Utilities
Board Meeting - November 13, 2014
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
A regular meeting of the Board of Public Works was held at the Hastings Utilities Board Room on Thursday, November 13, 2014, at 9:00 a.m. This meeting was preceded by notice duly published in the Hastings Tribune on Tuesday, November 11, 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, Meyer, Vrooman, Cogley, Hartman, Cox, Leonhardt, Ptak, Sekora, McCoy, Barfknecht, Odom, Goebel, Crecelius, Tony Hermann (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.
Don Cox gave an update on natural gas prices and supply. The prices have slightly risen with the cold weather and storage is full. There is a soft market for power because of plenty of wind for wind power.
Al Meyer reported that the WEC Unit 2 maintenance outage is complete and the unit came back on line November 10. There will be tuning of the burners taking place.
Marv Schultes reported that he is working with the City on options for watering of the Mt. Sinai cemetery on East 12th Street.
Lori Hartman reported on activities in hiring. The Credit and Collection Representative position, along with the position of Director of Safety will be posted after the budget is approved. Hartman will continue to update the benefits per the comparability study.
Committee Reports were given at this time.
Comparability Committee – Dewalt reported that the committee met numerous times and the Comparability Study results were used to prepare the pay schedules that are in the budget for approval. A more complete report will be given in Executive Session as the study is confidential.
There were no other committee reports at this time.
Moved by Dewalt, seconded by Kully , that the following items on the Consent Agenda be approved:
- Review, correction or approval of minutes of October 30, November 5, and November 6, 2014 (with date correction)
- Review of payroll for period ending November 1, 2014
Roll Call: Ayes; Dewalt, Kully, Hunt, Shoemaker, Krieger. Nays; None. Motion carried.
Moved by Krieger, seconded by Dewalt, to approve a Release of Easement with Physicians Building Partnership for the Family Medical Clinic, and to forward to the Mayor and Council for their approval. Roll Call: Ayes; Krieger, Dewalt, Kully, Hunt, Shoemaker. Nays; None. Motion carried.
Moved by Kully, seconded by Krieger, to approve a Release of Easement with the Bonnavilla Plaza Corporation for Greg Spady, and to forward to the Mayor and Council for their approval.
Roll Call: Ayes; Kully, Krieger, Shoemaker, Dewalt, Hunt. Nays; None. Motion carried.
A Public Hearing on the 2015 Hastings Utilities Budget took place, which included a presentation by Marvin Schultes as he summarized the total budget with the changes made at the budget meetings on November 5th and 6th. There were no public comments on the 2015 Hastings Utilities Budget.
The Manager and the Board stated that the Intent to Issue Combined System Revenue Bonds is only one option for funding, as the state revolving loan fund and the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources grant will be applied for, along with Little Blue Natural Resource District’s contribution of $100,000 for each of the next five years as previously committed.
The Public Hearing was closed.
Moved by Krieger, seconded by Dewalt, to approve Resolution No. 2014-07 approving the Hastings Utilities 2015 Budget, and to submit Council Resolution No. 2014-45 for the approval of the Hastings Utilities 2015 Budget to the Mayor and City Council. Roll Call: Ayes; Krieger, Dewalt, Hunt, Shoemaker, Kully. Nays; None. Motion carried.
Moved by Dewalt, seconded by Krieger, to recommend approval to the Mayor and City Council of Water Rate Ordinance 4419, to be effective January 1, 2015. Roll Call: Ayes; Dewalt, Krieger, Kully, Hunt, Shoemaker. Nays; None. Motion carried.
Moved by Dewalt, seconded by Hunt, to recommend approval to the Mayor and City Council of Council Resolution No. 2014-42 for funding the Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce in an amount not to exceed $30,000 for the year 2015. Roll Call: Ayes; Dewalt, Hunt, Kully, Shoemaker, Krieger. Nays; None. Motion carried.
Moved by Hunt, seconded by Kully, to recommend approval to the Mayor and City Council of Council Resolution No. 2014-43 for funding the Hastings Economic Development Corporation (HEDC) for the years 2015 and 2016 in an amount of $100,000 per year. Roll Call: Ayes; Hunt, Kully, Shoemaker, Kriger, Dewalt. Nays; None. Motion carried.
Moved by Hunt, seconded by Krieger, to recommend approval to the Mayor and City Council of Council Resolution No. 2014-44 of Intent to issue Combined System Revenue Bonds in 2015 for capital improvements in an amount not to exceed $15,000,000. Roll Call: Ayes; Hunt, Krieger, Dewalt, Shoemaker, Kully. Nays; None. Motion carried.
Moved by Kully, seconded by Dewalt, to bring from the table the Possible Reconsideration of Board Action Recommending Ordinance 4409. Roll Call: Ayes; Kully, Dewalt, Hunt, Shoemaker, Krieger. Nays; None. Motion carried.
The Board decided defer Agenda Items 10. (Possible Reconsideration of Board Action Recommending Ordinance 4409) and 11. (Approval of Process for Filling Hastings Utilities’ FLSA Exempt Positions) until after the Executive Session.
Moved by Krieger, seconded by Hunt, to approve checks issued November 7, 2014, with the exception of check 24746 to Kully Pipe & Steel Corp. and check 24784 to Sullivan Shoemaker PC LLO. Roll Call: Ayes; Krieger, Hunt, Dewalt, Kully, Shoemaker. Nays; None. Motion carried.
Moved by Hunt, seconded by Krieger, to approve check 24746 to Kully Pipe & Steel Corp. in the amount of $926.95. Roll Call: Ayes; Hunt, Krieger, Shoemaker, Dewalt. Nays; None. Kully abstained. Motion carried.
Moved by Hunt, seconded by Krieger, to approve check 24784 to Sullivan Shoemaker PC LLO in the amount of $2,937.86. Roll Call: Ayes; Hunt, Krieger, Dewalt, Kully. Nays; None. Shoemaker abstained. Motion carried.
Moved by Krieger, seconded by Kully, to approve the following work orders:
EL-308 Replace 34.5 KV circuit breakers #333 and #334 at DHPC Substation. Estimated Cost: $146,964
EL-309 Installatiuon of a three-phase underground electric line, padmount switch, and padmount transformer to allow for the new addition to the Family Medical Center at Hill St. and Bellevue Ave. Estimated Cost: $23,918
Roll Call: Ayes; Krieger, Kully, Dewalt, Shoemaker, Hunt. Nays; None. Motion carried.
Moved by Hunt, 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; Hunt, Dewalt, Shoemaker, Krieger, Kully. Nays; None. Motion carried.
The meeting closed to the public at 10:45 a.m. The executive session consisted of Board Members, Council Liaisons, the Board’s Attorney, Schultes, Meyer, and Hartman. The last part of the Executive Session included the Board Members and Council Liaisons only.
Moved by Dewalt, seconded by Hunt, that the meeting be reopened to the public at 12:10 p.m., and that no decisions were made nor official actions taken during said Closed Session. Roll Call: Ayes; Dewalt, Hunt, Krieger, Shoemaker Kully. Nays; None. Motion carried.
Moved by Hunt, seconded by Krieger, to table the following items until the next meeting.
- Possible Reconsideration of Board Action Recommending Ordinance 4409 (Tabled from Last Meeting)- Approval of Process for Filling Hastings Utilities’ FLSA Exempt Positions (Tabled from Last Meeting)
Roll Call: Ayes; Hunt, Krieger, Shoemaker, Dewalt, Kully. Motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at 12:11 p.m.