Board Meeting - September 17, 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, September 17, 2015, at 9:00 a.m.  This meeting was preceded by notice duly published in the Hastings Tribune on Tuesday, September 15, 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, Kully, Dewalt, Shoemaker

Also Present: Schultes, Meyer, Vrooman, Ptak, Leonhardt, Cogley, Crecelius, Hartman, Barfknecht, Odom, Goebel, Stange, Tony Hermann (Hastings Tribune), and Allison Petr and Ashley Hostert from McDermott & Miller

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.

Marvin Schultes reported that he attended the Nebraska Power Association Board Meeting with Jason Redding where it was reported that the final rule for the Clean Power Plan is scheduled to be implemented between 2022 to 2030 and will have a major impact onall the electrical utilities in the State of Nebraska.

Al Meyer reported that both WEC-1 and WEC-2 unit are performing well.  He thanked the Board and Liaisons for attending the tour on Tuesday.  Staff will be implementing the maintenance outages on the plants starting September 25th on Unit 1 until October 5th and Unit 2 outage is scheduled to begin October 16thand be completed on November 4th.  Chairman Shoemaker suggested a tour for the Board during a future outage would be beneficial.

Lori Hartman reported on personnel activities:

Made an offer that was accepted for the Lineman position.  He will start with us on 9/28.

Offered the Instrument Supervisor position at WEC to an internal candidate, Darren Hofmann.

Will be posting an Instrument Tech Assistant position at WEC.

Finishing up the second round of interviews for the four Aux Operator positions at WEC.  There were 30+ applicants for the positions.

Committee Reports:

Comparability – A meeting is being rescheduled to meet soon. Land Leases – Nothing new at this time. Budgeted Labor – A meeting is being rescheduled to meet soon.Improvement Districts – Policy on Transition Agreements – The City Council will meet in s worksession on Monday, September 21st at 5:30 to discuss the transition agreement.

Moved by Dewalt, seconded by Kully, to approve the following items on the Consent Agenda:

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

Moved by Hunt, seconded by Dewalt, to approve check no. 27756 to Kully Pipe & Steel Corp. in the amount of $2,825.15.  Roll Call:  Ayes; Hunt, Dewalt, Shoemaker.  Nays; None.  Kully abstained.  Motion carried.

Moved by Hunt, seconded by Kully, to approve check no. 27797 to Sullivan Shoemaker PC LLO in the amount of $1,014.00 and check no. 27828 to SID #1 of Clay County, NE in the amount of $539.67.  Roll Call:  Ayes; Hunt, Kully, Dewalt.  Nays; None.  Shoemaker abstained.  Motion carried.

The Board received the 2nd Quarter Financial Review from McDermott & Miller and Ashley Hostert along with Allison Petr presented the report.  Mr. Hunt would like more information on the numbers when work orders are closed out.  Accounting will furnish Mr. Hunt the close out sheet on each closed work order.  No other Board members expressed any interest in the closed work order sheet.

Marty Stange answered questions on an Engineering Agreement with JEO Consulting Group for Flood Plain Analysis and Permitting, ASR Water Storage Facility, North Baltimore Ave. ASR Project that the Board is being asked to approve.  The results of this analysis will be reviewed with the Flood Plain Administrator, Dave Wacker.

Moved by Hunt, seconded by Dewalt, to approve an Engineering Agreement with JEO Consulting Group for Flood Plain Analysis and Permitting, ASR Water Storage Facility, North Baltimore Ave. ASR Project – B.I. 3.02 for an amount not-to-exceed $13,490.  Roll Call:  Ayes; Hunt, Dewalt, Shoemaker, Kully.  Nays; None.  Motion carried.

Moved by Hunt, seconded by Kully, to approve the following work orders:

GA-315   Replacement 4" PE Gas Main on 6th Ave., 150' south of 3rd St. to 7th St.; 3rd St., 6th Ave. west 130'; and 7th St., 6th Ave. west 120' and east 90'.                       Estimated cost: $148,422

GA-317   Replacement of 8" steel gas main on Baltimore Ave., 1st St. to 2nd St. Estimated cost:  $  61,432

PL-671    Installation of a card reader and security camera at WEC entrance gate. Estimated cost:  $  32,176

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

A handout on PPGA Revenue Bonds was distributed in the packet.  Board Member Hunt asked for additional information on the form.  Staff will revise it and redistribute it.

A handout on Ordinance No. 3754 was discussed.   The Board asked for a cover sheet on miscellaneous handouts to identify the reason the item is in the packet.

Under Board Member Comments, Jeanette Dewalt asked that a Preliminary Budget Discussion be added to the October 15th Agenda along with a Discussion of Residency Requirements.

Shoemaker would like the Board to discuss the use of economic development money to build public infrastructure extensions and will refer to Attorney Ptak to research the legality of using public money for this use.

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  in that said Closed Session will consist of a strategy session relative to negotiations.  Roll Call:  Ayes; Hunt, Dewalt, Shoemaker, Kully.  Nays; None.  Motion carried.

The meeting closed to the public at 10:10 a.m.  The executive session consisted of Board Members, the Board's Attorney, and Council Liaisons Goebel and Odom.

Moved by Dewalt, seconded by Hunt, that the meeting be reopened to the public at 11:11 a.m., and that no decisions were made nor official actions taken during said Closed Session.  Roll Call:  Ayes; Dewalt, Hunt, Kully, Shoemaker.  Nays; None.  Motion carried.

The meeting adjourned at 11:11 a.m.