MINUTES OF MEETING
PORT OF THE
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
The regular meeting of the Board of
Supervisors of the Port of the Islands Community Improvement District was held
on
Present and constituting a quorum
were:
Ted
Bissell Chairman
Dale
Lambert Vice Chairman
Norine
Dillon Secretary
Richard
Gatti Assistant
Secretary
Richard
Ziko Assistant
Secretary
Also present were:
Edward
Goscicki
Dan
Cox Attorney
(Via telephone)
Ron
Benson Engineer
Robert
Dick Field
Manager
Robert
Edge Field
Operator
Robert
Migdal
Tom
Mack Staff
FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS Roll Call
Mr. Bissell called the meeting to
order and Mr. Goscicki called the roll.
FIFTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Engineer’s Report
The
record reflects the Board continued the meeting during which Mr. Benson took
the Board to the entrance in order to show them the boundary lines. This portion will not be recorded unless
significant issues warrant discussion.
Mr. Benson stated we looked at the
property lines along
Mr. Lambert stated the accurate line
is over here which goes around and straight down.
Mr. Benson stated there are two
different descriptions.
Mr. Lambert asked should this line
stay in?
Mr. Benson responded that is
correct. The other issues we looked at
which were discussed over the last few meetings were the small walls by Route 41 and Newport Drive. The wall on
the east side is on the hotel’s property and the wall on the west side is on
the CID’s property.
SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS Approval of the
Minutes of the
May 11, 2007 Meeting
Mr. Bissell stated each Board member
received a copy of the minutes of the
Mr. Lambert stated on Page 6 in the sixth
paragraph from the bottom, and Ms. Sue
Beck’s husband repainted should
replace by Ms. Sue Beck and my wife. Did we get the extension from the property
offer to July 20th or July 31st?
Mr. Bissell responded we got the
extension to July 20th.
Mr. Lambert stated on Page 17 in the
tenth paragraph, fire station should
replace kitchen. On Page 31 in the fifth paragraph from the
bottom,
Mr. Ziko stated on Page 6 in the
sixth paragraph from the bottom, by Ms.
Sue Beck should be deleted and my
wife should be left in.
Ms. Dillon stated on Page 41 in the
sixth paragraph, I was unable to determine the meaning of the statement.
Mr. Benson stated this was a
question in response to my statement in which the county was forcing us to prove
we were able to provide water and sewer service to our own plant.
On MOTION by Mr. Lambert
seconded by Ms. Dillon with all in favor the minutes of the
THIRD ORDER OF BUSINESS Manager’s
Report
A.
Questions
and Comments on the Revised Budget
Mr.
Bissell stated for the record, we decided to ask for the same amount of funds for
next year as we did for this year. I
just want this to be clearly reflected since this did not occur in the last
year or two.
Mr. Lambert stated if I understood correctly,
we will need to increase the budget for the General
Fund.
Mr. Bissell stated I thought we had
to increase the Water & Sewer Fund.
Mr. Goscicki stated we were going to
transfer funds from the General Fund
to the Water & Sewer Fund. We did the major shift in the assessments one
year ago and kept the total the same but took a significant shift out of the General Fund, reduced it and increased
the Water & Sewer Fund. The total came in at slightly less than the
previous total assessment for the last fiscal year.
Mr. Lambert asked are the items in
which nothing is being proposed for 2008 under the Water & Sewer Fund only there for reference to earlier items?
Mr. Goscicki responded that is
correct.
Mr. Lambert stated we will not see
those blanks once the budget is approved.
Mr. Goscicki stated those line items
will be deleted once the budget is approved.
Mr. Lambert stated we are proposing
$250 for the capital outlay in the proposed General
Fund Budget. We indicated $500 in
the past. I do not believe $250 is a
practical number. I would rather see
$500 or $1,000.
Mr. Goscicki stated anything under
$1,000 will not be considered a capital expense in most governmental
entities. You will consider it an
operating expenditure to charge for supplies and materials.
Mr. Ziko stated the 2006 Budget does
not indicate we spent anything.
Mr. Goscicki stated I believe it is
a carry-over from the previous years and should be deleted.
Mr. Lambert stated if we are going
to continue to collect the same amount of money for the Water & Sewer Fund, I
wonder if we must identify the projects we are going to spend it on. We talked about moving a couple of projects
up if we were going to entertain assessments.
Mr. Bissell stated I do not believe
we identified them in the budget.
Mr. Goscicki stated the Capital Improvement Program on Page 22
identifies projects you were planning to double-budget for in 2006; budget for
in 2007; and what you are planning to spend in 2008, 2009 and 2010. These projects are identified in terms of what
you want to move forward on. This Board
certainly has the right to move funds within the Capital Improvement Program and determine whether or not you are
going to proceed on a certain project, as long as you stay within the budget.
Mr. Lambert stated I want to ensure
we can justify continuing to collect on these.
Mr. Goscicki stated you can
certainly justify the amount you have. However,
I am concerned whether or not you have sufficient funds since you are running a
deficit in the Water & Sewer Fund
over the next couple of years until 2009.
You are still in a deficit spending mode in the Water & Sewer Fund and on borrowing money from the General Fund to cover this in 2007 and
2008.
Mr. Lambert asked is budgeting for
depreciation expense something municipalities and governments do?
Mr. Goscicki responded I am not
certain.
Mr. Lambert stated I do not care if
we call it Contingency. I am not certain how depreciation is
budgeted. It appears to be more of a
balance sheet item.
Mr. Goscicki asked what line is this
on?
Mr. Lambert responded it is on Page
12 under Water & Sewer in the Administrative category. I do not understand how we budget for
depreciation.
Mr. Ziko asked is this just to
adjust the net value of the plant?
Mr. Goscicki responded I am not
certain since I have not seen this in other budgets.
Mr. Lambert asked can you ask Mr.
Teague to look into this and get back to us?
Mr. Goscicki responded yes.
