2005 Minutes
Last updated: 02/20/2008
Minutes of the
Green Lake Sanitary Sewer
and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, December 19, 2005
GLSSWD
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Harvey Lange, Clayton Anderson, Trudie Guptill, Dennis Baker, Dennis Peterson, and John Bergman.
Absent: Bill Taylor
Others present: Ron Hagemeier
The meeting was called to order by chairman Harvey Lange at 6 p.m. on Monday, December 19, 2005 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Water/Wastewater Flows
The month of November water loss for Spicer is 25.6%, Green Lake is 31.5%, and New London is 25.9%. Many of the gallons lost on Green Lake were from two residences experiencing frozen pipes and broken meters. They will be billed accordingly for the water and sewage usage fees. The Eagle Estates mag meters are in but need calibrating, which will be completed in March. The total District average water loss for all three entities is 27.7%.
Paul Smith Reimbursement Request
In April, 2005 the Paul Smith residence received damage from a water leak. He submitted a claim to his insurance company and is requesting the District reimburse his $1,000 deductible. Following discussion, the Commission unanimously decided to do nothing until the insurance companies have completed the claim process. Ron will write a letter to Paul Smith suggesting he contact his insurance company and request they submit a claim to the county insurance.
Delinquent Accounts
As of November 2005, two customers have delinquent accounts. Terry Kohls at 11854 North Shore Drive has $297.81 in EDU and usage fees outstanding with $124.93 in late fees totaling $422.74. Lisa Jordan at 8210 North Shore Drive has $241.39 in EDU and usage fees outstanding with $174.56 in late fees totaling $415.95. Several letters explaining the situation have been sent to both parties with no response. Trudie Guptill made a motion with Dennis Baker seconding to recommend to the County Board to assess their real property for balances due. The motion carried with no further discussion. A resolution authorizing the assessments will be presented to the County Board for approval at the January 3, 2006 board meeting.
Tom Torgerson
A check was received today for the amount due the District.
2007 Hookup Fee
Confirmation was made regarding the District hookup fee increasing to $1,000 being effective January 1, 2007. The cities of New London and Spicer have approved the increase.
Gopher State One Call
The Commission was updated on the process when a locate ticket is received by the District. These locates are now costing $1.15 for the first 50 tickets and $1.35 for all tickets there after. Starting January 1, 2006, all tickets received will need to be processed utilizing the Gopher State One Call positive response procedure and requiring more labor hours to complete.
Minutes
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Dennis Baker. The motion carried.
Bills
A motion to approve the bills was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Dennis Baker. The motion carried.
Other
Discussion took place regarding how the support costs for District projects, such as Lake Florida, are being paid. These costs are paid from the county $200,000 loan fund and paid back over time by the projects. The County Board has also discussed paying Gary Danielson for the time he spends on District work.
The final payment of $6,498.99 for the David Rose Project is due. A motion to authorize the payment was made by Trudie Guptill with Dennis Baker seconding. The motion carried.
A motion to adjourn was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by John Bergman. The motion carried. The next meeting will be held on Monday, January 23, 2006.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Lake Sanitary Sewer
and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, November 21, 2005
GLSSWD
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Harvey Lange, Bill Taylor, Clayton Anderson, Trudie Guptill, Dennis Baker, John Bergman, and Dennis Peterson.
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Gary Danielson.
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Harvey Lange at 6 p.m. on Monday, November 21, 2005 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Water/Wastewater Flows
October water losses for Spicer were 33.4% with a year to date (YTD) average of 16%, Green Lake at 20.2% with a YTD average of 28.2% and New London at 19.4% with a YTD average of 26.7%. The Eagle Estates mag meter parts are here waiting to be installed. The total District average water loss for all three entities was 23.6%.
Review of District Hookup Fee Schedule – Current Schedule Expires 12-31-05 & Review of EDU Policy Language
The current hookup fee schedule and EDU policy language that have been in place since 2002 were reviewed and discussed. A motion was made by Dennis Baker and seconded by Clayton Anderson to increase the District hookup fee from $750 to $1,000 per EDU basis with $250 going into the capital improvement fund being effective January 1, 2007. With no further discussion, the motion carried. Note: What is considered commercial businesses in the cities of Spicer and New London are valued at one EDU for hook up calculations. Monthly commercial EDU’s are calculated on actual monthly usage.
Curt Roverud Garage Hookup Request
The facts of the situation were explained to the Commission. Following discussion, a motion was made by Dennis Baker and seconded by Trudie Guptill, to follow the policy and allow hookup to the water & sewer system at the $11,561 assessment fee (including the current hook up fee). With no further discussion, the motion carried. Harvey Lange abstained from voting.
