It's uh 4:31. Um open up the sewer commission meeting October 23rd. Uh Brian Dono, >> Bill Watson, >> and Elaine is not available tonight. Uh, this meeting was rescheduled from
Tuesday just because of a a noticing problem that had something to do with out of our control. Um, first item on the agenda. There's nobody here, right? >> I I I'm online.
>> Oh, you are online. Okay. I'm sorry. I I thought you might be online. Okay. So, Elaine is online. >> Yes. Um, Elena, you have a short window to be available. There's any particular want
to talk about on the agenda. Do we have >> uh no, but if you have any votes you need and you know, feel free or whatever order you want to put it in is fine. >> Okay. Um, I'm looking down here. the uh
I think with you online the annual town meeting article probably is a good thing to start with. >> Okay. >> Our meeting is next Tuesday and we're going to have a meeting before that next Tuesday as well. Uh so if uh do you have
any thoughts on that Elaine? uh just that we're you know we're working on the numbers and we're we're comfort you know we should be comfortable that um no rate increase will be needed for the articles we're requesting >> right >> that we should be able to do it within
the available funds we have >> uh good yeah that's pretty much what we thought so we're you know our financials are in in pretty good shape with the rate increases and all so that's good >> okay >> yeah they should be in you we're gonna
talk Dave and I will talk more about it tomorrow. So, we'll get that squared away. >> Okay. Um the next one that I think uh probably should be discussed is 22 Main Street. Just to update um where we are and where
we're going with the meeting next week. >> Yeah. So, uh Colin and I spoke a couple times. There's been a few emails back and forth. uh next week um I believe it's around noon time he and I are going to meet up on
site and go over um he wants to propose some ideas and and one of them was to put a camera down the pipe instead of digging it up and exposing it. And I told him he'd have to
come to the board and present his thoughts to the board. um next Tuesday. So, um I he he did request that we give him what we have for paperwork involved with
the uh with the issue at 22 Main Street. So, I'm going to gather all my paperwork, make an extra copy, and have that available for next Tuesday's meeting. Um, I'm not exactly sure how productive our
meeting is going to be Tuesday, but I told him I'd meet him on site and see what he has to say. And then as far as from there, I said, I don't know um how things are going to proceed. It's up to the board and the department how um we
want to move forward with it, whether we want to allow that camera to to go down the pipe and suffice as an investigative tool. Um me personally, if you stick a camera down the pipe and it comes around a bend
and doesn't see a connection somewhere um that we miss, I think this is our opportunity to see that entire line. Um and also that the camera doesn't really tell us when they did excavate it and
change the use for that pipe. Uh we have no idea what they use for back fill underneath it. You know, is it is it laid properly? So my I personally would like to see the thing opened up at least from where he
cut the asphalt uh midway up the driveway to its end point. That's my take on it. And you know, I told him if if that's what he's looking to do, he'd have to present that to the board. Um, but I I really don't see any
way around, you know, digging it up and exposing it. >> I think that makes sense. I mean, from the the point you made was from the place that we know, we can see that it was cut, may have been patched, may not
have been patched based on the pictures we've seen, but at least you know that's where whatever happened happened started. Um, and I I would agree with that. It >> Well, in it wasn't Go ahead, Nolain. >> I was just going to say, wasn't there at
some point it was mentioned that uh a connection was made that he wasn't even aware of? >> Allegedly, he wasn't aware of. Um, >> right. So, I mean >> I mean, let's just say that
>> believe in that, but that's fine. But either way, that point that would have to be excavated and fixed anyway, >> right? And and that would just go into the So what you're saying that just putting down the camera
um isn't going to show everything that you that needs to be seen, especially if there could have been work done at the property the property owner isn't aware of. >> Yep.
And and when you see it, you see it. You know that there's not a connection here or there or you know if there is something that is found then you know we can open it up have them flush toilets find out where the stuff actually comes from or stick a camera in that
intersecting pipe and follow it to its end so we know where that goes. I mean, there's a lot of stuff that uh you stick a camera down the pipe and you see a connection somewhere, >> it doesn't tell you where that goes, you know, there's a whole lot of unknown
>> and to the point where where they cut into the pipe and added a a roof leader tie in. Um, you need to dig down to expose that to fix it. You don't just, you know, put a a license plate over it and some duct
tape and and that's the repair. you know, it's it's got to be a legitimate repair that you open up the ground, cut the pipe, put some Fernco fittings on it and and and compact it and put everything back together. So, there's definitely there's a need to dig down to
fix what we know is there >> and and not knowing what else is there is there could be some more excavation involved. So, I >> yeah, >> you know, I want the board to be involved. I don't want it to be just my decision.
