2008 Minutes
Last updated: 04/08/2010
Guidelines for Non-Sewered Water Meter Installation
Purpose: To provide recordable water usage for irrigation and other non-sewered uses.
An application for a non-sewered water meter installation must be completed by the property owner.
Water meter must be purchased from the GLSSWD.
Total installation expense is the responsibility of the water meter purchaser. Including signal wire installation to MXU mounting location.
The non-sewered meter must be plumbed in so as not to record gallons of usage recorded by the main sewered meter. Meaning, the non-sewered meter cannot be plumbed in line either before or after the main sewered meter. The non-sewered meter must utilize a separate supply source tied off from the in coming water service.
Only outside faucets shall be connected to the non-sewered meter. Only faucets installed in such a manner as to not allow drainage to any sewer collection devise will be allowed.
Inspection of non-sewered meter installation by the GLSSWD is required. Inspection and approval of completed installation must occur before utilization of the non-sewered meter.
Water usage is to be billed at the normal usage rate. Current usage rate is $1.85 per thousand gallons.
Non-sewered water meter must be removed or sewer usage fees will apply if determined by the GLSSWD that inappropriate installation and or water usage has occurred.
Minutes
of the
Green Sanitary Sewer and
Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, December
29, 2008
GLSSWD Wastewater
Treatment Plant
Present: Clayton Anderson, Dennis Baker, John Bergman, Kevin Dittbenner
Absent: Brett Aamot, Marv Hey, Troy Block, Dennis Peterson
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Gary Danielson, Dean Helstrom
The meeting was called to order by chairman, Dennis Baker, at 6:08 p.m. on Monday, December 29, 2008 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The November water loss for Spicer is 31.8% and Green Lake is 20.4%. There is no accounted for water for New London due to office personnel medical leaves. The second spreadsheet completed when the lake meters are read indicates an average for the last 3 months for Spicer of 22.0% and Green Lake of 12.1%. When compared with the initial spreadsheet with Spicer at 20.7% and Green Lake at 11.8%, the averages are very close.
All work is done on the Nest Lake north shore with the exception of finishing final restoration of yards and right-of-way in the spring 2009.
The south and east shores have 57 homes and resorts to be finished this week, 4 homes/resorts to be completed in the spring 2009, and final restoration of yards and right-of-way to be done in spring 2009.
George Lake has 32.5 homes and resorts final connected, 54.5 homes and resort to be connected in the spring 2009, and final restoration of yards and right-of-way to be completed in spring 2009. An additional Tier II property was added today. There are also 4 grinder pump stations to be installed in the spring 2009.
Henderson Lake service laterals are complete with no grinder pumps yet installed. There are 41 homes to be connected and final restoration of yards and right-of-way to be finished the spring 2009.
Base fees of $20.40 are being charged to connected parcels, but no usage fee until the flow meters are calibrated.
The delinquent accounts of Lisa Jordan and Robert Bliss were recommended to the Kandiyohi County Board at the December 16, 2008 meeting for placement on the 2009 real property taxes. The Board agreed to assess the outstanding balances to the 2009 real property.
The MPCA was at the WWTP for a compliance inspection regarding what may or may not be expected from the plant. A draft permit received states there will not be a phosphorus limit, the river sampling has been negotiated away, and mercury monitoring will be required twice a year. The permit will be good for another five years beginning March 2009.
Lake Florida Committee Report
The Lake Florida Committee met on Monday, December 8, to set the usage rate for 2009 and discuss creating a reserve fund for the future. After looking at several options, the Committee decided to use $2.75 per KWH for 714 gallons as the base rate. With the 2009 5% usage increase the new rate will be $2.89 per KWH for 714 gallons. The Committee also agreed to a $1.00 per EDU increase for 2009 to create a reserve fund.
These items will be reviewed again next month for official approval from the Commission since a quorum is not currently present.
Since a quorum is not present, the minutes will be presented for approval next month.
The minutes were reviewed as follows:
A permanent chemical feed station is in service and working at Old Mill Road, but needs some modifications.
It has been determined by Leopold Company following testing that the water treatment plant filter top plate is not working properly. Since no communication has occurred for three weeks, Ron will check into the progress.
There has been no action regarding a Tri-Lakes Committee.
The City of Kandiyohi has submitted a preliminary engineers report to Rural Development exploring financial options that may be available.
There were no issues noted with the bills. The bills will be presented for review next month since a quorum is not currently present.
Representing the City of Spicer, Dennis Baker and Troy Block will continue to serve on the Commission. This will be formally noted at the Kandiyohi County Board meeting on Tuesday, January 6, 2009.
The chemical quotes received for 2009 have either doubled or tripled depending upon the chemical resulting in more overall cost than was budgeted. The District will be working with DPC rather than Hawkins this year because of a $5,000 difference in quotes.
A notation was made by Ron that of the 44 grinder stations around the lake 42 are powered by the homeowner’s electricity and reimbursed $10.00 a month. Anticipating possible requests for an increase, the X-cel billing for a grinder station electric use paid by the District was reviewed showing approximately $2.00 actual KWH cost per month. As a result any increase could not be justified.
There has been contact regarding the required fire hydrant repair which may begin in March. Ron will follow up on this.
There was common consent to adjourn.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, January 26, 2009 at 6 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Recording Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Sanitary Sewer and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, November 24, 2008
GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Dennis Baker, Dennis Peterson, John Bergman, Marv Hey, Clayton Anderson, Brett Aamot, Kevin Dittbenner, Troy Block
Absent: none
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Gary Danielson, Brad DeWolf
The meeting was called to order by chairman, Dennis Baker, at 6 p.m. on Monday, November 24, 2008 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The water loss for Spicer is 19.1%, Green Lake/Eagle Estates is 4.6%, and New London is 31.3%. The three entity average for the month is 18.3% with a year to date average of 21%.
A second spread sheet showing the calculation of loss according to the day the meters were read around the lake has Spicer at 23.7% and Green Lake/Eagle Estates at 18.8% with a year average of 21.3%. The lower reading for Green Lake may be a result of hydrants being flushed between the dates when Spicer and the District read the meters. The additional reading of the meters will continue through the end of the year and possibly quarterly in the future.
The Lake Florida Committee needs to meet early December regarding the usage rate for 2009.
It was noted that Trudie Guptill at the City of New London found a couple cities on a list from the League of Cities web site that have a similar system and are experiencing discrepancy problems with the meter readings.
A. Base Assessment Public Hearing Report
The base assessment hearing held Friday evening, November 21, 2008, went well and was attended by approximately 30 people. There were a couple letters of appeal. There is one resort, one condo with 3 units, and one residential appeal where adjustments were made to their base unit calculation. The Kandiyohi County Board accepted the assessment roll with the minor changes.
Brad DeWolf reported the project is going good with the following summary of connections.
Nest Lake - North Shore has 66 out of 73 (90%) Tier I properties with 15 Tier II properties and North Shore Estates hooking up.
Nest Lake - South and East Shores has 52 out of 68 (76%) Tier I properties with 9 Tier II properties and all the resorts - Camp Sanderson, Island View Resort, Peaceful Oaks, Willow Bay Resort, and Cedar Point Resort - are hooking up.
George Lake - 80 out of 92 (86%) Tier I properties with 6 Tier II properties hooking up.
Henderson Lake - 40 out of 44 (90%) Tier I properties with 1 Tier II property (a garage with a bathroom) hooking up.
Brad presented an EDU rate assessment schedule pertaining to the resorts and converted resorts in addition to Decision Hills Camp that have decided to also hook up.
There are a total of 238 out of 277 (86%) Tier I properties with 31 Tier II properties connecting to the system. Approximately 130-135 properties are currently connected to the centralized system.
A standard usage rate will be decided upon after the meter readings are evaluated. Base fees are currently being billed after parcels are hooked up for at least a month to six weeks. All Mag meter calibration work needs to be completed before usage billing can be accurate.
