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May 19, 2016
A regular meeting of the Board of Water Commissioners was called to order by Acting Chair Lucien Langlois at 12:00 noon. Commissioners present were Paul Ingersoll and Paul Poulin. Chair Michael Caron entered 12:15 pm. Absent from this meeting was ex-officio member Mayor Paul Grenier. Also present for this meeting was Superintendent Craig Carrigan, General Foreman Steve Lefebvre and Debbie Baillargeon.
There was neither Public nor Board Comments.
It was moved by Commissioner Poulin, seconded by Commissioner Ingersoll, with all in favor, to accept and place on file, the Minutes of April 20, 2016 and Work Session Minutes for May 3, 2016.
Under the Berlin Water Works Monthly Status Report dated May 13, 2016 Superintendent Carrigan reviewed and discussed the following with the Board:
- The $25,000 Critical Infrastructure Grant projects for security upgrades at the Ammonoosuc Treatment Plant have been completed. The fence and the gate were delivered and installed. We will be reusing the gate that was replaced at the Androscoggin Treatment Plant facility.
- We have had some issues with the polymer that we use at the Treatment Plant we had changed the type of polymer because of the limits on the size for an order with our original polymer. The new type polymer is denser and requires more volume to do the same work in the process, so although it costs the same as the original polymer we have to use more to achieve the same results. We were able to order the original polymer and should experience a 25% decrease in the polymer cost now that we are using the original polymer.
- Distribution System & Compliance:
- There was no main line break or curb stop repairs this month. We did have one service repair at 534 Champlain Street, it was leaking in the pipe threads and located in the sidewalk. We repaired the service and moved the curb stop to the owners’ side of the sidewalk.
- Staff adjusted the air pressure at the Ramsey Hill Pump Station. It was found that the cycles were short, so the bladders were inspected and two were found to have no air, they had filled with water. It has been determined that this may have caused the variable frequency drive to be replaced. Staff has decided to test the bladders more often and especially when the parameters of any of the zones changes due to new construction. Three of the bladders at the Treatment Plant are being replaced.
- A new roof has been completed on the Cates Hill Pump Station by Coos Nursing Home. The staff stripped off the old shingles and put down new ones. Commissioner Langlois mentioned that the wood trim on each of the pump Stations should be clad in aluminum, the siding has been completed but we never completed the trim work.
- Office parking lot will be painted soon, we had two bids for the work and Ken Legendre got the bid for $165.00 he will paint the parking lot lines when weather permits.
- Water Meter Replacements & Backflow Preventor Projects:
- We have 64 stopped meters as of May 13, 2016; 24 meters were added after the reading in April for the May Quarter billing.
- 8 Backflow devices were tested for the month of May.
- Office System, Building Upgrades & Personnel Training:
- The Solar System generated 3.10 MWH for the month of April. Berlin Water Works received the annual check for energy credits it was for $1,216.80 compared to $950.40.
- The hydro ran for 30 days out of 30 and generated 16.84 MWH of power in April; the electrical usage was 0 net usage and carried forward 2800 kWh on the Eversource Bill we only had to pay the demand charge of $852.00 the bills use to be $2,600.00 per month at the Treatment Plant.
- BWW staff met with Luis Adorno of NHDES on Friday here at the office. He came to explain the Asset Management Grant and the requirements that BWW needs to complete in order to receive the $15,000 grant after we spend $30,000 on GIS. BWW has from now until April to spend the $30,000 for the $15,000 grant. Mr. Adorno stated that most communities hire an engineering firm to facilitate the grant, but Superintendent Carrigan stated that the engineering costs would be approximately $10,000 to $12,000 and the 50% match is only $15,000. Mr. Adorno did compliment the Berlin Water Works on our progressiveness.
- BWW has not had a Lost Time Accident (LTA) in the last 593 days.
It was moved by Commissioner Ingersoll, seconded by Commissioner Poulin, with all in favor, to accept and place on file, the Berlin Water Works Monthly Status Report dated May 13, 2016.
After a brief discussion of the Cashier’s report expenditures including the payoff for the Rural Development Loan, it was moved by Commissioner Ingersoll, seconded by Commissioner Poulin, with all in favor, to accept and place on file, the Cashier’s Report for the month of May, 2016.
At this time, Michael Caron carried on as Chair.
Under Old Business:
- Riverside Drive Project Status: We finished project work on Birch Street. We slip lined a 4” line inside the old 6” line and also put a new 4” service line from Birch Street to the Pub on Main Street. At the intersection of Birch Street and Main Street Berlin Water Works found that a pavement covered manhole was located over the water line, the manhole is sitting directly over the water line. Staff called Jay Poulin from HEB and Public Works to show them what we found on Main Street. It is part of the original project on Main Street, the manhole will be relocated and the drain will be removed. Chairperson Caron stated that staff should be involved when the Main Street Project reaches that intersection. A new service was installed for the old H.R.