Well, we'll have the meeting next Tuesday. Go ahead. I mean, >> I was just going to say that that'll be good. After the site visit and everything else, we'll listen to the property owner and then um you know, see what the the the best route is to take
that will ensure we know everything that's going on on the property. >> Yeah. And that what's there um in the end is what he was approved to have, that there's no extraneous >> Yeah. connections anywhere
>> until they get go back to board of health and the building department and >> whatever to get it done properly if if that can be done. I'm just saying >> it's basically the story to where it should be and then the rest is different
you know it's a whole different problem. Okay. >> Yeah. The rest of we would take the lead on everybody else. >> All right. So, um the only other thing here that uh the septters rate increase, is there something there that we need to
uh would need to vote on? I know we've been talking about waiting in time just to fit it in >> probably. Yeah, just to make sure that it it it is uh supported by us.
>> Okay. So, a motion um I'll make the motion to uh based on our past discussions with the uh superintendent and the timing that he's requested the delay in starting that we vote to
increase the septage rate. Uh I think the date was January. >> Yeah, we're thinking January >> in January of 2026 >> and to go to seven cents >> and go to seven cents. I'm sorry. Yeah. >> From six and eight. >> I'll second that.
>> Okay. We have a motion seconded. Um all in favor? >> I >> Ies none. Okay, so that's done. Um go back to financials, I guess. Um so
Jean and and U. So yeah, as far as financials, um Elaine, myself and and Jeie have been working on u looking at what our current um situation is for this fiscal year, FY26.
Uh we've had at least three months now to kind of look at our revenue uh stream and and our expenses and we continue to look at that. Like El had mentioned earlier, we're going to continue on tomorrow with further discussions on it, but we have a fairly
good handle of where we're at. And um you know judging by our financials um Elaine alluded to this too that uh if if the articles approved a town meeting that we do have the funds to
um take care of bringing on another employee at the plant and a part-time admin position to help Genie in the office for FY26. so we can handle it this year and we would anticipate um if that does go through then we would
just continue funding it year by year as we as we move forward. >> That's good. Um Jean, just to make um it's not on our agenda, but we've been talking about the uh expansion
estimate from CDM, which we talked about last meeting. Um, I just got the revised information now, but it goes to the financial and it goes to what the costs are going to be. So, if I can ask you to put it on the agenda for the next meeting. We may not get to it. We got a
lot going on next Tuesday, but just so it's on the agenda going forward because I do have it. I have making comments, but we won't discuss it anymore. All right. So, financials are good. Um, staffing.
Uh so we've kind of hit on this at quite a few meetings, but uh we still have our operator that injured himself um last winter snow and ice injury and uh he had surgery recently. He's still
recovering. So we're expecting somewhere towards the end of the year, December, January, somewhere in that range. Um hopefully getting that member back in service with us. Um and we have an additional staff member that um may
have some upcoming health issues that may take him away from us >> um a few days here and there um for until further notice. So we continue to struggle with staffing updates. So that
brings us back to the town meeting article that you know we could seriously use not only help currently but as we move forward. um with the growth of the plant and the just the uh future growth
that that will be coming to town plus the backlog of stuff that we have probably a couple years worth of maintenance things that we could be dealing with. So there's definitely a need for a staffing upgrade in terms of bodies. So um I don't want to dwell on it much more
than that but you know there's there's definitely a need. On a related subject, just um I know this past week there've been a couple of unexpected from your point of view, unexpected maintenance
difficulties. Can you maybe talk about those a little bit? >> See, yeah, it's every week. Uh we had an issue, you know, we go back four weeks ago. We had two pumps at Marian Drive that were
basically hanging on by a thread and uh we had to actually take one out, drive it to Connecticut, have it serviced, and drive it back the same day. Uh so there's there's things like that that happen on a daily, weekly, monthly basis
that uh just emergencies that you don't know when they're going to pop up. Uh, you know, last week we had a heavy rainfall that uh for some reason two of our actuators that actually open up um
the air valves to feed the bugs in the tank that do all the treatment work u the actuator screen just went dead and we took another actuator put it in its place and that one was also dead. So,
um, these are things that just happen on a daily, weekly basis. >> With that being said, we ship those out. Um, part of my thing going forward is is some of this equipment we've had in the past, you might get 20 years out of it.