Mr. Lambert stated I do not care if
we use Contingency, but I do not like
depreciation.
Mr. Goscicki stated I will make a
telephone call this morning before the meeting is adjourned in order to try to
get some clarification on this.
Mr. Lambert asked has the list of Capital Improvement Projects on Page 22
been recently updated than the one we currently have?
Mr. Bissell responded Mr. Benson
usually has the data.
Mr. Benson stated this is the one
which Severn Trent is keeping with input from me. I believe this is the canal pump station project
as well as the second reuse pump we combined which shows us spending $250,000
this year and $150,000 next year since it is a $400,000 project which is scheduled
to start this year and finish next year. Although we are not going to spend $250,000, I
will update you later about the project.
Mr. Ziko stated I noticed the
special assessment levy collected with the taxes by
Mr. Lambert stated they paid off
what they owed for the previous year, but they are delinquent for 2006.
Mr. Ziko stated this should show up
in the levied year. We cannot put back
revenue from one year ago into our funding.
We should see it when it comes due.
A portion of the revenue should come out of the tax certificate.
Mr. Goscicki stated I will find out
where it is and why it is not showing on here.
If you received revenue from this year, it should be in this year’s
financials.
Mr. Lambert stated it is
approximately $150,000.
Mr.
Goscicki stated I recall this amount as being outstanding.
Mr.
Lambert stated the amount is not indicated on this documentation.
Mr. Goscicki asked are you looking
at the budget itself?
Mr. Ziko responded I am looking at the
revenues and expenditures in the General
Fund, since it shows the actual income coming in.
Mr. Goscicki stated it should show
on the financials. I will determine why
this amount has not been booked yet, but it certainly should have shown up as
being received.
Ms. Dillon asked should the
information from the line item for Information
Technology be included under Management
Consulting Services?
Mr. Goscicki responded this fee is
for your utility billing which is currently provided by the Coral Springs Improvement District, which
is the fee they were charging as part of and in addition to what we are billing
under our contract. This was their fee
for the use of their computer system, which should be deleted from your budget
for next year since we are removing the billing system from their computer and installing
it on our system. Therefore, we will
provide this service directly through our own utilities.
Ms. Dillon stated the line item
should not be on either one.
Mr. Goscicki stated it should not be
there, but I am not certain whether or not Mr. Teague assessed moving of the
billing system onto ours, which is a more expensive process. There are a couple of reasons for doing
this. First of all, there is no contract
between Severn Trent and the Coral Springs
Improvement District. This evolved
over time before Severn Trent purchased the business from Moyer & Associates. They
had a small billing package with Coral Springs
Improvement District, which is basically a utility district. We are concerned there is no backup or
redundancy on their system, which may cause problems in the event of a hurricane. The capabilities are somewhat less than what
we have. We actually use this software
in our
Mr. Ziko asked will we see the same
information on a bill as opposed to a postcard?
Mr. Goscicki responded that is
correct. We are looking to set up other
features which we will discuss with you as we move forward. Currently, the goal is to convert the same
level of service on a one-page bill which will be in an envelope as opposed to
a postcard. Another benefit to this
billing system is being able to do electronic meter reading through the use of a
hand-held computer in which you are providing data entry directly. Since nothing is being done on paper,
accuracy should improve.
Mr. Bissell asked will Mr. Daly be
involved anymore?
Mr. Goscicki responded Mr. Daly will
be out of the loop with regards to the new system. It will be handled by the Utility Billing
Manager in the
Mr. Ziko stated if we receive an
envelope along with a piece of paper, the postage will increase from the
postcard rate to the first class rate. Will
there be an increase in administrative costs thereby increasing the bill?
Mr. Goscicki stated it will increase
slightly. You are currently paying us
less than I am paying Mr. Daly. Since Mr.
Daly just increased our fee significantly, we would have to increase the rate if
we stayed with them because Coral Springs Improvement District looked at actual
service costs for subsidizing POI as well as two other districts they provide
this service to and increased the fee.
In fact, they tried to do this last year and we refused to pay since we
were not given any advance warning and there was no money to pay it in this
budget.
Mr. Ziko asked what are the chances
of going to a quarterly billing fee in order to save some of these costs?
Mr. Lambert responded we discussed
this once and decided it was not worth it to change.
Ms. Dillon stated it was too much of
a problem for people who were not here year-round.
Mr. Lambert stated I personally do
not believe it is a problem.
Mr. Ziko stated I believe quarterly
billing will save us money.
Mr. Goscicki stated billing on a
quarterly or bi-monthly basis can cut your costs in half.
Mr. Bissell stated I agree with this
but if a resident has a leak which they did not know about for three months,
their bill will be astronomical.
Mr. Ziko stated you are looking at a
hypothetical situation. If you have a
leak the day after the meter is read, it is still going to amount to the same problem
since it will not be read for an additional 30 to 31 days.
Mr. Lambert stated I believe the
real concern was for people not here during the summer.
Ms. Dillon asked what is involved in
deciding to do this?
Mr. Goscicki responded if we stay
with Coral Springs Improvement District the cost will increase. We are required to transfer the service to
Severn Trent as part of our agreement with you.
I thought the costs were already related to you. Mr. Teague and I apologize for this oversight. I will get a memorandum to the Board members
this coming week which will outline terms of the billing if you stay with Coral
Springs Improvement District. First of
all, we will have to increase the amount and we will have to enter into an
interlocal agreement with them to provide the service. I currently do not have this agreement with
them and I cannot recommend you use them since I do not have the security and
redundancy in the system to get your records and assure the appropriate services
are being provided.
Mr. Ziko asked will we also be reducing
the meter reading?
Mr. Goscicki responded it will free
up the field staff but not reduce the cost since it is part of the utility
operating costs.
Mr. Lambert asked is there an option
in the future of going to quarterly billing?
Mr. Goscicki responded if the Board
wants to change it we can come back with a credit as soon as we determine the
reduction in price.
