Sorry, hold on. Matt Elliot, >> present. >> John Draper, >> present. >> Ty Rancor, Pam Brewer, >> here. >> Jack Connley, >> here. >> Gary Freeman, >> here. >> B Harris, >> here. >> Thank you.
All right. I'll um entertain a motion to approve the agenda and the minutes for the June 2nd meeting. >> Uh so moved. >> Is there a second? >> Second. Uh moved and seconded.
Pam moved it. Mr. Conley seconded it. If you would pull the board. >> Pam Brewer. >> Yes. >> Jack Connley. >> Yes. >> Matt Elliot. >> Yes. >> John Draper. >> Yes. >> Bird Harris. >> Yes.
>> Jay Freeman. >> Yes. >> Okay. Motion carries. Thank you. >> I couldn't hear what >> Okay. Any presentations from citizens on the agenda? I don't Miss Pam
>> Pam Fentress 12373 Lost Lake Drive Lake Placid. It's not a presentation, but under public comments. At our last utilities meeting, I spoke a lot, perhaps too much, but we um when and Mr. Mr. Draper was the chair or acting
chair. We talked about a punch list and things that would be on the next utilities agenda and I asked then and I've asked several times about the master utilities plan. Um whether it's in the attorney's office or wherever it is, but a status update. Um prior to
January of this year, y'all have approved it, the council approved it. It's that $18,000 plan. you're going to talk about some big items today and make some tough decisions about f the future of sew and water in your town and it and we still don't have a master utilities
plan to direct us um in those decisions. So, I would at least like to know a status update on where the plan is and if you've completely scrapped it or what you're going to do. And there was a lot of other things that were supposed to be on this agenda today that y'all talked
about at the last meeting. Thank you. Thank you. >> Just to give an update, we sent everything that they asked for us to send them. We have not heard back from them and it's been over three weeks. So, we're waiting on a response back. We
give them all the information that they they needed. So, maybe they're putting it all together. I I really don't know. But, uh we're waiting for a response back to hear from them. >> From them. >> We do plan on moving forward and seeing what they have to offer. Yes. Did you hear anything? >> Not much.
>> No. >> A response from them. Who? >> Um, >> staff or I mean the attorney or >> No. Uh for >> Yes. I'm trying to think what >> from the college. I forgot the guy gentleman's name.
>> The contractor. >> Is it Fred? Fred? I I can't remember exactly. I have it on email somewhere in here. from the contractor. >> Not a contractor, no sir. It's a school that they want to do the master utilities plan and put it all together
for us. We sent them the information. They have staff that at the college that's going to go through it and devise a plan for the town of Lake Placid. >> So, we're waiting to hear back from them, the college. >> Mr. Chairman, may I inquire? Excuse me.
>> Sure. Certainly. The last I recall in my former role was there was an $18,000 contract moving forward with a firm out of Orlando. I thought that's what Pam was asking about. >> I don't know about the $18,000 contract
though. What is it is the same. >> The $18,000 was to the professor in charge. He actually does this in his off time. Uh, so he was waiting for the summer before he began on it and now he's received the information he
requested. He should be working on it. I'm the one who reached out directly and and communicated with him. He should be working on it at this point. >> I, if I may. >> Yes. >> In my former role, I read that contract assuming it is the same document and I
was very disappointed that it has no substance. And the one thing it said was, you know, there wanted to build a couple of hours of time to meet with staff and determine where staff wanted to extend
lines. Well, that's basically saying, "Tell me what you want to do and I'll write it down." That wasn't a study. That was taking what Charlotte wanted done, justifying it, and bringing it back. So, personally, I oppose that
document. If it's not too late, I would call it into question and suggest we get something more of substance. Now, what I heard you discuss was having a college as a project look at it and come back with a proposal. totally different from what I have seen and maybe everybody
else has seen the latter, but I'd say we need to look at that and see because when you come back in with a master plan, everybody's going to put it on the wall and say that's where we're going or at least that'll be the discussion. So, I want to see what we're doing first.
>> So, you want us to stop what's going on now and bring it all back and start over? >> Unless you can answer my question. Yes, I do. >> Okay. Then we'll go ahead and check in at this point. It's already been passed to them. We're waiting on them to come back to us.
>> They're supposed to be generating a master plan for the Lake Placid utilities based on all the information that we provided them, which is >> what all have we provided? >> Our BMAP, not BMAP, all of our materials uh for our lines.
I'll be honest with you, Leanne sent all all the documents over and so I don't know exactly what she sent over, but uh between mine and her communication, she said everything that list of stuff that
he asked for she sent over except one thing. But but go ahead. >> Please let me be clear. I'm not upset with anyone in this room. I I just want to make sure if we get a master plan and pay 18 grand for it, it's worth it. My understanding was the
folks like Penoni were going to charge like half a million because you would get down into what widgets, what lines, what diameters, what lift stations, and what densities and intensities need to be served where.
You're not going to do that for 18 grand. All he's going to do is take our >> information >> information, our line, our map of the lines and say, "Oh, you might think of adding one here and come back." Now, if you want to
spend 18 grand on that, fine by me. But >> I I made that point to Charlotte. I said, "We're sending them everything that we have so they could build a master plan that we've already we've already got >> and they're going to take our plan, put a master plan name on it, and add a couple lines and say, "How nice." You
can't do anything more than that for 18 grand. >> And so >> if I'm by myself, Mr. Chairman, I will shut up and y'all proceed. There's my concerns. >> Pam has something else, I think. >> Pam Fentress, with all due respect, you
had a $40 million D grant. I'm not sure if the wastewater treatment plan is in that is all up and running now and everything's all the lines are good or not. However, you knew for five years you were going to have a million gallon a day wastewater treatment plant. You do
not have a master utilities plan. This committee fully vetted that contract and it is the $18,000 contract. When this committee saw it, there was a typo. We talked about it was 35,000 they originally going to charge. It went to town council once. They corrected it. It
went came back through the attorney twice. The council has approved this I think in January, maybe the second meeting in January this year. It's August now. It's eight months. You don't have a mass utilities plan. It was discussed. This was a professor and his
class was going to do it and they couldn't do it the first couple months, but then they'd have time. Y'all don't have the half million dollars for a real master utilities plan. I don't. The town needs, in my opinion, the town, we do this all the time. Y'all see
information, you vote on information. Eight months later, a year later, you don't know where that report is. You start all over. Y'all have to make decisions. I don't understand how if you want to undo this, where where are y'all going? some at
some point we have to figure out where we're trying to go with the sewer and water lines and the ERP permits with swift mud. You've got so many things out there. You've got then you get a state appropriation grant that is in a completely opposite direction of where
you already have engineering um drawn up and and ready to go or where you have a ERP permit. someone, and it goes back to high admin turnover with the town, needs to be on top of this. And if it's not this $18,000 contract that is already
approved and in your budget, then then it's where are you going to get the half million dollars from? Thank you, >> ma'am, Mr. Chairman. >> Yes, sir. >> I I didn't realize we [clears throat] all had fully vetted the contract. If you have and you liked what you saw,
bravo. Let's go. The contract came at 35,000. Charlotte cut it in half because she wanted to avoid bidding the matter. And all the first half is doing, I think, is like that man said right there, "Give me your lines. I'll publish
them and send them back to you." Somewhere in there, a college class got involved. Never saw that in the contract. Maybe you guys did. If you did, great. Let's go with it. I'd love for them to a college class to actually do that.
>> Now, let me be clear. I don't know if it's a whole class, but they he had interns that was going to work with him on on this project. So, yeah, that's that's it. >> I don't want to be the one that wrecks
the train on projects that's down the road. It just to me it's morphed since y'all saw it sounds like. But if you think it's work, do you recommend it as chairman of the department? >> No, sir. But I don't
I believe that we have for the size of our utility system that we have uh we already have the information on hand and they're pretty much just going to like I said earlier they're going to put it all together and say well this is our
opinion. this is the direction you you need to go or we can make our own decisions on the directions we need to go as a town uh with our water and infrastructure. >> For the record, he and I didn't talk about this in advance.
>> Okay. >> But that's my opinion, but that's that this is y'all >> I don't even know where we are on the agenda, Mr. Chairman. >> That's not on the agenda. That's not on the agenda, but um Pam brought it up, so
why we're discussing it. >> Um >> if that's something that would want to be stopped, we would need you guys to go ahead and come up with a recommendation for council, right? >> Move it to council for council to stop.
>> Well, I don't know if it needs to be stopped or if just you need to we need to know where it's going. What? So, we I think what he's saying, you don't want to get a a wrapped up package and then present and not know what's in it. >> We want to know as we're going so there's not um y'all doing busy work on stuff that is really not the direction
of what this board wanted, I guess. Is that what you're saying? >> Yeah, >> I think this was something Charlotte I would imagine >> Charlotte started. I I have no idea. Or Bert started. Uh we're just picking it
up and and running with it. Uh the mayor asked my personal opinion two weeks ago and I was like I don't see the need but uh that this decision jaw >> the the need and the original reason for
a master plan was so when we made a request or a grant application we could say here's our master plan. >> Correct. I don't and and if this guy is really good and if he's getting several interns to do a lot of the grunt work on it,
bravo. It may come out great >> for that purpose. >> I I don't know where it landed from that. >> If Pam is right. I mean, you just said that all reviewed it and knew it. It doesn't sound like that's correct.
>> In my personal opinion, it was brought up. It was discussed had No. No. >> Yes. St. Lucy,000. It >> was not a typo. She cut the contract in
half so she didn't have to bid it. I know that >> and I'm saying >> I have no I'm not questioning you. I'm sure you relied on what you saw in the packet. I'm telling you behind that packet was an administrator that cut it
in half to avoid uh having to [clears throat] go out for bids. >> This committee approved the 35,000 >> what what what we wanted was a master utility plan. >> That's all I want, >> right? But we want to know what's going in it. I think everybody wants it, but
we need to know what's going in it. And I think that's what he's trying to flay out is what are the pieces that are in this. >> We don't want to we want to build it and then have to tear it down and start over if we can build it together along the way, I think, is what he's saying.
>> Okay. >> Not true. It started out as a $35,000 master plan. It was cut in half and went to two stages under Bert Warner to avoid. You're getting half of a document, half of a product with with
the 18,000, >> but we don't have anything yet. Correct. >> You don't have anything yet. And staff saying I question whether there's going to be value in this. >> Right. >> We could go back and look for emails. I would really like to find an email that
stated what that $18,000 had to offer the town. >> The $18,000 uh was for a document which would include an introduction to the town, population projections, regulatory issues, summary of existing facilities, needs assessment, capital construction
needs, and conclusion. >> Well, that that's everything Florida Rule Water gave us as well. I mean, we we sent them that information. ual total cost was $18,125 >> and that's all information she ascertains from staff. Correct.
>> This is I I'm just going through past emails that were with the gentleman doing it and this is what was >> the final uh scope of services. >> Have y'all seen the late latest one? I don't know what we're dealing with. So,
on the agenda. Maybe we shouldn't take any action at all. >> I mean, why don't we get what we need, which is a master utilities plan that is an engineered by an engineer who knows
pressure and everything else and make and and accept that. I mean, why are we telling them what to do when they should hire somebody who knows
what to do. >> I mean, >> for the record, just the gentleman we are in talks with is a public engineer and a doctor, >> a doctor as well. >> I vetted him when this contract started
and he has very good reputation. I am confident in that. I just don't know the work product we're getting after it's been cut in half and whether there is a part two. >> I don't see anything that alludes to a part two.
>> I I I think everything you just said is absolutely true, but I'm telling you, I don't think you got the whole story. >> And will when will we see the plan? Do we have a date? >> No, sir. They haven't got back with us. >> Okay. >> Do we have a scope of work?
>> No, sir. Not not yet. That I think that's what Mark was. >> Well, the deliverables that are supposed to be delivered are a facilities plan for water and wastewater plants, piping system condition, and a needs assessment, a growth plan, water and sewer extension policy, mandatory
connection, pre-treatment ordinance, standard details for water and sewer in AutoCAD, adoption of resolution, and a capital plan. >> And are we still going to get that for 18,000? That's my understanding. Yes, sir. >> And that's totally different from the
initial. >> I don't know what the initial was. This is the uh first round of emails between the past administrator and the gentleman that I'm going through right now looking at this. I think Mark that is a more
recent round where she wanted to put task him with the tie-in fees and a lot of the other policy issues rather than the layout of the system issues. It
started with the system map, if you will, and I think she then went to that um period. I because of the uncertainty and the scope
of the work and the status, I move we recall the master plan contract for further consideration. >> All right. There's a motion to recall the master plan for further considerations. Is there a second? >> If you need a motion, I'll motion for that.
>> Second. Well, either one. Pam. Pam did it first. So, >> okay. >> So, Pam seconding. All right. Any discussion? Yes, ma'am. Looks like you were fixing to say something. No. Okay. All right. >> Now, just to be clear, this is a motion to recommend to council to stop the scope of work. Correct.
>> To recall it to this committee. Yes. Okay. >> Okay. Does that mean we can't vote on it? I don't >> It was not on the agenda on the action agenda. >> Okay. So,
we can't vote then. Is that what you're saying? >> That is my understanding. It's not on the action agenda, but >> saw your attorney just outside. Let's ask him. To me, this is a regular meeting. I think we can, but let's see what Mike says.
>> I mean, we're not setting policy. We're just making recommendations. >> Yeah. >> So, >> like I said, I don't know. >> Is he here? >> What's his last name? >> Durham. U M Mr. Durham, would you come
in here, please? You can hear me. clock in. >> U Mr. Durham, thank you. Um we have an item we want to discuss that's not on the agenda. Uh we're trying to make a recommendation to council. Just a recommendation. It's up to them what they do with it, of course. Is that
something we can do or do we need to wait until it is on the agenda? >> Make a motion to add it to the agenda, have your discussions, have your minutes, and move forward. I I would say, >> okay, what is added to this approve the agenda? They've already they've already approved the agenda. >> Well, they can make a motion to open it back up.
