City of Punta Gorda 2022 Utilities Advisory Board, 24 Jan 2022

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From YouTube: Utility Advisory Board 01-24-2022

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Utility Advisory Board 01-24-2022

A

Good morning,.

B

So, while he's down he's going to be gone for three or four days.

C

That's fine because.

B

In nevada I'll find out.

C

Do you want me to open that up your pdf, though you can't that way? It's because I just have to go.

B

To the drive I don't know, I I suspect.

D

A

C

Okay, thank you.

A

D

That they got the new car. Anybody tell me when it's nine o'clock up there, 8 59., 8 59.

B

D

Okay, it's nine o'clock and let's call this meeting to order. uh Can we start with the roll call? Please.

E

Bill tucker here, george recti, here derek rooney here, scott howells.

D

E

Mike dougherty here dennis cafaro here, david abderholden here. Thank you.

D

D

Of the united of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible with liberty and justice.

D

I think we have one announcement which was uh made recently uh uh that we now have neil peters if neil would stand up he's now, our new interim uh director and uh we look forward to working with you. Thank you. Thank you I'll ask you maybe a little bit later on. You could just give a uh a bit of a presentation about what you've done and absolutely good. Thank you.

D

uh Next on the uh the list is, the next meeting will be february 28th uh in 2022. It looks like we'll actually have one a month from now and uh look forward to that particular timing. uh Public comments. I thought there was some people here, but it looks like they came and left uh next. Can we uh uh review of the uh the regular meetings from october 24th 2021.?

D

Did anyone have any comments on the minutes.

F

Move to approve.

D

Second, all in favor, aye aye, all opposed meetings have been approved.

D

uh Next we have our reports.

A

Good morning, neil peters interim utilities, director.

C

Put this on here, can I make it yeah make it bigger? Yes, okay, if you stay there.

A

Oh wait: maybe.

C

It gets confusing.

C

This kind of just goes a little too quick.

C

Is that good or you want a little, I can make it a little smaller, no.

E

C

A

For the water plant, for I guess it would be december, the water to town average was 5.9 mgd and for the peak it was 7.1 mgd for the wastewater treatment plant, the average was 2.5 mgd and three month rolling was 2.5 and the peak was 2.7 mgd.

A

um A way to enlarge this kristen.

C

This one's different than the other.

A

A

The utility items on the city council agenda for the fifth of january was uh we accepted a developer, contribute asset and then for the january 19th meeting there was a uh a uh sovereign submerged land easement. It was a 50-year extension, it's good until 2069. Now it's for a 12-inch water main and a 12-inch force main under alligator creek. It was part of the burn store road project in 2009.

D

F

uh Yes, how long was that uh lease for.

A

For 50 years, 50.

F

Years, okay, and is that with the state of florida sure.

E

Steve adams, engineering, so in 2009 county widened the road and they built a new bridge over valley creek, and we constructed a 12-inch water main and 12-inch force main when we directional drilled it underneath the creek. The state requires us to get a land lease for that, so they call it the board of what they call that trustees that thing bot board of internal trustees- okay, they, I guess, hold the the fee title for all public land, something like that.

E

They administer it anyway for the state, so they gave us a 10 year lease in 2009 and then they stacked this 50-year extension. On top of that, because uh we're a government agency there's no fee, so they went ahead and gave us a long-term extension.

F

Okay, thank you. You're welcome.

G

You might want to hang on just a minute if I could sure, let's go to the january 5th, if we could. uh It looks to me on the surface like this is just kind of the normal thing that we do. There's development the developers pay the money up front and then they get reimbursed later, as as money comes.

B

G

Or something like that, can somebody spend about two and a half minutes? Okay,.

E

So, in this case, we did have a development project. It was on taylor road.

E

I think it was called trail, road, rv storage and they did an off-site improvement. They extended a line from a city facility to this location and in that case we require them to develop it to contribute it. What we call the developer contributed asset turn it over to the city. At that point the city owns and operates and maintains the facility, so they basically have built a line extension off-site.

E

So we take. We accept that as a developer contributed asset when it's an off-site improvement.

H

Bill an example.

G

Is that built to to our specs, then we spec it all out and work with them as they design it and construct it.

E

Correct during the design utility plan approval, we would review the plans and give them some guidance, and now it's a public or a city-owned facility that we can use for other projects. In addition to this new one.

G

But it's it's held by the city, totally there's no payback then to for for when other people connect, we don't pay anything back to that developer.

E

No, we do not. This is strictly a developer, contributed asset.

G

And how is this similar or different from the situation, with uh the little parking lot that has nino's, not the parking lots, a little mall that has nino's it's just near the utilities department.

G

uh I don't know if it's finished now or if it's still in process, but is that the same sort of uh situation or is that somewhat different.

G

E

G

E

Off-Site utility.

H

Work, this is, this is probably a. I mean this is a fairly simple issue, but so the the the best example.

G

Of a situation.

H

That I can think of is when a development off site outside maybe on their property, build, say a lift station that that lift station the city may request to have control that's lift station. So the process is turning it over, showing that we're giving it to you with the full warranty the legal rights, and there may be in some instances, particularly in the case of oversizing utilities, a reduction in connection fees or other costs. To do that. So you know this was from what I gather.

H

This was just just doing the line extension and then obviously the developer wants to be in the business of rv and they don't want to handle it. So they've turned it over and they're, just proving that everything meets the requirements.

E

They were, they were close, but not close enough to connect the sewer they wanted to connect the sewer, so they went ahead and an off-site gravity line that allowed them to now have sewer availability. So it was.

E

This is what we call develop, a contributed asset, they make an improvement, but they put it in the public right-of-way and it becomes owned by the utility. Thank you.

D

Steve in this particular case, the uh you would mention that there was still the ability for others to be able to tie into this uh this time. But apparently it did not require any oversizing.

D

If, if there would be a case where you would have a situation with an oversized with a new development type of thing, how does that this city work that pricing arrangement.

E

So, at the beginning of a project, if we see there's an opportunity to upsize for other planning needs, that's when we begin to have a discussion about a cost share where the city council, through a developer's agreement, might consider.

E

Contributing becoming part of the project, so if the developer needed a four inch and we wanted it to be an eight long term- we would want to come in and pay our fair share to go from four to eight, ideally, but that's entirely since the developers agreement it's a case by case.

H

And that was just similar to what we did on on riverside. That.

E

Is what we did on riverside? We wanted to upsize it.

D

Thank you any other. Thank you very much.

D

um Next, I believe we have miss silver. Oh excuse me.

C

Do we have the utility, a monthly financial.

