MINUTES OF MEETING

NORTH SPRINGS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

 

            The regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of the North Springs Improvement District was held on Thursday, July 19, 2007 at 4:30 p.m. at the District Office, 10300 NW 11th Manor, Coral Springs, Florida.

 

            Present and constituting a quorum were:

 

            Salvatore J. Mendolia                                 President

            Steve Mendelson                                        Secretary

            David L. Gray                                            Supervisor

 

            Also present were:

 

            Ed Goscicki                                                Interim Manager - Severn Trent Services

            Pamela Rower                                            Severn Trent Services

            Dana Kaas                                                 Severn Trent Services

            Bob Koncar                                               Severn Trent Services

            Dennis Lyles                                               Attorney

            Jane Early                                                   Engineer

            Nick Schooley                                            Field Superintendent

 

FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS                         Roll Call

            Mr. Goscicki called the meeting to order and called the roll.

 

SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS                    Approval of the Minutes of the June 19, 2007 Meeting

            Mr. Goscicki stated each Board member received a copy of the minutes of the June 19, 2007 meeting and requested any corrections, additions or deletions.

            There not being any,

 

On MOTION by Mr. Mendelson seconded by Mr. Mendolia with all in favor the minutes of the June 19, 2007 meeting were approved.

 

THIRD ORDER OF BUSINESS                       Public Hearing to Consider Adoption of the General Fund, Heron Bay Mitigation, Parkland Isles, Debt Service and Special Assessment Fund Budgets for Fiscal Year 2008

            Mr. Goscicki stated this item will be discussed after Mr. Gray receives the Oath of Office.

 

FOURTH ORDER OF BUSINESS                    Consideration of Resolution 2007-6 Rescheduling the Public Hearing to Adopt the Heron Bay Commons Budget for Fiscal Year 2008

            Mr. Goscicki stated this item will be discussed after Mr. Gray receives the Oath of Office.

 

FIFTH ORDER OF BUSINESS                         Staff Reports

A.        Manager’s Report

i.       Consideration of Cost Share Agreement for Development and Implementation of BMP Program & Amendment No. 1

            Mr. Goscicki stated this is Amendment 1 to an existing agreement the District has with the South Florida Water Management District.  This agreement was put into place to implement the best management practices for stormwater management.  It extends the time frame by one year in order to get these best management practices evaluated and reported. 

 

On MOTION by Mr. Mendolia seconded by Mr. Mendelson with all in favor the Cost Share Agreement for Development and Implementation of BMP Program & Amendment No. 1 with the South Florida Water Management District was approved.

 

ii.      Ratification of Authorization for Emergency Repairs to Pump Station No. 2

            Mr. Goscicki stated shortly after the last meeting, I was contacted by Mr. Nick Schooley regarding problems with Pump Station No. 2.  Apparently he picked up excessive vibrations in the pump shaft and was concerned about pump failure.  We brought in a pump repair company to give us some diagnostics.  Without repairs being made, the concern was about the pump seizing up.  This happened before the July 4th weekend.  As you know, we are in the middle of our rainy season and we already had significant rainfall.  We were concerned about waiting until the next Board meeting to bring this before the Board and dealt with this as an emergency and authorized the repair.  We have the plans showing what had to be done.  Mr. Schooley can explain this in more detail.

            Mr. Mendolia asked do we have any documentation to review and sign?

            Mr. Goscicki responded yes.

            Mr. Schooley stated these are lifetime pumps, which pump 50,000 gallons per minute.  We have three pumps at Station 2.  We trained one of our staff to watch the pumps and he noticed the shaft wobbling a great deal when we started the engine.  When I arrived at the station, they already had them shut down and there was oil in the water.  I called our pump maintenance company who determined the seals were bad in two pumps.  They felt we could get through the summer but I did not want to take a chance, knowing there was a problem.  I spoke to Mr. Goscicki and we decided to complete the repair work by Tuesday or Wednesday, pull the other one out and complete both repairs two weeks from today.  These pumps are 14 years old and were never serviced.  We talked about servicing them every 10 years as in the past; we only repaired them when there was a problem.  We never had a major problem.  The repairs cost $8,000 for each pump for a total of $16,000, unless we run into some major problems internally.  There are two major bearings and if one is bad, the cost will be $200 and $400 for the other bearing.  They will not know how bad the bearings are until they dismantle the pumps.  If they are not bad, they will re-install them.  I told them I wanted new ones.  They told me they can tell if they are good or not when they put them back in by pulling the other out next Tuesday or Wednesday.  He guaranteed me a $500 discount because it saves them from using the crane. 

