Call to Order – Chairman Marett called the meeting to order at 5:28 p.m. Board members present were J.B. White, Eddie Ford, Curtis Taylor,Bill Jones, Eddie Roberts and Rick Jeffares. Staff members present were Alyssa Hopson, general manager and Amber Eason, clerk to the board.
Approval of Minutes from November 19, 2024 Meeting- Mr. Roberts made a motion to dispense with the reading of, and to adopt the minutes from the November 19, 2024 meeting, with any necessary corrections being made. This was seconded by Mr. Jeffares and approved unanimously.
Georgia Department of Transportation Roundabout Project- Ms.Hopson reported that Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is scheduled to begin construction early 2025 on a proposed roundabout. The project is located at the intersection of State Route 16, England Chapel Road and High Falls Road. The purpose of the project is to install a single lane roundabout. The project will require the Authority to relocate several water mains and valves within 139 days. GDOT estimated the cost to be $770,000 if they were to relocate the Authority’s infrastructures. The Board instructed Ms. Hopson to request construction bids and present them at January’s meeting. No action was taken.
Workman’s Comp Renewal- Ms. Hopson presented the Board with a proposal from J. Smith Lanier and Company for workman’s compensation insurance for 2025 through American Builders Insurance at a cost of $19,090, which is $3,936 less than the 2024 pricing. Mr. Roberts made a motion to accept the proposal provided by J. Smith Lanier. This was seconded by Mr. Ford and approved unanimously. A copy of the proposal is attached and made a part of these minutes.
Managers Report-
Sewer Spill – Ms. Hopson informed the Board that on November 23, 2024 field service crew members were called to Truck Stop Way Lift Station to inspect a failed pump. Crew members noticed a broken chain became lodged inside of the pump, resulting in an estimated 236,000 gallons of sewage to spill. Field service technicians had noticed a pungent chlorinated gas smell escaping from the wetwell prior to the incident.
Ms. Hopson and Field Service Technican, Andre Thomas met with Ready Pac Foods, located at 148 River View Park to discuss issues and concerns detected at the Truck Stop Way Lift Station. It is believed that chlorinated gas and debris is damaging the pumps. Ready Pac Managers stated they would consult with engineers on how to suppress the chlorine and address the debris with employees. Ms. Hopson suggested asking Attorney Will White to issue a letter to Ready Pac requesting reimbursement cost of repairs if these issues are not rectified.
Operations Statistics – Ms. Hopson went over the water production, water loss and customer statistics for November. The average daily finished water pumped to the Authority, Jackson, and Jenkinsburg from Burford and Stewart plant was 2.62 million gallons per day, with a maximum of 3.09 million gallons per day. The rolling twelve-month average loss of 11% with the current monthly average at 3%. The total amount of finished water pumped in November by each plant was: Burford 67 million gallons and Stewart 12 million gallons.
Water billing for November was $324,962 up 30% from the previous month, up 19% over a rolling 12-month total, and up 4% the same month for the previous year. Sewer billing for November was $67,439 down 10% from the previous month, up 25% over a rolling 12-month total, and down 6% from the previous year.
Total water accounts numbered 6,892 at the end of November with 5,715 of those being active customers. There were 3 new connections sold. There were 263 total sewer accounts at the end of November, with 206 of them being active customers.
Financial Report – Ms. Hopson reviewed the financial summary for Water & Sewer Operations and Capital Recovery Fees for August 2024 and Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) through November 30, 2024.
Water Operations income for November was $342,039 with expenses of $333,682. Water capital recovery fee revenue for Fiscal Year 2024 thus far was $7,922 with $0 in expenses.
Sewer Operations income for November was $68,558 with expenses of $63,391. Sewer Capital Recovery Fee revenue for Fiscal Year 2024 thus far was $523 with $0 in expenses.
For the 2019-24 SPLOST, $4,473,087has been collected. A SPLOST payment of $100,584.36 was received on December 3, 2024. Overages in the 2019-24 SPLOST are being covered by temporary transfers from the Water Operations fund.
Total cash on hand at the end of November was $15,486,465. Copies of the November 2024 financial summaries, the consolidated fund balance sheet and the consolidated fund income statement are attached and made a part of these minutes.
Adjourn – A motion was made by Mr. Jeffares to adjourn the meeting at 6:09 p.m. This was seconded by Mr. Roberts and approved unanimously.