DeKalb Sanitary District Board Meeting Minutes
Meetings are held at 303 Hollister Avenue in DeKalb.
DeKalb Sanitary District
December 8, 2009
Special Board Meeting Minutes
Approved December 16, 2010
A special meeting of the DeKalb Sanitary District Board of Trustees was held at the office of the District at noon on Tuesday, December 8, 2009. In attendance were Trustees Dennis Collins and Carol Zar; Michael Zima, District Manager; Janice Tripp, Assistant Manager Administration; Steve Olsen, Plant Foreman; and Attorney for the District Keith Foster. They were joined by Gregory Ford of Voorhees Associates of Deerfield, Illinois, the firm they have selected to conduct the search for District Manager candidates.
The special meeting had been called to hold an Executive Session to discuss personnel issues, but was held as an open meeting.
President of the Board Collins called the meeting to order.
Mr. Ford surveyed those present as to the education, experience and background they wanted to see in candidates for the District Manager position. He had the Trustees and Administrators identify organization goals for DSD in the coming years. The group reviewed and agreed upon a proposed recruitment schedule. Mr. Ford said he would meet with District staff and tour the facility today after the meeting and begin the candidate search as agreed.
Trustee Collins moved to adjourn the meeting. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins adjourned the meeting.
Timothy A. Struthers, Vice President
DeKalb Sanitary District
December 16, 2009
Minutes
Approved January 20, 2010
The December meeting of the DeKalb Sanitary District Board of Trustees was held at the office of the District at noon on Wednesday, December 16, 2009. In attendance were Trustees Timothy 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 Wayne Fesler attended, as did Scott Trotter, P.E. and Mike Holland, P.E. of Trotter & Associates. Jim Schneider was present. Mark Charvat was present for the Public Input and Communications portion of the meeting.
Vice President Struthers called the meeting to order.
Trustee Struthers moved to approve the December agenda. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
A motion was made by Trustee Struthers and seconded by Trustee Zar that the minutes of the November 18, 2009 monthly meeting and the minutes of the December 8, 2009 Special Meeting of the Board be approved. Motion carried.
Trustee Struthers moved to approve the transfer of: $350,000.00 from the Revenue Fund to the O & M Fund; $6,744.17 from the Dedicated Tax IMRF Fund to the O & M Fund; and $4,801.00 from the Dedicated Tax FICA Fund to the O & M Fund. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Struthers moved to approve payment of the bills as presented. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
In Public Input and Communications, Mark Charvat identified himself as the owner and resident of 102 Cobblestone Court, and said he does not want the District's biosolids storage facility to be placed on the South Slope property, which is near his home. He expressed concerns about odor, truck traffic, and spills. He had specific questions about the biosolids product, hauling and storing plans and timetable for beginning operations. Scott Trotter of Trotter and Associates, the District's Engineering consultant and Mike Zima, District Manager answered his questions and stated that the District is investigating using another property and has put its discussions with the City of DeKalb's planning commission about the South Slope property on hold for now.
Jim Schneider asked questions about the connection fee increase discussion that had been planned and has been deferred until early in 2010 and the District Manager search.
Treasurer Fesler submitted the Treasurer's Report in writing and discussed available interest rates. He said the District is near its depository limits at local banks. Trustee Struthers made a motion to approve investments up to the insured limit at three area credit unions contingent on receiving a satisfactory review of the credit authority insuring credit union investments. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried. Trustee Struthers moved and Trustee Zar seconded instructing Attorney Foster to write the necessary resolution. Motion carried. Trustee Struthers asked Treasurer Fesler and Assistant Manager Administration Janice Tripp to bring to the January meeting a plan for paying off outstanding debt on which the interest being paid is higher than can be earned on investments now. The Trustees expressed their willingness to add more local banks to the depository list, and asked Treasurer Fesler to identify institutions in nearby towns within DeKalb County.
Janice asked that any Trustee be authorized to act individually to approve and sign applications to the IEPA for reimbursement. Trustee Struthers moved to approve this. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
Mike Zima updated the Board on his interactions with Morningstar Media. He has asked for a meeting to put the finishing touches on the District's news release.
Trustee Zar moved to pass Tax Levy Ordinance No. 527 for Fiscal Year 2009-2010. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
Janice reported that she has contacted the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency about paying off the IEPA Revolving Loan Main Plant and the IEPA Revolving Loan Fairview early. She has the name of a contact person who can supply the pay-off amount when the District is ready (January or February 2010).
The Trustees reviewed revenues and rates being charged by nearby sewage treatment facilities. After a discussion, Trustee Struthers moved to approve Ordinance #528, “An Ordinance Amending the Charges for the Use of and Service Supplied by the DeKalb Sanitary District.” Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried. Sewer Use fees will increase to $2.60 per 100 cubic feet effective January 1, 2010, payable on bills received in April, 2010 and thereafter. Mr. Schneider discussed his concern about the foreclosure rate in DeKalb and the impact of fee increases. Mike Zima pointed out that the District is demonstrating sensitivity to the current fiscal situation by using every way possible to keep user rates down. The twenty-cent increase is one-half of the increase indicated for the year in the Facilities Plan.