Mr. Lambert asked are you allowing
some time to test this?
Mr. Goscicki responded we will run
parallel for one month. We perform
system conversions on our billing system routinely and this system has been
operational for 20 years.
Mr. Lambert stated I am concerned
about our last experience with your system conversion changes.
Mr. Goscicki stated we are not
creating a new billing system. Our
company has been using this system for 20 years, and upgrading it on an annual
basis. It is a tried and true
technology.
Mr. Ziko asked can someone from
Severn Trent give us an estimate of the cost for quarterly billing as opposed
to monthly billing?
Mr. Goscicki responded I will get a
report to the Board next week outlining the new cost for the monthly billing
along with a price comparison for both bi-monthly and quarterly billing.
Mr. Bissell asked can you put this
on the agenda for next month?
Mr. Goscicki responded I will put it
on the agenda and ensure you receive the information ahead of time since you
will need this information for the budget.
Ms. Dillon asked are you referring
to the Special Services Utility Billing
in the proposed budget under Water &
Sewer?
Mr. Goscicki responded that is
correct.
Ms. Dillon stated we increased the
budget under this category.
Mr. Goscicki stated Mr. Teague did
indicate this increase in the proposed budget.
Ms. Dillon stated the purpose of
this increase is to comprehend the change in the billing method. If we went bi-monthly or quarterly, the
number will decrease.
Mr. Ziko stated I thought you
mentioned this billing was part of the Information
Technology category.
Mr. Goscicki stated I will have to
determine the purpose of Information
Technology since this was the only place I have seen this reference for
other districts.
Ms. Dillon stated according to the
explanations, this is for the estimated cost of computer services provided by
Severn Trent for accounts payable, general ledger and electronic
archiving. I thought it was part of the
contract which is the reason I questioned it.
Mr. Goscicki stated the billing
terms of all of our contracts are set up differently. Some contracts are set up as lump sum
agreements, which include all work.
Others are set up as base contracts in which supplies and materials are
billed separately. Therefore, I will
have to defer back to Mr. Teague since I have not looked at this contract and
budget in over one year to ensure this is an agreement with our contractor.
Mr. Gatti asked will $600,000 be
spent this year for the membrane system?
Mr. Benson responded we anticipate
substantial completion by
Mr. Gatti asked are those numbers
still accurate?
Mr. Benson responded I believe a
small amount of money may have to be shifted from this year to next year.
Mr. Gatti asked is the entire cost
still at $1.5 million?
Mr. Benson responded this is for the
total wastewater program. The cost of
the membrane is $1 million. The total
for the wastewater program will not be spent this year.
Ms. Dillon stated we are certain
many of these projects will not come in under this budget.
Mr. Benson stated we will start
projects, but we will not spend as much as we had in the budget this year. However, you will spend the remainder through
the early half of next year.
Ms. Dillon stated on Page 22, Item
I-2, Fire-Irrigation Pump Station –
Modify canal suction intake to a floating system, no amounts are indicated.
Mr. Benson stated this project was
deleted.
B.
Field
Manager’s Report
Mr.
Edge stated I want to discuss the irrigation for the fire protection
system. We approved a $25,000 repair
last month and our technician from Severn Trent is here to discuss this with
you since he was involved with this. His
name is Mr. Robert Migdal.
Mr.
Migdal stated my original assignment was to design a system at the water
treatment plant to replace all degrading or deficient equipment at the water
plant which runs the high service pumps.
We also remove wells. However, the
DEP asked for generator status alarms, which I added to the system. Since we are currently having difficulties with
the irrigation system, this proposal covers all repairs. I am seeking your approval to repair the
irrigation system which is described in Examples #3 and #4. We can discuss this entire proposal if you so
choose, but Examples #3 and #4 are considered to be the most important portion
of this repair since the controls for the irrigation and fire control system are
sitting on the canal.
Ms.
Dillon asked did we approve replacement of the irrigation control panels last
month in the amount of $20,000?
Mr. Edge responded that is correct.
Mr. Migdal asked do you consider
these to be irrigation control pumps?
Mr. Edge responded it is the fire
protection system, which is the most important function.
Mr. Migdal stated this is for both the
irrigation control and the fire control pump station sitting on the canal. It consists of the work of variable sized
pumps which are 10-horsepower, 30-horsepwer and 250-horsepower. At this time, the controls which start and
stop those pumps in order to maintain pressure in the line have malfunctioned,
and we have been doing everything possible to make them work properly. Mr. Edge discussed with you during your last
meeting the need for funds to replace and upgrade all of those controls to a
more reliable system in order to give us better control in maintaining pressure
in the line, which is what Example #3 does, and we will also remove all
existing electro-mechanical controls and install electronics which will monitor
and control the variety of existing pumps in order to maintain the system at a
cost of $16,417.28.
Mr. Ziko stated my booklet goes from
Example #3 to Example #5.
Mr. Migdal stated Example #5 is an
option to Example #3 in the event we want to add a radio telemetry system for
the future which will send generator alarms back to the plant and allow the
operator to monitor the station. In
other words, we will have the wireless radio system added to the electronics.
Mr. Ziko stated I understand
this. Example #4 costs $29,000 and does
not have a breakdown.
Mr. Migdal stated the last page of
the booklet contains details of Example #4.
Mr. Bissell asked does Example #4
include everything in Examples #3 and #5?
Mr. Migdal responded we have had
some malfunctions with other electrical equipment used to start motors for
transformers and motor contactors, which is not part of Example #3. This is all heavy duty electrical equipment
contained in the panel which malfunctioned as a result of wearing out. One of the 50-horsepower and 30-horsepower
pumps is currently not running.
Therefore, we are currently running on a 10-horsepower and 50-horsepower
pump to maintain pressure on the line.
Mr. Bissell asked why are they
breaking down since we replaced them five years ago?
Mr. Migdal responded you may have
replaced the motors and the pumps.
Mr. Bissell stated we replaced the
control panel.
