Board Meeting - April 16, 2015

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, April 16,  2015, at 9:00 a.m.  This meeting was preceded by notice duly published in the Hastings Tribune on Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 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, Kully, Dewalt

Absent:  Shoemaker

Also Present: Schultes, Meyer, Vrooman, Cogley, Ptak, Leonhardt, Crecelius, Hartman, Stange, Quinn, Odom, Goebel, Tony Hermann (Hastings Tribune)

Chairman Shoemaker was absent, therefore Acting Chairman Dewalt chaired the meeting.

Acting Chairman Dewalt 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.  She also declared a quorum of members present.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

There were no public comments.

Al Meyer gave an update on the WEC-1 outage.  The unit is planned to be back on line April 28th.  He reported that the refined coal project is underway and should be complete around the 1st of May.  Meyer also reported that the coal dozer will be back in service tomorrow after being repaired after a fire.  The repair bill is approximately $88,000.  The repair bill will be submitted to insurance.

Lori Hartman reported positions that are open at Hastings Utilities.

Steve Cogley reported on the April 2015 Customer Newsletter which included a comparison of utility rates in other cities.

The Chamber of Commerce Retail Oversight Committee met to discuss a monetary donation for the Hastings-Ozu Sister City 20th Anniversary.  In July 2015, Hastings will host a delegation of up to 30 government officials, citizens, and students from Ozu to commemorate the signing in 1995 of the Sister City Relationship.  When more information is available, the committee will make a recommendation to the Board of Public Works.

Moved by Krieger, seconded by Kully, that the following items on the Consent Agenda be approved:

Roll Call:  Ayes; Krieger, Kully, Hunt, Dewalt.  Nays; None.  Motion carried.

Moved by Hunt, seconded Krieger, that upon the recommendation from staff, to award a contract, subject to final legal review and bringing this back to the Board if substantial issues are involved, to ProEnergy Services of Sedalia, Missouri, for Whelan Energy Center Unit 1 Mercury Control Equipment Construction (HU 2015-03 FC-18 B.I. 2.09), in the amount of $176,100.00, which includes an optional scope of supply for fiber optic cable and applicable sales tax, and that the Mayor and City Clerk be authorized to enter into contract with said company accordingly.  Roll Call:  Ayes; Hunt, Krieger, Dewalt, Kully.  Nays; None.  Motion carried.

Moved by Kully, seconded by Krieger, that upon the recommendation from staff, to award a contract to Van Kirk Bros. Contracting, Sutton, Nebraska, for Water and Sanitary Sewer Main Improvements (HU 2015-03 IC-19 B.I. 3.42, 3.13, 3.10, 4.21) in the amount of $469,439.64, and that the Chairman of the Board be authorized to enter into contract with said company accordingly.

After discussion regarding easements that were needed to be obtained, the Board set aside this item and the companion work orders until after the Executive Session.

Dave Ptak reported that Dave Wacker said the North Baltimore Floodway Study could be completed in June, 2015.  No other update at this time.

The December  2014 Monthly Report was presented and Marv Schultes gave a presentation on the report.

A discussion was held on possibly retaining an Attorney to help provide testimony at a public hearing on the proposed content of the Title 261 rules and guidelines.  Dave Ptak visited with the League of Municipalities who recommended that the communities should testify separately as the communities have different issues.  The Board asked Ptak and Schultes to work together to ask the Mayor and/or  Board Chairman to testify.

Moved by Krieger, seconded by Hunt, to approve checks issued April 10, 2015, with the exception of check no. 26133 to Kully Pipe & Steel Corp.   Roll Call:  Ayes; Krieger, Hunt, Dewalt, Kully.  Nays; None.  Motion carried.

Moved by Hunt, seconded by Krieger, to approve check 26133 to Kully Pipe & Steel Corp. in the amount of $1,779.59.  Roll Call:  Ayes; Hunt, Krieger, Dewalt.  Nays; None.  Kully abstained.  Motion carried.

There were no additional Board Comments.

There were no Miscellaneous and Future Agenda Items to add.

Moved by Krieger, seconded by Kully, 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 negotiations and litigation.  Roll Call:  Ayes; Krieger, Kully, Hunt, Dewalt.  Nays; None.  Motion carried.

The meeting closed to the public at 10:28 a.m.  The executive session consisted of Board Members, Council Liaisons, Marv Schultes, Al Meyer, Lee Vrooman, and Lori Hartman.

Moved by Krieger, seconded by Kully, that the meeting be reopened to the public at 10:50 p.m., and that no decisions were made nor official actions taken during said Closed Session.  Roll Call:  Ayes; Krieger, Kully, Hunt, Dewalt.  Nays; None.  Motion carried.

Moved by Hunt, seconded by Krieger, to table the following items:

8.    Recommendation from Staff for Award of Contract for Water and Sanitary Sewer Main Improvements (HU 2015-03 IC-19 B.I. 3.42, 3.13, 3.10, 4.21)

15.   Approval of the following Work Orders:

Roll Call:  Ayes; Hunt, Krieger, Dewalt, Kully.  Nays; None.  Motion carried.

The meeting adjourned at 10:50 p.m.