8-3-07 Minutes
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NORTHPORT VILLAGE CORPORATION

UTILITIES DEPARTMENT MINUTES

August 3, 2007

 

 

Meeting called to order 2:35 PM by Chairman David Crofoot.

 

Present: Chairman David Crofoot, Committee Members: Linda Houghton, Jane Strauss, Judy Metcalf, Judy Rohweder, Superintendent Dick McElhaney, Consultant Dick Brockway, and Office Manager Paul Bartels.

 

Minutes of the previous meeting were approved. (Vote unanimous)

 

Superintendent’s Report

 

Sewer Department

 

June 2007 Effluent Monitoring Data

 

During the month of June there were no license exceptions to the NVC discharge permit.

 

Flow averaged 16,417 gpd compared to 41,600 gpd for June of 2006. Flow ranged from 7,600 to 70,100 gpd. Precip totaled 2.5 inches compared to 8.98 inches in June of 2006.

 

TSS averaged 6 lbs/day (23 mg/l). BOD averaged 20 lbs/day (85mg/l).

 

See performance table below for this month’s comparisons, averages, year-to-date highs and lows, permit limits, and year-to-date violations.

 

Performance Table

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Parameters

June

May

YTD Lo

YTD Hi

YTD Ave

2006 Ave

DEP Limit

Violations

Flow GPD

16417

20177

3643

54600

23307

30648

63000

0

Precip Inches

2.5

3.75

2.17

6.19

3.68

4.58

n/a

0

TSS lbs/d

6

2

1

6

2.8

4

76

0

TSS mg/l

23

15

8

23

15.2

21

145

0

BOD lbs/d

20

5

3

20

7.0

8

107

0

BOD mg/l

85

51

15

85

43.2

52

203

0

TSS % Rem

92

95

91

97

94

93

50

0

BOD % Rem

71

83

71

95

85.7

82

30

0

pH lo

6.7

6.5

6.5

6.7

6.7

6.7

6.0

0

pH Hi

6.9

7.0

7.0

7.2

7.1

6.9

9.0

0

S.S. ml/l

<0.1

<0.1

<0.1

<.01

<0.1

<0.1

Report

0

F Col/100 ml

0

0

0

0

0

<3

15-ave

0

F Col/100 ml

0

0

0

0

0

10

50-max

0

 

 July Snapshot

 

The Department anticipates full compliance for July 2007 as well.

 

USDA Rural Development Loan/Grant Application

 

A USDA loan/grant construction pre-application of $430,190 for replacing the main sewer lines in Auditorium Park, North Ave, Clinton Street, and Cobe and Bluff Roads has been prepared and is, pending the Utility Committee’s approval, ready for President Huntoon’s signatures. Assuming a 29 year loan at 4.25% and 25% grant, the cost in interest and principal would be $19,642 annually.  On a “pay as you go basis”, the Department has been budgeting about $30,000 annually toward sewer main I & I repairs.

 

The sewer budget can therefore support this amount of debt service at current sewer rates. 

 

The USDA Grant/Loan application is very preliminary.  It is not anticipated that it will actually become available until we have the grant money from the DEP available to support the entire Phase III project (I&I remediation, treatment plant upgrade, and outfall replacement) which is likely to be at least 2-4 years in the future.

 

Further discussion revealed that the USDA RD loan would require a public informational hearing to take place within sixty days of the application.  We will plan to do this at the October Utilities Committee Meeting.

 

 

Metcalf moved to obtain Jo Huntoon’s signature on the forms for the USDA RD loan, seconded by Crofoot.   VOTED: Unanimous

 

Bank Loan:  On the warrant for the Annual Meeting 2007 is an item anticipating up to $200,000 in borrowing for ongoing and urgent sewer upgrades and repairs. 

 

As is the Overseers are planning to pave the roads on North Street and middle Clinton Street next year, they wish the Utilities Committee to consider doing those parts of the I & I repair plan which apply to these areas.  Dick McElhaney estimates the cost of sewer repairs on North Street and middle Clinton Street at  an estimated $100,000 to replace the main sewers on these streets ahead of the pavement construction. The annual cost estimate in principal and interest would be $4,600. The above costs are preliminary only and were prepared based on estimates provided in a Sewer System Study performed by Dirigo Engineering in 2000 and by applying a 3% per annum inflationary factor.

