Minutes of May 11, 2021
1. Chairman Robert Hughey called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. at the B.C. Ross Community Center in Makanda. A roll call was taken and Board Members present were: Chairman Robert Hughey and Trustees Grace Brewer, Joseph Burrow, Kim Cole, John Dickson., and Paul Heern. Absent was Trustee Pat Brierton. Also present were: District Secretary Karen Dunn, Water Supply Operator Ron Lada, and Treasurer Mike Williamsen.
2. The professionals at the meeting was Mr. Mike Twomey and Mr. Joe Boyke. Ms. Lucille Burrow attended as a visitor.
3. The Board reviewed the minutes of the April 13, 2021, regular meeting. A motion was made by Mr. Burrow to accept the minutes as presented; seconded by Ms. Brewer and with (5) yes and (0) no votes, the minutes were approved.
4. No visitor or customer requests were presented at this time.
5. No new items of correspondence were presented for discussion.
6. New business began with the election of the Water District Officers. A motion was made by Mr. Burrow to retain Robert Hughey in the position of Chairman, Mike Williamsen in the position of Treasurer, and Karen Dunn in the position of District Secretary. The motion was seconded by Ms. Grace Brewer and with (5) yes and (0) no votes, the appointments were approved. Each appointee accepted their position. Mr. Hughey indicated that filling the position of Vice Chairman would be tabled to next month’s meeting.
Next, a motion was made by Mr. Burrow to retain Mike Twomey as the District’s legal counsel and Clarida Ziegler Engineering as the District’s engineers. The motion was seconded by Ms. Brewer and with (5) yes and (0) no votes, the motion carried.
A motion was made by Mr. Heern to retain both employees, Ron Lada and Karen Dunn. Seconded by Ms. Brewer and with (5) yes and (0) no votes, the motion was approved; however, the review of employee contracts was tabled for future discussion.
7. Mr. Joe Boyke opened the conversation related to the IEPA Project Status by reviewing specific elements of the loan, such as value and interest. He followed by noting changes to budgeted items such as the removal of attorney fees. Mr. Boyke indicated estimated start dates for work to begin on the water main replacement and tower painting. The Board continued with discussions related to project priorities and locations of the new leak detection meters.
           Next, Mr. Boyke presented an invoice from Clarida Ziegler Engineering for the firm’s fees related to both design and inspection. Along with the invoice, he presented a Request for Loan Disbursement document for signature by the Chairman. A motion followed from Mr. Burrow to approve and pay the invoice as presented by Clarida Ziegler in the amount of $32,254.90. The motion was seconded by Ms. Cole and with (5) yes votes and (0) no votes, the payment was approved. District insurance coverage alternatives were briefly discussed noting that Mr. Williamsen and Mr. Heern anticipated presenting quotes from other insurers in the near future. No action was taken at this time.
8. No new information related to the Carbondale Water District was presented for discussion.
9. Financials for March 2021 were presented and reviewed with brief discussion.
10. The District Secretary/Treasurer’s Report and the Accounts Payable Report for May 2021 were presented. A motion was made by Ms. Brewer to accept the reports as presented and to pay the bills, which was seconded by Mr. Heern and with (5) yes and (0) no votes the motion carried.
Conversation turned to the recommendation of utility markers for strategic placement throughout the District. Discussion followed related to distributors and related costs. A motion was made by Ms. Brewer to purchase the described markers in the range of $1,500 to $2,000 total cost. Seconded by Mr. Heern and with (5) yes and (0) no votes, the motion was approved.
11. The Water Supply Operator reviewed his report with no discrepancies. Discussion followed related to excessive water loss and measures taken to locate the leak(s). Reports of all current leak detector meters were reviewed.
12. No additional public comments or questions were presented at this time.
13.      There was no move for an executive session.
14.      There being no further business, a motion was made by Mr. Burrow to adjourn, which was seconded by Mr. Dickson, and with (5) yes and (0) no votes the meeting closed.