D

Financial report- I believe you do thank.

C

You I sent out all three months, but I'll just basically go over the december um unless you have questions on a prior month, but as of december 31st, we're a quarter of the way through the year, so you can see where we are for charges for service, miscellaneous revenue and the various divisions.

C

We do separate out capital- and this is year to date, estimated versus year-to-date actual so we're doing a little bit better on revenues and, of course, on our expenditure side, everyone's still a little under so we're doing. Well, there again, we do budget conservatively trying to make sure we never fall short in our budget so going to the next page.

C

Sorry, this screen this little mouse just is not the best.

C

So this is just looking at our total annual budget um they're. The only thing we've currently done at this time is um we had our purchase order carryovers, so those were purchase orders at the end of september that were not complete, so the budget, as well as the purchase order rolls over into the new year, so that increases your beginning reserve balance as well as your um expenditures.

C

So that's why you see a little bit of an increase there on cap capital expenditures and a little bit on department operating year to date, we're at 107.5 percent of water billings, based on our estimates and 102 for sewer billings year-to-date water billings compared to december of last year, um is 393 000 more than the prior year year to date and we're at 85.6 overall for departmental operating expenses between all the divisions.

C

We do have almost 1.4 million out in encumbrances.

C

Any questions on this page.

C

So this graph just shows you our revenues and expenses by month, and then we just give you the prior years, so you have a little comparison of where we're at the first month for october, the expenses are always a little high because we're transferring the money over for the capital improvement projects.

C

Any questions there: okay, here's our year-to-date revenue um for this is just water, because it's the driving factor, basically, so all of our other revenues kind of just follow suit. As far as the trend line, the blue dotted line was our estimates. The black line is our actuals. So again you can see we're we're doing pretty well there, a little bit above.

C

Then these are our year-to-date number, so so far, original end projections are the same um as we move through the budget process, we'll update them for the rest of the year. But currently the revised projection is the same, and you can see where we're at water inside the city limits water outside the city, limits, sewer inside the city limits and sewer outside the city limits.

C

So again you can see the majority is coming in on the water side, a little bit more on the sewer outside.

C

Any questions: okay and again, this is our total revenue by month. um So the only thing it excludes is the impact fees and again, the trend line generally follows our water.

C

And on the expense side, here's our expenses- and you can see everyone is- um and this is compared to the annual total so again we're trying to stay we're a quarter of the way through the year. So you're looking for a court, you know 25 or under in most cases.

C

Debt is higher because, obviously we follow our debt service schedule, our first pay. You know it's principal and interest as well as the construction. As I mentioned, we transfer that at the beginning of the year any questions.

H

uh Mr chairman, I I have two questions there, just general questions. If you're coming to the end, the the first is, I and I know I know we discussed it a lot of prior meetings, but is the city putting any of its arpa funds into any water or wastewater projects.

C

So not currently we are, um they did just update the arpa plan as far as the things that the city can use those funds for, so it will be up to um so we're still putting plans together of really where we're going to use those funds.

C

Currently, I would say, look for that to come back. I don't know if a wastewater or water project will come up with it, but or if they will use it on some more general government type infrastructure or personnel issues too. So.

H

And then the other question I had was looking at the the amount of revenues the city gets from outside the city limits and um we're 25, it's 25 higher on the rates.

C

H

I know that the the city council is looking at more annexations. Has there been any an analysis of? Is that going to cause a revenue problem for the city? If, if more properties come in or any of, the properties that are being considered.

C

It would depend right, so the other thing that happens is um even though we might save. um We would lose some revenue.

C

um You get some additional revenue on the general fund side for the water tax, so that's 10, so really you're only losing like 15, even though you're really losing 25 overall in the the water utility, um but there's usually um like if we were doing say the subject to sewer project, we would be looking not just at that. We would be looking also at assessments, so it would depend because a lot of those outside the city don't have sewer, so they would have to bring on sewer to come into the city.

H

So it wouldn't necessarily impact any existing.

C

Right, so you would probably have additional revenue on the sewer side that would offset some of that decrease in that 25 percent. Thank you.

D

You mentioned the urpa, is it funding.

C

Yes, american recovery, um I'm sorry the american.

H

C

Yes, rescue plan act. Yes,.

D

What kind of an order of magnitude are we looking at there.

C

So the city originally should have had a little bit higher amount, but I think it's about 2.8 million the city will be um is allocated so and that's the maximum they're going to give us so originally, when we were apart when they they made us separate, like almost like a metropolitan area where, before we were falling within the category through the state and the original projection was about 8 million, so we lost a little bit by them doing that. It's like a big difference.

D

One other question: I I received an email recently a couple of days ago about some problem. We have with the billing.

C

D

At the new turnover with the.

C

Yes, so we're having um we're having some staffing issues. First of all, people have been leaving for other jobs or moving out of the state, so the only long-term person left in that division is helen. The supervisor her other most long-term employee has just two of those have been there a year and a half so um we're just asking for patients, because of course then we also have ami and ami has some things. They did do a push-out of a a fix.

C

I guess they called it, and so we noticed that all of a sudden we saw these large negatives with an offsetting positive, so it should net to zero on each customer's account. So of course, then we're getting a lot of questions about that.

C

You know, especially if someone's on drop, counter and they're maintaining you know watching their bill or get the alerts so they're having to answer more of those types of questions so and then we have to let them know if we find any that don't have the offset which, because I guess, they're still pushing stuff out to fix all that but yeah. So that's through the um ami company ford line.

D

So it's more the description of what's in the the build, not the problem with billing itself.

C

Correct so I mean, if you do ever find that there is an issue, because you know we again: we've been very proactive but with a short staff, we're having a hard time being as proactive as we were used to right. So some people, their miu, might stop reading and we don't know it and so they're getting zero reads and then all of a sudden it'll start reading again. For some reason we don't know why or someone goes out there because they do notice it, and then they have a catch-up.

C

And so we would have to you know if we know that we usually bring it to the lowest tier, because usually the water is used. It's just that it didn't get red because the miu was failing.

D

I don't think we're alone with the issues with the personnel.

C

D

Seems, like that's a very common problem all over the country. Is there anything in particular that the city is looking to do to try and improve the situation.

C

So we are having a pain. Classification study done, um that's in process. I believe I think it's with procurement. I don't. I don't.

B

C

The bid openings are, but they should be coming up soon um and then I think it takes three to four months to get all that data compiled and then they'll bring back a plan to the city and that's going to be a city-wide look then.

