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.

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 July 12, 2011 meeting and approve the same. This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.

Consider Resolution Authorizing SPLOST Agreement – Ms. Seleb summarized the 2013 – 2019 SPLOST plan for the Board.  The election is set for November 8, 2011 with an estimated total of $21,852,000 to be collected.  An estimated $8,404,627 is to be bonded to pay off debt of Butts County (for jail) and the Butts County Industrial Development Authority.  Our Authority would receive 17% of the balance not used for debt.  This is estimated to be $2,286,053.

A motion was made by Mr. Jones to authorize Mr. White to sign the intergovernmental SPLOST agreement.  This was seconded by Mr. Harris and approved unanimously.

A copy of the intergovernmental SPLOST agreement is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Request for Water Extension – Seven Lakes Hangar Property Owners – Ms. Seleb told the Board that the Authority has received a petition for water service from the property owners on a private road for airplane hangars in the Seven Lakes subdivision.  The extension would need to be run from Stark Road on Singley Road up to the private road.  The extension length would be .7 mile with ten customers, a density of 14.3 taps per mile.  There is a potential to continue the extension on Singley Road.

Ms. Seleb asked the Board members if they would be interested in to surveying property owners further down on Singley Road to see if they are also interested in water.  This is a densely populated section of some twenty residential lots with no public water access.

She noted that the Authority has relied on property owners to petition for water service since the late 1990′s and suggested that it might be a good idea to have staff identify under-served roads to see if there is an interest.  Board members agreed to this concept.

A motion was made by Mr. Keber to accept the petition from hangar property owners in the Seven Lakes subdivision, to send out tap letters to those property owners, and to survey property owners on Singley Road to see if they are also interested in a water extension.  This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.  Staff was directed to go ahead and send tap letters to the hangar property owners.

A copy of the petition requesting the extension is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Results of August 4th Bid for Hwy. 36 Sewer Project – Ms. Seleb went over the results of the August 4th bid opening for the Hwy. 36 Sewer project.  Six contractors bid on the project with the low bid coming from Jones General Contracting at $321,092.54.

After negotiations using a slightly revised design with a more shallow cut crossing Hwy. 36, no boring under the Dixie Pipeline, and 12″ sewer ending at Hwy. 36, Ms. Seleb and engineer, Mike Lott, were able to get the contractor to agree on a reduced lump sum price of $251,092.54.

This project is to be paid for by the May and Carter Oil Company, which is building a travel center on Hwy. 36 on the North side of Bucksnort Road.  May and Carter will post a letter of credit for the project before work begins.

A motion was made by Mr. Keber to award the bid to Jones General Contracting.  This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.  Burt Jones went on record that he has no family relation to this company.  Mr. White abstained from the vote as he has property in the immediate area.

A copy of the bids and the notice of the award is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Set Bid Date for Burford Tank Rehab – Ms. Seleb advised the Board that a bid date of September 29, 2011 has been selected for the Burford ground storage tank rehabilitation project.  She went on to tell the Board that the rehabilitation will include tank painting inside and out with installation of a truss, columns and a new curtain to prevent short circuiting of water into the system.

A motion was made by Mr. Jones to set the bid date for September 29, 2011.  This was seconded by Mr. Harris and approved unanimously.

A diagram of the tank rehabilitation design is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Manager’s Report

Update on Construction Projects

Hwy. 16 Sewer Project - Pipe laying is at a standstill as the Authority waits for a blasting permit from the Georgia Department of Transportation.  And boring of I-75 is to start this week.

Crew – The crew is cutting timbered lanes at the LAS, catching up on all maintenance work orders, and painting & tagging hydrants.

Operations Report – Water billing for July was down 1% from June at $245,766, and up 6% from July 2010 with a total customer base of 5,235 and an active customer base of 4,639.  Sewer billing for July 2011 was up 9% from June at $35,044, and up 25% from July 2010 with a total customer base of 129 and an active customer base of 118.

The average daily finished water pumped in July 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 9.7% with the current monthly average loss of 11.1%.  The total amount of finished water pumped in July 2011 per plant was: Burford – 68 MG; Stewart – 8 MG.  The average wastewater influent at the Bucksnort Ranch LAS was .196 with an average daily effluent of .148/.550 MGD and a maximum 7-day effluent of .266/.550 MGD.