Minutes
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Bill Taylor and seconded by Trudie Guptill. There being no discussion, the motion carried.
Bills
A motion to approve the bills was made by Dennis Peterson. There was clarification of the Lake Region Contracting, Inc. bill. The motion was seconded by Bill Taylor. With no further discussion, the motion carried.
Other
The Kandiyohi County Board officially approved the Green Lake Sanitary Sewer & Water District 2006 budget at the November 15, 2005 meeting.
The WWTP effluent phosphorus levels are not improving. The rotary drum filtrate coming back to the head end of the plant will be treated this winter to see if that makes a difference.
Diamond Lake has requested a meeting (not a formal hearing) for next spring.
The Harris Duininck property and building purchase is continuing to be worked out.
A motion to adjourn was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by John Bergman. The motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Lake Sanitary Sewer
and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, October 31, 2005
GLSSWD
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Bill Taylor, Clayton Anderson, Harvey Lange, Dennis Baker, Trudie Guptill, Dennis Peterson, and John Bergman
Absent: none
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Gary Danielson, Dick Bakken, and Harris Duininck
The meeting was called to order by chairman Harvey Lange at 6 p.m. on Monday, October 31, 2005 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Water/Wastewater Flows
The water losses for the month of September for Spicer were 16.3% year to date (YTD) averaging 14.1%, Green Lake at 24.7% YTD averaging 29.1%, and New London 31.1% YTD averaging 27.5%. The total District average water loss was 23.5%.
The mag meters at Eagle Estate are still out. Most of the hardware is back but the computer chips are not. Ron will call tomorrow to check on the status.
2006 Proposed Budget
Clayton Anderson distributed minutes of the Green Lake Area Committee meeting held on Wednesday, October 26. A motion was made, seconded, and passed to continue using $.45/1,000 in reserve funds to supplement the $3.60/1,000 residential usage fee and to raise the SAC fee from $330 to $350.
The 2006 Proposed Budget was reviewed. The Green Lake Area Budget shows $98,938 revenue and $93,550 expense with a net of $5,388. The 2006 District Budget shows a balanced budget with $706,250 revenue and $706,250 expense.
Clayton Anderson made a motion to have the 2006 Proposed Budget presented to the Kandiyohi County Board for approval. Dennis Baker seconded the motion. There being no discussion, the motion carried.
Meeting Dates for November and December
The meetings were unanimously set for Monday, November 21, and Monday, December 19.
Harris Duininck – Building Rental
Harris has been using the control building at the old pond site for a couple years to operate his irrigation system and is now requesting to either purchase or lease the property. Following discussion, Dennis Baker made a motion to find a feasible way to transfer the property. Bill Taylor seconded. The motion carried.
Minutes
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by John Bergman. The motion carried.
Bills
A motion to approve the bills was made by Dennis Baker and seconded by Clayton Anderson. The motion carried.
Other
Commission members were given expense sheets to complete and submit for meeting attendance.
The pre-construction meeting for the project on County Road 4 on the east shore of Green Lake will be held at the Kandiyohi County Public Works tomorrow. There was also some discussion regarding the County Road 10 project.
The north side of the Indian Beach Road bridge seems to be sinking like the south side.
There was clarification discussion regarding multiple unit dwellings.
A motion to adjourn was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Dennis Baker. The motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Lake Sanitary Sewer
and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, September 26, 2005
GLSSWD
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Dennis Baker, Clayton Anderson, Bill Taylor, Dennis Peterson, John Bergman
Absent: Trudy Guptill, Harvey Lange
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Dick Bakken, Gary Danielson
The meeting was called to order by vice-president Dennis Baker at 6 p.m. on Monday, September 26, 2005 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Water/Wastewater Flows
The water losses for the month of August are Spicer 13.9%, Green Lake 13.4%, and New London 23.4%. The average monthly loss is 16.9% with a yearly average of 23.5%.
The Eagle Estates water and wastewater mag meters are still out for repairs.
Draft Budget
The 2006 draft budget for the District portion shows the revenue and expenses balancing at $706,250. The District is hoping to make this balance for 2006 and is not looking at a rate increase. The revenue is actually up 2.4% and the expenses up 3.7% over last year. There were some questions and discussion on salaries, health insurance, natural gas, and equipment purchases. Ron is looking at purchasing a piece of analytical equipment for the lab to do phosphorus analysis on site rather than sending it out. This would also help with the chlorine residual analysis. The equipment would cost around $6,000 dollars coming from the equipment replacement fund. Also, the engineering services amount does not include the Lake Florida costs. Chemical costs are down because of conservative measures being taken.