            Mr. Goscicki asked what is the total cost?

            Mr. Schooley responded $16,000 for both pumps.  We made indentations in the prop, which has to be welded in for balance.  There was a great deal of damage incurred to these pumps.  The pump company told me these metals were not normal metals for pumps.  We just pulled one in February and it was in better condition than these.  He said these are a different type of metal, which corrodes more and causes problems.

            Mr. Mendolia asked do we have a periodic maintenance program for once a year maintenance?

            Mr. Schooley responded they only need to be maintained once every ten years.  I had pumps in for 15 years without any problems.  Of course we can install a new pump and have problems tomorrow.  If you want to move in this direction, we will write a maintenance program for maintenance of the pumps every ten years.  I suggest having a maintenance program for pump one in year seven, pump two in year eight, pump three in year nine and pump four in year ten.  This way all four pumps are maintained.

            Mr. Mendolia stated ten years sounds like a long time.

            Mr. Gray asked is there a manufacturers recommended period for maintenance?

            Mr. Schooley responded I think they recommend maintenance every seven to ten years.  I do not think it is a stated recommendation.

            Mr. Gray asked are they only doing repairs to what was damaged or are we doing long-term maintenance?  Is there something they should be doing while they have the pumps out?

            Mr. Schooley responded no.  With the oil in the water and wobbling of the shaft, they are replacing the seals as they hold the oil in the pump.  If the seals are bad, the oil is going to leak in the water.  It was not a bad leak but there was a sheen on the water.  What you have is a shaft, propeller, two or three bearings and two or three seals.  When you maintain the bearings and seals every ten years, you are going to have a new pump. 

            Mr. Mendolia asked how many pumps do we have with the wrong type of metal?

            Mr. Schooley responded three at this pump station.  I assume they are all the same.  We can do this every seven to ten years at our discretion in the off season when there are no hurricanes.  I will coordinate a program with Mr. Goscicki.  No matter who is in charge here, we will go this route. 

            Mr. Mendelson stated you are saying, within this ten year period, each pump will be serviced.

            Mr. Schooley stated correct. 

            Mr. Mendelson asked what is the total lifespan of those pumps?

            Mr. Schooley responded I had pumps in the Sunshine WCD that were 30 years old.  Today’s standards are not what they used to be as far as metal and workmanship and they are not going to last like they used to.

            Mr. Mendolia asked do you have any documentation we can review?

            Mr. Goscicki responded I will have to obtain the documentation.  At this time, we are asking you to approve the work authorization in an amount not to exceed $16,000 for emergency repairs.

            Mr. Lyles asked is the not to exceed amount going to be sufficient?  This is typically how the Board authorizes something when they do not have the contract in front of them.

            Mr. Goscicki responded the price of the proposal was in the not to exceed amount of $16,000.

            Mr. Schooley stated the cost is $8,000 per pump for the seals, re-conditioning, dismantling, painting, cleaning and sandblasting.  This is standard work if the bearings are bad.  They cannot give you a price because they do not know what is needed until they dismantle the pumps.  I never exceed what the Board verbally agrees to.

            Mr. Lyles stated the question was whether $16,000 was enough.

            Mr. Schooley stated $16,000 may not be enough because there was damage to the pump and we may have to do some welding. 

            Mr. Goscicki stated a not to exceed amount of $20,000 may be more adequate.

 

On MOTION by Mr. Mendelson seconded by Mr. Mendolia with all in favor staff was authorized to prepare a work authorization for the emergency repairs to Pump Station No. 2 in an amount not to exceed $20,000.

 

            Mr. Gray stated I worked for a manufacturer who produced pumps like this for 18 years.  I am a Mechanical Engineer and understand a significant amount to explain the issue. 

            Mr. Mendolia stated we do not need you to go into detail.

            Mr. Gray asked if they say the bearings are not bad and there is a life expectancy for them and it will only cost $500 more to replace, is it worth replacing the bearings if they are beyond their life expectancy?

            Mr. Schooley responded this is my thought but the pump company told me they can visually tell if it does not help to put a new bearing in instead of spending $500.  I do not want to spend $500.  If it does not look new, I do not want it.  However, if it looks new, let’s do it.

