DCRSD November 4, 2005 Meeting Notes

DATE: November 4, 2005
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Mike Hankins, Barry Pruss, Rodney Dennerline, Pat Holland, Brett Fehrman - arrived later, Greg Volmer

Others Present: Lisa Lehner, Doug Baer, Tom Quinn - Quinn Engineering, others in audience.

(Note: Meeting was held at the table at the side of the Commissioners Meeting Room and some of the Board members did not speak up or clearly and there were multiple conversations at times. There are gaps in the information denoted by ________ .)

Minutes for Oct. 20, 2005 were reviewed and approved.

Treasurers Report indicated $366,928__ in Seed Money Account and $229.82(?) in Lawrenceburg Community Grant Fund Account and $74,000 moved to an interest bearing Account.

Tom Kent:
TK is working on a project on Salt Fork Rd. He showed a vicinity map (SR 1 & Georgetown Road) to add 6400’ to proposed development with ‘Hilltop’ entrance from SR 1.TK received a letter from Greendale Board of Works indicating they can serve the area. Will need to coordinate with the County Planning Commission and the Board of Health. Will be approximately 155 lots, not engineered yet. Considering 141 single family and 120 Condos. TK will add a line (gravity ) down to the pump station.

DCRSD indicated there are problems in Guilford approx. 2 miles up the road. They may want to ‘tack on’ some load. Guilford is a ‘target area’. They will need to understand the effluent flow to properly size pipes. There are ‘about 30 homes in Guilford and about a dozen along the way.’ They can only oversize the pipe by 25%.

TK has some additional property to develop, if the ‘County’ would help pay. DCRSD guesses its about a $400,000 project and they are not sure it can pay for itself. Perfect North Slopes has already run a new line. DCRSD feels it should encompass the County.

Tom Quinn:
The drawings for US 50 are nearly done. The line will run down the center of US 50 and use directional boring. The line should be a 3” based on flow; but, the state may require a 4”. Stewart has gas and water on opposite sides and a water line on the creek bank. Cole Lane has shale about 4’ down. Use pits and bore out both directions. Can bore about 500’. DCRSD signed the construction application

No further work has been done on the interceptor for Aurora and Cochran St. Will coordinate with Randy Turner. GRW apparently has nothing on paper yet.

Variance:
IDEM is being careful and the variance is not yet approved. Taking longer than expected. Once this is approved, should apply for the next one to speed up process. The variance will serve as a certificate of capacity for Aurora.

St. Leon:
DCEDI wants to set up a commercial park near St. Leon. The ‘political powers’ want DCRSD to provide the sewers down SR 1 to a 300 acre area for an industrial park. St. L. has their capacity already promised. Need to expand the scope of the study to include the TIF. St. L wants to work with DCRSD to expand St. L. sewer. DCRSD would participate in the cost of the study ($5,500 additional) . The ‘County’ (Note: just who the ‘County’ is was not defined) wants to see this happen. They have a large number (Note: number of what not specified) that want to relocate to Dearborn County. Pat Holland and Greg Vollmer questioned proceeding with this at this time . Finish Cole lane and Stewart St. first. Can the sewers be paid from the TIF? A portion only. The ‘County’ would have to come up with some money or ‘work ‘ the Lawrenceburg bond bank for some money. ‘County’ has some ownership. If the District expands DCRSD should be an equity customer. Item Tabled.

VRUC Letter of Understanding:
LL has met with a representative of VRUC to revise the L of U. Paragraph 5 (the penalty structure for I & I) was unworkable. Also issues on paragraph 11 (Not authorized to operate in the area yet). Talked with Floyd ______. HVL has 14 sections, 12 lift stations and about 50 miles of sewers. The northwest areas appear to be in the worst condition VRUC will start there. VRUC has done some work, They have replaced some lines and resealed some manholes. Valleywoods is not included. They plan to work on three sections at a time (about 20 to 20%). Some sections will fix quickly and some may take two years. They will camera and smoke test lines. They think they may have broken laterals or illegal storm tie-ins. Not sure how much is inflow versus infiltration.

The ‘most favored nation status’ was questioned. VRUC ‘just wants to be treated equal’. VRUC wants benefits provided to others, if others get better down the road. Want the penalty changed to could be charged. VRUC will need to be metered to determine their flow since the proposed interceptor would be metered at the fairgrounds and others could be added in between.

DCRSD will bear half the engineering cost. Preliminary drawings by GRW should be recovered as a basis. Lawrenceburg may give money from the bond bank to move this along. DCRSD moved to accept the Letter of Understanding. VRUC wants the L of U Tuesday for the VRUC Board meeting..

County
DCEDI has suggested a look at combined sewage throughout Dearborn County to improve efficiency and funding.

