The meeting of the water commissioners is called to order. Thursday, July 17th. Uh, this this meeting is being recorded. Commissioner Dave Mezmore present.
Commissioner John Kaine, present. Oh, I'm sorry. John Gddard, uh, assistant DW director. Uh, Barl Wagner, DW office manager, present. Okay. Is there any public comment?
There's no one in the waiting room. Hearing none. Uh review of the May 15 water commissioner meeting board minutes. I've reviewed them. Yeah, that was the meeting I missed.
That's the meeting. Yep. Those two are we'll do three for next month. Yeah, you have time to adjust as we need to tune them up. All right, moving on to the elderly rate applications. We have 26 26 elderly rate applications and they
all meet all requirements. A motion. I'll make a motion to accept all 26 elderly rate applications that meet all the requirements and I will second. All in favor? John Kane? Yes.
Dave Mezwell, yes. All righty. Commitments. We'll sign those and we'll approve the meeting and work order summary. Want to have a DPW directive?
We do not have a director's report summary. Any questions? All right. Old business continue to structure the discussion on developing ADU policy. Yeah,
Mr. Acting Chair, if I can uh throw a few comments out there, I'm happy to do so. Uh so, as part of Mr. Brown's uh u departure from South Public Works, he at least brought to Barrel uh retronized
awareness uh some ongoing work. Um and a few of these items we'll just say are specific to u uh the water commission uh and some interaction. So I expect uh through the coming month to be uh touching upon these topics. Uh the ADU
policy well I suppose we have to develop uh an ADU policy. comes down to the I don't know and I'll look to the two of you if uh there's been any in-depth discussion at the commission level um about thoughts and directions as it relates to
um you know allowing um I'm going to call it a single meter to service um a primary residence in an ADU um or if the thought is to have separate um water services mandated um I recognize that their
um only for this way if someone chooses to develop an ADU with a single uh water service and if that's allowable um and you know perhaps they either submeter out or or not um the water service to the ADU itself that um presents I'm
going to call it a conundrum as it relates to someone uh who may because of their circumstance and living in that ADU um otherwise be at least qualified by age um and by duration, but here in
town we're adding uh the elderly, right? I recognize that the property also shifts towards a bit of a gray zone between what's a single family residence um and you know a two family or multif family and that u and so by existing in this gray zone as I'm describing it for
the sake of this meeting um maybe there's a little more thought that's given to what circumstances may or if at all um allow an elderly rate to come into play um for a resident at an accessory dwelling unit. So, uh, at, uh,
at my level, uh, over at public works, I'll be working, uh, on a draft, um, really is an opportunity to provide us with some talking points, um, as we, uh, lead into the August meeting um, for for ADUs.
I think it was maybe in April or May, we had talked about ADUs and I reached out to three different municipalities. Um it's like LOL. Um I want to say Lemonster and then maybe another one. I don't remember. Um and I I gathered from them what their policies were and across
the board it was that every connection would have one meter and they would allow a submeter if the um property owner chose. Um and that was that was it across the board. and only one of them had any sort of wording about an elderly
rate and it was that um if there was an ADU they would not qualify regardless for the elderly rate. Interesting. Okay. Um so I can pull that all up um so that when we're draft developing um you can have that language in their policies we
can maybe board doctor some of some of that as like a template. Sure. I think that it's uh uh thankfully having 351 other or 50 250 other municipalities in the state is always help us to see how others are um are wrestling with it and try to find
something that's mentally similar to the right to Southwork. Yeah, I think I think that's you if I remember our discussion it was sort of like that it becomes a two family you know they're not eligible for the for the rate. The only special case I can
think of is if somebody's 65 and their elderly mother is living in the other unit, you know, but sure with the with lifespan getting getting more and more, you know, sure, it's not that far. We may run into that, but I I I just
think that's such a rare thing that we'd have to just we'd just have to go by case. But well, I think if it's a single meter, they it's a single meter with a two family basically a two family house. So, I like the single meter idea. I I
worry about having to add more connections to the water manes when you go to do a replacement, just added cost. And then you start really separating these dwellings and making them once their elderly mother moves out now someone can rent it cheap because it
their mother paid for it. it's just sitting there, you know, now that they can really separate it and we'll start renting these out which could impose a bigger problem. It's helpful to see that uh like there already has been some thought given to this uh that gives us a foundation to
work from. Um and it won't be I would be too big of a lift. Uh but just something to think of. Uh technically on the books right now the states as they're allowed um while we're wait for our local regulations to come in and try to support and refine that picture. Yeah, we know they're allowed that, right? Correct.
