Duluth/North Shore Sanitary District – Board of Managers

Meeting # 79

 

Date:    September 13, 2006                

Board Members Present:          Kevin Bovee, Mary Ann Sironen, Scott Smith, Katie Kuettel, Lars Fladmark  

Board Members Absent:           None

 

Others Present: Clare Carpenter, John Kessler, Jeff Cook, Jim Anklam, Nate Grayson, Eric Appelwick, Erin Pratt, Al Katz, Kevin DeRosier, Trygve Anderson, Becky McNamara, and John Miller

 

Minutes to:       Jim Anklam, Eric Appelwick, Mike Appelwick, Darryl Bathel, Dan Belden, Bruce Berg, Kelli Boedigheimer, Kevin Bovee , John Bowen, Clare Carpenter, Rick Certano, Jeff Cook, City of Duluth, Duluth City Council, Duluth Township, Lars Fladmark, Greg Garmer, Jane Gilbert, Mark Gottwald, Wendy Gustofson, Scott Harder, Mark Herman, Duane Herold, Lynn Ann Hollatz, Kevin Holm , Dan Jacobson, Laurie Johnson, Al Katz, John Kessler, Lakewood Township, Nancy Larson-St. Louis County, Sue Lawson, Patti Logergren, Mike Mahoney, Joe McGaver, Don McTavish, Larry Moon, Dan Neiman, Mel Olson, Wayne Parson, PLAWCS, David Pierson, Tom Pulse, Yvonne Rutford, Mark Schaus, John Schifsky, Dale Schroeder, Dick Sigel, Mary Ann Sironen , Mary Frances Skala, Scott Smith, Kurt Soderberg, Tim Strom, George Sundstrom , Carol Surine, Peg Sweeney, John Thomas, Nelson Thomas, Jonathon Thornton, Pete Weidman, Robin Whaley, Sandy Woolum

 

Minutes by:       Erin Pratt and edited by Mary Ann Sironen

Item

Discussion

Conclusion/Actions

Roll Call

A quorum of Board members is present.

Agenda

Agenda was accepted by consensus.

Minutes

Correction to the spelling of Jim Anklam’s name and that John Kessler was listed twice in the “Others Present” Section.  Motion by S. Smith and seconded K. Bovee to approve the August minutes as amended.  Unanimously approved.

Treasurer’s Report
  1. S. Smith expressed satisfaction with the accounting transition to Ellingson and Ellingson and noted the Becky McNamara would be coming to future meetings on an as needed basis.
  2. S. Smith passed out Request for Payment.
  3. S. Smith passed out D/NSSD and 2007 Proposed Budget.  L. Fladmark noted that the premise of this budget was to keep rates as low as possible.
  • Residential Rate will increase $3 per month from $63 to $66.
  • Commercial Fee Increase.   Commercial rates will be updated to conform with the cost of providing service to commercial customers and to maintain commercial rates on the same cost basis as residential rates.  (From Scott Harder: The base charge per CAF Unit will increase from $63.00 to$66.00 per month.  Base charges will be individually established for each commercial customer based on the most recently-available 12 months of metered flows.  The average monthly flow over those 12 months will be used to establish the number of CAF Units for each customer.  The number of CAF Units will be multiplied by $66.00 to determine the base charge.  Volume charges will then be applied to those customer flows that exceed  7,900 gallons multiplied by the number of CAF Units.   The volume charge will be increased from $4.75 to $8.00 per thousand gallons.  This new commercial rate structure will ensure that each customer pays exactly his/her cost of service and is based on their own flows.)

·         Hook Up Fees.  K. Bovee stated that hookup fees should be increased to an amount that corresponds with that property’s share of the SJ Louis Settlement.

 

Motion by M.A. Sironen and seconded by K. Bovee to pay outstanding invoices.  Unanimously approved.

 

Motion by K. Bovee and seconded by M.A. Sironen to immediately increase hookup fees to the amount calculated by S. Harder that reflects the SJ Louis settlement.  Unanimously approved.

 

 

 

 

Treasurer's report continued

·         Tax Levy:  Proposed budget increases the tax levy to $374,303.  Board discussed that this amount was needed because of the PFA loan payment and payment of the SJ Louis Settlement.   The board discussed that they hoped the tax levy would decrease over the next few years.

  • S.Smith noted that NorShore Bank would not allow Becky McNamara Read-Only access to D/NSSD accounts. L.Fladmark mentioned that he would ask other banks about their Read-Only policies

Motion by K. Kuettel and seconded by M.A. Sironen to approve increase in D/NSSD levy.  Motion passes unanimously.

 

Motion by K. Kuettel and seconded by K. Bovee to pass 2007 proposed budget.  Unanimously approved.

Public Comments
  1. A. Katz asked about the two levy amounts on his tax statement.  The Board noted that the D/NSSD levy is listed with the special assessments .
  2. Trygve Anderson noted that he still has water problems at this property. 

Updates
  1. J. Miller discussed easements.  He stated that 18 property easements need to be amended.  He will check with M.F. Skala to see if easements on Torrans properties need to be renewed every 10 years.
  2. Knife River rates raised to $1.85 per thousand gallons.  This rate increase comes to approximately $7 per KR-L customer per month.  

Communications/Correspondence

       None

Legal Issues
  • M.F. Skala and A. Pratt were not present.  Ordinance approval was postponed until next month.

Engineer’s Report
  1. Ayres reported that three abandoned septic tanks were either crushed or filled with sand.  They are no longer an issue.  Ayres reported that Frontier requested payment of $2002 for work on abandoned septic tanks.
  2. Restoration – Frontier Pipeline submitted request for release of $12,000 retainage.  The Board noted that restoration, while coming along, has not been completed on all properties.  The Board decided to discuss this issue at the next meeting.

Motion by L. Fladmark and seconded by M.A. Sironen to pay Frontier $2002.  Motion passes unanimously.

NTS Report:  E. Appelwick distributed the July report to the Board.

1. Ryan Road continues to have an odor.  E. Appelwick is continuing testing to find a solution.  He is waiting for proposals from two odor control suppliers.  Also, an early August rain exposed a pipe at Ryan Road.  Shelton Excavating is repairing.

2.  E. Appelwick and Ayres met with WLSSD regarding flow meter.  WLSSD is not considering back charges to DNSSD.  It appears the flow meter is reading correctly, by that the flow might be off because of air that is back siphoning through the meter.

3.  E. Appelwick reported on a continuing plugging problem at Old North Shore Road.  The Board authorized him to get estimates on the cost of a more permanent solution.

4.  E. Appelwick reported that a resident is complaining about noise when he exercises the generator.  The Board discussed that a generator needs to be exercised regularly to run property.  E. Appelwick stated he will tell the resident that the generator will be exercised no later than 4:45 and will run only ½ hour.

5.  Board discussed the need to paint Lift Stations 1 and 2.  E. Appelwick will paint and ask WLSSD what color they use. 

New Business:  L. Fladmark had a request from a customer, Mr. Steve Sigford, regarding restoration issues.  Mr. Sigford requested a load of dirt to level out his back yard, seeding on parts of his lawn, and repaving of his driveway.  The Board decided to honor the first two requests, but not the driveway repaving because they did not have evidence that the sewer installation damaged Mr. Sigford’s driveway.

Meeting ended at 8:45. 

     The next meeting is at 0700 at French River Lutheran Church on October 11, 2006

 

 

Approved  10/11/06                                                                                                                                                    

                                                Chair                                                    Secretary