Mr. Migdal asked was the entire
control panel replaced five years ago?
Mr. Bissell responded it was not
completely replaced, but the switches which started the motors when the
pressure dropped to start another pump were replaced.
Mr. Migdal asked are you referring
to the little pressure switches which are mounted on the pipes?
Mr. Bissell responded I do not recall.
Mr. Benson stated I believe it
involved replacement of some parts as opposed to a total replacement.
Mr. Bissell stated I believe the
cost was approximately $5,800.
Mr. Migdal stated I am not certain
what was replaced. I was over there and noticed
broken circuit breakers and motor starters which are falling apart. Two pumps do not run because the two
multi-stage transformers which start the pumps in multi-stages in order to
avoid a rush of power when you start the pump are definitely bad and I do not
know whether or not they can be replaced.
I have not looked into this yet because I do not believe it is fair to
you to try to piece this together. You
spent $5,800 last year to piecemeal this back together and you are still
experiencing problems. My proposal for a
worst case scenario is to take the two 50-horsepower pumps and the
30-horsepower pump and completely gut all of the motor starters and
transformers, and replace them with variable frequency drives. A variable frequency drive is similar to a
dimmer switch, and as the light gets bright the motor will speed up and as the
light gets dim the motor will slow down.
In this scenario it is not necessary to have a variety of pumps starting
and stopping in order to maintain pressure for a system. You can pick up a set point for the pressure
and the variable frequency drive will speed up or slow down the motor in order
to achieve the desired pressure in the line.
All of these electro-mechanical motor starters and transformers along
with the equipment which is in there are currently failing.
Mr. Bissell asked will the
50-horsepower pump automatically come on if the 30-horsepower pump fails?
Mr. Migdal responded that is
correct. If they are unable to meet the
pressure, the 50-horsepower pump will turn on and speed up to meet the
pressure. If this one cannot meet the
pressure, the second 50-horsepower pump will turn on. Therefore, both 50-horsepower pumps will run.
Mr. Ziko asked what about the
10-horsepower pump?
Mr. Migdal responded this will
probably render the 10-horsepower pump obsolete. Although we can leave it there as a backup, I
really do not believe we need it because the 30-horsepower pump can run at such
a slow speed it can maintain the pressure in the line all the time and the
electricity consumed will be less because the motor is running at a slower
speed, which consumes less electricity than a motor running at full speed.
Mr. Bissell asked how much will it
cost us to repair this up to grade?
Mr. Migdal responded if you want the
three VFDs, the cost is $29,266.60.
Mr. Bissell stated this amounts to
$9,000 more than we already approved.
Mr. Migdal stated Example #3 is
completely separate from Example #4. You
have to take care of Example #3 even if you keep the equipment the way it is
and piecemeal the electrical equipment currently in place. Example #3 must be done in order to upgrade
the controls on the control panel.
Mr. Lambert stated I understand the
equipment which was installed over there came from somewhere else.
Mr. Benson stated this was brand new
equipment more than 15 years ago, which unfortunately, was not kept up as well
as it should have been. As noted in some
of my reports years ago and Mr. Bissell reminded us, some parts were purchased
which served as a temporary repair at the time.
Mr. Lambert stated I want to ensure
the motors were sized for our needs out here and we do not have someone else’s
motors which may be too big.
Mr. Benson stated this is not the
case. However, Mr. Migdal wants to
coordinate what he is doing in order to go along with the modifications coming
up later this year at the pump station which slightly changes the operation, and
we gave him some of those conditions. Once
we have the water coming from the wastewater plant as the primary source of
irrigation, the water from this station will be treated at a lower flow rate
pumped up to the tank at the wastewater plant during the day. At night, it will then be pumped back out,
but the smaller pumps will still come on sometimes during the night when high
demands occur. The large pumps are your
backup in the event there is a fire and the other pumps cannot keep up. You need all pumps.
Mr. Lambert stated I want to ensure
we are working with the appropriately-sized equipment for POI.
Mr. Benson stated I believe you are referring
to a few years ago when we tried to get some used equipment from
Mr. Gatti asked are we going to have
a current and operational system which you will be comfortable with if we give
you everything you ask for?
Mr. Migdal responded that is
correct. We are experienced with this equipment
since we have these identical systems throughout the state. As a matter of fact, this type of equipment pumps
wastewater as well as irrigation.
Mr. Gatti asked do you believe we
are going to experience more problems with the overall system beyond what you
are currently looking at?
Mr. Migdal responded this equipment
will allow the potential of installing some sort of telemetry system at the
wastewater plant as the drawing shows if you elect to automate the water
treatment plant in the future. We will also
have the capability of monitoring and controlling it.
Mr. Gatti asked will it be
compatible?
Mr. Migdal responded yes.
Mr. Gatti stated we are obviously
concerned about money, but the water and sewer treatment plants are extremely
vital to our community.
Mr. Gatti moved to approve
the entire electrical upgrade of the irrigation and fire control panel in the
amount of $51,560.52 at the water and wastewater treatment plant.
Mr. Ziko asked are we replacing
three motors?
Mr. Migdal responded you are
replacing three variable frequency drives.
Mr. Ziko asked are you referring to
the motor which drives the pump?
Mr. Migdal responded the motor and
pump are connected. This is an
electrical device providing power to the motor to be able to turn. If I can use the scenario of the dimmer
switch again, the light bulb is the motor and the pump, while the dimmer switch
is the variable frequency drive.
Mr. Goscicki stated the correct industry
terminology is variable frequency drive. However, a more common terminology is variable frequency controller.
Mr. Ziko asked is this a
sophisticated motor starter?
Mr. Migdal responded that is
correct.
Mr. Benson stated it replaces the
motor starter with a device which is not giving a constant load of power to
make the pump go at a constant speed. It
allows you to adjust the speed to your needs.
It is more sophisticated and gives you more operating flexibility.
Mr. Bissell asked will there be two
new motors at 30- and 50-horsepower?
