Board that the Authority has received eight positive survey responses for water service on Singley Road.  The extension length would be .7 mile with eight customers, resulting in a density of 11.4 taps per mile, and would move Singley Road to the top of the priority list.

A motion was made by Mr. Jones to accept the petition from the property owners of Singley Road and to send out tap letters.  This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.

Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) Encroachment Agreement – Board members reviewed a proposed encroachment agreement for AGL related to a 16-inch natural gas transmission main that will run through North and West Butts County.  AGL needs to obtain the encroachment agreement to work in several areas where the gas line will be inside existing easements held by the Authority.

The Board was advised that AGL has resisted Butts County’s attempt to include language to protect Authority infrastructure in Utility Permit for the transmission main.  AGL staff contends that this would exceed Georgia Department of Transportation requirements and is, therefore, illegal.

Ms. Seleb told the Board that she and the Authority’s attorney, Will White, have put protective language for all Authority infrastructures throughout Butts County in the Encroachment Agreement.  Of particular importance is a 4-foot vertical separation and 5-foot horizontal separation from the Authority’s facilities.

A motion was made by Mr. Keber accept the AGL Encroachment Agreement as written.  This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.

A copy of the proposed AGL Encroachment Agreement is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Manager’s Report

Construction Project Update

Hwy. 16 Sewer Project – The contractor is almost through rock at Kermit Williams Road. Only a couple hundred feet of sewer line has been installed in the past month because of slow progress through a deep stretch of hard granite.  The Authority has paid Jones General Contracting for its first three pay estimates and has, through Butts County, made two draw requests for reimbursement from the OneGeorgia grant with no funds yet released by the State.  The Department of Community Affairs is set to approve the environmental review on the Employment Incentive Program (EIP) grant for the project which will allow for construction to begin on that portion.  Even so, no EIP funds can be drawn until the required bond for job creation is obtained by the Great American Travel Center.  Progress has been made by Burt Jones in finding a company to write the bond.

Hwy. 36 Sewer Project – A preconstruction conference for this project is scheduled for Thursday morning, October 20th.

Crew – The crew continues repairing service lines, repairing leaks, painting fire hydrants, flushing dead end lines, LAS maintenance & haying, and equipment repair & maintenance.

Towaliga Watershed Program – Ms. Seleb advised the Board that the biennial fish survey was carried out the first week in October with one hundred times more fish counted now than in 2009.  Quarterly watershed monitoring continues with most of the lab work being done by Authority employees and reports being submitted to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division annually. 

Operations Report – Water billing for September was $226,777 , down 4% from August and down 4% from September 2010 with a total customer base of 5,249 and 4.661 active customer accounts.  Sewer billing for September 2011 was $27,861, down 14% from August and down 7% from September 2010 with a total customer base of 129 and 118 active customer accounts. 

The average daily finished water pumped in September 2011 to the Authority, Jackson and Jenkinsburg from the Burford and Stewart Plants was 2.2 MGD, with a maximum of 2.5 MGD.  The rolling 12-month average loss was 11.3% with the current monthly average loss of 1.7%.  The total amount of finished water pumped in September per plant was: Burford – 61 MG; Stewart – 6 MG.  The average wastewater influent at the Bucksnort Ranch LAS was .171 MGD with an average daily effluent of .219/.550 MGD and a maximum 7-day effluent of .256/.550 MGD.

 Internet Security Policy/Financial Transfer Policy – Ms. Seleb asked Mr. Harris to help her develop an internet security policy and online banking policy.   A suggestion was made by Mr. Jones to contact ACCG/IRMA, the Authority’s insurance provider, to see if they offer any kind of cyber insurance.

Financial Report – Ms. Seleb went over the financial summary for Water & Sewer Operations and SPLOST through September 2011.  Finances are within budget thus far for FY 2012. A copy of these reports is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Review Bills Paid – Board members reviewed check registers and credit card statements for the month of September 2011.  A copy of these check registers and credit card statements is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Adjourn – A motion was made by Mr. Keber to adjourn meeting at 6:20 p.m.  This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously.

Opening Prayer – Mr. Norris opened the meeting with a prayer.

Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting – Mr. Harris made a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes from the August 16, 2011 meeting and approve the same.  This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.

Review Cost/Benefit Analysis of Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) and Automatic Meter Information (AMI) Programs – Ms. Seleb went over an investment payback analysis for the AMR & AMI programs.  Based upon the analysis, Ms. Seleb recommended that the Board pursue the less costly AMR system, but suggested that no action need be taken until after the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) election in November.  After discussion, board members agreed to go ahead and proceed with the funding request.

A motion was made by Mr. Keber go ahead and submit the formal applications for GEFA funding for the AMR program with service line replacements.  This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.  Copy of these analyzes is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Write-Off Uncollectible Accounts for FY 2011 – Ms. Seleb advised the Board of the $373.70 in uncollectible accounts that need to be written-off according to the board’s established policy.

A motion was made by Mr. Harris to write-off uncollectible accounts for FY 2011. This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.

Manager’s Report

Update on 2013-18 SPLOST Campaign – Ms. Seleb advised the Board that the SPLOST committee has already met once and members are working on a plan to notify the voters of Butts County of the need for SPLOST to be passed.

Construction Project Update

Hwy. 16 Sewer Project – Contractors have received the blasting permit from the Georgia Department of Transportation.  Boring has been completed under I-75 and the force main is in place in the bore casing.

Crew – The crew continues repairing service lines, repairing leaks, painting fire hydrants, flushing dead end lines, LAS maintenance and haying.  The crew rebuilt the altitude valve at the Hwy. 36 ground storage tank. 

Operations Report – Water billing for August was down 4% from July at $236,213, and up 5% from August 2010 with a total customer base of 5,252 and an active customer base of 4,656. Sewer billing for August 2011 was down 7% from July at $32,448, and up 9% from August 2010 with a total customer base of 129 and an active customer base of 117. 

The average daily finished water pumped in August 2011 to the Authority, Jackson and Jenkinsburg from the Burford and Stewart plants was 2.4 MGD, with a maximum of 2.7 MGD.  The rolling 12-month average loss was 12.2% with the current monthly average loss of 14.2%.  The total amount of finished water pumped in August 2011 per plant was:  Burford – 68 MG; Stewart – 8 MG.  The average wastewater influent at the Bucksnort Ranch LAS was .194 MGD with an average daily effluent of .90/.550 MGD and a maximum 7-day effluent of .180/.550 MGD.

Biological Monitoring for Towaliga Watershed – A motion was made by Mr. Keber to award the biennial biological monitoring for the Towaliga watershed to the lowest bidder.  This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.

Financial Report – Ms. Seleb went over the financial summary for Water & Sewer Operations and SPLOST through August 2011.  Finances are within budget thus far for FY 2012.  A copy of the reports is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Review Bills Paid – Board members reviewed check registers and credit card statement for the month of August 2011.  A copy of the check registers and credit card statement are attached and made a part of these minutes.

Adjourn – A motion was made by Mr. Keber to adjourn meeting at 6:15 p.m.  This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.