            Mr. Gray stated most products have some life expectancy. 

            Mr. Schooley stated if they tell me a new one is no better than this one, I certainly am not spending another $500 to $600.

Organizational Matters

            ●          Oath of Office for David L. Gray

            Ms. Robin Dvorshak being a Notary of the State of Florida, administered the Oath of Office to Mr. Gray, a signed copy of which is attached and made a part of the official record.

A.        Manager’s Report (Continued)

            Mr. Goscicki stated I want to introduce Mr. Bob Koncar and Mr. Dana Kaas from Severn Trent Services.  Mr. Kaas oversees all of our operations in North America for Severn Trent Services.  Mr. Koncar recently moved into the role of General Manager of our Management Services Division in Florida.  Mr. Koncar has experience in municipal management services.  We are providing these services to our clients in Florida.  He is relocating to Coral Springs as soon as he gets his replacement in Jacksonville.  More importantly for this District, I am here in an interim role until we can get a permanent replacement.  Mr. Koncar, Mr. Kaas and I have been discussing who the appropriate person is as we move forward.  What we propose is for Mr. Koncar to step into this role over the next several months.  There will be a gradual transition between him and me.  As a resident of Coral Springs, he can provide any and all resources necessary for the management of the District.  He brings a wealth of experience in local government in the private sector.  I can pass around his resume but I wanted to introduce him to you first.  With the Board’s concurrence, you will be seeing a great deal more of Mr. Koncar.  I guarantee this will be a smooth and seamless transition.  This does not mean I will go away but it does mean I will step into the background.  However, I will continue to provide the resources this Board needs. 

 

THIRD ORDER OF BUSINESS                       Public Hearing to Consider Adoption of the General Fund, Heron Bay Mitigation, Parkland Isles, Debt Service and Special Assessment Fund Budgets for Fiscal Year 2008

            Mr. Goscicki stated we provided to you under separate cover the proposed budgets, which were reviewed with the Board at the last meeting.  The only change was to the budget for Heron Bay Commons.  At the last meeting, the Board directed us to develop multiple budgets and look at how to fund the tennis court improvements.  However, since those multiple budgets resulted in an assessment increase, we have to do a public notice by first class mail to all residents.  This notice did not go out in time, which we apologize for.  Hence, there are no members of the public here to discuss the budget.  Obviously the public hearing notice was published in the newspaper but the individual notifications did not go out.  All of the other budgets are exactly the same as the ones we reviewed with the Board last month and reflect no increases in assessments from the previous year.  At this time, we want the Board to open the public hearing to take comments from the audience or the Board.  If there are no comments, we can close the public hearing to consider approval of those budgets.  At our next meeting on August 9th, we will consider the Heron Bay Commons Budget as a separate item.  With the Board’s concurrence, the public hearing is now open.  Are there any comments from the public?

            Mr. Lyles responded for the record, there should be a quick review on the budget numbers and the purpose of the increases, if any.

            Mr. Goscicki stated there are five budgets; General Fund Budget, Heron Bay Mitigation Budget, Parkland Isles Budget, Debt Service and Special Assessment Fund Budgets.  The current assessment of the General Fund Budget is $74.50 per unit.  We propose keeping this amount the same.  The budget provides the general administration of the District and field operations associated with canal maintenance.  The total amount of this budget is $1,131,339 for revenues and expenditures with no increase in assessments per the Board’s direction.  We moved some dollars around and are comfortable with the level of funding in this budget as you have sufficient reserve funds moving forward into next year.  We are comfortable this is a workable budget.

            The second budget is the Heron Bay Mitigation Budget, which is for the single purpose of funding the mitigation operations within Heron Bay.  The primary expenses are aquatic control, plant replacement and other contingencies.  The total amount of this budget is $205,500 with no increase in the current assessment of $72.78 for 2008.

            The Parkland Isles Budget deals with landscape maintenance operations and irrigation plant replacement within Parkland Isles.  There is also a small administration fee.  The total amount of this budget is $292,162.  The assessment per unit is significant because there are a small number of units.  The current assessment is $499 per unit with no increase in 2008.

            The Debt Service Fund Budget deals with the debt service for the District.  The assessment per unit remains the same as the debt remains the same.  The amortization schedule is attached to the budget.  The first series will be paid down in 2010 and the second series will be paid down in 2024. 

