Board Meeting Date: December 22, 2011 ~ 4:00 P.M.
PERSONS PRESENT: Nancy Martin, Buzz Ahrens, Steven Woodruff, Eric Wilmarth, Chris Wilbanks, Mike Byrd, Robert Morrison, Tom Heard, David Kubala, Bill Graham, Rick Dobbs, Tom Roach, Wesley Banks, Clint Blackwell, Ryan Sarks, Beth Williams, Dwayne Fowler, Dwight Turner, Mike Venters, Jeff Hooper, Randy Mitchell, Ron Banks, Ken Anderson, Craig Ferguson, and Gil Puffer.
Nancy Martin, Chair, called the meeting to order.
1. AN INVOCATION WAS GIVEN BY NANCY MARTIN, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
2. IT WAS THE CONSENSUS OF THE BOARD TO ADD A RETIREMENT RECOGNITION ITEM TO THE 12/22/11 AGENDA.
3. NANCY MARTIN, CHAIR, PRESENTED A PROCLAMATION OF RETIREMENT TO AUTHORITY EMPLOYEE KEN ANDERSON FOR MORE THAN 27 YEARS OF SERVICE.
4. DWIGHT TURNER REFERENCED CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED FROM AUTHORITY CUSTOMER BELINDA ELEBY. In this correspondence, Ms. Eleby stated that she experienced several water leaks that resulted in extremely high water bills during the period July 2011-November 2011. Ms.Eleby further noted that her house has polybutylene pipe and she has attempted to make necessary repairs. Ms. Eleby noted that each time she made a repair, a leak would occur in another location. Ms. Eleby noted that she has voiced her concerns to her insurance company, and she has now replaced her entire water system and rerouted the water piping through the ceiling and replaced the water line from the street to the house.
In this correspondence, Ms. Eleby further noted that she is aware that the Authority makes one adjustment annually for a resident. She requested that the Board review her account and notice that her usage was not normal and the excessive amount was not due to negligence on her part.
Ms. Eleby noted that she had previously requested an adjustment, and the Authority had given an adjustment to her account on the 7/26/11-8/5/11 bill of $112.25.
Dwight Turner stated that Ms. Eleby has been set up for extended payment terms.
Ms. Eleby noted in her correspondence that when she made her prior request for an adjustment, she did not know at that time that the Authority would only make one annual adjustment. Ms. Eleby further noted that the house has been declared a rental property to avoid foreclosure and failure to meet other obligations. The new tenant began taking over the payment of utility bills effective 12/1/11.
Mr. Turner noted that Ms. Eleby requests consideration for another leak adjustment.
THERE WAS NO ACTION TAKEN BY THE BOARD DUE TO THE FACT THAT MS. ELEBY HAS ALREADY RECEIVED AN ADJUSTMENT THIS YEAR.
5. TOM HEARD PRESENTED A REQUEST FROM SUE GARCIA, DIRECTOR OF THE CHEROKEE COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER. In this request, Ms. Garcia noted that the Cherokee County Animal Shelter had contacted the Authority in June regarding proposed inserts to be included in the September 2011 water bills. In the correspondence, Ms. Garcia noted that she thought that billing inserts was a service that the Authority provided without charge. Ms. Garcia further noted that the Cherokee County Animal Shelter then received an invoice from CCWSA on 11/14/11 in the amount of $576.44 for the billing inserts. In the correspondence, Ms. Garcia requested that the Animal Shelter be released from this payment.
MOTION BY MIKE BYRD AND SECOND BY STEVEN WOODRUFF TO FORGIVE THIS BILL AND PLACE INTO EFFECT AN INTERNAL POLICY ENSURING THAT THIS ISSUE WILL NOT REOCCUR. All members present voted for the motion.