>> I'm I'm asking attorneys. >> They I would make a motion to open it back up and add it to the agenda. And it's just basically so you have a confident public record of what was discussed and it came through the process. That's what you're looking for when you're you're making a recommendation. You're not spending money or anything of that nature.
>> Correct. >> So, as far as notice to the public, they'll have an opportunity before council. >> Correct. Okay. Is that fine? >> I withdraw my motion, Mr. Chairman. >> Thank you. >> May I be recognized for another motion? >> Um, yes, >> Mr. Chairman.
>> I move we amend the agenda to add the master plan study discussion and action. >> Okay. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Pam seconds that. Any discussion on that? Okay. Will you pull the board, please,
on the amendment to the >> Harris? Pam's working on getting the nerve up to come speak. >> Or this is an is this is a mo this isn't an amendment. This is a motion to amend the agenda. Okay. All right. So vote on the motion, please. >> B Harris,
>> yes. >> Uh Pam, >> yes. >> Matt Elliot, >> yes. >> John Draper, >> yes. >> Gary Freeman, >> yes. >> And Jack Connley, >> yes. >> Motion carries. We'll add it to our current agenda.
So, in spirit of keeping things moving, is there a motion? >> Do you recall my motion, madame clerk? Uh, >> you are going uh to recall it and bring it back to this board. >> I I move we recall the master plan contract to the
utility commission for further consideration. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Pam seconds it. Any discussion? Pam >> pamp interest this issue of master
utilities plan. I have asked this at least at four of these utilities meetings. I have asked at council meetings um for a status update and I'm very disappointed that you would add it was under number two public comments not
on agenda item. I brought it up for a status update because last month the utilities meeting. It was it was John as the acting chairman directed staff to have it on the agenda at this meeting to be able to discuss it. Something like of
this importance. I would think you'd want the backup information. I you would want a copy of the agreement. So now it's gonna if you vote yes, it's going to the council and y'all don't even know really what you're voting on. I mean
truly um it's very disappointing to me and I would think other people you're not giving the I'm here in the audience so I have input I get it I was here other people this is critical to other areas in town where were the sewer lines go the water lines if it wasn't good
enough in the beginning this committee shouldn't have approved it the council shouldn't have approved it and is this uh how you're going to operate now things that you've done in the past a new member or somebody that hasn't in here. No offense, Mr. Harris or anybody else, but it's like, are y'all going to
unwind the stuff? >> Well, we're not here to change the plan. We're just putting the brakes on. If someone has some comment, they need to do it between now and council. >> Okay. >> We're stopping so we can see what this in January, December. Council approved
in January. And it all it it's such a waste of time in my opinion. Thank you. Any other discussion or comments? >> Yes, I would like to uh I'm going to be
in contact with Mr. Frederick and Chief as well, but I'll include him. But uh and see if we could get all the information that would be feasible. Right now, this is went from hand to hand to hand and we just let let me get
back to him and uh talk with him. I asked him to call me and he has it. But hopefully we could talk oneon-one to where I could try to get the information in email form to where we could bring it back to where it makes sense for everybody. Right now it's it's not doing
anybody any good because none of us really know right now where we're at with this. I feel like it's smart just to pump the brakes. Let's find the information where the status is and then we'll move forward. But I I'll I will be working on that. >> Okay. Thank you.
>> Any other discussion or call a vote? >> Call the vote. Just clarification. We're recalling the master plan to come back to this commission, not recommending to town council to recall it. So, we're just making a recall back to this commission to discuss before making >> Let me be more clear.
>> Yes, >> Mr. Chairman. My motion, if I may restate, is to stop progress on the master plan and bring it back to the regional utility committee. I just needed to know that if it needed to go on a town council agenda. >> Fair question. I was trying to be too
nice. >> Okay. >> Thank you for being nice. Um All right. No other discussion. Uh we oppose the board, please. >> Bert Harris, >> yes. >> Pam Brewer, >> yes. >> Matt Elliot, >> yes. >> John Draper, >> yes. >> Jack Connley, >> yes.
>> Gary Freeman, >> yes. Motion carries. Thank you. back to our agenda. Um >> my apologies, Mr. Chairman. >> No problem. We We need to start filleting this stuff. Um um draft
utilities budget. Um that's kind of the same thing, isn't it? >> No. >> No. >> Who's talking? No, it's not. That's not a master plan. >> Okay. So Mark, are you gonna talk about that or
>> may I make a suggestion, Mr. Chairman? >> Yes, sir. >> Um, as Pam pointed out, I'm the new kid on the block. >> Yes. >> There's no way I have absolutely understood the budget, nor will I in the time required to vote. Um, I had a
conversation with the mayor that she applied or the staff has applied reasonable uh cost of living increases for payroll um and the appropriate that she is comfortable with the budget. I'm ready
to support it as written with one caveat. Um that said meaning which is going to be to build in some structure to actually fix the things you budgeted
as called out in the Florida rule water and you've already raised the rates. They they said we need to fix these certain things and they raise the rates accordingly. then put that in the plan of work for the coming year would be my only comment
because those have already been called out of the bud and the the um rates have been increased to collect the money for those things and if we don't say do those things then it'll just get sucked up in the big hole of ambiguity is my
fear. So Mr. Mr. Chairman, if you want to walk through it line by line, I have no objection, but I intend to vote yes with or without that line by line. So, is there anything glaring to anybody that they want to discuss or
discomfort with or want to add or say it's not enough or too much? Ma'am, I don't think that mic's on. >> The budget that been proposed is like 95% of the previous year budget. So, just a couple things change on it.
>> Would you like to point out the things that are changed the most? >> So, in the budget, we usually have the capital and operating together. So in the new budget, the capital is going to be separated from the operating and
that's also going to be in the reports as well. In the current year for the salaries, it's about 5% average for each employee. And the retirement went up, so like about $1,000 is going to go up. Um
the property insurance about 10%, we don't have the final cost on that yet. health insurance about 7 and a half% and the wastewater rates went up 5% and the water rates went up 8%. And
so on the revenue side of it, there was some grants put in there for the wastewater side of it. Um there was a riff grant that is in application status. So right now you won't see any um grant funding that's showing in that line item. Um, we also put the 319 grant
in there for connections. Um, and for the the stag grant is not included. Um, because right now um well, that's going to come up a little bit later in the in the presentation as far as why that's
not included because right now we requesting um direction on some of the items on the stag. um the bulk water for Lake Plastic Camping Conference Center. That's a carryover from the last year.
And that's pretty much the difference from the previous year. Okay. So, do we have a motion to um recommend this um draft utility budget to council? So moved. >> Okay. Pam's moved. Is there a second?
>> Second. >> Been moved and seconded. Any other discussion? Yes, Pam. Pam Fentress. Um, I wasn't here for the Thursday council budget meeting, but I listened to it and I think it was Ray
Royce that asked the question if this uh proposed 13% total was in addition to what had been previously passed last year. I went today and pulled the minutes from the November meeting, the first reading and second reading of when
this rate increase um was approved. It is not as the packet or the packet that was presented to council said last year council approved a 22% total increase with the next two years at a 8% increase. So I have the minutes here. I
have the dates in the agenda items. Um that makes a difference. So I would think that y'all want to know you've already it's already passed that it's supposed to be 8%. is that so you're and and at the meeting where the floor rule
water the joint meeting they presented the public had a the packet I think the council was given updated figures the day of when the guy was here to speak from Florida rural water association the packet um had the 20 2024 information in
it was outdated information y people are voting and basing things on something that was a year old and did not include the 22% increase that the council has already enacted there. I know I'm getting into the details in the weeds, but it's in your ordinance. It's what
you pass here, the 22%. And so those budget figures aren't completely updated. I I'm not a town taxpayer or a water and sewer um taxpayer. I would want to know if my rates just went up 22%. And if they're
going to go up the eight plus the 13, is that 21%. And there's a lot of things that I think y'all need to discuss. >> May I ask a couple of questions based on that? Rachel, did or does our budget for the
current utility that we're about to vote on include the rate ordinance increase previously approved by town council? >> So when she was talking about the the 22% there was a change in that. So council
did approve the 22%. But the town administrator at that time changed the amount to 8%. So now this is just additional 8% to the >> So my question though is whoever recommended what we adopted a rate
ordinance that increased the rates. >> That is correct. >> Has that rate ordinance rate increase been priced into this budget? >> This is additional 8%. >> Meaning yes. >> Yes.
So, your budget includes collecting more money and spending more money based upon the rate ordinance adopted. >> Well, if you look at the um I >> I was hoping you'd just say yes. >> Yes, it is. But there's also is some reserves that's been built in here as well. >> Excellent.
>> Yes. So your point is a higher increase was recommended, but we only voted on an 8% for last year. So we need to put it on a coming agenda and
address the increase for the coming year. >> That is correct. And we talked to Florida Rural Water and so they were saying a three to 8%. So they just went with the 8% because of the shortage that they did the year before to kind of 's
point. We have adop we are about to recommend a budget that in that includes everything voted on by council. It is up to date with current data. >> That is correct. >> And we need to come back to finish Pam's point for the next increase
if we want if that's appropriate. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> Did Rural Water have any uh comments about what the did to instead of 22% just giving them 8%.
>> Well, in the first they they did it 5% and then when they realized that the 22 never was fully implemented then they went to the 8% and then that's why it's the 8%. So then again this year it's 8%. >> So it'll just extend the time that
>> so it's kind of catchup. Mhm. >> What had happened in 22 in 19 2022, we voted on a rate increase and it was never implemented >> fully >> fully implemented. >> It was implemented but not fully to 22%.
>> So, we're good. >> Yeah. >> Staff recommends it. >> Yes. >> Any other discussion? You pull the board, please. Amber Brewer, >> yes. >> Jack Conley, >> yes. >> Matt Elliot,
>> yes. >> John Draper, >> yes. >> Bert Harris, >> yes. >> Gary Freeman, >> yes. >> Motion carries. Okay. Recommendation for appointment of chair or vice chair of I'm assuming this
regional utilities commission. Do we want to nominate or volunteer or >> I recommend that you stay on as chairman and >> who's vice chair? >> Vice chair either Gary or B.
Thanks. >> I'm fairly new. >> Old. >> Anyone else? >> I'll put my hat in the ring for chair. >> That has nothing to do with Matt's done a great job. >> I have strong feelings about moving
forward the the group. So, I would ask [snorts] >> Okay. Um >> which may The reason Pam said put somebody else here. I know >> in past we have decided on it but is
this is it our ours or the council? >> It's my understanding it's a recommendation to council according to code even though in the past you've done it. It it should have been done by by uh >> okay >> the town council. >> All right. Well, why don't we then
pull the board? How about that? >> I have a motion complete motion. So, >> uh, we don't need a motion. It's just a, um, I guess >> recommendation. Motion to town council. >> No, no. To amongst ourselves as who we want to recommend, whether it's myself or Bert. That's what I'm asking.
>> Oh, you want me to ask every >> Right. So, you say Matt and then >> Matt can do that. He's >> right. Yeah, >> it's okay. >> Okay. And then we'll ask who wants Bert and then we'll amongst ourselves decide and then somebody will make the motion unless there is a motion to council that
Bert Harris is our new chairman or Matt Elliot the new chairman and we vote on that but there is that isn't that I'm saying let's decide because I don't think everyone's speaking or cares maybe I don't know so pull the board for um Matt who wants Matt
>> who wants Matt Gary Freeman >> okay yes for Matt I'm sorry. >> Yeah, I say yes. >> Yes, for Matt. >> Okay. >> Um, >> Matt. >> Matt. >> I'm standing. >> Matt. >> Matt. And Matt and Bert.
>> I move we elect Matt. >> Being the quick thinker I am. >> I'm for chair. >> How about >> You're certainly do your vote though. I'm just saying. >> That's okay. You heard it. >> So now there's a motion to recommend me as the chairman. >> Do we want to go ahead and ask who wants a vice chair? Want to make it one motion
for chair and >> that's probably a good idea. >> So >> would you like to include a vice chair? >> Nope. >> Okay. Could I add that Bert be the vice chair? >> You can. >> Okay, >> you can. >> Is that a good everybody? >> A motion to that. Is everybody good with that? >> Bert.
>> Bert. Okay. >> Bert. >> Okay. >> So, who's making the motion for >> So, Bert has moved the motion that I remain chair. He's the vice chair. Is there a second? >> I second it. No more discussion, I guess. So, um,
poll the board, please. >> Bert Harris, >> yes. >> Pam Brewer, >> yes. >> Matt Elliot, >> yes. >> John Draper, >> yes. >> Jack Conley, >> yes. >> Gary Freeman, >> yes. Motion carries. >> Who has been making the agenda?
>> Staff. And that's something we should probably maybe sit down >> at the end at the end of each meeting. So we >> they're not getting it from him or me or we want this that you're not you know what I'm saying? You're getting it from the board >> as to what we would like to see. >> The staff put on the agenda what members
request >> that's correct. They will. >> So if the staff will add anything then it doesn't matter. If the staff limits it that's a different issue. >> Sure. in the I say that not with anything to do with the folks in this
room. I've seen uh a town administrator con strictly control what's get gets brought to the boards and I don't ever want to see that again. >> Okay. >> I move that any member be allowed to add
any item to any agenda 5 days before the agenda. No. 7 days before the agenda is published. >> Okay. Is there a second to that? >> And does that fall in line with proper
>> excuse any member and the staff? >> That's not to the staff's exclusion. >> Does that exclude anyone? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Right. >> That's who can make our agenda. Otherwise, the public can come to the
podium and ask that something be put on the next agenda. >> Okay? >> Or as Pam did today, this agenda, >> right? Is there a second to that? >> I second that. >> Jack second it. Any other discussion?