C

The other thing to be aware of, I guess, is you know not just personnel but um costs of materials and supplies as well as contractors, because everyone's experiencing the labor shortage, so they're charging more to try and get people to work and with the supplies, there's been a lot of supply chain problems, and so a lot of people are asking for um equitable adjustments on their contracts, and so those are where the city will look at it.

C

If we can show that using the cpi index for their particular say it's a chemical or you know steel, or something like that. We look at that that particular one to see. If it's higher than just normal inflation, we might give them an equitable adjustment, but we continue to monitor it so that if it starts to go back down, we would you know we'd go back to them and tell them hey. We need to bring it back down so.

D

Additional issues for the accounting department.

C

Yes, it is, and um but we kind of have to do it, it's beyond their control and they could just you know if we lose that vendor, then we just have to go out to bid and if they're all have experiencing the same problems we're having.

D

C

Situation, yes,.

D

I think dealing with people on a fair.

G

D

Equitable is the proper solution. Yes, I'm sure scott down below would agree with that. That's true.

A

C

Yes, so any other questions. Okay, thank you. Thank.

D

You next we have the cip project status.

E

Steve adams utilities.

E

Date up on the screen as well.

F

E

E

E

How do you make this bigger crystal.

C

I just use the plus sign.

G

E

C

Does but the other one doesn't work, and then you can just scroll down and see more.

E

So we're going to share with you some of the projects we have going on uh this month, so you'll be familiar with most of these. uh This is our 10 inch water main on taylor, road, I'm gonna go ahead and scroll down to the graph. We'll talk about it briefly, um steve.

F

I was surprised when I saw that first sentence that it was constructed.

E

F

B

Quick quick work.

E

Well, that's the one: that's there.

H

E

So we do have a 10 inch water main in taylor, road that was built. I don't know in 1936 right, yes and we're replacing that with a new 12 inch as this. That's the the purpose of this project is to go ahead and upgrade that facility.

E

Is that helpful? Yes, okay, so yeah we do have a 10 inch water main. Now we're going to go, replace that with a piece of 12.. I think it's about 4 miles so status wise. We have 100 plans in our office and we're working with procurement to get that out on the street for a bid once it's bid. We do think it'll take probably a year and a half to actually build it, because um we're gonna have to build it in probably three increments, so build an increment, activate it and move forward because of mot.

E

You know it's difficult to work next to those lanes and maintain service to every single customer, so we'll likely be building that in three pieces sequentially. So it will take some time, but we are ready to bid that which is great news um for everybody's consideration.

E

This you know is at an angle and I'm not going to try to rotate it, but if I put the little arrow thing down here, it should be able to find alligator creek, and I think this is taylor. Road here is actually you can tell this different line. Type is the alignment of the project, so it starts right there at alligator, crank and goes all the way to airport road over here to the left. Okay.

E

So if you can visualize that it's taylor, road from airport road up down to uh where it crosses alligator creek, I don't know if that's very easy to see or not any questions on the alignment.

D

Yes, the right direction in in the bidding. Are you going to have a pre-bid, or is that.

E

They always have a pre-bid meeting for all all bids, they're, usually um optional. I mean a lot of people attend by electronic. Now they just log in and they can see it on their computer screen. But you do have.

D

An actual meeting.

E

Procurement, we'll have a meeting yeah, it might be on the computer. Oh okay, most likely will be.

D

E

H

E

You can show.

H

D

Meeting in october about uh yeah, you can visit ann's office.

E

If you'd like to yes, I probably won't be doing that, because I mean you can watch it on the computer. You already know about it. Yeah. You can see everything on the computer yeah that you can see at the.

D

Would it be at the last meeting also, we did agree that we wouldn't be looking at plans and specs, as is had originally been put in the the standard for the board, that they would review plants and specs, but it would be. Would it be possible to just get the the bid form and any uh special specifications specific what they call it? The uh specific conditions.

D

The specifications I'm familiar with uh would have the standard general conditions uh that would follow up the bid form telling people the the normal legal requirements that uh associated with any project. The special conditions would be very specific too much like what you would mention: keeping the people in water.

D

What uh obstructions might be in the way that they must be sure not to to to impact?

D

Do they need to have any bypasses? That type of thing.

H

Yeah, maybe if maybe we could just have the when the when the bids go out and have all the materials that we could have, that circulated to the board. Yeah.

D

The big package I.

E

Mean you can go on the internet and download it like any member of the public.

D

That's good enough. Yeah.

C

D

Notification of it that's so we know thank you.

C

So what we can do is I can have ann put the instructions together for you of how you can log into the system so that you can see any bid. You know, but specifically once will get those directions when they, when it actually goes out steve, can maybe send it to the entire board. That way, you know it went out and have can go. Look at it. Does that sound good.

D

Oh yeah, I'm old time. I still am used to getting the plans and the specifications.

E

So we still have all those they will be like um pdf packages that you can look at on your computer, so there will be plans.

B

E

Be specifications by our engineer with uh you know all the construction standards all the info and then the procurement document has all the other legal standards on general conditions and insurance and contract.

G

That's covered.

E

Each you understand and when they advertise it, they'll be like attachments, and you click on those, and you can look at all those documents. Thank you. So that's, hopefully, coming soon we're very close to getting that advertised for bidding very close.

E

So that's what we have on taylor road moving forward, we'll talk about uh tea and green. This is actually already advertised, so we'll we're waiting for an opening and then we'll take it to city council for consideration of award.

E

So, as you can see, we started with procurement in december, it's already on the street and we should be receiving bids soon.

E

The scope of the project is actually pretty small, and this is team. Green is uh near golf course boulevard in u.s 17, and it just so happened that they left some streets out. The streets with blue already have water, and several of these streets have no water, so we're just filling in some gaps out there to uh build that water system in out as it you know, would normally be for that community. So it's pretty straightforward project um belt press replacement. So here we are talking about the water treatment plant.

E

We put in our budget to go ahead and replace the belt press. This is a piece of equipment that dewaters uh the residual leftover when we filter the water we get some solids. Those salads are actually very liquid, like 2 2, solid 98 percent water. So we like to de-water that and then we take the solid to the landfill so that we found the best way to do that is with this belt press, which is a piece of equipment you just purchase.

E

When we have is 20 years old, it's in really rough shape. I guess the allen process is kind of a corrosive process. So, even though you try to take care of this thing, you do everything you got to do. Eventually, it's a losing battle. So after 20 years it looks like it's that's the right time to go with a new one, so we're moving forward with that right. Now we're uh ready to bid it.

E

We've done all the pre-engineering and identified you know the the proper unit, and it should be going out on the street, hopefully soon a little picture here to show where the brett price used to be.