B. SCADA Update
Shortly after last month’s Commission meeting, the Commission members were polled per e-mail or phone regarding the SCADA contract for the 16 additional lift stations. Final work was done today on the contract with an agreed price of $130,650.45 (including tax). The installed cost (minus sales tax) of $124,909 was approved by the Kandiyohi County Board at the November 4, 2008 meeting contingent upon approval by the Commission making it necessary to poll the members. The work will begin tomorrow.
A motion was made by Marv Hey and seconded by Clayton Anderson to accept the contract for the SCADA work. The motion carried.
The 2008 delinquent accounts as of December 1, 2008 were presented to the Commission for assessment to the owner’s real property. The whereabouts of Lisa Jordan at 8210 North Shore Drive is not known with all the mail being returned. Robert Bliss at 12816 Indian Beach Road was sent two letters stating the current outstanding amount and assessment policy with no reply. If it is decided to assess his real property, another letter explaining the situation will be sent.
A motion was made by Brett Aamot and seconded by Troy Block for approval of the presentation of these delinquent accounts to the County Board for assessment to the owner’s real property. Following some discussion, the motion carried.
The 2009 GLSSWD budget was approved at the Kandiyohi County Board meeting on November 4, 2008. The budget includes a 5% increase in water and sewer usage rates for 2009. The water usage rate will be $2.30/1,000; sewer usage rate will be $4.04/1,000 with no increases in the base fees, EDU’s, or annual fees.
Dennis Baker’s second term expires at the end of 2008. It appears he will possibly stay on with a final decision made in January.
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Troy Block and seconded by John Bergman. There being no discussion, the motion carried.
A motion to approve the bills was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Marv Hey. With no discussion, the motion carried.
A copy of the letter from the Diamond Lake Wastewater Committee going to the Diamond Lake property owners showing a summary of the findings from the individual on site sewer system inspections and possible wastewater treatment alternatives was presented to the Commission. The next step by Diamond Lake in the process is a ballot being mailed this fall or winter to all property owners soliciting their preferences for the various alternatives.
The City of Kandiyohi is looking at their wastewater treatment options and is currently waiting for a buy in number from the City of Willmar to aid in their final decision.
There was discussion regarding the addition of a representative from the Tri-Lakes Area to the Commission. A committee representing the three lakes would be formed with one representative from that committee plus two alternates from the other two lakes to fill in if absent.
There have been odor control problems and complaints in the area of Old Mill Road. A temporary chemical feed station has been set up until a permanent feed station is installed next week as part of the Tri-Lakes sewer project.
There has been nothing heard regarding the water treatment plant filter concerns. Ron will call tomorrow as to how this is coming along.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Marv Hey. The motion carried.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, December 29, 2008 at 6 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Recording Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Sanitary Sewer and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, October 27, 2008
GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Clayton Anderson, Dennis Baker, John Bergman, Dennis Peterson, Kevin Dittbenner, Brett Aamot
Absent: Troy Block, Marv Hey
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Brad DeWolf, Roger Stehn, Gary Danielson, Marlys and Dean Larsen
The meeting was called to order by chairman, Dennis Baker, at 6 p.m. on Monday, October 27, 2008 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
History was given of the process taking place on Lake Avenue South in the second tier area east of Charley Arne Road. Mike Thorson had a collapsed sewer line, needed sewer service, and agreed to an $8,730 assessment fee to hook up to the District sewer line. This constituted discussion with Dan Fischer wanting to hook up to the District sewer line at Lake Avenue which he has not yet done. That same day Marlys and Dean Larsen talked about hooking up the same with a question of what is the assessment. A previous assessment was negotiated and reduced on the Dan Klingensmith property to $11,000 that was also in the city limits of Spicer which set precedence. Since then SAC charges added to the $11,000 results in a total assessment now of $12,380. The request was made by Marlys Larsen before the Spicer City Council for a reduction of the assessment to make it more comparable with other Lake Avenue assessments. The recommendation was made by Council member Troy Block to the Council, which was passed, to agree with the District $8,730 assessment for sewer hookup and the Lake Avenue water hookup assessment of $1,850. This would leave a $1,800 balance for each of the three properties between what the City is authorizing for assessment and what the District is requiring. It is assumed the city will pay the outstanding balance for these properties. There are no hookup fees being requested of Mike Thorson or Dan Fischer because they are already on the city system, but since the Larsen’s are not on the city sewer system there is a $1,000 hookup fee.
Following discussion, the Larsen’s agreed to the assessment if the water could be connected tomorrow. The Larsen’s have a real problem with the water supply currently having a garden hose connected to a neighbor’s outside faucet because of a disagreement with the sharing of a well with another neighbor. There is concern with the hose freezing since the temperatures are expected to be decreasing.
A motion was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Brett Aamot to proceed, to help out the Larsen’s, by requiring them to sign all the necessary assessment paperwork, including the payment of the $1,000 hookup fee, and request reimbursement from the City of Spicer for the $1,800 balance of assessment due. There being no further discussion, the motion carried.
Marlys and Dean Larsen agreed to meet with Ron on Tuesday at 9:00 a.m.
The water loss for Spicer is 11.2%, Green Lake 10.4%, and New London 19.2%. The monthly average for all three entities is 13.6% with a yearly average of 21.3%.
In addition to the lake meters being read by the City of Spicer, the District read all the mag meters needed to monitor the Green Lake side. A second spreadsheet shows the loss for Spicer at 12.2% and Green Lake at 9.3%. The separate readings are about 1 day off, however the average for each is 10.8%. The double reading will continue to be done until the end of the year.
The Lake Florida charge per KWH dropped this month, but the decision had been made by the Lake Florida Committee to charge a consistent rate of $2.75 for the remainder of 2008.
Approximately 80 meters on the new project will be read on Tuesday this week. These will be billed only the base fee of $20.40 rather than estimating a usage. A notation stating that only the base fee is initially being charged will be placed on the billing.
The North Shore of Nest Lake currently has 66 out of 73 (90%) Tier I property owners connecting to the system. There are 15 Tier II properties including North Shore Estates hooking up. A total of 81 properties are connected with live systems. The contractor is working on final restoration of yards and right-of-way.
The South and East Shore of Nest Lake has 52 out to 68 (76%) Tier I property owners connecting to the system and 9 Tier II properties hooking up. There are 3 properties on 140th Avenue currently connected with live systems. The contractor has installed grinder pump basins at all residential homes, completed work at the Island View Resort, and will be starting work at Peaceful Oaks, Cedar Point Resort, and Willow Bay Resort in the next two weeks. The electrician is to complete the installation of the control panels along 132nd Avenue NE.
George Lake has 80 out of 92 (86%) Tier I property owners connecting to the system along with 6 Tier II properties hooking up. The common force main is installed around the lake and work is being done on the common line components and service lateral connections. In some areas dewatering is necessary for the common line component work.
Henderson Lake has 40 out of 44 (91%) Tier I property owners connecting to the system with 1 Tier II property hooking up. The common force main and service lateral work around the lake will be completed this week. The contractor is working on common line components and service lateral connections this week with anticipation of completion by November 7, 2008.
Quam Construction Company has indicated two additional crews will be added within the next two weeks. The plan is to work until the weather no longer allows work to be completed.
A total of 238 out of 277 (86%) Tier I properties have committed to hooking up with a total of 31 Tier II properties hooking up.
The final completion date for all hookups is the end of June 2009.
An assessment hearing for the loop portion of the system has been scheduled for Friday, November 21, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. at the Health and Human Services Building in Willmar.
Following review of the budget, a motion was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Kevin Dittbenner to approve the 2009 budget for presentation to the County Board. There being no further discussion, the motion carried.
The Federal Trade Commission requires the District to have an “Identity Theft Prevention Program” in place and on file. A copy of the program drafted for the District was reviewed by the Commission. A motion was made by Dennis Peterson and seconded by Kevin Dittbenner to adopt the “Identity Theft Prevention Program” as presented. With no discussion, the motion carried. Since the District contracts the billing out to the City of Spicer and the Kandiyohi Power Cooperative, it is necessary for copies of their programs be provided to the District.