And does that fall in line the seven days with the making it publicly known and all that stuff? We like to have everything um kind of fall on town code at two o'clock Tuesday the prior meet prior what town council's okay two o'clock prior to that council
meeting so it would be maybe Wednesday >> was that yes >> that's a yes seven days is fine >> unless you want if you need more time say so I mean >> no no no I just want to make sure we're not trying to >> right run state law over federal law or
whatever yeah okay um moved and seconded we Seconded, Ray. >> Yes. >> I was right. You're not listening. >> Jack. >> Jack. Seconded. All right. Will you pull the board? >> B Harris. >> B Harris. >> Yes. >> Jack Conley. >> Yes. >> Matt Elliot. >> Yes.
>> John Draper. >> Yes. >> Pam Brewer. >> Yes. >> Gary Freeman. >> Yes. Motion carries. Okay. Item C, ordinance 2026-10,
utility chapter 135, proposed wastewater code revisions. Good afternoon everybody. Um, today I'm here to bring forth the proposed ordinance 2026-10 utility chapter 135 proposed wastewater
code revisions. Um during the July 16th joint workshop um there was uh very lengthy discussion um concerning policy questions that were identified um in terms of
establishing new policies for the new wastewater plant. Uh there were specifically nine questions that were listed um for this commission to research into gather information, work with staff and or engineers
um to make a re recommendation for council on whether to adopt the changes recommended in chapter 135. Is that is that all you Mr. Chair?
>> A couple questions about it. >> Yes, sir. Yep. >> I just want to know she was done. Are you done? Is that all she's going to present? >> The nine specific questions are in part of your packet. They would start
uh I believe it would be page 20. page >> and 21 are the nine specific questions and it's pertaining to um determining whether or not we are going to stay um a
domestic wastewater plant or if we want to take on any considerations for proposed industrial wastewater and the ramifications in doing uh taking on those types of customers
for then having to implement the pre-treatment programs, hiring additional staff members, reporting DP oversight. >> Okay, Mr. Chairman, I have the question now about industrial
>> waste. >> Maybe we could pull that up. There's a place in there I I was trying to find it, but it's saying one, you know, three different decisions. One would be no industrial waste, period. Then you got one that's
controlled or whatever you want. I don't know where that is, but it's not a good idea from my experience. It's not a good idea to have any. You want zero industrial. Like I used to work at a treatment plant that had industrial coming in and it it's terrible to try to
control it. But if it's set up where they don't have any coming in, then they'll have to treat it themselves. They'll have to have a plant or they'll have some other agency come in. We can monitor that to make sure of that. But it's just not worth it. It will ruin a
plant, destroy it. And you may be aware of it, but uh I just think that that's pretty serious stuff. It's very uh intensive, >> right? >> So >> potentially
said 21. Yeah. >> But do you know what page it's on? >> Well, so the questions are on up on the screen now that were originally proposed from Mr. Durham, right, Mike? >> Well, there's a place where you can actually vote for it and the council will have to do that. >> Okay. So >> that's what I'm looking for, but but the
bottom line is I mean, it explains it all. It's a good document. I think I think it was well done. They didn't miss anything hardly. >> Mike, this is your original presentation from the workshop [clears throat] that all I did was attach your original presentation. >> Okay.
>> So, I don't know. I don't I don't know how to navigate this. [laughter] um commission. I essentially prepared this to get this item moving to get it back to the utility commission because you the subject matter experts, the knowledge and appreciate the volunteer
time to really dig into this and make an appropriate recommendation to town council. That's essentially where we are. This was just me free thinking here. Um, you might have better questions and and more questions, but it's basically to get this ordinance back to town council so we have the
regulations in place um to protect the treatment plant and to generate the revenue and to allow hookups. And there's a few other things that keep coming up um as well that we need the commission to engage it. >> There's just a lot of factors involved,
a lot of different kind of chemicals that can make a lot of damage. [clears throat] So, I just want to bring it up because if you say that you we can't have any at all, then that's something to work from. In other words, they can prove, well, we've got this, this, and now we've got pre-treatment, we've got all this that can take care of that.
>> That's a criteria that we would hope you folks would explore and talk about and to give staff direction on what we need to do in order to protect that plant, make it operational. >> Um, you know, I don't I'm not a wastewater expert, right? >> Um, staff probably is to some degree. I
think the engineers need to look at this. Um, it's a well-developed ordinance thus far, but I think it could use some tweaking, >> right? Everything in it is great. That's just I just saw that >> Mr. Harris, I think he prepared that when he was town attorney with with the engineer, but there may have been some
there were some policy issues that came about um that I think the commission, this commission needs to consider and move forward. Right. You want an explanation of what this is and does and why? >> Sure.
I mean, if if everybody's read it and ready to vote, that's fine. I'll keep my mouth shut. >> I want to hear >> This was back when I was fighting with uh Charlotte over whether we could put industrial or
frankly the car wash brought it up discharge into our plant. I initially drafted Mike has an agreement that if the car wash wanted to hook up because our plant it's not whether you want it to be a domestic wastewater plant. It is
a domestic wastewater plant. >> So I am going to at some point today move we move forward with a determination that it is a domestic wastewater plant. That's a statutory definition. Uh period. That doesn't mean
you can't have other folks connect. For example, with the car wash, my initial agreement was yes, you can connect, but you have to pre-treat. So, you're only sending us very restricted things. Nobody knows who's going to pull up into
a car wash. Before I knew better, I pulled up and cleaned out my garbage my um charcoal grill one day. Boy, the mess that went into that. So I know if if I did that, dear God, people from Miami headed to New York could come and dump
darn near anything in an automated car wash. So the agreement basically said, "Okay, you can run an automated car wash, pre-treat, sidestep." His pre-treatment was a concentration so he could reuse the water and send us the
stuff he pulled out of the water. That's not pre-treatment. That's the reverse of pre-treatment. Told him so. So, I said, "You've got to pre-treat. It's in the agreement. And if you send anything into our plant that hurts our plant, makes it more expensive to
operate, you're paying the cost. And we're going to stop service until you do. And we're going to make sure that payment goes through the mortgage, through the corporate veil to the people profiting, to the owner. They lost their
mind over the fact that they might have to be liable for what they do to our plant. They'd rather pass that liability to us. I took a hard stop. No, I think the town attorney has done a similar in that instance. The and and this is what brought Bert
and Charlotte to damn near kill each other. Charlotte wants to be able to hook up whoever she wanted. She did not want a determination that it was a domestic plant. She wanted to hook up whoever, including these people. um
to stop my agreement with the car wash. She got Bert Warner to get this document from Sarasota or Bradenton. I read it. This document does
about the same thing mine did. Mine was only about 10 pages and it was rather direct to them. So I said, "Fine, let's use this." And I tailored this to ours. I took out they allowed runoff of snow
melt for example. So I struck that um and changed it to our name. So this was something Bert Warner chose. I went through it, put in our concepts. Um but you still got some blanks to fill
in. If you'll go to agenda page 41, I said basically you failed to pay your ability utility bill more than blank days and I'd like our lawyer to weigh in on this. We're going to cut off your you water now
and your wastewater. So I would say we leave that blank and send it up to council with the lawyer to fill in the appropriate cut off of days. >> Who would determine who would determine the lawyer doesn't have the data as far
as science behind? >> It's not a science-based question. It's a legal based question as to how much notice you're required to give to the customer before you terminate his service. Right now I think we address that at the 30-day mark. I'm not sure.
I would defer how that is operated. I do believe there's something in the code now where utilities are cut all services um your trash removal, water utility and so forth. I would have to defer if anybody any other staff knows what those provisions are, but definitely need a a
date and it needs to be something that's current. I remember a discussion recently with a business in town that wasn't um paying its particular bill and it was cut. So, we definitely need that leverage. Otherwise, why have a rule?
I would think staff would want to read through this and put in their recommendations for some. I included on page 23 of the agenda page 44, emergency termination of services. so we can stop
because if they start screwing with our system, I want to be able to shut them off and not wait for the damage to continue. >> There there's another question. How do we know who's going to monitor the input? >> That's a whole huge issue. >> I want to hear from
the uh old saying, dilution is the solution, right? uh where the car wash is going now for just thinking we're not picking on that but I'm using that if that's all right when they they have a system there that
will take oil water separation and just supposedly just give us their their finished water. Um there is no lift stations in between that that car wash and our head works. So, we would know
pretty quickly uh if there's something that came through that would hurt our plant. Uh now, if it went to another lift station, it would get mixed in with everything else. But, uh and and this just thinking about the car wash, we would know ASAP, but as for at the town,
we go quarterly and check all grease traps. And uh as the operators, you would you would know through your pH and your your your finished water and looking at the headworks if you have an issue. And as soon as you do that every
morning, you do your pre-checks and you see it, you automatically start investigating and uh where where it's coming from. >> I'm sorry. >> The town does have >> I'm sorry. >> How often do you check? Every morning, did you say >> we check our plan? We do multiple
walkthroughs every day. Um, when I leave here, I'll be going back and doing it because of the storm. >> At the plant, but not the crush. >> I've I've got the plan up on my computer right now. But >> Right. Okay. Yeah. >> As for >> Right. >> like everything else like our our staff goes and checks the grease traps and
would say, "Hey, listen. You need to pump these out and all, but that's where we're at with that." But I I definitely agree. if they're causing an issue, we need to like that immediately
>> like stop all like services uh because we can't afford to uh reseed a plant and for that plant to die. >> Thank you. >> If you look on page 45, you've got a
couple of questions. It allows people to put in or the prior or the ordinance that Charlotte sent over allowed half inch rocks and I said I thought that was a little large for our our pumps. Um so I suggested a reduction but I don't know
what size rocks the pumps can take if any. Do we need to put a particle size on this? >> No, no pump should be pumping rocks. >> Yeah, I quite agree. >> Water and sand and grit. But uh >> so it's a complete prohibition of grit.
No, grit comes through. But >> grit comes through, but we have a grit chamber separator at the sewer plant, but absolutely no rocks. Yeah. The biggest I've seen in the past was asphalt. You know, the P-size asphalt
that'll make it through the impellers of those pumps. >> If we're going to make it enforceable, you're going to have to put a diameter. What's a P size? Why don't we Why don't we at the end of this discussion hold it, let you fill in some blanks, me fill in some blanks, and
bring it back. >> Would that be acceptable? >> Or do you all want to fill in blanks today? >> I think so. I'm My recommendation is this needs to go to our engineer that designed the plant before you say yes.
Got a motion. >> Well, if if have have y'all had a chance to read through this? >> Not all of it. No, I haven't. >> Well, this is pretty this is this is pretty heavy stuff. I believe this is the one that I
included. If you want to, if we're saying it's domestic, we all know there are other commercial businesses that will want to connect. Let's say a restaurant. We want restaurants. Actually, they don't send out poop. They send out grease and a lot of stuff down
the garbage disposal. But we deal with that every day with a grease trap. That's the the interceptor, if you will. My point is there ought to be other standard interceptors that we can put in here that I don't know about. And I
would ask our engineer to say what those should be and let the engineer say what standards should be in here if any. Now, if somebody wants to come and and install something that we don't address,
I would say they need to hire our engineer at their expense and that our and their engineer can talk to our engineer, but our engineer certifies to us that works and doesn't mess with our plant. I don't think we should be charging our
rateayers the cost of engineering a solution. >> Uh Mr. Chairman, >> yes, >> I just wanted the reason I brought it up was uh there's companies like that are semiconductors. They I worked I worked
in Port Malibar and we had a huge complex there. We we used to get uh 25 30 different kind of chemicals >> that came in the plant because completely by they had their own list stations and it from time to time it would it would destroy our culture that
we build on the plant. >> Mhm. >> And we had to do something about it. Go over there and chew them out. But the it would have been better if they were not hooked up at all. >> Who was this Gary? the company um Harris, sorry, Harris Corporation.
>> They made semiconductors in Port Malibar. >> Oh. Oh, you're talking about not even >> No, no. But if that if they in other words, it I mean, it ruined the plan a couple times. We had to start all over again basically. >> And we had a goodiz plan. It was it was a 2 million gallon plant.
>> But when I saw this, I thought, well, we should just not let people like that be hooked up to us. And I think that's where Bur's coming from. We don't need that kind of thing here. We need the industry, but we don't need the chemicals. >> That's that's why I brought it up.
>> If somebody We had a leather manufacturer at the Sebring airport when I represented them, and boy, the heavy metals they discharged. I mean, it was frightening. Um, [snorts] you don't want that. I
mean, even if you want a leather shop here, you don't want that. They got to have the their pre-treatment to our standards. >> Well, we'd look at that before we permit that information back from their engineer and our staff, whatever
engineer use with our staff. >> It's easy to say that, but we need to build that into this code. Yes. >> We can't build everything into the code. We just need to test. They have to tell us what their fluent is and then we Look at it. >> Well, then we can build that into the
code. >> That's what >> Yes. Uh, yes. Maybe in here. >> I operated a facility south of here. I'll just say that. as an operator for the wastewater and water
plant. And they had a tank washing for semis where they would bring the semis in and clean out those tanks. And you could always tell when the dairy trucks came in because my
plant would die. I mean, not just it would completely die. We had to bring in seed to to bring it back to life and that becomes very costly. And so, uh, I I read the other day of somebody that's about to hook up to
our system. I asked for every MSDS sheet of chemical that they were going to be using, and I sat down at my house for two hours straight. I'm a slow reader, but I read every uh MSDS sheet and every
one of them said if it falls into the wastewater drain to dam it off and immediately get rid of it to stop it from going into a wastewater drain. And that was every chemical.
And so that was really shocking to me. I looked at more things than just that. I looked at pH which operators look at and if you have a very low pH it becomes acidative which kills your bacterias in your blood
or your blood in your your plant and your bugs. So, there's things that we have to really look at. If a metal plant came in here, fertilizer plant came in here, want to hook up, uh, just one hit, that's all it takes, and you're looking at three to four weeks. And we got a
previous operator to get that plant back up just as a a new startup. And so, um, just thought I would throw that out just to keep everybody aware. I'm I'm with Gary on. We really need to pay attention
to who we allow into our system. And >> you recommend send it back to the engineer. Let it come back to us. >> I think we need to comment on it. >> Okay. >> I mean, have y'all ready to work through this? >> It's fine with me. Or does this need a workshop or you want to do it now or I
mean, it's a pretty big document, but >> that's kind of my point. >> I mean, I I Has staff gone through it? Have Have y'all have you read it? how important it is that we get this right. Well, I think our industrial standards
actually come out and we have some checks and balances on ind industrial standards in here, but and this is back when I had to work for Charlotte, so I couldn't just say prohibit it. >> Yeah. >> But now I can.