The Green Lake area portion of the 2006 draft budget shows revenue of $98,938, expenses of $104,350, and a net deficit of $5,412. The Lake Committee had decided last year not to increase the usage fee and use reserve funds. It was suggested by Ron that now would be the time to change the rate schedule from $3.15 to $3.60, which would generate $5,000 on the revenue side for 2006. The Green Lake Area Committee will need to meet before the next commission meeting. A tentative meeting was set for October 26th.
The next Commission meeting will be on Monday, October 31, 2005.
GLSSWD Name Change
Following much discussion a motion was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Bill Taylor to not change the name but add “Serving the Green Lake area and the cities of New London & Spicer.” at the bottom of the stationary with other areas added as needed. There being no further discussion, the motion carried.
Bunny Park Update
The Kandiyohi County Board has approved installing the trunk line for Bunny Park using the trunk line revolving fund. There was discussion on including an incentive in the agreements with the property owners to finance a portion of the assessment costs if they hookup within a certain time. The Commission is in favor of pursuing this and will include it on the October meeting agenda. Gary Danielson will continue working this out.
There was some discussion on the anticipation of a new condo being constructed in Spicer.
Minutes
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Dennis Peterson and seconded by Clayton Anderson. A question was asked about the status of monitoring the Middle Fork Crow River gaging station. Ron talked with Skip Wright today and was informed the station would be monitored during all ice out conditions during the months of March through November. A correction was noted that Harris Duininck would be on the agenda in October rather than September. There being no further discussion, the motion carried.
Bills
A motion to approve the bills was made by Bill Taylor and seconded by Clayton Anderson. With no discussion, the motion carried.
Other
The City of New London has been working with Mn/DOT getting a frontage road put in which would start at the water plant, through a portion of the well field, into the Pieh property, and over to County Road 40. Gary Danielson discussed with Trudie Guptill, New London city administrator, today regarding a possible request to put the road in with an easement without purchasing property with no intentions of assessing the District. This is not quite at the formal stages to request, but just for the Commissions’ information.
A motion to adjourn was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by John Bergman. The motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Lake Sanitary Sewer and Water District
Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, August 22, 2005
GLSSWD
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Harvey Lange, Trudie Guptill, Bill Taylor, Clayton Anderson, and Dennis Peterson
Absent: John Bergman and Dennis Baker
Others present: Gary Danielson, Ron Hagemeier, Dick Bakken, and Terry Frazee
The meeting was called to order by chairman Harvey Lange at 6 p.m. on Monday, August 22, 2005 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Water/Wastewater Flows
Spicer has a 16.8% loss with an average of 13.8% for the year. Green Lake has a loss of 2 million gallons for July. The leak fixed a month ago could account for this loss. There was thought to be a leak on the east side at 11220 Indian Beach Road that turned out to be a weep hole in the side of the drain back valve of the private shut off. There are no other potential leaks known. The District will continue monitoring. New London shows a loss of 25.9% with an average of 27.6%. The overall average loss for the year is 24.4%.
The Eagle Estates water mag meter has not been working. The wastewater mag meter is not working either. The process of fixing both meters has begun. This is probably related to electrical surges and lightning strikes in the area.
EDU’s & Cash Flow Report
As part of a study from the fall of 2002, Chuck Pettipiece produced an EDU chart showing the need to increase the EDU charges from $33.00 about 3% a year until reaching $39.00 with the charges being $35.00 in 2005. The 2005 EDU charges are still $33.00 with the reason being the number of the commercial EDU’s in the cities of New London and Spicer increased making it not necessary to increase the EDU charges.
Chuck then looked if the projection has changed with a report prepared August 16, 2005 showing the $33.00 EDU charge with the same type of increases, only delayed, and ending with basically the same results of a $39.00 EDU at some point. Another prepared report dated August 16, 2005 indicated that if the District would not expand and leave the EDU charges at $33.00 throughout the life of the program, the result would be the District being in the black in 2008 and a deficit in 2009.
With bringing in Lake Florida and making the assumption that 75% of the people will hook up as part of the project bringing in 70% of the normal EDU, which would result in an increase to $37.00 rather than $39.00. Staying at $33.00 would bring about a deficit in 2009 also. The decision point in that case for bonding to achieve cash flow would be 2008. The Commission should report to the County Board on a yearly basis of the bond repayment process and its requirements.