Water Leak at 8045 North Shore Drive
A couple weeks ago the District was notified of standing water at this address across from #3 Lift Station. The flared fitting gave way right at a “T” connection on a 1 ½ inch line creating the first leak of the summer. Quam Construction was hired and fixed the leak in one day at the cost of approximately $1,400. There is some restoration work remaining to be done next spring.
There have been problems at the water treatment plant for well over a year with the gravity sand filters not gravitating and cleaning up as they should when back washing. Everything has been tried to remedy the problem including chlorinating. Vessco, the filter underdrain supplier, was contacted and in turn contacted Leopold, the underdrain manufacturer. A Leopold representative contacted the District wanting to come out to look at the filter and is sending one top plate replacement piece. The filter will be taken out of service, media removed in one area, and the replacement piece installed. The old plate will be analyzed for what may be causing the problem. When the date this will occur is known, Bolton & Menk and Vessco will be contacted to possibly observe.
A reminder was given that Dennis Baker’s second term expires on December 31, 2008. Depending on what transpires by the end of the year, a decision will be made at that time.
The meeting for November will remain as scheduled for Monday, November 24, 2008.
The December meeting is changed to Monday, December 29, 2008.
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Dennis Peterson and seconded by John Bergman. There being no discussion, the motion carried.
A motion to approve the bills was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by John Bergman. With no discussion, the motion carried.
It was noted that the MPCA Biosolids land applications were approved.
The supplier was called the other day with a count of 177 fire hydrants needing the necessary recall repairs. The supplies will be sent free of charge. The request was made to be put on a contractor list since the District does not have the time to do the repairs.
The molybdenum level in the biosolids has been elevating. The level was 10 parts in 2001, then spiking to 40 parts in 2005, and currently in the 46 parts range. The ceiling level is 75 parts which would cause hardship for the District with the requirement of hauling to a landfill or adding materials to dilute the level down. The recommendation was made to the Commission to bring the report to the attention of the cities to make an effort to narrow down the possible sources.
A thank you was expressed to Ron Hagemeier for work done with Marlys and Dean Larsen.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by John Bergman and seconded by Brett Aamot. The motion carried.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, November 24, 2008 at 6 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Recording Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Lake
Sanitary Sewer and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, September 22, 2008
GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Dennis Baker, Marv Hey, John Bergman, Dennis Peterson, Troy Block, Kevin Dittbenner
Absent: Brett Aamot, Clayton Anderson
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Gary Danielson, Harlow Olson, Irving Township
The meeting was called to order by chairman, Dennis Baker, at 6 p.m. on Monday, September 22, 2008 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The August water loss for Spicer is -0.4%, Green Lake is 28.3%, and New London 33.6%. The average for the month is 20.5% with a year-to-date average of 22.3%. The meter reading and billing concerns were discussed. A District employee will be riding with the City of Spicer this month when reading the meters around the lake.
The North Shore of Nest Lake has 51 final connections as of September 19, 2008. The final hookups will be finished the week of September 22, 2008 with exception of the resort and late additions.
The South and East Shore of Nest Lake has 55 yes, 13 no, and 4 undecided on Tier I and 9 yes on Tier II. Installation of all 11-foot basins, waiting on 16 grinder basins, has been completed. All common line and service laterals on the southeast side of the lake and 53rd Street have been completed. The electrician is moving to 140th Avenue the week of September 22, 2008. The finals connections will start the week of October 6, 2008 on 140th Avenue.
George Lake has 80 yes, 10 no, and 4 undecided on Tier I and 3 yes on Tier II. The common forcemain around the lake, except areas where a smaller drill machine is required, has been completed. Quam’s is working on the common line components and service lateral connections.
Henderson Lake has 39 yes, 4 no, and 2 undecided on Tier I and 1 yes on Tier II. The common forcemain around the lake, except areas where a smaller drill machine is required, has been completed. Quam’s is working on common line components and service lateral connections.
There were 22 meters programmed the other day on Nest Lake. Xcel Energy will be servicing the north and southeast areas of Nest Lake with George Lake, Henderson Lake, and the south side of Nest Lake being serviced by Kandiyohi Power Cooperative.
The Green Lake Committee met on Wednesday, September 10, at the Kandiyohi County Highway Department. The 2009 proposed budget was discussed regarding the usage increase for 2009 and a possible usage and EDU increase in 2010. A motion was made, seconded, and carried to accept the 2009 budget as presented with the 5% usage increase. Discussion also took place regarding the purchase of a GIS handheld unit out of the Green Lake budget for use in GIS mapping as is being done around the other lakes. A motion was made, seconded, and carried to purchase a GIS hand held unit pending final review. The leak detection work and hydrant repairs were also discussed.
District budget information was presented pertaining to a proposed usage fee increase for 2009, future potential usage fee increases, current and future EDU’s, and District operations in general. The rate per KWH has been set at $2.75 through December 2008. Following lengthy discussion motions were made, seconded, and carried to increase the sewer usage fee for 2009 from $3.85/1000 gallons to $4.04/1000 gallons; to meet later in the year, possibly December, to further discuss setting the per KWH rate for 2009; and to accept the Lake Florida 2009 budget as presented with revenues of $13,700, expenses of $12,400, and a net balance of $1,300.
A motion was made by Dennis Peterson and seconded by John Bergman to accept the Green Lake Committee and Lake Florida Committee minutes as presented. The motion carried.
Proposed 2009 Budget
The proposed 2009 budget reflecting a 5% usage increase and balanced at $910,700 was discussed. A recommendation was made for the Commission to be prepared for final acceptance of the budget at the October meeting.
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Dennis Peterson and seconded by Kevin Dittbenner. There being no discussion, the motion carried.
Following some discussion regarding the project expenses for George Lake, a motion to approve the bills was made by Troy Block and seconded by Marv Hey. With no further discussion, the motion carried.
A polymer representative was at the WWTP recently and did some work with the post ATAD sludge thickening process. There is no estimated cost per dry ton available yet. Using aeration may make the thickening process work better, thus saving on chemical costs. The wastewater flows have not been high enough in the past to make this thickening process necessary. However, with other lakes coming, the plant is running out of liquid storage room. The dry ton numbers from the testing will be reviewed as to what to do for next year. More information will be available at the October meeting.
The Minnesota Department of Health requires lead & copper testing of the potable water at ten sites and notification of the results sent to those sites. The laboratory’s results that were received fell well below the maximum contaminate levels and have been sent to the customers that participated.
A reminder was given that September 30, 2008, one year after the required construction completion date, is the last day for waived hook up fees on Lake Florida.
The District will be submitting a letter to the Spicer City Council for their approval of payment policy when water and sewer service connections take place for the three houses on second tier within the city limits along Lake Avenue South.
A letter was received regarding pacer fire hydrant operating rods being corroded by grease that was used on the top operating rod threads. This affects hydrants manufactured from 1999 to 2004 which covers most of the District hydrants. The company will provide the new operating rods, grease, and oil, plus $40 for labor when the old operating rod is returned. Following discussion, the decision was made to get an actual count by the date stamped on the hydrants and advertise for repair bids.
The east west section of 133rd Avenue (Bunny Park Road) was recently graded and paved. One of the District employees noticed that a manhole had not been raised and is under 4” of bituminous. Following discussion, a motion was made by Marv Hey and seconded by Troy Block to get bids to get the manhole raised. With no further discussion, the motion carried.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Troy Block and seconded by Kevin Dittbenner. The motion carried.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, October 27, 2008 at 6 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Recording Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Sanitary Sewer and
Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, August 25, 2008
GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Clayton Anderson, Dennis Peterson, Kevin Dittbenner, John Bergman, Brett Aamot
Absent: Dennis Baker, Troy Block, Marv Hey
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Roger Stehn, Gary Danielson
The meeting was called to order by vice president, Clayton Anderson, at 6 p.m. on Monday, August 25, 2008 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The water loss for the month of July for Spicer is -0.5%, Green Lake -0.4%, and New London 39.4%. The average for all three entities for the month is 12.8%. The year to date average is 22.5%.
