Hello. >> All right, we got to wait. Let Terry pass out the rest of the popcorn. And now, [laughter] okay, everybody, welcome to our special call meeting for wastewater. Um, Marne, would you please call the role? >> Council member Steve Freeman, >> here. >> Council member Deb Gillis,
>> here. Council member Anna Richards >> here, Vice Mayor Don Horton >> here, >> and Mayor Sharon Mahoney >> here. >> We have a quorum. >> All right, Sue, would you lead us in the pledge? >> I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic
for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you very much. Okay. Council, any requests for deletions,
additions? Steve, Anna, Deb? No, I just passed out a spreadsheet to council and to staff. Um, that I I just took the wastewater things and tried to put it in a sheet so we could see six years, including next year's budget.
>> Yeah, great job. I did use I did use the projected year ending, not the the budget adjustments that we did just [clears throat] a couple weeks ago. >> Good job. I commend you for what you did. >> Thanks, Don. >> Uh I just wanted to mention a fraud
that's happening and just call attention to it and send the newsletters out. We can do that when it's time. >> When do you want to do it? >> You want to do it now? >> Yeah, go ahead. >> Okay. So, anybody that's listening out out there in TV land, online, wherever you're at, there there's a fraud that's
happening right now, um both not just here in the village, but in the county as well. And and there's somebody uh whenever there's an application being made for it looks like it's just planning related, but they're actually this bot or whoever is doing it is is
actually just sending out an actual invoice saying that there's fees still due and they're requesting that the fees be paid um uh on, you know, not not online, but but uh >> immediately. >> Uh immediately. Yeah. and and um and and
they look real. The invoice looks real. It's got a uh it's it's got a watermark of the villages seal in the county. It's got a watermark of the county seal. It actually comes up with a total. Uh uh Ron wrote about it in our newsletter today. And so pay attention to that. But
just know that the village does not ask for money uh uh for you to just send it, you know, through a bank draft or something like that. There's the only way you would pay any fees to the villages either online through the villages uh portal or u in person on the
third floor. So yeah, somebody asking for a a wire transfer is it's definitely a scam no matter how official it looks. And then pay attention to the email address too cuz it is the wrong email address that it's coming from
>> from that's that's a big deal. >> I didn't even know about it. Thank you. Thank you very much. >> It's in Ron's newsletter this this week. >> I didn't look at it. >> Village's newsletter. >> Okay. Well, thank you. Um Ron, anything from you? >> No, just as a prelude for tonight, uh as
you recall during the budget discussions, we identified wastewater as a problem running a deficit and I was directed by council to start figuring out what we can do to get it under control. We started having meetings uh with Peter Rasco with Kargo Wastewater District, our general, he's the general
manager who's in the audience tonight. And we wanted to do what we could do to improve communication and cooperation between the village and Kargo because we are their largest customer. We send our wastewater up to Kargo for treatment. We have a ILA that goes back years. So we were having some very productive
discussions and then in the middle of it, we got the consent order from D and that kind of sped things along. And so for tonight, uh, I've I've tried to put as much information on our website as possible. So if you're watching from home, you go to our website, agendas and meetings. You go to that tab for tonight. We've listed a bunch of
documents. And so it's in case you're listening at home and you want to know what we're talking about, I think most [clears throat] of the things will be on there. We invited tonight uh uh Wade Trim is our the villages engineering firm. We have Tom Brazinski who is their executive VP, very high ranking official Wade Trim. He's going to do a
presentation. As I mentioned, Peter Rasco is here from Keer Wastewater. And then our public works director who's in charge of wastewater, AJ Engelmmy, is here. So, I just want to lay out that's what we're going to be looking at tonight. [snorts] Uh we also have a couple agenda items that we want to discuss. We moved the uh appropriation item from a budget request from last
week's meeting to tonight and Peter Fres is going to present an inind project that we're actually sending to DP in lie of a of a penalty. And so those are the two action items, but uh we'll be talking about rate study tonight. uh we attached to the agenda the 2022 rate
study and also one from back back to 2013 and we want to make sure that's discussed tonight too and we've had some input from the public about how edus are developed and uh we're going to evaluate that. So those that's kind of the layout for tonight's meeting and
we'll take it. The first item is going to be uh the way trim discussion with Tom Bzinski. So I wasn't sure if council had any questions before we got to the presentations. No, I want to though recognize Lily who is back with us again filling in for our attorney John Quick.
So, thank you very much for being here and I appreciate it. And uh and does anybody have any questions before we move forward? No. Okay, then there's no mayor council communication. So, uh I
guess we move to the um um Ron the first. >> Yeah, Tom's at the podium. >> Okay. >> And we he gave us his information. Hopefully we'll be able to put it up so people at home can see as go along with it as he's speaking. >> Welcome. >> Thank you. Thank you, mayor, council,
staff. It's good to see everybody. I I recognize Lily, too. It's been a while. Um, do we have the presentation somewhere? Here we go. So, Ron asked me to come today to talk about um our plan to to
comply with the with the consent order from the FD. Um, I also want to take an opportunity to introduce myself as well as maybe uh educate the village council a little bit on some of the things that are going on in the system. Um, I think
it's it's good just to know as much as we can and we go. I went the wrong way. Oh, you're moving. I'll point it that way. There we go. There's a learning curve. [laughter]
>> Hang on one second. >> Oh, okay. >> As many times as I've been in this room, I've never stood at this pedestal. I always sat over there. So, this is kind of new to me. >> Okay, there we go. This is me. Um, Tom
Bzinski. I've been in the wastewater market for 37 years. Uh, a lot of people would never say that, but I actually enjoyed it. Uh, and I and I plan to continue it for a while. Um, I moved to Florida from Detroit, uh, back in 2005.
Uh, one of my first clients was up at Ocean Reef where we expanded their wastewater plant then. Um, so I've been working uh, for 20 years in the Keys. I've done work with Kelargo. I've done work obviously with Alam Marada. um, Marathon, um, the Aqueduct Authority.
I've kind of been up and down here for a while. Um, I started working in Alamrada in 2008 at the very beginning of the villages wastewater collection system um, efforts. Uh, we started the design of the Middle Plantation Key uh, vacuum
pump station collection system, which you can see right outside of here of of Village Hall. And back [clears throat] in 2008, um, I was asked to come in and help the village develop their program. Of course, working with Lily and the village council. Uh, we came up with a
plan to to actually put in the wastewater collection system to Kargo. We helped with the funding. Uh, we helped with the financing. We helped with the development of the interlocal agreement. Um, we helped with hiring the consultants and the engineers
and everyone. Uh, so I I understand your system extremely well and uh I want to share some of the things that I know about it today and how we can get through the the consent order and oh, by the way, I live in Tampa. >> Do you want me to try to do this or
>> Yeah, I got to try. >> Are you pressing the right arrow? >> I did. >> Okay. So, I want to just briefly summarize the consent order. I know it's it's a lot of legal words that I think I can roll down pretty quickly. Um the remedies I that the village is currently
undergoing with with Ron and AJ um were driven by dates towards compliance. And then I also want to share with you some of the costs that that could be incurred. I did it. So really if you if you boil down the consent order, there's three violations.
There's a failure to prepare, submit or update required ON& and M manuals and emergency response plan. Um, they do reference the at the time six sanit sanitary sewer overflows. Those are the conveyance force main
breaks. I think we've had one since then um which wasn't really a break in the line. It was a uh air relief valve. Looks like it broke off. Still considered an SSO though. And finally, um, we have not provided a completion
schedule for the permitted inline booster station, which has been permitted by the D since December 12th of 2023. What I want to go through right now is the remedies for each one of these. So, the one the one violation, failure to
prepare uh, the onm manuals in the emergency response plan. This really isn't in response to the challenges that the vid the village has been uh facing right now. This is a new um regulation, a new rule uh in the
Florida administrative code. It's something that the village hasn't responded to yet because you haven't been asked to respond to yet. But since this um um consent order came out, the [clears throat] D kind of slapped this on there and said, "Hey, you need to do
this, too. The second one is the um I did so well the last time. The second one is the is the six sanitary sewer overflows. These are the
line brakes. This is the brakes in the conveyance force man. Um the inline booster station uh will or is intended to remove the transient forces the hydraulic conditions that are creating these brakes. I'll explain that in a little
bit. But where we're going with the inline booster station, we'll we'll move this forward. Um the other thing that that council authorized, I think it was last week on November 10th, is a conveyance force main analysis where we're going to take it one step further
and we want to look at some installation practices that may be at risk in creating the the line breaks. So, we're going to look at that, too. And then the third one, which I would argue, oh, I think I'm going to do this here.
