VILLAGE DISTRICT OF EIDELWEISS
Commissioners Meeting
November 14th, 2019
The Board of Commissioners met at 9:00 am on Saturday November 14th,2019. In attendance were Commissioners Adam Leiser, Jay Buckley, Kathy Koziell and Kelly Robatialle. The meeting was filmed for Madison TV by Tim Hughes. In attendance – Gloria Aspinall and Dinah Reiss
At 9:05am Commissioner Adam Leiser calls the meeting to order.
1. Agenda – Adam motion to approve. Kathy seconds. Jay wants to add Thusis culvet. Jay wants to add Donna’s schedule. Adam motion to amend these. Jay seconds. Yes 3-0. Yes 3-0 on amended agenda.
2. Highway Department Report - Two trucks are outfitted and worked the last storm. 550 and 5500 are the two.
Sander on 550 was rebuilt and should be good for the rest of the year. Unknown expense. Kelly’s ability to do these projects is limited because of his injury last month. Tony helps and does the welding which saves the district money.
The 7400 sander is in disrepair. The steel is rotting out. The plan is for Tony to do this which will cost the district less than outsourcing it. A new sander for that truck is roughly 15k. This repair will only last for one year at most.
A warrant article for a new sander will be needed.
Discussion about budgeting for 2020.
Board supports line items rather than warrant articles.
Department of Labor came and gave the VDOE a list of 16 violations. 10-12 are simple fixes and some have already been done. Kathy is working on this project. We need to give a letter within 30 days to the Dept of Labor. Employees can’t be working in standing water is the major violation.
Jay to send the price for tight tank solution for DPW I to the BOC. Application needed to potentially pump water out of DPW rather than creating a “tight tank”. Jay also to make a recommendation as to which option works best.
Possible minutes of a meeting a year ago may reflect that more affordable option may not be allowed due to petroleum, oil and proximity to DPW well area etc…
Fixing the DPW I will increase the annual budget due to expense of emptying tank.
Eyewash stations may need to be added as well. Kathy to investigate.
Gloria asks about an eyewash station in the chem room but the DPW employees don’t have access to that room.
DPW II problem with the heat has been partially fixed. One heater still isn’t working (left side). Kathy will contact mechanical contractor.
Office heater isn’t working either.
Adam motion: Spend up to $500 to fix the two heaters. Kathy second. Yes 3-0
Jay reports that he checked Grison and Burgdorf culverts. Grison culvert needed a tree removed and Jay did it. Jay reports that a tree on the downhill side of Burgdorf also had a tree fall.
Adam still wants to go to a culvert cleaning with Kelly.
Adam asks about tree removal on 4/6 Little Loop. One tree may be saved that is currently marked. Jay to make the change on the tree and contact the vendor accordingly.
Kelly says he marked the trees on all of Little Loop for the full job. Plowing was the main consideration when marking trees. Kelly to remove smaller trees with backhoe. Adam wonders about the sharp corner and whether or not the corner can be removed.
Kathy reports that she reached out to RW Nelson to do the Little Loop project at 4/6 as he was initially considered for this project. RW Nelson to give us a final price shortly. Jay and Kelly asked about materials for 4/6 project.
Drive shaft fell out of F550 today.
Chadwick and Kelly spoke and Chadwick plans to give us an excavator as an apology. We’d get it for free for one week and it could help us do the Thusis project.
Adam asks about DPW working overtime and with Tony the week we have an excavator. Kelly wants it to come with a hammer jack. Kelly will plan it accordingly.
Little Loop will not get graded but fill will be put in during the next 7 days.
Dam management plan discussed.
Fire department has been at the dam during a couple of evenings.
Jay has made recommendations for revision of Dam management plan.
Adam expresses concern that this wasn’t given to the BOC prior to the meeting.
Discussion about modifying dam management plan continues.
Dam to be lowered by 4 inches in the next seven days and BOC to have further discussion next week.
Discussion about encumbering funds on Thusis. Adam says we need to ensure legality before having further discussion.
3. Water –
Adam motion; Invite Luis and Rick on 12/7. Jay second. Vote 3-0 yes
Bids hopefully to be in by 12/5 on the tank portion of the Reinach project.
Adam reports that we are on schedule to get the $295,000 grant.
Adam met with Ian and Rick this morning. The $295,000 can’t be used on the Reinach tank.
Kathy congratulates and thanks Adam for his work to get this grant.
Discussion ensues.
Jay reads a correspondence Adam sent to the BOC.
Discussion ensues.
Jay motion: To have Larry removed from the water and environmental committees. Adam second. Kathy asks if Larry would be eligible to return to the committees. Adam believes Larry should receive a formal notification that he violated the committee member form and this needs to be followed or he will be removed from all committees. Vote No 3-0.