Potential Purchase of Tractor Trailer from Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) – Ms. Seleb reported that there is a potential to purchase a used tractor trailer from the GFC at an extremely reduced rate.  The crew is in need of a tractor trailer to haul the trackhoe from project to project.  The Authority has been borrowing a tractor trailer from the City of Jackson or Butts County Public Works with no assurance of availability in emergencies.

A motion was made by Mr. Keber to a tractor trailer from the GFC if the purchase price is less than $10,000. This was seconded by Mr. Harris and approved unanimously.

Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) Transmission Line – Ms. Seleb advised the Board that AGL will start installing a gas line that runs parallel with the Authority’s water lines in several areas of West and North Butts County.  Butts County Public Works has been working with the Authority to facilitate installation of the project so that it doesn’t cause problems for our infrastructure in the future.

Joint Meeting of City/County Boards & Authorities – Ms. Seleb advised the Board that the Butts County Board of Education will be hosting a joint meeting of City and County Boards and Authorities on September 8, 2011 at 6:00 p.m.

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

Adjourn – A motion was made by Mr. Jones to adjourn meeting at 6:30 p.m.  This was seconded by Mr. Keber and approved unanimously.

Opening Prayer – Mr. Jones 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 June 14, 2011 meeting and approve the same.  This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously.

Election of Officers – A motion was made by Mr. Keber nominating J. B. White as Chairman.  This was seconded by Mr. Harris and approved unanimously.

A motion was made by Mr. White nominating Robert Harris as Vice – Chairman.  This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously.

A motion was made by Mr. Harris nominating Wesley Keber as Secretary – Treasurer.  This was seconded by Mr. White and approved unanimously.

Results of Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) State Revolving Fund (SRF) Project Submittals – The Board was briefed on results of GEFA SRF projects submitted for funding in June.

North Butts Tank/Line Project

• This project was not approved for funding.
• It competed with $260,000,000 in requests for $70,000,000 available funds.
• Other projects were much further along and received more points

Automatic Meter Reading & Service Line Replacement

• This project was funded at $950,000 with 30% “loan forgiveness” ($285,000).
• It is considered a green project and receives a 1% lower interest rate– 2% for twenty years.
• If accepted by the board, over the twenty-year term, the Authority would save a total of $445,000 in principal & interest versus borrowing the full amount at the standard rate.

Ms. Seleb noted that she had applied for this project because she knew the odds of being funded were good as a green project.  She went over pros and cons to consider before implementing a systemwide meter change out.

Presentation on Automatic Meter Reading – Todd Chartrau from Mueller Systems gave a presentation on Mueller/Hersey’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure Automatic Reading System.  This is the type system that the GEFA SRF funding would provide.  Mueller/Hersey is the brand of meter currently being used by the Authority, with approximately five-percent of system meters already being read with an automatic Mueller/Hersey device.

Mr. Chartrau spoke about the potential to install collector radios throughout the system so that meter readings and usage could be checked instantly throughout the county with customers able to monitor their usage over the Internet.  A copy of his presentation is attached and made a part of these minutes.

Ms. Seleb explained the system greatly would improve the level of service given customers, but would not result in either cost savings or revenue increases that would offset the investment made in the system.  Chairman White asked her to provide a detailed estimate of any savings for consideration in the coming months.

Audit Proposal from Haisten & Johnston – Board members reviewed a proposal from Haisten and Johnston for the FY 2011 audit.  A motion was made by Mr. Keber to enter into an agreement with Haisten & Johnston for the audit at a cost of $5,250, the same price as the previous year.  A copy of the audit proposal is attached and made a part of these minutes.  This was seconded by Mr. Harris and approved unanimously.

Manager’s Report

Update on Construction Projects

•  Taps Sold – There were four taps sold in June. 
• Isaac Head Road Extension - All of the main line is in and has been tested, with taps and cleanup to be completed this week. 
• Walt Banks Road – Walt Banks Road is one-hundred percent complete with four customers transferred from Jenkinsburg. 
• Hwy. 16 Sewer Project - The contractor started laying pipe on July 18th. All requirements have been met for release of OneGeorgia grant funds, but not for release of EIP grant funds. The developer still must provide a performance bond for job creation before those funds are released. 
• Hay Cutting at Bucksnort Land Application System (LAS) - The crew continues to assist with hay cutting and brush control at the Bucksnort LAS. 

