Utilities
Board Meeting - July 17, 2014
A regular meeting of the Board of Public Works was held at the Hastings Utilities Board Room on Thursday, July 17, 2014, at 9:00 a.m. This meeting was preceded by notice duly published in the Hastings Tribune on Tuesday, July 15, 2014, and by notices duly posted in the lobby of Hastings Utilities, 1228 North Denver Avenue, and the City Hall, 220 N. Hastings Avenue, and was therefore open to the public.
Present: Hunt, Krieger, Shoemaker, Kully, Dewalt
Also Present: Schultes, Heyen, Sanders, Ptak, Vrooman, Cogley, Hartman, Goebel, Odom, Sekora, Crecelius, Dave Wacker and Jack Newlun (City), and Jim Headley (Hastings Tribune)
Chairman Shoemaker stated that the Board of Public Works is subject to the Open Meetings Laws and acknowledged that the Open Meetings Law poster has been posted in the room. He also declared a quorum of members present.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
There were no public comments.
Marv Schultes informed the Board that the City Council approved Ordinance No. 4395 (Commercial Water Service Replacement). He also announced that the Central Community College Natural Gas transition is starting. The check to the Adams County Court in the amount of $381,000.00 is on this check list for approval today and the cut over can begin after the check is received by the Court. Jim Heyen reported that the Pollution Control activated sludge process is up and running at 60% and is meeting compliance. Lee Vrooman reported that both WEC-1 and WEC-2 are on line and are scheduled for maintenance outages this fall. The coal trains are arriving with more frequency but more coal is being burned than is being delivered, so improvement by the railroad needs to continue.
Moved by Dewalt, seconded by Krieger, that the following items on the Consent Agenda be approved:
a. Review, correction or approval of minutes of June 26, 2014 and July 11, 2014
b. Review of payroll for periods ending June 28, 2014 and July 12, 2014
Roll Call: Ayes; Dewalt, Krieger, Shoemaker, Hunt, Kully. Nays; None. Motion carried.
Continued discussion was held on the Out of District Water Fee for SW1/4 of Section 14, T7N, R10W (South Marian Rd.).
Moved by Kully, seconded by Krieger, to waive the Out of District Water Fee for SW1/4 of Section 14, T7N, R10W (South Marian Rd.), for a 250' frontage in the amount of $9,470.00.
The Board discussed waiving less frontage.
Kully and Krieger revised their motion to waive only 150' frontage, and to include the meter and tapping fees, if not already included in the bid.
Vote on Revised Motion – Moved by Kully, seconded by Krieger, to waive the Out of District Water Fee for SW1/4 of Section 14, T7N, R10W (South Marian Rd.), for a 150' frontage in the amount of $5,682.00, and to include the meter and tapping fees, if not already included in the plumber's bid. Roll Call: Ayes; Kully, Krieger, Shoemaker, Hunt, Dewalt. Nays; None. Motion carried.
Moved by Hunt, seconded by Dewalt, that upon the recommendation from staff to appoint Lee Vrooman (currently Assistant Director of Electric Production) to the position of Director of Operations upon the retirement of Ron Sanders on August 1, 2014. Roll Call: Ayes; Hunt, Dewalt, Shoemaker, Krieger, Kully. Nays; None. Motion carried.
Moved by Krieger, seconded by Dewalt, to approve checks issued July 11, 2014, with the exception of check 23491 to Kully Pipe & Steel Corp. and check 23548 to Sullivan Shoemaker PC LLO. Roll Call: Ayes; Krieger, Dewalt, Kully, Hunt, Shoemaker.
Moved by Hunt, seconded by Krieger, to approve check 23491 to Kully Pipe & Steel Corp. in the amount of $148.40. Roll Call: Ayes; Hunt, Krieger, Dewalt, Shoemaker. Nays; None. Kully abstained. Motion carried.
Moved by Hunt, seconded by Krieger, to approve check 23548 to Sullivan Shoemaker PC LLO in the amount of $5,360.12. Roll Call: Ayes; Hunt, Krieger, Dewalt, Kully. Nays; None. Shoemaker abstained. Motion carried.
Moved by Hunt, seconded by Kully to approve the following work order:
EL-295 Installation of a three-phase underground electric line, padmount switch, and padmount transformer to serve the new Hastings Memory Care building on 12th St. east of Sycamore Ave. Estimated Cost: $24,094
Roll Call: Ayes; Hunt, Kully, Shoemaker, Krieger, Dewalt. Nays; None. Motion carried.
The May 2014 Monthly Report was presented and discussed.
A discussion was held on the placement of "Board Member Comments" on the agenda. After discussion, the Chairman decided to move the comments right before the "Miscellaneous and Future Agenda Items". The Board would also like to visit at the next meeting on having committee updates on the agenda.
Under Miscellaneous and Future Agenda Items, the Board removed the item "Discussion of Street Lighting" as the Street Light Committee will report on that. Discussion took place on the line items listed on the utility bill. The Chairman asked Board Member Hunt to present his questions on the Utility bill to HU staff before the next Board meeting, so that staff can be prepared for further discussion on the format and content of the Utilities' bills. Staff will try to locate an older style bill that has more information listed for comparison.
The Board would like to have the Chamber Retail Committee give a report at the next meeting.
Moved by Krieger, seconded by Dewalt, that this Board go into Closed Session, which Closed Session is clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest and for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual, which individual has not requested a public meeting, in order to discuss certain matters relating to personnel and that said Closed Session will consist of a strategy session relative to contract negotiations and litigation. Roll Call: Ayes; Krieger, Dewalt, Shoemaker, Kully, Hunt. Nays; None. Motion carried.
The meeting closed to the public at 10:50 a.m. The executive session consisted of Board Members, Council Liaisons, the Board's Attorney, staff. Marv Schultes was the only staff member present during the personnel item.
Moved by Dewalt, seconded by Krieger, that the meeting be reopened to the public at 11:23 a.m., and that no decisions were made nor official actions taken during said Closed Session. Roll Call: Ayes; Dewalt, Krieger, Hunt, Kully, Shoemaker. Nays; None. Motion carried.
Moved by Kully, seconded by Krieger, to approve an Agreement with Jerry and Naomi Warner to purchase property located at the Northwest Quarter (NW1/4) of Section Twenty-eight (28), Township Eight (8) North, Range Nine (9) West of the 6th PM, Adams, County, Nebraska, for a total cost of $1,600,000,000 for Sludge Land and to approve an Associated Land Use Exchange Agreement with Bradley and Annette McWhirter. Roll Call: Ayes; Kully, Krieger, Dewalt, Shoemaker. Nays; Hunt. Motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at 11:36 a.m.