The negative numbers for Spicer and Green Lake indicate accounting problems. Ron will work closely on this throughout the rest of the year. If the erratic numbers continue, Ron will meet with the City of Spicer to determine a reason.
New London fixed some large leaks including two shut off valves found by the city after TKDA went through and found nothing.
The District employees are getting familiar with the leak listening device purchased last year and will be working on finding curb stops and listening for leaks as time permits.
The Lake Florida kilowatt usage charge is showing close consistency between $2.70 and $2.78 which will enable their committee, working with the District, to select a consistent charge for 2009.
North Shore Nest Lake – Grinder pump basin installation is completed with the exception of late additions. All common line, service laterals and components are installed. The electrician is currently providing power to grinder pump stations. Final connections are anticipated starting the week of September 8, 2008.
South and East Shore Nest Lake – Completed some common line and service laterals. Quam’s is continuing on other common line components, service lateral connections and grinder pump installation.
George Lake – Completed common force main around the lake except areas where smaller drill machine is required.
Henderson Lake – GM Contracting common line work begins the week of September 8, 2008.
The inspection report illustrates a summary of the different system types found on Diamond Lake to be 2% none, 2% privy, 10% cesspool, 10% holding tank, 25% mound, 51% subsurface. The compliance status of these systems are 2% undetermined, 29% compliant, and 69% non-compliant. The reasons for non-compliance are 4% privy, 4% surfacing or back up, 15% cesspool, and 77% vertical separation. Not contained in the report is a web site which has a full report on each property as to what is wrong, what to do to fix, and what the cost would be. This site can be googled by typing in Diamond Lake Recreation Association.
TKDA went around the lake and listened to all the hydrants for potential leaks at the hydrant or the service lines in between. There were 6 hydrants identified as leaking. After Rural Water verified the leaks, District employees were able to repair 5 of the hydrants with the sixth one needing to be dug up and switched out with another hydrant. It is anticipated this hydrant has been leaking since installed.
Proposed Budget Information
A draft budget for 2009 was distributed to the Commission for review. The District is looking at a 5% usage fee increase with water usage at $2.30 and wastewater usage at $4.04. The current base fee rates of $13.60 for water and $20.40 for sewer will remain. If EDU projections fall short, a $1.00 increase per EDU charge may be necessary next year as well as another 5% usage increase.
The District 2009 budget would balance at $910,700. The Green Lake Area shows a surplus of $90, Lake Florida shows a surplus of $1,300, and the Tri Lakes Area (Nest, George and Henderson) shows a surplus of $7,400.
The Green Lake Area and Lake Florida committees were asked to meet regarding their budgets before the next Commission meeting in September. A committee for the Tri-Lakes Area will be formed and comprised of two from each lake with one of those members being on the Commission. This committee is also asked to meet before the September meeting.
A motion to approve the minutes was made by John Bergman and seconded by Brett Aamot. There being no discussion, the motion carried.
A motion to approve the bills was made by Brett Aamot and seconded by Kevin Dittbenner. With no discussion, the motion carried.
The District has been looking at the high cost of operating and maintaining the phone line alarm dialer system. When the bonds were sold on the Tri Lakes Area projects capital was created which could be available to use to replace the dialer system with a full SCADA system. The budgeted dollars for the dialer system would remain earmarked to repay the bond back for the SCADA system. This would result in a savings in the long term.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Dennis Peterson and seconded by Kevin Dittbenner. The motion carried.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, September 22, 2008 at 6 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Recording Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Sanitary
Sewer and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, July 28, 2008
GLSSWD
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Clayton Anderson, Dennis Baker, John Bergman, Marv Hey, Dennis Peterson, Kevin Dittbenner, Troy Block, Brett Aamot
Absent: none
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Brad DeWolf, Roger Stehn, Gary Danielson
The meeting was called to order by chairman, Dennis Baker, at 6 p.m. on Monday, July 28, 2008 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The water loss for the month of June is Spicer 29%, Green Lake 32.9%, and New London 32.4%. The average for all three entities for the month is 31.4%. The year to date average is 24.2%.
Leak detection work did find one large and one small leak in New London, however, now the small leak doesn’t appear to be one. The suggestion was made to begin pulling meters in New London and calibrate them.
A DNR conservation plan is currently in the process of being completed for submission in a few weeks showing how the District plans to conserve water. This is a mandatory report required every ten years. Once the report is finalized, it needs to be accepted by the Commission and County Board of Commissioners.
Nest Lake – The north shore common loop is installed, service laterals are being worked on, and grinder pump installation is planned to start this week. On the north shore there are 66 Tier I properties committed to hooking up, 9 properties saying no, and 14 Tier II properties connecting to the system. The common loop work on the east shore begins this week with the south shore work beginning next week. On the south and east shores there are 54 Tier I properties committed, 9 properties saying no, 10 properties undecided, and 6 Tier II properties committed.
George Lake – The common line work is scheduled to begin August 11, 2008. There are 66 Tier I properties committed, 9 properties saying no, 20 properties undecided, and 3 Tier 2 properties committed.
Henderson Lake – There are 38 Tier I properties committed, 5 properties saying no, and 2 properties undecided.
Currently 224 of the 288 Tier I properties are committed to hooking up or 79%. After working with the undecided properties, this number may be in the high 80% to low 90% range. In addition, all the resorts are connecting to the system.
The City of New London has a signed official agreement with Dahmes Stainless regarding any waste material discharged into the District wastewater system. Trudie also e-mailed a signed copy to Ron. This agreement will be enforced by the City of New London with recommendations from the District.
TKDA was hired by the District to check for leaks around the lake from the treatment plant to the New London tower. There are six hydrants noted with a hydrant leak or at connection to main leak. Arrangements have been made for a Rural Water expert to come next Monday to confirm these leaks before the District hires a contractor to dig.
City Of Kandiyohi Presentation/Bolton & Menk
While in the process of updating the wastewater treatment plant, the City of Kandiyohi decided not to be in the wastewater business and look at other options. Brad DeWolf, Bolton & Menk, gave a presentation of a possible forcemain route if the city were to connect to the District. There would be a lift station located in the City of Kandiyohi with the forcemain running up CR 8 and along CR 26 with a second lift station located at the northwest corner of Diamond Lake connecting to a trunk line running up CR 4 to the plant. The cost of the project is $3.9 million. Kandiyohi is in the process of looking for funding through the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority and USDA Rural Development. The USDA Rural Development has asked for a motion of support from the GLSSWD regarding possible connection of the City of Kandiyohi sewer system to the GLSSWD sewer system. A motion of support was made by Marv Hey and seconded by Troy Block. Following some further discussion, the motion carried.
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Troy Block and seconded by Brett Aamot. There being no discussion, the motion carried.
A motion to approve the bills was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Troy Block. With no discussion, the motion carried.
The annual meeting of the Diamond Lake Association will be on August 16, 2008 at 9 a.m. at the Community Center in Atwater. There will be a report regarding the inventory work that has been done on the systems around the lake.
The fluctuation in the charges for the May, June and July billings for Lake Florida was mentioned. This has occurred because of the power problems making it necessary to re-wire the meters. The charge in May was an underestimated charge based on usage last summer. The charge in June and July is based on actual usage after the meters were re-wired. There will be a firm consistent amount charged sometime in the future as the usage history indicates an average amount to be used.
There was a problem with a grinder pump not working on the east side of Lake Florida. Empire Plumbing was called and after attempting repairs, the pump was replaced. There was question whether or not it was a necessary replacement. Ron will check into this and set up grinder pump station maintenance training. The spare pumps have still not arrived. Ron will see that this gets done next week.
Bushmills Ethanol Plant called last Friday inquiring about hauling the plant’s cooling water waste to the District for disposal. More detailed information was to be sent for review, but nothing has been received yet.