Mr. Benson responded no.
Mr. Bissell stated the motors are in
two parts, and they are variable with open chassis.
Ms. Dillon stated they are referring
to the drives as opposed to the motors.
Mr. Benson stated this is a
sophisticated motor starter, as opposed to the actual motor or pump.
Mr. Bissell asked is this part which
you want to install considered to be the latest technology?
Mr. Benson responded that is
correct.
Ms. Dillon stated I understand we
are going to get these new motor starters, but I want to know what condition
the motors are in.
Mr. Benson stated the motors were
rewound or replaced at one time. However,
we have no way of knowing when they may burn up. I cannot predict the future in this respect.
Mr. Bissell seconded the
previous motion.
Mr. Lambert asked if we were to go
with Examples #3 and #4, are we in a position to approve Example #5 in the
future when we commence improvements on the water plants?
Mr. Migdal responded that is
correct.
Mr. Lambert stated we have not
eliminated the ability to set up for radio control information.
Mr. Migdal stated doing Example #3
gives you the capability of adding this option.
Mr. Lambert stated in other words,
we cannot go to Example #5 until we have something at the other end to receive
the information.
Mr. Migdal stated that is
correct. If you install it now, it will
be sitting there since there will not be any function at this time.
Mr. Ziko asked how will we control
it?
Mr. Migdal responded it will be
locally controlled. This proposal
includes a touch screen controller for the operator to change the set points in
order for the pumps to maintain pressure in the line at his discretion.
Mr. Ziko asked are there any alarms?
Mr. Migdal responded the only alarm
we will rely on outside of the telemetry system is the telephone dialer which is
currently there and in working condition.
You must discuss the remainder of this proposal in order to add a
telemetry system to the plant which will eliminate the underground cable which
runs out to the wells.
Mr. Ziko stated this is a project in
the additional amount of $6,000 in order for it to run properly, which is
Example #5.
Mr. Migdal stated Example #5 is
useless without Example #1.
Mr. Goscicki stated you should break
this down in order to make it clear to the Board as to what must be done; work
to be done which is both beneficial and a requirement by the DEP; and
enhancements which are being recommended to the Board.
Mr. Ziko stated I can see we need
Examples #3 and #4, but we also want to ensure Mr. Edge does not have to run
his truck to the other side too often.
Mr. Migdal stated I do not believe
this will be a problem. It will be
self-sufficient once it is programmed. In
fact, it will be so reliable once it is established, he will not have to go out
there often at all. When we first came
on board those pumps did not shut off.
As a matter of fact, they ran throughout the evening with no irrigation
or fires.
Mr. Ziko stated this is the reason I
questioned the 10-horsepower pump. One
pump will have to run anyway.
Mr. Midgdal stated although the
system is tight, if there is a small leak and the pressure drops from a set
point of 70 PSI, the horsepower kicks on both and brings the pressure back to
70, after which it shuts off. If there
is a large drop in pressure, the 30-horsepower comes on. With a VFD, any slight drops in pressure are
going to ramp up the pump to satisfy the little bit of demand.
Mr. Ziko stated one pump will have
to run if it is variable.
Mr. Migdal stated it all depends on
the demand. Theoretically, if all
dimensions are not leaking and no one is using water, the system should
maintain its pressure and everything should shut off.
Mr. Edge stated the pressure is
currently maintained and all pumps are off.
They may turn on once per hour.
Mr. Migdal stated we have done a lot
of work to make it more reliable, but when we first came on, those pumps ran
constantly without shutting off even though you were not using any water. Mr. Edge and I believe it is imperative to
replace all controls in order for the pumps to turn on and off at the
appropriate times.
Ms. Dillon asked what is the down
side of delaying Example #5?
Mr. Ziko responded Example #5 cannot
be done until further work is done at the water plant.
Mr. Migdal stated we can do Example
#5 while we are installing the controller, but it cannot be used yet.
Ms. Dillon asked what is the
advantage of installing Example #5 immediately?
Mr. Migdal responded the only
advantage is a small savings in the labor and of course, I am not certain what
the equipment prices will be in the future.
I am certain the prices will increase.
Ms. Dillon stated in my experience,
equipment which sits without being used deteriorates horribly.
Mr. Migdal stated we do not intend
to charge you an exorbitant amount for many of the improvements and
enhancements which need to be done at some point in time. Some improvements are more critical than
others. Some are really not
discretionary, as it is necessary for them to be done. However, it is necessary to upgrade your
system to the current standards. Almost
everyone is doing this, not only for fire and irrigation systems, but at water
and wastewater plants. Your current
technology is old. We are at a
disadvantage since we do not have records from five years ago, and some of
those transformers are no longer available.
Therefore, it is imperative to bring this up to today’s technology. The reliability will increase by 100%. We are in constant communication with the
fire department, and we want to let residents know we are going to do the best
we can with our fire protection in the event of a fire.
Mr. Gatti asked will we need to look
at replacement of the motors after this is up and running?
Mr. Migdal responded we are maintaining
the motors and pumps on a continuous basis.
If the motor fails, we replace or repair it. However, the controls in those panels contain
a lot of redundancy.
Mr. Gatti stated I am concerned
other equipment is going to fail in the future.
Mr. Migdal stated this project is
going to upgrade the entire fire protection system.
Mr. Lambert asked have some of the
items on this drawing been dictated to us by DEP?
Mr. Migdal responded yes.
Mr. Lambert asked which ones have
been dictated?
Mr. Migdal responded I am not
certain how Example #1 can be done without a wireless telemetry system, since
it involves getting the well status and controls and the generator status and
alarms back in the remote well field.
Mr. Lambert asked is this required
by the DEP?
Mr. Migdal responded since they require
it to be alarmed, this is my recommendation.