E

So this is our conveyor system. If the belt press was there, we'd be processing dried solids right into a dump, truck and driving away.

H

Steve I hate, uh mr chairman, my ass, quick question.

H

um I hate that I hate to ask this because it's, but given what uh simeon was saying, costs are going up on everything. Have you and- and I know, multiple communities in the area have have replaced- or at least I've heard of them, replacing their belt presses recently and since it's a unit cost, have you looked at maybe piggybacking on anyone else's contract only because you might be able to get a price from an old project that the same provider would probably rack their costs up higher. Now.

C

So kristin from finance again um so procurement does look at those things. So I will just also make sure to um remind her that on this one, maybe it's a good one to look at, but a lot of our projects. We we do that yep. So we currently budgeted 600 000 for this project. um You know, but she will go. Look. She'll, look for state contracts, she'll, look at whether it's which way is the best way to go and stuff like that with piggybacking.

C

I do have to check, but there might be a dollar limit, so we have to check on that too. That little procurement does does look at that. We do a lot of stuff on piggyback.

E

Okay, we'll make a note to pass an email to ann. If that may be an option uh it pretty much is a straight bid thing it's a manufactured unit. They bring it on a truck, lift it off, put it on the ground start it up.

B

Mr chairman, I have a question yeah, uh I'm just curious.

B

Belt presses today compared to this one twenty years ago. What's the difference, ah good question.

E

My expert mr leonard's, not here today, but from what I've learned, is quite a bit: uh they've they've now got the deck real low and it's much easier to operate and see and maintain and our deck now is like you know, 12 feet above ground, so we have elevated walks for that sort of thing. I think they've just found some smarter ways to do it from what I understand. This unit is considerably different in the arrangement of the rollers and how the process takes place. So hopefully it's you know it looks apparently to be.

E

You know just a better model. We bought ours used 20 years ago, so it was. It came from a paper mill, of course, because paper mills were going, you know off so offshore, so there was a guy in texas who had a specialized business where he could buy those refurbish them and sell them for about half price of a new one. So we went with that and we were very happy with it. I mean when it came.

C

E

Was like new all right, good, but uh yeah? I think the new ones are different.

E

We can um bring that back.

B

That's sufficient, I I don't. I don't need it. We.

E

Have some documents from the manufacturers that show pictures of them and explain some of these things.

B

That's good enough for me. I was just curious on you know: what's happened with belt presses.

E

C

With them, we had belt.

B

Presses for sludge there you go, I got uh 40 years ago. That's what these are.

B

I know they're a lot different, I'm sure they're a lot different today I mean they worked well. It worked very well.

E

Yeah same concept: there's you know they. They have two uh fabrics that go together and they run them through the roller and it squeezes the water.

E

But apparently they've come up with some newer ideas. All right sounds good. Thank you. We're happy to hear about our operators. Were they like the lower depth.

A

Okay, that'd be.

E

A

E

A

Quick question: sorry, I should know this, but I don't um it's trucked off the landfill is it city, landfill, county landfill did use a daily cover, or I'm just out of curiosity.

E

We had an arrangement where we were giving it to charlotte county, but um I think brian also found an opportunity where he could have it called away for free. I think we were paying tipping these at charlotte county, but I'm not sure where brian's having it go now, but it's a non-hazardous substance, so it can go anywhere. It's.

D

Basically, mud.

E

Right, it's like if you go to a tidal pool and you kick the ground and all the water turns cloudy, it's that, but we've settled it all out and concentrated it. So it's basically the same thing as what's on the bottom of the river, which is a very, very, very, very low density, solid.

A

Maybe we should bag it and sell it and taste and put a gourd.

A

Thank you all right.

E

We're always looking for new opportunities.

E

So belt pressing we're going to try to get a new belt press as soon as possible in the budget moving forward. Let's see what else are we doing? Oh water treatment, filter we've decided to go ahead and um change out the sand only and the south filter.

E

This is what the south filter looks like if you look straight down into it with there's no water in it, and the media in here is uh sand and on top of that, some anthracite.

E

So it's conventional to pretty much remove this media by a vacuum vacuum truck methodology and then they bring in new sand and media and we replaced that so we're gonna. We actually had our pre-bid meeting last week and we're gonna go ahead and replace the media only in the south filter pretty soon this year.

E

You see we have a schedule on here yet so we just really are just now, starting on the plans. That way is to advertise for our contractor.

E

So that's the media replacement um water treatment. Well, one. We had an unexpected failure on our electrical conductor to this. Well, this is a groundwater, well that we use to supply the ro process, approximately five wells out there and we had an ale. Now this these conductors have been there since early 2002, because this was initially an asr. Well, so for unknown reason we had a conductor, go bad and fortunately we already have a contract awarded and we have our electoral contractor out there. Working he's already pulled all the bad conductor.

E

He's ordered all the new material, I'm just going to be replacing in kind. We think it's going to be about a 35 000 project.

E

This is a good news story. Yeah we've already awarded a tps for 35 000. and it's going ahead even as we speak, except the sewer master plan. You guys are all familiar with this. This is a summary of kind of. What's happened. We had a master plan completed in 2018.

E

We had a financial plan completed in 2019 and it's been to city council recently, so we're looking at potentially a funding alternative at this point, and this is what we're concentrating on area, one two and three, which is not really fair- to call that charlotte park. But it's the areas.

E

Greek, let's just call them area one two and three.

E

So that's subject to city council consideration.

C

I do want to say we're we're continuing looking for um funding sources for this project, so it's currently on hold, but we are still looking, especially as the american recovery monies keep different programs are coming in under that, um if there's any other opportunities to again apply for some additional funding for grants,.

D

What was that to have somebody associated with the funding mechanism to just keep track of what is and what isn't available.

C

Yes, I mean it's all. We can do.

F

Question for steve go.

E

F

I guess, over the last couple years, there's been different conversations about what type of uh sewer system to put in whether it be gravity or pump system vacuum etc. Did we ever identify what is best for the city.

E

H

A hybrid I thought.

E

We brought the report here to this board. I think it was probably in july, but we have premier design report completed 7321. We had giveaways webster's, our engineer do a preliminary design report and they recommended mostly vacuum with some gravity as needed.

E

So we do have that pdr. It's done, and I know we brought it here if everyone remembers.

F

Yeah I didn't know if that was final, if that's going to be what we're planning to bid on or if there's going to be different bidding alternatives.

E

So the next step would be to 100 design, based on the recommendation of the pdr. Okay, we would go forward with the recommended uh alternative. Okay, once uh a you know, a project is approved by council.