Area Lakes Update
On Wednesday, August 24, 2005, the County Board will be given an engineer’s surveying report on Lake Florida. The costs have increased approximately 10% for each individual property owner because Hidden Springs was removed from the formula for paying for the collection line around the lake. The County Board will be able to schedule a public hearing for a first hearing on the engineering report. That starts the County in the formal public hearing process hearing testimony on whether or not to continue with the project. The public hearing would be scheduled for Saturday, September 24, 2005, possibly including an open house informational meeting on Friday night. If the Board proceeds, the engineer would draw up plans, survey work would begin, and bids would open in March or April. There would be an improvement hearing after the bids are opened determining whether or not to continue based upon the bid results. If all goes according to plan, there could be work on the trunk line beginning in May, with the first hookups in late summer to early fall and hookups completed in 2007.
The County Board will also consider Wednesday the cash flow details on the trunk line looking at potential hook ups on Lake George, Lake Henderson and Nest Lake when setting the hearing for the project.
Terry Frazee asked if there is a possibility of any of these lakes wanting water service. This could be considered, however, there is no real savings in combining sewer & water at this point.
There will be a meeting with the Diamond Lake Property Owners Group on Friday, August 26, 2005. A preliminary plan has been presented, but at this point they are interested in knowing more about the District.
133rd Avenue NE – Bunny Park Sewer Service Connection
The assessment and billing process would be the same with the difference being the homeowner would purchase and install the grinder station. The project would be to directional bore a 2” pipe from the last manhole in Indian Beach Harbor that could also service the other homes should they hookup. The project cost of $15,240 could be paid from the County revolving loan fund. This initial project has already been approved by the Commission with the trunk line costs being assessed to the homeowners when they hookup without the extra $6,000 noted for the additional trunk line extension as recommended by the District.
Clayton Anderson made a motion with Bill Taylor seconding to approve the project requesting that the additional cost of $6,000 for extending the trunk line be funded by the revolving loan fund. With no further discussion, the motion carried.
GLSSWD Name Change
With the addition of other lakes to the District, it is time to consider a District name change. Following discussion, the Commission decided to come back to the September meeting with suggestions.
Middle Fork Crow River Gaging Station on County Road 2
Discussion took place regarding missing data on the reports Skip Wright of the DNR is providing. It is to the advantage of the District to have this data. Skip will be asked to provide complete data for all months of the year on a timely basis. If he feels he cannot, get someone else to do it.
Trudie Guptill made a motion and Bill Taylor seconded to authorize Ron to write a letter to Skip Wright requesting he provide complete gaging station data for all months of the year on a timelier basis. Following further discussion the motion carried.
Minutes
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Dennis Peterson and seconded by Clayton Anderson. With no discussion, the motion carried.
Bills
A motion to approve the bills was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Trudie Guptill. There being no discussion, the motion carried.
Other
Harris Duininck will be on the October agenda regarding rental of the control building at the old pond site.
Robert Sogge, GLSSWD employee, has received the Wastewater Class C Operator of the Year award. The Commission suggested that Ron contact the media.
The Irving Township bike path has been contracted to Duininck Brothers with plans to get this completed yet this year.
A motion to adjourn was made by Bill Taylor and seconded by Clayton Anderson. The motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth SlindenSecretary
Minutes of the
Green Lake Sanitary
Sewer and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, July 25, 2005
GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Clayton Anderson, Harvey Lange, Bill Taylor, Trudie Guptill, and John Bergman.
Absent: Gary Danielson, Dennis Peterson, and Dennis Baker.
Others present: Ron Hagemeier and Dick Bakken
The meeting was called to order by chairman Harvey Lange at 6 p.m. on Monday, July 25, 2005 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Water/Wastewater Flows
The monthly operations report for June shows water losses to be Spicer at 1%, Green Lake at 16.9 % and New London at 20%. The total average water loss for the year is 24.1%. Ron noted that with the timing of the meter reads it is best to concentrate on the yearly running average to determine efficiency of the different systems.
The District was called out on a sewer related issue to the Jim Hughes cabin at 9901 North Shore Drive, located two houses west of the Paul Smith house, where the last known water leak was repaired. It was found the common 6-inch line that services the Hughes, Taatjes and Smith houses had sagged about 30 feet in length, was half full of water and more seriously, a section of the pipe was pulled apart about 6 inches near the County road. The District called in a contractor to fix the pipe and Jim Hughes funded the installation of a new cabin service line. While there, Charles Carver, who lives one house east of Paul Smith, came and said he had water running out of his lake bank. The District went back a day later with Neil from Bolton & Menk with a listening device. As they approached the private curb box and yard hydrant to the well, they could hear the hydrant vibrating, indicating a water leak. The homeowner hired a contractor and dug down and repaired the private shut off where the ¾” and 1” pipes are attached. This is the second leak at this residence. Two to three years ago the District shut off by the road was repaired. Ron will ask Brad if there is a way to track which contractor did the work in this area.