If this happens again, Kathy and Adam said they will vote “yes”.
Nuno Pais to receive 91a portion of the requirement.
Adam reports that Rick strongly recommends outsourcing all work.
Adam reports that he’s concerned about Paula being given a second chance to join a committee when she refused to help the BOC get access to our website.
Discussion about Ron Sandstrom occurs. He wants to help and is concerned that prior minutes stated that he was unwilling help. He was unable not unwilling. Ron will help with website going forward.
4. Administration –
Adam motion: Sign all the letters. Jay second. Vote yes 3-0. 47 Eidelweiss Drive and Taylor letters to be signed out of session.
16 Grison Driveway permit – Adam motion to sign the permit. Jay second. 3-0 Yes
Adam motion: Sign work orders #1157, #1158, #1159, #1160, #1161
5. Accounts Payable –
Kathy motion: Sign 15 checks in the amount of $25,728.14. Adam second. 3-0 Yes
Kathy motion: Sign 11 checks in the amount of $6,512.81. Adam second. 3-0 Yes
Discussion ensues about $2300 roller rental expense. Adam asks if DPW could have worked overtime to limit number of days roller was rented.
Cash flow discussed with Dinah. Money to go into CRFs in early December.
Discussion about receiving tax money from Madison.
Discussion about DPW water meter and where money comes from. Adam suggests contacting DRA to see if we can pay for this from the water budget. Dinah and Kathy to work together to see if item can be expensed from operating budget rather than from warrant article.
6. Minutes –
Kathy motion to approve minutes of 11/7/19 and 10/24/19. Adam second. Jay motion: To amend the 11/7 minutes that he asked Dinah for assistance and Dinah declined. Adam second. Yes 3-0. Yes 3-0
7. Commissioners Reports
Jay to get additional pricing on Little Loop from Dawson, Quint and ER.
Adam motion: Jay get the three prices on Little Loop. Jay second. Yes 3-0
Burgdorf – conversation ensues.
No job description exists for Nancy – can’t be found
Donna to create one.
Date for a public hearing on memorials to come later. Other possible public hearing topics to be done on the same date.
22 Interlaken water hookup to be sent to engineer for approval. Adam to speak with Chris Albert to see about Jones and Beach doing this in the future.
Jay looked into computer for the DPW and has a recommendation. Adam recommends Jay send recommendation to the board and Andrew Harteveldt for input.
Neighborhood Energy discussion ensues. Adam to do it. Will find a plan without a termination fee.
On Call system discussed. Kathy wants to simply pay Kelly every week and Jeff half the weeks.
Adam motion: Kelly paid $50 every week for being on-call and Jeff every other week $50 for being on -call. Kathy second. Yes 3-0
Jay motion: To send emergency contact list to the sheriffs department. Adam second 3-0 yes
Website – district can now update website.
Annual meeting forms – need to be printed, completed and brought to a meeting
Employment applicants – two more were received
Presentation of 12/7 discussed. Kathy wants to add charts/graphs.
Jay has concerns about road calculations.
Discussion about funding water tank and pipeline extensions.
Terri Cancelarich conversation summarized. Possible 1.75% interest rate.
Postcard expense is $350 for 500 or $500 for 1,000
Adam motion: The VDOE spend $500 for mailing notifications about December 7th meeting. Kathy second. Kathy amend to $350. Jay second. Adam wants everyone notified. Jay wants nobody notified. Kathy wants home owners notified. Vote yes 2-1
Office hours to be T/W/Th 8:30-3 beginning next week.
A lot of 91a requests have been submitted. Fulfilling these are a challenge because scanner isn’t working properly. Adam outlines that the VDOE could spend $4,000 annually fulfilling these requests.
Adam to resend Hurley letter
Discussion about having water usage from SCADA available on a cloud for easy access suggested by Andrew H. Board not inclined to tackle this project right now.
Fill was delivered to Joe Farnese
Nobody knows about UNH storm water management and if we paid any money. Info could be on the warrant article. Adam thinks it is a 2018 warrant article.
Discussion ensues about generators to support the water tank. Jay says the VDOE does not need to purchase generators because Coleman could meet our needs and has VDOE as a priority due to municipal drinking water needs.
No reviews on employee handbook at this time.
8. Signature Items
9. Correspondence
10. Scheduled Appearances
11. Public Comment
Dinah asks if Reinach tank has been covered. Answer is near future.
Dinah asks if bleeders are being turned on. Answer is near future.
12. Other Business
Exited Non-Public at 12:30pm
Public session resumed:
Motion made by Adam in Non-Public to spend up to $500 for legal review and modifications correspondence to Nancy. Kathy second. Yes 3-0
Motion made at 12:50 to adjourn by Kathy Koziell. Adam seconds, passes 3-0
Respectfully submitted,
Kathy Koziell
Commissioner