16 January 2025 DCRSD Board Meeting Notes
Steve Renihan - President, Brett Fehrman - Vice President (departed at 6 PM for his next meeting), Russell Beiersdorfer, Doug Baer, Jeff Stenger (25 minutes late- traffic), and Steward Cline
ABSENT: Bill Shelton
Board Attorney - Frank Kramer
Also present: Bob, Mike, and Christy of Hrezo Engineering, Jeff Meinders, CM/H Excavating
Renihan read the Public Access Statement as legally required.
Minutes: December 19, 2024 minutes-correction to reflect that Doug Baer is appointed by the Board of Health - Approved
Financial Report will be at the next meeting.
Public Comment: Jeff and Nancy Curry - 20021 SR 1- She also owns a home on Washington St. She was concerned they had not included her in the Guilford sewer project as no flags were on her yard. Christy said Curry IS in the project and the flags are for ROW marking.
Pressler sp? 1626, 36, 46, 56 Main St in Guilford. Has 3 vacant lots- he needs grinder pumps for those and also the 2 homes. He wants to buy the pumps at the DCRSD cost. He wants to be sure the laterals are planned there. Mike Hrezo said the price of the pump includes installation. DCRSD is buying 60 pumps. Homeowner has to abandon at his cost the old septic system. Some of his pumps are for future homes, but he wants them anyway.
Jeff Meinders (contractor) is needing some easements done for Pressler and another person in Guilford. Frank Kramer and Christy will do that.
Jeff Stenger arrived at this point- 5:30 PM
New Business:
Review RFP- Request for Proposal for Purchase (or Management ??) of the Regional Sewer District. This was lower on agenda- but seemed to start with Jeff Meinder’s comment below.
Meinders was telling the board that he was not contacted back from Chris Greisel sp? Or Jacob if Chris is on vacation at Barnes and Thornburg when he was trying to request being an operator of the system. He did not get a response from Barnes and Thornburg. He did not want to submit a proposal if they would not seriously consider him. He has 40 years of experience with utilities and has done a lot of the work for the DCRSD projects. He said he did not understand why they were building assets and then giving them away. Extension of the time for response is to Feb 20th meeting,( depending on what Barnes and Thornburg says.) They will be told to give Meinders the RFP promptly so he can prepare his proposal.
The Board was instructed by Renihan to keep the contents of the one proposal they have received confidential so that that company’s proposal remains confidential. They will meet in executive session on it. That way they can consider the Meinder’s proposal too. This got further discussion near the end of the meeting too.
Project Updates: Christy talked about the map she has for tracking the people who are paying their bills and those that might have transferred properties and we are not billing the proper owner.
Dillsboro- Christy- brought up Mr Tony Clark, CEO of SEI Data, was receiving benefits that the residents are receiving. That SEI is installing their own connection. There needs to be an easement to do the project.
At 6 PM Fehrman left for his next meeting.
Frank Kramer- reported that SEI bought a sliver of land from a neighbor for this project for $8,000. SEI wants $10,000 for that easement. SEI will have much bigger commercial pump per Christy. The SEI business is in addition to the residential properties that DCRSD was fixing. Board discussed how to work this out as they need the easement. Cline thinks they can negotiate a way to do this that works for these commercial customers. Bigger water meters require bigger sewer lines and tap fee and pumps. They will need to decide on tap fees.
DCRSD BOARD motioned and seconded- DCRSD Pay $10,000 for easement and waive tap fee- but SEI is responsible for connection, installation, electric, control panel and equipment. SEI data pays for capacity charge. APPROVED for Frank Kramer to make that offer to SEI Data.
Frank Kramer said they need an easement for the lift station for the Gas Station. Gas station is gravity feed to the lift station. Kramer showed them that under the ARPA p 4. Cline said that they need to try to make the gas station, church, and flea market as equitable as possible with capacity charges. They need EDU estimates for these. Try to be consistent. DCRSD pays for the easements. The gas station was in the Dillsboro contract as customer all along.
DCRSD Motion and seconded- DCRSD will provide gravity connection for the BP gas station in addition to lift station, lines, and access drive in exchange for the easement. The gas station will have to pay for the one time capacity charge to the Town of Dillsboro. Approved.
Frank Kramer said there is some $500 interest they will not charge from Mr Ron Draper at High Ridge. Draper family deeded the property to DCRSD for the package plant. Interest has been waived by the board and Draper will cut a check to DCRSD for $5800.11 from August 2023 for his final payment per Kramer’s email. Approved.
Randy Turner for Aurora Utilities had requested switching the lift station and pump it west of Huesman Rd on US50 to go to High Ridge. Aurora lines are very close to capacity. Have to do a half mile of line and expand High Ridge Plant to double capacity. This was not decided on yet.
New Business: Review RFP- Request for Proposal for Purchase (or Management ??) of the Regional Sewer District. - see above discussion with Meinders regarding his attempt to get an RFP from Barnes and Thornburg.
Office Update: Kelly gave them notes on several people to look thru regarding bills.
Claims: discussed.- Baer - showed the DCRSD project sheets. There is money in the contingency. Cline liked the format. He will send something to Connie Fromhold in this format that the DCRSD just accepted and approved.
DCRSD -Paid the billing adjustment for water leak.
Paid $18 k - (missed that total) Guilford Claims to Seitz and Hrezo
Paid 11,066.77- Lake Dildear claims.
Paid Office operating claims $10,645.11
Discretion of the Board: RR response- that Frank Kramer was looking for. It was received 1/15/25. Renihan gave that to Kramer. Mike Hrezo had it.
Kramer received a note from Kelly at office regarding Shayla Peters. The lien was not filed for $2,239. The father has been dead for more than a year- so they cannot go after the estate. There could be a claim filed against the title company if they missed the lien before selling the property. Kramer to check on this.
****Steward Cline- The brown folder contains the full proposal from Envirolink for the RFP Review. There is a 12 page summary - and a 2 page one and- an 88 page full document. He will see if we can extend this time. Wants the board to start reviewing this with questions to Barnes and Thornburg. They probably won’t be back to be at meeting till March after the other Proposal comes in.
Renihan thanked everyone for all their time and help.
Adjourn: 7:25 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