H

Mr chair, I just want to make a comment on this, because I've paid a lot of attention to this particular project, and I I got a copy of the the um awards for all the cities in the state of back in december, all the money that went out to all the various communities for septic sewer projects, and it seemed at first I was upset because pinnacle wasn't on there and even some of the cities that I represent, that are fairly small, got 20 30 million dollars.

H

Seemingly just there was plenty of funding for it, and then I realized, because charlotte park is not inside the city, it's very difficult for the city to apply for grants and funding opportunities for extra territorial in the county. They have to be the one submitting for those kind of grants and some of the same communities I contacted that got 20 million dollars for septic sewer. They had projects outside their city limits, they didn't get funding for so you know.

D

H

Is a very difficult thing for the city council to to fund um at the same time, when they're, not in.

D

H

City, it's a big, it's a big part of that.

D

C

I was also going to say: amy council has been to the county and again, although they support the project, they didn't include it in their septic to sewer plan. They left charlotte park out of their septic to sewer plan when they developed. Even though those were county residents and again they don't, they were pretty much asking that um they wouldn't fund the project. You know they wouldn't provide any funding for the project that it was all going to be with the city.

C

So yes, but we are look, we continue to look for opportunities, um but, as mr bernie said, that's you know we're kind of an in between there because it's outside of our city limits, but in our service area.

D

Is there any pressure uh being applied from any of the state agencies trying to get this project underway.

C

A

E

E

Receptive concealer, so another project we're working on right now is uh master pumping facility upgrade. So this is our resilient 900 henry street, which is very near the dog park. If that helps with everybody's uh idea, um what we're looking at is a picture here is our two tanks on the ground and here's our pumping building.

E

So this is an important facility that re-pumps all the waste water from the western portion of our collection system, all the way out towards uh golf course boulevard where we have a re-pumping facility and then we pump all the way to the wastewater plant for treatment. So this is a major facility at 900 henry street. The last time we improved it was approximately 2001..

E

At that time we put in three new pumps and some electrical that equipment is now at the end of its functional life, so we're going to do an improvement to change out those three pumps and any necessary electrical equipment as part of that project, and right now we're selecting engineering services for that.

E

We pretty much know what it's going to look like, but we'll need a detailed plan for bidding.

E

So we're moving forward with that right now, we've already turned it into procurement and we'll be selecting an engineer.

D

Do you have an order of magnitude anticipated for that? I do.

E

Let's see if I can find it.

E

I think it's around 600 000 to be honest with you. We already have some quotes from our pump supplier.

H

Right there, I'm.

D

Sorry to see it uh on there now 6 24.

G

That's a different. This.

E

Is a different project? I'm sorry! Oh I'm! Sorry! Let me see if I have our budget in here, um switch it up. Yeah. Let me look at our budget sheet. I I do think we have 600 in there uh npf upgrade here. We have uh 600 000 programmed in 2022.

E

So we'll get an engineer to help us with the design sheets, we'll bid it and then award and we'll get a contractor to come in there and change out the pumping and some of the electrical as necessary.

B

What size uh chairman I have a question, I'm just curious as to the size of these pumps um pump and motor you're, replacing the motor and the pump. Yes, we are okay, so.

E

What size are we looking at here? We.

B

E

The new ones will be 175 horsepower each.

E

I think we have 125s in there today.

B

And you have how many gee that seems like a lot of money: six hundred thousand dollars! Oh.

E

We don't we're gonna, uh I think we're on target there. Pardon me, I think.

B

We're on target there, no, no, it just seems hot.

E

Alone, uh we'll have to do some other work, so I have to go in there and build some new bases with some concrete and then do some changes to the piping and also probably change out some of the electrical equipment that controls these motors, because for some reason, when you have these starters and they're over 30 years old, they'd say up, you have to buy new ones.

E

So if you have something in there that looks like it says, a big westinghouse on it. Usually you have to get rid of that and buy something that you know has a newer.

F

Are these going to be variable, speed.

E

Yes, so we have vfds there now true and uh they're, actually such good ones, that we think we're going to be able to keep the vfd unit. But we may have to change out some of the starter gear, the switch gear or whatever you want. Okay, so yeah they will be vfds, they're all controlled by our scada system. That looks like it basically looks like what happened yesterday and it tries to adjust the speed of the pump based on the time of day. So so we have some two tanks there that we call equalization.

E

So when a high degree of flow comes in, you can store it, and then you can pump it at a more even pace and that's what we use the computer to do it. It kind of studies what happens and it tries to flow pace that out to the plant.

F

Just out of curiosity, do we have any odor control equipment there? We do.

E

So we contract with siemens, which is a firm that specializes in that, and they it's it's 100 where they take care of the whole thing. So it's a scrubber and uses a process to remove the odor.

E

It works super good. It.

H

Works in conjunction with the dog park, the smell you know.

B

I pass that all the time I mean that road is on my beaten path. I've never once smelled any over yay.

E

G

E

It works the potential for odor is actually that the lift station next to this facility.

E

I think it's 26, but the facility itself, no, no water problem at all. So if we have to do order control to be off-site.

E

Unfortunately, there's no houses right there and it's it's not really a significant problem today, so master pumping facility, all good news, we're going to get new pumps. It's been working great for us for 20 years. This is going to take care of it into you know a future planting period.

E

Mpf tank coating same thing. These these tanks are on site. We apply a special interior coating.

E

We have this lovely picture of what the inside of the tank looks like now, and we sandblast that all off we bring in a specialty contractor, they apply special coating and then we test it every single year to make sure the coating is succeeding. So it's just a maintenance process. We usually get about five to six years out of a coating and then we come in and recode.

E

So we have that going on right now, at the mpf and next year, we're going to start over at the bpf.

E

So we're just now we're starting tank. Two, we finished tank one and we're starting on tank. Two.

D

What type of uh coating do you put on steve.

E

So all I can tell you is it's mostly an epoxy type, two two part, but I don't know the exact name of it, although I'm I'm sure I've heard it, I knew they.

C

E

Off they bring, we have a special testing company that comes in and tests the substrate the wall itself. If it needs any work, we do a cementist product off first and then we coat there's a lot of testing that goes on to ensure that the coating is going. You know to hold up for us, so we.

D

Have a special testing.

E

D

The reason I ask in in the the piping business a lot of that epoxy has been switched over to polyurethane and the polyurethanes that can really be put on at a thicker level and not for a great deal of cost. Well,.

E

You can give a call to steve leonard, he knows all about this okay, he knows a lot about this and, of course, we.