 It is unlikely that this sum of money will be raised from the USDA Loan/Grant application in a timely fashion.

 

The Utilities Committee has already received authorization to borrow up to $500,000 at the August 2005 Annual Meeting.  The Utilities Committee were in general agreement that a borrowing of $100-200,000 in conjunction with the Village’s planned borrowing for road work and wharf/waterfront repairs made good sense.

 

Discussion of priorities for sewer repair of lines on North Street .  McElhaney pointed out that the cost of the project is upwards of $100,000.  “We can not set a schedule until we have funding and engineering”. 

 

There is need to inform individual property owners along the lines of sewer main repair of the need to replace their building sewer connections.

 

Metcalf moved to obtain Jo Huntoon’s signature on the forms for the USDA RD loan, seconded by Crofoot.   VOTED: Unanimous

 

Water Department

 

June Operating Data

 

Water consumption in June averaged 26,590 GPD compared to 25,975 gpd in June of 2006. Average weekly chlorine residuals in the distribution system was 0.1 ppm. Recommended levels are less than .2 ppm. The lone monthly coliform test result was negative.

 

Old Business

 

Billing: 

Bartels reported that all water bills were paid or the subject of a contract of payment except for one, Deacon.  Paul advised that he had made several attempts to contact the debtor.  The Committee instructed him to give one more phone call to notify them that the water will be turned off, consistent with the term of the shut off notice already sent.

Discussion about nonpayment of sewer bills.  Committee authorized the commencement of the liening process. .

 

New Business

 

Financials

 

Rohweder reported that Treasurer Julian Sheffield requested that the Utilities Department increase their share in the expenses of the Corporations Liability Insurance during the Overseer’s meeting.  After discussion of current and coming budgets and review of the Utilities share of Utility billings, the following motion was made.

 

Metcalf moved, seconded by Crofoot, as follows:

 

            The Trustees have considered the request of the overseers, presented by Judy R, that the utilities department increase its contribution to the insurance provided by Maine Municipal Association exclusive of the portions of the premium associated with the police department’s coverage and in response agreed to increase the budgeted contribution from $800 ($400 per utility) per year to $2,000 ($1,000 per utility) effective the fiscal year beginning 1/31/08.

 

After a discussion about the merits:

 

VOTED:          Unanimous. 

 

Dick McElhaney conducted a discussion about the Financial Reports and how to determine how to understand how much money is available.  Based on the findings the following projects were presented for vote by Chairman Crofoot for approval and voted upon:

 

  1. Repair collapsed below ground manhole Park Row               $1,000           VOTED - Unanimous

  2. Replace section of sewer between manhole 2005-2010      $ 12,750                VOTED - Unanimous

  3. Jet /Vac Bay Street sewer line and re-inspect                        $ 2,275                VOTED - Unanimous

  4. Repair lower Maple street manhole 2000A                            $1,000              VOTED - Unanimous

  5. Repair pipe joint leak in Auditorium Park                               $ 750              VOTED - Unanimous

  6. Repair pipe joint on Oak St                                                      $ 750             VOTED - Unanimous

  7. Install Inspection 4 clean-outs – Cobe, Clinton                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Maple, Pleasant Streets                                                           $3,700                 VOTED - Unanimous

  1. Continue CCTV camera inspections of above

streets after installing clean-outs                                            $1,895                 VOTED - Unanimous

  1. Replace VCP pipe at end of Shore Road                              $10,675            VOTED - Unanimous

 

                                                                                TOTAL             $34,795

 

Dick McElhaney will begin costing out and scheduling these repairs to begin late this summer or in the fall.

 

David Crofoot requested that the Committee put on the agenda for the next meeting the scheduling of the informational meeting regarding the USDA RD loan on the agenda for the next meeting. 

 

Motion to adjourn the meeting by David Crofoot, seconded by Judy Metcalf. VOTED

 

Meeting adjourned at 4:05 PM

 

Submitted By Paul Bartels