133rd Avenue NE – Bunny Park Sewer Service Connection
Brad DeWolf did work on a cost estimate regarding the Bunny Park project using bids from a local contractor and a directional boring company. The cost would be $12,015 with the District providing the grinder station. The plan would be to directional bore right into the last manhole at Indian Beach Harbor, not disturbing the new road and feeding the forcemain pipe back. The effected homeowner in Bunny Park would be reimbursing the District for the cost of the grinder station. Following discussion, Clayton Anderson made a motion to approve the cost estimate with Trudie Guptill seconding. With no further discussion, the motion carried.
George Lake Update
A meeting was held on Saturday, July 23, at 7 p.m. at Decision Hills Bible Camp. Brad DeWolf did a feasibility study presentation similar to Lake Florida. Ron distributed maps and explained the project to the Commission. Another meeting will be scheduled with the lake association board. Ron and Gary will continue to keep the Commission updated on all these projects.
Minutes
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Bill Taylor and seconded by John Bergman. It was asked if there has been a response from Harris Duininck regarding rent of the control building at the pond site being used for electrical purposes to operate the irrigation systems that Harris owns. Ron has not heard from him. Following discussion, Harvey Lange made a motion to send a bill to Harris for $1,000 a month from May 2004 to the present. John Bergman seconded the motion. There being no further discussion, the motion carried. Ron will send Harris a letter and invoice.
Bills
A motion to approve the bills was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Trudie Guptill. With no further discussion, the motion carried.
Other
There was no other for discussion.
A motion to adjourn was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by John Bergman. The motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Lake Sanitary Sewer and Water District
Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, June 27, 2005
GLSSWD
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Harvey Lange, Clayton Anderson, Trudie Guptill, John Bergman, Bill Taylor, Dennis Baker, Dennis Peterson
Absent: none
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Dick Bakken, Gary Danielson, Terry Frazee
The meeting was called to order by chairman Harvey Lange at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 27, 2005 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Water/Wastewater Flows
Ron met today with Jeff Dale a water technician from the Minnesota Rural Water Association. Jeff reviewed the production and usage spreadsheet along with past data reports and determined the average loss for the past five months is 18 gallons per minute. This is not a lot of loss. The process to locate causes for these losses would be too long and costly. There is nothing the District can do differently to remedy the situation but continue to monitor and look for leaks. The Commission wants to continue receiving the spread sheet monthly.
Lake Florida Update
Gary Danielson, Ron Hagemeier, Brad DeWolf and Dennis Peterson were at the Lake Florida Association meeting on June 3. A presentation on what the system would look like was given with very favorable response. There will be a meeting tomorrow, June 28, with some of the lake representatives on how the project will take place. This has come to the point of needing something brought to the County Board. Following much discussion, a motion was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Dennis Baker that this Commission recommend the County Board move to expand the District to include Lake Florida and the Deitz Development.
Minutes
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Bill Taylor, seconded by John Bergman, and the motion carried.
Bills
A motion to approve the bills was made by Clayton Anderson, seconded by Dennis Peterson, and the motion carried.
Other
Bolton and Menk is working on the Bunny Park sewer extension and will have something to present next month.
There was some discussion on the Irving Township bike path upgrade.
A letter was sent to Harris Duininck regarding rent for using the control building on the old pond site to run his irrigation system across the road. Harris called a couple weeks ago that he would think about it and get back to Ron.
Bolton and Menk is putting together a feasibility study to be presented at the Diamond Lake Association annual meeting on August 6 at 9 a.m.
The City of Kandiyohi is in need of sewer system upgrades and Willmar is approaching them.
Motion to adjourn was made by Clayton Anderson, seconded by Trudie Guptill, and the motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Lake Sanitary Sewer and Water District
Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, May 23, 2005
GLSSWD
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Harvey Lange, Bill Taylor, Clayton Anderson, Dennis Baker, John Bergman, and Dennis Peterson
Absent: Trudie Guptill
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Dick Baken, Terry Frazee, and Gary Danielson
The meeting was called to order by chairman Harvey Lange at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 23, 2005 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Water/Wastewater Flows
Water loss for the month of April for Spicer is 20.3%, Green Lake is 29.2% with a large water leak repaired towards the end of the month, and New London is 28.5%. The wastewater treatment amounts are up because of the rains. The average loss for the three entities is 25.7 %.