So, that's where the local bylaws are going to be important to to structure them, but also going to be very difficult to to really get things changed if people want it one way or the other. For sure. For sure. I think if we can set this policy early on, I think, you know, kind of first to market thing.
And if nothing else, it also sets the expectation moving forward for anybody looks to develop a property that way. Yeah. And then we set that precedent so that they can't come back and say, well, you know, this this you set it now. we see it coming, it'll be have some foresight. Fantastic. Uh in the coming weeks then
I'll make sure uh Barl and I have the opportunity to uh develop a draft uh and distribute so we can have some meaningful conversation uh in August. Okay. And updating the multi-unit water policy. I think we just covered that
actually. So that's included. But I think um it's going to be important that the multi-unit policy is set and you know all of our tees are crossed and eyes are dotted because that's going to be more of that development coming too.
So we need to get that president started as well but maybe try to match it to the ADU policy to keep keep it simple. We'll keep the wording similar and and updated. Okay. Moving on to new business. Select
board discusses elderly rate update. I don't know if uh the two gentlemen had the opportunity to tune in to Monday's uh meeting but uh for the sake of discussion I share that um I'm going to say awareness uh there was
an awareness that we call a memor memorandum sent over to the select board just so they'd be aware um of the refined uh policy. There was some minor debate I'm going to call it about uh what in the select board members uh
minds might be appropriate or um you know what their thoughts would be. Uh select board member Mglin u dialed it back um after a little bit discussion and observed that you know uh they didn't have standing I think is the word
he used um in that particular matter since we have a duly elected uh uh commission here. Um so but nonetheless there was a little discussion about it. They recognize that oh it's their responsibility now to revisit and try to line up the sewer um half of the
equation. Okay. Waterman and OM are beginning the lead and copper sampling process. Yeah. So um Kevin Zofur and I are beginning our lead and copper sampling. We um we have to complete sampling by
September 30th. I reached out to our western regional office um for mouse to um clarify what our sampling plan is. It's like the first step in the checklist. Um we've we have taken
samples from 40 locations and 20. So I wanted to make sure we were having the right amount of sampling done. Um we moved from 40 to 20 last year. Um and it went from u by annually to annual sampling. Um, so we have 20 locations
this round. Um, he and I are going to put that list of locations together based on the last round that we did. Um, everybody from the 20 locations was responsive. Um, if we have refusal from any of them, we will find other locations. Um, but that's kind of the
first step was putting out together. So that will hopefully uh we'll get samples by the end of August and I will get the uh reports done through September and get that submitted and I'll keep you guys updated on the
progress in the next meetings. Okay. LS circle water restriction monitor. So I have a typo there. It's SLA. My bad. So SL Surfo, they're like a utility systems company that um helped us some
efficiencies and organizations within water metering systems. Um they're currently like the back of house for our programming for census analytics. Um they are the ones who run our weekly leak reports. So they will use uh their
information from their systems, send me the weekly leak reports. I see what locations have certain thresholds or they've hit for a certain amount of time and I reach out to these locations. So what has happened is they are going to um
start providing us a similar report for locations that will be violating water restrictions going forward. Something that we have not done prior. Um it's been more of like a a manual effort. um or it's been you know neighborhoods
reporting neighbors and that's a lot of conflict so this will be more data based um I am working with Tom Schmidt from um SL cero to develop this report um and you can see the uh the change order so we already have a contact with them
obviously this is the change order to include this report um so it's it's going to be a little bit of computer back and forth and a little programming jargon that's going to be well over my head, which is where Tom comes in. Um, so we're going to figure
out what thresholds uh we will be responding to for durations of time, and we're going to base it off of um the geography of Southwick. So, this program will understand uh what locations based on their geography will be in what days
allowed for what times um and it will report back to me. So we will have a very clear understanding of uh water biologists if we so choose to move forward with those. That makes it easy.
