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HomeMy Public PortalAbout02-02-23 Minutes Joint Meeting 101 E. Orange St., PO Box 429, Hillsborough, NC 27278 919-732-1270 | www.hillsboroughnc.gov | @HillsboroughGov WATER AND SEWER ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES | 1 of 4 Minutes WATER AND SEWER ADVISORY COMMITTEE Joint meeting with Board of Commissioners 7 p.m. Feb. 2, 2023 Town Hall Annex Present: Chair Jenn Sykes, Vice Chair Saru Salvi, Members Paul Cough, Steed Robinson, Barry Weston, Grace Beeler, Eric Raznick Absent: Member Daniel Rawlins Guests: Commissioners Robb English, Evelyn Lloyd, Kathleen Ferguson, Mark Bell, and Mayor Jenn Weaver Staff: Utilities Director Marie Strandwitz, Civil Engineering Technician Tyler Freeman, Environmental Engineering Supervisor Bryant Green, Assistant Town Manager Margaret Hauth, Assistant Town Manager Matt Efird 1. Call to order and welcome of guests Chair Jenn Sykes called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2. Agenda changes and approval No changes were presented. Motion: Member Barry Weston moved to approve as presented. Vice Chair Saru Salvi seconded the motion. All in favor. Vote: 7-0. Ayes:7. Nays: 0. 3. Minutes approval January minutes were motioned for approval with correction to the date. Motion: Member Barry Weston moved to approve with the correction. Member Paul Cough seconded the motion. All in favor. Vote: 7-0. Ayes: 7. Nays: 0. 4. Updates/Information A. Utilities Director Strandwitz asked if there were any questions regarding utilities status report. Strandwitz highlighted that the reservoir is at 45.5 feet, 2.5 feet over the phase 1 pool level. Phase 2 full level is 53 feet, and the reservoir is meeting minimum discharge rates. Cough asked about the charter school capacity request off Lawrence Road. Under statute we are required to reserve capacity for up to two years upon request by a school or charter school. West Triangle Highschool requested 6000 gallons per day of capacity based on 10 gallons per day for 600 students. The situation is preliminary as there are fire WATER AND SEWER ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES | 2 of 4 flow concerns, zoning issues, and a site plan that shows two schools instead of the initial one that capacity was reserved for. B. In the budget retreat, utilities discussed the capital improvement projects submitted, and the board had no questions on the projects requested. The operational budget has been submitted. A part-time admin individual has been requested for the department. Budget requests being justified are studies for upgrades that are developer funded or funded through SDF revenue from developers, updated modelling on fire flow availability, real-time monitoring of water pressure, large meter calibration project, conducting a study to move water treatment from chlorine gas to sodium hypochlorite, and increased GIS services. 5. Advisory board-related Information A. Assistant Town Manager Margaret Hauth presented on advisory board-related revised town code and rules of procedure for WSAC. Clarifications were made and town code was updated to reflect many things in the rules of procedure. Attendance was the biggest change with 3 missed meetings out of 12 meetings in a year, not necessarily in order, prompting staff to reach out and see how the member is doing and emphasize their need to attend meetings. For groups that meet more or less often the numbers would be prorated. At 6 missed meetings out of 12, they would be removed from the board. Hauth mentioned that if a board wants to be more flexible, the situation may be unique, and/or the absences are not causing a problem for quorum, leeway can be granted. The policy acts more as a safety valve when somebody is non-responsive, and their absence holds up the work of a committee allowing for them to exit easily and quickly. All absences are now equal, there is no excused or unexcused absences. Motion: Member Barry Weston moved to approve rules of procedure as presented. Vice Chair Saru Salvi seconded the motion. All in favor. Vote: 7-0. Ayes:7. Nays: 0. 6. Joint meeting with Board of Commissioners A. Sykes formally informally opened the joint session at 7:35 p.m. and welcomed the Board of Commissioners. B. Strandwitz presented the data for institutional customers with data relating to their consumption. The board had questions on what certain institutional groups included. Strandwitz and Sykes clarified what each group encompassed. Sykes recommended a rate structure that has higher rates for higher usage. These rate changes do not guarantee a rate cut for any other class of customer (residential, commercial, etc.). Cough asked if the increasing block rate is based on ability to pay or on cost of service. Commissioner Ferguson replied that it is a combination, they receive more and better service as well. Engineering Supervisor Green highlighted that the institutional customers are far more expensive for the town to serve, whether it be fire flow availability, backflow prevention, industrial pretreatment, and other factors. The tradeoff effect of water conservation was discussed. Green detailed out how when rates went up in Durham, a noticeable decrease in usage was seen on the part of Duke University. Water conservation is a “double edged sword”. On one hand it furthers green initiates, but it could have the tradeoff of lower revenue for the town’s utilities department. Conservation has good optics to other municipalities as well. An ideal rate structure would need to be investigated by the third-party consultant Raftelis. Sykes recommends adding the rate structure investigation to Raftelis’s scope of work. Green mentioned that a rate model was included in Raftelis’s proposal. That addon was quoted at $9,000. WATER AND SEWER ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES | 3 of 4 Motion: Member Paul Cough moved to add the $9,000 rate model analysis and conservation impact to Raftelis’s scope of work. Member Grace Beeler seconded the motion. All in favor. Vote: 7-0. Ayes:7. Nays: 0. C.Bill adjustment and irrigation code changes were presented to the Board. Salvi clarified the WSAC does not make any decision when a customer seeks an appeal, but that the WSAC acts as a place where the individual can be heard, and then the WSAC can make a recommendation to staff. Weston requested clarification on what account holder encompasses in relation to tenants not being able to discuss the account if it’s not under their name. The goal of this wording is to avoid giving information to people who claim to call in on the account owner’s behalf without the owner’s prior authorization. There is language to cover tenants who are punished by a negligent landlord. Strandwitz added a penalties section to allow for enforcement of violations. Motion: Vice Chair Saru Salvi moved to send the billing adjustments code to the town board for review. Member Barry Weston seconded the motion. All in favor. Vote: 7-0. Ayes:7. Nays: 0. D.Future joint meeting discussion topics will be discussed at a later date after the budget is finalized and items move forward with Raftelis. E.Chair Jenn Sykes informally closed the joint session at 8:30 p.m. and thanked the Board of Commissioners. 7.Future Agenda Items A.Bill language and format B.Last Friday’s outreach table C.Solidify rate structure analysis to the board 8.Reports from January meeting assignments Salvi reported that a couple that bought property off Orange Grove Road near Exchange Club. Salvi stated they want to rezone from light industrial to residential. Salvi also added she agreed with Marie’s recommendation of no to the zoning change. No plans have yet been shared with the town. Strandwitz mentioned the need for utilities and planning to coordinate better on these requests. Strandwitz also highlighted the capacity issues and that more development in this basin is discouraged. 9.Assignments for Meetings Sykes confirmed meeting assignments for the following month with applicable members. 10.Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 8:48 p.m. Motion: Beeler moved to adjourn. Sykes decreed no second was needed. Vote: 7-0. Ayes:7. Nays: 0. WATER AND SEWER ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES | 4 of 4 Respectfully submitted, Tyler Freeman Civil Engineering Technician Staff support to the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee Approved: April 6, 2023