VILLAGE OF MORRISVILLE WATER AND LIGHT DEPARTMENT

January 7, 2008

                                                                             

 

MONDAY                                                                                                6:00 PM

                  Water and Light Office

 

The meeting duly noticed and warned was called to order at 6:00 PM.

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:                Trustees:  Bourne, Sargent, Thompson, Wildes, DeBor

                                                        Staff:       Craig Myotte, Jim Fontaine, Penny Jones, Linda  Osgood

                             

1)         PUBLIC MEETING:

 

            Allan Vananda was present to remind the Board that he was still interested in the Gristmill and Creamery buildings to create a small, community-oriented restaurant in one and a local co-op in the other.

 

2)            OLD BUSINESS:

 

            Craig has made an offer regarding the back-water billing for Copley Country Club.  Mr. Reynolds will bring the offer to CCC’s board and will get back to MW&L.

 

3)         MANAGEMENT REPORT:

 

            Crews are working on rehabilitation of Randolph Road and Fitzgerald Road.  This is part of the process of eliminating the last 2.4 KV circuit and Substation #14 (Goeltz Road).

 

            Hydro production goals were met for the month of December and for 2007.  Kudos to John Tilton and his crew.

 

            The closing of Genesis Eldercare has resulting in lost revenue of approximately $64,000 (electric, water, and sewer) from April to end of 2007.

 

            Staff reported reaching a settlement with Lamoille County Mental Health on back-billing issue for sewer at the Copley House. We will begin to regularly run a report showing water services versus sewer services.  We expect to find more buildings hitched to sewer but not being billed for it as we install water meters.

 

            Billing department is on track to implement new rates (non-seasonal) this week.

 

Craig would like to proceed with filing a wheeling-services rate tariff.  Chuck Underhill’s departure from VPPSA has put this matter on hold but VPPSA has agreed to hire an outside  consultant to finish Chuck’s work until they have someone internally that is up-to-speed.  They should be able to get us definite numbers in February.  Preliminary numbers show we can offer a discounted wheeling rate compared to other utilities.  This project has not cost MW&L anything out-of-pocket yet.

 

            Lamoille County Project (115KV Line) settlement discussions are still underway.  Hearings in Washington are scheduled to begin on January 22, 2008.

 

4)         APPROVE MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING HELD DECEMBER 17, 2007, WITH SELECTBOARD:

 

            On a motion by Trustee Sargent, seconded by Trustee Wildes and unanimously approved, the Board approved the minutes of the special meeting held December 17, 2007, with the Selectboard.

 

5)         APPROVE MINUTES OF MEETING HELD DECEMBER 17, 2007:

 

            Staff pointed out the Title of Agenda Item #3 is misspelled.  Also, the third line of page three, should read “increase for water of 5% and sewer of 25%”.  On a motion by Trustee DeBor, seconded by Trustee Wildes and unanimously approved, the Board approved the minutes of the meeting held December 17, 2007, as amended.

 

6)         APPROVE SEWER SERVICE MARKET AREA:

 

            Trustee Wildes came up with the idea of designating a “Sewer Service Market Area” until a Town Sewer Service Area (TSSA) agreement can be reached with the Town. This allows the parties to continue discussions on properties inside and outside of the Sewer Service Market Area. A TSSA would have to be approved by Village voters also. We can’t hold up the Waste Water Treatment Plant permit application until a TSSA agreement is reached. The Trustees agreed to discuss the topic further before taking action to approve the Sewer Service Market Area.

           

7)         DISCUSS TSSA:

 

The Board is interested in completing a Sewer Service Area agreement with the Town in the first half of 2008.   The Chairman pointed out that the Trustees need to approve an SSMA to be in sync with the Selectboard and that a TSSA will need to be approved by the Village voters. The Trustees want the TSSA done in time to bring to the voters in April. The Trustees discussed considering asking the voters to authorize the Trustees to approve sewer allocations over 500 gallons. Trustee Wildes emphasized that the Sewer Service Market Area is not rezoning.  The Chairman recommended that a vote be taken at

            the Village Meeting to get authorization for the Trustees to have open permission to allow attachments to sewer within the TSSA regardless of gallons.