Recap of Water Leak at 9965 North Shore Drive
This leak was identified and discussed at last month’s meeting but had not been found or repaired at that time. After much searching there was a reducer found with a bad flare, which has been repaired. In addition to the repair costs, the homeowner sustained substantial water damage to his basement. His insurance company is taking care of the damages for now; however, they will need to be reimbursed. The county’s insurance carrier has been contacted. The homeowner also requested his deductible of $1,000 to be reimbursed by the District. Following discussion, the Commission decided to let the insurance companies determine if this should be reimbursed.
Additional Leak Detection Work
Leak detection was investigated and it was suggested by a leak detection service to locate each service shut off and monitor with leak detection equipment. The District can’t afford this custom service and doesn’t have the manpower to do it. Based on what resulted when leak detection was done before, the District will continue to repair as the leaks occur.
Bio-P Process Control
An update was given on the phosphate removal process that was re-plumbed by Bolton & Menk a couple months ago. The April results show the plant discharging less phosphorus at about 2 parts where before was 3.5 parts. The influent phosphorus levels have also come down. A couple reasons for this could be that Ron has been working with the orthophosphate fed at the water treatment plant; and the Country Stop had been using 120,000 gallons of water and only used 60,000 gallons last month and if they are using phosphate based soap, it could make a difference. All the necessary lab analysis is not back yet, but it is looking better. It will take several months to get this all together.
Lake Area Sump Pumps
Two years ago the District inspected houses around the lake for sump pump compliance. A letter was sent to 28 residents last week that either didn’t do the initial inspection or since inspection haven’t gotten back to the District regarding the changes required. There have been four responses with two having no problem and two making the changes required to be in compliance. A policy for sump pump compliance (non-polluted waters) has been adopted by the Commission but not the County Board. Following discussion, the Commission decided to have this policy brought to the next County Board meeting.
133rd
Avenue Improvements (Bunny Park)
There is a resident living at the southern end of the road being required to upgrade his on site system by County Zoning and he called asking if the District had intentions of running sewer collection lines by there. Bolton and Menk has put together a plan for a low-pressure sewer option for the whole park. However, there needs to be more discussion as to what approach to take and if the County Board would finance. Gary Danielson, Gary Geer, Ron Hagemeier and Bolton & Menk will continue to investigate this along with the County Board. The Commission will be updated in a month.
Updates
Lake Florida – Had a meeting supplying them with information to send out to the members around the lake. They have made an internal decision to exclude from the assessment process the Hidden Springs septic system that involves about 25 homes and lots that have bought into the County approved and monitored cluster system on the north shore of Lake Florida. If the cluster system fails, they will be required to connect with a hook up fee. This will be discussed at the annual meeting on June 3rd.
Diamond Lake – Had a meeting on Saturday, May 21 at 8:30 a.m. with their property owner’s board and presented the same type of system as for Lake Florida. There are two options for the trunk line, with one being a cheaper option of coming in and connecting to the line on the east shore at the lift station just south of Indian Beach Harbor. The other would be running the trunk line directly to the WWTP. Gary and Brad will present the feasibility study to the association at their annual meeting in August.
Nest Lake – Had a meeting of the Nest Lake Association and some from Golf View. Bolton & Menk made a presentation explaining what the system would be. One difference on this is that the township has already provided the trunk line out to the church and will need to be reimbursed. There would also be some road restoration necessary. The Nest Lake group would have liked to have the existing systems be inspected by the county. However, the county does not have an inspection program.
April Minutes
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Dennis Baker and seconded by Clayton Anderson. The motion carried.
Bills
A motion to approve the bills was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Dennis Peterson. The motion carried.
Other
Ron reported the last of the sludge from the pond system has been removed and land applied. This project is now complete except for some paper work. Harris Duininck has been using the control building on the property to run his irrigation system across the road for a year and is currently not being charged. The Commission authorized Ron to send a letter requesting Harris to submit an offer he considers fair for rental of the control building.
A motion to adjourn was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Dennis Baker. The motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Secretary
Minutes
of the
Green Lake Sanitary Sewer and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, April 25, 2005
GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Clayton Anderson, Bill Taylor, Dennis Peterson, John Bergman, and Dennis Baker
Absent: Harvey Lange and Trudie Guptill
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Gary Danielson, Dick Baken, and Terry Frazee
The meeting was called to order by vice-president Dennis Baker at 6:05 p.m. on Monday, April 25, 2005 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Water/Wastewater Flows
The March water loss for Spicer is 8% with an average of 10.5% loss. Green Lake had 39.2% loss averaging 34.1% with an identified leak. New London is at 35.3% loss with an average of 29.6%. New London has changed out some old meters and the service lines are scheduled to be tested. The yearly average loss is 26.5% for all three entities.
