Commissioners Present: Douglas R. North Chairman, Joseph C Prior Vice Chairman, Paul C. DeMaio Clerk
Employees Present: Superintendent: Craig W. Jalbert; Secretary: Dale Barnes-Johnson
Guests: none
Open the Meeting: The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m.
Accept the Meeting Minutes: A motion was made by Joe to accept the June 6th and June 12, 2013 meeting minutes, motion seconded by Paul. Motion passed unanimously.
OLD/NEW BUSINESS
Palmer Water Connection ~ Craig did some informal flow testing on State Avenue to check to see how the low pressure areas of our system would be impacted, 150gpm was flowed with no adverse effects on anyone. When testing was done at 200gpm one customer at Hovey Road lost prime in his booster pump, however, no other customers were affected and there were no water quality problems. Our system could provide what is needed, this proposal is better than what was proposed in 2006; at this point there is nothing for us to do but sit and wait for the process to unfold. The casino license decision doesn’t happen until April; and Palmer has yet to take a vote.
Mechanic Street ~ the pre-construction meeting was held on June 24. Craig will be meeting with the Superintendent tomorrow; they are planning to start laying out the erosion control and begin the job next week.
Margaret Street Private Water Service ~ the service leak was repaired on July 10 by Tom Gregoire, it was relatively easy, and was near an old repair clamp from a prior leak that must have occurred. The cause of the leak is unknown, a 4’ section was taken out and the existing pipe did not look too bad. Craig is going back tomorrow to meet with the homeowner to discuss interior plumbing issues and future plans as the pipe was only 24” deep at the leak.
Department Activity
Hydrant Flow Test~ the hydrant flow test was done July 26 at 110 Main Street as the engineer requested for the new Town Office, it flowed 1,650gpm with a residual of 125psi, The bucket of the Highway Departments loader was used to diffuse the flow, Craig was pleased with how it worked out.
Portable Generator ~ Craig met with the Kingsley Power representative to discuss modifications to the generator and building. Changes included how the power cables hook up so that they can easily be switched back and forth by mounting plugs on the outside with a quick connect. This will save wear and tear on the panel in addition to providing safety benefits as no one has to get inside the generator. The cost is $1,500 to add the weather tight plugs. The materials for the building will run approximately $3,000. Craig will talk with the Electrical Inspector about the plan and then look for an electrician who is willing to work with the parts provided, vs. their own (warranty issues).
Cutter Cartridge Replacement ~ the channel monster cutter cartridge was replaced July 10; the hard part was getting the unit down the stairs. It took longer to clean and prep the old one so it could be returned than it did to install the new one.
Spring Back Flow Testing ~ testing is complete, and there were no failures, the number of devices has increased to 69. The two homes on Bethany Road with irrigation systems that did not have the correct cross-connection control device installed have been all straightened out and tested. The presence of additional lawn irrigations systems connected to the Public Water System were discovered during meter reading. Craig will need to check to see that the correct devices are installed.
Sewer Inflow & Infiltration (I&I) ~ Craig met with Rob from Amethyst Environmental on July 15 to plan the next phase of testing and sealing. This will include the 18” concrete line from Bliss to Hampden Ave., Park Ave., behind the Highway Department, cross country to Cushman, through Veterans Field and cross country to Chestnut and Herb Murrays. Sewer jetting will begin next week, the cross country manholes will be epoxy coated during this process; Craig is also prepared with spare gaskets. The guys have been uncovering and opening the cross country manholes in preparation. Both manhole covers by the Bellman Barn and Highway were rusted to the frame, and required equipment to be used.
Power Washing Ely Tanks ~ tank washing is complete; both tanks took 1-1/2 days. They are washed and bleached. The steel tank has some slight paint discoloration where water dripped off the roof and mold formed; however the paint coating hasn’t been compromised.
Water Repairs ~ services at 13 Oak St. and 23-1/2 Mechanic St. were replaced; one abandoned service was capped and another was repaired at 18 Mechanic St.
Washington Street Service Replacement ~ Craig began planning work for the services on the upper section of Washington Street that are extremely old and need attention; 6-7 services need work. During this process a curbstop to a house that has been gone for 25 years was found to still be live.
GIS Mapping ~ due to the rain during the end of June, Craig had the opportunity to work on some valve cards and maps but the process is slowing down due to our summer workload.
Hydrant ~ the hydrant at the Fire Department was rebuilt.
Air Compressor ~ Craig replaced the old compressor which was bought from a tag sale 10 years ago, the new one is wired and plumbed.
Summerfest ~ the department filled the dunking booth and installed a meter/pressure reducer at the gazebo.
Miscellaneous Activities ~ Bethany Soda Ash Pump, replaced blower on the dehumidifier at the Sewer Station, addressed a curb on Ely Road that Palmer Paving broke and located an old drain on Veterans Field for Tim Pascale.
NEXT MEETING: The next meeting has been set for Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 6:30p.m.
ADJOURN: A motion was made by Paul and seconded by Joe to adjourn at 7:30 p.m. Motion passed unanimously.
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Paul C. DeMaio, Clerk
cc: Selectmen
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