I am not certain whether or not you can get the telephone company to install
a telephone line and dialer out there, which may be an option as well. However, I am proposing we eliminate all
underground wiring since it is lightning-prone and extremely corroded. Going
with the wireless communications system from the water treatment plant out to
the wells allows you to get the status of and control the wells; and to get the
generator alarm status back to the pump.
In order to do this, we must install a receiver or control system at the
water plant to replace the existing controls.
I hope you know the condition of the existing equipment.
Mr. Bissell asked will Example #5 take
care of this?
Mr. Migdal responded I do not want
to disagree with you, but I worked in many plants throughout
Mr. Goscicki stated they are
convinced there is more equipment back there in need of repair or
replacement. It is actually good news
everything else is not as bad as the control panels.
Mr. Lambert stated if we are considering
spending more than $50,000, I believe we should get a second opinion. I hate to have three companies involved with
different aspects.
Mr. Goscicki stated I do not believe
you are required to do this. One of the
benefits we brought when you hired Severn Trent as your contract operator was
our ability to provide additional services such as this along with additional
value in the work with a defined markup, giving the Board the ability to look
at and solicit prices from us to do this work.
You certainly have the option to authorize Mr. Benson to solicit bids,
but one of the benefits with Severn Trent is our ability to come to the table
and provide you these services.
Mr. Lambert asked does this price consist
of your cost plus an agreed-upon markup in our contract?
Mr. Goscicki responded that is
correct. Mr. Benson can also comment on
the cost.
Mr. Benson stated I do not recommend
soliciting bids for a project this small since you will likely get higher
prices. I believe this is a good price. Are you going to do any work to the
10-horsepower pump?
Mr. Migdal responded we were not
going to do anything to the 10-horsepower pump because I believe it will
probably become obsolete and only be used as a backup.
Mr. Benson stated once the new project
is complete, we may need to replace the 10-horsepower pump with a new
30-horsepower pump at some point in the future for reliability and redundancy purposes.
Mr. Ziko stated I agree Examples #3
and #4 should be done as soon as possible.
Should Example #1 also be done now?
Mr. Migdal responded that is
correct.
Mr. Ziko stated we will increase the
expense from $50,000 to $200,000.
Mr. Migdal stated it is unfortunate
this irrigation happened at this time because I was in the middle of putting #1
together, and I was concerned with getting it done immediately. However, the irrigation issue is also important
since it involves fire control, which suppressed work on Example #1. However, Example #1 needs to be done sooner
than later as well.
Mr.
Benson stated we designed the generator project as well as all the electrical
upgrades to bring power to the water and wastewater plant, and the Board asked
us to defer the generator installation part of the project. If we were authorized to install the new
generator, the status and the alarms would have been part of this project. Obviously, this is something we knew needed
to be done.
Mr. Ziko asked do we have this money
in the budget?
Mr. Benson responded a small portion
of the work will overlap other than the generator status and alarms
portion. I brought this up because we
discussed this issue as part of these items in advance, and we have some money
put away.
Mr. Ziko stated $153,000 has
probably already been budgeted for.
Mr. Benson stated I disagree. We pushed $150,000 to 2009 for purchase of
the generator which probably would have come with the status alarms done. If you recall, we put the generator at the
well field as required. We discussed the
condition of the line which sends the signal back and forth from the water
plant to the wells for a number of years and there was a discussion at one
point of installing a cellular phone, which was an inexpensive way of doing
things which really should be done with radios.
Mr. Ziko stated I want to know whether
or not the high cost for Example #1 involves getting electricity out to the
well heads.
Mr. Bissell asked perhaps we should
discuss this after we vote since it has nothing to do with the motion.
Mr. Ziko stated I believe it does
because we are tying in Example #1, which we need from DEP. Mr. Edge mentioned if we do not get this
approved, the DEP is going to come down on us.
Mr. Bissell stated I agree with you,
but I do not understand why Mr. Migdal only presented Examples #3, #4 and #5. It seems apparent that Example #1 is as
important as the others.
Ms. Dillon stated we authorized
$20,000 last month for Examples #3 and #4, but things have changed.
Mr. Lambert stated perhaps we should
authorize Examples #3, #4 and #5, in which we install everything we need with
the radio transmitter near the well heads and we come back into the water plant
area, set up a place to receive the information from the wells and irrigation
system. Have we got ourselves in a
corner with regards to the remainder of Example #1? Will anything eventually have to be redone
because of the location we put it now?
Mr. Migdal responded I need to
upgrade some of the electrical distribution equipment because everything which
is mounted on the wall in which I want to put my control panel contain many
high service pump controls which are all corroded with the wires falling out of
wire troughs. I am going to clear the
entire wall of all existing electrical equipment, install my panel as well as
the high service pump motor control center behind the existing motor control
center, which is the way it should have been done in the first place. The completed wall leaves me enough room to
do anything which needs to be done.
Example #1 is completely expandable to take care of additional items which
may come up.
Mr. Goscicki stated the Board does
not have $150,000 to spend on this entire project. They want to move forward with the remaining
portions of Examples #3, #4 and #5, but there are some aspects of Example #1 which
need to be done and there are portions which can be done now without any
significant loss of efficiency or complications.
Ms. Dillon stated you still need to
satisfy DEP.
Mr. Goscicki stated perhaps the
Board can proceed with the authorization on the other aspects and come back to
restructure how it may be done.
Mr. Ziko stated I want to know what
the high ticket item in Example #1 is which is increasing this to $150,000 and whether
or not it is really necessary. If we get
the work done on the irrigation system and get optional radio equipment
controls back to our unit for $5,000, I believe you can probably do the same
thing at the well fields for $5,000.
Where does the additional $145,000 we are looking to spend on Example #1
go to?
Mr. Migdal responded it involves
replacement of the corroded electrical equipment on the walls which I just
described to you; putting up a radio tower in order to receive the signal back;
installing a cabinet for the PLC Programmable Launch Controller which is the
device taking all these signals and making decisions as to when the high
service pumps and wells should start.
Mr. Ziko stated I thought this was
all done locally.
