MANAGER'S REPORT
03/10/2021
Budget Position Report
Operational income for February was $76,241. Operational expenses were $41,417. We took in $34,824 more than we spent.
There were no capital expenditures in February.
We transferred $36,511 into reserve funds:
USDA Loan Reserve $ 12.15
Capital Replacement Reserve $ 4,771.00
Major Repair Reserve $27,528.20
Debt Service Reserve $ 4,200.00
Treasurer’s Report:
Fund Balances To Date:
Regular Maintenance $ 63,955
Capital Replacement $ 66,793
Major Repair Reserve $265,330
General Facilities $144,927
Total Funds Available $541,005
Copier
We are developing the specification now.
The acquisition will be funded from the Capital Replacement Reserve.
3810 Aberdeen Lake Road
Scott will have information relating to this issue at the meeting. See enclosed letter from Scott.
State Auditor
The audit found no material discrepancies to whit: "This report describes the overall results and conclusions for the areas we examined. In those selected areas, District operations complied, in all material respects, with applicable state laws, regulations, and its own policies, and provided adequate controls over the safeguarding of public resources."
The auditor did provide some recommendations. I have included the exit interview documents in your packets.
Procurement Manual
It is apparent that our Procurement Manual is way past due for updating and editing. The current manual is not well suited to this district and has not been formally adopted by the commissioners.
I have completed about half of the manual. I was hoping to have a first draft for your review at this meeting. It just was not possible.
It should be ready for review at the April meeting.
Small Works Roster/Limited Works Procedures
Apparently the commissioners authorized these procedures annually. There is no requirement in the RCW to issue a new resolution every year.
We need a resolution establishing the use of the Small Works Roster procedure and the Limited Works procedure in general.
Reference is RCW 39.04.155.
Request for Public Information
The District does not have a well developed, implemented process for handling requests for public information.
I will be working on fixing that.
Our general approach is, if someone wants to know something, if it is not privileged information, we tell them.
Emergency Declaration
If competitive bidding is bypassed due to an emergency situation, either the Board of Commissioners, or their “designee”, are required to issue a declaration of emergency.
It would be helpful if the General Manager were the “designee”. We need a resolution to that effect.
Indefinite Delivery Contract
We need to issue an advertisement for bids for an Indefinite Delivery Contract to provide underground utility assistance services for 2021.
I need Board of Commissioner approval to place the advertisement.
This is a competitive bid situation.
Reynvaan Extension
We have one item left over from the last Sanitary Survey. The Department of Health will expect that all items identified by the previous survey will be addressed prior to the next one. Due to the COVID-19 shut down we are past due for our next survey.
To refresh memories, there are several properties down hill from the Reynvaan Booster Station that have low pressure. DOH is requiring that we alleviate that situation. The most effective means of doing so is to come off the uphill water main downstream from the booster station and run a separate water main south on Reynvaan Drive to serve the low-pressure properties.
Because the water main in this area doubles as the transmission line to the Reynvaan Reservoir it is not possible to simply loop to the main from upstream of the booster station.
This is a project on which we must get moving. I am proposing to use Jerome Morrisette & Associates for the engineering and will contact them shortly.
I plan to fund the engineering from the General Maintenance Fund. I am not sure yet what fund to tap for the actual construction. I am anxious to see how the budget performs as the year progresses.
The engineering, planning and permitting for this project may not be complete ready for construction until next year.
Water Rights
NWS has not had a great deal of useful cooperation from the County. The planner and I will be meeting shortly to go over strategies for forecasting community growth.
A member of the community has been volunteering for various tasks. I am proposing to use him to conduct some research regarding likely areas of growth. Since this is a project, I am also proposing to put him on the payroll as a part time, temporary employee. This approach would save considerable amount of money on the project as opposed to using the consultant for the research.
Payroll Report
No surprises. We will always have some overtime. There are tasks that have to be accomplished after hours, and there are always emergency responses.
Pandemic
Phase 2 does not present any changes to District operations.
Isolation Valves
No progress in February.
Past Due Accounts
There is a substantial stack of past due accounts. The emergency declaration bars the district from any collection activity.
There is assistance coming for past due accounts from government sources. I have included an MRSC discussion in your packets.
We need to discuss our options to secure the district’s interest in those unpaid water bills.
315 Linkshire Drive
Request for relief. See letter in your packets.
Damaged Fire Hydrant
We now have as complete a report as there is. Scott will have some recommendation on further action.
Well #5 Source Meter
I have authorized American Pump to proceed.
North Bank Reservoir
JWM&A and I are working on determining what kind of coating is desirable. I am hoping to have a bid package ready in time for the Summer construction season.
Ashley & Kayla
No Action in February
Hydrant Maintenance
No hydrant flushing got done in February. We are still behind in tagging and painting. See “Maintenance Activity” below.
Rate Study
I was not able to find the time to update the rate study. I should have it in better shape for the April meeting.
Shop Fence
No progress on this project yet. This will take some discussions with the fire district as the 50-foot strip of fire district-owned property to the west presents some challenges as to where the fence should be located.
This issue has developed some complications as we have not been able to develop a working relationship with the new fire chief. That will happen soon.
