Call to Order – Chairman White called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Board members present were J. B. White, Eddie Roberts, Jr., Eddie Ford & Burt Jones. Also present was Brian Rindt, representing Rindt McDuff Engineering. Staff members present were Marcie Seleb, general manager, and Alyssa Hopson, clerk to the board.
Approval of Minutes from August 27, 2019 Meeting – Mr. Roberts stated that barring any corrections or additions, he proposed that the Authority dispense with the reading of, and approve, the minutes from the August 27, 2019 meeting. Mr. Ford pointed out a discrepancy in the balance totals for 2013-2018 SPLOST. This was corrected by Ms. Hopson and the minutes reprinted. Mr. Roberts made motion that the corrected minutes be adopted. This was seconded by Mr. Ford and approved unanimously.
Septage Receiving Study Presentation – Mr. Rindt presented a septage receiving study report. Overall, the study determined that the Authority has the feasibility to accept septage, but not leachate at the Bucksnort Land Application System. Mr. Rindt suggested using Reve Solutions, Inc. as a contractor to build and manage the septage receiving facility. Mr. Rindt excused himself from the meeting at 6:40 p.m. A copy of the study document is attached and made a part of these minutes.
Change Order No. 1 for Hwy. 16 West Sewer – Ms. Seleb presented a change order to extend sewer to the Holiday Inn Express Site under the existing Pyles Plumbing contract. The contract increased by $92,371 and thirty-days have been added to the overall project time line. Mr. Roberts made a motion to accept the change order with funding from the 2018-24 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. This was seconded by Mr. Ford and approved unanimously. A copy of the change order is attached and made part of these minutes.
Proposal for FY 2019 Audit – A motion was made by Mr. Ford to retain Haisten and Johnston to prepare the Fiscal Year 2019 audit at a total price of $6,700. This was seconded by Mr. Roberts and approved unanimously.
Cell Phone Use Policy Follow Up – Mr. Roberts met with Andre Thomas, Paul Martin and Karsten Gotel to discuss a cell phone use policy that was presented at last month’s meeting. Mr. Roberts made a motion that a separate policy is not needed beyond the existing disciplinary code in the Authority’s personnel policy and requested that excessive cell phone use prohibition notices be posted at all Authority job sites. This was seconded by Mr. Ford and approved unanimously.
Manager’s Report
Construction – Ms. Seleb reported the Pyles Plumbing has only cleared the right-of-way on Hwy. 16 project and has a new required completion date of November 15, 2019 since Change Order #1 was approved earlier in the meeting.
Bids will open on the Bucksnort Road sewer extension on October 10, 2019. The Authority crew is about ninety-percent complete on the Hwy. 16 West water main extension. Ms. Seleb is taking quotes for the bore across Hwy. 16.
Robert Wesley, Red Berry Road – Ms. Seleb reported Mr. Wesley contacted her about still wanting water extended on Red Berry Road. The Bucksnort Road/Red Berry/Patillo/Roy Bell/Peppy Lane project was placed on hold due to large number of needed easements. Chairman White recommended that the Authority’s staff make initial inquiries among major property owners about easements.
Disconnection Fee Policy – A motion was made by Mr. Ford to formalize the long-standing policy requiring that the disconnection fee be applied to all accounts scheduled for disconnection as soon as work orders for disconnection are given to field staff. This will be written into the bill payment policy included in general Board Policies. This was seconded by Mr. Roberts and approved unanimously.
Bank Statement Reconciliation Assistance – Ms. Seleb requested that she be allowed to hire an accountant to assist with reconciliation of the Authority’s main cash account because of time constraints placed upon her due to other key staff being absent due to illness. Board members directed her to do so.
Operations Statistics – Ms. Seleb went over water production, water loss and customer statistics for August. The average daily finished water pumped to the Authority, Jackson and Jenkinsburg from Burford and Stewart plant was 2.3 million gallons per day, with a maximum of 2.7 million gallons per day. The rolling twelve-month average loss was 8.6% with the current monthly average loss at 7.7%. The total amount of finished water pumped in August by each plant was: Burford – 63 million gallons and Stewart – 7 million gallons.
Water billing for August was $260,501, up 6% from the previous month and up 7% the same month for the previous year. Sewer billing for August was $57,093, up 16% from the previous month and down 2% from the previous year.
Total water accounts numbered 5,696 at the end of August with 5,229 of those being active customers. Five subdivision water meters and seven regular taps were purchased in August.
There were 187 total sewer accounts at the end of August, with 184 of those being active customers. No sewer connections were purchased on the existing system.
Financial Report – Ms. Seleb reviewed the financial summary for Water & Sewer Operations, Capital Recovery Fees, and Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) for July 2019.
Water Operations income for August was $282,020 with $184,168 in expenses. Water capital recovery fee revenue for Fiscal Year 2020 thus far was $9143 with $3500 in expenses.
Sewer Operations income for August was $60,650 with expenses of $34,592. Sewer Capital Recovery Fee revenue for Fiscal Year 2020 thus far was $118 with $0 in expenses.
To date, $2,762,594 has been collected in 2013-18 SPLOST revenue, with $2,618,929 expended. For the 2019-24 SPLOST, $165,422 has been collected, with $236,295 expended. 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 August was $10,716,630. This is $149,401 over the June 30, 2019 balance. Copies of the August 2019 financial summaries, the consolidated fund balance sheet and the consolidated fund income statement are attached and made a part of these minutes.
Executive Session – Motion by Mr. Roberts to adjourn into Executive Session to discuss personnel matters, seconded by Mr. Ford and approved unanimously.
Personnel Changes – Motion by Mr. Ford to return to the regular meeting, seconded by Mr. Roberts and approved unanimously.
Mr. Roberts made a motion to promote Sandra Daniel to the position of Interim Office Manager while Vickye Smith, Administrative Services Manager is out of the office undergoing medical treatment. This was seconded by Mr. Ford and passed unanimously.
It was also agreed that Ms. Seleb would re-write the section of the Authority personnel policy dealing with donation of sick leave and present it to the Board for consideration at the regular October meeting.
Adjourn – A motion was made by Mr. Ford to adjourn the meeting at 7:45 p.m. This was seconded by Mr. Roberts and approved unanimously.