RFQ:
RFPs are being prepared for three firms: Woolpert, Black & Vietch & GRW (Note: This is the firm they complained about not finalizing numbers and finishing work.) RFP is for countywide assessment of capabilities and liabilities. ‘Political encouragement’ is being applied to proceed ‘with haste’. LL suggested bypassing the RFP process. The Board approved proceeding with the RFPs. RFPs due November 22, 2005.

Consolidation of the County:
Consolidation is being considered. They are looking at Northern KY as a model. That was handled by one of the three firms receiving the RFPs. The goal is to consolidate the County into one entity. Sunman has petitioned for more area in Dearborn County. They extend approx. 10 miles outside ___ boundary. St. L boundary almost meets Greendale. Need a ‘clearing house’ for information to coordinate projects. If DCRSD expands it territory, ‘it will control the sewers’.

Regional Sewer Conference:
Brian (Messmore?) and LL will meet with Lynne Newlon to attend.

Tom Quinn:
Quinn is a PE now. (NOTE: That means he was practicing without a license prior to now).

Letter to Ken Lee(?):
Letter to Ken Lee(?) to see if DCRSD can review improvements or plans. They want to know if expanding countywide can provide notice of any new applications. LL indicated, if an objection is filed after the review period, it will probably be read.

Aurora Interceptor:
DCRSD needs hard copy plans that can lead to a solution. Randy Turner has plans (by GRW). Need to contact. Want to use hydraulics from Trestor Hill to eliminate a lift station.

VRUC Metering:
VRUC will become a customer of DCRSD. DCRSD will be customer of Lawrenceburg. DCRSD will have to pay any overages. VRUC needs to be metered and will have to pay twice the excess charge.

Projects:
Need to break down billings into three categories for the projects. Need to pay bills from Dearborn County Fund. Need to move funds from the interest account. Approved.

SDRSD:
BF & MH met with Fichtman(?) and Jacobsen. SRSD has plans to expand by 1.5 million gallons. DCRSD maybe can use 0.5 million of that capacity. SDRSD has a ‘high tech’ program to treat sludge. The meeting was cordial and the subject of membership for DCRSD was broached. SDRSD said bring $$$! SDRSD will have fixed costs and fees for flows into the system.

District Expansion:
Should DCRSD apply for expansion to encompass all of county except existing CTAs? This would make DCSRD able to cover more areas. They would have to expand to cover VRUC, the TIF district and the 350 interceptor anyway. IDEM would probably approve. The y would need county support (Council & Commissioners). There is concern for another regional sewer district in the north west (Note: A new district would have to go through public notice, the Commissioners and IDEM first). Could do all except existing CTAs and still do separate projects.

(Note: A year and half ago Mike Hankins (for the Board) denied they were looking at other areas. This proves their lie.)

Baer: Already committed to VRUC, why not the do the County now, be comprehensive.

Holland: Wait and finish the current projects first.

Hankins: Why three adds when one will cover all now.

Vollmer: Proceed to save time & money. Can proceed on other projects and have the authority and control for engineering for new subdivisions. DCRSD would have the power to control. Force the new systems to be deeded to DCRSD to own, maintain, operate and bill.

Pruss: IDEM is no help. Aurora interceptor important. All runs down to Lawrenceburg. ____

Fehrman: Dillsboro is working on their own. Blame engineering (NOTE: GRW?) and Aurora for current problems. People are going to have to pay. DCRSD will look at ___ but, sub (division?) will have to pump. Lawrenceburg is going to expand, they have promised capacity to the Condos and are running out of capacity. Maybe the Bond bank will help. When the (gambling) money goes the County will be in trouble. Taxes will go sky high and the County still won’t have enough. $100,000,000 is not half enough to sewer the County

Tabled.

St. Leon Study:
Previously tabled item. Should $5,500 be spent? If the study indicates a capacity requirement, St. L will want DCRSD to pay for the increased capacity. Projections are for 1/3 of capacity. ‘Politicians’ in the County want to make this happen. DCRSD does not want to participate without equity. ‘County’ is pushing for sewage expansion. DCRSD should participate to the extent of the $5,500 for the study only if Jim West provides the money or the County - Rick Fox. (Note: Mr. Fox was mentioned directly and another politician ‘who has to get reelected” - Vera Benning?’ as the politicians pushing for the expansion.) DCRSD will reject the current letter of agreement and revise per preceding discussion. ‘Representatives from the County’ said if you need money, its there. Pay out of County money (needed for Cole Lane and Stewart St.). Explore the study basis with the ability to commit up to $5,500 is approved.

Meeting Adjourned.

PS: The county wide expansion was tabled; but, LL and BF took a prepared letter to the Commissioners at the next Commissionrs’ meeting to have them approve and sign for a request to expand to cover all the county except the existing CTAs. Where did the meeting take place to approve this action. LL indicated DCRSD needed to proceed before the laws change in January and the have to notify the people. Why are they afraid to have the people know what’s going on?

Notes by: Ralph Thompson, Jr., PE