Operations Report - Water billing for June was up 18% from May at $248,700, and up 11% from June 2010 with a total customer base of 5,235 and an active customer base of 4,648. Sewer billing for June 2011 was down 5% from May at $32,066, and down 12% from June 2010 with a total customer base of 129 and an active customer base of 118. 

The average daily finished water pumped in June 2011 to the Authority, Jackson and Jenkinsburg from the Burford and Stewart plants was 2.7 MGD, with a maximum of 3.1 MGD.  The rolling 12-month average loss was 9.7% with the current monthly average loss of 10.7%.  The total amount of finished water pumped in June 2011 per plant was: Burford – 68 MG; Stewart – 12 MG. The average wastewater influent at the Bucksnort Ranch LAS was .219 with an average daily effluent of .173/.550 MGD and a maximum 7-day effluent of .311/.550 MGD.

Major Force Main Break -  A lightning strike on June 18th damaged the wastewater force main behind Ready Pak with an estimated 900,000 gallons leaking into an unnamed tributary of the Towaliga River.  The Environmental Protection Division was notified, repairs were made, and public notice carried out.  Because most of the wastewater was from the salad packaging plant, it was of low toxicity.  Initial bacteria tests show no increase from the line break.

 A graph of the average daily influent at LAS is attached and made a part of these minutes.

 Update on Rindt -McDuff Jackson Lake Sewer Study – Ms. Seleb asked the Board if they wanted to hear presentations from manufacturers of particular systems as alternatives to traditional gravity sewer.  Board members stated that they didn’t want to get into that much detail on the initial study.

Update on July 18th Special Purpose Local Option Sale Tax (SPLOST) Meeting – The Board of Commissioners has proposed making 15% of the 2013-9 SPLOST available for water and sewer projects.  This is an estimated $2,836,275.

 A copy of the draft SPLOST intergovernmental agreement is attached and made a part of these minutes. 

Award Engineering Contract for Water Model and North Butts Tank – A committee of Ms. Seleb, Mr. Harris, and Mr. Keber has completed review of engineering proposals.  Based upon the committee’s rating of finalists, a motion was made by Mr. Harris to proceed with negotiating a contract for the work with Woodward & Curran.  This was seconded by Mr. Keber and approved unanimously.

Financial Report – Ms. Seleb went over the financial summary for Water & Sewer Operations and SPLOST and the combined balance sheet and income statement through June 2011, the last month of the fiscal year.  Copies of these reports are attached and made a part of these minutes.

For the year, Water Operations netted 101% of budgeted income and 87% of budgeted expenses.  Sewer Operations ended with 103% of budgeted income and 91% of budgeted expenses.  Net revenues were good with an overall increase in cash of $108,408 from the previous June.

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

Adjourn – A motion was made by Mr. Keber to adjourn meeting at 7:40 p.m.  This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously.

January 9, 2012- The Butts County Water & Sewer Authority is selling square bale grass hay cut from the Bucksnort Ranch Land Application System on Colwell Road. Mixed grass feed hay is $4.00 per bale.

This hay is grown with irrigation from treated wastewater, making a regular supply available even during the current drought. The hay has been tested by the UGA Cooperative Extension Service and is free of any known toxins. A copy of the test results is available for anyone who is interested.

Out local water authority wants you to know that this is a scam to sell water filtration equipment. Since the our water system already tests the water throughout the local system each month, there is no need for any citizen to agree to contract with such a company.

Americans enjoy some of the best drinking water in the world due in part to the strict water treatment regulations and standards enforced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) in the state.

“We are proud to provide our citizens with the high quality water that is tested regularly to meet all requirements,” said Butts County, et al. Water & Sewer Authority General Manager Marcie Seleb. “The trace chemicals found in drinking water are within the limits. Our drinking water does not need additional treatment to meet the regulations.”

In the event that our water does not meet water quality requirements set by EPA and the State of Georgia —which is not the case—our system would be required to notify the public of such a violation via various public notification mechanisms in accordance with the requirement of Safe Drinking Water Act. Even in such cases, no legitimate company would need to retrieve personal information from citizens.

In some cases, people with well water may have iron, sulfur, or other metals or materials that may be unpleasant to smell or taste or may even cause staining to clothing or plumbing fixtures. Others, on the public system, might even want to install a filter to remove the taste of the trace chlorine disinfectant which is needed to keep water free of bacteria. Those people may want to contact a local licensed treatment provider or a home improvement store for assistance and advice.