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December 14, 2011 Monthly Meeting
Minutes of the Meeting of the C.K.S.D.
The Consolidated Koshkonong Sanitary District held their regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 6:00 P.M. Present were Kathleen Lichtfuss, John Traynor, Todd Sahr, Barbara McGann, Robert Venske, David Houfe Jr. and Lynne Lund.
Also present were Rich Plywacz and Carl Lichtfuss, both Town of Fulton property owners; Gene Laschinger and Jennifer Krahn, both representatives of Town & Country Engineering; Roger Olson, Town of Albion Chairman; Dave Anderson, an Albion Sanitary District No. 4 property owner; Barb Steponkus, C.K.S.D. Accountant; and Tim Fenner, attorney for Town of Albion & Albion Sanitary District No. 4.
President Kathleen Lichtfuss opened the meeting at 6:00 P.M. and called the meeting to order.
1. The President asked for confirmation of meeting notice. Lynne stated that the agenda was published in the Edgerton Reporter on December 7, 2011 and posted at the C.K.S.D. Office, Oberg’s Tavern, Newville Mobil and on the C.K.S.D. website.
2. Todd Sahr made a motion, seconded by Barb McGann, to approve the November 16, 2012 and November 18, 2011 minutes. John Traynor abstained from the November 18, 2011 minutes. Motion carried.
3. Under Public Participation, Roger Olson, Town of Albion Chairman, announced that Dave Anderson will be the Town of Albion’s second C.K.S.D. Board member starting in 2012. Mr. Olson stated that Mr. Anderson used to be on this Board and he does live in the sanitary district. He feels that Mr. Anderson always did a good job on this Board. The Board welcomed Mr. Anderson at this time.
4. Under Board Communication Report, Bob Venske had nothing to report.
Barb McGann stated that she called Dave Houfe, C.K.S.D. Field Operations Manager, regarding some issues that came up at the Town of Sumner’s meeting. She stated that it has to do with Station F and a complaint involving the water around the station and having oil sheen over the top. Barb McGann stated that one person claimed there was an odor and another person said there was no odor. She stated that they feel that the area around the station is unusable because of the water saturation. Barb McGann stated that she asked Dave for a copy of all the past correspondence and the testing that we have already done. She stated that it was suggested by the Town of Sumner’s Planning Commission Chairman that the oil sheen might actually be iron. Barb McGann explained that when natural water comes through the soil it can pick up iron in the soil and bring it to the surface; with a thin layer on the top of the water that actually looks like oil sheen but there is no smell to it. Dave presented the Board with copies of the past correspondence and testing. Barb McGann stated that she is just bringing it to the Board’s attention since she did not get it on the agenda in time. She stated that she does not know if there is anything the district can do. Barb McGann stated that it has been like this for years and there are natural springs in that specific area. Dave added that the station is approximately ten feet away from the lake. Barb McGann stated that some of the natural springs may have been disturbed during our project. Dave feels that the drainage is better now than it was before. He stated that we have done testing and it is not wastewater coming up. Barb McGann stated that she will let her Board know again that this is not wastewater. Kathy asked if she would like this item put on our next meeting agenda. Barb McGann stated yes.
Kathy, Todd and John had nothing to report.
5. Under Discuss/Take Possible Action on Appointment of Town & Country Engineering, Kathy stated Town & Country Engineering is C.K.S.D.’s new engineering firm as of January 1, 2012. Gene Laschinger and Jennifer Krahn, both representatives of Town & Country Engineer, were present at the meeting. Kathy stated that this item is on the agenda for the Board to start moving forward and see what steps they want to take. She asked Mr. Laschinger and Ms. Krahn if there is anything they would like to share. Mr. Laschinger stated that they would like to know what the Board wants them to handle. He stated that they would like to get familiar with our facility and all of our stations, get to know where they are all physically located, and get copies of all the maps and drawings. Mr. Laschinger added that they will not be charging for this. He added that they will not charge for them attending the next couple of meetings either. Mr. Laschinger feels that it is important for them to get to know the physical part of the district. He added that they would also like to get to know the history makeup from a political standpoint and any issues that they need to be aware of so they can provide advice and assist with these issues. Mr. Laschinger stated that it is also important for the district to get to know them and to get comfortable with them. He added that they have a policy that if we call them they do not charge for those calls. Mr. Laschinger stated that any work that needs to be followed up due to the call will then be charged. He feels that it is important that the district’s staff can run ideas by them at any time.
Mr. Laschinger referred to the lift station problem that Barb McGann talked about; it could be ground water. He stated that in Jefferson they installed drainage tile, discharged it into the lake and it dried up. Mr. Laschinger stated that it took away the surface water and it was a very simple solution. He stated that they like to keep everything at a lower cost for their customers. Mr. Laschinger stated that he does not know if that is the issue at Station F or not but feels it could be. Mr. Laschinger stated that ground water does get artesian affects. Mr. Laschinger asked what the soil is like. Barb McGann stated that area is clay. Mr. Laschinger stated that water cannot get out and it will come up to the surface.
Mr. Laschinger stated that they do not have a good feel about what the Board’s expectations are at this point. He stated that every client is different. Mr. Laschinger asked if the Board wants them at every meeting. Kathy asked John what he would like to see in the future. John stated that they should definitely attend the next couple meetings so they get to know our system, how we operate and take a good in-depth look at any problems we have. Mr. Laschinger stated that he would like to attend the first several meetings just to get familiar with the district, especially the meetings that will not be charged to the district. He added that the Board can then decide if they would like them to continue attending meetings. Mr. Laschinger feels it is very important that they get to know us and we get to know them so we all can work together. Kathy asked about a schedule of their fees and charges and also how they come up with their costs. Mr. Laschinger believes they provided a schedule in their presentation materials. He added that how they charge depends on the cost for the project and added that they develop a scope for each project or job. Mr. Laschinger stated that every client is a little different; he stated that some clients want an official contract with every project. He stated that from an insurance standpoint they need some type of contract relationship. Mr. Laschinger stated that they have worked with McFarland since 1996 and McFarland has never signed a contract. He stated that with McFarland they give them a scope of services, which is a written description of the work they will be doing. Mr. Laschinger stated that contracts are hard to understand so they make their scope of services very easy to understand. He stated that it ends up being a 2-3 page description of what the work they are going to provide and what they are not going to provide; they also include an estimated cost. He stated that there may be times they cannot give an estimate. Mr. Laschinger stated that if we called them regarding a lift station problem the cost would be based on how many hours it takes to complete the job. Mr. Laschinger stated that McFarland goes this way a lot. He stated that they can set up the invoices however the Board would like. Mr. Laschinger believes that with providing invoices we can pass the charge on to the right person, such as a developer or such.
Kathy asked if there are times that Town & Country Engineering actually brings in other engineering firms to assist with projects and if there is a particular firm they use. Mr. Laschinger used a treatment plant upgrade for an example. He stated that they do contract out for electrical but feels that this is an advantage for the district. Mr. Laschinger stated that only a few firms have electrical, with Strand Associates, Inc. being one of those firms. He stated that they have subcontracted with Strand Associates, Inc. in the past. Mr. Laschinger stated that their firm is one of the few engineering firms that work with their competitors. He stated that they are a smaller firm and much more cost effective. He stated that when they use a subcontractor they will let us know but they do not mark up their costs. Mr. Laschinger stated that every firm uses subcontractors, unless they are a very large firm.
Kathy feels that there are a lot of details to work out with this Board on how the Board would like things done. Bob suggested that six weeks down the road, the Board have a work session with Mr. Laschinger. He feels that the Board, Dave and Lynne should make a list of issues or priority items that should be addressed and then get ideas from Mr. Laschinger on these issues. Mr. Laschinger feels this is a very good idea. He stated that he would also like to meet with Dave and Lynne a couple days to get familiar with everything. Mr. Laschinger stated that he will put a list together of what they would like copies of. He added that some items they will not know until they are actually here. Mr. Laschinger stated that they will make pdf copies of all the plans and will also give the district pdf copies. He asked if we have any projects coming up. Dave stated no; but we do have our permit coming up. Mr. Laschinger stated that if we have any projects coming up, he would suggest they we submit the “Contempt to Apply” to be added to the Clean Water Fund list. He stated that there is no cost to do this. Mr. Laschinger stated that Rhinelander did not plan on doing a project last year and they ended up doing a large project and received $250,000.00 of grant money for this project.
Bob stated that the Town of Albion has been looking into the GIS location system. He added that the Town of Fulton and the Town of Sumner has also looked at it. Bob feels that it may be worth looking into for the district. Dave stated that we have talked about this in the past. Lynne stated that we would want to budget for this if the Board decides to go ahead with this. Bob agreed. He feels that it would be a great tool for the district. Mr. Laschinger stated that they work with a lot of clients the size of the district and a lot of them have the GIS software. He added that they try to do this at a low cost for their customers. Mr. Laschinger stated that it is very accurate since they shoot everything in and is very easy to use. He stated that usually the next step after getting the GIS system is getting a computer for the truck. Dave stated that he likes how the televising and the manholes can be tied into the GIS system. Mr. Laschinger stated that they try to use all the data available, such as parcel information from the county. He added that they also tie all the lateral cards to that parcel.
Kathy stated that we have a temporary plan for next the 30-60 days with Town & Country Engineering attending the district’s meetings, they will be in touch with Dave and Lynne about a meeting here, if Dave or Lynne have anything come up before then they are authorized to contact Mr. Laschinger and his staff. The Board agreed. Dave referred to the county meetings regarding the slow/no wake issues. He stated that he and Tom Stetzer from Strand Associates, Inc. are attending the Rock County meeting on December 15, 2011. Dave stated that Mr. Stetzer is attending the meeting with him since Paul Dreis is out of town. He stated that there will be another Rock County meeting on January 12, 2012 regarding this issue. Lynne stated that Sandy Kraft, Rock County Supervisor, feels that a decision will be made by the county at the January 12, 2011 meeting. She stated that we need to know if the Board would like Strand Associates, Inc. to attend the January 12, 2012 meeting with Dave since they have been working with him on this issue or if Mr. Laschinger should attend. Bob feels that Mr. Laschinger should attend the meeting since he will be our engineer at that time. He asked the benefit of having the engineer attending this meeting. Kathy stated that the Lake District has questioned the impact on the sanitary district of the slow/no wake issue. She explained that Dave and Mr. Dreis have worked together on this issue. Kathy added that the Lake District will have their engineer, hydrologist and attorney present at these meetings. Bob asked if elevations are an issue. Dave stated yes and added that Rob Montgomery, engineer for the Lake District, feels that elevations are not an issue for the sanitary district. Mr. Laschinger stated he has worked with Mr. Montgomery in the past. He asked where we are in the process of this issue; in the beginning or the end. Kathy stated we are at the end of the process. Mr. Laschinger feels that we should have Strand Associates, Inc. follow through on this issue since they are familiar with it and feels that this would be best for the district. He stated that if we were at the beginning of the process they would suggest doing it themselves. Mr. Laschinger stated that they do not want to incur extra costs for the district. Kathy stated that the only way she does not see an end in January is if the Lake District does not see a win and they may try to stall. She added that we will have a better idea on this after December 15, 2011. Dave will let Mr. Laschinger know.
6. Under Discuss/Take Possible Action on Concealed Carry Law, Kathy stated that we added this item to the agenda due to all the questions with the litigation. Lynne stated she talked to Jonathan Groessl, C.K.S.D. Attorney, on this. She presented a handout to the Board with Mr. Groessl’s response on this matter. Barb Steponkus wondered if we contacted our insurance company on this. Lynne stated yes. Kathy read Mr. Groessl’s response at this time. She explained that basically Mr. Groessl feels that the protection that the C.K.S.D. would gain from disallowing weapons in its buildings far exceeds the gains from being immune in the event someone brought a weapon in and used it. Kathy added that Mr. Groessl also suggested that we change our signs to read “weapons” instead of just “guns.” Kathy feels that we should have a motion to change the signs to read “weapons.”
Todd Sahr made a motion, seconded by John Traynor, to change all sign wordage to “weapons.” Lynne will change these signs. Motion carried.
Lynne stated that Mr. Groessl also wrote up wording to be included in our Personnel Policies & Procedure Manual, which we will cover in the next agenda item.
7. Under Discuss/Take Possible Action on Personnel Policies & Procedures Manual, Lynne stated that she sent the Board copies of what Mr. Groessl wrote up on the Concealed Carry Law and also the wording to be added under the Worker’s Compensation. She stated that Kevin Hulen, C.K.S.D.’s Insurance Agent, reviewed the Worker’s Compensation wording and is fine with it. Lynne stated that we did change it to read differently for full time and part time. She added that the wording on the Concealed Carry Law was added so employees cannot carry weapons while working.
Todd Sahr made a motion, seconded by John Traynor, to approve the changes presented in the “Paid Time Off” section of the Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual. Motion carried.
Todd Sahr made a motion, seconded by Barb McGann, to approve adding Section 2.4 “Weapons” in the Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual. Motion carried.
Lynne presented the Board with copies of Section 5.4, “Insurance Eligibility and Enrollment” and also Section 5.8 “Retirement Contributions.” She explained that Mr. Groessl added the highlighted area so it would state the same as the state law.
John Traynor made a motion, seconded by Bob Venske, to approve the changes made to Section 5.4 “Insurance Eligibility and Enrollment” and also Section 5.8 “Retirement Contributions.” Motion carried.
8. Under Discuss/Take Possible Action on Approving Utility Contractors for 2012, Kathy stated that this is done annually. Lynne stated that we currently have two Utility Contractors; R.T. Fox Contractors and R&R Excavators.
Bob Venske made a motion, seconded by Todd Sahr, to pre-approve R.T. Fox Contractors and R&R Excavators as Utility Contractors for 2012 that can install sewer laterals in the district for private citizens. Barb McGann asked if someone can be added later. Bob stated that the contractor could be added at any time with the Board’s approval. Lynne pointed out that Master Plumbers do not need to be pre-approved; only the Utility Contractors. Motion carried.
9. John Traynor made a motion, seconded by, Barb McGann to convene into closed session at 6:33 P.M. pursuant to Chapter 19.85(1)(c), Wis. Stats. considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility RE: Employee Year-End Bonuses. A roll call vote was taken at this time:
John Traynor - Aye
Todd Sahr - Aye
Kathy Lichtfuss - Aye
Barb McGann - Aye
Bob Venske - Aye
Motion carried.
10. John Traynor made a motion, seconded by Barb McGann, to reconvene into open session at 6:42 P.M. A roll call vote was taken at this time:
John Traynor - Aye
Todd Sahr - Aye
Kathy Lichtfuss - Aye
Barb McGann - Aye
Bob Venske - Aye
Motion carried.
11. Under Discuss/Take Possible Action on Employee Year-End Bonuses, Bob Venske made a motion, seconded by Barb McGann, to approve what was discussed in closed session. Motion carried.
12. Under Discuss/Take Possible Action on Field Operations Manager and Internal Operations Manager Labor Agreements, Lynne presented her and Dave’s 2012 proposed Labor Agreement to the Board. She stated that the dates and salaries were changed. Lynne stated that Mr. Groessl changed the wording of the health and retirement to read as the state law says; which is the same as the wording in the Personnel Policies & Procedures Manual.
John Traynor made a motion, seconded by Bob Venske, to approve the Field Operations Manager and the Internal Operations Manager 2012 Labor Agreements as presented. Motion carried.
13. Under Approval of the Bills, Todd Sahr made a motion, seconded by Barb McGann to approve both Lists of Bills for payment. John asked about the Cummins NPower LLC bill of $1,288.22. Dave stated that this was the transfer switch at Station X. He explained that the electric bill was $423.65 for the month of November and it usually runs under $100.00 per month. Dave stated that it has been fixed. Bob asked if this is new equipment. Dave stated no, this is the station by the Edgerton Oasis in the Town of Albion. Motion carried.
14. Under Review of the Financial Statements, Lynne stated that there is no Certificate of Deposits up for renewal this month. Barb referred to a decimal point that should be changed on the Investment Program. It says “14.00%” and should read “0.14%.” Lynne will change this on the report.
John Traynor made a motion, seconded by Barb McGann, to place the financial statements on file with the correction of the decimal point on the Investment Program. Motion carried.
15. Under Report by Field Operations Manager, Dave stated that we already discussed the Rock County meeting for December 15, 2011. He added that Rob Montgomery from Montgomery & Associates, the Lake District’s Engineer, came down and looked over our drawings for the three areas that we have concern about. Dave stated that Mr. Montgomery told him that he feels that this issue is more political than an actual issue of elevations. He added that Mr. Montgomery does not feel the sanitary district has any grounds to stand on with this issue.
Dave stated that Crane Engineering was here last month for the pumps at Station R. He explained that they put a T on the top of the pump and ran a 2-inch line back to the wet well to quiet the pumps down. Dave stated that it did make a big difference. He added that in a high water situation he thinks we will have to actually go out and shut the valve off. Dave stated that another suggestion from Crane Engineering is to go with a different type of impeller for that pump. He stated that Crane Engineering and Gorman Rupp are getting their suggestions together and will get back to him. Todd asked if Crane Engineering had the pump data. Dave stated no; this information has been passed on to Gorman Rupp. He added that he is not sure if we want to go with the 2-inch bypass due to a lot of rain we would have to physically go out and shut the valve. Barb McGann asked if the cavitation causes damage. Dave stated yes. He added that it sounds like welding popping; like an explosion of air inside the pumps. Dave stated that it can really eat away on the impellers. He added that we do have stainless steel impellers now on the Gorman Rupp pumps and that does make a huge difference. Mr. Laschinger stated that it will tear the impeller right off. He asked what the problem is with the pumps and if there is too much head. Dave stated that there is too much head in the force main. He explained that this station should have been a submersible station but was not changed so we ended up going with the same Gorman Rupp pump as in the past. Mr. Laschinger stated that these are good pumps. He added that we could look at the suctions. Dave stated that we have looked at the suction side and there was some air containment. He added that we have tried a lot of possible solutions already.
Dave informed the Board that Demrow Construction is going to be installing the snow bars on the Administrative Building roof this week.
Dave informed the Board that he attended Town & Country’s annual seminar. He added that it covered many areas and was very informative.
Dave stated that we have still not received anything on our permit; so he assumes we will receive it in March.
Dave stated that we discussed the blower at budget time. He added that he has received one quote so far and is waiting for another quote.
Dave informed the Board that John Meyer, renter of the pasture and pole building, asked to put another trailer box on the property to keep the horses warm. He added that he already talked to Kathy about this and she felt it was fine. The Board agreed.
16. Under Report by Internal Operations Manager, Lynne informed the Board that we received a copy of a letter to Rawson Contractors from Scott Barr of McCarty Law, which is Faith Technologies, Inc.’s attorney. She explained that at the end of the project we issued a two-party check to Rawson Contractors, Inc. and Faith Technologies, Inc. Lynne stated that Dick Machata, representative of Rawson Contractors, Inc. still has the check. She explained that Faith Technologies, Inc. needs to sign a waiver to receive the check and they have not done so yet.
Lynne presented the Board with a copy of the 2011 Delinquent Service Billing Assessments. She explained that each Board member received a copy of the list of customers for their town that were added to the tax roll. She stated that there is no action to be taken; it is just for their information.
Lynne stated that she received the signed Lease Agreement back from John and Jan Meyer. She explained that she had to make another copy for the Meyers so she asked for the President’s signature on this agreement. Kathy asked if this agreement was previously approved by the Board. Lynne stated yes. Kathy signed the agreement at this time.
Lynne asked for the President’s signature on Jerry Miles Consultant position agreement. She added that this agreement was also previously approved by the Board. Kathy signed the agreement at this time. Lynne stated that she will get Jerry’s signature.
Lynne stated that with Kathy retiring and John being our new President as of January 1, 2012 we need to make some signature changes with the bank. She asked that John and Barb to stay after the meeting and sign the bank forms. John and Barb agreed.
Lynne stated that she and Dave would like to schedule a meeting with John since he is the new President. She stated that they would like to go over what is expected from them and also what they expect from him. John agreed.
Lynne thanked Kathy for all the service she has given the district in the past 20 years. Applause was given from all that attended the meeting. Kathy thanked everyone and wished us the best. .
17. There was no correspondence.
18. There were no Board requests.
There being no further business to come before the Board, John Traynor made a motion, seconded by Bob Venske, to adjourn the meeting at 7:00 P.M. Motion carried.
Lynne Lund, Internal Operations Manager
Absent: None
Archive:
April 10, 2013 Monthly Meeting
March 13, 2013 Monthly Meeting
February 13, 2013 Monthly Meeting
January 9, 2013 Monthly Meeting
December 12, 2012 Monthly Meeting
November 14, 2012 Monthly Meeting
October 29, 2012 Public Hearing & Special Meeting
October 10, 2012 Monthly Meeting
September 24, 2012 Budget Meeting
September 12, 2012 Monthly Meeting