Trustee Struthers moved to approve Ordinance #529 rescinding District Resolution 2008-10-15-1 which had granted a tax abatement to Target. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
There had been no requests for annexation or pre-annexation this month.
Scott Trotter supplied an Engineer's Report in writing and deferred discussion until the individual agenda items.
In Plan Review, Mike described Northern Illinois University's dissatisfaction with the District's limit of 25 gallons per minute as the maximum amount that can be discharged from the Chiller Plant into the 8-inch Garden Street sewer they hooked up to (without consulting the District first). Because the University had agreed to accept the limits to discharge, the District signed the University's belated IEPA Sewer Permit Construction Application last month . Mike said that normal District procedures would call for the facility to be isolated from its existing connection until all issues (including permit issues) can be resolved. While the 8-inch sewer cannot accept the rate of discharge NIU wants, the sewer on Lucinda could, if NIU put in a sewer to connect the Chiller Plant to it. Janice explained that the connection fee for the Chiller Plant and possibly any outstanding Administrative and Plan Review Fees will be deducted from the amount the District would otherwise refund NIU in 2009. Steve Olsen read the University's refund meters on December 7, 2009. Trustee Zar approved the transfer of the necessary funds for the remainder of the payment from the Revenue to the O & M Fund. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
Mike has received information about Northern Illinois University's West Campus Development Plan. Because of the nature and the scope of the development, Mike Zima will recommend that NIU come in early 2010 to brief the Board on this development, which will require sewer extensions.
Trustee Struthers moved to accept the McMahon Engineering quote to update the District's Sewer Use Ordinance at a cost not to exceed $9,500.00. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
Williams Brothers has begun construction on the Biosolids Rehabilitation Project at 303 Hollister. They have found that the 12-inch clay sewer in close proximity to the new sludge de-watering building is crumbling. TAI will probably recommend replacement of that sewer, which would require a Change Order. The District and Trotter and Associates have been consulting with the City of DeKalb, the FAA, the Illinois Department of Agriculture, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources about the alternate site for the Sludge Storage barn.
Scott Trotter and Mike Holland have been informed by Williams Brothers that the inability to use of the South Slope site means that soil from the Country Club Lift Station excavation cannot be held at South Slope but must be trucked out. That is increasing the cost of soil removal by about $2 per yard. No change order has been requested yet. Janice filled the Trustees in on what the required flood insurance on the Country Club Lift Station would cost. Mike Holland has approached the IEPA legal department in hopes of having the loan requirement for flood insurance waived.
A 10% retainage on the West Lincoln Highway Sewer Replacement Project is being held until the Walker Concrete documents are received. Trotter and Associates provided an explanation of billing as per the Board's request. Trustee Struthers said they will consider approval of Trotter's revised invoice next month, pending review by Mike Zima.
After a review of the additional costs to the 2009 Spot Repair Project and agreement by District Administrators and Trotter and Associates that the additional work was agreed upon by District staff before being done, Trustee Zar moved for the release of the final payment. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
As the Board requested at the November meeting, Mike Holland informed Visu-Sewer in writing of the District's dissatisfaction, and an apology was received. After discussion, the Board agreed to pay half of the cost of the laterals grouted that were not on the project specs, but want the District's cost to locate and remove Visu-Sewer's equipment from the sewer it was left in deducted from the amount paid them. Mike Holland will prepare a change order.
The Trustees reviewed the Permanent Flow Monitoring Project goals and objectives as prepared by DSD and TAI.
Janice gave the quotes from Aetna and Principal for Major Medical Insurance coverage for District employees and recommended staying with the current Aetna policy. The Board agreed.
Trustee Zar moved and Trustee Struthers seconded authorizing Janice Tripp, Assistant Manager Administration, to purchase a new phone system to replace the District's twenty year old units after she receives the rest of the quotes. Motion carried.
Trustee Zar moved to approve the Catastrophic Loss requests of Dorthea Burton of 1307 South 7th Street for $122.40 and Warren Larson of 143 Evans Avenue for $72.00, both losses due to leaking toilets. Both requests did meet City and District Policy requirements. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried. Bryan Rand of 327 River Drive lost $240.00 in sewer charges for water that did not enter the sanitary system when a pipe broke in his crawl space. Trustee Zar moved to approve reimbursement. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
In New Business, Janice discussed safety green hooded sweatshirt issued to employees. She noted that they are effective in making District employees more visible on the street, and will encourage their use at all appropriate times.
Trustee Zar moved to adjourn the meeting. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried. Trustee Struthers adjourned the meeting.
Timothy A. Struthers, Vice President
Dennis J. Collins, President