The new employee hired, Jacob Harlow from Spicer, is doing good.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Marv Hey and seconded by Troy Block. The motion carried.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, August 25, 2008 at 6 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Recording Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Sanitary Sewer and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, June 23, 2008
GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Clayton Anderson, Troy Block, John Bergman, Kevin Dittbenner, Dennis Peterson, Marv Hey
Absent: Dennis Baker, Brett Aamot
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Gary Danielson
The meeting was called to order by vice-president, Clayton Anderson, at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 23, 2008 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The May water loss for Spicer is 22.4%, Green Lake is 24.5%, and New London is 42.4%. the average for the month is 29.8% with a year to date average of 22.7%. Plans are still to schedule a meeting with the Spicer city office regarding the record keeping. The leak detection work in New London has found a couple suspicious spots. One could be a good sized leak with the second being minor. There is beginning to be thoughts that their high water loss could have something to do with the meters.
The May billing for Lake Florida is the first billing done as it should be. The total amount and numbers came out where they should be so moving the meters was the right thing to do. The charge per kilowatt hours may move up and down a little but should stay in about the same range.
The main collection lines are in on the north shore of Nest Lake and service lines are being stubbed in.
The Commission needs to pass a bond resolution that also needs to be signed by the secretary and chairman. The vice-president may sign in the absence of the chairman. Troy Block made a motion to pass the resolution relating to issuance of general obligation bonds; concurring in the actions of the Board of County Commissioners; agreeing to certain covenants and restrictions. Marv Hey seconded the motion. With no discussion, the motion carried.
Letters were sent as a courtesy reminder to those Lake Florida residents not currently connected to the system regarding the opportunity to still hookup before the deadline of September 23, 2008. A hookup fee of $2,000 would be required after the deadline.
Dahmes Stainless Agreement
John Bergman had talked to Trudie today that Forest Dahmes would have the agreement back from his lawyer today. Forest said he would reluctantly sign it under protest and have it to the New London City office by 4:30 p.m. today so John could bring a copy to the Commission meeting. John does not have it, since it was never delivered to the city office.
Leak Detection Report
TKDA began leak detection work last Thursday for part of the day and came back today. They are going from hydrant to hydrant with the District’s part-time employee and recording anything abnormal. There are 5 to 6 hydrants identified that definitely have something wrong, some curb stops needing more investigation, and probably some holes dug as a result. There will be more work to be done later because the dollar amount limit of $4,000 to $5,000 is soon spent.
A motion to approve the minutes was made by John Bergman and seconded by Kevin Dittbenner. There being no discussion, the motion carried.
A motion to approve the bills was made by Marv Hey and seconded by Dennis Peterson. With no discussion, the motion carried.
An Xcel power outage issue was experienced on Thursday, June 12, from 1 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. totaling 17.5 hours. The District had seven generators running without experiencing a lot of problems.
After advertising twice and interviewing about 12 applicants, the Facility Operator I position was offered to an applicant who after a few weeks decided to stay at his current job. The position was then offered to a local person, Jacob Harlow, who accepted. It is not yet official due to his requirement to pass other county required tests. If hired he would be on probation for one year.
Brent Hatlestad on the east side of Indian Beach Road called today inquiring, since his septic system has failed, about hooking up to the District sewer system. A full assessment with related costs would be charged, however, he is asking for the hookup fee to be reduced or waived since when the project at Indian Beach Cove went through there was never mention to him about hooking up. Ron had told him this would be a decision for the Commission and would be discussed at the meeting. Following discussion, Troy Block made a motion to reduce the hookup fee on this property waiving the $1,000 District portion if he hooked up to both water and sewer. If only hooking to sewer, the hookup fee would remain at $2,000. Dennis Peterson seconded. There was some discussion regarding this setting precedence for other properties. This should not occur since the motion states “this property only.” There being no further discussion, the motion carried. Ron will contact the neighboring resident with the same offer.
Kevin Dittbenner passed out copies of an e-mail received regarding the removal of the mold problem on the underside of the New London water tower. The bid is for $ 2,500 with typically 4-5 years of good results. Following discussion, Troy Block made a motion to go ahead with cleaning the New London tower for up to $2,500. Marv Hey seconded the motion. The motion carried.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Troy Block and seconded by John Bergman. The motion carried.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, July 28, 2008 at 6 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Recording Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Sanitary Sewer and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, May 19, 2008
GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Clayton Anderson, John Bergman, Marv Hey, Dennis Peterson, Kevin Dittbenner, Brett Aamot
Absent: Troy Block, Dennis Baker
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Roger Stehn, Dean Helstrom, Gary Danielson
The meeting was called to order by vice president, Clayton Anderson, at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 19, 2008 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Water loss for Spicer is 8.5%, Green Lake is 9.6%, and New London is 34.4%. The average for the month is 17.5% with a year to date average of 20.9%. It is still the plan to schedule a meeting with the Spicer officials to discuss the fluctuation of numbers reported each month.
It was noted that the usage gallons on the Lake Florida usage and billing report are less the last month than the previous month. This is due to a water leak from a pipe bursting at a residence while no one was there. There has been a notice put in the Lake Florida newsletter that went out last week regarding shutting off of the water when it is not needed.
Calibration of all the meters in the system was completed last week with no problems noted.
The moving of the electric meters has been completed on Lake Florida. The first true reading will be at the end of the month with plans to bill the actual kilowatt hours for the May billing. The majority of the punch list items have been completed. The spare pumps and panels will be kept at the wastewater treatment plant.
The contracts are complete for the Henderson, George, and Nest Lake project. GM Contracting, a subcontractor of Quam Construction, was out drilling today. Work with easements is continuing on all the lakes.
Regarding the request from Curt Kuznia to reduce the assessment for Tier II hookup to sewer, the Committee voted to continue with the current hookup policy with full assessment paid. A letter was sent notifying him of the decision as well as the possibility of installing a holding tank.
Other Tier II properties were discussed. As long as the current policy is followed, special hookup situations should not occur in the future.
There was discussion regarding the continuation of leak repairs on the homeowners’ side of the curb stop being paid by the District. It was the consensus of the Committee that before changing this procedure there first is need to get the leaks under control.
The Committee voted to spend up to $4,000 hiring TKDA to perform leak detection work around Green Lake while they are working in New London.
The County Board Policy Issue was discussed and approved by the Commission last month. A “Follow Up Comment” from Gary Geer, County Zoning, has been added stating if looking for a cheaper alternative for the lower priced lots in Tier II that the proposed policy requirement to meet new lot requirements is probably not necessary because the current Kandiyohi sewer ordinance will determine if there is enough size on the lot to provide an on site system. Following discussion, Dennis Peterson made a motion and Marv Hey seconded to accept the policy with the addition of the “Follow Up Comment.” With no further discussion, the motion carried.
Review of Current Assessment Policy
An assessment policy written 7 years ago for the Green Lake area only is still in effect. Since the District now includes the lakes of Henderson, Nest, George, and Florida and the cities of Spicer and New London, the policy wording has been changed to clarify the exemption of these lakes and cities. A motion to accept the revisions made to the assessment policy was made by John Bergman and seconded by Brett Aamot. The motion carried.
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Kevin Dittbenner and seconded by Dennis Peterson. There being no discussion, the motion carried.
A motion to approve the bills was made by Marv Hey and seconded by Kevin Dittbenner. With no discussion, the motion carried.
There has been a proposed pre-treatment agreement between Dahmes Stainless and the City of New London written and Dahmes Stainless has taken the agreement to his lawyer for review. The agreement states that any waste being put into the system from the business needs to be sampled and analyzed to allow the District to determine if the waste can be discharged into the sewer system. If the agreement is not met, stiff penalties will occur.
A check has been received from the insurance company in full for generator operation and plant operator overtime expenses resulting from the car accident on March 21, 2008.
Interviews are being scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, for the second round of six applicants for the Facility Operator I position.