E

The good news story is we're working with crom the people who actually built the tank and they've gone ahead and bought out a coating company, and so now they've brought coating in-house. So we think we're getting an outstanding quality product from chrome because they're protecting their own facility from the one they built, but it's pretty much conventional. What we had always done up till now.

E

It's a I think. It's a two-part epoxy. They spray on yeah.

D

Normally, it's uh also, you have multi-layer.

E

Yeah, it's multiple, multiple application.

D

Yeah, that's why I mentioned the polyurethane. You can get that without the second layer. We.

E

D

Always mention, after.

E

Crime, um they got some experts. Okay, henry force, maine, um we've already selected an engineer, we're now preparing a scope of services for the design of this project. So the scope of this project would be to replace a 14 inch force main between a bass inlet where my pointer is now.

E

The best inlet bridge- and then this is the 900 henry street facility here and part of this project- is we're going to re, replace the gravity out here as well, because we've inspected that and determined that it has some serious uh deficiencies that really can't be fixed, that this needs to be dug up and replaced.

E

We have a manhole, that's you know been sinking and we've done some temporary repair, so we're going to be starting the engineering on this and then we'll be building this uh probably six months out replacing this 14 inch force main. So this is an old ductile iron force main and we've pretty much already replaced all the ductile in this facility. This is the last little piece that we haven't worked on, so we're going to replace that with pvc for better reliability.

E

um Court we um have already sent to procurement to do select engineering services, we're going to need to replace a piece of gravity sewer and between marion avenue and harold court, so we're just waiting to get started on that.

E

This is kind of an overview of the project area where we'll be working and then water treatment scada. Fortunately, this project is 99 done, we're just doing some close out with it. So at the wastewater treatment plant we went ahead and had the scada screens updated to this newer system, the newer system that we already have in place at the water treatment plant and we went and upgraded the facility at the wastewater plant because it had reached a point where we couldn't go any further with updates.

E

It was like an older system, they call emerson and we've pretty much decided to go away from emerson to vtscada, so we removed the emerson and put the vt skate in at the wastewater plant and it was like clockwork.

E

We had a fantastic contractor, did a great job for us just finishing out some tiny little details and we'll have final acceptance.

E

These water plate improvements- you guys, are real familiar with this. We've already begin this project. We have 30 percent plans complete at this time, and the next step will be selecting a construction manager at risk and in theory we should be able to start construction later this year.

E

I have a picture here that kind of summarizes what I think you guys will all remember. I'm going to put some new aeration basins in here in the middle.

E

These three basins here will be over to the south will be clarifiers.

E

And then we're going to add this new electrical building and there'll be a new filter building here and that's going to make some significant improvements at the wastewater plant.

E

So we have a complete design report. You can always read that for lots of detail.

D

Still, uh ballparking that around 36 million, I believe.

E

Well, there's possible that there'll be some new estimates coming in at this point, that estimate was done.

E

In 2019 december of 2019, so that was a prior to design and so we'll get we'll get some construction estimates at 30 and 60 and of course, later after we select the cmar. The whole goal of that is to bring that to what they call guaranteed maximum price right. So we will be seeing an updated estimate soon.

E

Unfortunately, with the marketplace, we don't know how that's going to affect us.

E

If it wasn't for the marketplace, I'd feel very confident.

E

Okay, so that's all we have for you today on cip.

G

Mr chairman, yeah is all of this uh up when, when you send out our notif a notification where we can go to the city website and pull down plans and status, and so on and so forth, all of this is up there. Will it all be up there.

E

This is because it's part of this agenda package.

G

Okay, so it's there! Today's.

E

Report has given.

G

Us the shortcuts on yeah this.

C

If you're looking for like the bid and specs, that would only be as they re as procurement releases. Yes, so um some of the ones may have already been released and awarded. So the all those documents are on the website, um but if they haven't released the bid, yet it wouldn't be there until they actually release it.

G

So if I want to look at riverside drive, it's there.

C

Yes and like this particular project, since that one is a released, um the seymour project is released. You could go look at that as well.

D

Now, for those of us a little slower on the the computer, you are going to send out notifications to just wait. A look. Yes thank you.

C

And with riverside drive, I should say I don't know if you'll see that one on, because the contractor is doing that project and we're going to be reimbursing them for the percentage of the city. So yes,.

H

So there was a there was a development.

C

Agreement that.

H

I think went in december, or maybe even earlier than that yeah that basically we saw the plans for what they were doing and then it went to the city council, so the developer who's building a project I forgot on, like six acres of on riverside, drives oversizing lines and building all the improvements.

H

So so we wouldn't have necessarily all the specs in that system, because the city didn't bid it out correct.

C

But you utilities may have that as part of their plans review so.

G

We didn't we didn't. We didn't spec that out in any way we're going to take it over we're going to maintain it we're going to operate it, but we don't know how it's being built. That's not what you're saying.

C

But we do know how it's being.

H

Expected they gave us what they were building yeah. Yes,.

C

And utilities has to review all that information that they're building it to our standards and things like that. But I'll. Let.

B

C

Steve adams talk to you more about that, but in this particular one, since we weren't the ones getting a contractor, it didn't go through our bidding process. It was through the.

E

So this will be a developer constructed project, so the developer will hire the underground contractor and the contractor will build it, but they have to submit the plans to the utilities for utility plan review. So we give the engineer the minimum. You know performance standards on everything for the bid document.

G

So all the location is up to the private company and we don't know where it's going to be located.

E

G

E

We're getting we're getting plans which I already have and we review those plans and give comments back to the engineer on things we agree or don't agree with, and then eventually, when the plans are 100, we give them what's called utility plan approval, which means that the city is in agreement with the design. So.

G

We're not there yet.

E

No we're at 30 percent on that. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, the very first step of the submittal, so it's a very good process. It follows the same process. We will follow on an internal project they're just doing it for us.

D

Which we like, do we supply any inspection yeah? What's going on so.

E

Their engineer will have their own forces, but our project manager will be there out there as much as necessary, including full time when necessary, but we will have detailed oversight of all construction.

E

No doubt. Thank you just.

G

E

G

E

Of our projects.

E

Okay, that's all for cip.

D

Thank you steve uh next, on the agenda is the uh any staff comments and with the staff comment. Possibly this would be a good time to ask neil to give us a little bit of his background.

A

Neil from utilities I've been with the city since 1992. I started in wastewater collections. I was there for six years, transferred to water distribution and been there ever since I became supervisor when, sadly our supervisor, at the time tim smallwood passed away um and then when I believe it was the monday the chuck left. They asked me to step in here to do this so.

D

A

Distribution job as well.

D

How long ago was that the monday that he left, we weren't aware much about the the timing there um that the seventh is that was his 7th of january.

