THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
January 16, 2024
The regular meeting of the Board of Public Works was held on January 16, 2024, at 5:00 pm in the City Council Chambers. Those in attendance were Vice President David Ausmus, Board Member David Wilt, Board Member Jeff Roberts, Assistant General Manager and Manager of Energy Resources Ben Stueve, Controller Jennifer McLeland, Mayor Tony Petre, Councilman Talt Holman, and Councilwoman Cheryl Blaise. General Manager Dana Ulmer joined remotely.
Vice President David Ausmus called the meeting to order at 5:07 pm.
1. Approval of Minutes from Prior Board Meetings – December 18, 2023 – The minutes from the last regular meeting of the Board of Public Works were reviewed. Board Member David Wilt made a motion to approve the minutes of December 18, 2023 meeting as written. The motion was seconded by Vice President David Ausmus. The motion carried with three votes for and none against.
Under old business:
2. Approval of Bid to Sell Nordberg & Worthington Generator Parts – Ben Stueve shared that only one bid was received from Kennett Board of Public Works for the purchase of generator parts. Board Member Jeff Roberts made a motion, seconded by Board Member David Wilt, to approve the bid from Kennett Board of Public Works for $10,000 to purchase the notated generator parts from the decommissioned Nordberg. The motion carried with three votes for and none against.
3. Review of Contractor to Build at 505 N Rubey – Board Member David Wilt explained that he had spoken to Retired Assistant General Manager and Manager of Energy Resources Scott Lucas. Mr. Lucas shared with Mr. Wilt that management agreed to allow JT Holman Construction to build over the existing brick wastewater main at 505 N Rubey outside of the Board of Public Works in 2015 when the main was relined. Mr. Wilt stated that his biggest concern approving the construction was setting a precedence to build over utility infrastructure. Board Member Jeff Roberts expressed that to allow the construction he would like an addendum added to an easement for 505 N Rubey stating that any future expense incurred for repairs to the building or grounds at 505 N Rubey due to any wastewater related work would be paid by the property owner. Controller Jennifer McLeland agreed to contact City Attorney R. Timothy Bickhaus to prepare easement and addendum language clarifying future expenses in relation to the wastewater main at 505 N Rubey. Vice President David Ausmus stated that if anything were to be built on wastewater or gas mains it is a case-by-case situation and will need to be approved by the board. Talt Holman stated that he would be willing to pay the $800.00 for the engineering building plans and would sign an easement accepting responsibility for future expenses. Board Member Jeff Roberts made a motion, seconded by Board Member David Wilt, to approve JT Holman Construction to build over the brick wastewater at 505 N Rubey if Mr. Holman supplied engineered plans taking the weight of construction off the wastewater main and signed an easement with an addendum accepting future expense of wastewater related issues in the future. The motion carried with three votes for and none against.
Under new business:
4. Approval of Truck & Labor Rates for 2024 – Mr. Stueve and Mrs. McLeland presented updated costs and recommended changes to the Truck and Labor Rates. Board Member David Wilt made the motion, seconded by Board Member Jeff Robets, to approve the 2024 Truck and Labor Rates. The motion carried with three votes for and none against.
5. Approval of New Construction Fee Sheet for 2024 – Mr. Stueve shared updated cost details for installation of utility services. Vice President David Ausmus made a motion, seconded by Board Member David Wilt, to approve the 2024 Construction Fee Sheet. The motion carried with three votes for and none against.
6. Approval to Purchase Budgeted 20 Feet 16,000 Pound Trailer for Skid Steer – Mr. Stueve shared the need for a trailer dedicated to the skid steer. Mr. Stueve explained that when working on a job that requires the skid steer the crew must remove equipment from a trailer and reload the skid steer, many times one single employee. Mr. Stueve indicated that not only was this process not an effective use of time but also dangerous for a single employee to complete alone. Board Member Jeff Roberts made a motion, seconded by Vice President David Ausmus, to purchase the 2023 Big Tex trailer. The motion carried with three votes for and none against.
7. Approval of Wastewater Relining Projects for 2024 – Mrs. McLeland shared that Mike Llewellyn was happy with the manhole lining in 2023 and recommended that Advanced Rehabilitation Technology be utilized again through Purchasing Cooperative of America for the 2024 rehabilitation lining of manholes. Board Member David Wilt made a motion, seconded by Board Member Jeff Roberts, to approve Advanced Rehabilitation Technology through Purchasing Cooperative of America to line the 2024 scheduled manhole lining. The motion carried with three votes for and none against.
8. Approval of Request for Qualifications for Water and Wastewater Plant Improvements – Mr. Ulmer shared that he would like to begin the process of water and wastewater treatment plant improvements with a request for qualifications. Mr. Ulmer detailed that the decision of how to best update the existing plants versus new construction would take significant time. He notated that following the request for qualifications a panel consisting of Board of Public Works members, City Council members, plant supervisors, and himself would grade each submission and select an engineering firm. Vice President David Ausmus made a motion, seconded by Board Member Jeff Roberts, to approve the posting of a request for qualifications for both water and wastewater plant improvements. The motion carried with three votes for and none against.
9. Employee Retention & Recruitment – Mrs. McLeland shared that Garrett Moore accepted the Underground Facilities Operator position and began today, January 16, 2024. The Accounts Payable Associate is currently vacant following Michelle Brinkman’s resignation on December 29, 2023. Interviews for the Accounts Payable Associate are scheduled for next week. The Customer & Employee Relations position had been posted internally following Renita Waldron’s passing. Lauren Watson, previously the Customer Service Representative, accepted the Customer & Employee Relations effective Monday, January 8, 2024. Applications for Customer Service Representative are being accepted until Friday, January 26, 2024.
10. Board of Public Works Member Reports – No Board of Public Works reports were given.
11. Approval of Accounts Payable – Board members signed accounts payable without revision.
12. Set Next Regular Meeting – Monday, February 19, 2024, at 5:00 pm.
A motion was made by Board Member David Wilt, seconded by Board Member Jeff Roberts, to adjourn the meeting at 6:02 pm. The motion carried with three votes for and none against.