>> So I I don't think this is ready for prime time, frankly. Can't we just make a motion that says that we're a domestic wastewater plant? That's it. >> I second the motion that we're a domestic wastewater plant. Now, the real
point is we need to bring that back in the form of a proposed ordinance. >> Okay. And I've actually already got that written from back when Charlotte wouldn't let me bring it forward.
Actually, let's I withdraw that motion. >> Second. There's a second. >> If whatever it was, I do I withdraw it. >> Sorry, I didn't bring it. I've got the ordinance. I will put it on the agenda for the next reading. Can you read into ordinance to cover
every possible chemical that may come? And why do you have to do that? Why don't you just say prior to hooking up, you need to pass our standards and send whatever they're whatever they're proposing out to an engineering
firm that's familiar with it because staff may not have the expertise. And like we're saying, it's extremely important. Send it out to some experts. They can pick the experts, come back and say, "You've got X, no X can't happen.
Why can't you make it that simple?" Because we for us to read this, we're not going to be there reading what's coming into us. You can't ask that from us because we are armed with that. Let staff know that this is the
procedure before you send anything to us if it's not purely domestic. then you do this. >> The only place I would I'm with you conceptually.
I think there are some basic things like restaurants that shouldn't have to hire an engineer or our engineer that we ought to build into our code the provisions. Yes, you can do a restaurant. Do this and and that I think
is already in here and in our code. And there may and my point to the engineering is there may be a couple of more very common things that we can provide for rather than because you you the flip side of it is
hi I'd like to you do your business do business in your town great go hire three engineers and come talk to me you don't want to run off true >> it's a balancing point so things that >> so if we have experience with the things that that work and don't kill our plan,
then we'll continue accepting that. We get something in here and man says, "Not sure. I read that. I don't like it." Then make them jump through hoops. Just that to me, that's simple.
>> Does the board tend to agree with that? >> Yeah. Yeah, I do. But I'm I'm more with what what you're saying. [clears throat] We just need to know exactly what the business is. >> If it's going to be a semiconductor and they're they've got chemicals all over the place, >> we don't want it. >> We just don't let you come in. You They
have small you uh chemical treatment plants for industry. They can have their own. >> Mhm. >> Now, what comes out of there, it's a whole another story. They have to take that up with D. That's not our problem. >> And EPA eventually.
>> One of the problems you have, >> you see what I This is a question to you, Gary. You ran the plants. >> Let's say a a a grocery store is hooked up to our plant and they wash down the meat cutting room with bleach or another
disinfectant that goes in the drain, comes to our plant, does that upto stomach our plant? >> They have traps. They're supposed to have traps, grease traps. And the grease trap takes all that. They have to clean that grease trap out and take it to the dump. What I'm talking about is a disinfectant, not grease.
>> Well, that doesn't matter. It's It's still got a grease trap. >> So, the grease >> grease trap is going to take everything in that whole building. >> We have down the restaurants we have down here have grease traps. We don't I don't know if we have a code that we go down and check their grease traps or not. I think we do >> every three months.
>> Yeah. So, we take care of that. Grease is the worst thing we can handle. Th this document was kind of a battle between Burke and Charlotte. I think it's overkill. I thought it was overkill when I got it, but I put my
ears back and said, "Fine, you want it here." Um, I'll undertake as a volunteer to go back through it because I think we can eliminate about 50%, maybe more, and we can come down. I didn't want to do that until I heard the tenor of this board.
>> But I think I hear it loud and clear, domestic wastewater, and make sure we're being careful what goes into it and permit accordingly. One of the other things that I saw and liked is a permit to hook up five years. Then
you got to reapply. Now, >> good idea. >> For a lender, that's a nightmare because well, wait a minute. My bank needs to know I'm going to be here. Well, the flip and that's true. The flip side of that is D
and all the federal agencies change their rules from time to time on what we can discharge. So, if something's coming through and they change the rules on us, we have to be able to pass that rule change upstream. So, I very much like that. And that's
stolen. That's not my idea. Stolen from Sarasota. >> Well, I mean, Brandon could take it and he could go with his operators. It's been a couple hours and probably just clean that thing right up. I mean, you you got one of these, right? Yeah. It's in here. The other the other part is is extremely important. And you're saying
that and I know that we all need to know that my memory this was 1979, but we came back. I had to go before a council packed room and tell them what happened that this big company over here was killing a plan. And then we forced them.
A lawsuit came out where we had to force that company to make their own treatment plant. That's that's what it ended up. That was after I left. But >> well, that's one of the things that our staff needs to know when somebody says, "Hey, do you have capacity?" Yeah, I do.
And I really want to adjust the letter that goes out, >> right? >> To say, "Yeah, I do, but read our code." >> Right. Yeah. With that, >> I move we table this issue for one month.
>> You already have a a motion and a second on the table. Did you withdraw it? >> He withdrew the second item. Okay. >> Did you withdraw it? >> So, there's a motion to table this item uh for one month or the next meeting. >> Next. Well, next meeting is a month, is it?
>> Yes. Yeah. But >> is there a second? >> I'll second that. >> All right. It's been moved and second. Any discussion on tableabling it till the next meeting? Um, will you pull the board, please? >> Bird Harris, >> yes. >> Gary Freeman, >> yes.
>> Matt, uh, Matt Elliot, >> yes. >> John Draper, >> yes. >> Pam Brewer, >> yes. >> Jack Connley, >> yes. >> Motion carries. Thank you. Okay, next item. Our EPA stack grant scope of
the project. Project scope. Apparently, our warrior gave us a memo, which I just now saw. I'd sure love to have him give us the twominute version of what we need to do. >> Copy the memo. The glass is
>> somewhere UK right there. >> No Correct. We're This is the EPA federal one. >> So, there's another one in there. >> There's a riff.
>> Mike, can I can I interrupt? >> Mike, I I see your recommendation is it just won't work for step systems. >> The grant. >> So, that's for the >> the 319 grant. >> Yeah, I gave that to him.
We're on the stag. >> Just for clarification, we're on the stag grant, not >> I thought stag was the 319. >> No, >> never mind. >> Drinking water improvement systems. Wastewater. >> What? >> Drinking water improvement systems.
Wastewaterity. We're on the stag. >> See if I can get there. >> During this hiatus, I want to thank staff for putting numbers sheets. >> I missed it last month.
>> That made a big difference. Thank you. >> So, you're on the stag grant, the EPA stag grant 5D. >> It's Congress appropriate. >> Oh, is this the 2.5 million? >> Not at all. >> Oh, the one I got from Franklin.
>> Correct. Where is the grant agreement? That was not in the agenda package. >> There is no agreement yet. We need to fill out an application and go through the entire process. So, this is why it
is on the agenda today to seek guidance on what projects we project scope um to request in that application for funding. can't wait to hear the suggestions. It >> it's it's
um it's it's pretty basic. Um as noted, we've received the $2.5 million federal appropriation for wastewater infrastructure improvements. staff is requesting the commission review potential approaches for utilizing these
funds and recommend to the c town council the priorities that should be incorporated into the town's stag grant work plan and application. So staff is requesting a recommendation to town council regarding how the town
should prioritize use of the 2.5 million stag appropriation. Should the focus be on projects that are construction ready, backbone infrastructure supporting future expansion, environmental and
regulatory priorities, or another approach identified by the commission? Well, so I included in there your original letter um requesting the funding
And I believe I'm there should be just a one page that came out of the WG01740 million grant that also listed a series of projects for subject to sewer as
well. And they align very closely with that letter that was written by your office. I'm sorry I missed the first phrase of that statement. You something about some other letter that aligned very much with mine or agreement or standard.
>> Oh, there was one page that I thought was included in this, but it it came out of the WG017 grant agreement and it listed uh I believe it was seven items that would have been covered under that project
scope. the resolution. >> I don't understand what grant agreement are you talking about now. The >> I'm I'm just referencing back to the $40 million grant when it was originally written. They had other projects like Tamoka, Simpsonville, Southtown, Pearl,
Lake Serena, Lake Pearl. >> The original 40 million grant request listed a number of things we wanted to accomplish. >> That is correct. >> That the town council approved >> and I think that's included in that resolution. That's the attachment right here, >> Bert.
>> So, um, I'm scrolling it now. I think North Lake Placid, South Lake. I'm not sure if this is it or not, but kind of South Town. So, as I read this, starting at section
six, we requested a federal earmark. We went through the reasons why we said to install collection lines around the lakes, gravity or low pressure. Don't know which because the cost varies. We gave them the engineering cost. We
had deter Joe Barber did that. [clears throat] He spent a good bit of money going with engineering studies around each of the lakes to find out what gravity and low pressure would cost. I believe those were attached
to the grant application and then we listed the neighborhoods and asked them to find you know a neighborhood or part of a neighborhood starting with Lake Placid. So what is does staff have a
recommendation? >> There are a couple of ways that we can go with this. um for the $2.5 million. Um the nice thing about this form of funding is that we are allowed to use it for
infrastructure um town owned infrastructure versus grants such as the 319 for example which only covers private property. Um so one project that would be very feasible and um
beneficial to many would be the building of a master lift station for the Simpsonville area and that would support bringing Simpsonville and that whole area onto our wastewater plant. It also
provides infrastructure for future additions going forward. Simpsonville is not even on the list that we proposed, is it? >> I don't believe it is on that list. It was one of the items that was listed in
the original $40 million grant. Um, it is sitting directly across the street from the plant. Um, they are under consent order. >> I disagree with Simpsonville and let me tell the board, Mr. Chairman, may I? Um,
I disagree with Simpsonville and let me tell you why. There is a trailer uh RV park there >> and they have a lift station. I mean, I'm sorry, their own treatment plant and it is failing and they would very much like to connect to our system
at our expense. >> And I think the answer to that is absolutely no. They can connect, get rid of their plant, sell their little plant land, but it comes in at their expense. They've been over lobbying prior administration.
You know, I I you know, how about you help me do that? My vote is no. So, I disagree with Simpsonville and and that's the reason why. Love to see Simpsonville come in at their expense. They meaning they would need to replace their plant with a lift station and
align to us. I spoke with the uh president yesterday and uh him and I have been in close communication. They've been I I probably a year now they've been wanting to be hooked up to our system. And so I went
and visited the the site and and all. The only thing I see that's good about going to Simpsonville is that when we do connect to Mocha wastewater treatment facility um for that long of a distance we would
be able to catch everybody from Tamoka all the way down and from there it could drop into that lift station and from that lift that's why we call it a master lift station pump it into our head works to our master lift station towards the
plant. Um, and that's that's we're we're catching I think he said 91 homes. You know, he pitched it real good. I get where you're going. Yes, but I did address him yesterday cuz he's like, "Well, we've been waiting on the town." I said, "Do
not wait on the town for this." I said, "I'm going to tell you why." I said, "This is your plant. You're under consent order. You need to get a hold of Florida rule water." And the day that we say, "Hey, we can hook y'all up or we figure this out, then we'll we'll meet
and and all." I said, "We're we're still working on it." I said, "But don't don't wait till the last minute." Say, "Oh, we've been waiting all the time." I said, "No, this is your this is your problem. You got to get it fixed." So, they're working on that. At some point, my recommendation is going to be that we
not charge a system development fee for existing users because the system development fee, generally speaking, is to pay the cost of a plant. We've been given a plant to take care of our existing
septic tanks to convert them to sewer. So my suggestion is going to be free hookup for home for people that are here today. New citizens they pay the system development charge. Another thing I want to bring on the agenda to increase our
system development charge next month later. Back to this one. Given that we are saying you can hook up your 91 homes without paying a system development charge. He ought to build his own lift station
and pipe. How long is the >> I did suggest to him to go out for a grant yesterday. You I I suggested him, y'all need to find a way. I said because if we can't get the funding for it, then if y'all want to hook up to us, go out
and see what y'all can find. I did explain that to him yesterday. >> How long is it from his lift station to wherever he would dump into either our lift station or plant? If you went down for where the facility is now, follow that road all the way around. Uh go
across the street, uh where the they already did a directional bore of the developer of that whole subdivision that did not get developed. I I don't want I wouldn't want to use that directional bore and tie in because it's not even hooked up.
I would go to our old facility where our new directional board we just upsize it to a 10 inch and make the connection there. And so I would say probably oh man from there right at a quarter of a mile.
>> That's what I was going to say. Quarter of a mile. >> Yeah. Quarter of a mile. >> And you're not talking about a big line in his case. Now, if you make it, >> it would it would need to be a big enough line because when you think about Tamoka, when we build if we were to
build this, it would need to be on a scale to say, "Hey, when Tamoka we get the funding, that lift station needs to be able to handle everything for the future. >> That includes all down 27. And then from here, from here to the Dollar General, all that. There's not going to be a lift
station between here. Seems like you're passing the plant to come back to the plant. >> Uh we're trying to get everybody on the riverfront. That's the whole for for funding. I I I would imagine now we did I think
Charlotte and I or Bert and I, sorry. Um Warner, we looked at going underneath the railroad track. I'm talking down 27 past the marina, the the boat store. That's where our sewer ends right there. and we can connect there, but then we
take the the chance of missing all the homes on the river. And >> you do mean lake. I said >> lake. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. >> It's getting late. >> Let that man go. [laughter] >> But uh the the the name of the game is
to to get the grants and then also to get as many of these houses as possible because that's that's funding for our community. >> Right. You just speak of the future. I'm just thinking that's a lot of that's a big um big thing you'll be putting so far away
from the plant when it should be to me in line with the plant. Thinking about the growth that's going to be going north of here. >> See what I'm saying? >> If you're saying that's going to be the lift station for everything in the future, you said. So, I just wanted 10 years say, "Oh, we got to have a big
blip station right out here where the higher patrol station was because >> we got all this stuff coming and now you're wanting to push it all the way back to Simpsonville and back up to the plant when we could have just shoot it right in just to trying to look ahead. >> Yeah, because Bert and I did look at
that. It we just counted the houses. We Okay. We're just financially for the town. If we're going to get if we're going to get the grant funding, we're going to try I would imagine they would give us the grant funding to pull those houses off of the lake, not river, uh, and connect
them to our system. And it's it's a normal practice there. There's nothing I mean, we do this all the time. >> I'm just saying that'd be more of a lateral line or something coming off of the main that would go to the plant. >> Yeah. But that's
>> I move that we amend agend the agenda and recommend for the motion to recommend to the town council that the town tell what's the name of that park?