6. DWAYNE FOWLER PRESENTED A REQUEST FROM PARKS HUFF OF SAMS, LARKIN & HUFF REGARDING A PROPOSED AMENDMENT OF CCWSA SERVICE AREA BOUNDARY FOR RACETRAC PETROLEUM, INC. In this request, Mr. Huff stated that he represents RaceTrac Petroleum, Inc. in relation to their proposed convenience store at the southeastern intersection of Scott Road and Cumming Hwy., also known as Scott Road on property known as Tax Parcel 25 on Map 14N29. Mr. Huff’s client’s engineer, Mark LeCraw of LeCraw Engineering, Inc., has been in discussions with Canton and CCWSA regarding the best way to service the subject property with sewer and it has been agreed that Canton is the appropriate path. Contemporaneously with the letter, Mr. Huff’s client is asking the City of Canton to accept the subject property into its service area while also asking CCWSA to relinquish this property from its service area.
MOTION BY STEVEN WOODRUFF AND SECOND BY ERIC WILMARTH TO APPROVE THAT UPON REQUEST BY THE CITY OF CANTON, THE AUTHORITY WILL RELINQUISH THIS SERVICE AREA. All members voted for the motion.
7. RYAN SARKS REPORTED THAT, DUE TO LEGISLATIVE CHANGES, THE IRS HAS PROVIDED NOTIFICATION THAT THE AUTHORITY’S VALIC 457-B DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN AND GMEBS DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLAN MUST BE RESTATED IN ORDER TO ENCOMPASS NEW STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS.
MOTION BY BUZZ AHRENS AND SECOND BY MIKE BYRD TO RESTATE THE AUTHORITY’S VALIC 457-B DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN AND GMEBS DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLAN, PER NEW STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS. All members present voted for the motion.
8. DWIGHT TURNER PRESENTED LEAK ADJUSTMENT INFORMATION FOR THE PERIOD ENDING NOVEMBER 2011.
9. MOTION BY CHRIS WILBANKS AND SECOND BY ERIC WILMARTH TO APPROVE THE 11/28/11 BOARD MEETING MINUTES AS PRESENTED. All members voted for the motion.
10. BETH WILLIAMS PRESENTED THE FINANCE REPORT. Mrs. Williams reported that total operating revenues are approximately $298,486.00 above budget projections for the period ending 9/30/11. Mrs. Williams also reported that total operating expenses are approximately $66,110.00 above budget projections for the same period. Mrs. Williams reported year-to-date net income of $209,894.00 for the period ending 9/30/11.
Mrs. Williams reported that total operating revenues are approximately $205,327.00 above budget projections for the period ending 10/31/11. Mrs. Williams also noted that total operating expenses are approximately $154,403.00 below budget projections for the same period. Mrs. Williams reported year-to-date net income of $323,902.00 for the period ending 10/31/11.
11. MOTION BY STEVEN WOODRUFF AND SECOND BY CHRIS WILBANKS TO APPROVE THE WATER TREATMENT AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT REPORTS AS READ. All members voted for the motion.
Clint Blackwell had previously reported an average daily treatment of 12.508 MGD for the month of December at the Etowah River Water Treatment facility. Mr. Blackwell had also reported that the Yellow Creek Reservoir is currently 4” below full pool at 1188.7 ft. Mr. Blackwell had reported a cumulative rainfall total of 53.65” for the past 12 months.
Mike Venters had previously reported an average daily treatment of 2.855 MGD at the Rose Creek Wastewater Treatment facility. Mr. Venters had also reported an average daily treatment of 2.783 MGD at the Fitzgerald Creek Wastewater Treatment facility.
12. BILL GRAHAM PRESENTED THE CONSTRUCTION REPORT. MR. GRAHAM STATED THAT THE AUTHORITY HAS RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM THE OAK GROVE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO INSTALL A FIRE HYDRANT AT THE INTERSECTION OF PRIEST ROAD AND JOHNSON DUPREE ROAD.Mr. Graham reported an estimated cost of $4500.00 for the installation of this hydrant.
MOTION BY ERIC WILMARTH AND SECOND BY MIKE BYRD TO APPROVE THE REQUEST OF THE OAK GROVE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A FIRE HYDRANT AT THE INTERSECTION OF PRIEST ROAD AND JOHNSON DUPREE ROAD, AT AN ESTIMATED COST OF $4500.00. All members voted for the motion.
