10/10/18

Plenty of activity happening at the moment. The fire station, LeMay, the Armory, Highway 12 meters, and the new billing software.

Budget Position Report

General receipts for September were $58,810.01. In addition, we received $476.08 in interest, and $1,950.49 from a canceled warrant. So total revenues for September were $61,236.58.

Expenditures were $40,950.29. So we contributed $20,286.29 to reserves in September. Total contribution to reserves so far in 2018 is $119,635.45.

We are 75% through the year. Collections stand at 24.5% of projected. So we are .5% behind our budget in revenues. Expenditures are at 23.5%. So they are 1.5% over budget. Essentially, revenues and expenditures are within the margin of error in being on budget.

We issued $50,949.09 in water bills for payment in October.

Treasurers Report:

All funds and accounts balance. In summary, we have $447,831.29 in the General Maintenance Fund that we can spend, and $93,076.14 in the General Facilities Fund.

2019 Budget

Included is the budget certification for the County’s purposes. That needs to be certified at this meeting. This is a distillation of our adopted budget.

I have also included a copy of the Budget Comparison that is the budget we adopted at the last meeting. For your records.

Operational Issues

I have moved Operational Issues to a separate sheet. There is no need to wander through these at every meeting.

When new ones come up I will introduce them in the Manager’s Report. Once introduced they will get moved to the Operational Issues sheet.

I have included a discussion of my concerns regarding water mains.

Billing System

All of the activity at the moment is within Bias. They are working on porting over the data from Banyon to their software.

Water Usage

Please see the Production Summary included in your packets.

921 Garden Road

This service has been shut off since 2015 but has continued to accumulate water bills. The balance stands at $8,345.14. A lien has been recorded. This is a burned out house.

We need to decide to whether to let it ride or to foreclose.

Central Park Elementary School Lead Problem

No word from anyone in September.

Reynvaan Reservoir

It is time for the 12 month quality control inspection. There are a couple of ways to handle this.

Ideally, we should either drain the reservoir for inspection or bring in the divers. I am thinking we will drain it to get the job done soon.

Alternatively, we can get the divers. The tanks were last inspected in 2014, so we are due. But we might not be able to get that scheduled until after the turn of the year.

Maintenance Activity:

Usual daily/weekly/monthly maintenance activity. See attached report.

Specific Summer Projects:

  • Strip and recoat North Bank Reservoir roof PATCHED
  • Paint pumphouse plumbing IN PROCESS
  • Paint pumphouse steps PROBABLY DEFERRED
  • Install Well #6 flush valve DEFERRED
  • Determine status of Devonshire Road transmission line IN PROCESS
  • Install sampling station at Reynaan Reservoir DONE
  • Locate buried fire hydrant and water main isolation valves ONGOING
  • Paint and/or repaint fire hydrants WAY BEHIND
  • Install number plaques on remaining fire hydrants WAY BEHIND
  • Catch up fire hydrant maintenance UNDERWAY, BUT BEHIND
  • Rearrange shop site to accommodate proposed fire station retention pond DONE
  • Fix 117 Reynvaan Drive service lateral FIXED
  • Clean up well site SOME PROGRESS
  • Continue re-organization of the shop ONGOING, MAJOR ISSUES DEFERRED

The above is in addition to the routine grounds maintenance. Lots of grass to mow.

Contractor Repairs

We have received the bill for the Highway 12 break. $10,796.29. The traffic control came in much less than I anticipated.

Hill Road hydrant replacement

Scott is pursuing this issue. Please see attached.

Hill Road Water Main

I am putting this project on hold. I just don’t see where we can squeeze out the money. It will remain in the report as a place holder.

Well Site Fence

Along with some of the other nagging maintenance chores, the well site fence needs some work. Some of the barbed wire has fallen and the gate needs a bit of welding. On hold for the moment in deference to more pressing concerns.

This will remain as a place holder.

Highway 12 Meters

Installation is underway.

Well #5 Source Meter

The estimate came in at $9,141.39. I am inclined to defer this. But it needs to be done and I don’t see a window in the future that is any better than now.

It just seems like expenses are piling up at the moment.

Shop Organization

This project has started. But we need to keep breaking off to get some higher priority work done.

Some of the re-arranging and sorting will get done. But the complete inventory of items to be surplussed will need to be deferred.

Training/Certifications.

Kenny has started the second round of his computer training.

Safety

We have a mini safety meeting every morning. This time of year we focus on hydration issues and driving safety.

The focus on safety, and safety training, has reduced our accident rate to zero for many months now. Call that years. I intend to keep it that way.

Vehicles

Service Truck: Transmission was due for flushing.

F-150: No issues.

S-10: No issues.

Pickup Truck: No Issues

New Connections

No new connections in September.