A

Yes, I think that was his last day. Maybe.

D

That was what he sent out in an email when I yeah yeah, okay, so you've got all of two weeks in and.

A

It's been a little culture shock, but with steve's help and everybody in utilities is great and I'm more than more than welcome to help me so.

D

And, and for the uh the benefit of the the rest, who didn't hear you're still going to be doing your previous job as well? Do you have an assistant there that can give you a help or.

A

um The my senior crew chief he's he does handles all the field stuff, so that takes a big burden off me. So it's just.

D

Well, because you got a burden right now, yes, yep, and we certainly uh appreciate you taking it on that quickly and I think the city does too so we look forward to working with you. Thank you. Thank you, uh member comments. Unless anyone has any.

B

Yeah, I have a topic I'd like to bring up and maybe.

B

Neil can follow up on it and respond. I went to this water quality presentation january 19th at the harborside events center and it was presented by the county. I believe the gentleman's name was brandon and he did a wonderful job and he presented this water quality program that the county is going to do.

B

Look. My memory serves me right. It was. It was either 126 or 326 000 that they were going to spend it's a very significant program and they asked for some feedback and I had reviewed it, and I made some comments. I noticed I was quoted in the newspaper, but one of the things that challenged me and I didn't ask them at the meet someone asked brandon.

B

There is a zone, it extends out from the city of punta gorda into the harbor I best. I could tell 1500 feet, maybe 2 000 feet. It was red and brandon said that we can't sample in there. The the city of punta gorda does not want us to go into these waters and again it was a zone out into the harbor fifteen hundred, maybe two thousand feet, and someone asked him why and he just kind of shrugged his shoulders, and I'm wondering why.

B

Why is why isn't the city cooperating with the county in this uh very extensive water quality study.

H

I I, I suspect, there's no prohibition. The problem, probably.

C

Never been asked.

H

It was probably the probably the question if you recall this brandon was the one we've been trying to get to come.

D

H

Yes to to speak with us for a couple of meetings now, so he can understand what his charge is and relay that into how we deal with places like charlotte park, and things like that. I, I suspect, he's probably operating off of some information. He research received from someone at the county that says may have been. We've never done that, because it's in the city and somehow that got translated into the city doesn't allow us. You know, that's the.

B

Way it was presented at the public hearing that they were not allowed to take samples in there.

F

Is that 1500 2000 feet zone is that part of the city limits it.

H

Is that's, I suspect it is because the city limits do extend into the water for quite some ways. A quarter of a section.

D

Steve at the uh I think it was the last meeting. There was discussion about again missed moody uh coming and giving a presentation.

E

We'll pass that along to the city manager's office and asking for some direction, since that's not really our charge uh as a utility.

D

It kind of seemed to fall in your lap, though.

E

Yes- and I invited uh mr moody several times, and it really hasn't gone any farther, but at the same time we don't really have a duty to do environmental science work, we're really working on how to provide the best water and sewer service to our customers, and I feel, like the county's doing a super good job on it with brandon moody.

E

I do think they're taking a comprehensive look at you know the harbor and water quality irregardless of city county boundary. Obviously the river and all the canals are public. Oh.

H

E

H

B

E

The county, I think.

B

I think they're going to do. I still have that question. Somehow there's a breakdown in communication- and I don't know who fixes that because it made in my opinion it made the city, not look so good, and so maybe it needs to be addressed with the city manager, yeah.

E

G

Maybe we need to issue a recommendation, I mean all we can do is say gee. I wish you'd do what you're supposed to do, but maybe.

C

In a little sweeter.

B

G

And then that would give you guys a little cover that you could say. Well, you know our advisory board has asked if, if somebody from the city would come and talk to us and also talk to the county about this specific situation, mr chairman, is that a possibility?

G

D

Was going to go the other direction, but I think in fact, possibly both of them, because the the issue with mr moody wasn't just this specific one. It was to find out more about what the county is doing, so it's not to put them on the the hot seat by any stretch. uh So if you might be able to make that mention of that and boy, wouldn't it be an interesting thing to have like mr tucker just recommended, have somebody from the city here at the same time to to get that give and take.

H

Perhaps perhaps the recommendation would be just to have mr murray when he passes. I know he has monthly meetings with hector flores the county administrator just requested at that time. It's probably the fastest way to get it done.

E

Pass that along.

G

Okay, the most informal is the way I'd prefer to start this, oh yeah.

D

H

I'll just mention to the board: I will not be at the february 28th meeting it's my wife's birthday so I'll be taking her out of town.

D

Her birthday, what there's nothing here, something like that! Well,.

H

If you bring mr moody, maybe I'll find a way to get in here that.

D

Will deter you, your wife's, perfect, very good, very impressive. I've got a granddaughter on the 28th as well.

D

Thank you. um While we're still on the uh the member comments, anybody else have anything.

A

Just a question: there seemed to be an interest of being able to go on the city's website and look at you know, bids that are out on the street. My question is: does the city use demand star.

D

A

There's a software bundle called the man star, I'm.

C

A

C

I don't think it's demand star, um I'm trying to think what the name of it is, but it's an e-pro. It is an e-procurement system, it's very similar, so I'm just.

A

Going to share you know there was a potential trials and tribulations about it's difficult. It's saying, like the man start very user-friendly, it's like clicking you're there. You know- and it says not like. Oh you gotta go there. It says. Let me look at the plans and specs click and it opens up it'll list who who's the plan holders doesn't necessarily mean they're the bidders but they're the plan holders. So it's you know if it's similar to man star it's, the information is very easily obtained. I just wanted to offer. Thank.

D

D

I had one item.

D

Some time ago I was reading, if I could find my glasses, I think I put them away uh an issue about uh speaking for water systems and about the the issue that has been very prevalent. All around the country are issues with a respect if you would of the customers, the population for the quality of the water and right after reading this uh article- and I I gave a couple of these away- but if anybody's interested they can certainly look at it.

D

It was from the uh journal of awa in november of uh 21, but I don't know if anybody else is getting these flyers.

D

These papers, I've been getting one a month and it's on the alkaline water company and it's essentially looking to have anybody, invest in it. It's the investors journal, but they certainly tear into our water systems.

D

Tap water, hell, millions, tap water as infrastructure deteriorates, and an increasing number of safe drinking water regulations are being violated, they're replacing it with something safer and healthier.

D

Is this something that can be done about those types of things? Is there some way that we should be looking at making putting out something during our billing that these these issues? I remember with the the flint michigan uh situation, where and now they're replacing all of the lead service pipe, in spite of the fact that that was always the repre, the responsibility of the individual homeowner they've got up to 100 million dollars, that's supposed to be floating around to do that.