>> Simpsonville. the Simpsonville um RV park that he will be allowed to connect into our system free of development system development charge, but we'll have to pay the cost of the
line and the lift station >> and maintenance. >> Pardon? >> And maintenance. >> Well, once it's in, it's ours, I would think. >> Have another suggestion. >> Sure. >> I don't know if you want to look at that one. Let's finish that first. That's the end of your motion.
>> That's the end of my motion. >> Is there a second for that? Then we'll talk about it. >> You want a second? >> Justify. This may fit into this. >> Not Let's get a second first. We don't waste our time talking about it.
>> Apparently not. >> No. One second. >> I'll second. Nobody's going to second. >> Okay. Any discussion? Yes, sir. Go ahead. [clears throat] >> You said When we take Tamoka, we could use that same line. >> I'm part of here.
>> When you said when we we take Tamoka, we we we bring Tamoka into our plant. We would use that same lift station. >> Yes. >> Is that what you're saying? >> Just as like a booster. So, we wouldn't have like a regular 10 horse motor in there. We' probably have 30 motor to get
it to the facility where it needs to get to. My point is, could we go ahead and put the larger motor in there, whatever we have to do, and pay the difference from what it would be if we just brought in Simpsonville, combine it, and save them some money and
us some money both. >> Can you repeat? I'm sorry. really important together. >> What I'm saying is we can combine the affluence and put in the larger system and we would subsidize them with the large the incremental increase in horsepower
>> which would be more money I assume and move forward and help them and help us both rather than have to go back and replace it. >> He wants to upgrade the lift station. So it's fine, but we don't we don't have one to upgrade yet.
>> I know, but they're going to have >> I guess he's saying if it needs a 4 inch line for them, we can go in with a 12 and pay the difference. >> Absolutely. It's a team approach. >> Absolutely. Then I would certainly agree to changing the motion to say it's at their expense and we will work, we will consider
upgrading at our expense. >> I don't want to commit to anything. >> Sure. But they need to know it's we're not going to give them a free lunch at the town expense is my point. And and D need and we need to
communicate that to D as well because this is their expense. They're welcome to build a new plant or new lift station. >> Pick one. >> Okay. And Gary seconded it. >> Right. >> The new motion. >> Okay. >> They are they are under consent order.
That's why they've been and the town's getting a new plant. We'll just toss it to them. But, uh, as I spoke with him yesterday, I said, "Man, if you're just worried about your nitrites and and nitrates and phosphorus," I said, "Uh, go get a DO probe and uh it'll it'll
it'll uh communicate with your blower and your samples will be better." So, but they don't want to drop the $12,000 to do that study. And I was like, I would not wait on the town. I said, because two years, they're going to be
like, "All right, what are you doing? You had all you five five years to do this." So, um, >> the same grant that worked for the camp and conference center would most likely work for them. And we upgraded the camp and conference center grant lift
stations um in in our in that line so we could do exactly that. Yeah. >> Not bringing them, but bring in more around the lakes. My point is they just need to know don't look at us to pay the cost of that lift station. We'll wave our tapin fees.
Period. So what we're looking for guidance going forward on multiple grants and items just as Pam suggested in the beginning. um when trying to prioritize
are we going to go with shovel ready projects? Are we going to go with areas that are in most need? Um we have trying to develop a plan that we can follow in order so that when like a grant does
come up, we're like, "Oh, okay. This is 80% engineer complete. We've got some infrastructure. This is what we can go for." Right now we're kind of looking at the fact of we have this brand new plant and we are seriously lacking on the
infrastructure to connect new homes. So looking out there are a couple of areas where we do have engineering completion at 100%. Um that would ideally be good to get in
that area. So that's one proposed way to go forward with the stag grant. The other as mentioned is this particular grant will allow for townowned or municipalityowned
piping and infrastructure whereas a lot of them wouldn't. And then the other thing is getting engineering completion plans further along than the 30% that some of them are currently sitting at. So it does go to the master subject to
sewer plan. So we're we're looking on what should we apply for ask for in this $2.5 million that is going to be of the best benefit to the town and what is most project ready. >> I do appreciate the point, Mr. Chairman.
I'll call the question. >> Questions been called when I proceed to vote. Um all in favor >> what question >> discussion is over. Question's been called. I'm sorry. He called it. That's what that means. >> I'm sorry. >> You're right. I'll withdraw it. If the
public's got comment, I withdraw the question. But let's >> We were We were leaving the question point. >> Staff had some comments. Maybe that would help the discussion to go along. So, I certainly wanted that in the record before we just let that go.
>> Yeah. Seeing the the $2.5 million grant, uh the two options that that we we our recommendations are that we we do go forward and install the Simpsonville
lift station and and do the tie-in. And then also, what was the uh the low pressure? What was the name of it? Yeah, the Serena Pearl, which is going to be about two $250,000 to do a lowgravity system, which would
connect uh yeah, 140 uh homes in in that area. And so that's the town's suggestions on where that's our thoughts of us moving forward, but that's up to
y'all. But these are our recommendations. Pam. >> So, what now? >> What are you talking about expanding into?
>> I I believe uh what was it? Lake >> Lake Serena. Lake Serena and Lake Pearl. Uh I suggest my thoughts was to since we have engineering, we already have the permits through the county and it's uh quarter of a million dollars to go ahead
and move forward on tackling that to where we would have the low pressure gravity in front of those homes to where we can actually get those 140 connections and then uh once that job is done, whatever would be remaining, my
suggestion would be put on Simpsonville and whatever ever remaining cost of the lift station and the line going. I think Simpson Seville they they need to support financially as well the cost.
I hope I put that I I got ADHD. I go all over the place. Forgive me. directly many years. >> I've got a I'm trying to be as nice and I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings, but I
don't like presenting gee would like to do Simpsonville. I know I've been in this town and I've worked on this system long enough to know generally what you're talking about, but a map or something more. I
mean, if you're really saying commit the town's resource in this direction, bring me more than just, gee, we'd like to do Simpsonville. >> We just >> I don't I don't think that's a fair thing to this commission. >> I'm not going to support Simpsonville
because Simpsonville, that RV park, ought to pay its own. Yes, we can get a grant to do it. Yes, we could get other things. we can hook up those same things when Simpsonville does their part. So, they need to, in my opinion, pay their
own lift station. I would also point out the town council already listed and told the congressman what priority we're in, and I intend to follow that. My point was the one you suggested first, not even on the list,
is answered by they're providing their own fixing their own problem. We'll talk about the Serena next. >> Pam Pam Pam Pentress, just to give some history, Simpsonville came into play
last year and the year before this committee gives recommendations to the town council where they'd like to see the priority ranking for the grants or for different things. So, I Simpson bill has been in play for two years. I'm just
I don't know if staff knows this or not. I just saw it last week. T when Kevin McCarthy was utility director, he and D worked out a deal about Simpsonville in that there Simpsonville had a consent order against it. Um D ended up giving
them a fiveyear wastewater treatment plant or permit. You there's documentations from Kevin saying if you if you the $40 million grant um we're not going to do Tamokco. We haven't done this and this, but we're going to do
Simpsonville. So, whether y'all seen that letter or documentation or not, I don't know, but some things are already in play. Um, next with the Lake Pearl Lake Serena. This is what I was talking about earlier. There are ERP's permits
pulled from with D already on the Lake Pearl Lake Serena. Not saying you have to use this grant money with it, but from two, three years ago, y'all have Here's where we want to go. And even the Lake Mirror Drive, you've already got a
ERP permit. It expires in 2028. Can you let it expire and restart it? But you already have it's for 75 single family homes. So, you've already done some of the stuff and I I see it just repeatedly. Y'all decide something and I
know people change, different committee, different council, different staff, but y'all do these things. to make decisions and then it's like staff okay no we're going to do this and it's it keeps on changing it's not so easy as one vote here it is ERP the document the
engineering the so and so and so we spend a lot of time wasting time in my opinion and not getting the lines in and not getting the transmission there's a lot of information out there on D site a whole lot of information that's tied to this $40 million project tied to the uh1
million million. Then the other thing was the campman conference center saying you can get a state revolving fund for uh Simpsonville. We have not been able to the Lake Classic Camper Center water line because they said we couldn't do it until the sewer portion was closed out.
Maybe in the last month, two months ago, the new mayor signed off on that. I don't know if it's officially been closed out or not. you can apply for the next in line for that SRF grant is should be the Lake Placid water line camper comp center water line. There's
just so many moving parts and nobody seems to be keeping track of things. Um anyway, there's a lot of things that y'all have already put in motion and already committed to D that you're going to do and it's tied back to that 40 million.
Do >> you want to know the history of any of what she's talking about? Do y'all care for that? >> The board. Yes. Pam says yes. >> We've talked about a lot of things, Pam. And [clears throat] if Kevin went out and made a deal without authority of
council, which I don't think he did, to pay for Simpsonville problem, I think he's wrong. And that decision has not been made. It was certainly discussed. We discussed a lot of potential projects around town. Good on us. I don't even
know what you're talking about. The one on Lake Mirror Drive, the ERP. What's that? Do you mind if she tells me what that is? >> That's fine. >> What? What? What are you talking about? >> I think >> in three words or less.
>> Impossible. >> Okay. Then after the meeting, if you'd let me know because I don't know. I've not heard of an ER. Pardon? >> I can't do anything or less on a good day. >> Okay. Well, we'll check on it later, I
guess. >> My motion. Did we vote on my motion? >> We did not. They're still in discussion. So, >> okay. >> Any other discussion on the Yes, sir. >> Real quick, I don't um the reason why we
suggested Simpsonville fully aware, it feels like they're just getting everything for free. 100% get that. Uh, but we just got done talking about a master plan at the beginning of this thing. And so we're trying >> Whoa. What did you say about a master plan?
>> We we discussed the master plan. >> Yeah. >> All right. And so this is the town making the recommendations of the areas that we feel that we should kind of go because we look at if we put it in Simpsonville, we would have another lift
station to pump it once we got Tamoka online because we do want to get all the homes on the the canal or on the lake, sorry. And so what we're doing is just trying to put everything into steps uh for ourselves. And so, uh, that's that's
where we're we're striving to do is to what would be the next step to to get many people and that's 94 homes once that that was built that we would automatically start accumulating funds for. And so that that's just the reason
why we went there. But my second a question I have for the council, the committee, is do y'all y'all asked us for our recommendations? Uh do y'all have recommendations uh so we can maybe look at that and work
try to uh go after and different areas? I mean $2.5 million that's that's a great sum of money and we could do a lot with it. So if y'all have recommendations, we we have ears open. >> Whenever you put $2.5 million money on
the table, everybody's going to have a suggestion of what to do with it. >> So I don't apologize for having my own. No. >> And I still think Simpsonville needs to come to the table. Now, if you want to go back, I would support tableabling. That's not a motion this discussion. If
you want to go back to them and say, "What are you going to pay Simpsonville?" Because it's pretty clear the town is not going to pay your expense. >> And if they want to bring in a proposal, and we'll look for a match, maybe.
But I have no desire to go pay for their problem, fix their problem. They're going to have to do this and we will get all those good things you talked about and as John says, upgraded to our our standards. So, I still oppose Simpsonville.
If if the board wants to wait and see if they want to put money on the table, fine. Otherwise, I'd say no. And I think by telling them we're not going to pay for it, you can still deliver the message. If you want to come back with a better proposal other than the town
write the check, bring it. But the town write the check. To me, the answer is no. >> But looking at the map, we can start at the at the north end
like you were talking about and continue with the lift station force main and the yellow line coming on down to the town. Is that the where the 140 uh homes are?
>> This map is a map to be clear. This is a map of the Lake Placid area. This doesn't even I mean you got to get a micro microine glass out to see Simpsonville. This does not help. >> Thank you. >> It was what we had immediately so that you could get a map and see what we're
trying to discuss here. We just want to make sure that everybody understands it's not just Simpsonville we're looking at. It's also pulling in the the north edge of Lake June down Lake June Boulevard as well as Tamoka. That that's what we were looking at trying to pull
in with this. And and I believe what uh Brandon was trying to say is that if we put the money towards the the um East Lake Drive area that's already ready to go and then we approach Simpsonville about what they can pay for it and then use the remaining money to
help with the north end of Lake June and Tamoka bringing on as well. He wasn't saying that we would pay for Simpsonville. Um he was saying basically that we would approach them. You need to kick money in as well. and then try to use some of that fund
there on the the north end of Lake June as well to bring all that in. >> I'm lost then at what the proposal is for Simpsonville. >> But that would be our upgrade money. >> U >> that would be our upgrade money. I would think we would use our grant money for to >> Yes. >> to make our make it bigger.
>> Yes. >> Not the initial cost. >> Yes. >> Of it. >> Okay. >> So they know they're going to pay the initial cost. >> They don't know any of that yet because we haven't had recommendations or anything from this board. We're trying to look for that. We're trying to get those recommendations and move forward. And what we're trying to do is move more
with shovel ready projects that are already ready to go that we can bring homes on the system now and bring them on quickly. That's what we're trying to look for to start bringing these homes onto our system instead of of
attempting to go for things that we know the 2.5 million is just not going to cover the entire project. And we're gonna >> I get it. That's a small amount of money. >> So So we're just looking for recommendations on how to move forward from it. >> Trying to do that too.