There has been a 2-inch compound meter installed (replacing a 4-inch meter) at the wastewater plant, which will lessen the water losses. Following much discussion concerning the high water loss, it was decided to explore a new technology for having the system checked.
Water System Leak at 9965 North Shore Drive
The resident called with water in his basement. The District found the ground around the curb stop to be soft and settled; and when the cap was taken off, water shot out of the curb stop. We connected a hose to his well system and back fed water to his house to isolate the system. After digging down, a leak was not found. The system was then pressure tested, and was found that the leak was not on the homeowner’s side of the shut off. The line was then shut off at the street, pressure tested and failed. Tomorrow the contractor will dig up the line and hopefully find and repair the leak. The home has sustained water damage to the basement area and the owner is turning in a claim to his homeowner’s insurance company.
Bio-P Process Control
Bolton and Menk has funded re-plumbing through Holm Bros. Plumbing & Heating of Atwater for the bio-p process. There was also some plumbing to the ATAD building where the side stream will be treated to remove phosphorus beginning in about 10 days which may get the bio-p process working. Additional lab work is being done to track these changes.
Spicer Lift Station Pump Repair
The old flight pump at the Spicer Lift Station was rattling. It was removed and replaced with the spare pump. The pump was taken to Lewis Motor Service in St. Cloud at an estimate of $3,100. The pump is back, repaired for $2,500, under warranty for 90 days, and in service.
Indian Beach Road 2nd Tier Property Development
Two homeowners on the lakeside wanted to build garages with bathrooms on lots across the road. When Ron mentioned assessments, the contractor said the lots were not buildable and shouldn’t be assessed. Gary Geer was contacted. He said these lots are buildable and therefore can be assessed by the District.
Updates
Lake Florida – Have had several meetings with the group and one coming up on May 4th. Their annual meeting will be on June 4th where there will be a presentation made to a larger group. The Hidden Springs Development, which is a cluster system, seems to be the biggest issue in holding up the process.
Diamond Lake – An e-mail has been sent to the directors to talk with them before their annual meeting.
Nest Lake – There is a Crow River Partnership meeting with a MPCA representative scheduled for Wednesday, May 11th. The committee plans to be there to present their findings. Gary Danielson has been invited to speak at their annual meeting the morning of May 21st.
Lake Calhoun – There are two development areas north and west around the lake but not directly on the lake consisting of 30 lots. They had, on their own, hired an engineer to take a look at the feasibility of installing a central sewer system. It has been determined that it is not economical for the District or developer to install trunk service lines to these developments.
February Minutes & Bills
A motion to approve the February minutes and bills was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Bill Taylor. The motion carried.
March & April Bills
A motion to approve the March & April bills was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Dennis Peterson. There was discussion on the effect increased fuel prices may have on the budget. The motion carried.
Other
Bill Taylor inquired if the District was having any current problems with Xcel Energy. He noted he will be meeting with Xcel in the near future and could relay any concerns the District may have.
A motion to adjourn was made by Bill Taylor and seconded by John Bergman. The motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Lake Sanitary Sewer and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, February 28, 2005
GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Harvey Lange, Clayton Anderson, Dennis Peterson, John Bergman, Dennis Baker
Absent: Trudie Guptill, Bill Taylor
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Gary Danielson
The meeting was called to order by chairman Harvey Lange at 6 p.m. on Monday, February 28, 2005 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Water/Wastewater Flows
The January water loss for Spicer is 12.8%, Green Lake is 32.4%, and New London is 36.4% with the three entities averaging a 22.8% loss. It would appear there is a new leak around the lake.
Informational sheets indicating the water and wastewater sold for the three entities since 2001 were distributed. It was decided to have these available at future meetings.
The bio p continues to not work properly. Bolton and Menk, Inc. has decided to do some revised plumbing, which they will finance. Holm Bros. Plumbing & Heating of Atwater will begin the work in about two weeks taking approximately one day but not more than two to complete.
Lake Florida Update
Since the December meeting, the Trunk Line Extension Committee and Kandiyohi County Board have endorsed what was discussed at that meeting. There was a meeting with a larger group from Lake Florida with some still looking at the cluster systems. The next action is to put together a representative group to setup a plan of what the costs will be with a specific proposal in June.
There is nothing new with Diamond Lake other than the need to set up a meeting.