Other equipment, you know, you don't know when it's going to go. And we've had two actuators go just in the last two weeks. >> And these are some of the newer ones, right? These were put in within the last four years. >> Yeah. >> And uh what I was told was that u there
was a software glitch in these actuators >> embedded in the circuitry. >> Yeah. So everything nowadays has a a circuit board connected to it or multiple circuit boards and these ones needed an update and they had to be shipped out but you don't know when that
particular update is going to just die on you. So, uh, you know, it just adds to the confusion. So, if we didn't have, we actually had a spare tank. Right now, we're operating three tanks. We have a fourth as a spare. I was able to take
one of the heads off of the spare tank and use it in its place and ship the other two out. But, you know, those are the things that you don't know are going to happen. They just happen to happen. You know, it's not like you can plan for
some of these things to go wrong. It's continual. >> All right. Um, anything else you talk about? >> Uh, as far as the cu So, while all that's going on, we have our day-to-day
activities. We've got sludge pickups that come twice a week. We've got septage haulers that come in all day long. We've got the actual treatment of the waste water that's coming and going. We've got sampling of the leeching fields that has to happen. Um
weekly samples that we do at the plant, daily samples we do at the plant, lab work. It it's a continuous process that runs 24 hours a day and and the guys have been stepping up where we're short-handed. They've been doing an excellent job. I I can't say enough
about them. But um on that, it's just um it's been a struggle lately and I I look forward to getting at least one operator back, but if we can get a second one, it would certainly help. On top of all
that, we've been trying to get the um manholes up at Country Club Way down to the appropriate elevation so that they you're going to lower them. >> Yeah. So, they've been they've been working on that. We have a crew in and they've been doing it as they have time
as fill-in work for their crews. So, it's been hit or miss. I think there were somewhere around 12 or 13 of them and they've gone through just about all of them except for two at this point, I believe. So, we're getting there. Cool.
Um, and then up at the leeching field this week, uh, some of the some of the runoff because the grass isn't established yet, uh, some of that runoff was starting to fill fill in some of the trenches that we
tried to trench. So, the runoff wouldn't overflow into the neighbor yard that we had the problem last fall. So those trenches that we used to uh divert the water filled in with more sediment and now that's kind of created a situation that that burm is no longer
there to protect the overflow going into the neighborhood. So we're up there digging a new trench this week with shovels. So these are it's just a continual continual process of your hay bells up there at all. Have you been using that? There's a silt sock up there that runs
along the edge and silt fencing. >> Yeah. >> But uh when the first overflow happened up there because there wasn't grass established last winter um some of that just kind of ran over and >> Yeah. I know there was a treeand that fell down right
>> make it but there must be some areas that if you did you know a 20 foot hay bale setup the most prone areas could maybe divert it out a little further >> although cause it >> we had seen go in and actually regrade the area and trench it.
>> Okay. >> And then the last rainfall there was so much runoff >> because of there not being an established grass field up there yet. it's it just keeps resetted and some of the runoff is retrenching itself. So, it's it's been a battle. Um but you
know, again, it's just one more item that gets thrown on top of you every day. And just on the leeching field while we're talking about that, the uh there've been an ongoing dialogue between Dave, DC, CDM,
and us on getting the water system situation fixed. Um, I think that u as of today I don't think we've had an answer as to whether the water department has been able to give
us access to the water. But in any event, there'll be a meeting Tuesday to hopefully resolve that >> with CC construction >> with CC construction who's asked for this uh several times now. But uh we can talk about that all later a little bit more but to see if we can
resolve it. Fortunately, as Dave mentioned earlier, that we've had some rain, a little too much one day, but uh enough in the grass is actually starting to grow. So, >> it's a good news. >> Would it make sense if I went to the meeting with CC Construction next
Tuesday >> if there was a commissioner there with them? >> Um, that would not hurt. I know it's not going to be me. Yeah, that's why I I mean I I can I'd be happy to go, you know, just to um have a
presence there, you know, with construction. >> Yeah. And initially all we were asking all we were asking for is water so they could hydro seed the the field up there, you know, and you know, have a future discussion about whether or not if we
don't get enough natural rainfall, then there might be the need to irrigate. But all we want at this point is just a simple water meter and a couple thousand gallons to hydro zed. It seems like it's become a challenge just to get that and and last year it was given to us pretty
regularly without an issue and without a meeting. >> So uh it's a bit frustrating but we'll we'll work with it. And then um anything else? Jean or Dave, do you want to
>> town meeting articles taken care of? Um yeah, in the future we can get into future town meeting articles. what we be looking at doing with some of the wording on some of our articles that are sitting there right now, but we can table that for down the road discussions
once we get to this town meeting. >> Okay. >> Uh just looking at rewrite some of the verbage on articles maybe and bring that into spring town meeting. Yeah, spring town meeting will, you know, it's on the agenda here, but there will be issues as we get through the CDM
piece and uh and I know we're prioritizing where the flows are uh where the flows are where the flows are most prioritized. Um so by next meeting probably the following meeting I hope we have a
chance to talk about that in more detail on the and uh and also have the chance to talk about setting up which has been postponed now our joint meeting with the water commission to kind of start
working more closely together. We had to put that off because of other matters, but it's I think it's a priority for us to get some kind of working relationship. >> I'm jumping off.
