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Minutes of September 13, 2022

Call to Order:  Chairman Bob Hughey called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm at the District Office 79 Wiley Lane in Makanda. A roll call was taken.

Board Members present were Chairman Hughey, Vice Chairman Kim Cole, and Trustees Grace Brewer, and Paul Heern.

Trustees John Dickson, Joseph Burrow and Pat Brierton were absent.

Staff and Professionals:

Treasurer, Mike Williamsen, present.

District Secretary, Mike Twomey, present

Professionals:   Mike Twomey, Legal Counsel, present, Joe Boyke, Engineer, absent

Staff:  Water Operator Kenny Cowan, present, Water operator, Alex Heidbreder, present, and Office Manager, Sage Lintner, Present.  Sherry Cowan, absent, and Water Operator Bill Dailey, absent.

Visitors present:  None

Approval of Minutes:  The Board reviewed the revised minutes of the August 9, 2022, regular meeting minutes. Trustee Brewer made a motion to accept the minutes of August 9, 2022, seconded by Trustee Heern and with a roll call vote of (5) yay votes and (0) nay votes.; the minutes of 8/9/2022 were approved.

Visitor and Customer Requests:  None

Communications for August 2022: 

  1. IEPA loan:  The IEPA time sensitive letter dated 9/7/2022 was reviewed regarding amount and due date of the first repayment of the loan. It is critical to return the loan agreement within 7 days. It is possible we may need a rate increase because of this $5758.23 semi-annual repayment expense. The agreement will be sent in right away. Will put possible rate increase on the agenda for discussion in October 2022.
  2. Trustee Burrows update: An update was given on Trustee Burrows. He is still in rehab in Carbondale.
  3. Zoom Board meetings for Trustee Brierton:  Vice-Chair Cole informed the Board that Trustee Brierton would like to attend Board meetings in the future via Zoom. Office manager is setting the zoom account up again so this can be accommodated.
  4. EEOC charge:  At the end of this Board meeting, Office manager Lintner noticed there was an email that just arrived stating that former Office manager Dunn has filed EEOC charges against BPWD. It was recommended that everything will be looked at tomorrow during the workday and Office manager Lintner will inform legal counsel and the Board details of the email.

New business: 

  1.  GPS mapping proposal from IRWA for $6,638.90. The accuracy is excellent per feet. Another alternative to the contracted mapping is to purchase a handheld gps unity with accuracy 3-6 ft. and map ourselves. Alex to get prices for a gps unit. Roger Noe is coming on 9/22/2022 to try his PVC trench locator. Alex and Sage to put together trouble spots and let Roger try his locator. Decision on the mapping versus gps unit purchase is tabled for discussion until October meeting.

Old business:

  • The ICMRT safety audit was conducted on July 26, 2022, and no report is back yet.  Will discuss further in October. PENDING
  • Golf course new customer update: Office manager Lintner has set up new accounts for the new owners of the Stone creek Golf course. There is $1500 still owed for water and the previous owner has moved to Indiana. She will try to send letters with bills to him first, then try credit bureau. The house needs a lock on the water meter since no one has called to open an account for it. PENDING
  • Work Group 1, Ordinance review. No report PENDING
  • Work Group 2, Water loss:  will meet on 9/8/2022 at 5pm at the pavilion in Makanda. All tasks have been assigned. Office manager Lintner will send out public notice. Water operator Heidbreder will set up a red hotspot notebook to keep in the truck to document data on possible leaks, Vice-chair Cole will order a fluoride kit. PENDING
  • Strategic plan ideas from all Trustee are needed from the group. A blank spreadsheet was distributed, and Vice-Chair Cole said she would gather the ideas if everyone would fill out the sheet and return to her by mail, email, or the next meeting. Received so far:  Trustee Brewer, Dickson, and Treasurer Williamsen. PENDING
  • Audit by Scott Hickham, the BPWD auditor has an intensive audit underway as requested by the Board in April 2022. Per Treasurer Williamsen, the final report is pending. Mr. Hickham is scheduled to come to the office, presumably, to finish the audit next week. PENDING
  • The new Accountant firm replacement Amy Parrish update was given by Mike Williamsen who reported that the work with Parrish will begin after Scott Hickham finishes the intensive audit. We need to revisit her duties and compensation. It is not what we intended. She is printing reports only, not reconciling. PENDING.
  1. The IEPA Class D course is scheduled for Office manager Lintner and Maintenance operator Heidbreder for $435 each and they will purchase the book needed. Class with IEPA Regional Engineer begins September 8, 2022. Office manager Lintner reported that Class is going well. PENDING
  • Pump Leak PSII update was given. Chairman Hughey reported that the pump is back installed. Not leaking. Invoice is for $5389.00 RESOLVED
  • New meters for leak detectors are ordered for $2557.50. Options for the incorrect Zimmer meters are to offer to sell to another district such as So. Highway, post on IRWA marketplace. The new meters are backordered until February 2023 PENDING
  • Brian Bush invoices, replace three flush hydrants:  Chairman Hughey reported that the contract has been located and has 1.5 years remaining.  No invoices have resubmitted yet. Three (3) more flush hydrants need to be replaced. PENDING
  • Credit card limit update was given by Office Manager Lintner that no action has been successful to get the $800 increased. Treasurer Williamsen will try again to get this limit raised with Fern at Banterra. Letter received that the request for increase has been denied. PENDING
  • Meter hardware plan to open and look at each meter update given by Office manager Lintner. 306 meters have been done so far and she is developing a spreadsheet for the plan. Chad needs to come in to do some training on meters with new staff.  Bob agreed to assist to locate some of the meters that cannot be found.  PENDING
  • Revised proposed ordinance revision for requiring deposits. Mike Twomey is reviewing the wording and has suggestions. He will send to Vice-Chair for finalizing prior to presenting to the Board for final approval. The wording will include $200 for renters, $100 for residentials, and $500 for commercial customers per meter. PENDING
  • Lead inventory:  ROINC Cole and water operator will give instructions on how Maintenance WSO can proceed to complete this new IEPA rule. PENDING
  • New BPWD sign ($185) for the district has been purchased and is now hung on the BPWD outside fence. RESOLVED
  • IT support, new printer, and computers.   Office manager Lintner reported that Mr. Terrance Walsh has installed a loaner printer until ours arrives, and she is very pleased with the work so far on the computers. New laptop and new desktop have been installed. Scada computer will not be replaced at this time. PENDING
  • Water loss credit statement:  Office Manager Lintner reported that she has sent Trustee Brierton a brochure on our rules/regulations and info about our district to review the wording. She has not heard from Trustee Brierton on the brochure for her input as of yet. She is also working with Trustee Brierton with the wording for our procedure of water loss credits. PENDING
  • WD Automation:  BPWD will partner with Tim at WD automation for the SCADA system. He is currently working on a fan and software update for PS1. We need to have yellow area discussion with Tim PENDING
  • Investments:  Treasurer Williamsen is researching Charles Schwab options for a 6 month treasury note with yield of 203%. Money market accounts 2-4%. BPWD could look at these types of investments for $100,000. More research is being done. The balances are approximately O/M account $8568.68, Fund $80975.83, Reserve $264,000. Trustee Heern suggested that he would like to invest $100,000 and the Board would like Treasurer Williamsen to pursue research on this amount of investment. Treasurer Williamsen will be in contact with John Dickson and Pat and Scott Hickham. PENDING
  • Cross connection survey and program:  Still have 7 customers to get the survey and Office manager is attempting to get them. Office manager Lintner and ROINC Cole are working to get a program in place to act on any surveys that need further attention, or a backflow prevention device. PENDING

Carbondale Water District:  Nothing new to report

Office manager report:

  1. Profiling high usage customers this month and a few water loss credits are pending. Harrison 99K gallons with credit of $1921.28 due, house settled. Titus, running toilet for $195 loss credit.
  2. Nathan at Poplar Camp Road needed a new electric pole and Egyptian electric broke water line.  No Julie but they refused to pay it. They said the line was broke before. Sage showed them the profile and will send the bill again to EE and attempt to get payment.
  3. Strobe lights are now on the truck, with an oil change
  4. The potential new customers at the end of Jacobini price is in excess of $30K have been presented with these costs.  Doubtful they with Mike Jenulis will want to pay this large amount.
  5. Shredding of old unneeded documents can begin 9/22/2022. (This has been since halted completely with the EEOC charge filed by Ms. Dunn)
  6. Three customers need to be turned over to collections and credit bureau for non-payment:  $125, $100.83, and Keller’s crossing
  7. Several accounts need to be written off in QuickBooks, i.e., Ann Garrett, Stone Creek.  Office Manager Lintner explained
  8. Sending out updated contact slips to customers

Maintenance water Operator Heidbreder report:

  1. Eighteen (18) Julies done
  2. Route 1:  5 meters can’t locate
  3. Three hundred six (306) meters found and inspected
  4. Walked all of Rt 1 and Rt 3, and Church Street
  5. Pumped out a couple meter pits, seems to be on the customer side
  6. Cracker neck leak has a Fl of 0.7 and told Brian Bush about this leak
  7. 181 Stone Creek fixed
  8. Leaks fixed
  9. PVC pipe on Sheppard’s Lane.  Brian can cut pvc
  10. Three hydrants going in new on Pete’s Road, Sheppard, Cracker Neck. 
  11. Golf course hydrant needs to be seen as it is not working, maybe repair kit
  12. Saturday (Sept 17) night will be shutting off valves on Rt 3 to look for leaks

Accounting and Financial report: Treasurer Williamsen reviewed the August 2022 accounting and financial reports with the Board. He explained that the payment on the loan and insurance premiums will start.

Payment of the bills and approval of August 2022 disbursements:  Office Manager Lintner gave the report on the bills and expenses to be paid for the month. Trustee Brewer made a motion to pay the bills. A second was made by Trustee Heern. A roll call vote was taken and 5 ayes, and 0 nays was obtained, and motion passed to pay the bills.

Water supply Operators (Bill Dailey/Kenny Cowan) report:  Given

ROINC Kimberly Cole report:

ROINC Cole provided a routine activity report for the month of July with all duties performed.  The IEPA Operational report was submitted.

  1.  The cross-connection survey is underway. Pending
  2. Ten (10) missing operating permits that need to be submitted on BPWD projects dating back into the 1990’s. Pending
  3. The (8) recommendations will be added to the agenda to be discussed at the water loss workgroup. These were discussed with MWSO Heidbreder, and he will review and get up to speed on this list.  Pending

Additional Public Comments or Questions:  No additional public comments or questions were submitted to the Board

Executive session: NoneMotion for Adjournment:  Trustee Heern made a motion to adjourn, and Trustee Brewer seconded the motion. All in favor by voice 5 yays, and no nays, the motion carried to adjourn.

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