DeKalb Sanitary District Board Meeting Minutes
DeKalb Sanitary District
March 19, 2008
Minutes
Approved April 16, 2008
The March meeting of the DeKalb Sanitary District Board of Trustees was held at the office of the District at noon on Wednesday, March 19, 2008. In attendance were Trustees Dennis Collins, Tim Struthers and Carol Zar. Michael Zima, District Manager; Janice Tripp, Assistant Manager Administration; Steve Olsen, Plant Foreman; and Betty Jones, Secretary were present. Attorney for the District Keith Foster and District Treasurer Richard Stokke attended, as did Scott Trotter, P.E. and Mark Eddington, P.E. of Trotter & Associates. Jim Schneider was present.
President of the Board Collins called the meeting to order.
Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Zar seconded approval of the March agenda. The motion carried.
Trustee Struthers moved approval of the February minutes. Trustee Collins seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Struthers moved to approve the transfer of $308,000.00 to the O & M Fund from the Revenue Fund. Trustee Collins seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Zar moved to pay bills as presented. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
During Public Input and Communications, Jim Schneider called attention to the number of homes in the community experiencing financial difficulty and asked the board to consider this in making decisions about expansion and rate increases.
Treasurer Stokke gave the Treasurer’s Report and took advice from the Trustees on investments to be made in the near future.
Review and discussion of the draft Fiscal Year 2008-2009 Budget was deferred until the end of the meeting.
Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Zar seconded approval of Annexation #221 Ordinance #509 annexing .59 acres on Harvestore Drive at the request of Russ Smith who did submit the necessary petition and fees. Motion carried.
As per discussion and decisions at January and February 2008 meetings, Trustee Struthers moved to provide District employees with a Flexible Spending Account benefit effective January 1, 2008 and to appoint Janice Tripp, Assistant Manager Administration, as the Account representative. Trustee Collins seconded. Motion carried.
Mike Zima had nothing to discuss under the Plan Review heading.
Scott Trotter submitted the Engineer’s Report in writing and deferred discussion to the individual items later in the agenda except to inform the Trustees about the upcoming Central States Water Environment Association April 10, 2008 seminar the District will be hosting.
Under Projects Status, Scott Trotter reported having submitted the signed Low Interest Loan Pre-Application to the IEPA for review, and explained its purpose.
Trotter & Associates had recommended payment of Pay Request #4 in the amount of $80,711.00, and it was paid with today’s bills. Mike Zima described Changes Orders #1, an addition of $17,419.07 to dispose of refuse from the demolition of an old swimming pool found on the site; #2, a no-cost change order for an alternate exterior light design that would provide better vandal protection; and #3, a deduction in the amount of -$1,011.15 for elimination of a pipe gate. Trustee Struthers moved to approve all three change orders. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
The 2007 Sewer Lining Project has been completed except for the repair of one segment. Insituform and the District met February 21 to discuss the repair that needs to be done before the District will release the $126,708.10 being held for completion of this project. Insituform’s subcontractor for the repair, Performance Pipelining, has yet to perform the work, which must then be videotaped and reviewed by District staff.
Steve Olsen said that Siemens will begin the Excess Flow Sand Filter Repair Project March 24. He praised District personnel who removed all the existing sand media in preparation for the project.
Mark Eddington reported that the updated Standard Detail and General Notes should be delivered to the District in paper and electronic versions next week.
The District hosted a meeting of DeKalb County, DeKalb Township, City of DeKalb and Northern Illinois University representatives to begin planning for the Northwest Service Area Interceptor Project which would include a large diameter sewer to be located within the proposed Bethany Road right-of-way to serve the potential 30,000 P.E. in the northwestern portion of the District’s FPA. The Board discussed the advantages to the District of performing initial work during the Township’s road construction this summer versus waiting for participation of developers who would be benefited. Since the Northern Trust sent a representative of their proposed development to the meeting, Mike Zima will enquire about their willingness to participate in the costs of an initial project to open cut sections of pipe at road crossing before the pavement goes in.
District administrative staff visited Downer’s Grove Sanitary District to hear about Downer’s Private Lateral Rehabilitation Program. Mike gave a draft cost share policy to the Board for review and comment. Janice and Mike will be seeking Board input on budget planning for a District Private Service Lateral Rehabilitation Policy.
Keith Foster presented a contract for purchase of 35 acres of land on the south side of DeKalb for a future second treatment plant site. The Board directed Janice to contract for Appraisal and Phase One Environmental Study. Steve Olsen informed the Board, Mike and Janice that a District employee currently leases and farms the land in question. They had not been aware of this when discussing the potential purchase in executive session.
Bids were opened March 17, 2008 for the 2008 Large Pipe SSES with Cleaning Project. Of the three valid bids received, National Power Rodding was the low bidder at $139,709.13, which was considerably lower than the Engineer’s Estimate. Trotter & Associates recommended awarding the contract to them. Trustee Zar initiated the Motion to Award. Trustee Collins seconded. Motion carried.
Keith Foster and Mike Zima are working on a participation agreement for the three homeowners who would be benefited by the 10th & Locust Project to pay 50% of the cost of the estimated $28,000 sewer extension. Their financial participation would be a prerequisite to the project.
Keith Foster will be meeting with legal representatives of the Town of Cortland to discuss reexamination of the existing service agreement between Cortland and the District.
Attorney Foster informed the Board of the status of his attempts to collect outstanding invoices from Eagle Homes.
The Board commended Mike Zima, Janice Tripp and Steve Olsen and thanked them for their work on preparing and filing documentation that resulted in a $94,187.16 reimbursement from FEMA for District expenses incurred during the fall 2007 extraordinary flood event.
At the request of the City of DeKalb, the Board considered a request for catastrophic water loss relief from the unnamed owner of 2518 Alpha Court West and its occupant Ms. Rice that did not meet the policy requirements because the property in question is a rental property. Trustee Collins moved to deny the claim as not conforming to the policy. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried. Out of concern for the tenant, the Board instructed Janice to work with the City to set up an easy payment plan if the tenant rather than the owner will be held responsible for payment.
Discussion of a retiree healthcare benefit was tabled until a future meeting at the request of Janice Tripp and Mike Zima.
Steve Olsen informed the board about his plans to replace the 40-year old intermediate sludge pumps. One will be replaced this year at a cost of approximately $7,850.00 and one next year.
In New Business, Mike Zima said that the Pride Award to the District by the City of DeKalb will take place at next Monday’s meeting. Steve Olsen will attend to represent the District.
Trustee Collins shared a quarterly invoice for his residence and pointed out that District charges, even at the new rate, are quite comparable to the other City and Waste Management services.
Trustee Collins asked Mike Zima about screening for pharmaceuticals in effluent and asked the Engineers about technology for removing them. After discussion, the Board instructed staff and engineers to plan for any new plant facilities to address this problem.
Janice Tripp reviewed the Draft Fiscal Year 2008-2009 Budget with the Trustees.
Mark Eddington provided a color coded map of the District’s identified leaking laterals.
Trustee Collins moved to adjourn the meeting. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins adjourned the meeting.
Dennis J. Collins, President