Mr. Migdal stated this device
handles local controls as well as remote controls and it also provides the
information to a fiber optic loop back to the wastewater plant lab in which
there will be a computer in order for the operator to monitor and control what
is going on at the other side. This type
of equipment is expensive. It costs
$16,000 just to do the controls of the irrigation system, but the type of
equipment which is currently in your irrigation system cannot handle the
sophistication necessary at the water plant and the electrical controls which need
to be replaced for many high service pumps is considered an expensive item.
Mr. Ziko asked can you explain high service pumps?
Mr. Migdal responded there are three
high service pumps which pump water into the system for potable use.
Mr. Ziko asked is this being done in
the building with all of the electrical material on the left-hand side?
Mr. Edge responded it is the last
building on the road.
Mr. Migdal stated those are the
pumps which pump water to your house.
The controls which are driving the process are in extremely bad shape
and they are on this wall. All of this needs
to come off and be put into a new motor control center which is expensive.
Mr. Lambert asked will the pumps
remain as they are when it comes time to replace our water plant?
Mr. Benson responded if we retain
the same wells for 10 years, everything you do to keep your well field intact
under this project will be able to be used in the future. The parts related to the high service pump
station may or may not be usable depending on if and when we put in the water
plant. Most of this is probably going to
be usable. However, at the time you
build a new water plant you may also put in new high service pumps.
Mr. Migdal stated you can retain the
controls in the motor control center, and those parts will not need to be
replaced.
Mr. Benson stated there is a project
already out there in which the contractor is to bring the power supply with
generator backup along with everything else up to this point, and he was aware
he had to pick up from this point in order to upgrade this equipment which is obsolete
and dangerous, which is known as the power
supply. The point at which this
contractor stops is the power
distribution. Mr. Migdal is
referring to the power distribution.
Mr. Lambert stated you are capable
of handling the distribution which is included.
Mr. Ziko asked will Mr. Edge be able
to sit in the main building in order to control the pumps in the other building
with Example #1?
Mr. Migdal responded no.
Mr. Ziko stated he will still have
to go from the main building down to the pump house.
Mr. Migdal stated that is correct.
Mr. Lambert stated eventually he
will not have to do this once we do Example #2.
Mr. Migdal stated Example #2 gives
us communications from the water plant to the waste lab as well as the
capability of monitoring the RO plant, the relief system which I believe you
are going to put there as well as the new MBR system. I had a discussion with Mr. Andrew Ball at
Parkson as to whether or not the computer system will be able to communicate
with the new MBR system. He was going to
recommend this be installed because his system requires the same system to
monitor and control the MBR system which was not included in his original
project.
Mr. Lambert asked what is involved
with updating a controlled maintenance operation?
Mr. Benson responded this will bring
everything to the most current technology in this industry, since what you have
at the water plant is probably 20 years old or older.
Mr. Migdal stated if you look at
Page 2, under Storage Tank Level –
Milltronics HydroRanger Ultrasonic Level Transmitter, when the pressure
starts to drop in the distribution system, these pumps kick on and there are
flow balls which are dangling down in the tank.
Mr. Migdal is proposing installation of this Ultrasonic Level Controller which will remove these flow balls from
your tank. There is material in there which
we want to get removed which make contact with the water. The handle, the PFVs, as well as a variety of
other things are necessary to bring it up to current standards and improve the
reliability. There really should be
nothing dangling down in the storage tank since there is a risk for potential
contamination. The lid which is
currently opened and exposed should be sealed closed in order to prevent any dirt
and debris from getting into these tanks.
Mr. Ziko stated we just want the
budget to be consistent. Perhaps you can
move some money or delay projects which do not have to get done next year in
order to bring the plant up to the standards we want.
Ms. Dillon stated the most expensive
item on next year’s budget is for the second storage tank in the amount of $400,000. This is an expensive item which is also
required by DEP.
Mr. Benson stated I do not believe
it was a DEP item. I believe it is an
operational item for your irrigation system to ensure you have enough water
during peak demand days so you do not run out of water. Additionally, the current tank is open to
falling debris from the air and the trees.
It is not large enough to handle the peak irrigation demand at its current
usage, although we should be getting some conservation.
Mr. Bissell asked are we ready to
vote?
Mr. Lambert responded tell me again
what items we are going to vote on today.
Mr. Bissell stated we are going to
vote on Items #3, 4 and 5, which is covered by the motion.
Mr. Lambert stated I do not believe
we need to vote on Item #5 today.
Mr. Bissell stated it is already
part of the motion.
Ms. Dillon asked can the motion be
restated?
Mr. Bissell responded yes.
Ms. Dillon moved to amend
the previous motion to approve the funding of Examples #3 and #4 only in the
total amount of $45,683.88.
Mr. Bissell stated I do not
understand why we cannot approve the entire project.
Mr. Ziko stated we do not have the
new panel which is part of Example #1.
If we do not accomplish Example #1, Example #5 is useless.
Ms. Dillon stated the equipment will
be sitting there which may possibly deteriorate.
Mr. Bissell stated if we pay $5,000
to $6,000 now, three years later we may pay $10,000 to $15,000.
Mr. Migdal stated I hope Example #1
is going to be done before three years.
Mr. Lambert stated I believe this
should be done in two steps. Examples #3
and #4 should be done first. Example #5
should be done out at the well heads as well as a location at the plant in
order to receive information.
Mr. Migdal stated I am really going
to have to think about this since it is going to be difficult to break it down this
way.
Mr. Lambert asked can you look into
this?
Mr. Migdal responded I must remove
the controls from there in order to mount a handle on the wall.
Mr. Lambert stated I understand
this, but you are looking at it from your standpoint and we are paying for it.
Mr. Dick stated since the chemical
storage room is part of the MCC room, it involves isolating this room since
some chemicals are contaminating and deteriorating the electrical controls and
you do not want this to happen to new equipment. Therefore, we are going to modify the
building and do what you are suggesting, which will not include securing the
building since chemical fumes can affect new equipment.
