DeKalb Sanitary District Board Meeting Minutes
Meetings are held at 303 Hollister Avenue in DeKalb.
DeKalb Sanitary District
January 21, 2009
Minutes
Approved February 18, 2009
The January meeting of the DeKalb Sanitary District Board of Trustees was held at the office of the District at noon on Wednesday, January 21, 2009. 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 and Ralph Tompkins and Steve Zehner of Baxter & Woodman were present.
President of the Board Collins called the meeting to order.
Trustee Collins moved to approve the January agenda. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Struthers moved to approve the December minutes. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins moved to approve the transfer of:
- $180,000.00 from the Revenue Fund to the O & M Fund
- $10,222.93 from the Dedicated Tax IMRF Fund to the O & M Fund
- $7,267.54 from the Dedicated Tax FICA Fund to the O & M Fund
- $225,000.00 from the EPA Replacement Fund to the O & M Fund
Trustee Zar moved to approve the payment of bills as submitted. Trustee Collins seconded. Motion carried.
In Public Input and Communications, Jim Schneider asked about media reports of the cost of the Facilities Plan Update which he perceived to be greater than had been previously quoted. Mike Zima and Scott Trotter said that costs can be quoted as a whole or according to the phases discussed, since the overall Facilities Plan Update has been divided into several phases, some of which would not take place for many years. Mr. Schneider also asked about whether the regulatory changes to which the District has referred are actual or anticipated. Scott Trotter answered that while the regulations have not yet changed, the procedures to change them are in the works at the Environmental Protection Agency.
Mike Zima explained that he contacted two firms for quotes on making the corrections to the Pretreatment Program required by the USEPA. The Trustees questioned the Baxter & Woodman representatives who were present. The Trustees are concerned by the large difference between the two quotes received, and asked that both firms come to next month’s meeting to explain the scope of their proposed work. He also asked Scott Trotter and Mike Zima to meet to develop questions to be put to the two firms in order to assess how the services offered compare.
Treasurer Stokke gave the Treasurer’s Report. Janice Tripp, Assistant Manager Administration requested and received feedback from the Trustees on anticipated spending and desired length of term of investments.
There were no requests for annexations or pre-annexations this month.
Scott Trotter submitted the Engineer’s Report in writing. He answered the Board’s questions about how the District could seek project funding under the Obama administration’s economic stimulus package and how Trotter & Associates could facilitate this effort.
In Plan Review, Mike Zima explained City of DeKalb required revisions of the Parkside Oaks plan and the Board approved the revised plat.
The Facilities Plan Update is still under IEPA review and Mark Eddington discussed a letter of enquiry received this month.
Scott Trotter says that plans for the Biosolids Rehabilitation and Improvements Project are continuing and discussed potential problems with the placement of a biosolids storage facility on the south slope property.
Country Club Lift Station Project is in the permitting stage and TAI is working with the IEPA, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the City of DeKalb to obtain permitting.
No action has taken place on the Permanent Flow Monitoring Project. The Board asked Scott Trotter to bring a cost estimate to the next meeting.
The proposal on the Inflow and Infiltration Reduction Plan which TAI submitted to the Board some time ago is still awaiting discussion.
Discussion of the Economic Stimulus Package was covered in Public Input section of the meeting.
The review of the engineering proposals for the Pretreatment Program amendments will continue after next month’s presentations by the firms submitting quotes.
The Trustees asked Janice to call NICOR and encourage them to give Earl Hansen of 1332 North 13th Street consideration for the towing bill incurred when the family car fell into an excavation. A preliminary excavation had been started and stopped by the District’s contractor because it was discovered that NICOR needed to relocate a conflicting gas line. NICOR had been working on their gas line for a few weeks prior to the accident.
The Board instructed Mike Zima to develop plausible activities that may address the root problems in lieu of total sewer replacement with the potential of silver maple trees remaining in Moraine Terrace parkways.
The Board told Mike to remind the City of DeKalb of their responsibility to correct illegal connections in the TIF area, and to inform the residents that these problems exist.
Meetings are ongoing with the Town of Cortland to develop a new intergovernmental agreement.
Tomorrow the District will present their court claim against Eagle Homes for unpaid invoices.
Steve Olsen explained the nature of necessary screw pump repair.
Three claims for Catastrophic Water Loss Relief were received this month. Each of them did meet the City and District Policy requirements. Trustee Collins moved to approve the requests of:
- Matthew Newman of 1089 Aspen #1 who had a leaking toilet.
- Kourtney Jackson of 1044 Aspen #8 who had a leaking toilet.
- Linda Koos of 110 Joanne Lane whose outside faucet was turned by persons unknown.
There was no new business.
Trustee Collins moved to adjourn the meeting. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried. Trustee Collins adjourned the meeting.
DeKalb Sanitary District
January 30, 2009
Special Board Meeting Minutes
Approved February 18, 2009
A special meeting of the DeKalb Sanitary District Board of Trustees was held at the office of the District at 2 p.m. on Friday, January 30, 2009. The special meeting had been called to discuss “Capital Improvements in light of Federal Stimulus Program.”
In attendance were Trustees Dennis Collins, Tim Struthers and Carol Zar. Michael Zima, District Manager; Janice Tripp, Assistant Manager Administration; 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. Elena Grimm of the Daily Chronicle news staff also attended.
President of the Board Collins called the meeting to order.
Scott Trotter said that he had spoken with an IEPA representative, and that while no one knows for certain how the economic stimulus package will be framed or administered, if it is, as expected, administered by the IEPA department in charge of granting low interest loans, our Phase 1A Biosolids Rehabilitation and Improvements Project and our Country Club Lift Station Project should both be in line for consideration to receive zero interest loans and/or grants. He also said that both should fit the definition of “shovel ready” that seems to be important to receiving them. The question he put to the Board was whether they wanted to prepare engineering documents on phases 1b and 1c of the Facilities Plan Update earlier than previously planned in order to attempt to secure zero interest loans on those projects.
During the discussion, the Trustees asked Scott to assure them that the District had indeed done everything known to be necessary to pursue stimulus money for Phase 1A and Country Club. Scott replied in the affirmative given the currently known criteria.
Trustee Struthers said that while he tends to be conservative in spending, he could see the patriotic considerations in moving forward with projects so as to provide jobs. Trustee Collins said that if money were no object, we would have proceeded with Phases 1A, B, and C as a unit instead of dividing them, so there would be some rational for moving forward on them. Trustee Zar said that receiving additional funds or zero interest loans would be helpful.
The Trustees then looked at the current District loan commitments and asked for estimates of how beginning work on Phases 1B and 1C would impact on the schedule of gradual small rate increases that had been worked out as part of the Facilities Plan Update. They said that they had hoped by doing this to avoid putting too great a burden on the users of the District. They asked for and received estimates on how much the engineering costs would be to prepare the additional projects to the point where they could be considered for economic stimulus money. All agreed that spending that money now would necessitate a faster user rate increase than had been planned. None of them wanted to burden their users with faster rate increases. Although the potential lower interest rate and grants might mitigate that, there is not any assurance that those would be forthcoming.
The Board decided to take no action to escalate its project schedule at this time, but to leave the matter open for consideration at a later time after more information has been obtained. Trustee Zar will go with Scott Trotter to meet with Congressman Foster’s aide in hopes of getting more specific information.
Trustee Struthers moved to adjourn the meeting. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried. Trustee Collins adjourned the meeting.
Dennis J. Collins, President