A document which was drafted as a response to questions during the hearing process of what the future would be regarding hookup costs for Tier I and Tier II properties on George, Nest, Henderson, and Florida Lakes was presented to the Commission. This was written with the understanding the Commission needs to look at and think about future hookup fees.
The City of New London water tower is covered on the bottom with mold. This has been discussed by the City Council and was decided since the tower is owned by the District they should take care of cleaning the tower. A bid of $2,500 has been received to power wash the tower with a chemical that is guaranteed to be mold free for 10 years. The mold is the result of condensation created because the water is colder coming into this tower than the other towers and the under side of the tower is shaded. Following discussion it was recommended since there is no money in the budget to do the cleaning, the Commission should look at the tower and the city will get more information on the chemical being used before making a decision.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Kevin Dittbenner and seconded by Brett Aamot. The motion carried.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, June 23, 2008 at 6 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Recording Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Sanitary Sewer and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, April 21, 2008
GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Dennis Baker, Clayton Anderson, John Bergman, Dennis Peterson, Marv Hey, Kevin Dittbenner, Troy Block
Absent: Brett Aamot
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Harvey Lange, Terry Frazee, Gary Danielson, and Dean Helstrom
The meeting was called to order by chairman, Dennis Baker, at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 21, 2008 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The water loss for March in Spicer is 22.5%, Green Lake is 24.8%, and New London is 39%. The monthly average is 28.8% with the year to date average at 23%.
TKDA has been contacted and a quote for $500 was received to conduct leak detection work from the water plant to the golf course and New London tower while they are in New London.
The relocation of the turtle meters to eliminate metering of control panel KWH’s should be completed by Friday, April 25, weather permitting.
There were 4 bids received with Quam Construction being low with a bid of $4,408,467.38. The assessment hearings will be held Friday, March 25 and Saturday, March 26, with formal County Board action taken either at the time of the hearings or on Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at the regular County Board meeting. Clayton Anderson moved with Marv Hey seconding to approve the project. The motion carried.
There was discussion regarding the County Board policy issue: Should the public sewer hook-up requirements for Tier II and Tier III (non-riparian) properties within the Green Lake Sanitary Sewer and Water District be modified to allow the construction and use of on-site ISTS conforming to MPCA 7080 Rules when GLSSWD collection lines are available. Troy Block made a motion seconded by Clayton Anderson to recommend the following if such a change would occur: 1. only lots of record as of May 6, 2008 of 20,000 square feet or more would quality for the exemption, 2. exempted lots must have adequate room for two, conventional, 7080 compliant operational ISTS system sites as currently required of new county developments, and 3. in lots containing an operational, 7080 compliant, conventional ISTS system, that system would quality as one of the two required sites. The motion carried.
There has been an agreement worked out with the Kandiyohi Power Cooperative (KPC) to do most of the meter reading and billing. There is an exception of those residents on the north and southeast shores of Nest Lake being served by X-cel Energy. KPC electric meters will be installed, read automatically, and the rates are the same as for Lake Florida. This agreement is specifically for these three lakes. The X-cel customers will be working with the City of Spicer and a different style of electric metering monitoring system. Dennis Baker, Troy Block, and Ron will be meeting with the new person at Spicer next week regarding the reading and billing. John Bergman made a motion seconded by Clayton Anderson to approve the agreement with Kandiyohi Power Cooperative. The motion carried.
Review of May Meeting Date
A motion was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Troy Block to schedule the May meeting for Monday, May 19, at 6 p.m. With no discussion, the motion carried.
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Troy Block and seconded by Clayton Anderson. There has been no response to a bill sent to the party responsible for the accident on March 21 causing generators to operate and plant operator over time. A follow-up letter will be sent next week as well as a letter to the insurance company. There being no further discussion, the motion carried.
A motion to approve the bills was made by Marv Hey and seconded by Troy Block. With no discussion, the motion carried.
After interviewing six applicants for the Facility Operator I position, it was felt that none met the minimum qualifications. Jeff McMahon is sending letters stating the District is expanding the pool and an ad will be in the paper this week and next. Ron will contact the trade schools in St. Cloud and Ely as well as posting on two trade web sites.
Clayton Anderson will be getting the Lake committee together for a meeting to discuss 2nd tier hookups for garages, guesthouses, etc.
There was much discussion regarding a commercial business in New London that admitted to dumping a concentrated red dye into the District sewer system causing hardship for the District and water leaving the plant had a red tinge. The Commission reviewed an agreement the City of New London is working on. The Commission gave Ron consent to check into the leverage the District has regarding the situation and recommended the agreement contain stiffer penalties.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Kevin Dittbenner. The motion carried.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, May 19, 2008 at 6 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Recording Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Lake
Sanitary Sewer and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, March 24, 2008
GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Dennis Baker, Clayton Anderson, Dennis Peterson, Kevin Dittbenner, Troy Block
Absent: Marv Hey, John Bergman, Brett Aamot
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Gary Danielson
The meeting was called to order by chairman, Dennis Baker, at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 24, 2008 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The water loss for February is Spicer 24.3%, Green Lake 19.7%, and New London 40.5%. The monthly average is 28.2% with a total year to date average of 20.1%.
Chuck from Kandiyohi Coop Power has switched the solid state meters to disk meters for the grinder stations on 20 seasonal homes and is scheduled to switch out 20 additional meters on year round homes. The readings between March 3 and 18 have been monitored and studied showing four of the meters are still reading kilowatt hours with little or no run time indicated on the grinder pump.
At the March 18, 2008 meeting, the Kandiyohi County Board approved plans and specifications, authorized bid advertisement, and set improvement hearing dates and times for the Wastewater Collection System for Henderson, George, and Nest Lakes. Bids will be opened April 15, 2008 at 10 a.m. An informational meeting is scheduled for April 19, 2008 at 9 a.m. for all the lakes. The public hearings will be on Friday, April 25, at 7 p.m. for Nest Lake and Saturday, April 26, at 9:00 a.m. for Henderson Lake and 10:30 a.m. for George Lake. The awarding of the bid will be April 26, 2008.
There was discussion regarding a matter that the County Board needs to decide regarding the sewer ordinance that now requires hookup to the sewer system if available. If the property owner is in compliance with an on site system and has enough approved area for an additional system or if an on site system is not compliant and has enough approved area for two systems, they should not be forced to hookup.
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Troy Block and seconded by Kevin Dittbenner. There being no discussion, the motion carried.
A motion to approve the bills was made by Dennis Peterson and seconded by Troy Block. With no discussion, the motion carried.
The crane truck is ready and working great.
The District is working on getting an old tanker previously used by the landfill. After doing some modifications and if DOT approved, it could be used for bypass hauling.
On Friday, March 21, at 12 a.m. the on call plant operator was called out that the #3 lift station had no power. While checking that the generator was running, the operator noticed an Xcel Energy truck was out because a motorist had left the road taking a power pole down. An hour and half later the #1 lift station went out and the generator began running. A total cost of $2,320 for the plant operator’s labor and cost of the generators running was calculated. Following discussion, a motion was made by Troy Block and seconded by Clayton Anderson to submit for reimbursement of expenses to the motorist and the insurance company. The motion carried.
Interviews for the Facility Operator I position at the plant will begin tomorrow.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Troy Block and seconded by Dennis Peterson. The motion carried.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, April 28, 2008 at 6 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Recording Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Lake
Sanitary Sewer and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, February 25, 2008
GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Dennis Baker, John Bergman, Kevin Dittbenner, Brett Aamot
Absent: Clayton Anderson, Marv Hey, Dennis Peterson, Troy Block
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Brad DeWolf
The meeting was called to order by chairman, Dennis Baker, at 6 p.m. on Monday, February 25, 2008 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The January water losses for Spicer show -6.2%. Spicer noted that 390,000 gallons of irrigation water not accounted for earlier was added in January. If the irrigation water is removed from the accounted for water volume, January’s loss would be 7.5%. The loss for Green Lake is 10.3% and New London is 31.8%. The average total water loss is 12%.
