18 May 2023- DCRSD Board Meeting Notes
This was a 2.5 hour meeting
Steve Renihan - President, Brett Fehrman - Vice President, Russell Beiersdorfer, Doug Baer, Jeff Stenger, and Steward Cline
ABSENT: Bill Shelton
ABSENT: Board Attorney - Frank Kramer
Also Present: Rick Probst- County Commissioner and Jim Thatcher - County Commissioner, Andy Baudendistel, County Attorney, and Bob Hrezo.
Tamara Taylor, The Beacon.
Title VI Statement read as legally required by Renihan.
April 20 and May 4 Minutes were read by the board and reviewed- Approved with an amendment regarding some errors corrected by adding a copy of Envirolinks presentation that had a statement that board members did not think was accurate regarding the subsidy from the county that Envirolink stated was for one year and was about 1/2 a million. Also noted that Stenger and Fehrman did not abstain-they voted NAY. Corrected.
Treasurers Report March and April Financials- tabled until next meeting
Public Comment: Renihan added the interlocal agreement to the agenda under this Public Comment time. This was moved up so that Commissioner’s Att’y Baudendistel could make a 6 PM coaching of soccer.
Baudendistel explained how the resolution is done and then the interlocal agreement is done.This is to have the County pay for legal services for the SDRSD. This will be Rick Hall and Kathleen or Kim Blanchett with Barnes and Thornburg as they have knowledge in this area. Baudendistel said everything is on the table. Renihan had talked to Frank Kramer before he left on vacation regarding this. [NOTE:So the County picks the law firm and the lawyers and somehow the County will stand back and let DCRSD decide how to use them? This law firm does a lot of business for the County and yet they are expected to be totally objective on this issue? Hmmmm.]
Brett Fehrman- is there an offer from Envirolink?
Renihan- no nothing specific. With this help from an attorney that is specialized will help with this.
Steward Cline- Either Kramer or local counsel is fine for most- but its better to have counsel that is specialized. This money is not coming out of DCRSD funds- but it is taxpayer funds.
Doug Baer- this money should be able to be used for us to look at other options and these lawyers will perhaps know of some other options we find. Baer thinks they need to be willing to listen to any other options too.
Renihan - we have to do due diligence with all of these options. This is JUST an agreement with the county for attorney fees. [NOTE: And that is how it starts. With hand picked attorneys?]
Steward Cline- Include the resolution in the minutes.
Brett Fehrman- Parvin Price was with Bose McKinney and Evans and he is now with Barnes and Thornburg. So he might be good to use as the attorney.
Jeff Stenger- You are wanting us to approve the resolution first and then approve the interlocal.
Baudendistel- yes.
Stenger- we were told we were to get a peer review several months ago. We did this with Envirolink- and to date I have not seen a peer review. What we are seeing is an offer to buy. We were trying to fix projects with the ARPA money. And there are deadlines with the ARPA funds.
Baudendistel- you are not on a straight path- there are forks here.
Stenger- How is this resolution helping us solve our problems when we don’t have a peer review. Maybe we should be focused on the peer review and how we can better do what we are doing.
Renihan- we had meetings here with some of the board members and Andy and Thatcher and Enviroloink. They were in the meeting with ARPA folks and funding folks.[NOTE: Was the DCRSD BOARD in those meetings? Or just some of them selected for it?]
Stenger said that he has expertise and wanting the peer review would give them guidance - we should get something from them and we effectively lost 3 months without moving forward.They confirmed the sewer plant was the better idea in the meeting. They didn’t give us a peer review.
Steward Cline- They recommended we purchase more land if it was available- and we went ahead with that.
[NOTE: It seems obvious that several board members were not at those other “meetings.”]
Baudendistel- you can bring all these items up about Envirolink and they can help address them.
Renihan- Tonight what the issue is - to get funding for attorneys to look at options.
What is the relationship with the county and Envirolink?- board asked.
Baudendistel- there is no FORMAL relationship with Envirolink. They have an agreement with SDRSD as managers and they recently bought LMH, which brought them to us.
Stenger- One more question so Andy can get to his coaching soccer at 6. Is it just for the DCRSD board to work with the attorney? No dollar amount was given for the attorneys.
Renihan - sees this as a generous offer for the county to help DCRSD out here.
Beiersdorfer and Cline motioned and seconded to approve the resolution. Discussion kept coming back to not wanting to spend money for looking at selling the DCRSD.
Cline talked about that we will need money to keep this going. How do we collect for repairs down the road?
Renihan- We have spent almost $4 million on projects over the years.
Cline sees this as step 1 on a journey.
Fehrman- we spent $3.5 million fixing problems and we could not have done it for that price today. Our assets are worth more today than they were back then.
Baer- not in our best interest to just accept what someone has come in and presented.We need to look at all options.
Resolution approved 3-2 vote with Fehrman and Stenger NAY.
Interlocal agreement passed 3-2 with Fehrman and Stenger NAY.