>> Yep. >> I think you supported my motion. >> I think so. >> Okay. If there's no other discussion, we'll have her read the motion again for clarification. >> I'm going to ask for clarification on that motion. [clears throat] So to read
it back originally what I got was amend the agenda recommend for the motion to recommend to the town council Simpsonville receive free system development but would need to pay for the construction of lines and lift station at their expense >> subject to our upgrading their system
>> subject to up our upgrading >> if we so choose >> if we choose at our discretion >> the town's upgrading okay >> got a question you say upgrade their system. What What do you mean by that? >> If it takes
>> if it takes >> if they don't have a lift system, >> if it takes a two inch line for them to get to where we need them to get to, then we will grow take from 2 in to six or eight or 15 or whatever. >> Okay. >> If it takes four, then we'll carry up from four, I think. Is that correct? >> Gotcha. Thank you.
>> But they're still paying the lift station cost. We might pay for a a larger motor in it. >> Okay. >> Pump. Okay, just to make sure we're all aware, this is working on a time crunch to get this application submitted. At the next
meeting would be the last one we would have before the due date of this. So, we would need to make a decision or get recommendations at the next meeting. >> Whoa. Now, what is the last meeting for what application? >> For us to be able to meet the deadline to apply
>> for the two and a half million >> to get everything done. Yes. So if we do make if we get recommendations it would have to be at the next meeting. I'm just letting you know. So next meeting I don't come up and say hey we have to do this this meeting and you're surprised. This is
just to eliminate that surprise that this does the longer we put this off the more of a time crunch is put on it. So we would have to make this recommendation at the next meeting so it could go before council so we could push forward with submitting the application. I don't understand something. When is
the grant application deadline? >> I thought you just said we had to do something today. >> No, I didn't say today. I said I'm letting you know that at the next meeting that will put us on the deadline if we do not make a recommendation at
the next month's meeting. You're you're saying move forward. I'm just letting you know we would have to get that recommendation. >> If this passes, we'll have a recommendation to council. >> Yeah. Okay. Right. >> Just making sure that's I just >> I don't understand. Are you saying council has a deadline or are you
telling us if it's going to the next council meeting, we have a deadline? If it's going to the next council meeting, we would have to have it from you. >> And if we and if we and council miss both, we can do it the next month, can't we? >> That is what I'm saying is you would
have to do it the next month. It's not key. >> So that's not a great moment. >> I'm just making sure that you're aware of that. That >> Well, I understand if we don't make a recommendation today, then council can't make a recommendation. >> Exactly. >> Okay. Is there a problem with that? That is what I'm saying is if you do not make
a recommendation today and we put it off till the next meeting, that would put us on a deadline. It has to be recommended at that meeting. >> Okay. >> So, the deadline isn't this month. It's next month. >> Next month. >> Okay. >> Okay.
>> Would you let me know exactly when that deadline is? Would you send me a copy of the application? I'd like to know the parameters of that. trying to we have not yet guidance on today.
>> But you've got some document they've sent you that says you can apply for this. >> It is it's a standard application. We write the narrative. We propose the We submit to them the scope of the work
we would like to do just like we would with any other grant. So what we're requesting is guidance on where you would like us to proceed for our wastewater or subject to sewer expansion.
>> So your point is we could apply for a new water tower. It is specific to subject to stew or subject. >> That's what I'm trying to get down to is what are the specific boundaries of the grant application.
>> I I will bring forth on the next or I can have it emailed to you. It's very broad in what that's what I'm saying. It will include engineering. It will include infrastructure. Um Yeah.
>> Yeah. So, the beauty of it is is that engineering, infrastructure, construction, it we have a lot more leeway with what we're able to do with it. Um, that's why we were looking for a plan, a direction, what is
going to be been most beneficial for going forward when the next grant cycles open or when the next does pop up. We have a a plan in action basically. >> And I want to see the background data so I know what I'm dealing with. If you'll
email it to me, I'll be ready to vote next time. This one I think my vote still hasn't changed on Simpsonville. But I I don't I don't care for the staff to bring forward to us, here's our
recommendation, and not show us the big picture of what we can ask for. That's that's our job. I appreciate your help. I'm not trying to be mean. >> No, that that's why we're I'm asking. We gave you some ideas of areas that we're
>> ready, but that's why we're here. >> That's fine. And you should and you should, but I want to know what else we can do. >> You can get a water tower with a stag grant. I believe it's drinking water improvements. I would think that would fall under it, right? I mean, that's >> I have no desire to do that. I was trying.
>> Okay. I'm just saying. Okay. >> As you stated, these are these are specific to sewer. >> Okay. >> Water tower wouldn't fall under that. I was trying to make the point of >> I want to know the parameters. >> You know the parameters. I don't. I've
not seen the communication back from the federal government. I know what we sent them. I would prefer to stay along the the line of what we sent them. Pam, I think, just texted me that Bert Warner applied for the line along Lake Mirror
>> or East Lake. Yeah, >> it does. >> Well, if we're talking about spending the two and a half million, I would suggest let's have a workshop in a couple of weeks and I want to dig into it. I don't I I am not comfortable just
saying here's what we want to do. I want to be right in the middle of it and understand it before I recommend it to council that we don't get two and a half we're not going to get this kind of discretionary money dropped on us ever.
I guess the question also is are there other options B's point we heard one this one are there others that you >> if you look in the packet there are several listed in there um and again the
these were just the two that were um that fell closest to the amount of money that we could accomplish without additional funds. So, if you look, there's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, I'm
sorry, there's actually eight different uh projects in there that you that you can look at that were recommended in here that were already approved once by council that we could still move forward with. >> By the way,
the appropriate time, I want to bring a motion that says send me stuff in at least 12point font. I can't read this stuff. >> Okay. Are we good to go ahead and vote on this motion so I can get it off my docket here? >> Do we need the motion reread?
>> Yeah, I got it. >> Okay. Would you >> B Harris, >> would would you re the motion? Restate the motion. >> I had amend the agenda. Recommend for the motion to be recommended to the town council. Simpsonville free of system development fees but would need to pay for the construction of lines lift
station and their expense subject to upgrading the town system. >> Okay, everybody hear that? Okay, pull the board, please. >> B Harris, >> yes. >> Gary Freeman, >> yes. >> Matt Elliot, >> yes.
>> John Draper, >> yes. >> Pam Brewer, >> yes. >> J Conley, >> yes. >> Motion carries. Thank you. I move we set the balance of the issue for a workshop at a time to be determined within three two weeks. >> Okay. Second.
>> I I would like to point out that we're doing budget workshops also at the same time. So what dates are we looking at exactly? Because we have >> we have budget workshops coming. >> So the doc the the meeting agendas are pretty full. I I want to change that
instead of a workshop because at a workshop we cannot take action. I'd prefer to notice it as a special meeting so at the end of the discussion we can make our recommendation >> a month out. >> We've still got time.
>> So the next loop meeting is September 1st which puts that about three weeks out, four weeks a month out. >> I'll make time. I I can wait until then or I'll make time available before then. >> Let's do it before then so we can hash through this thing too. >> I totally agree.
Special meeting. Um everybody have a calendar >> next Thursday. >> So I'm looking at the calendar just to get some dates. >> They need more time to publish. >> That's I don't know. Okay. 20th. >> 81 19th. I don't care. >> Thursday is
>> How about a Wednesday? We're on t we meet Tuesdays >> the 18th 18th election >> 11th or the 18th >> be elections here so it'll probably be busy that day right don't they have this as a polling place >> the early voting is next week
>> how about Thursday the 20th >> what day >> Thursday the 20th >> 20th fine the following Thursday is out because it's a budget workshop so >> what time would this meeting be on Thursday the 20th remember we're having our open enrollment that day as well for the >> correct. We're having open enrollment
that day for employees. >> I'm out of town. >> Okay, >> shut up. >> 17th Monday. >> 17th, we have a council meeting that night. >> We don't at 1:30. >> Staff has to be there at the meeting
that night and we're doing preparations for the meeting. >> I was making a joke, Eva. Sorry. Um, Thursday the 13th. >> That's what I said before. She said I wasn't enough time. You need seven days, right? Or is it 10?
>> How much time do we have to notice seven? Typically, it's not a specific time, but it's good to do minimum of 72 hours is what uh what 286 says, but um in order to get into the newspaper, we're running
it tight, but I also advertise on the website next door. I'm sorry. >> Okay. >> Tuesday, >> Thursday 13th. >> Okay. >> Thursday the 13th. Work >> 1:30. Yeah.
>> At 1:30. >> 1:30. We don't need a motion for that, right? I can set a meeting. >> Sorry. >> I said we don't need a motion or anything for that, do we? I can set the meeting. So, >> you can set the meeting. >> Do what? >> You can set the meeting. >> Yep. 1:30 on the third on the 13th.
>> Okay. >> Okay. >> No, that doesn't impede the motion we had earlier that we would have something by next meeting. I don't remember what that was. Remember that? >> Just this is a special meeting so maybe this won't count.
>> What was that? Remember that we were doing something by next meeting. >> Was it tableabling at something? >> What was the code? >> Were we tableling something that passed, right? >> We table that to the next regular meeting. >> Okay. So that's regular. So that won't affect this >> to advertise for the special meeting.
Typically special meetings are by topic. So, do I have an exact wording of what we're advertising for? Is it for the STAG grant or is it for we want it broader? >> Okay. >> Use of the EPA stag grant.
>> Okay. >> Uses >> because you know we have to just do that and then that's all really all >> this thing too or no? >> So, that's the only thing. >> Uh don't make me be ready for that. >> Okay. >> Uh we can notice it and withdraw it.
>> There you go. Let's not talk about it. Yeah. >> Okay. Tell her >> commission staff clear direction. I know these are about processes and making sure you have all the documents necessary. So staff
specifically, do you need something and what would you expect and who would prepare this agenda item and what would be in that packet? So if you can give staff some direction so you have some documents to work from. talking about maps. You want to see the entire grant what we
sent to the federal government and what options are available the totality. Is that what this workshop is about? They're just looking for a little bit of uh guidance. >> Fair question. >> I would like to see every open grant out there and so we can prioritize things and start bringing this stuff to a head
and like you said, focusing on the lines that are there or what's not there. So, we're on the same you're on the same page as we're on the same page. and and look up every grant available and bring >> not available. Everything that we have open right now, the can of worms is open. That's right. >> Okay. Uh just to clarify, the one we are
looking at right now, we do not have open. We are applying for >> Okay. >> So, it's not technically open. >> I I guess what whatever's um >> Can I try >> on a hot side? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You've got Joe Barber did uh engineering
studies on every lake including every project and that would include Simpsonville. He had engineers say what will it cost for this low pressure? What will it cost for it gravity? They came back with reports, maps, and
spreadsheets for costs. That to me would be they're totally outdated. I know the numbers won't but the land hasn't moved and the roads haven't lakes haven't moved. So while the cost is outdated that'll give us the projects to look at.
The other thing I think what the chairman was trying to go towards Pam's point that Bert Warner had applied for something along either East Lake or Lake Mirror to connect to do the line there and connect those homes. If you've got
an application pending, as Pam implied said, Can I ask her what else she's talking about? >> Sure. Yeah. >> Pam, would you come up and tell us what you're talking about? >> And I didn't say three words or less.
PM interest ventures before you begin a project you have to swift motor DP and you you've got to have the engineers report and you go in to get a permit to even uh Lake Mirror Drive the force mains to
connect the soon to be decommissioned south plant and run it into Marquada and uh so you have to get a ERP permit permit to dig the lines. So then apparently
town staff, I don't know who, um they've applied for ERP permits for actual implementation of hooking up and abandoning certain septic tanks. Different projects
are in different phases. And so I know um South Town, I'm not talking about the plants, Southtown has full engineering uh plans. That's the one I think is most ready to go. Uh in the past, it's logical because you have a force main on
Lake Drive East. At one point, this P Mrs. Brewer's big thing was dropping Placid Lakes. Do you This is a conversation we had from any kind of grant approval. There's just different phases in it. Burke this committee approves or denies or gives the wish
list for the grant. I mean there are just certain section then council sometimes it's done the opposite sometimes it's done the same. So then the council said yes this is our list. Staff puts together the application and the packet to get the grant and then there's another phase where they're
working on the ERP side. The ERP permit is good for five years and it's going to say how many homes it's going to hook up. It's just this process and you you've got a lot of them. Barber did the
initial the consultants in initial like Lake June Point um they made recommendations of whether it's low pressure or gravity. So some of them are fully like have the engineering plan some of them don't. The next phase once it gets approved or the fundy's in line
is you get the ERP permit and then you're putting in the lines. I mean it's hard to explain. A lot of this information is on D uh website Oculus and you can see the correspondence. Every single document that the town staff has submitted to D under different
project is listed. Every email, every Lake June Hills everything. Um, it's hard for me to explain >> and I agree. It's hard for staff to read our minds and know what to present. May I take a moment? Let's talk about that.
[clears throat] >> I'm not comfortable exa uh stepping back from our application. So, I do want to talk about North Lake Placid. We've already got a line there. We've already got a lift station. So, to me, extending some of that may be on the
topic on the table. um [clears throat] as well as south. I I don't know what you cons I don't remember whether the lift station the conference center is in north or south. You mentioned uh Serena. Um I don't remember what
project data has been gathered for Serena, but I I'd sure like to see the Did Did you say shovel ready and Serena? >> Correct. >> What does that mean? Have we got meaning that the engineering plans were 100%
complete for that area. They are right up next to the brand new station. >> When was that done? >> I'm not trying to trick you. I'm sorry. Sometime there are
several areas of the town. Some are at 30%, some are at 60, some are a couple are at 90. So that's been another kind of issue is where are we most ready to go? What has the most engineering?