Bolton and Menk, Inc. will continue to work with Kandiyohi Power Cooperative this week proposing to switch the house disk electrical meters with the grinder pump solid state turtle electrical meters. This will be done at 20 to 30 seasonal and permanent homes. The station pump runtimes and kilowatt usage will be read weekly. If the test results show the control panel heater kilowatt usage not being registered, Bolton & Menk, Inc. will work with Kandiyohi Power Cooperative to switch out all of the solid state meters with the disk meters by the end of March 2008.
The SCADA system has been operating satisfactorily and will continue to be monitored.
Plans and specifications for the proposed future lake connections (Henderson Lake, George Lake, & Nest Lake) are 85% complete. Surveys were mailed to Tier I Property Owners in January and questionnaires will be mailed to Tier II Property Owners the week of March 3, 2008. Bolton & Menk, Inc. will provide plans and specifications along with a proposed project schedule to the Commission at the March meeting.
Diamond Lake is going through a series of meetings and has received a grant to conduct septic tank inspections to determine compliance.
The City of Kandiyohi is looking at abandoning their wastewater treatment system and exploring the cost associated with pumping to Willmar or the GLSSWD.
There needs to be future discussion regarding 2nd tier property hookups. The issues include affordable service, financing (who pays), lot sizes, who should or should not be required to hook up, distance from lake, etc. Gary would like this issue addressed before lake informational meetings and hearings start this coming spring.
Ron provided information pertaining to hourly plumbing service rates as submitted by three local area plumbers with the average hourly rate being $70.00 per hour. Following discussion, a motion was made by Brett Aamot and seconded by John Bergman that the District charge $70.00 per hour with time and a half after regular hours for service calls not associated with normal District activities. The motion carried.
Leslie Foster (Old Mill Inn Resort) Update
Ron received a call from the county auditor questioning where the 2002 assessment on Leslie Foster’s property should be placed since the parcel number is no longer valid. The property has been divided into 15 units to be sold as part of a common interest community. After discussing the situation on the phone with Leslie, it was decided to split the assessment between units #3 and #4 with the annual fees placed on unit #3. A letter containing this agreement was sent to Leslie for his signature. The letter has been returned signed and forwarded to the county auditor’s office. If any of these 15 units were ever split from the common interest community, the District would need to review what additional charges would apply.
Cloudnet Contract Renewal
A letter regarding the renewal of the 3-year contract to rent space on the water tower has been sent to Cloudnet requesting a 9% increase. The increase would be 3% for each year resulting in a payment of $436 rather than $400 each month. Cloudnet responded in agreement with the increase. After recommendation from the Commission, the current contract will be amended reflecting the increase and sent to Cloudnet. A motion to approve the increase and authorize Ron to amend the current contract was made by John Bergman and seconded by Kevin Dittbenner. The motion carried.
Update Regarding Main Lift Station Forcemain Leak & Repairs
About 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 23, the plant operator received a call that wastewater was coming out of a manhole located just to the north of the Green Lake outlet bridge. After inspection, it was confirmed that the valve manhole on the 16” main lift station forcemain was leaking. The main lift station was shut down and septic haulers were called to bypass haul all wastewater to the plant. Throughout the evening hauling continued and repair parts were obtained. Sunday morning crews from Duininck Companies and Quality Flow, Inc. were on site to make repairs. At 5 p.m. on Sunday repairs were completed, the forcemain was put back into service, and bypass hauling ceased.
A motion to approve the minutes was made by John Bergman and seconded by Brett Aamot. There being no discussion, the motion carried.
A motion to approve the bills was made by Brett Aamot and seconded by Kevin Dittbenner. With no discussion, the motion carried.
New London has hired a company that can track plastic water lines to determine leaks. Since the District may be interested, Ron requested to be informed when this is being done.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by John Bergman and seconded by Brett Aamot. The motion carried.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, March 24, 2008 at 6 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Recording Secretary
Minutes of the
Green Lake
Sanitary Sewer and Water District Commission
6:00 p.m., Monday, January 28, 2008
GLSSWD
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Present: Clayton Anderson, Dennis Baker, John Bergman, Marv Hey, Troy Block, Dennis Peterson, Kevin Dittbenner, Brett Aamot
Absent: none
Others present: Ron Hagemeier, Gary Danielson
The meeting was called to order by chairman, Dennis Baker, at 6 p.m. on Monday, January 28, 2008 at the GLSSWD Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Nominations for chairman were opened with Dennis Peterson nominating Dennis Baker and Kevin Dittbenner seconding. Marv Hey made a motion nominations cease and cast a unanimous ballot for Dennis Baker with John Bergman seconding. The motion carried.
Vice-president nominations opened with a motion by Troy Block and seconded by John Bergman that Clayton Anderson remains vice-president. Marv Hey moved nominations cease and cast a unanimous ballot for Clayton Anderson with a second by Brett Aamot. The motion carried.
John Bergman was nominated to remain secretary by Clayton Anderson with Brett Aamot seconding. Dennis Peterson made a motion the nominations cease and cast a unanimous ballot for John Bergman with a second by Marv Hey. The motion carried.
The average water loss for the year is Spicer 11.3%, Green Lake 20.0%, and New London 28.4%. The total average for the year for all three entities is 19.9%. A letter was sent along with the DNR water appropriation report regarding water accountability. There are still plans to monitor around the lake with the leak detection device purchased last year if manpower allows.
The Commission was brought up to date regarding three metering experiments in progress at various residences regarding metering. As of today, there is nothing conclusive in the findings. Ron will ask Chuck Ahl from the Kandiyohi Power Cooperative and Dean Helstrom from Bolton and Menk to be in attendance next month for an update.
The final date of September 30, 2008 decided upon at the October 22, 2007 meeting for the waived hook up fee on Lake Florida, this applies to current structures along with the four vacant lots that installed grinder pumps, not any other new construction.
Following some discussion regarding the current District service call rates, the commission unanimously decided to gather information on rates being charged outside of the District and place this item on the agenda again next month.
Update Regarding Latest MDH Sampling Requirements
The Department of Health is requesting more work for 2009 after receiving the data on trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids tested for in the drinking water. The Bible Camp, Spicer Castle, and the wastewater plant are in the 70 to 80 percent range of the maximum contaminant level (MCL) and have been selected for future sample sites.
Update Regarding Water Main Break on Indian Beach Road
The first water main leak in 7 ½ years was found on Friday, January 5, when Ron Brown called that he did not have water. Before a District employee was sent out, calls began coming from several residents by the Spicer Castle. Upon arrival at the Castle the water was boiling out of the ground. The leak was isolated and Quam Construction was called to make repairs. They returned at 7 a.m. on Saturday, the leak was repaired, and water back on at 2:30 p.m.
SCADA Update
After Dean Helstrom relayed to Harold at Preferred Control regarding the decision of the Commission last month to look into hiring someone else to complete the job using the remaining 10% of money being withheld, Preferred Control were here immediately to finish. They also had an afternoon of training with the District employees. The SCADA system is virtually complete.
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Troy Block and seconded by John Bergman. There being no discussion, the motion carried.
A motion to approve the bills was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Marv Hey. With no discussion, the motion carried.
The Commission congratulated Gary Danielson on receiving his “2007 Outstanding County Engineer of the Year” award.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Clayton Anderson and seconded by Troy Block. The motion carried.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, February 25, 2008 at 6 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Slinden
Recording Secretary
Roadway Restoration Costs -$2.8 Million
All sewer or
water roadway restoration costs will be assessed, 50% of the assessment will be based on
units and 50% based on lineal feet of lot width. Roadway restoration costs have been
supplemented by township, county, and state funds to pay for additional road improvements.