Let's talk about the conveyance force main brakes first. So, this is an example of one. I don't know if you've seen any of these pictures yet or not, but the the pipes have been breaking uh longitudinally, which typically is uh in PVC pipe um
transient loadings or clogged pipe. Now, these pipes these pipes are too big to get clogged with anything. So, we're getting some some transient forces. Um, another problem with this that we're finding is this is difficult to see. Um, I
brought some some props. Not completely adequate, but this is all Home Depot has, so we're going to make it work. So, one of the issues that we're having um that we're finding what this shows is to the left of the picture you can see this bell, right? And to the right you see
this pipe. The pipe is supposed to be installed, I'm going to say roughly halfway into the bell. And there's a gasket on these pipes, a rubber gasket, neoprene goes in about halfway and that allows the pipe exaggerated
to move a little bit inside the ground when it has transients. It allows the pipe to be a little flexible. What's called overhoming is when the pipe is installed all the way in. And when it's all the way in, it can't move. Right? So what happens is when the when
the word transient really is when the pumps turn on at at North Plantation Key and they start pushing the water toward um Keargo, everything's fine. When those pumps stop, all of the water energy that
goes to Kargo starts coming back, right? And as you can imagine, you got water going one way, water going this way, then water smashing into each other. transients. This pipe in some areas we believe and that's shown here. It's just difficult to see is that the pipe is homed too
far. It's it was installed too tight and it's when that transient occurs, the pipe is not allowed to move and it breaks the way it's shown in that picture. Okay. If installed properly, we probably wouldn't be having this problem, right?
But there are some sections of the pipe that we feel have been installed this way. the conveyance force man analysis that that village approved last week will look at not only the transient hydraulic loadings in the pipe but we're
going to dig up sections of where we think this has occurred which is basically in that mile or two range where all the breaks have occurred and look at some of these joints and we're also going to look at location of some air relief valves because we think some water some air might be getting trapped
in here. So there's a bunch of different things we need to look at um just to make sure that it's not just the transients that are creating the problem. We want to make sure that when when we leave it's done. The next the next issue which really is
the heart of why we received the consent order is because we haven't built the pump station yet. We went in, we got a permit, um, and we didn't build it. So, uh, we've re-engaged the engineers, CHA, to complete the design. I talked to them
today. They think they're going to be done with it in a couple of weeks. Um, they're also developing some updated construction cost estimates. The current estimate right now is about $4 million, which I believe the village has some grant funding to cover. Um, but those
that cost estimates a 2023 cost estimate. Things have gone up in price over the last couple of years in the construction industry. So, I'm assuming that price is going to go up. Uh, we should have that information in the next few weeks. Uh, we want to take a look at
it first. But, but I think if you could corner somebody at the FD and say, "Why did we get this this consent order?" And it's because we just haven't built this pump station yet. Uh if you don't know where it is or or
what it is, this is the this is a plan view of the North Plantation Key repump station. The green box is the existing facility. Um originally built when North Plantation Key was uh as a wastewater
plant for North Plantation K. Uh if you'll remember, if you were here long enough, [snorts] the collection system within Norse Plantation Key had a lot of problems with it when it was originally installed by a different engineer and a different contractor. This was that
area's wastewater plant. when we when we started the program and looked at where we should put wastewater plants within Alam Marada and made the decision that we were going to send all the flow to Keargo. Um the conclusion was to
repurpose this facility as a pump station as a repump station. So the green box was converted into a repump station, which means all of the flow from lower mat to north plantation key went into this green box. The pumps
pushed up the conveyance force main to the wastewater plant. Uh what we're proposing is to build the booster station where the red box is. Uh just to the I guess that would be just to the west of the big white circular
tank there. That was a reclaimed water tank back when this plant was an operating wastewater plant. We used to store reclaimed water in there. Um, we're going to repurpose that as an emergency storage tank as part of the inline booster station. Right. So, just
in case we ever need to pump some flow into that that tank for whatever reason, we've got some belt and suspenders. So, why is this booster station so much different than the repump station? [snorts]
Inline booster station is designed to keep a consistent pressure in the conveyance force made heading to Keargo. Right? So theoretically you never really shove it to shut it off. You're always
shoving flow sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly depending on what's happening upstream, right? How many people are flushing their toilets or washing their clothes or whatever. So you're not going to get that. Remember how I explained earlier the water coming back and forth
and crashing into each other. This will prevent that from happening. All right. So this will take care of the transient problem. All of the installation corrections that we think may have occurred with this pipe will be will be identified when we do the conveyance
force man analysis. Um the other thing that will be beneficial for the inline booster station is that we don't need any odor control. So there won't be any exposed uh waste water. Right now the green box has you know
wastewater odors can can escape from from the top and it creates a problem for some of the homeowners and and the business around that area. the red box is fully contained and we won't have any problems with that. Okay,
so now we have dates. Um, with every consent order comes a lot of dates of sometimes extremely in unflexible dates. Um, the first date that occurs is that we need to sign the consent order 30
days after we get it. I think it was 12, I'm sorry, it's 12 days. Um, Ron did that. Uh, he signed it. Then it goes back to the D and it's still not a living document until the agent at the D stamps it in, which she did on November
7th, which creates the effective date. And the effective date is important because the consent order dates are all referenced by the number of days from the effective date. So, if you're really interested in reading this thing and it says 30 days from the effective date,
the effective date is November 7th. The the next thing that has to happen is we have to submit a compliance and implementation schedule by January 6th of next year. And basically what that says is what are you going to do to comply and when are you going to get it
done? Uh it's it's not a um it's not a huge document. It's just something that has to meet all of the dates within the consent order. Uh, another thing that has to happen is that they want between now and the end of when the consent
order gets complied with, which should be in about 2 years, they want bianual progress reports. Now, even though our effective date is November 7th, the bannual progress reports are due January and June of every year. So even though we're not 6
months away, January 30th, we have to give them a a bianual progress report and then we get a few months off. So it's not too bad. Uh we're starting to develop our um uh template for this so that we can hit that date without any problem.
Uh the emergency response plan is going to be due February 5th. Uh we've contacted the D already and we had a conversation with them about what their expectations are. I'm fully confident that we can get this uh draft in front of uh the village for review before we
submit it. Again, this is the thing that was added as a new rule a few months ago. Uh it's just something we would have had to done anyway. Uh the inline booster dates, the specific dates for that, uh we need to have the inline booster completed by
December 31st of 2027. Back in 2023, CHA the designer said that probably can be built in a year. Um, I think that's probably a good time frame. So, if we can bid this job [sighs] in the first
quarter of next year, we should be able to get done 6 to 8 months early. Um, and in in this construction world right now, timing is everything. So the sooner we can get on the street the better. And
then once the construction is completed we need to submit a certificate of completion to the D 30 days after that. The other thing that the consent order does is it it gives
the village a um $10,820 penalty plus 500 bucks and the village has the ability to pay that money or they can do an inind project if they for that amount multiplied times one and a half. So, in
other words, you can pay the D the $10,820 plus 500 bucks, or you can do an ININD project for $10,820* 1.5 or $16,230.
Um, there is a discussion on the agenda today about what that incind project's going to be, so I'm going to let that happen with somebody else because I don't know what it is. And um but what's key to this is if the village council approves it today, then we need to go to
the D 15 days after the effective date, which is going to be this Friday, and tell them this is what we're going to do. Otherwise, we're going to have to pay the fee. So AJ and I talked about that today, and we're going to make sure that happens. Unfortunately, um if we do do the inkind project, we
still have to pay them 500 bucks. That's just their administration fee. other things that have to happen. Um, we need to get village council to approve the conveyance force man analysis which you guys did uh last week, Monday I
believe it was. Uh, we need to re-engage CHA to complete the design which AJ did and like I said I talked to CHA this afternoon. Um, we need to get them on board to do the engineering services during construction. The sooner we do
that, the better. That way there's no delays. As soon as we're ready to go bid, they can help us do that. Um, Waitran's been asked to do the construction inspection as the third party um, inspector for the work. And then another thing that we're starting
to work on is reviewing the way that EDUs are calculated uh, within within the area. So, we're doing that as well. We're also, as as as Ron said in in my introduction, uh we're also trying to amp up our coordination efforts with
Keargo. Um they have been and continue to look at our inline booster station design. um they are also going to um I guess uh
be part of or pay attention to uh what we're doing with the conveyance force man analysis. They're interested in in the pipeline because it does feed their plant. So I think we need to let them know what's going on. Um they've given us their design of some of their
upgrades that they're doing at the plant and we've been looking at those. uh they are upgrading their screening facility and they're also adding some equalization uh volume at their at their plant. Um we have scheduled bi-weekly
coordination meetings with Alam Marada staff, Keargo staff and Wade Trim talking about all of this, talking about the consent order, making sure that we're all working together to get it done. Um, we're actually started talking about um, bidding our projects
concurrently, thinking that we might be able to get some economies of scale with some of the contractors in the area. If we can get the same person building both facilities, there might there might be some opportunity there to to save some
money and some time. And then along with um the upgrades to Keargo's uh plant, we're looking to see if there's any costs associated with that plant that are attributable to the flows of what's coming down the pipe
from Alam Marada. The bad news is the cost. Uh these are the costs that I know of to date. Um the inline booster station is going to be about $4 million, but like I said, that's two or three years old. Um the
bidding and CI services for Wade Trim and CHA to oversee that work is about guessing about $800,000. The compliance work is about 350,000. The conveyance forest man analysis is
about 370,000 which comes to about $5.5 million that we know of today. Um what will increase that cost is updating the inline booster station construction estimate and we know that
uh I'm assuming there's going to be recommendations that come out of the conveyance force man analysis that will have some dollar amount to it and then if there's any agreed to cost attributable to the villages flow to Kelargo's upgrades are also something
that's going to have to be talked out. So, um, we will update these as they come in. I did talk to CHA and he said that they were almost done with the with the top one. So, I will have that to Ron and AJ as soon as I can and for
distribution. And [clears throat] that's what I have. So, I'll take any questions if you have any. >> Okay. Who wants to start? Deb, you have some questions? Uh, no. Um, there I guess maybe. Um, I always have questions. I always ask
statements about wastewater. I've been involved way too many years. I was on that first council when we had um some problems at North Plantation and the odor control and and the other things that happened there. So, I understand
all that. Um, so assuming everything continues on the path, when would you anticipate breaking ground on the um booster station? January?
>> No. [clears throat] Um, it's going to be after that. I I'm guessing it's we wouldn't take bids till probably February. And I'm assuming it's going to take a month or two to get a contract approved through village. So maybe
March, April. Sooner the better, but you know, realistically it's going to take two to four months to get this done >> just just to start putting a shovel in the ground. >> Just to put the shovel in the ground, right? And then again, if the if CHA
says a year, you know, it could be a little bit longer, but at least if we start in April and we finish, we think we're going to finish in April, that gives us what, eight, six months to of float to to make sure we get it done in time of the consent
order. I I I do think that we need to [clears throat] have a um backup in that respect is that not wait not plan it that we're done in December when we have to report to D
that January. >> Yeah. >> Uh to every everything >> everything is always delayed in the keys. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Everything. >> Yeah. >> Um I may have something else going on and let everybody else talk. Don
Tom, thank you so much for coming here and giving the presentation. Um, >> when did we get the permit for that pump station? I think you gave us the date on that one. >> It was like 2023. >> 2023. >> Yeah. >> And and you said that nothing had been
done at that point, but is do you know the reason why nothing had been done in two years? So the village had engaged Kelargo in in getting them involved in the design
of review of the inline booster station and the village and Keargo were working through whether or not it should be an inline booster station or should it be a repump station and there was some differences of opinions that went on for
a while which I think we've we finally overcome. home. >> So, uh I've got a a memo that was sent um on November 2nd of 23 where um uh it was
sent from Ed Castle. I I guess he's the engineer for Kargo. >> Kargo. Yeah, I know Ed. >> Okay. and and I I the way I read this this memo, um
they they were hesitant in the village following through with the with these masserator pumps. Is that still in the plan? >> Uh yeah, we they I think they wanted the merator pumps. >> They did. Okay. >> Just the opposite.
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. I think they didn't want those. Something to do with they would have to upgrade their screening and the stuff up there at their plant, right? It would cost a heck of a lot of money and they they thought there was a different way to do it. And >> so we I guess the village and and
forgive me, I've I've only been on the council now for a year and a couple of days. So the village uh uh wanted to do it their way and Kargo was asking them to do it a different way. Uh have we gotten past that hump?
>> We are past that. We are past that. >> Okay. And so everybody's holding hands and agreeing that we're going to go a certain way and we're good with that. >> Okay. >> Yes. >> Um >> as well as well as men hold hands. >> Yeah. I wouldn't say there's a lot of
joints. >> As long as we're working with Keargo and they're working with us and we we're getting along that I think that's most important. >> [clears throat] >> We we seem to have this this problem with and us against them and we all need to work together to get this fixed and
we all need to be on the same page. >> I I agree 100%. I I agree 100%. >> I I noticed a date on that pipe on one of the pictures you had >> and I'm I'm just wondering did anybody do an analysis to see if maybe there was
a flawed manufacturer during that date? Uh, had there been any other complaints about this date on that pipe and and maybe it was just a bad run? >> We we looked at we looked at the pipe manufacturers. We didn't find any problems with PVC at that time frame
that we'd had. So, we don't think it's a manufacturing problem. We think it's an installation problem. [clears throat] >> But you guys will continue just to follow up on this next. >> Absolutely. It's part of the scope of the work. Yeah. We want to make sure that that even when the inline booster station goes into operation, there isn't
something else we're missing with respect to that pipe because I think if we put the inline booster station in and we continue to have some kind of a problem, it's not going to be very good. So, we might as well make sure that you know what we're doing is correct.
And and I think just my last question is do you think the dates the the time frames in the D uh demand order uh is uh um are reasonable that something that that we can meet those target dates and
not have a problem with those or do you think the D was really breaking hard on us and we we should ask for a little bit more time or do you think they're reasonable dates? No, I'm comfortable with the dates. I'm I I you know, this
this this the red box I I don't think is a difficult piece of construction. Now, you're building it in a in a tight confined area, right? And you got to go into the coral, but there's enough good contractors around here that know how to do that. They've been working down here
long enough. You know, >> it's not something a module that we can that we can bring in something that's already pre-manufactured. We've got to build it on site. That's got to be built on site. >> Thank you. That's all I have for you. >> Sure. >> Steve, do you have anything? >> No. Thank you for the presentation. Appreciate it. >> Thank you,
>> Anna. >> No, I think besides what Don said, the only other biggest thing is the smell cuz it is horrendous just to walk by there. >> So, >> like I said, I've been I've been in this for 37 years. I know the smell. [laughter]
>> Yeah, you can be across the highway and smell it. Yeah. So bad. >> Yeah, for sure. I appreciate everything you've done. I have been pushing for this for three years now and I my question was about realistic timing which you already answered and um I am
so glad everyone's singing Kumbaya now because it was not very pretty a couple years ago. So I appreciate everything and I look forward to uh getting this done. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> May I add one thing or ask one thing? Um, Don alluded to the time frames and
if it was long enough, uh, since we have to do progress reports every 6 months as we're going down the road, I I would assume that, uh, there's that bad word. um that you have a good enough
relationship that if we find a a snag in the thing that we can talk to D about that, especially if we're doing progress reports every six months and say, "Oh, here's this." >> Yeah. >> And potentially [clears throat] get them to change dates if needed.
>> Yeah. Bad news bad news gets worse with time, right? So, but when there's a if if we have a problem, you know, hopefully we won't. Um, yeah, we'll we'll go to the D right away. And we'll say, listen, we need some more time. I mean, look at look at look what we were supposed to be done with the wastewater program what, 2010.
>> Mhm. >> Yeah. We were just kind of getting started. So, we we know how to get some things extended. So, um yeah, we'll we're not going to wait. We're not going to wait. I think I think you know to me to to your point mayor and getting along
um what'll really be a great story for me to be part of is to get this thing agreed to and and show the strong relation to show the strong positive relationship between Alamaran and Kargo. >> Exactly.
>> Yeah. It's great. >> Well, we all appreciate you greatly. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you, >> Ron. Are we going to Peter Rzasco next? >> Yes, we have Peter here and who's going to just answer mainly answer questions and also I want to recognize one of his board members is here, Sue Heim. Thank
you for coming, Sue. Uh we've been talking to not just Peter but some of his board members too to improve the relationship over the years. Peter and I go decades back and I've known Sue for a while and some other members of their board. So, we've really tried to reinforce the fact that we are on the
same team. You know, we're their biggest customer. we want to work together and Peter's been very good about, you know, being a facilitator with his his members and obviously I've tried to do with you guys and I think we've made a lot of progress and I I just asked Peter mainly to come to confirm that we're getting along and and that uh we are going to
try to work things out with him. >> Uh good evening uh council members and mayor staff. So yes, I'm Peter Rasco um and uh I've been the general manager of Keer Wastewater Treatment District since 2017. Uh over the last 45 years, I've
represented every government in the Florida Keys with the exception of the co-op and the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority, including the Village. When the Village incorporated, I was the second person that village hired to set up your finance department. I've been your finance director off and on a few
times over the years as well. Uh right now, helping you guys out in that a little bit as well with with Hattie. Um with [clears throat] regard to, you know, I'm a CPA by profession, okay? I'm not an engineer. We do have our engineers here with us if there are any technical questions. I got involved with
the wastewater business back when the the uh uh when the bill was originally passed, requiring us to, you know, build this 1 billion dollar project on the backs of what 80,000 residents of of Monroe County. And my job was to figure out how do we pay for it without
bankrupting our community. And the model that I developed was what everyone basically used to to to do that. Uh as fast forward to today, uh I'm very fond of the village. I've always been very fond of the village and I'm I'm happy that we are now working together uh
communicating regularly and effectively. Uh you are our largest customer and we all share the same concern and that is to protect our water quality and the Florida Keys and which is where our economy comes from. So um you know we are we're happy that we're we're moving
forward with this. Now, there were some issues in the past that uh that weren't very pleasant as the mayor said, but we're beyond that now and we look forward to working uh you know cooperatively with the village and uh and bringing this project to to
completion and uh hopefully enjoying a very positive relationship going forward for many many years. So, I'd answer any questions you may have. >> Well, I know from uh since Ron came on board, you have been like the savior for a lot of things for us. So, I greatly
appreciate you and I greatly appreciate the fact that you guys opened the door back up for us when it seemed to be almost shut. So, I want to say thank you for that. Um, council, does anyone have anything they'd like to say? Deb, go ahead. I just I just wanted to thank
Peter, too. Over the years, um, in the beginning, it was a very hard struggle here in Nam Marada for us to decide what to do. We were trying to decide that financial idea of where to go to do the best and to uh do the best for water quality on
top of it and we finally got there. >> It was a hard road to get there but it was there and I appreciate the cooperation of Keargo immensely over that time and now over this time. Um
it's a difficult system. Um, I reviewed the the rate study that was presented to the council in 22 and I think Tony um hit it a nail on the head. It's really, it was really a difficult
project and as you said on the backs of 80,000 people um without having to break everybody's back to do that and I think that's the struggle that we're kind of at again is that we want to do what's
right for the people but also do what's right for environment which absolutely wastewater is directly related. >> Absolutely. >> Thank you Don. Um, [clears throat] no. Peter, thanks for getting, you know, bringing this to the top. And I was very surprised before
I was elected that that the village couldn't get along with you. I've known you for what, 35 years now. And >> when I was the finance director, he was a building official. [laughter] >> Yeah. Right. And and then even before then when I was with the county. Exactly.
>> And I've always found you a fair guy to work with. And I'm glad that we've we've stepped whatever boundary it is. And maybe that's bringing Ron on board. And whatever it is, I'm I'm thankful that we've got you on our team and and on our help and I'm just want you to know that
as as this council member was looking forward to working our way through this the right way. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Anna, anything? >> Just simply thank you. >> Okay. It's a pleasure to work with you guys. I'm sorry. No, thank you very much. Yeah, it's a pleasure to work with
you guys and I look forward to it and as I said, we're going to have a productive and healthy relationship moving forward and solve all our problems and make the world a better place. So, >> thank you so very very much. Okay, >> AJ, do we >> a couple points before he goes? Uh, I also work on Peter on the financial side
because we're getting we want to get ahead of we know there's going to be some cost involved. We have some money set aside from past stewardship funds for example. Uh, as you know, we put another request into our leg delegation who were here last week and we had a Zoom meeting and I updated our request to add for a request for state funds.
Believe we asked for $750,000 more. That was just kind of a hold. I also been in touch with our federal lobbyists because with the shutdown now ended, they're now resuming appropriations talks at the federal level. We didn't get any FQUIP money last year and we're going to obviously try to get that because they can backdate it. So we are already
working on potential revenue sources for whatever this is going to cost. We know it's going to be a significant amount but we already know that we need to start working on it. Now as to the consent order uh later in the agenda Peter Fres is going to present we already have identified the project we want to do as the inind we've already
submitted it to D and we haven't got the approval but they we not we had notified them which has been done that we're going to do that as a route. We've already got the specific project we're going to do. I think I've shared with a couple of you that want to ask want to know where it was and today we paid the $500 fine. So, we're trying to we're trying to meet it before the deadlines
hit. So, we're actually ahead of schedule as far as that stuff goes. And so, we want to keep that pedal the metal and get this thing going cuz we know the people in the village really want this resolved. It's been taking a few years, but we feel pretty good about the progress. And so, I asked AJ to come tonight, who's our in addition to being
our public works director, is also head of wastewater. and he has the historical perspective in case there's any questions about you where we are today and how we got here. So, with that, I'll leave it to AJ. >> AJ. >> All right. Yeah. Good evening. Um, I just get a lot of questions and comments
and stuff about our system. So, I just wanted to kind of go over a couple couple items uh that get brought up a lot and then I'll have questions uh if I didn't touch anything you guys uh have questions on. Um, a little bit about our system. Uh we have over 88 miles of pipe
in the ground that we uh maintain. Uh we have six vacuum pump stations and uh over 500 grinder pumps that we also maintain within our system. Uh we have a typical average daily flow of about
750,000 gallons a day that uh goes to Keargo and that is uh just under 70% of our allotted um flow to Keargo which is 1.104 million gallons per day. Um one of the key things that get brought up a lot
is INI in our system. Um there is a a penalty for salinity on a daily fine uh with our system to Kargo. Um in the last two months during these king tides we have identified 35 locations in the
north plantation key area. Uh these are common issues that you find and we we focus on certain areas uh to make those corrections. Um we'll camera the lines, find the locations and identify them. Of those locations, 28 were ours and seven
other locations were on the private side. Uh all of those except one on the private side has been repaired to date. Um so we have uh reduced those numbers. Uh salenity um in the months of September and October, we had uh 19 days
while we were making those repairs um that we were over that 4.0 parts per thousand. Uh before that uh we haven't had any salinity issues. uh dating back until December of last year. So these are are key to the king tide uh time
frames um that we have these salinity issues. Uh one of the other questions that get brought up a lot is um our our monthly billing uh to the residents and the commercial properties. We actually have
a threepart uh system to our bill. Three three separate items. Uh the first one is FKA's admin fee. It's a flat rate uh of $10.56 uh per account. The second component is a base charge and that's a per EDU. So
every residential unit is one .edu which is 157 gallons uh per day is the average flow for a residential and that's what everything is based off of. Um that rate is $6.52 per thousand gallons. Uh but as
a residential unit, we have a capped capacity of 12,000 gallons um for the monthly bill. Uh so a typical max monthly uh bill that would be for a resident would be $129
is the kind of the cap on it. On the commercial side of it, there is no cap. Uh it's a continuous flow. There are no other >> AJ go through go through that again because I've got a I've got a bill. I'm actually trying to walk with you on. So, go to
>> Okay. The FKA admin is should be $10.56 >> is a flat rate and that's just one flat rate for them to collect the the fees, the monthly fees. >> Okay. >> And that goes to FKA. Our side of it, we have a base charge. Um, and that's a per
edu. There are two rates. There are two zones. We have the MPK which is the original uh phase one of the system and that has a $304 per edu. The RSA which is the remaining service
area has a $4041 per edu and then your flow rate is $6.52 per thousand gallons. Okay. [cough] >> You good? >> Mhm. >> Go ahead. Okay. >> Thank you. >> So, go ahead. Sorry. So, the admin fee
was raised once, I believe, since the beginning. >> Correct. >> Not too long ago. >> I think it was last year. Yeah. >> Yeah. Maybe a year. Um, and the the .edu rate are we going to you going
to get into that later? >> That's as far as >> I mean there's a it's there's a a flat fee of I'll say $30 30 something for the original area. Um, what' you say? 35 30
>> $304. >> $304. There you go. Uh that was for the North Plantation and that was a policy decision at the time so people understand why that's $30 and the rest of the area is $40 and some change. Um
it was a policy decision because they took a lot of the blunt of what was going on and there was grant money involved in some of it and uh so it was a policy decision to leave that at a lower rate per .edu. Correct. >> For that area
>> for NPK >> for Yes. Just for NPK. >> And then 4041 is what they charge >> for the rest of the ones. >> Correct. Right. >> Okay. I'll talk about some of the others later. Go ahead.
>> Okay. Um the last one that gets brought up a lot is on new development. Um so when the system went in, it was assessments and it was based off of the edus. Uh it for residentials it was just
one EDU per residential uh unit. Uh for commercial it was the first uh 10 edus were at a specific rate and then the following anything beyond 10 was at a different rate. Um they're no longer as
a system is built it's no longer um an assessment. So it's a system development charge. So if you come in and you want to do renovations, new construction, uh whatever it may be, we go through and review the plans, analyze them, and look and see if there's any increase in
capacity that is needed to be bought into the system. And that's what these system development uh charges are. But the first 10 EDUs, the current rate is uh $7,184.31. And beyond 10 edus, it's a discounted rate of $2,67.39.
And those are specifically for commercial properties. >> I'll add in that was another policy decision at the time um because we we did some of the math and on the small businesses on the businesses. It it wasn't just small businesses. It was
going to be a staggering figure. And so we worked with um Tony's group mostly >> rept Dallas. Yeah. And and they helped us come up with how we can do this to make it a little bit more fair and
balanced for everybody and not overcharge business but not overcharge residents. Um so if anybody wonders how we got to that 10, it was it was a push and shove and see where it came out.
exactly where it came from. >> Go ahead. >> All right. >> Sorry. >> Nope. The only other comment I have is the um we get as asked a lot is are there any uh pending wastewater connections. Uh so these were existing
homes, facilities, whatever they may be um that had a septic or some other type of system that is not tied in. We have gotten that number down to three. So, we still have three properties that are still pending. Um, I think two are residential and one is commercial. Um,
but we are working through that and getting them closer and closer to compliance. >> Oh, just for general information again for the council um maybe four years ago we looked at it, we were at five or six and it was tasked to
work on those. We have been it's it's a it's a challenge to try to close those out. Um but the fact that we have as many as we do how we've got how many >> three left? Yeah. >> Oh no. How many [clears throat] edus overall in this town?
>> Oh total we have uh >> it's like 6,000. >> We have 4,715 accounts. >> Okay. So out of 4,000 for us to have three that we [clears throat] can't seem to get closed is pretty good. It's not
good enough, but it's pretty good. >> Don, would you like to say something? >> Ag in that depth referred a couple of times to the refellish report and in their in their report they uh recommended that the village develop an
annual .edu review process so that the data is current and to u um you know work on the edu calculations. H have have we gone through and done an audit uh recently on
um businesses that may have changed hands or changed uses uh created an intensification of use or even a less intense use and audited the edu
uh and what they're charged for. >> Yes. Uh we do have a program that that reviews that. Um it's named Ames. Um and it's it's a program that we use uh on the billing side of it and we can compare the total edus what they were
assessed if they're you know exceeding that whatever it may be. Um but we also we use that as a reference anytime somebody comes for a development um change of use whatever it may be. we always review those uh edus and if
there's so say there's an increase in in edus uh with the project so there'll be additional fees with the system development charges for that increase um and they'll owe that before they actually get their uh co
>> and is there a is there something that if there's a huge increase in their water bill is there something notification that the aqueduct may send the village and say there's, you know, there's a disparity here. It looks like,
you know, they're using more than what would be one EDU or two EDUs when when when there's, you know, a high water usage different from, you know, what you'd normally expect out of a business or out of a house.
>> Gotcha. Yeah, we do monitor it to see if there's any any great uses. Um, I think we've we've hit it one time on uh where we found somebody that was only assessed one ADU and they were actually in more of the 10 to 11 range. Um, and
then we we came to them and had discussions with that as far as uh bringing them up. We automatically will change their monthly bill. Um, but the system development to buy into the capacity of the system um we've had
those discussions. What do you mean you have a discussion? Do you just go in there and say you're using equivalent of 10 EDUs and we're going to >> with the property owner? Yeah. That there that there was an something that was missed during the assessments u whether they were wrongly assessed
>> and then were they would they be assessed at that at that would we catch them up if it's $7,000 an edu? Would they then have to pay for the additional six edus that they were not charged correctly? If if if so, yeah, we we
would we would work that out to try to to make that happen. >> It's a legal thing. >> Okay. >> Along those same lines, if if we have somebody come in and uh they've changed their and we've seen a
little bit of this, but I don't know what we've seen on the building side of it. uh like a a restaurant which is a high much higher use of water to a a retail store of some sort. You know, they have less EDUs. Uh have we lowered
anybody's edus? >> So, yes, we have lowered EDUs and that comes with the change of use. Um so, if in that case, you know, they had 10 EDUs and they're now down to two, their monthly bill would be changed uh to that. We would not give a refund for the
buy into the capacity, but it would be noted on that property. So if it changed to use and went up again, they had already banked. >> Why wouldn't we why wouldn't we do a buyout buy in for the less? >> That would be a policy decision you guys would want to give us direction to if
that's the case. >> Over all the years, I've never heard this discussion before. >> Yeah, it's not very common that that happens. So, but it I mean we've had a couple properties that, you know, it may have been a a hotel or something like that and it changed. So if if somebody
has paid it off completely, that's one thing. But if it's still on their tax bill, that's another. You know, somebody when I sold when I sold Sunset, I was asked if I wanted to pay off or roll the
edus to uh the tax setment, the tax bill to the new owner, and I rolled it, you know. So, I don't know who gets a refund or whatever if something like that happens. Uh, but you're saying that we it's a policy that we don't do the
refunds on the assessment. >> No, it it's not a common thing that we have where they they do decrease. No, >> okay. We do make >> I probably believe that. >> Yeah. >> I think it's probably more common the other way around, but >> yeah, the other way with an increase, it's much more common.
>> Okay. >> You done? Um, uh, yeah. Yeah. At some point of time, can we see those policies? I don't think I've ever seen them. >> Sure. >> Sure. [snorts] >> Okay.
>> Okay. Um, I'm going to go back to the daily fine thing, which is the first time I'm hearing this. >> A daily fine is when there's salinity in the pipeline going to and then you keep talking about king tides. How does the water from the king tide get in the pipe
to go to Kargo? >> So, there would be a break in the system. >> Oh, you didn't say a break in the system. >> No. Yeah. So, it's it's usually under gravity side. Um, so the the connection points from a home um where it's normally the water table's not that high, but during the king tides, it may
come up. So, they could have been one of them, you know, they installed a fence and they nicked the pipe, so it's got a crack in it. Things like that. So when you say daily fine, do you have a amount of money that these daily fines have cost us? >> Yeah, it's So the daily fines are
anywhere from 1,500 to $3,000. >> And how many have we paid? Do you know >> for this um and for this calendar year we've had 19 days. >> Okay. Anna, do you have anything for AJ? >> Steve?
>> No, I think a lot of the questions I had were already asked and answered. Thanks. Okay, I have one more about I ini since you brought it up. Um um I do know that over the years that we've worked very hard in island and thank you AJ for for
finding the that intrusion of water and some of that stuff you can't find until we have the king tides. Correct. >> Correct. >> And as time moves on of course things change. So, so it might have been fine during the last it might have been okay
during the last king tide, but this king tide it shows again. And your systems now will tell you where that's happening. Right. >> So, we we when we >> How do you find it? >> Yeah. When we do the preventative maintenance, so we'll look at and open up the vacuum pits. It's typically in
our vacuum side or buffer tanks. um we'll open it up and every time they do preventative maintenance, we always drop a salinity meter and to to check test the water to see if the salinity is up. Um if you've got a pit that's firing more often than it should, it's a clear sign that you have some type of
intrusion. So, we'll check it. Um we will camera the lines and back up towards the house, whatever it may be, um to find those locations. >> Okay, done. Anything else for AJ? No. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, >> Ron. Do you want to do public comment
before we go on or what do you want? How do you want to do? >> I think the public may have some questions while the people are still here. Maybe the public come and ask either questions or make their points. >> Do we have anybody, Marty, or does anybody >> I don't have anyone signed up. >> Does I Sue Miller, come on up. [laughter] >> She's not signed up yet.
>> She's going to run up there. >> I was going to put her on the agenda, but I thought she >> Yeah. [snorts] I do have a few questions. Sue Miller, lower Madakumbi. Um, first question I have is we have a
lot of problems. Whose fault is it? Um, the force main issue. I was wondering how they have identified that it's one mile. If it's a problem with the PVC,
don't we have 11 miles of PVC? And why did we select PVC when the rest of the village the force man is different? And um why why didn't we use the same
pipe for the whole thing? Because it looks like the PVC is questionable. As far as the manual for >> Do you want an answer to the PVC question before you go on or? >> I don't know whether I'm being t if I'm being timed. I'd rather just
>> I wasn't going to time you, but go ahead. >> If I can I I think >> I think while we've got the engineers here and everything, >> that's what I was [clears throat] going to do. >> It's it's worth having Sue ask her questions because I can't give you I'm not worried about the three minutes and I think we need those answers.
>> So, let's deal with the PVC first. Okay. Don't worry about the three minutes. All right. >> Oh, okay. I I get who would answer that that that little thing there makes me very nervous. Don't worry. I'll let you know. So, who would answer the question? >> I can answer that one.
>> Go ahead. >> Go. So, the material is a combination of uh the PVC and HDPE. The majority of our HDPE was during the directional boards. So those are all the the pipe that's directional board underneath the bridges. Uh all the bridge crossings uh
anything that went underneath the road that were a directional board that was an HDPE and >> so he's saying high density polyethylene. >> I know what it is. >> And then the the rest of it was all the trench was the PVC. So anything that was trenched and open trench was done with
PVC >> even in even in the rest of the village. >> Absolutely. Yeah. on both the vacuum, the low pressure and the force man. >> Okay, so that brings me to the emergency
response manual that was part of the um consent agreement. My concern is the pipe that goes under seven of our bridges.
And there's a sign at each location that those um mains go under the channel 45 to 50 ft below the channel. And I
watched them install it and it looks like a really severe angle. And I was just curious if we have a process cuz I I hate it when I see on the news that
we've had another break in our raw sewage line. But if we ever heard that and it was a raw sewage line going under a channel going to the ocean or the bay, I think
we would all probably have a nervous breakdown. And so I wonder if we do inspections of those lines if there's a an emergency procedure because I never ever want to hear about a break
underwater. So did do you want to answer that? >> Sure. So those directional bores are that HDPE and it's a very durable pipe. Um that pipe has a a lifespan of 50 to 100 years. Um but separate from that we
do have at every bridge crossing we do have emergency bypasses. So for whatever reason if there was a break somehow um we do have the capability of laying pipe basically on the shoulder of the bridge from one end to the other and tying that
in as an emergency bypass. >> Okay. >> How long would that take >> the to to store that much pipe on site? That wouldn't happen. So you would have to and >> we wouldn't be able to we wouldn't be able to flush for
24 hours or for four days or >> duration I don't have a time fingering for that for that but like I said that pipe the durability of that pipe is is 50 to 100 years >> and and so you don't find there's any need to inspect it >> you cannot expect inspect the pipe like
that under I mean besides sending like what we're doing on the the one section Well, you know, I hear I hear the engineers say or whoever said that um there was an installation problem. >> That's one solid pipe from from this end
to this end. There's no joints. >> It's one solid HTPE pipe. So, there's not the joints that Tom spoke about. >> And we never have we never have a malfunction of a pipe. Pipes are always perfect.
>> Okay. So that pipe was basically corded through the coral and the and it's encased in that coral. >> Yeah, that's what makes me nervous because coral cuts. [clears throat and cough] >> So um question number four,
why do we give a discount for volume? It just seems to me that it discourages conservation of water and therefore wastewater. And uh I just don't see that that's a
good policy to give discounts for. Um and and you know we have our largest resorts are probably the most profitable businesses we have and yet we give them huge discounts going from what is it
$7,000 per EDU down to $2,000 per EDU rough numbers. And it just seems to me that that I don't know whether that's a policy decision that can be changed, but it just seems like it's um a little
backwards that we shouldn't be giving volume discounts. We also give volume discounts to residents who use over 12,000 gallons. And um I think we should encourage everybody to use less,
be conservative, and if you're using it for a sprinkler system or some other use that doesn't go back into the wastewater system, you should encourage people to get a second meter for that purpose, which wouldn't
be uh charged by the aqueduct authority. >> The .edu edu counts. I did a public record request for the .edu counts for every property in Alam Marada and I looked at every
single one of them, all 4700. And um I found it just they've the commercial ones were just all over the place and it didn't seem just knowing
the the businesses it they the numbers just didn't seem to be very realistic. And yet I did that about a month ago and we're hearing now that there is a process that's being used to adjust
those edu counts. I don't think that is happening um in an equitable way if it is happening at all because the businesses that I looked at I can name you some
specific properties that are one edu that should be many more than that and it was because they converted from one business to another a change of use and
not yesterday or the day before but years ago. And so I don't think that we have the right process in place to update our edu counts. And I think that
if we did that, I don't believe that we get a record from the aqueduct authority that gives us the water usage for every property in Alam Marada that you that
has a water meter. If we do, I want to make a public record request tonight, but uh I don't think we have that information. So, I don't know how we would actually um make those adjustments. And it's really important. I think we need to get
that information and and adjust our rates or our edu counts as quickly as possible because we are in a financial bind and and it's only fair that the people that are using the system are
paying fair and square. And I think that's all the questions I have. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. default to >> Well, I was going to ask you about the volume discount. Is that a would that be a change that would be made through the council?
>> Yeah. Well, she asked a couple questions and and I'll I'll read it the way there was asked. Um why does village policy provide a volume discount for wastewater cost to the larger developments, resorts, marinas, restaurants, and more than 10 to use? So, I'd asked AJ to respond to that. So, you want to give a
quick response to >> Sure. the the the volume discount that I think she's mentioning is the system development charges. So if there's any um increase in expansion that go beyond the 10 edus, there is a reduction of
cost per edu to buy into the capacity of the system. There are no discounts for anything monthly payments or anything like that for water usage. >> So it's it's only on the on the system development side of the house. Correct. >> And once you reach a certain threshold,
you've covered the cost for the system development. Correct. Okay. >> Can can I ask a question about that? >> Okay. Um it from looking at the um numbers that I got from a public record request, it looks like to me and maybe
I'm not looking at it right, that the that number that number if if it's over 10, let's say it's 15 edus, that the initial charge is for a certain
percentage and then the next number for the aqueduct authority is based on a third of the cost because you're not charging for the full. >> No, it's if if it's 15 EDUs, it's 15 EDUs. It's only on the system
development charge when they first. >> So on the aqueduct bill, if it's 15 edus, they would be charged for 15 times the $40 per month. Thank you. >> Okay, go ahead, Ron. One other question
which I think the vice mayor will appreciate. Is Sun communities paying their fair share of wastewater cost? >> I guess that's another question for AJ. >> Look at the grin on his face. I don't think he wants to answer that. >> Well, the reason I'm just because these
are out out there in the public and I I said to some people I want to get as many answers tonight while we have all the experts in the crowd and all and people are watching specifically for wastewater. I keep getting these questions as I know the vice mayor has about certain particular places like Sun Communities which has other issues. Are
they as Sun Communities which was originally a you know a different use are they paying their fair share of wastewater costs as they sit today? >> AJ >> I'd have to look at it specifically. I don't know that one but I do know that they are an RV park and there are other
things. So they're not set as an equivalent as one edu per per unit. Um, it's based off of the total water usage uh for the property itself. >> How many edus were they charged? >> That I don't know. I don't have that
information on me. >> I think I think it was probably charged similar to a commercial. >> 50. [laughter] And they have 55 homes and over a 100 RVs and a huge commercial non-residential
uh community center. >> I do know that they're three separate parcels. They were not unified >> and the total was >> one used to be San Pedro, one was right. Correct. >> One was a residence. >> So that actually went against them when they paid their system development charges. Their first 10 edus at each
location was at full rate. >> Oh, there you go. >> I looked at all three. I looked at all of them. >> Okay. Ron, do you have anything else? >> And I just want to make the point that if anybody in the community or watching tonight has any questions, please email us. I'll try to get to the answers
because I keep hearing certain things out in the community that may or may not be accurate, but if we're not answering the questions, we're going to get continue to be asked. So, if you have a question or you think there's a particular place that may not be paying their fair share, let us know. And I'll ask AJ and our engineers to check it out and answer those questions because it's
either fair or it isn't. And so, I I encourage everybody that's watching or in the audience to get in touch with us and if you have a a concern, let us know. >> Anyone else have any public comment besides Sue? Okay. Thank you very much. All right. Ron,
>> what what year did we determine edus? Do you know Lily? You were involved >> early 2000s. [laughter] >> 2000. >> Very early 2000s. There was a conversation I recall back in 200. [clears throat] >> Yeah, that's that's what I would have
guessed. Okay, >> that's close enough. >> All right, Ron, >> we now have a resolution. And as you recall, we had this on our agenda last week, but because we have the wastewater meeting, we were asked to move it to the tonight. So, u I guess AJ will presenting it as for the uh SCADA,
Wastewater Support Services, Scotta. >> Yes. Um item 8A, a resolution of the village council of Isa Marada, village of Islands, Florida, approving annual support agreement between Star Controls, Inc. and Isa Marada village of Islands to provide scatter wastewater support
services as needed for fiscal year 202526 authorizing a total not to exceed providing for implementation and providing for an effective date. >> AJ >> All right. So this is the our first continuing service agreement with uh
with Star Controls. Um they in 2003 um we bid the project out and they were the the winning contractor uh to update each of our vacuum pump stations with our new SCADA system. Um that process has come to an end as far as the
implementation and fixing any issues that may be uh at hand with it. Uh the system operates and is working great. Uh but we do need uh continuing services agreement. Um we get help uh both with with our IT. They work handinhand with
our tying into our network and system. Um but this would be the first uh years of operational um help. Okay. >> Okay. Before any public comment Sue? [laughter]
>> No ma'am. Well, Sue, >> thank you for indulging me. >> You're fine. >> Sue Miller, Lower Matakumbi. I live at the upper end of Lower Matakumbi and I was promised a skater system and we don't have one. We have the box at the end of the street that that shows that
we're, you know, it was originally installed, but it has never been operational. And um if you remember a few months ago, I came before you to talk about the wastewater system. And when I left my house, they were putting
in a um new grinder pump at my house because mine failed and there was no SCADA system to warn of that. the alarm failed and the light the warning the red
warning light failed so I had to call a plumber I didn't have to I did call a plumber when the uh thing started backing up and um and the plumber came down from Keargo charged me but it was a failed grinder pump that had to be
replaced and I think that uh the people that have grinder pumps on lower Madacumbia and elsewhere deserve a skater system just like the rest of you. And um I don't understand why we don't have a skater system when we're
talking about everybody else having one. Thank you. >> Okay. You want to answer that? >> Yeah, sure. Um [laughter] so >> we're grilling them. >> Yeah. No, when I took over the wastewater um department, um the system that was in place for the grinder
stations was a high tide system. Um it was utilized radio frequencies and kind of daisy chain between each other to to call out if there was an emergency. Um that system was never in 100% operation. It never worked. We were spending
hundreds of thousands of dollars every year for a system that never worked. Uh we would get called out by the residents because they would hear the alarm or you know it'd be flashing red saying, "Hey, there's something going on. We've got our number on the box." So they would call us. Um so it was a a policy
decision to eliminate those expenses but to look at a different system. Um that is in our future plans to to build out our SCADA system to reinccorporate the grinder stations. Um but it's it's a
process right now. >> So how important is the SCADA system for the rest of the village? is is are do they have other warning warning lights and sirens or or
do they only have a skater system? >> So that SCADA system is at at our six vacuum pump stations um where at each of the grinder stations that we have over 500 are would be located at each station. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Well, Don, before you jump in, I'm
watching Tom shaking his head. Do you want to We have you here. Is there anything you want to say? I'm watching him degree now. [laughter] So, we might as well utilize him before he goes back to Tampa. Let's use the only the only um the the only It did
work. It did work. It didn't work when you were here. It worked. Um it worked and then I think your contract operator during their watch decided not to invest the money to keep it working, right? And it probably
I don't know for sure, but I know it did work when we left. And my guess is that the contract operator just let it go to save some money perhaps. Uh which is the risk of of contract operations unless you got somebody watching. >> So you know when he got it it probably
wasn't working and to invest the money to your point to get it to work. I think the the um first of all I think what you're doing is correct at the vacuum pump stations and I do agree with Sue in terms of getting them at the grinder pumps. The technology today is better
than it was 10-15 years ago. Um, but it's not cheap. It's >> But you would recommend we do it? >> I would recommend you look at it. Yeah. And and see if it's if it's worth the cost to do it. I'm not sure exactly what the cost would be. >> Did you want to say something?