I will need more information before I can propose a funding source.
New Regulations
Modifications to the Water Use Efficiency rule require us to take monthly static and drawdown level tests of the wells.
This is not a major task, taking a couple of hours twice a month (two wells). But it is another mandated task added to all the previous ones.
Personnel
Retirement Program: I continue to work through the paperwork. The Administrative
Services Agreement has been signed. There is a copy in your
packets. There needs to be a resolution. I think ICMA has a
suggested form. As of this writing, I am awaiting a copy of the
form. I will forward that to Scott as soon as I get it.
No other news.
Maintenance Activity:
I did not get in a Manager’s Tour this month. For the rest, see the attached report.
Note that we replace quite a few water meters. The usual problem is a register that cannot be read.
711 Sunset Road
If you will recall, there was a leak on Sunset Road in one of the extremely long service laterals. Because that service lateral was in the road easement, we reduced the homeowner’s bill to the base rate.
Well, the line next to that one, serving 711 Sunset Road, was apparently damaged in the process of fixing the previous leak.
I belief it is only just to reduce that homeowner’s bill to the base rate, as well. For two reasons; First, the same reason the first one was reduced. The homeowner cannot be expected to be responsible for service laterals in public rights-of-way; Second, the damage was almost certainly caused during the repair of the first lateral.
Roads
No action on this in February. I will need to develop a specification and prepare a bid package.
Contractor Repairs/Assistance
Installation of the new service at 106 Mason Lane.
Tank Cleaning
We have received the estimate. $9,095.00. No date yet. The proposal has been signed and delivered to the contractor.
I plan to fund this project from General Maintenance.
Shop Organization
We may need to retain some temporary help to get the inventory done preparatory to surplusing all those old ductile iron fittings, and other items that are of little to no use. The district’s field techs are simply too busy on tasks more related to serving our customers to have the time to go through all the old parts.
It is apparent that this project will require my direct supervision.
I am reasonably positive that the value of the items we would want to surplus exceeds the $2,500 amount requiring commissioners’ approval.
As a side issue, we also have a collection of obsolete computers that need disposal.
I really, really, want to get this done and get all those old, and generally useless, fittings gone. I am sure that the disorganization in the shop is costing the district money. The first step to organizing the shop is getting rid of all the bits and pieces for which we have no need.
And there is the requirement within the Asset Management rules that there be an inventory control system. Though we have developed some of the pieces for such a system, the physical aspects cannot be planned or implemented until the shop is organized.
Training/Certifications
Mick does not yet have the exam scheduled. I keep nagging.
No action yet on setting up for webinars and online training. But I have to do something soon so that we can all keep up with our CEU’s. Though I can do some training with my laptop computer.
Kenny has satisfied his CEU requirements to the end of 2021. I still need to collect a few units.
Safety
We have a mini safety meeting every morning.
Vehicles
Service Truck: The driver’s seat is beginning to wear out. We will need to have this seat re-covered. No action yet.
Pickup Truck 1: No Issues
Pickup Truck 2: No issues
Backhoe: No issues.
Web Site
The February Manager’s Report has been posted.
I have not had an opportunity to post Commissioners meeting minutes. That will require a new section on the site and conversion of the minutes from Word format to the .odt format used by the web design software we use.
New Connections
None in February
Fire Station
I have been contacted by the dirt contractor. He will be leveling out our well site, in accordance with our handshake agreement, very soon.
The fire station is experiencing a pressure problem on the domestic service. They have two services, one for domestic (restrooms, sinks, kitchen, etc.) and one for truck washing. Both are served by 1-1/2” meters. The domestic side only registers 28 psi in the buildings (new and old). Pressure at the meter is 46 psi.
The District has provided some assistance in determining the cause. However, it is clear that the problem is somewhere in the building. The strange aspect is that the 28 psi is STATIC pressure, not flowing pressure. Very strange.
Spoils Site
In almost all the excavation work that we do, the native soils are not suitable for backfill and must be disposed. The spoils are rarely of a nature useful for fill that would support buildings or traffic.
Our first spoils site (at least since I have been involved) was the shop site. There has been no room for spoils there for a long time.
We have been using the well site. Most of which is low and subject to flooding, so some fill is definitely in order. The spoils work great in that situation since we do not drive on most of the well site.
But that site is almost full. We will be better able to evaluate how full once the existing spoils have been leveled (see above).
I don’t know where we go from here.
We own eight acres on Central Park Drive west of the Country Club between CPD and the railroad. But that area is wet and, I am pretty sure, would classify as wet lands. I doubt we could get a permit to deposit spoils there.
Though we own a couple of other properties, neither of those are suitable spoils sites. One is small and definitely wetland, the other is on a wooded hill side with no practical access.
I will be working my contacts in an effort to find a convenient and affordable location for excavation spoils.
No action in February.
Capital Asset Management
Everything is proceeding according to the plan. See the comments on the copier.
Disaster Management Planning
No progress in February.
Isolation Valve Exercise Program
On hold
Long Distance Service Laterals
No new thoughts or events.
Respectfully Submitted:
Reg Hearn
General Manager