Adjustments to Formulas for Single Family Residential Lots
| SEWER Minimum Lot Size |
SEWER Minimum Lot Size |
ROAD Minimum Lot Size |
ROAD Minimum Lot Size |
|
| 1st Tier | 60' | 150' | Actual | Actual |
| 2nd Tier | 50' | 100' | Actual | 100' * |
There is a
point where benefits to residential property for improvements related to its size, despite
related costs, are not justified. Minimum and maximum lot size formula adjustments
reflecting this premise are shown in the following table.
*Second
tier properties with development potential will have lineal foot road costs over
the 100' maximum deferred until developed.
Sewer Availability Charge (SAC).
This annual
fee will initially pay for 50% of the sewer collection system capital costs. It will pay
for a decreasing percentage of those costs (and the fee will be lowered) as population
growth occurs around the lake and more property is developed with GLSSWD sewer and water
service.
The fee will
apply both to residential living units, actually hooked to the sewer system, and to other
units within 200 feet of sewer collection lines. The areas affected are along CR 144, CSAH
30, CR 131, Old North Shore Drive, CSAH 4, Indian Beach Road, Indian Beach Circle, CSAH 10
and other Green Lake roads with collection lines giving direct (200') access to living
units. For Units not hooked up to GLSSWD sewer service, the SAC payments will be credited
towards future sewer assessment connection costs.
Sewer and Water Base Fees
All of the above described assessments and fees pay for water, sewer and road costs directly benefiting property around Green Lake. Monthly sewer and water base fees, on the other hand, pay the capital costs of wells, water towers, trunk lines, and the water and waste- water treatment plants that mutually benefit New London, Spicer and Green Lake residents. The Green Lake minimum monthly base fee has been tentatively set at $15 for sewer and $15 for water. The Green Lake area sewer base fee will not take effect until July 1st.
Water Availability Charge (WAC)
This fee only applies to properties
affected by the Sewer Availability Charge that are not connected to the GLSSWD water
supply. It will help pay for water supply costs and reflects the benefit (of improved fire
protection and municipal water availability) by having the District water supply available
even if a property is not connected to the supply. The Water Availability Charge may
differ from the water base fee of water users depending on other expense items that may be
included in either fee.
New Hookup Fees
As an incentive for hooking up to water
and sewer service, there are no hookup fees currently charged for new water or sewer
connections to existing homes until September 1, 2001. This incentive does not apply to
new developments. The hook up fee schedule is as follows:
Residential
Basic Sewer and Water...$1,000 Sewer
Only...$1,000 Water Only...$1,000 Multi Units...$1000+250/unit
Commercial
$1,200 up to 750 gallons per day (gpd)
estimated usage. More than 750 gpd commercial usage will be evaluated by the GLSSWD
Commission for an appropriate hook up fee.
New Sewer & Water Connections
New water and sewer connections to
properties that were not part of the original sewer district are the responsibility of the
property owner. The District will not connect existing septic systems up nor run water
service connections to within 10 feet of a house. The effect of this policy is that sewer,
water, and road restoration assessments for new hook ups will be about $6,200 less than
existing properties benefiting from District service line work. However, these properties
will have to absorb the entire cost of providing their own water and sewer connections.
Tier II properties signing up for sewer or water service this year will be included in the
financing process at the same low interest rate (approximately 4% and 20 year amortization
schedule) as other members of the district. Future hookup fees and future assessment costs
or "tapping fees" must be paid in cash or can be assessed over a maximum 15
years at a minimum of 7% interest.
Existing Tier II homes may sign up for sewer service without water service. However, the District will not provide water service without also providing sewer service. New developments within the District boundaries must hook up to both sewer and water service unless specifically exempted by the District due to the distance to water and sewer service or other extenuating circumstances.
General Water and Sewer Hook Up Policies
Sewer Hook Up Requirements
All existing GLSSWD systems will be
hooked up to the new system. Noncompliant sewer systems in the expanded district must hook
up to the district sewer system within one year of the property sale or transfer. Failing
sewer systems must be hooked up within ten months of failure. As noted on the previous
page, new sewer hookup costs are the responsibility of the owner. Existing homes or new
development over 200 feet from sewer service but within district boundaries may be
exempted from hookup requirements. Each situation will be evaluated by the GLSSWD
Commission based on costs and other factors.
Water Hook Up Requirements
Water hookup
is not mandatory, but will become mandatory, with the sale or transfer of property within
the 1st tier of property around the lake. Hook up would be required within one year of the
sale or transfer. Those not hooking up as part of the water service projects would install
their own service connection when needed. No new wells may be drilled for potable water
use in the 1st tier.
Undeveloped Property
When a
property develops, water and sewer assessments will be determined based on the current
assessment formulas plus accumulated SAC charges. However, the lineal foot portion of road
assessments will be levied on lots or parcels with building potential during this summer's
assessment process.
Guest Houses/Plumbed Garages
There will
be no separate sewer or water assessment for guest houses or plumbed garages that are used
as an extension of a main dwelling unit already assessed for water or sewer service. New
hook ups would be the responsibility of the property owner. If a 2nd water meter is
needed, the property owner would also pay for the meter equipment.
If the guest
facility or garage was sold as a separate parcel, or it functions as a separate use, it
would be charged for a separate sewer (and water) assessment and accumulated SAC fees. If
a 2nd tier unit has a bathroom and the septic system complies with state regulations, is
not failing, or otherwise affected by ordinance or rule, it can continue in use. However,
the lineal foot portion of road assessments will be levied similar to the policy on
undeveloped lots.
Specific Applications of Assessments and Fees
Skyline Estates and Rice Estates
Multi Unit Water Assessments
Both complexes will be assessed at the rate of one full assessment for the 1st unit in a building and a 64% assessment for each additional unit in the building.
Green Lake Sanitary Sewer
and Water District
7/23/01
Hi from the Green Lake Sanitary Sewer and Water District.
I was asked to share some thoughts about the operation and maintenance of your water meter. The water meter really is a simple device that measures the flow of water. It is a mechanical function where propellers in the meter housing move when water flows through it, and depending upon the size of the meter it records a certain volume of water. Normally it is in one thousand gallon increments. When a meter begins to wear out, which takes many many years, the meter will not accurately record all the water flowing through it. The meters in the district are also installed with remote reading capability. That’s why your meter has a small diameter wire attached to it and it runs to a small transmission box. This box will send a signal when requested to a remote reader. The reader is usually operated from the street and reads your water usage.
When shutting down or winterizing your
water system the first thing to do is shut off the water service supply. If you
have a private shut off valve installed outside the building on the service line
other than the district shut off valve (curb stop), which is usually located
near the street or at the end of a common feed line, close it. If the only
outside shut off is the district valve, which by the way is district property
and for operational concerns can only be turned on or off by district personnel,
your will need to call the district office and request a water shut off. After
shutting down the water supply you now need to release any pressure in the
system by opening a faucet. You now should unscrew the meter from its holding
assembly and move it to the side without disconnecting the signal wire. Now you
can begin draining or blowing out your water system. The hard part is blowing
out the water in the line that enters your building. This is usually done by
using compressed air attached to a smaller diameter plastic hose that you insert
into the incoming line forcing the water out. Next take the meter and tip it end
to end to remove any water trapped in it. Now re-attach the meter, close the
shut off valve usually located near the meter on the inlet side and no damage
should occur to the water meter or your water system.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at 320-796-4523.
GLSSWD Superintendent
GLSSWD
Commissioners
4-year terms. Limited to two (2) consecutive four
(4) year terms.
|
Kevin Dittbenner New London 354-1348 Term Expires 12/31/10 - 1st |
John Bergman New London 354-2979 Term Expires 12/31/10 - 2nd |
Troy Block |
|
Dennis Baker Spicer 796-5218 - work Term Expires 12/31/08 - 2nd
|
Clayton O. Anderson Green Lake 796-5768 - phone & fax (612) 702-7800 - cell Term Expires 12/31/11 - 2nd |
Brett Aamot Green Lake 235-6464 Term Expires 12/31/10 - 1st |
|
Marv Hey Lake Florida 354-4707 Term Expires 12/31/10 - 1st |
Dennis Peterson County Board Member |