>> I Well, I actually had a question for Sue. Just it your it was your grinder pump that went bad on on your property, Sue, or was it part of this vacuum fist? >> No, no, it was your grinder pump as a village. >> Okay. [laughter] So, you're it was on
your property and it you're part of the grinder pump program and that went bad. You got it. >> Okay. So, >> and all of my neighbors have had grinder pumps go bad. And you know, 5 years ago
when they were virtually just installed, there would be a siren. And the siren was so loud that people from adjoining neighborhoods would come to find out what the siren was. And and it was so loud you couldn't tell what home it was coming from. >> I I know the feeling. I had the cops at
my house wanting to know what alarm was going off at my house. They thought it was my house alarm that was going off and it was the grinder pump and I wasn't even home. So the cops are going around my house like >> what is going on at Don's house or you know they didn't know it was my house
but this house because there's an alarm going off. They couldn't figure it out and the place was swarming with cops. >> And so the more recent ones within the last two or three years have had no sirens and no lights. There's a red light. I did have a red light go on one
night and I thought, "Oh, I don't want to call the village at midnight. I'll wait until morning." And when I waited till morning, the green light was back on. >> Thank you. >> And no light was on. >> Deb, did you want to say something? >> Yeah, I wanted to ask um
I I understand why we are haven't redone the skater system, but why wouldn't we put the the light system? uh why aren't we checking that and it could be a burned out light bulb, you know? >> So, they do check them, but yeah, in between the maintenance of it, sometimes
there there's an issue. Uh some residents get very angry with it and they there used to be a little reset button on them. >> Is is there a volume control on the alarm? >> No. >> No, >> no, it's just one. >> I don't remember that. >> Thanks.
>> But you do check them on a regular basis. >> Correct. Like once a year. >> Yeah. No. Yeah. During our preventive maintenance, which is a minimum. >> I don't know when that happens. Whether that's once a year or once a month. See? >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, once a year. >> Yep. Minimum. >> Okay. >> You good?
>> Yeah. Go ahead, Steve. >> Yeah. It seems to me since we're going through this process, doesn't it make sense to kind of prioritize this analysis and and see what it's going to cost? So then we can start thinking about budgeting it. And since we're kind of wrapping it all up in here and maybe it's something we can do, maybe it isn't, but we need to at least find out
what what it's going to cost. >> So how do we go about doing that, Ron? Is that something? >> Yeah, we we'll talk to engineers and and and obviously Tom has a long history and AJ I'll get Tom and AJ together. We'll figure it out. >> Thank you. Okay. Any more public
comment? >> Okay, councel. I move to approve. >> I'll second. Marty, would you call the role, please? >> Vice Mayor Don Horton. >> Yes. >> Council member Deb Gillis. >> Yes. >> Council member Steve Freriedman. >> Yes. >> Council member Anna Richards. >> Yes.
>> And Mayor Sharon Mahoney. >> Yes. >> Motion passes 5. >> Okay. Are we moving into Peter Fresa now? >> Yeah. I just want to do while Peter's coming up. Let me uh as I mentioned the uh the executed consent order is attached to the agenda. It's on our website. On paragraph 10, it says in lie
of making cash payment of $10,820 in civil penalties, respondent, meaning the village may elect to offset this amount by implementing an inind penalty project must be approved by the department. It then says that we if we [clears throat] choose to implement in kind rather than paying the penalty, we shall notify the department of election by certified mail
within 15 days of the effective date of the order. We've already done that. We've notified them that we don't want to pay the fine. We want to do a project. Uh and then it says notwithstanding the election [clears throat] to implement the income project payment of ranking $500 in cost must be paid within 30 days. We pay that
today. So we're within all the time constraints. But I wanted Peter to come tonight uh because we want to explain what the project is. It's a very nice project. It actually exceeds the amount we're required to spend by a couple thousand dollars, but I thought it was important for the public to understand that we're we're complying and that it's
actually a pretty nice project. So I want to leave it Peter to explain the project. >> Go ahead, Peter. Showtime. Okay. Well, thank [clears throat] you for that background, Ron, and good evening, council. So, I won't explain all that. You understand why we're proposing this. So, we are electing to propose a
environmental restoration project, which is one of the forms of the inloo projects that we can elect to participate in and as you know, we have uh asked for the approval of the DP. So, the location of this restoration project is shown in this figure there. Thanks,
Frank. So, I know you all are very familiar with this location. We are talking about the Bayside of Windley Key. This is directly across from the Threewaters Resort. This is the vacant uh disturbed empty property that has
been used for many purposes over the decades. Right. Historically, it was a parking lot. Most recently, it was a staging location for construction staging for the water main replacement project. This is a DOT owned property, so it is stateowned. It is leased to the
village. And interestingly, um, we are required to restore a part of this property. So that would go hand inhand very well with what we're proposing here. So the area is shown in that red polygon. That's the area we're proposing to restore. Uh, it's about 10,000 square
ft. Uh, it's fill material. What we are proposing are green buttonwoods at a number of 175 spaced at 8t on center. The reason we're proposing buttonwoods is because this is a fill material. Uh it's floods seasonal seasonally with
salt water. It floods with fresh water. Extremely low nutrients. There's not many plants that are probably going to become well established here. Green buttonwoods are bulletproof. They will become established here. Once they become established and stabilize the soil more, we probably will have
mangroves recruiting in from the water side and maybe even some upland species recruiting in from the the landward side. So, we feel this is an excellent project. I think it's going to take I think someday this will be filled in with with buttonwood and mangrove hardwood species. We think it's uh
reasonable. We think the D will look fondly on this and accept this. We hope they do. And um in that in your agenda item, your package there, you'll see we have a proposal from Tim Matthews Tree and Landscaping. Uh you all know Tim, I'm sure. I'm highly reputable company.
They are in the villages uh landscaping library. Always a reasonable cost with Tim too. We have an estimate for $18,812. And as Ron said, we're slightly over the the required amount. And um yeah, with that, I'd be happy to
answer any questions you might have about our proposed project. >> Thank you, Peter. Uh who wants to start? Deb, you go first this time. >> Okay. Um I do have a question on uh but you alluded to it that uh in that area
that we already are going to be required to do some restoration. Uh I was going to say uh is it cost effective? Although I like the project, is it cost effective to spend almost $19,000 versus $10,000
um to to do the mitigation like that? Did we think about that or did we just I don't know what the I don't know what we were going to be required to do anyway on that property. So, >> okay. So, it's [clears throat] a good question. So, the cost that we are
required to is actually a little over $16,000. It's one and a half. So, we can't restore more than that. Um, really because there's there's power lines in the way and there's actually an access area, the DOT access area that we
wouldn't want to plant in. So, is it is it worth it? We think it's reasonable is the way to put it. Uh, we have this is going to be funded through our our landscape or habitat restoration fund >> that we have money in. >> Oh, yes. We need to be completing these projects. We probably we were actually
already talking about completing a planting project in this area. It's a wonderful location for habitat restoration. Um so do we feel it's worth it? Absolutely. From a environmental standpoint, I I personally think it's it's well worth it.