>> What is the shortest distance for connection? who's right up on the lake. So, we're trying to take all these things into consideration and determining how to go forward and and what's our best path forward.
So, originally what Pam's talking about and Serena and Pearl was there was a point where they believed there was going to be some funding remaining. So, we went forward with getting a proposal
on how much it would cost to put in the infrastructure down the five streets, Serena, Jackson, Pearl, um, Richfield, and we got that quote, and then we went ahead and we did apply for the permits
for it. No work has been done on it at all. It was right about that time that we learned that there would not not be enough remaining funds to pursue. >> I'm trying to see. You said there were
seven projects you suggested in here. >> No, it was the eight projects that were listed on the earmark letter. That That's what he was referring to. >> On the earmark letter on the letter I sent >> [snorts] >> uh what's up on the screen there?
>> Oh, yeah. The So >> those Yeah, those were the eight that he was referring to. >> I just want to let the board know one of the things that we're we're dealing with in the office.
We we have only just a handful of staff lit. I mean truly uh you're looking at it. I'm trying to I mean for utilities right now and so uh we we have looking for people to come in and so not only
that like uh Charlotte left, Bert left and we're striving to pick up this ball and run with it. So I appreciate you you're asking all these dates and stuff like that, but uh we're going to get the dates. We'll get all that. But I want to
know what do what's y'all's recommendations? I asked the question earlier, what would be y'all's recommendations? Y'all asked us and they got shot down. All right. And I just I just want to maybe not so much shot down, but I I want to know, do y'all
have recommendations on on where we can move forward with this? >> Mr. Chairman, may I respond to that? >> Certainly. >> I certainly did not mean to try to catch you on a date issue by any means. I was curious because I wanted to know whether that was something that was done some
time ago or more recently like within the last three months because I didn't remember the study and generally I see things that are I have in the past seen things. So didn't mean to catch you on an issue of a date. I assure you
when you look to us to make decisions to me this board needs to see a lot of the detail in that decision. to make a decision of gee, let's do this neighborhood.
I kind of want to know what lift stations, what lines, what customers. Serena is great. I tend to say always I want to do in town first because I think that's our job before we
go out to others. So that is my personal starting point. You've tripped an issue there unknowingly because I think you're talking about low pressure lines. >> Yeah. >> And you're talking about grinder pumps
and you're going to run. You think you ran into a brick wall here. wait till you put the grinder pump issue and say you want to put in uh low pressure lines for 240 grinder pumps and bring that to council.
Um and I appreciate you're the last one standing and I want to help not be the one on the other side of the table creating you a problem. Um, all of that said, if I were if I were trying to play
king and resolve the issue, I'd like to see where we stand on the Lake Placid projects. I don't know what has been applied, what the engineering looks like
compared to the line we have in meaning along Mirror and East Lake. Those two are already there. We'll get to the 319 grant in a minute. With respect to those, >> I too want to see us hook up as much as
we can, as quick as we can. >> Um, so I want to see lake the Lake Pearl issue, the Lake Serena and Pearl. I'd like to see what you got on Placid. And why don't you tell your friend at
Simpsonville to come to our special meeting? Whatever date we What did we say? >> He He's in Michigan right now. >> August 13th. >> 13th. >> Next. >> We'll tell him we're meeting on August 13th. If he wants to be here, he's certainly welcome to join us.
>> Let him know. >> Simpsonville. Um and the and frankly the connection of Tamoka. We may want to look at that. That would bring online into this plant more. I mean, if we're not if we're if
we're not going to follow the scope of the application, which I trouble over that, then Tamoka is I would think the next most significant. >> It's a top priority.
um to get our plant with up and running with a lot of hockey to generate money. And then Simpsonville, I'm sorry, Serena would be number two and Simpsonville would be number last until he writes checks. Now, that's
Burke's thinking. So, those are the ones I'd want to dig into and look at and see what that does to the grant. And I want to see because I don't like going with my signature on this to Senator to
Representative Franklin. And I don't like saying, "Thanks for the money that we said we'd spend this way. We've now got a better idea." I don't believe in doing that. That's not a surprise to anybody in the room. But let's look at all of the options and dig in. Now, does that limit does
that limits it to about four or five things? Does that make sense to you guys? >> Is that acceptable to you? >> And I think we did that years ago. We'd have picked out those. I remember because we excluded Placid Lakes. >> Placid Lakes weren't a long time ago. Something like that. >> That's what I'm saying. That was part of
that same discussion, wasn't it, Pam? >> Yes, >> we said it was these five or six because they were so maybe Lake June point too. I don't remember. They didn't want to be part of the funding. >> But that was for the whole 40 million. We're now what are we going to do with the two and a half? >> I agree. So look at those say five. Lake Placid
North, Lake Placid South, Serena. Um let's look at yours on uh shoot that one we've been talking about all afternoon. >> Simpson Hills, >> Lake June Hills Simpsonville.
And let's look at um Tamoka. Does that make >> you comfortable? >> Yeah. You disagree? Say so. Be direct. >> Well, I I agree with dealing with the town of Lake Placid.
Every tackling the town first, try to get as many people hooked up as possible. Like 100% agree with that. Well, yeah, we just need to know a direction. >> That's what our little workshop's going to be about. I think >> that's the workshop scope, right? Does
that >> so Serena the Pearl uh >> Simpsonville >> Simpsonville >> Placid Placid Tamoka >> Placid Placid >> North Placid South Placid Tamoka?
Is there anything other project staff wants to add to the mix? How's that? I think that's >> or any ongoing project that we don't know about. >> Then there's that.
>> Okay. Ready to move on to >> we beat that enough? >> We do. >> Ready to move on? >> I want to put more from that list on it. I I want to I don't want to waste their time of gathering the whole free world of data.
>> Is that issue closed? >> I think so. We're good. I move we direct staff to accept the 319 grant forth with >> accept the 319 grant >> that we're coming up to. You mean >> jumped over a bunch of items down 319? >> That's not coming up yet. That's in the
>> All right, Mr. Chairman. I'll withdraw the motion. >> Thank you. Okay. Uh wastewater only customer billing policy. Okay, this is being brought forth for just policy consideration. It would be a
new policy if it were undertaken and again going along with the revisions to chapter 135. So, as the town is continuing implementing long-term wastewater expansion projects, there may
be instances where wastewater infrastructure becomes available before portable water infrastructure. The question before the commission today is whether the town should develop a consistent policy that can be applied
whenever wastewater infrastructure becomes available before portable water infrastructure in future phases as our system expands. We're not asking to adopt any policy today. Uh we are asking to simply
whether this is a policy area the town should explore further. If the commission believes it warrants additional consideration, staff will research available approaches and return with
options. If not, staff will consider the matter closed unless directed otherwise. >> I've spoken way too much. Don't look at me. I'm ready to go on that one as well, but it's somebody else's turn to take the lead.
It's an absolute must. >> Yeah. Have you investigated what other uh utilities do in in this situation where they don't have uh or they aren't supplying water? um as in the uh actual presentation in
here, it it'll show you that there are many different options that other municipalities are using. They're either using a flat monthly wastewater charge that they've got from looking at all their wastewater connections. They are
um estimating water usage to figure out what type of sewage use you might get from that. Um there are they have customer installed water meters on their wells and we go out and
read the meter on their well to see how much water they're pulling from their well to get the estimated cost for the waste water. And there's many other alternative methods. You can apply our meters to the actual grinder pump being used and say this is how many hours this
is run. It pumps this many gallons. This is how much we charge for that. So there's several different options there on on what you can do with that. >> Is any any of the other utilities going by uh I don't know the number of uh bathrooms in in the house or the number
of residents. >> How they do it? >> That's another thing they will do. They'll look at how many people live in the house, how many rooms, how many bathrooms, how many showers, and then they calculate that as well. There's, like I said, there's several different ways of going about this. >> Yeah. I mean,
>> and then and then as soon as they they get the water, then you just >> then it goes off their water meter like everyone else. >> I say do we have >> do we have anybody in that category?
>> Does he have anyone in the category? >> Um the area of East Lake Drive right now is is coming into question. There are people that would like to hook up to the sewer system that's available, but they do not have water yet. So that's why we're asking this question now before we
start the hookups and have to figure it out as we go. We'd like to get ahead of it and try to head this problem off before it comes up. >> You mean the new force main that was just put in for the campaign? >> Yep. >> So how are they going to hook into that without a lip station?
>> Low pressure pump. >> It's it's a low pressure. Yes. >> Okay. It'll be that's a new force man. >> Okay. It'll be the E1 system. >> Yeah. That rear in its head. Like you said,
>> I I would think if if we could go by the number of residents in the in the house, that's probably going to be the the fairest way. Uh if you require the uh individuals to put a a meter on their well, then it's costing them more money.
>> What if it's vacant? >> Pardon me. What if it's vacant? >> If if it's you have in your water in your water. >> Well, if it's vacant, it's not using any sewage. >> That's right. >> At this time, we're not looking at that. We're we're just trying to get a
recommendation on whether to look into developing a policy or not. >> Okay. >> And that's what we're trying to take to council. If we can get a recommendation from you to move forward, >> I think it's a good idea policy. But your your plate sounds like it's full. So why are you creating more work which
is going to create more people? >> Because it's becoming an issue and it's starting to come up and we're getting asked the questions. We have to be able to answer the questions, >> right? >> People as their fields fail, >> they don't want to spend a ton of money. They say, "Well, I got a new sewer line.
Let me hook up to it." And >> so we want to have it available. It's in front of their yard. We want to be available for them. And >> Okay. flat fee. What do you What's your >> Absolutely agree. Got to be a flat fee.
O a fee. Um either a flat fee based upon your mean or some average. Um and there's also the option of looking at the building department records and count the number of bedrooms. >> Yeah.
>> If you want to have uh just like Greg would do when he's sizing a septic tank. Y >> Greg, do we have good records at the building department that would tell us that answer? >> Show bathrooms. Yes. Or bedrooms. >> I don't know bedrooms or bathrooms.
>> Greg Sap 222 Serena Drive. I work in the septic industry and the property appraisers website has all that information on the number of bedrooms. It has nothing to do with bathrooms. It comes down to number of bedrooms and square footage of the house primarily. They assume that each person will use 50
gallons a day in the house and each bedroom will hold two people. So two-bedroom house would be 200 gallons per day. Fourbedroom would be uh well that'd be 800 gallons but 800 uh 400 gallons a day. I'm sorry.
Four bedroom would be 400 gallons per day. Every bedroom is 100 gallons per day because it's two two people in there. But uh everyone assumes it's toilet flushing, but there's so much more that goes into it. Uh, laundry 50 gallons a day. Showers take a lot. Flushing toilet actually uses very very
little water. I think to put a meter on everybody's well would just be a nuisance for the utility department to have to deal with. Figure on average bas and I would I wouldn't do it on each size house. I would just average it across all the houses in the neighborhood. >> Do it 200 gallon per day per house.
>> That wasn't what we were >> we were getting at. That was just a direct question. We just were saying there's additional ways that we can do that. What we were looking for from the board today was just a recommendation for staff and legal to begin working on the policy.
>> Yeah. Make it easy on yourself. >> Bring that back when we get it done and then have these discussions after everything's been properly researched. >> Make it easy on yourself though as much as possible. >> Let's just do it how we want it to. >> Uh Mr. Chairman, >> I could >> uh Mr. Chairman, >> yes,
>> if I may. Uh, do you have any now that are just on sewer and not on our water? So, you're getting prepared, right? That's all you're doing, right? >> Correct. Right now. >> Okay. Well, the best best thing I've seen is just you put a water meter on on
the well. Simple. >> Well, that's gets irrigation and I mean, >> well, no. No. There's a place you can find that's going only into the house. I know my house. >> So, yeah, that's simple. Just do it. >> Mr. Chairman, I move we strongly
encourage staff to proceed with a rate to develop a rate for customers you sewer customers that do not use town water. >> Flat rate >> that brought flag.
>> Can I recommend a motion? Yeah, I >> I would say recommend town council to direct staff and legal to develop a wastewater only customer billing policy for consideration as part of the chapter 135 revisions. >> That's what I said. >> I think what he's saying, he wants it
flat rate. He doesn't want you to come back with 15 different options that you wasted time getting. >> I appreciate that. And we can make it just a flat rate >> if he wants to. He's the one that's got to collect 15 different rates was cool one time. Then then get the computer program to do
that. Is there a second? >> Is there a second? >> I second. >> You got any other discussion? >> We don't have that. >> We pull the board, please. >> Bert Harris, >> yes. >> Amber Brewer, >> yes. >> Matt Elliot, >> yes. >> John Draper, >> yes.
>> Matt Connley, >> yes. >> Gary Freeman, >> I don't know exactly what is it saying. What is this? What are we voting on? So it's to direct staff and legal to develop a wastewater only customer billing policy for consideration as part of the chapter 135 res revisions.
>> Okay. Yes. >> Motion carries. Next item. Utility director commission Resilient Florida lift station rehabilitation grant. Uh this is
we put this on the agenda for information to let you um so you're aware of the grant that we applied for. So we came across the grant. It was a It's a commerce grant
>> and we found it on a Friday and uh we looked over a couple of the things on our AM in our priority action list and so based upon that um and we had a a ballpark of approximately
1.5 million. So we submitted this application. It's just been submitted. We've not received any word on it, but it was requesting the rehab of three of our lift stations that are directly
adjacent to commercial zones and our where we got the initial information was from Florida Rural Water um with their suggestions in their implementation plan
report um and the uh priorities ities for repair and investment in our CN CIP and moving forward. So, this was just anformational to let you know that we did apply for it. We have >> You did apply.
>> Yeah. Okay. >> Uh and then and it came up on a Friday and the application was due on Monday. So, we didn't have any time to bring it before this board or council prior to the due date. So, we just wanted to give
you let you know what it was >> and that funding will be 2728 if I'm not mistaken. Correct. If it comes through >> if it Yes, it would be >> okay. 39 green 319 grant updates. First of
all, did my recommendation ever go get to council? >> That was like two months ago. You remember that, Pam? Did it get to it? three months ago that the 39 homes or whatever get hooked up ASAP so we can start getting revenue. >> Yes. >> Did they vote on that? What did they
decide? I don't >> It's been uh >> I think it got washed around in the water and diluted. >> It is. And that's exactly what we're talking about right now. 319 grant. >> All right. Uh basically the D was contacted by our attorneys based on
this. We were asked to And again this is just an update. Um D did advise that the um the 319 grant was an agreement is to abandon septic systems and connection of
each parcel to central sewer. Um a step system moves filtered liquid effluent from the septic tank to a drain field while under grinder pump while a grinder pump liquefies raw sewage and conveys it over distance and uphill directly into
municipal sewers. Um because the grinder station accomplishes the actual connection to the sewer main, the grant requires D consider it eligible. It does not anticipate a step system. And the reason we're bringing this back to let
you guys know is when it went to council for vote to move forward with the 319 grant, uh we were asked by council person if the step systems could be used in on this grant. Um and basically um at
the end of all this um the DP did not um for closed reconsideration and invited the town to submit further information or schedule a call to discuss this.
The recommendation based on D's stated position is substituting step system for grinder pumps under the agreement as currently written is inconsistent with the grant stated purpose and would not presently be eligible for reimbursement or match credit. Um our legal does not
recommend pursuing the subst step substitution based on >> Has the grant 319 grant ever been accepted by the town? Not yet. >> So, it's a m and it's been on the radar
for one year now. >> About six months. Yeah. >> It may have been longer, but >> yeah, >> maybe only 10, but it's been on our plate >> for a while. >> And I'm not fussing with staff. This has
been this whole bureaucracy has locked up over this. >> And one of the lockup issues is gone. Um I move we recommend that we forthw with accept the 319 grant. Don't care what it can be used for. If it can't be used for
step system, use it for the other. >> So my first motion is forth with accept the grant. >> Is there a second for that? >> A second. >> Moved and seconded. Any discussion on that? >> Poll the board, please.
>> Bird Harris. Yes. Sorry. >> Yes. >> Matt Elliot. >> Yes. >> John Draper. >> Yes. >> Pam Brewer. >> Pam Ber. >> Yes. >> And Jack Collins. >> Yes.
>> Motion carries. >> That was your first. What's your second? You had another >> step is where you keep the septic tank. I thought >> Yes. I clearly don't understand >> and I'm not asking for an explanation. I
don't really want it's too rich for tonight. Um I I think we're down to what can it be used for and it clearly can be used to hook up the E1s. Yes, it is. It is intended from
my understanding and reading it is intended for removing septic and moving to sewer. It has to pull them off the septic tank and put them on sewer. >> Housing unit too. >> The housing unit has to be separate from
the tank. So they the option of keeping the tanks not on the table. >> It has to be housed in a the container. Let's not go into step today. I don't think we have the data nor the temperament.
But what I would say is we should forth with let I'm going to bring a proposed ordinance to wave the system development fee for existing
homeowners. Not a surprise to anybody. Can we add that to the special meeting, please? And I'll bring you a proposed ordinance. >> So, what is the what are we adding >> to wave system development fee for proposed owners and to increase system
development fee based on the new plant for others? Let's put that on the special meeting to wallow around in a bit. And at that point, when that ordinance passes, the motion, my motion, which I don't see we can't make now. This is for
discussion would be to offer anybody in the town the ability to connect using the 319 grant. Let the sewer director, utility
director get a list of the first 33 customers in our town that help our system the most. The reason I say that >> it must be residence. Residential, not commercial. >> Residential.
>> Residential. >> I thought I said residential. If I didn't, I sure meant to. >> Didn't we identify those already? >> Yes. Okay. >> Hear me out. Greg tells me that some of our lines need more customers pumping to make the line work.
>> So, you need to look and see if there's certain ones we need to invite first. Then give them the chance and if they decline the free hookup because it will be free at that point. No system development 319 pays the cost.
>> We already got all that. So >> have I missed something? >> Yeah, we we already have all that. Um we have the locations. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Then our recommendation is get on with it. What what do we >> We'll accept that. We'll do it. I mean,
>> so you've got the you've got the list of everybody in the town that's on >> I think we've got 29 >> low pressure >> 29 27 right now that could go on that we >> in town low pressure ready to go. I move we I move we recommend that the town
council authorize staff to directly invite the 27 town residents on low pressure to hook up for free using the 319 grant. I think that's basically what we did last time. Is it? >> It is, but nobody's acted on it. They got wrapped around the axle on the
other. Let's run it to them again. >> Okay. >> I feel like we're moving. >> What? We good. Okay. Second. >> Moved and seconded. >> Am I missing something, staff? >> No, I don't think so. >> We've been working hard on trying to get these locations because
>> Pam will tell me what I've screwed up. >> Yeah, we we want to to tie people in. We want to use the 39. >> Sure. We want the revenue too, >> right? You know, get moving. >> Pam Ventress. So, this had come up before a couple months ago. Staff
presented a plan, gave the pot of money, needs to be 34 customers, 34 or 30 33. And so, this council voted and approved and they 27 or 28. They already had them identified residential only. and you
guys told them figure out who the other remaining six or seven or whatever the number is and get this stuff started. Then it goes around to town council. The step thing came in, it delayed and then it went back and then y'all didn't talk.
You didn't whatever last meeting, then it went back to council recently and council said, "Have these properties been identified?" And the response was no. And then the mayor said, "Send this back to to the utilities committee to identify the properties." The properties
were identified. And I think that what you should do is let if you already got a majority of it picked out, who makes the most sense to hook up and get this thing done. And I think you're going to have an issue. Is that I know you're saying wave a fee or wave something, but
the abandonment the so and so. So, originally what y'all said it was like it'll be 14 or $15,000 per unit. That whole total price is waved. I'm not saying that y'all agree with it or not, but that's what the grant was
going to pay for every single thing. The intent is to use the 319 grant to pay the cost of the E1 pump in connecting the house to the line and abandoning the plant and then to wave our system development charge which
today is $3 to $3500 >> and we've got to do that by code change and that she's putting it on our special meeting. >> That's all good. I'm just that's what this previous committee had agreed to. >> Are we missing anything today? Yes, it was already done once. It didn't work.
We're trying again. >> No. >> So, council voted it down last time is what you're saying. >> Right. already made a motion. >> No, Joy wanted to give the voters a chance to use a step system, which is
the larger storage tank, their existing utility, and apparently D has said that doesn't work. I don't understand that. I agree with Joy. It ought to work, but if the powers that write the check say bad idea, let's get on with it and let the
folks hook up to the E1 if they want to. I intend to get with those folks right there and find out if if there and understand better why the step system won't work. But at this point, the answer is no. Let's move forward with what we can do.
Right. [clears throat] >> Dead issue. >> But it does not include the new availability for Lake Mirror Drive or Lake Pearl or Lake Serena. Those harms aren't included in this. It's just that which to me close to the lake. We need to put a step system. Otherwise, you're
just immediately given 40 years of contamination right into the ground >> when you bust that tank up. Do what? >> What? >> I'm saying we need to Which part didn't you understand? I thought you said if you use the step system. >> I said I think we need to save that step
system for the stuff like Lake Pearl Serena there because if you bust those tanks up, you immediately got all that contamination for 50 years. Pump >> it out before you pump it, >> but it's still in the concrete. That's I mean saying you break that tank, it's going. I've seen it happen.
>> Okay. >> Yeah, we step system is off the table for the time being. >> That's right. >> 4319 money for those new projects. Okay. I think we understand that, right? >> Okay. We moved and seconded, right?
>> Okay. P the board, please. >> Bert Harris, >> yes. >> Pam Brewer, >> yes. >> Matt Elliot, >> yes. >> John Draper, >> yes. >> Jack Conley, >> yes. >> Gary Freeman, >> yes.
>> And we added to our workshop. Oh, motion carries. Thank you. And we added to our workshop um what Bert wanted added. Correct? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, we're clear on all that. >> Yes. >> Is there anything else? Any other comments from the public?
>> Grant's not been submitted. Right. >> The wastewater plant >> or the sewer plant. Yeah, the SRF. So, the the wastewater treatment facility is up and running. They're doing a punch out list. There's a few things they're waiting to do. Uh
few little leaks in the new seals at the treatment plant, but it's all uh in operation. Today, they passed their last seal check. And so, tomorrow we will be filling it up. And uh hopefully it passes. And then Thursday will probably
be an allnighter. We'll be turning uh the CC uh chlorine contact tank on and u sending water to the ribs. So um the wastewater plant's doing good. We're having some issues uh with the IPS,
which is the headworks, which is Barney's pumps. It's not commuting communicating very well. Um, and so with the level transmitter and so we're having issues with the level transmitter, but we are working on backup floats and they all of our a lot
of our all of our lift stations work on backup float or floats. So it's not a really big problem, but we want the redundancy. So we're working on that and they are addressing a few issues with the head works and eye problem. uh the
runoff of the water, the way the elevation goes down, uh it goes into our head works and we would be treating rainwater. Uh and so they're addressing that and sending it out to a retention pond. So, um that's a few things. Um any
questions about the wastewater plant? >> Uh the one round tank that's empty, why is it empty? the round tank the >> it' be to the closest to 27 >> the ground storage tank. >> Yeah. Is that what >> that's for our reclaim? So that's just
for the the road uh irrigation and >> not the tank the maybe it's a skimmer. There's two of them there right beside the trains. One's got water and one doesn't. Look like >> you're you're talking about the carousels or Oh, okay. Okay. Uh well
maybe >> right now they're working on the one but to be honest with you uh the capability of us at 120,000 a day running uh both of them >> it just >> it's just not enough water. >> So we need more customers. Okay.
>> Yes sir. Yeah we need to hook up. We're not even >> the second carousel. So >> okay 29 plant has been closed and all that comes up. >> Correct. Yes, sir. We're working with D
to for the decommissioning. We went and um removed the ariators, pumped out everything, had it hauled off. Um and so we're waiting to hear back from D. They want uh and maybe you can y'all guys can help me with this, but they want us to
dig down and punch a hole in those tanks. Uh and we have quite a few of them. We can do that. But somewhere somehow somebody I overheard they want somebody wants to use that for a waste
like a dumping station for uh I guess like pumping out septic tanks to house that the fluids and if we was to bust holes in that concrete uh at the bottom
they wouldn't be able to use that. And so I'm waiting to hear back from DP since we pumped them out and washed them and cleaned them out if we have to punch a hole through it because like I said, and maybe y'all heard it or somebody
else has heard it, if we punch holes and we cave in all those tanks, then whoever buys that, if they wanted to use that for a dumping and a holding facility, uh it they would have to start from ground zero all over again. Mhm.
>> And so I'm waiting to hear back from D on that before we move anything. But uh I I don't really know what direction to go with the the punching of the holes and decommissioning that part. >> I think that's the idea behind punching the holes so no one can use it again. It's like buying an old gas station and
filling the tanks with concrete. >> I get that. But if the somebody in the town had ideas of using that for that purpose, >> um then it would >> Okay. I just don't know. It was brought
across to me and said, "Hey, somebody's thought about purchasing this to hold like when they get done pumping tanks, they can go and drop it in and it's to hold a tank and >> Sure." >> So, I I if y'all haven't heard it, I'll punch holes in that joker and
>> No, no, no. >> With smiles with smiles on my face. I don't have a problem with it, but I just want to take my time. We're not in a time crunch. I want to get the right answers. >> Can I ask a few questions?
>> You um are you under a timeline with DP to close out or punch holes? >> That's what I'm waiting on. Those two those two questions. Uh as it stands with the the email, uh there's not not a time limit. They they know we had a
certain amount of time to pump them out, get them cleaned out, and we already did that. Uh we're pulling our uh our blowers out next week. But like right now, if you wanted to use that for a wastewater plant, we would be spending thousands of dollars because we
destroyed that place. We went down there and took everything that made it an operate like a plant per the state and we we decommissioned it. The only thing we're waiting on is the punching of the holes. That's it. you know, whether or not we use that for septage transfer
into our system or treatment there, it's going to have to be repermitted. You might tell the DP, um, we'd like a few months to consider selling it for a septage use, and we
don't want to punch holes in it until we've exhausted that. So, we'd like to time out on the actual closure. We've cleaned it up. You know it. Come see it if you want and we'll get back with you in six months. >> Yeah. >> Well, that's that's
>> Then then let's because we don't we going to sell it or do something >> might make a nice tropical fish farm. >> Yeah. >> Fish >> or hatchery. >> I don't know enough to put a timeline on the state. >> No, we totally up to the state. Well,
they give us >> tell them you want to delay closure. >> I will. I will. And they're good about it. So, do I need to come back to the board and let y'all know what they they decided or do we just decommission it? And
>> Well, sooner or later you're going to want to sell it and or or you're going to come back to us with a proposal of here's what let's do. >> Yeah. sell or use it as a transfer station for septage. I >> Yeah, >> I don't know the answer to that,
>> but yeah, you'll be back. >> I would think so. I think it's a great idea to do that. We don't have anything. >> There's a limit on how much septage we can take. We could take it there at the lift station, but there sure is a limit on how much you can put in that plant.
>> Sure is. >> Yeah, it would. It's not a lot. At this point, >> it's not a commercially reasonable amount today. >> I think it's like 115,000 gallons of holding capacity.
>> Yeah. But you don't want to I would not want to encourage some people to just hold 115,000 gallons of septage there and be able to walk off either. >> You're talking about a nastiness. That's >> Yeah. >> Well, the state >> I can't speak for the state. They don't
like that stuff. >> Okay. Anything else from the public or the board? Thank you, Officer Mullins, for being here. Um, we'll see y'all next Thursday at our
workshop. 1:30, please. Uh, that's it. Meeting adjourned. 4:30.