The March meeting of the DeKalb Sanitary District Board of Trustees was held at the office of the District at noon on Wednesday, March 17, 2010. 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 Wayne Fesler attended, as did Scott Trotter, P.E. and Mike Holland, P.E. of Trotter & Associates. Mick Gronewold, P.E. and Mark Painter, P.E. of Fehr-Graham & Associates, Jaime Smirz of the City of DeKalb Community Development Department, Jim Schneider and Steve Scheffel attended.
Trustee Collins called the meeting to order.
Trustee Collins moved to approve the March agenda. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.Trustee Zar made a motion to approve the February minutes. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
Janice explained the transfers for the month, including the transfer of $305,000.00 from the Revenue Fund to the O & M Fund, $9,174.83 from the Dedicated Tax IMRF Fund to the O & M Fund, $5,700.12 from the Dedicated Tax FICA Fund to the O & M Fund for operating expenses and payroll. She asked for permission to transfer $143,167.13 from the Revolving Loan Biosolids & CC to the Revenue Fund as soon as the IEPA/ARRA Loan funds are received to replace money already paid out for engineering on the Biosolids/Country Club Project. Trustee Struthers moved to approve the transfers. Trustee Collins seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Struthers moved to pay bills as presented. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
During the Public Input portion of the meeting Mick Gronewold and Mark Painter of Fehr Graham and Associates gave a description of their services, and Jim Schneider asked questions about the biosolids facility and about when the Board intends to revisit connection fees. He asked to be allowed to comment on this when agenda item 9D was discussed.
Treasurer Fesler gave the Treasurer's Report and discussed investments.
There were no requests for annexation or pre-annexation.
Scott Trotter supplied the Engineer's Report in writing and deferred discussion until the individual agenda items.In Plan Review, Mike Zima reported on the memo received from NIU West Campus Development planners committing to installation of sewers according to DeKalb Sanitary District specifications. He plans to set up a meeting with them to review easement issues.
As the Board requested, Mike Zima has done a study on the existing water use in the West Lincoln and Pearl Street area. This information will be available when the time comes for the District to calculate Shodeen NB & T Commons project connection fees.
Mike Zima discussed the Elliott Business Park development, and the plats were signed.
Mike Zima and Scott Trotter gave an analysis of the probable impact on the District of the proposed Project Spring at the old Cavel location. While the Board wants to help bring employment opportunities to DeKalb, there is a concern not to accept so much high strength sewage as to make it difficult to meet the District's NPDES Discharge Permit limits. The costs of required pretreatment and connection fees would also be quite large for the prospective developer. Mike Zima will supply the developer with the information. Jim Schneider expressed concern that the proposed connection fee will be lower than it should be according to the District Facility Plan because the Board has declined to raise the fee to the level recommended by Trotter & Associates. However Mike explained that the connection fee based on Biological Oxygen Demand would be about 2.5 times a connection fee based strictly on gallons of discharge.
Scott Trotter and Mike Holland updated the Board on the progress on the Biosolids Rehabilitation and Improvements Project. Trustee Collins moved to approve Williams Brothers Construction, Inc. Pay Request #2 in the amount of $345,439.08 to be paid when loan funds have been received. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
Change Order #3 in the amount of $12,520.29 for additional pipage, two manholes, potable water changes and other minor changes already discussed at previous Board meetings was approved by a motion made by Trustee Collins and seconded by Trustee Zar. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Struthers seconded a motion to approve Williams Brothers Pay Request #3 in the amount of $313,383.24 to be paid when loan funds have been received. Motion carried.
Mike Holland showed the Board the signs identifying the projects as funded, in part, by The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that will be posted at the Country Club lift station site and the Biosolids area of the main plant.