Building at 550 Main Street. The service to the building was found to be an old cross lot line originating from the 10” main on School Street, then feeding the mill complex. At present the line feeds a hydrant behind the H. R. Building and then is capped off. Berlin Water Works will start working on the trench patches between Twelfth Street and Noury Street on Riverside Drive. We want to complete the work before the City’s main street project begins. Payment of $21,618.75 for paving Main Street from Peavey Lane to Twelfth Street has been paid to the City of Berlin.
- Cedar Street Project Status: Customers have been notified that we will be starting the project soon; we will be starting when the trench work on Riverside Drive is complete.
- Brown Farm Back up Well Status: As discussed at the last meeting the first two wells had good volume of water but the water quality was not the best. The drillers have tried three more sites that staff chose in the present well head area. One of the first wells that was 50 feet from the original well had good volume but the quality was not the best so they raised the test well by approximately 20’ and did a new test to determine if depth has some correlation with the iron and manganese infiltration. Another site between the original well and the Well Building was all sand no gravel pack, the third site we chose by the well building did get volume of about 50 gpm water quality is pending the sample was sent out for testing. Two more drill sites
yielded boulders and not water and the other was all sand. We are going to wait for results of the third drill site water quality before determining the back up well location. Commissioner Langlois questioned whether the second well will cause draw down on the original well and Superintendent Carrigan said there may be some but NHDES will not allow us to run both wells at the same time. Seems that the aquifer vein runs under the river and the gravel pack filters the water. The location of the Sewer lift station limits the possible well sites for the Berlin Water Works.
- Brown Farm Back up Well Land Acquisition Status: Superintendent Carrigan spoke to Mr. McLain and he is comparing the land to lots that have recently sold for $5,600 per acre. He then wants to add $9,000 per acre for the loam. The price Mr. McLain is looking for is $73,040 for 5 =/- acres. The Board has decided to pass on the land for now.
- FY 2017 Draft Budget Review and Public Hearing 5/25/16 at 6:00 pm. The Superintendent passed out a copy of the budget as it will be presented at the Public Hearing to the Board members. Staff will send out an email to remind Board Members on Wednesday morning about the Public Hearing.
Other Old Business:
- The Consumer Confidence Report was sent out to each customer as a bill stuffer in their May billing. A press release was also sent to the local newspapers listing where the Water Quality Report may be viewed if they did not receive a copy. The Board discussed the local news reports on water quality problems affecting the southern part of the state, noting the problems are to private wells.
Under New Business:
- Mr. Lorandeau- 757 Sixth Avenue: Mr. Lorandeau met with Commissioners Caron and Langlois as well as Superintendent Carrigan yesterday. As he was scheduled to be at the Board Meeting but we had to reschedule the meeting with the Board for today. He asked that the Berlin Water Works work with him on the water bill, because he had asked to have the water shut off in November and it was not turned off. Commissioner Langlois asked him to get a copy of his phone bill for the phone calls he made to Berlin Water Works. BWW had recorded a call on 11/25/16 when he first called at 1:00 pm and was told that someone had to be at the property for a water turn off, and then the call was dropped. Mr. Lorandeau’s phone records confirmed that he did call back after the dropped call at
1:15 pm to say that his neighbor Justin Alimandi could be at the property for him so we could shut the water off. Chairperson Caron stated that some of the responsibility falls on the customer’s side to check to make sure that water is off at the property. Superintendent Carrigan stated that using the work order system should prevent this problem from occurring again. After the Board discussed the situation it was moved by Commissioner Ingersoll, seconded by Commissioner Langlois, with all in favor to abate $500.00 on the current water billing for Mr. Lorandeau.
- Approve GIS Package on Charge Out Rates. Superintendent Carrigan stated that when we met with Luis Adorno of the NHDES regarding the Asset Management Grant we asked if BWW could purchase a new water line locator with the Asset Management Grant because we use it for GIS mapping. He said it would be difficult to purchase the locator with grant money, but we can charge out the equipment in our charge out rates. The GIS Package would include the water line locator, the wand and the Leica for GIS mapping at $200.00 per day. It was moved by Commissioner Langlois, seconded by Commissioner Paul Ingersoll, with all in favor to approve the GIS Package at $200.00 in the Charge Out Rates.
- Approve Other & Communications:
- Superintendent Carrigan mentioned the Abutters Letter BWW received from the Zoning Board regarding Allen Bouthillier asking for an exemption to remove gravel for commercial purposes from his land that abuts the Berlin Water Works property. The Board and Superintendent did not see any problem with the special exemption.
Under Public –Board comments: There were no comments at this time.
The Board agreed to hold their next regularly scheduled meeting on June 15, 2016 at their 55 Willow Street location at noon.
The Board did not enter into a non-public session.
There being no further business to come before this meeting at this time, it was moved by Commissioner Poulin, seconded by Commissioner Ingersoll, with all in favor to adjourn this meeting.
The meeting did so adjourn at 1:00 pm.
A True Record: Attest:_________________________________
Paul W. Poulin, Clerk of the Board
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