Mr. Ziko asked is this where the
chlorine feed is located?
Mr. Migdal responded the chlorine
feed as well as the lime feed is located here.
Mr. Dick stated we are going to make
the room specifically for electrical components isolated from any chemicals.
Mr. Lambert asked are we physically
able to accomplish this?
Mr. Dick responded yes.
Mr. Benson stated I believe we identified
a project to build the dividing wall and possibly air condition the area. I planned on sealing up the wall and the
window, but not to put in air conditioning in the ceiling of the other windows. However, I was hoping this would be done in
the future in order to help protect the equipment. I am just reminding the Board this item has been
on our list of projects.
Mr. Gatti seconded the
previous motion.
Mr. Ziko stated I recommend
approving the entire package in order to start the project as soon as possible
if we can determine where the funds will come from.
Mr. Goscicki stated I want to look
at the budget in more detail and ensure I am comfortable with what projects can
be moved and discuss with Mr. Teague on Monday in order to be able to give a
recommendation at the next meeting, which I assume will be the public hearing
to adopt the budget.
Mr. Ziko stated the public hearing
is in August.
Mr. Goscicki stated you have time on
the budget, but I believe we can come back at the next meeting and clarify
whether or not the money is there and how it can be moved around without
impacting future budgets.
Ms. Dillon stated we can approve
Examples #3 and #4.
On VOICE vote with all in
favor Work Authorization #060807 for Severn Trent Environmental Services to upgrade
the irrigation control system in the amount of $16,417.28; and Work
Authorization #060801-A for Severn Trent Environment Services to install an
irrigation control system VFD in the amount of $29,266.60 in order to upgrade
the irrigation and fire control panel was approved.
Mr. Benson stated Project W-4 which
was going to be done in this year’s budget involving various structural and
architectural repairs to the building roof, doors, windows and painting,
included building of a wall to segregate the rooms as discussed. Project W-7 for the air conditioning is
showing as zero because I believe it was deferred. However, this can be added on later which
will make the equipment last that much longer, as Mr. Migdal stated.
Mr. Lambert asked are you referring
to the wall unit?
Mr. Benson responded that is correct
because we need to control the climate in the room in order for the equipment to
last longer.
Mr. Edge stated we are proceeding
with hurricane preparations, of which most has to do with our lift
stations. We have a pole behind the
truck generator which will supply enough power to run a lift station in the
event we have a large power outage here.
Unfortunately, three or four of our six lift stations cannot be used for
this purpose, and we need to be able to upgrade those lift station panels in
order for our generator receptacle to be able to plug into the panel box to
energize the lift station. For example,
the lift station on
Mr. Lambert asked are you just recommending
changing of the receptacle where it plugs in or additional equipment inside the
house?
Mr. Edge responded there will be
switches and receptacles involved for a couple of them. One of the lift stations near the North Hotel
has no means to run emergency power, which will require more of an upgrade. Our goal is to ensure all of these lift
stations are compatible for use with this new generator.
Mr. Ziko stated the one on
Mr. Edge stated I checked it and it
appears to be rusted.
Mr. Bissell asked why did we
purchase generators which cannot be used?
Mr. Lambert responded Mr. Stephens
told us it would work.
Mr. Edge stated it works for three
of the six lift stations we currently have.
Mr. Gatti asked how much will this
cost?
Mr. Edge responded it will cost
approximately $4,500.
On MOTION by Mr. Ziko
seconded by Mr. Lambert with all in favor Work Authorization #009 for Severn
Trent Environmental Services to furnish and install manual disconnects on six
lift stations and generator receptacle plugs on three of the lift stations;
along with a start-up and test in the amount of $4,475 was approved.
Mr. Lambert asked what is the status
of the telephone lines?
Mr. Edge responded they were ordered
and should have been installed yesterday, but I believe they were busy. However, they will be installed next week.
Mr. Ziko asked how do you do your
mosquito control?
Mr. Edge responded I have been
waiting for calls from people complaining about them.
Mr. Dick stated we count the
mosquitoes which land on our arms for a 30- to 60-second period.
Mr. Lambert asked have you also
gotten set up with the people doing the billing for water meters at zero usage?
Mr. Edge responded we are currently
working on this. As a matter of fact, we
changed a couple of meters which were not working.
Mr. Bissell stated the cement covers
which are part of the landscaping between the entrance and the marina on the
west side are loose. Is there anything
we need to do as a Board to allot money to take care of this?
Mr. Dick asked are you talking about
adding or maintaining landscape?
Mr. Bissell responded I believe we
may have to add some landscaping, since we do not have much grass there. What is the status of the drainage?
Mr. Edge responded we need to order
a new cover since it was broken. The
area also needs to be filled in quite a bit. I am going to try to determine where we need
those concrete covers this week since it just sits on top of a base which
receives the rainwater.
Mr. Dick stated we can ask the
landscaper to put together a design or extension consistent with what is
already there to be brought to the Board for approval.
Mr. Bissell stated we need to
beautify this area since almost everything else looks great.
Mr. Dick stated we will ask the
landscaper for some recommendations.
Mr. Lambert asked is it possible to
put a couple of straps and bolts into the concrete so the new covers cannot be
moved around?
Mr. Edge responded I do not know how
this one came off since I believe it weighed between 300 and 400 lbs.
Mr. Bissell asked which one are you
referring to?
Mr. Dick responded we are referring
to the storm drain.
Mr. Bissell asked is the one by the
hotel also damaged?
Mr. Benson responded it was broken a
number of times.
Ms. Dillon asked did you speak to
the county with regards to the drainage issue within the landscaping of the
median on Route 41?
Mr. Edge responded I did not hear
back from them, but I will call again.
FOURTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Attorney’s Report –
Discussion of Purchase of Fire Station
Mr. Cox stated I believe the special session is beginning on Monday. I am not certain whether or not much has happened. I be