Old Shop Building Gutters & Downspouts

I have called the local gutter guy twice. He knows what needs to be done, but seems to be having difficulty getting me an estimate.

Shop Site South Fence

The Fire Chief and I have been working on this issue. I will approach the owner of the mobile home park when we get some more details worked out regarding what we need to do for the driveway radii. Both the Fire Chief and I will approach the property owner to the north. I expect that some money will need to change hands.

No progress in September.

Alder Glen & Etc.

No news in September. This project is deferred.

Carl Way/Ridgeview: Not an issue

Hemlock Park

Lois Lane Not an issue

Waverly Court Not an issue

Garden Road: Not an issue

Walthom Lane: Not an issue

Greenbriar Court

Reynvaan Court

Madow Court

Reed Lane Not an issue

Blaine Road (End) Not an issue

Larson Lane Not an issue

Fremont Drive

Silkey Court

Lake Road

Hemlock Park

Fairway Park

River Road: Replaced

Alder Glen: Will need replacement.

Fairway Terrace: Will need replacement.

Filing System

No action in September.

Renters

No action in June. As a reminder regarding this item…it is my intent to have two forms. One form that is completed by the tenant at the time they apply to have the billing in their name, and a second form that will be sent to the property owner informing them that the tenant is vacating. My thinking on the second form is that it will include a forwarding address for the tenant and will require acknowledgment by the property owner before the tenant’s deposit will be sent to the forwarding address.

While our policy of requiring a deposit for tenants is a service to the property owner, the primary objective is to remove the District from tenant/owner conflict. We are not a collection agency and have not intention of becoming one.

Armory

No Action in September that I know of.

WASWD Fall Conference

A report is in your packet.

Unfortunately, there was not a quorum at the business meeting. So a special meeting is being called. It is important that everyone possible attend, so I am planning on being there.

The voting authorization letter is included in your packet. We need that because I am not a commissioner.

LeMay Project

A proposal has been sent to the contractor regarding the RTU for the pumphouse. Cellular communications are proposed. This will also entail installing cellular capability at the head end. At contractor expense.

This may enable easier conversion of the whole system to cellular.

Fire Station

Apparently Rognlin’s has been awarded the contract. But the bid came in considerably over the original estimate. The Fire Chief is scrambling around to cut costs and find some more money.

Big Ridge Lodge

I am dropping this item.

Reynvaan Site Security

Lighting and fencing have not been ordered. I am putting this one on hold. We haven’t experienced any problems, and we have bigger fish to fry.

As-Built Drawings

I am leaning towards handling this in-house with some limited assistance from consultants. But I have made no final decision yet, nor have I taken any action.

Very regretfully back-burnered pending more pressing issues. Though having somewhat accurate, and accessible, as-builts is a fairly pressing issue.

No action in September. This item is a place holder for the moment.

Disaster Management Planning

No action on the plan outline in September.

I really need to bear down on this. We are in pretty good shape for typical emergencies, but there are still holes in our ability to respond to a real catastrophe.

One item I want to investigate is the possibility of developing an intertie with the City of Aberdeen at Lake Aberdeen. That would provide us with a source of non-potable water in the event of an extreme event (earthquake/tsunami) that might render our wells inoperable. The water would have to be filtered and boiled in order to be “potable”, but residents could use it for toilet flushing and other, non-potable, sanitary uses. Coffee filters work for filtration and the water could be boiled for drinking and cooking.

No action in September

WAWARN

Nothing of immediate interest. See the WASWD Conference report.

Red Flag Programs

We don’t have a plan. But we have run into a problem. When payments are being received over the phone we have to be on speaker phone so we have both hands free, and we have to read back the information.

The problem occurs when another customer is at the counter. They can hear all the information they need to steal someone’s credit card information.

Currently, all we can do is ask the person on the phone to hold until we take care of the customer at the counter and get them out the door.

This issue will probably force me to work on developing a formal plan.

No action in September. There may be some options available to us with the new billing system.

Isolation Valve Exercise Program

This is another Sanitary Survey item. It has been on my to-do list since 2012.

David Carnahan, the new GM at Hartstene Pointe, has insights on utilizing Google Earth to develop specific site plans. I will be meeting with him on the 9th, so will have some specific information at the meeting.

Future and/or On-Hold Programs

Web Page

Email Bills

Unfunded “Dream” Projects

Include Reynvaan Pump Station in SCADA

Probably will require new controls, which are getting due anyway

Include Hirschbeck Pump Station in SCADA

Convert SCADA Communications to Cellular, or whatever SEE LEMAY PROJECT

Repave Office Parking Lot (Over Jim’s dead body) THE WORST SPOTS ARE PATCHED.

Replace Office Carpet DEFERRED

Long Distance Service Laterals

Any thoughts would be welcome.

Respectfully Submitted:

Reg Hearn

General Manager