I I I don't think we need to do it. I think we've decided that we're until we're forced to, we're not going to implement these restrictions or fines or, you know, we'll do the reporting and displaying notices or whatever. Um, but
as far as I'm concerned, this $5,000 report isn't going to be utilized for any return. We're not going to find anybody. That was my thought. I'm not going to at least. Um, and I think maybe we could use that technical support
dollars, you know, in a better way than uh generating this report to go after our customers. And I think it's it's a piece of data that um if they need it, we can always add it, you know, if the state comes and mandates it. Um, but I know like right
now things are very tight and I don't think we need to spend additional money for something that the commission isn't most likely going to utilize. So that's my thought on that. Yeah, I can ask what other things could we
benefit from through this support other than this this report with that five hours. I could definitely ask them what because they got a good labor rate. That's 360 an hour. That's no joke. So yeah, I can definitely ask them what
other options for um reporting and efficiencies they they can come up with besides and then would this would this um invoiced amount be a per year thing or is it like a one time that it's set up in your in your thing? Yeah, this is the one time like implementation and then
going forward it would be um included in our annual contract that which is the amount we already pay. This is the implementation. Would they be willing to hold their price until we renew the contract? Um I can ask for sure because now the water restrictions are
by the time we get it implemented it will be winter time anyhow. Yeah, maybe we wait and if they hold the price we can revisit it. Yeah, that's what I worry about is once they mandate it obviously. Yeah. Well, now the price is 10,000 because you don't have the choice. Yeah, I'll tell them what date they are willing to hold this price out until
Yeah. Ask a quick followup. Uh since I recognize everybody here has a little more texture particular when it comes to water regulations and I've come into contact with in the past. Has there been discussion or movement in terms of uh
the state moving towards regulation of or requiring enforcement? Not that I have come across. Okay. or heard heard of. Um I'm a member of the AWWA and I haven't seen anything through them, you know, and I work with Springfield Water and Sewer. They I kind
of brought it up in conversation and they'll sell us all the water that we want to buy. Understood. So, excellent. Thank you. That that helps to clarify things. All right. Besides standing on part of the the push back is talking
with the state rep is if we don't do anything that they don't like they're not going to come and do you know to help us out kind of thing or to try to get this permit moving. So he said they're not enforcing it. If you don't feel you need to enforce it, you know, then that's might be a way to get them
to move that permit forward. So at least we have something written that we can we can follow. But for now, we're kind of just going by the seat of our pants. So, if that's the case, I'd rather not find our residents for it. All right. Any other new business
issues that anyone wants to bring up in the interim? Who is going to do the director's report? So, pardon me for not preparing something in uh in writing for everyone to digest for the meeting. Um I will uh make an effort. it it's going to fall on
my shoulders for the time being. Um, but I'll coordinate both with uh Barl and and Kevin to try to track we're going to call it uh water commission business, water department business. Um, so that I could report that since we have a few seconds under we'll call it new uh business and other items. I'll mention
that uh we do have a pump that's been down since I think last Thursday um or Friday or so. So our um take from Springfield is necessarily increased. Uh, I can tell you as of today the part
hasn't arrived. Supposed to be here Monday or Tuesday. Um, but uh, but Kevin's on on the job and on top of the uh, uh, the vendor to get that part. You know what the part is? Uh, bear with me for one second. Uh I don't want to confess
by means of uh we'll call it ignorance or whatever else treading into um we're going to call it higher power usage uh AC or DC in the case motors. But nonetheless, I'm going to say some part of the power distribution or management um that fails with temperature. I think
that's uh was the is the key for the uh for showing that down. Yeah. All right. What pump is it? I believe it's pump one. How old is that? I don't have that answer in the scheme of thing. Is it of the old
stuff or is it of the newer stuff? It's my understanding it's of the old stuff. Okay. Now, to set on record, Kevin's going to correct me in the morning. I'm picking up on the discussion a couple days old. I probably should have gotten a refresher this morning, but yeah, I'm trying to think, you know, what is this something that, you know,
now we should maybe look at if things are failing that that's going to become a priority. I'll get his input because I think that's helpful to uh understand for planning purposes. Yeah. Yeah. What parts of our our hardware are hitting their life cycle? You know, we should we'll look at that in the next
fiscal year. Understand what we might be having to replace. And do we have two of the same motors that the the other motors whatever thermal issue they had? Is that going to be a problem that we could just order another one now and spend a little bit and maybe maybe
we'd replace it and never has we never have to use it? But I think it's a reasonable question. Why don't I have a little chat with Kevin about we'll call it redundancy um what we have uh as it relates to that specific uh well um and what his thoughts are um moving forward for we'll
call it equipment lifespan when we're getting to the next point that we'll call pump replacement or something along those lines. I was excited when we had a assistant DPW director. It was going to be so much more time for things to get done and then Randy leaves it. I have what I have all of about five
weeks and even a lot of that spent up with planning with the transition. So yeah, uh we both had uh great hopes, but here we are and happy to to work forward with everyone. Okay. Anything else? Nothing new from here. Thank you.
I hear a motion to adjurnn. I'll make a motion to adjurnn. Awesome. We second it. Favor. John Kane. Yes. Move. Yes.