            The Special Assessment Fund Budget consists of the Series 1997 Heron Bay and Parkland Isles special assessment bonds.  The amortization schedules are attached to the budget.  The Heron Bay bonds will be paid down in 2017 and the Parkland Isles bonds will be paid down in 2018.  The last series is the 2005A-1 and A-2 special assessment bonds for Parkland Golf and Country Club.  The amounts remain unchanged for 2008.  At this time, we need a motion for the adoption of Resolution 2007-5.

            Mr. Mendolia asked is this resolution for all of the budgets?

            Mr. Lyles responded the resolution covers all of the budgets the manager just outlined.  They are listed in the title and in the body of the resolution.  This resolution is being adopted pursuant to the public notice and public hearing held today, unless there are any questions from the Board or the public.

 

On MOTION by Mr. Mendelson seconded by Mr. Gray with all in favor Resolution 2007-5 Adopting the General Fund, Heron Bay Mitigation, Parkland Isles, Debt Service and Special Assessment Fund Budgets for Fiscal Year 2008 was adopted.

 

 

FOURTH ORDER OF BUSINESS                    Consideration of Resolution 2007-6 Rescheduling the Public Hearing to Adopt the Heron Bay Commons Budget for Fiscal Year 2008

            Mr. Goscicki stated we request the Board’s approval of Resolution 2007-6, rescheduling the public hearing to adopt the Heron Bay Commons Budget for fiscal year 2008 to August 9, 2007 at 4:30 P.M. at this location.

 

On MOTION by Mr. Mendolia seconded by Mr. Mendelson with all in favor Resolution 2007-6 Rescheduling the Public Hearing to Adopt the Heron Bay Commons Budget for Fiscal Year 2008 for August 9, 2007 at 4:30 P.M. at the District Office, 10300 NW 11th Manor, Coral Springs, Florida was adopted.

 

FIFTH ORDER OF BUSINESS                         Staff Reports (Continued)

            B.        Attorney’s Report

            Mr. Lyles stated as I reported to you at the last meeting, our legislation filed with Tallahassee was approved and the Governor executed it.  However, for some reason unbeknownst to us, the Governor decided to veto the same bill for CSID.  He may have decided to change his policy on such matters.  Since the Governor did not approve the same amendments for CSID, they are stuck with their old legislation indefinitely.  You just made it under the wire and we should consider ourselves lucky.  The Governor is vetoing many bills the legislature passed. 

            You may be aware of a dispute regarding median maintenance and responsibility with the City of Parkland.  This has to do with a Notice of Violation we received regarding our alleged failure to maintain our medians properly.  We are going to meet with the city on this matter to try to come up with some resolution.  We have technically been cited for violating their landscaping codes for maintenance of a median, which we do not feel is our responsibility.  This led to other issues, which Ms. Early and I will work on with the management team regarding conveyances of some landscape median areas to the District.  It is not clear how this occurred but they are showing up on the property records as our property.  This may or may not be valid and may or may not be a mistake.  In the meantime, the appropriate people are working on this.

            Mr. Mendolia stated I hope so because you know my feelings on this matter.

            Mr. Lyles stated we received our direction from the Board.

            Mr. Goscicki stated we will continue working with WCI and use their leverage to get the adjacent HOA’s to take over the median maintenance in those areas. 

            Mr. Mendolia stated I said all I have to say on this matter.

C.        Engineer’s Report

            There not being any, the next item followed.

 

SEVENTH ORDER OF BUSINESS                  Supervisor’s Requests and Audience Comments

            There not being any, the next item followed.

 

SIXTH ORDER OF BUSINESS                        Approval of Requisitions and Invoices

            There being no questions or comments,

 

On MOTION by Mr. Mendelson seconded by Mr. Mendolia with all in favor the requisitions and check registers for the month of June for the General Fund in the amount of $124,029.84, Heron Bay in the amount of $120,103.98, Parkland Isles in the amount of $336.67, Heron Bay Mitigation in the amount of $21,273.85 and the Water & Sewer Fund in the amount of $1,090,308.94 were approved.

 

EIGHTH ORDER OF BUSINESS                     Adjournment

            There being no further business,

 

On MOTION by Mr. Mendelson seconded by Mr. Mendolia with all in favor the meeting was adjourned.

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                     

Steve Mendelson                                                          Salvatore J. Mendolia

Secretary                                                                      President