 

6)         APPROVE SEWER SERVICE MARKET AREA:

 

            Trustee Wildes asked if the rest of the Board was comfortable with a SSMA instead of a TSSA and they were.  On a motion by Trustee Wildes, seconded by Trustee DeBor and unanimously approved, the Board approved the Sewer Service Market Area.  The Board then continued to Agenda Item #8.

 

8)         REVIEW DRAFT 2008 CAPITAL AND EXPENSE BUDGET:

 

            There were not a lot of changes made to capital budget since last review. Jim has revised the transmission and distribution project list.  Biggest project is eliminating Substation #14 on Goeltz Road requiring 4500 man-hours. The Chairman asked what the return on investment would be for this project. Jim replied that the real payback was not in dollars but customer satisfaction and correction of a voltage problem. Penny asked if the Board wanted to bond every couple of years or try to stay within capital budget.  Trustee Wildes recommended no new bonds for five years. The Chairman asked if we were using the Green River funds correctly.  He believes that we should use them to maximize our hydro production. Trustee DeBor agreed but on a project-to-project basis.  Trustee Wildes also agreed and stated he wants to give our customers a greener portfolio. Staff stated they hope to have a final budget recommendation to the Trustees for approval at the January 21 meeting.

 

9)         REVIEW DECEMBER 17th STATUS REPORT OF WWTF PROJECT FROM FA&A:

 

            We received the draft Act 250 hearing application.  We are hoping to file within the next week or so.  Trustee DeBor asked how the Village’s responsibilities for the Bohanan property and the access road might affect the start date.  Jim replied that a rehab of South River Street was part of the State’s Route 100 Bypass project.  We were trying to break out that portion to allow us to rehab the street and get reimbursed by the State.  The State still needs to acquire the Burnor property to allow the rehab of South River Street.

 

10)       OTHER BUSINESS:

 

Sonny Demars wants to install a sprinkler system in the Demars building next to the Municipal parking lot.  The Town foresees the next two buildings requiring sprinklers as they are rehabbed in the future.  If that line is ever extended to cover other buildings, we will need a blow-off point (hydrant) which would require an eight-inch line.  Sonny has received permission to cross the Municipal parking lot with an eight-inch line as long as MW&L takes over responsibility for it.  Sonny has agreed to build the bigger line with all

            the necessary valves and hydrant but wants some reassurance that, if someone attaches onto that line, he will be reimbursed for a share of the costs.  He is looking for a water line extension similar to the electric line extension tariff the State has and the sewer extension policy the Village has.  The Trustees asked Staff to develop a water line extension policy.

 

            Craig asked the Board to think about the Annual Report dedication by the next meeting.

 

            The auditors will be on site beginning February 11th.  They have promised a written report for the Board’s March 3rd meeting at which time it will need to be approved.

 

            Mary Ann Wilson pointed out that the Amy Wade funds were currently in three accounts and wanted to consolidate them into one.  The Board recommended combining all three accounts into the one CD at Banknorth until the CD was renewed.  Preliminary figures show $4,359 available from Amy Wade for 2008.

 

            Trustees’ involvement in specific projects was tabled until the next meeting.

 

            Craig will have an article from the Burlington Free Press at the next meeting on a community in Florida.

 

            Trustees asked staff to verify if Burt Patton and Adrian West were ever MW&L Commissioners and/or Village Trustees and when.

 

11)       EXECUTIVE SESSION:

 

            On a motion by Trustee Wildes, seconded by Trustee Thompson and unanimously approved, the Board went into Executive Session at 8:08 PM to discuss contracts issues regarding property.

 

10)       ADJOURNMENT:

 

            At 8:20 PM, on a motion by Trustee DeBor, seconded by Trustee Sargent and unanimously approved, the Board adjourned the meeting.

 

 

                                                                        ___________________________________

Dana Wildes, Clerk