The Country Club Lift Station Project dewatering system is now functional, but removal of dirt from the site is being delayed by road postings. The traffic of trucks on the site had been planned to be completed before use of the golf course started for the season, but this was slowed down by the discovery of an underground aquifer and the wait for extra equipment necessary to excavate safely. District staff and Engineers have met with Park District representatives and informed them of the schedule changes. The Board stressed to the Engineers their concern for the impact on the DeKalb Park District and its patrons. They charged Trotter and Associates with providing the contractor with specific guidelines for reducing negative impact on the Park District and ensuring safety. They want the contractor's agreement to these guidelines to be obtained in writing and the Park District to be supplied with a copy.
Advertisements requesting bids on the Moraine Terrace Sanitary Sewer Improvements Project have been published and a mandatory preconstruction meeting will be held at the District on March 19. Bid opening is scheduled for March 26, 2010.
The 2010 Spot Repair Project has also been advertised for bids. A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on March 19, 2010 and the bid opening is March 26.
The 2010 Lining Project final plans and specs are in preparation. The District plans to advertise for bids next week and award the bid at the April Board of Trustees meeting.
Steve Olsen reviewed with the Board the need for replacing the plant's influent and effluent samplers and the three quotes received for the necessary equipment. Trustee Struthers moved to approve the purchase. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
Janice Tripp discussed plans to begin review of the Tentative Budget for Fiscal Year 2010 to 2011, and asked the Board to accept the proposal from Sikich to perform the Fiscal Year 2009 to 2010 Audit. Trustee Collins moved to do so. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins moved to approve the Catastrophic Loss Relief request of Stacey Hess of 827 Pembroke Lane for $386.40 lost because of a leaking toilet. The request did meet City/District Policy requirements. Trustee Collins moved to approve it. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
In New Business Mike Zima filled the Board in on the distribution of excess TIF funds from the Old County Home property demolition project.
Trustee Collins moved to go into Executive Session to address personnel issues. Trustee Struthers seconded, and the motion carried. The Board went into Executive Session.
After the Board returned from Executive Session, Trustee Collins moved to continue today's meeting until 1:15 pm on March 31, 2010 for the purpose of reviewing bids on the Morraine Terrance and 2010 Spot Repairs projects and issuing Notice of Awards on these projects, as well as an Executive Session to meet with Voorhees & Associates candidates for the position of District Manager and interview them. Trustee Struthers seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins continued the meeting.
The March meeting of the DeKalb Sanitary District Board of Trustees had been continued until noon on March 31, 2010 for the purpose of reviewing bids on the Moraine Terrace and 2010 Spot Repairs projects and issuing Notice of Awards on these projects, as well as an Executive Session to meet with Voorhees & Associates candidates for the position of District Manager and interview them. Trustees Collins, Struthers and Zar, Michael Zima, District Manager and Janice Tripp, Assistant Manager Administration attended, as did Keith Foster, Attorney for the District, and Scott Trotter and Mike Holland of Trotter & Associates.
Dupage Topsoil was the lowest of seven bidders on the Moraine Terrace Sanitary Sewer Improvements Project, with a bid of $95,599.99, and Trotter & Associates recommended awarding them the contract. Trustee Collins moved to approve the Notice of Award. Trustee Zar seconded. Motion carried.
Trustee Struthers moved to issue the Notice of Award for the 2010 Spot Repair Improvements Project to Elliott & Wood who was the lowest of four bidders at $101,964.00 as was recommended by Trotter & Associates. Trustee Collins seconded, and the motion carried.
Trustee Collins moved not to go into Executive Session to interview candidates for the position of District Manager. Trustee Struthers seconded, and the motion carried.
The Trustees interviewed four candidates for the position of District Manager. Based on these interviews and the recommendation of Gregory Ford of Voorhees, the Trustees invited two candidates back for a second interview. A decision was made to offer Mark Eddington the position of District Manager and the District Attorney was authorized to make the offer to Mark and coordinate any negotiations on contractual terms with Mr. Eddington.
Trustee Collins moved and Trustee Struthers seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried.
Trustee Collins adjourned the meeting.
Dennis J. Collins, President