>> Okay. And then the secondary part is that that was that was um leased to the village as a hurricane um [snorts] cleanup property. Uh where we could store until we could get stuff
out of here. Um do we have an idea of what we're going to do when we have a hurricane if we don't have this property? >> Right. Another good question. And so I've talked about that with AJ. This is such a large enough property. We would not impact uh debris staging uh at all.
There is plenty of room in that area there. More than enough. >> So, we're only proposing that 10,000 ft² area there that kind of pushed into the mangroves anyway. >> So, your answer is we would not be impacting that. So, in reference to my
first question, you said that in your in your presentation there, you said that we were going to be required to do some mitigation on that property anyway, >> right? There there was no reference to where or how much >> on that property.
>> Correct. >> And that came not not with this consent order. That was completely separate. >> Correct. >> Okay. That's strange. [laughter] You good? >> Yes. >> Yeah. I'm ahead. Don
>> asked and answered. Okay. Thank you, >> Anna. >> My answers, >> Steve. >> Yeah. I think it it's great to me. It seems like it's a discount almost. >> I agree. I agree. >> Thanks, Pete. >> Thank you, Peter. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you.
>> Okay. Public comment. >> No one signed up. >> Sue, [laughter] just checking. Okay. the council. Any discussion? >> Motion to approve. >> I'll second. Marne.
>> Council member Anna Richards. >> Yes. >> Council member Deb Gillis. >> Yes. >> Council member Steve Freeman. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Don Horton. >> Yes. >> And Mayor Sharon Mahoney. >> Yes. >> That motion passes 5-0. >> Okay. >> I have a closing No, I have a closing
question here. >> Yeah. I had a couple of things I wanted to figure out, too. >> Okay, Deb, go ahead. >> Well, we we heard this I've I've seen this happen before, namely in 2022. We have this nice presentation. We have
all this good information and we don't decide anything. What do we need to make a decision on so we can move forward? I >> think we already have >> the rate study. >> Okay, we didn't talk about actually doing the rate study. Actually, that was
part of Tom's presentation. No, >> he talked about the old rate study. >> Well, but moving forward, I plan on having on the December agenda. Uh I need to find out more about what how to ask for it. And then we also want to make sure we get some credit if we use the same people that they're the ones that
did the 2022 and I think the 2013. So, we have to negotiate the best price we can get for it and how exactly it's going to be structured. But, I do think we need another rate study. If we're going to run the wastewater like a business, then you have to kind of know what it should be and we can't rely on a
2022 study. Uh, but I do want to bring it back to you in December, ask for approval to proceed with a new rate study. >> I just don't want to leave this meeting um without moving forward the reason that we called the meeting.
So, if there's if there's a decision that we're supposed to be making, which when I looked at that that uh presentation that night, they were specifically asking for a couple things and they didn't get an answer out of council on either one. And going for
forward, I don't think there was not that that would happen here, but um I don't think that there was ever some of those subjects brought up. That's the reason we had the whole discussion about Ames program is I couldn't find it in any of the minutes. I couldn't find that
we actually implemented it or whether we were using it or not using it. Um I couldn't find um did we did we actually that study asked it us to make a decision on whether we should uh
refinance. Did that go forward? Did we not do it? Why did we not do it? Did we do it? And it didn't work. What happened? You know, >> well, since Tom's here, I think Yeah, he's still here. Maybe Tom can give us a little history cuz I did talk a little
bit about the rate study. He he thought it'd be about what 45 to 60 days it would take to do a rate study. And it would be my plan to bring it back to you for the council approval. And whatever they recommend, I would say it's your final decision. I think what happened in the past was there was a change of
managers, etc., and the ball was just kind of dropped and nobody ever did anything. And I do think that it'd be my plan at least to number one approve a rate study, number two, bring it to you and see do you want to implement whatever it recommends. I don't know in advance what they're going to recommend, but I certainly think if we want to get
this thing back on its feet and quit having a deficit every year, we better do something quickly. >> Deb, if I can I think maybe I can help Deb a little bit because I I I had the same the same question. And I I want to make sure that
when we leave tonight that that you've got enough information, enough direction to move forward. What what I read in the in the minutes from that uh March 31st, 2022 meeting is that there was no
direction given to the um the then city manager. And um and so right after that they we had the March 31st meeting. I actually spoke at that meeting and asked for the a rate uh a rate study and for
us to follow what Kargo waste treatment district was doing in that and that's in the minutes and they just the the minutes don't show where the council gave the uh the acting manager which was Maria any any direction to move forward
and the Rapella study had uh four different >> suggestions to to do something which which actually would have helped us cuz it the the very first thing was that they were wanting the rates to uh
increase by 1% annual index uh with without the refunding and I guess that interest rates apparently were much lower back then and their recommendation was to refund I call it a refinance but
it's a refund is what they're calling it and there was no direction and then the next meeting on April 21st. there was absolutely no discussion and I think that that's when the um uh uh the village manager um when they changed
managers uh and I think that's when um the guy with the proud of his muscles came in town and and uh then all of a sudden he went away and >> and then they started having another interim and then they had discussions about u uh choosing Yates because they
were interviewing different ones and then all of a sudden um they go through u that process and they hire Yates and at the same time I guess that's when Roger resigned and so we hire Weiss Roa
in in May of 22 and um glad we got We Serot back because I worked with them in the early 2000s and and then um then finally in June is when they actually hired Yates. So that just everything
just kind of fell out from underneath and nobody actually followed up and said, you know, we need to go back and revisit this the this conclusion that Rafel has had. So I think I I think it's
important for you for staff to have clear direction so that we don't have that happen again and we go back and and and nothing on you either. you weren't on that council. That was >> uh that was Pender, Greg, Rosenthal,
Jolan, and Web. So, uh I I think it's just we need to make sure that you >> Jolan wasn't on that council. >> Oh, she wasn't. Okay. >> Um Um >> Peter was >> Oh, Pete. Oh, yeah. Pete Basser was. I'm sorry. And and just have enough you you
have enough direction from [clears throat] this council. >> Your damn popcorn cart. platform. >> So >> it's your fault that that you have enough direction that we just don't drop the ball and we get this done. That's all.
>> And for the public benefit too, I want to say that you know I the fact may I know this but every week I I meet with you individually or spoke to you by phone. So I generally get pretty good direction from you individually. For the public meetings I always like to confirm what we've talked about but I I think I have clear direction that we need to have another rate study done and that
whatever it says then you'll have to act on it. I've also made a commitment that we will take a look at the EDU situation. If that's part of the rate study, if not, we'll do it separately. I think some raised some questions been raised about EDUs that need to be answered. So any once again, any questions that the public has, we want
to answer them, but they they have to ask them. But I think the rate study, unless somebody tells me otherwise, is a clear direction. We're moving forward and I just don't have all the details to ask for a motion because I want to negotiate something with Tom's help and others and Peter's help and then come back to you with in the December
meeting. So, we'll be setting an agenda probably in a couple in a week or so to get ready for December 9th meeting. >> So, I I just I just don't want Don expressed it. I've tried to express it. I don't want to happen what happened last time where there was recommendations and they never got acted
on. There was extenuating circumstances of why that didn't happen, >> but it didn't happen. And now we're in a a worse position probably because of that. And if the the we we should always
in our financing should always be looking at whether or not we should refinance refund as was in the report, but refinance loans and to a a better advantage to us. We pay a lot of interest and stuff on those loans. Um
and I just don't want to leave it up in the air that Oh, yeah. Okay. Go ahead. So, as long as you've got clear direction on on what we need to do, [laughter] >> I didn't do anything. What are you looking at me for?
>> Because he pointed to you. >> No, he did. Thumbs up. He didn't point at me. >> Yeah. And just to top that off, we used to get a list of action items as well so that we can keep following up on these directions that we give staff. I I haven't we haven't received that.
>> We haven't seen that in a while. I'd like to see that continue just so we kind of keep getting reminded on what it is that we need to be doing. >> Okay. >> Everybody has busy lives and it's easy to let things slip through the cracks. >> This is >> not this time.
>> Okay. Anything else? >> Tom, you got up and you want to Did you want to say something else? >> Get up. Get up. >> I did. Oh, [laughter] >> there's a problem. >> I just wanted in case you had any questions or clarification, but we are working on the rate study and and we're
not going to forget about it. >> Okay. Motion to adjourn. >> So move. >> Okay. Thank you. Second, third