Call to Order – Chairman White called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Board members present were J. B. White, Harvey Norris, Eddie Roberts, Jr., Eddie Ford & Burt Jones; representing the accounting firm of Haisten and Johnston was Rae Johnston; also present were Marcie Seleb, general manager and Joyce Hosey, clerk to the Board.
Opening Prayer – Mr. Norris opened the meeting with a prayer.
Approval of Minutes from Previous Meetings – Mr. Roberts made a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes from the January 14, 2014 meeting. This was seconded by Mr. Ford and approved unanimously.
Presentation of Fiscal Year 2013 Audit – Rae Johnston gave a brief overview of the Financial Statements for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013. She summarized the Authority’s financial situation by stating that the Authority had remained stable during the year despite a stagnant local economy. Ms. Seleb reviewed a series of slides that illustrated the Authority’s finances, comparing the past year with historical trends. Ms. Johnston excused herself from the meeting at 6:00 p.m.
A copy of the FY 2013 Audit is attached and made a part of these minutes.
Manager’s Report
Overview for the Month
Unusual Water Use – Board members were informed that water use on the system has been up approximately 20% since very cold weather was experienced in early January. Staff members have searched extensively for leaks on the system, but none have been found. The Authority’s three largest users– the Georgia Diagnostic Prison, Ready Pak, and Monroe County– have used much more water than average, accounting for over half the increased demand. Many other customers had leaks from frozen pipes, or let water run to keep pipes from freezing during the unusually cold weather. Usage by large customers is being monitored daily.
Meter Breakdown – During inclement weather, crew members are breaking down registers and plastic parts from the thousands of manual meters changed out in 2013. The meters will bring a better price at metal recyclers if only brass parts are sold.
Construction Update
-
Hwy. 16 Sewer – The only remaining work for the sewer bond mediation project on the west side of I-75 is inspection of pipe linings. Weather has been too wet for inspection equipment to access the site. The lift station on the east side of the I-75 will be put out to competitive bid.
-
Great American Travel Center – The Authority is taking bids for the bore of Hwy. 16 to extend water to the Great American Travel Center. The extension and meter vault are planned for execution in March.
-
West Butts Elevated Tank – Ms. Seleb advised the Board that she received a proposal from Turnipseed Engineering to re-bid the West Butts elevated tank and will request proposals from other engineers.
Butts County Day at State Capitol on Monday, February 24, 2014
Board members were invited to participate in the first Jackson/Butts County Day at the Capitol scheduled for February 24th. This is co-sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and Partners for Smart Growth, in collaboration with the Butts County Board of Commissioners, the Development Authority of Butts County and the Cities of Jackson, Flovilla and Jenkinsburg. The purpose of this event is to connect with legislators and governmental officials who can have an impact on the success of Butts County.
Requests for Donations
Ms. Seleb advised the Board that she has been approached by the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and the Boy Scouts of America for donations. After discussion, Board members agreed that no new charitable donations should be made until a set amount for donations can be established in the FY 2015 budget.
Operations Statistics
The Board heard operations statistics for January 2014. Water billing for January 2014 was $236,942, up 1.1% from the previous month and up 15% from January 2013. Sewer billing for January 2014 was $59,849, up 29% from the previous month and, up 44% from January 2013.
The total water customer base was 5,322 with active water customers numbering 4,787. There was one regular tap sold, with were no construction taps or meters sold in January 2014. The total sewer customer base was 133, with active sewer customers numbering 131.
The average daily finished water pumped in January 2014 to the Authority, Jackson and Jenkinsburg from the Burford and Stewart plants was 2.5 million gallons per day, with a maximum of 3.2 million gallons per day. This was much higher than usual for a winter month and seemed to be a result of customer line breaks during the very cold weather experienced in early February. The rolling twelve month average loss was 14.3% with the current monthly average loss at 15.2%. The total amount of finished water pumped in January by plant was: Burford – 70 million gallons and Stewart – 6 million gallons.
The average wastewater influent at the Bucksnort Ranch Land Application System was 283,000 gallons per day with an average daily effluent of 268,000 gallons per day and the maximum 7-day effluent was 329,000 gallons per day.
Financial Report – Ms. Seleb went over the financial summaries for Water & Sewer Operations, Capital Recovery Fees and Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) for January 2014. Water operations income was $244,634, and expenses were $192,811. Sewer operations income for January 2014 was $61,647, and expenses were $149,477. Sewer expenses are skewed due to payments for the Highway 16 sewer mitigation which will be reimbursed by the bond company.
The Authority continues to use 2007-12 SPLOST to pay the monthly debt on the Bucksnort Ranch expansion loan. As of February 10, 2014, $382,649 remained in 2007-12 SPLOST funds for this purpose.
New 2013-19 SPLOST funds of $47,187 were received in January and are anticipated to accrue monthly until March 2014 when the next Butts County bond payment is due. Overall, $384,627 has been received in SPLOST, $21,912 in SPLOST-TATV, with interest $66.00, for a combined balance of $406.605 as of February 10, 2014.
Total cash on hand through the end of January 31, 2014 was $6,509,693. This is $339,691 over the June 30, 2013 balance. Copies of financial summaries, combined fund balance sheets, and combined fund income statements 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 2014.
Adjourn – A motion was made by Mr. Ford to adjourn meeting at 6:30 p.m. This was seconded by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously.