Call to Order – Chairman White called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Board members present were J. B. White, Harvey Norris, Eddie Roberts, Jr. & Eddie Ford. Also present were Marcie Seleb, general manager, and Alyssa Hopson, clerk to the board.
Approval of Minutes from January 10, 2017 Meeting – Mr. Roberts made a motion to dispense with the reading of, and to approve, the minutes from the January 10, 2017 meeting. This was seconded by Mr. Ford and approved unanimously.
Request for Reconsideration of Water Extension – East Ball Property Owners – Ms. Julie Solomon, Mr. & Mrs. Bill Stone and Mr. & Mrs. Mark Godlewski asked the board to reconsider running a water main down their section of East Ball Road. The board agreed that if easements are received, they would reconsider the extension.
Consider Update of Municipal Wholesale Rate – Ms. Seleb reported that she had recalculated the municipal wholesale rate using data from the FY 2016 audit. The rates charged to the Georgia Diagnostic Prison, Barnesville, Monroe County and Griffin will increase by approximately 11%. Mr. Norris made a motion to raise rates. This was seconded by Mr. Roberts and approved unanimously.
Receive Petition for Bob Thomas Road -Ms. Seleb presented the Board with a petition for water from property owners on Bob Thomas Road. It included five tap requests within .7 miles. A motion was made by Mr. Ford to accept the petition. This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.
Letter of Commitment for Ready Pac EIP Grant – Ms. Seleb reported that the Employment Incentive Program (EIP) grant application for Ready Pac cannot move forward. This is because Ready Pac has declined to write the letter committing to a standby letter of credit to guarantee creation of jobs and private investment at the salad packing facility.
Review Engineering Proposals for Water Extension Line Work- Ms. Seleb reported that proposals were received from five engineering firms for the design of fifteen miles of water mains on unserved roads. Scanlon Engineering and Watkins & Associates scored equally in the evaluation. Ms. Seleb suggested dividing the work between the two firms and negotiating a matching fee schedule. Mr. Ford made a motion to accept the two proposals if they are willing to split the work and agree to the Authority’s proposed fee schedule. This was seconded by Mr. Norris and unanimously.
Manager’s Report
Operations
Georgia Prison Wardens’ Association -Keith Douglas requested that the Authority to purchase an ad for the Wardens’ Association 2017 Summer Convention Handbook. Board members declined to purchase the ad due to the fact that this was not an organization that benefits the entire Butts County community.
Metro Watershed Plan – Ms. Seleb suggested that the Authority write a comment letter on the revised Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District’s 2017 Water Resource Management Plan to stress that Butts County’s water supply comes from the entire North Ocmulgee watershed. Board members directed her to do this.
Workers Compensation Inspection – Ms. Seleb noted that the Authority had received a letter from its workmans compensation insurer, Builders Insurance Group, that mandates use of personal safety equipment on job sites. While it is already part of the Authority’s written personnel policy, Ms. Seleb will ensure that crew members wear safety vests when in the rights of way, hard hats when around heavy equipment, and always have a ladder available to exit shallow ditches.
ACCG Drivers Safety Course -The Authority’s staff will attend a one-day driver safety course being coordinated by Butts County in early April. Participants will receive a 10% discount on their auto insurance.
Construction
East Ball Road- An easement was signed from Ms. Holzinger. The crew has approximately 1000′ left to install before crossing onto Greer Dairy Road.
Martin Marietta Easement- Ms. Seleb has met with Martin Marietta officials concerning the needed easement on Greer Dairy Road. They have asked for a drawing of proposed main on the entire road from Hwy. 36 to its current end.
Executive Session – A motion was made by Mr. Norris to go into Executive Session to discuss a personnel matter. This was seconded by Mr. Ford and approved unanimously.
Executive Session – A motion was made by Mr. Norris to come out of Executive Session after the discussion of a personnel matter. This was seconded by Mr. Roberts and approved unanimously.
Personnel Matter – Mr. Rusty Caldwell would like to use his annual leave time to reimburse the Authority for family dental coverage. A motion was made by Mr. Roberts to allow Mr. Caldwell to use his annual leave. This was seconded by Mr. Norris and approved unanimously.
Financial Report -The monthly financial report for Water & Sewer Operations and SPLOST was presented.
Adjourn – A motion was made by Mr. Norris to adjourn the meeting at 6:21 p.m. This was seconded by Mr. Roberts and approved unanimously.