>> Okay. Thanks. >> Can I just say one thing? >> Yeah. Um, I just want to say that um, the relationship that Stacy, myself, and Lori have at the between the water and sewer, um, is a great relationship that
we communicate and that, you know, if I have a question or need help with something, um, Stacy has always made herself available, uh, and Wari and vice versa. So, um I think that's something that's really good that the three of us
can collaborate together and work through things. >> That's that's really good to know. That is good to know. >> Um >> yeah, they've actually helped each other quite a bit with different questions and u scenarios. They try and run different
reports and they'll work with each other on that and it's it's continual which is nice. Well, I think, you know, seems to me at least that the potential for a lot of really good coordination boardwise,
townwide is is phenomenal. And uh there's so many synergies and and overlaps that we have and the financial stuff, it's been working great. Uh but I think it could get broader and that's what we have to discuss and try to
resolve. Um, see the only other item we have on here is Kushman Farm update, but not sure there's anything more to We've had that meeting, >> right? Um, I just received from them new
site plans, so I can give you guys a copy of that. >> Um, >> I do have one comment on that. um based on the plans that were presented to us last meeting and looking at the available lots and looking at the flow that might be available for those lots
versus what the the proposal would be, they're pretty close. I mean in terms of flow between if somebody had developed them with the existing lots which I think is important because we have maintained all along
that we're not adding flow capacity that wasn't already anticipated and in this case now that we have good plans and good you know good uh information and the number of units and that kind of which was very good to have they come in very close together and that helps us
with the CDM piece. because they they're looking at that pump station whether it can be reused, updated, or it needs a new one depending on the flow. And uh and those are important pieces of information to know. Uh
okay. Um I think this is something I'm missing. >> No, I have nothing to give you one more story and then went to close. >> Okay. So, just came back to my head. So,
Monday morning, we had a generator that didn't start on its exercising cycle. Turned out a mouse had chewed into the wiring in the uh transfer switch. >> It's that time of year >> supposed to set the exerciser, send the signal over to the generator to start.
So, it was discovered it didn't start. Get in there and figured out a mouse and they're eating the wires. So, not only we dealing with plant stuff, you know, you're dealing with 16 of these pump stations out throughout town. And uh we
went to the electric store, grabbed some wires, ran seven new wires through the conduit, pushed them all through, rewired everything, and got everything up and running. Turns out when they chewed through, they actually destroyed the circuit board with the starter relay
on it. So we had to have someone come in replace a starter relay over a circuit board. So just another thing that's just these daily things that all of a sudden we had to have three guys out there, you know, working on this project. And if you have a tanker coming or a pump that
goes down, it's it's getting tough to handle all the emergencies. You know, at some day there's going to be point that we don't have bodies to handle whatever emergencies are going on days. >> Yeah. the the the article is definitely
timely. >> You guys use your mutual aid with highway and they grab you to polish snow. >> They do. Um but the deal is with us is we'll give them our labor.
uh if we're fully staffed, we're not fully staffed, we have to take our guys and go plow out all our pump station, shovel them all. So, it's it's been something by design that was intended to happen, but we've been short staffed now
for multiple years. >> Uh and they do help. You know, if we need a hand and I call Sean, he'd give me someone. And the same with the building department. We need someone on an emergency basis. But uh
>> take a machine up and dig that trench for them. At least you feel. >> Yeah. >> Instead of doing it by hand. >> Yeah. You know, it took us about an hour and a half, two guys, and by the time I got them to come up, do it, load up the truck, get it all back, it would have
been, you know, a bigger project. Certainly, you have to kind of play that out. Sean's been a great help. building department. I approached them about my staffing issue and let them know that if I call on you, it's because I need
someone >> and they're willing to to give us someone as well. So, yeah, facilities. So, >> it was really unfortunate is that Cece had just done a remarkable job getting it cleaned up in the way it should have been and then, you know, we get six and
a half inches of rain again. >> But that's what it is. It's a game of whack-a-ole. >> If we had the grass growing like it should have been last year, we wouldn't be in here. But here we are. >> Um, okay. That's it. Then motion to make
motion. I'll make a motion to return. I'll second. All in favor say I. I. >> Great. Thanks.