13. TOM HEARD PRESENTED THE GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT.
14. ERIC WILMARTH, CITY MANAGER OF BALL GROUND, PRESENTED A REQUEST REGARDING SERVICE AREA ABANDONMENT/LINE PURCHASE. Mr. Wilmarth stated that in June 2006, the City of Ball Ground accepted a request by Mr. Dale Turner to share in the cost of installing an 8” ductile iron water line along Flatbottom Road from S.R. 372 to Heritage Plantation, a new development Mr. Turner was proposing to build.
Although within the City of Ball Ground service delivery area, this section of Flatbottom Road had an existing 2 ½” water line owned by the CCWSA. At some point, it was determined that the 2 ½” line would not be sufficient to handle the new development of 38 planned homes. At that time, the elected body in the City of Ball Ground made the decision to share in the cost of line installation, rather than abandon the service area to the CCWSA.
Mr. Wilmarth noted that what followed was the installation of approximately 8500 feet of ductile iron pipe on Cherokee County right-of-way along the east side of Flatbottom Road. Additionally, valve boxes and meters were purchased and were installed at the intersection of Flatbottom Road and S.R. 372, where a connection to the CCWSA existing 8” line was established through a 6” meter.
The City of Ball Ground invested approximately $173,624.00 in this project.
Mr. Wilmarth further noted that since installation several things have changed, including the adoption of a policy by the CCWSA that governs wholesale water allocation and capacity. The City of Ball Ground does not have the ability to provide water to this line from its own sources without substantial infrastructure costs.
Additionally, given that the City of Ball Ground has no capacity for wholesale water on this line, the area could actually serve as a substantial financial liability to the City of Ball Ground in the event of a major line break in the area.
Mr. Wilmarth noted that Mayor Roberts of the City of Ball Ground has authorized Mr. Wilmarth to contact the CCWSA Board with a request that the CCWSA consider entering into an agreement to amend service delivery maps to abandon this area and its existing lines to the CCWSA. In exchange, the City of Ball Ground would ask the CCWSA to consider sharing in a portion of the investment that the City currently has in the line. The CCWSA would receive:
a) Approximately 8500 feet of ductile iron pipe along Flatbottom Road
b) Approximately 3000 feet of ductile iron pipe inside the Heritage Plantation Subdivision
c) 3 customers in Heritage Plantation
d) Long-term ability to serve the 35 vacant lots in Heritage Plantation
e) Ability to abandon a 2 ½” plastic line and move the Authority’s existing 26 customers to the 8” ductile iron line
f) The ability to service additional growth in this area
Mr. Wilmarth noted that the City of Ball Ground would request a one-time payment of $50,000.00, and stated that with the existing capacity fees established by the CCWSA, the 35 remaining buildable lots in Heritage Plantation alone would yield $61,250.00.
Mr. Wilmarth stated that the City of Ball Ground has no prior commitments with regard to this issue.
Bill Graham noted that the Authority would actually be able to move approximately 41 existing Authority customers to the 8” ductile iron line from the 2 ½” line dueto the addition of customers on Murphy Trail and Holcomb Road, which are side roads off of Flatbottom Road.
At this point, it should be noted that Eric Wilmarth left the chambers and did not participate in the Board discussion or subsequent vote.
MOTION BY STEVEN WOODRUFF AND SECOND BY CHRIS WILBANKS TO DENY THE REQUEST MADE BY THE CITY OF BALL GROUND, AND IN TURN, AUTHORIZE COUNSEL TO DRAFT A LETTER IN WHICH THE AUTHORITY WILL OFFER TO PURCHASE THE 8” DUCTILE IRON LINE FROM THE CITY OF BALL GROUND AT A COST OF $50,000.00 FOR THE PURPOSE OF REPLACING THE AUTHORITY’S EXISTING 2 ½” LINE. All members present voted for the motion.
15. MOTION BY CHRIS WILBANKS AND SECOND BY STEVEN WOODRUFF TO ADJOURN. All members present voted for the motion.