Call to Order – Chairman White called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Board members present were J. B. White, Wesley Keber, Harvey Norris, & Burt Jones; representing Woodward and Curran engineering was Jennifer Suttles and Lorraine Campagne. Authority staff members present were Marcie Seleb & Joyce Hosey.
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.