There will be a report on Lake Florida at the March meeting.
Minutes & Bills
A motion to approve the minutes and bills was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Dennis Baker. There being no discussion, the motion carried.
Other
The Commission was made aware that Curt Kuznia at 11138 Indian Beach Circle purchased a lot across the road and will be building a garage in which he wants to put a floor drain running to a 500 gallon holding tank. There is nothing stubbed out from the road for sewer hookup and according to zoning it should be okay if it is only a drain for water. Ron will write a letter explaining this to Mr. Kuznia.
A motion to adjourn was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by John Bergman. The motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Lake Sanitary Sewer and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday,
January 24, 2005
GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Clayton Anderson, Harvey Lange, Dennis Baker, Trudie Guptill, Bill Taylor, and Dennis Peterson
Absent: John Bergman
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Gary Danielson, and Ashley Kragenbring, Kandiyohi County Times Reporter
The meeting was called to order by chairman Harvey Lange at 6 p.m. on Monday, January 24, 2005 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Election of Officers
Trudie Guptill made a motion to nominate Harvey Lange for chairman with Dennis Baker seconding the motion. Clayton Anderson made a motion that nominations cease and Bill Taylor seconded the motion. Harvey Lange made the motion that all other positions remain the same as 2004 with Dennis Peterson seconding the motion. Trudie Guptill will be secretary and Dennis Baker will be vice chairman. There being no further discussion the motions carried.
Water/Wastewater Flows & Influent Flow Chart
The monthly operations report for December 2004 shows Spicer with 4.9% water loss and Green Lake with a water loss of 19.5%. The mag meters will be calibrated around the lake possibly as early as next Monday. If the mag meters would be off, these percentages could change and move around. The combined water loss for Green Lake & Spicer for the month is 10.5%. New London had a 28.6% loss with some leaks being fixed and another leak identified to be fixed. The Eagle Estates wastewater mag meter is tracking accurately. The average water loss for all three entities is 17.3% for December.
The influent flow chart shows less water treated in 2004 than when first began treating in 2001. The influent flow meter at the wastewater treatment plant will be checked if it may be tracking on the low side. Individual water and wastewater charts for New London, Spicer, and Green Lake were shown to the Commission and will be included in the meeting packets beginning next month.
Ron also discussed various water production charts that were shared with the Commission. These included a raw water well production chart showing the amount of water pumped from each well, a finished water sold chart showing the individual residential and commercial usages with a total, and a water inventory chart showing raw water pumped, finished water accounted for, finished water lost and the percent of loss. All charts included the years of 2000 to 2004.
The 4 inch meter at the wastewater treatment plant will be down sized to a 2 inch compound meter to track WWTP flows more accurately.
Discussion took place about when a policy should be put into place that fixing leaks would be the property owners’ responsibility. No decision was made. The contractor warranty on the system has long expired.
Bennett Tower Space Rental Agreement
Russ Bennett and Ron have discussed this further. Bennett is in agreement to the $400 charge per month and would like to extend the lease for five years and keep the language paying for all three towers. Following discussion, a motion to extend the contract for $400 a month for all three towers and that Bennett be put on notice of the consideration of a per tower status after the three years was made by Dennis Baker and seconded by Bill Taylor. The motion carried.
Lake Florida & Diamond Lake Updates
Gary Danielson, Brad DeWolf, and Ron Hagemeier met with the Lake Florida representatives to discuss a couple of the options for sewer collection around the lake. The apparent best option at this point is a split loop system not requiring a second lift station. The three options for getting from the lift station to a GLSSWD facility were also discussed with the best being the County Road 32 option.
There are a couple issues for the Commission to consider being the waiving of the connection fee for up to one year and the trunk sewer line extension proposed assessments. The trunk line extension committee will be meeting soon and needs a recommendation from the Commission.
Dennis Baker made a motion to approve the concept of 30% of the wastewater EDU going for trunk line extensions as presented at this meeting by Gary Danielson and authorize him to propose and discuss with Lake Florida. Bill Taylor seconded the motion. Following further discussion, the motion carried.
Minutes & Bills
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Dennis Baker and seconded by Trudie Guptill. A question was asked regarding the status of the new pump. The new pump is installed and working. The motion carried.
A motion to approve the bills was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Dennis Peterson. There was a question regarding the bill paid to the City of Willmar, which was for hauling out the District’s sludge last fall when the regular person was backlogged. The motion carried.
Other
A thank you letter was read from the Habitat for Humanity for discounting the hookup fee by $500 on the twin homes being constructed in New London.
Motion to adjourn was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Bill Taylor. The motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden