Roll call. Steve Bishop. >> Jim Jordan. >> Steve Bernstein present. >> Fantastic. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Great. >> All right. Thank you very much. >> All right. Let's uh start with the approve the minutes. >> Believe we have one uh from November. Is that correct?
>> Yeah. >> Any questions on the minutes at all? >> Only I worked out my question. >> I didn't have any red uh red. >> Um I will go ahead and make a motion to approve the November 11th
Um, meeting minutes of the water and sewer commission. >> I second. >> November 11th, um, 2025. >> Sorry. November 12th. >> Was it the 12? >> Yeah. >> We did it in the morning. Okay. Um, I make a motion to approve the November 12th, 2025 meeting minutes for the water and sewer commission.
>> I second. All in favor? >> I thank you, Brooke. Another good job as usual. All right. Uh, we'll work our way right down the line. Build the spirit of 92 West Mason. have a folder of stuff in it anymore. Thought
>> she left something that when they jumped out the basement, they pumped outside. Is that the one? >> Oh, the one here. We don't know what they did for you. That's pretty new form. >> Yeah, I think there was an update actually this afternoon. You forgot to put the folder up. Sorry.
>> Yeah. So, they uh response was the uh they pumped it outside. >> So, they pumped the water from the water tank to the outside. >> How much water are they talking about? 50 gallons. >> No, it wasn't. The water heater was broken. It was leaking.
What? What's the water hot water tank? That's not the uh >> Do they have sewer? >> I believe they do. >> That's why we wanted to know where >> That's why we wanted to know where it was question. That's correct. >> Okay. So,
is this the right one up there? >> Oh, yeah. 92 West M2 West Main. That's the right one. >> So, they're looking to have a sewer bait that they were spending on. >> Correct. >> I think they asked for both, but at the last meeting, you asked me for
recommendation and the recommendation was that they use the water even though they didn't mean to. So I my recommendation would have been to abate only the bill of fortune. >> Yep. That's what we've always typically done. >> We assume if it goes through the meter that that's
the policy. >> Okay. Um then I will go ahead and make a motion to abate the sewer portion of the uh January 31. Is that the bill date? January 31st. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. So, the sewer portion of the
January 31st build date for the uh 92 West Main Street in the amount of $3158. >> I second. All >> in favor? >> I street. >> Is that the whole sewer portion?
>> That's the sewer portion. Yeah, that's not the capital. That's just the sewer. >> But is that the total of the sewer? debating you want to keep an amount off. >> Well, typically you only abate like a portion of it because they would still use sewer. So, I would recommend a bait
in a portion of the sewer based off the average usage. >> That's why I >> You still want to >> charge them something for sewer. >> We want to resend that motion and then >> I would Yeah. >> Okay. I I move to resend the previous motion that made >> I second that. All in favor? Hi.
>> Uh, now I move to a fab sewer portion uh of 92 West Main Street to whatever the average sewer was >> the same quarter >> for the same the average sewer for the same quarter for the past two years. I can't calculate what the number is
>> everything above everything above >> everything everything above the average for the same quarter for the last two years. I second it. All >> in favor? I I Good job. Good catch. Thank you.
>> I don't have anything. You have anything was distributing interest. Should I read this? >> You can. That's an email. >> Uh we're disputing interest on the account. Working on the account person
will receive payment for this location. She stopped payment of check. Can reissued. So, >> if memory serves from last time, they wanted us to abate the interest, but we hadn't even haven't paid yet. And I think I had asked, "Let's get the check
first before we see what the interest is going to be to a bait." And it sounds like we still haven't gotten check. Is that right? >> Correct. Yeah. We haven't received payment at all. So, we don't even know if it was mailed or can't really go off of anything. >> I vote to move uh vote to make a motion
to table the motion. >> I'll second that. I don't know what else we do. All in favor? No, that's that's what I'm going to say. Um, all in favor? >> I I speak. Was this discussed last meeting or the meeting before?
>> The meeting before. I believe Justin has some updates on that. >> Yeah, we're um working with the law office that is um representing the resident. Um we've agreed to allow them to leave the water
man where it is. They're going to uh dig dig the pylon deeper. >> They're going to uh brush lock the water man. And >> this is the excuse me, this is the cross country main we're talking about that the Thank you. Okay. I'm sorry.
>> Sorry. Um and they're giving us an easement for the cost of $1 so that in the future we can work on the water me. >> It was the the least least intrusive and and best representative for all.
>> Yeah, we debated about that for several. We're in the process of Mark's fin Mark our manager is finetuning the ement and we're getting it back to them and I think it's going before the work board tomorrow for the it is >> okay so there's not a request to vote on >> just an upgrade
>> okay >> so they're still doing what they have proposed okay everything >> nothing is moved >> great right all right thank you uh next is zero can't feel that
talking about that. This came this um we met with them also. Um we've we've notified them that we're not uh not partial to approving a a force main. um they're going back to the drawing
board to price out the gravity main and we're going to work together on um a solution for paying for the gravity man or um something like that that might help them uh pay for some of the gravity but we're refusing to accept the force
lane at this point >> on the mass work grant is that something that clown will seek or is that something that we're going to work together Not western and Samson. No. >> Okay. The people that are putting in
the owners of the property that are trying to build there, >> they do that for all the town. How >> we're heading together with them. >> But we're the applicants. Okay. >> Good news.
>> Yeah. tires. >> So, if you don't remember, uh we've always we're not sure where they end up physically locating that sewer line, but there's a gas line. Oh, where they were proposing the fourth man, there was a
gas line on that side street. So, it's state highway, so there's a lot of I mean, it's not simple. It's public. >> Yep. I think they they already designed a gravity solar at one point. So shouldn't
be that difficult to evaluate if I'm not mistaken. They at one point >> correct. Okay. Uh 11.
Oh, and just >> so you live in street business. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Basically, they had a leak and it was their fault. They had it fixed up. Not
their fault, but >> they didn't know about it um until the other bill. They had a ton of come in. They had it fixed. They got the invoice for that. And they're basically just asking for a break on the bill because first time homeowners and they didn't
know how to know if they believe and so forth. >> Yeah. Two of them. Yeah. Two of them. Both of them are sealed and one of them are wax. All right. Um I don't know where you got I don't know
there we just we're just talking about water through the meter right >> and we don't have any history of of sewer. There's no sewer there. >> Well, there's no sewer on street.
>> Yeah, there's no there's no Unfortunately, there were really nothing we could do about it. >> Feel badly, but >> feel pain, but it was a nice letter, but um >> probably one of the most
>> Yeah, but that counts. People always talk about setting precedents and >> yeah, there's nothing about um unfortunate. >> Um I'm going to make a motion to take no action on 11 Dean Street. I second. All
in favor? I I Thank you. What's your update? Few items here. Uh we had a water main break on Walter Street two weeks ago. >> Last last um Tuesday. >> Last Tuesday. Uh we got out there in the
middle of the night basically 1 2 o'clock in the morning. uh worked all night and repaired the the break. Um past >> where is the street? >> Wa Street south of North. >> Uh we're continuing to replace all the
water meters with newly purchased Neptune or Sonic water meters. Um we just put water in for I don't know hundred of them or something. U so that process continues. Um, incredible meet how we replace one at Red Hills.
>> Yeah, we better crew was wonderful. Really great meter. It's incredible. >> I'm always impressed at how quickly you guys change out the meters. I turn around, I walk around the corner, I come back, you're done, you're wrapping it up.
>> Yeah, if you did a good work in bells quick. And then just a reminder to the public uh you know with the cold weather to to keep pipes from freezing um you know keep tape on all pipes that are outside or insulated. Make sure your outside
walls want to be insulated. Um if at all possible worst case scenario let let a faucet drip at the furthest point in the house to keep the water moving just a bit. Um, you know, if it does happen to freeze, you want to you want to let it thaw um
slowly. >> Hair dryer. >> Hair dryer something to to warm it up a little bit. But this is the time of the year obviously in this coming uh week is going to temperatures increasing or rising. You're going to find that uh some of the pipes that you might have
had frozen are going to uh spring a leak. So, uh, be on the lookout for that and certainly let, uh, let the water department know if anything arises you from that. So, Redm Mill does, we had some frozen sprinkle sites a couple of years ago. So, we we issue an alert
every time the cold weather comes. We advise people to a make sure they heat that space properly, even over 60°. We also recommend that they open up their doors, cabinet doors, and doors to closets. make sure that the circulation of hot air is throughout the entire
house. >> Well, it's common common sense stuff, but you know uh >> and to uh you know um maintain the heat probably the most important thing. Don't don't keep your
heat at 40 degrees, but especially when it's zero degrees outside. 40 is definitely pushing it. Yeah, because we have a lot of houses in town that are the lost basement and no one goes over
there. So, they don't work over there. You get this kind of weather that you don't never excellent. They're all regular shoes. They're all It was so warm outside my summer coat and he was 38 degrees.
What's wrong with that? on Walter Street. What was the what was the break? What was the pipe material? >> AC 6 in AC. >> So, we fixed it with a coupling. Was that all we had to do or was it more complicated? >> Yeah, I just cut out a section and action, you know, shorten that pipe. And
>> was that pipe scheduled for replacement on the plant? No. there and any reason why it broken though lower parrot breather >> could be the cold weather the frost heat that's unusual in that area the last break in that area was two
years ago because the fire department likes to operate hydrants too fast other than that there's not usually breaks in that neighborhood >> where where is >> off the salmon >> oh okay
>> is all that AC in that >> it's all AC that um Kennedy Eisenhower those are all AC. >> Okay. >> Hey, that's it for director's report. >> Okay. Well done. >> Thank you, sir.
All right. Topics anticipated 48 hours in advance. >> Nothing new. >> Nothing new. Check it out. First you have anything to tell?
>> No supervis supervisory report. Okay. What about a brook report? Well, that's all. >> Wow, this is easy. What happens when we get here? We just go as soon as we can be. >> We're going to try and be organized. Um,
we have any action items for next meeting or other than um obviously the um so Justin here signing the bills >> building correspondence and I I recommend that you start to meet quarterly
>> quarterly. Yeah. So should we on that recommendation is that something we should do for our next meetings any quarterly could you >> we not have a conversation Friday could you elaborate yeah just defy that new
role >> so with my role in the ordinance change u the board is is in place now for abatement and um rate increases So, um,
basically anything beyond that falls under my purview, projects, spending money, that kind of thing. Uh, I fully intend to keep the board a breast as to what we're doing. Um, as far as projects go, but I think if you met monthly,
we'd be sitting around for a five or 10 minute meeting. I think a quarterly for this type of setup is is more uh responsive. And I think uh the abatements would would would be held for the quarter meeting um with no interest of course until you guys make a decision
on whether or not >> so they get the letter in within 30 days even though that might not be heard for another 90 >> right that portion of the billion their bill would still be due for normal operations but the the abated part that they're requesting wouldn't be ne you
know wouldn't be uh held against them um until it returned. Um, I noticed Weston and Samson's not here. What is their role now? They are they out or what's >> No, no, they report to me. >> They won't be defending any of our meeting or anything? >> No, I guess if you wanted to call them,
you could, but that comes out of Brighton, but I'm not really sure that way. So, so if we meet quarter weekly, do we months from today? Do we have should we meet in April and then do the April,
July, November, December, whatever the the count is. Does that make more sense? >> Yeah. Yeah, if you started January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, I don't know that one. January, February, March. >> We would go off the fiscal quarters, wouldn't we?
>> Yeah. March. >> I'm the same, I guess. >> March, June, September, and December. The Russian guy wanted to do it some other way. I mean, >> so we want the meeting to be in the third month of the quarter versus the first month, which means we we can just go ahead and
meet next month and that would be a March meeting and go quarterly from there. >> Certainly can. Well, only the reason why I establish the order is we publish that somewhere and then people will know what the schedule is and what I think if you stay on track like that and you say well
every March we'll have a meeting every >> essentially be the third quarter of >> and the office the opportunity to tell them your abatements will be heard on meeting. So, we're not So, when someone comes in with a new plan or anything like that, we're not going to have any
input anymore. That's all going to be interpreted for you. >> Recommendations um if if if it's brought before you, I don't mind bringing them and and getting your recommendation for sure. >> And uh what's Frank's role? >> Frank works for me.
>> So, I mean, normally the plans would have come to him. So the plan going to you instead of him or I mean >> grace of super Frank as my superintendent of water and sewer water and sewer now falls under the department of public work. It's still a revolving fund. It's still
everything's changing except for the chain of command basically. So he's still the superintendent of water and sewer. So, I have not had an opportunity to sit down with Frank to to decide how that role is going to look moving forward, but I would envision he's going
to be at the table and whether the plans go directly to him or not. The reason why I asked is in the past and Frank can speak for himself, but the developers have worked closely with Frank to work out the kinks and the details and the review and the this and the that and I can appreciate that, but
my department and I'm going to decide when I when I sit down with Frank how that'll go. >> Okay, that's fine. >> And I'm not trying to be combative. I'm just saying that there's unknowns that I'm not sure how it's going to play out yet. Um there's a bigger vision like to kind of expand the department or the divisions at one point so that maybe we
separate water and sewer and they each have their own super superintendent at some point. Um I don't know if that's tomorrow or five years from now. Um so I'm not really sure how the new projects coming in are going to work yet just because we haven't gone down that road.
I know I've been I've sat down with Weston and Dansson. I've gone over the existing projects, gone over all that type of stuff, but I don't think uh since I've been here I've been given any new projects. So, >> and you got the stuff I sent you. >> I did. And I'll be glad to share new
projects and and and if if you're the point of contact for the board and you want to share them and you guys want to review them and >> actually Steve is the point of contact, >> send them to Steve, right? And then you guys want to review them and give input
like I I told you. I I appreciate it. Uh no doubt you know more hand. >> So uh when it comes to town meetings and stuff like that we're not going to have any more input there. I mean you'll be everything will be just going through as
you know going forward >> except for rate increases. So if I want to raise rates, I come before you and and present and tell you why we think we need to. And I don't mean to say I want to raise rates. I mean rate study a study done or 10 year
plan is done and we say well we need to be at this I'm sure you've gone through it at this rate by 2030. We come to you and and formulate a plan. I haven't seen the bylaws whether or not you can raise them more than a year at a time. I haven't really dove into that but that
would be at your discretion. more discretion. Remember the same thing with our vapor. >> So if you recall, we actually started a race study. >> Yeah, you recall that. >> I'm not so sure what happened to it. >> I just don't remember. >> It was put on hiatus. I was told.
>> But do you know what? >> Because of the Elm Street project, because of the Mantale project, because of the unknowns in the town. I was told it was put on on a page. So, >> I have to dig into what what they've completed and what we paid them to figure out how we're going to go forward
with that study. >> Yeah. I just don't recall why it was uh held up for any reason. I just don't recall. But we've been talking about rate studies, increase of rates for years. speak for as long as I've been
>> we forgot about >> our rates are uh um I don't think they're in I mean people complain about how high the water rate is >> they're not in line with what >> I don't think it's in line >> they're not in line with what D wants us to be at or EPA wants us to be at I can
tell you that but I haven't dove in enough to know or to recommend and it would be it would just be that the opposite of what I said before I'd come and recommend to you and you >> you guys do as you that feeds into the enterprise account that feeds into the budget and everything else. But correct
again that was being studied by others from consulting. >> So on date wise normally we would meet March 11th. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. Do we want to still meet in March then and then go? >> Well, I don't know whatever you want to do but I can't meet March 11th. So
I can meet March. We actually had put down by the 12th but I believe you did. I think we'll do Wednesday. >> If we meet in March, then we can meet in June and then we can meet next month. We'll make a motion. >> Then it would make much more sense to
get on a schedule and >> I agree. >> I'm recommending that if you as a committee want to meet monthly, that's totally up to you. >> Well, with our revised role, I don't >> Yeah, I understand the point is what's to meet every 15? Like you said, there's nothing for us to
do then. the customer does not not affected by that uh time frame and interest rate interest um hearing >> um >> we can also call a meeting anytime we wanted to if something came up that we felt that we wanted
>> you can and you can you can also make a motion >> so that when abatements come in no interest is I would make that motion of the committee no abatements are are uh deferred the baitments interest when we motion to go quarterly
>> interest to defer it until you meet. >> Well, our next meeting will be in March though. Correct. >> Our next meeting will be in March and at that time well we got to vote on it but I mean I want to make sure that date. Okay. Okay. >> Sure.
So, as I mentioned, we had an incident at Redmill Road where a homeowner bought a lot of re bought a unit and they called me up and said we have no we turned the faucet and nothing comes on. So, I went over them and I thought maybe
they just the shut off was off. But anyways, the shut off was on literally not a drop of water was passing through the meter or anything else. So, um I know know a lot more tricks than I did
before I asked the water department to come down and take care of it. They came down and they uh removed the meter, the old meter uh and they put bypass on it and that the good news is it was during the cold weather thought that maybe the line was
frozen. I mean, very possible, but it wasn't. uh and they uh put a new meter on and we concluded it was the uh pressure reducing belt and that's what they concluded. So approval was scheduled to come in and take care of that. But the
water department was perfect. Very good. Customer service. Again, I soon as they showed up, I didn't say a word. I let them do their thing and not interfere and they were just polite, neat, courteous, all those
things you want in your department. >> Great to hear. >> From what I've seen, we have a really good staff. >> Excited. That's quiet over there. >> I don't think there's any question that
that it's been phenomenal since I've been on on the board uh between responses and uh with the issues we had before we had to plan online the deals we had to you know we had to take care of and people like I thought was
inevitable that uh the customer service you provided when you you know when there wasn't any you know the dirty water was just rampant. Yeah. >> And the guys we have on the plant are just second to none. >> I mean, we got some great guys over in
Nfield. >> These guys are super intelligent and just really do a great job for lucky to have them. >> Yeah, I agree. >> Do we know the air raator is online and working? >> But thanks. >> Yes,
they had a glitch initially when they started it, but that's they overcame that. Yeah, okay. >> Have you got a round of TJ yet? >> We haven't got the results back yet. That'd be great if we could solve that problem. >> How long one last post?
>> How long was you do the TK? >> At least a month and a half. >> Yeah. Yeah, I was going to say a month, but yeah, this is my week. This is week five for me and and they just did them this week. So, thank Okay, we look forward to
>> Yeah, absolutely. Very soon. >> We're good. >> Anything else? New business. >> All right. Welcome aboard. >> Thank you. Uh, at this time I move to adjourn. >> You want to vote on the um the date?
>> Oh, next meeting. >> Next meeting, please. Yeah, next meeting we said was um >> March 12th. >> March 12th. >> And should we um do a vote on >> I don't in March. >> Vote.
>> They'll give us a moment. >> All right. I move to adjourn the city meeting. I second. All in favor?