4 April 2024 DCRSD Board Meeting Notes
Extended discussion on Dillsboro and Lake Dildear negotiations near the end of this meeting.
Steve Renihan - President, Brett Fehrman - Vice President, Russell Beiersdorfer, Bill Shelton, Doug Baer, Jeff Stenger, and Steward Cline
Board Attorney - Frank Kramer
Also present: Bob Hrezo of Hrezo Engineering
Renihan read the Public Access Statement as legally required.
Minutes: March Minutes Approved with corrections.
Treasurers Report: After tax season some board members will sit down with accountant to go over some issue they have been talking about- per Renihan. Harrison came in with approx $8500 plus- they had not paid in the last 6 months. Report accepted by the board.
Public Comment: none
Project Updates: Bob Hrezo presented:
Guilford- 2 IDEM permits for treatment and flushing system submitted. Several other s came in from IDNr. 55 drawings plus documents etc submitted so far. Had to submit a variance since the treatment plant is not built yet, to say they are not using the lines until they have the plant built- because both being built at the same time.Bid package is being finished- but not sunbathed until they are sure there are no changes. Kramer asked about the SR1 roadwork issues- Hrezo said they can work around it for the most part.
Everything is submitted to IDEM- takes 3 months at the most. One has been there for a month already. Collection system was done last week. Bids can go out by July at the latest. One more signature tonight to get the building permit signed. Approved.
One more push by Fehrman to get a bathroom actually in the treatment plant. Agreed that they have the space for it in the design. Stressed that if operator was a woman it would be more necessaries they can’t use the outdoors…
Cline wants to have the cost estimates to the owner set up in a letter to communicate clearly how much they are responsible for on their end.
High Ridge WWTP -
High Ridge west Expansion - Texas Gas Rd- quite a few have not hooked on yet. May deadline to get the rest of those pumps out of Lischkge’s place where they stored them. Stenger said they should deliver the pumps to the owners when the deadline in May is reached. Board seems to agree to that.
Wilson Creek Project
Huesman Rd and Cole Lane
Harrison TIF/Stone Project
Scenic Ridge/148 Sewers /Outer Drive
Stateline Rd
Serenity Ridge Tranquility Court- one house hooking on soon. This will be revenue to DCRSD soon.
Moores Hill
Dillsboro- Lake Dildear-working on the collection system for that now per Hrezo. Brett was at the meeting. There’s a lot of ambiguity and Dillsboro want to serve SEI data and the Cutter property. They are concerned about economic development and not being able to serve them all. He wasn’t feeling so good with the rate. Town rate is $10.56- he was hoping for less. Goal is to have the best representation for those people.
Shelton thought there were some complications with the annexation process and Dillsboro. He thinks it should be after this project and not slow us down with SEI. There are 60 taps and 50 taps of that to Lake Dildear and 10 taps along US50.
Cline- the long term strategy is the hardest part. He thinks get this project into a box and then address growth for the future.
Stenger had issues with the Greendale model being used by Dillsboro - and that they should not be allowed to have a map limiting our area we are serving as that is DCRSD territory.
Cline said we go back to Dillsboro that hypothetically this is the map- and what happens if we add 10 more or less.
Stenger- How do we decide who will serve? We pay for their treatment service. But in our territory we pay for the lines.
Cline - it’s different if the map says this is what we will treat, from a map saying that you cannot serve anyone outside this pink area.
Stenger- If the Dillsboro project falls thru- the Moores Hill project can be done and then we will still be serving citizens of the county. And not being hamstrung by an agreement.
Kramer- agrees with Jeff wholeheartedly. You have to give a general description. He thought the proposed rates were about 4 times what others had in another area. We are going to be a wholesale customer, we should be charged a bulk rate. If we cannot get it done- then the county can go build roads. (He is saying ARPA money will go for something else). Board would prefer the money stays with sewers as intended.
Cline- For the Tuesday meeting with them- look at these 4 items.
1.SEI- do we do it or do they do the line
2.If some large customer comes in, they will have to work together.
3.We need some flexibility so we can serve folks outside the town limits.
4.Last- we need to charge the Dildear folks the same as the others. We have to understand the $10 number -but Kramer said “we can have different rates for different areas.”
Stenger- We would be remiss if left Moores Hill - a willing partner- for Dillsboro who seems to be not willing. Don’t want to push them aside- but they are causing problems with any negotiations anywhere.
More discussion. Finally Board agreed to continue trying to negotiate with Dillsboro and maybe talk to “a few people” in case this goes south. Let powers that be know we are having some tough negotiations. Good Luck on Tuesday.
New Business: none
Office Update: Kelly gave update - SBOA was there all week and records look good here. Want to see an asset list.- there is a form for it in packet. Looking back at projects and get all these numbers. Board says have to show the projects as separate collection systems as different depreciation schedules.These get reported to the Gateway.(this is online where you get info on a lot of gov’t entities) The form has a structure with examples to follow.
Per Kelly in office- Tim Wilks- bills enclosed. House and barn and Ashley Sartin 9265 (daughter and son-in-law)— left her last bill in process. They have an alpaca farm- and pumps and pressure gauge issues. This was a long standing issue. They put a lien on the property die to non-payment. Still have not paid $1800. The sewer is going into the yard and they haven’t fixed their pump.Bills are all going to the dad now as property is his. May need to amend the lien. Hope to not go to sheriff sale. Renihan wants Hrezo to send a letter- registered- that the engineer has completed the inspections and the problem is the pump. Hrezo has to have back up data - that was presented at the meeting a while back. And show the meeting date it was presented. They had worn the pump out by messing with the controls essentially.
Ron Draper - Needs to pay off his lots. He had the system there at High Ridge that went out and county had to rescue. He wants to pay off the lots. Need an amortization schedule on the last couple lots that he owes on. Need Kramer’s help to get that done.
HHM Holdings property that has been sold and getting $1400 from lien on that in June.
Harrison Whitewater Mill- Borderline- Jesse Franks- Johns Automotive- Hirlinger- H Naval and Sons- Joseph Noppert etc (9 customers) out in West Harrison now- $333.60 per month each? and payable in 6 month intervals from Harrison for that service.
Claims: Approved billing adjustments of $16.04 and Approved Claims for payment.
Discretion of the Board: Renihan thanked the board and informed he would miss both May meetings. Missing a June one also. Thinks they will need to get a new President for the board soon as his job is taking much more time now.
Barnes and Thornburg working meeting next week. Needs top problem areas in the county from the Health Dept. Baer to get that info to them before that.
Cline to talk to Steve about Rate study that Steve is reworking and Cline wants to add hypothetical case $2million for 50 customers and have grant for half and see how that would affect their data sheet. Noticed none of the others had debt studies and wants to see how that might go.
Adjourn: 6:50 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