Commissioner Jim Thatcher and Tamara Taylor left after this item as did County Attorney, Andy Baudendistel.
Board got an update on the Hogan sewer lateral versus a main. They asked the board about paying for the main and changing it from a lateral to a main. The board thinks Aurora might be able to do that. This family bought property with a pre-existing issue. That’s why they were “targeted” and the neighbors in the flood plain have not yet. Kramer will be back for the 2nd June meeting but not the first one. They can come back with some info from Aurora as to what they will accept and maintain. There is a process they have to go thru for that.
Renihan- noted that the county cut off our funding several years ago. Used to get $60,000 a year. We have to start behaving like a sewer board. Like a utility works. We don’t act like a utility- we do not make people hook on.
Renihan thinks that DCRSD is the only sewer district except for one ( LMH) that doesn’t force people on. We need to enforce the state law. Long discussion with examples of these issues.
No one from Hogan project wanted to get others in trouble on the street. Not planning to complain to force someone on.
Moores Hill utility present -Paul— and Moores Hill owns a line down SR350. There are 2-3 homes in proximity to this line. By Elizabeth and SR350. Some are wanting to bore a line across 350 that serves more people. Again the board does not have any money to do this. The line is 6 inches. They have to get INDOT permit to bore under the highway. Could give territory to Moores Hill and they solve it. Christy from Hrezo- showed the board what would be needed. So they are going to have to go another way because of funding- but that will take awhile as there are 2 other projects that funds are spoken for. If Moores Hill grants him a tap then that will solve that and he is Moores Hill’s customer. DCRSD would like to get involved in the future if Moores Hill can get funding grants etc. They will be forcing hookups then too. DCRSD asked what Moores Hill’s participation would be. If homeowner pays for the pipe, then Moores Hill can construct. If you borrow- then the bond company needs the customers to be forced on. Baer said that these lots are small and pump and haul is their only option if not sewered. Borrowing and bonding could be options that DCRSD might look at. Renihan said maybe they need commissioners to know about Moores Hill’s situation. Moores Hill has 33% capacity being used- as the school is no longer there. So they have options. Renihan said that this project has the possibility to pay it back. Get on Commissioner’s meeting.Let them know what you need.
Harlan Burlage- SR 1 -next to 86 houses on 12 acres - on sewer. Asked where ARPA money is. In the bank here per Probst. Burlage- Would the debt ceiling issue cause an problems if they claw it back? Renihan- Yes that would be a big problem.
At Council meeting May 23 at 5 pm - $519,000 will be requested and Hrezo Engineering will be there.
Steward Cline said he works with Att’y John Watson with North Dearborn regarding Lake Dildear and wants to have a working meeting with a couple board members and Kramer. Could we make some progress to have tech team together. Get the engineers in there. They will have a report out at the board meeting so people know. [NOTE: Transparency is hard to preserve when board members get info 2nd hand and the public is not involved. This small meeting of hand selected participants is getting to be the latest strategy to keep the public out.]
Project Updates:only a couple were talked about
Guilford
High Ridge WWTP
High Ridge West Expansion- Texas Gas Road
Wilson Creek Project
Huesman Rd and Cole Lane
Harrsison TIF/Stone Project
Scenic Ridge/148 Sewers/ Outer Drove
Stateline Rd
Serenity Ridge, Tranquility Court
Moores Hill- see above discussion form Moores Hill
Dillsboro - Lake Dildear- trying to get some answers there.
New Business
Office Update- Renihan said Sarah is leaving June 1st and Kelly is staying on. We need to find another person. Renihan, citing some health issues, said he is getting tired trying to manage all this as a volunteer. Baer is going to be sure they can cover this for a while. But get Sarah to put all her tasks in writing and so should Kelly so they need to know what they have to cover. $15/hour. Bonded. And checks have to have 2 signatures.
Renihan said the way DCRSD is set up the Commissioners make his appointment. He wants to have a planned future for this. We don’t have a Superintendent. We need to look to the future. And maybe not have 2 meetings a month. [NOTE: Is Renihan wanting to retire from DCRSD?]
Claims- approved
Discretion of Chairman-
Stenger said Brett Fehrman contacted him after last meeting. What other directions should we look at? He’s been here since the beginning of DCRSD. They had an informal meeting with Valley Rural. Something to have them possibly exploring management with them. Considering a collaborative effort with the billing. Hrezo did 3 miles of sewer there. Bill Shelton was there too.They have a lot of reasons to want to partner with us. July 11th regular meeting at VRUC- they can speak to us. VRUC has records back to 1973. Stenger personally prefers there are no behind doors meetings. Issues that are being brought up at these meetings. More comments about having things in open meetings. Renihan seemed to expect VRUC to come to DCRSD- not have DCRSD go to them.
Renihan- “What intrigues me about Envirolink buying LMH is that it gives us a an economy of scale here.”
Board asked if Hrezo can do billing also possibility. Asked them to throw a proposal together for DCRSD.
Adjourned at 7:35 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