D

uh Is there some way that we can put out some information that this tap water? This type of advertising is just senseless and and very negative to all of the good things that the the utility puts in and not just our utility. It's.

D

This is from everybody, I'm getting this, I'm sure they're sending it out to a lot of people.

D

In fact, I get one a month and all the same thing in it about the alkaline water company and by the way I looked into the alkaline water company just for the sake of it, and if anybody is really interested and uh on the uh 19th that it was that uh four dollars and eighteen cents on the 21st it was a dollar eleven.

D

I mean it's really moving along. Well, if you want to give your money away for no good purpose,.

F

Well, mr chair yeah, maybe one of the things we can do since we now have paper letter bills instead of the postcard. Maybe we can enhance our consumer confidence report. You know, instead of just saying here's the website for to look at your ccr and by the way you know. Maybe a little 25 word summary of what the ccr report this year contains and try to go ahead and develop an understanding that all is well.

F

D

F

Know we, I know some of us myself included, receive on a infrequent basis. uh You know something from the water company that wants to go ahead and give you softening devices. Oh.

D

F

All that kind of stuff- just so maybe the kind of a way to ease into it, is uh you know, through the ccr notification which is june, I believe.

F

I think that comes out in june well and.

H

I I I can't recall if we talked about it during my time on the board, but are we we're with the ro plan? Are we still seeking exceptions to the safe drinking water? We're out we're clear right, so my experience as a as a resident in puna gorda is every year my wife says: what does this mean? Is this me we're being poisoned? You know this question and I'm like no, it's a total dissolved sauce.

H

Maybe an announcement in the letters that go out to the public saying you know. Thank you because of the things we've done with the ro plant and stuff, we are no longer. You may have noticed you're no longer receiving this here's. What the city of pontogordo has been doing. You know something positive along the lines that mike and dennis you know had been talking about. Yeah.

B

It seems to me that you never can stop doing that. People need to be reminded. I mean if this ro plan, I don't know it's been in service now. Maybe it's it's been in service. For a year we have a little splash on how great it's performing we're meeting the standards. It's doing this. It's doing that I mean that's what you need to do with your public to have them support you. When there are times you really need their support.

B

D

G

Mr chairman, I I don't know what the what the mechanism is between the utilities department and the city manager relative to the weekly. I think it's weekly that goes out many of the city council people, I'm sure all of us receive at least from one city council person, essentially that same report. It's a city, manager's report.

G

I think- and it's now started in the last six months or so I don't remember it used to do it. It had it had the water, the ro report, what what's the feed water? What's the ro water? What's the blend? That's going out something like that and and uh if, if you folks have direct input, I'm sorry the accountants, probably don't.

G

If you guys have input into that or could could insinuate your way into it? Maybe we could do something like ask the city manager, if once a month, or at least once a quarter, they could put down essentially a report and we have stuff we have daily and weekly and quarterly at the labs out there all the time. So it wouldn't be hard. You don't have to put the whole thing.

G

I don't think, but but some of the primary heavy metals and- and you know all of the all of the indicators and and and ask if they could put that in that'd- be one way to do it and then those I think, through the process of the city, sharing information with the media.

G

Those would get dropped in the box for the sun and others to pick up and publish if they would as public service things.

D

I was thinking along the lines of actually going into a little different explanation with each, for instance, on the ro.

D

uh When was the uh the ro put into operation that was last year a year ago, just about a year ago, right, so to explain to them that, uh prior to that, we had hard water that not that it was a problematic water. It was problematic and you're washing and you're you're getting soaked for the suds.

D

That's now been cleared up being a little more specific about. Well careful, well being more specific about what the issues you know are with each one of the the conditions and why we have all of these um regulations that have to be met.

D

What they're? Addressing not not just you know the the the chemicals, but what is the purpose of it to go into the health aspects of what we're looking at this, not throwing it at you or by yourself neil? I think it would probably take some type of a marketing uh individual. I don't know if this city has one that.

H

They have a communication, but, mr chairman, may I make a comment I I think please. I think that I'm going to regret doing this, but um rather than because I know a lot of the stuff we we put on staff when they're already under staff, but this is something that I see just looking at the members and their comments that there's some passion to to to find out how to communicate that.

H

Maybe this board could help to give back by coming up with a set of fact, questions frequently asked questions and helping to come up with some of those answers, and maybe we can. We can work on how to you know what do you need? What does a water softener? Do you know? What do you need it? You know these kind of questions in a more conversational tone to the public that we can help to develop something ourselves to either put on the website or send in the mailers.

D

And then, if uh you would like to make a uh recommendation or.

H

I'll I'll make a motion that we help to craft that um if there's, uh what I would say is let me graph my motion slightly differently. I I would I would. I would make a motion that if the city council would like us to to to work on that that that we work to develop that and help help out the city on that.

D

uh For discussion, you need a second.

G

D

G

D

Going to second discussion.

A

First on it yeah, I just wanted to kind of. I agree. Everybody said pardon my back.

A

I think sometimes the public, including myself, needs to be re-educated in a very nice polite, not pounding on the table kind of way, because people shut you off and people don't know you know these guys.

A

Sorry, they adhere to. You know environmental protection agency standards. It's not like they're, just well city puna gorda we're going to do this and do that and do this. They adhere to that, but joe q public, they don't know. You know I mean I get neighbors. Oh city pony border has the worst water. I go, you're crazy yeah. I said we have an ro plant, you know and an rl plant gives you beautiful water, okay, the person I like hard water, but that's neither here there, but I did too. I mean you know. I agree.

A

I guess I'm just keep acting with everybody else in a nice marketing way, friendly way on my previous job with the city of sunrise. We would have inserts with the utility bills and it could be hey we're having tunes and trucks this weekend. Come out and see you know, scooby-doo movie, you know whatever, but sometimes there were hey. Our new ro plan is online. Our water is rated. You know number four in the in the state.

A

You know we used to enter contests to see what the best tasting water- I'm not telling you guys to do that. But you know again it's information and friendly information, so I'm very verbose I apologize. I will support this whole idea. I think it's an excellent idea.

D

Any others, I think that yeah. The only thing I want to say, mr chairman, is that that.

A

D

You guys all understand the system a lot more than most people, so you can. You can get two technical.

A

Questions from the general public: that means nothing, it just needs to be you know. Not only are we meeting the standards we're exceeding them or just really not to dumb it down, but basically to narrow the focus down. So it's more common to the everyday citizen in the city sure.

D

And I couldn't agree more and I think uh derek you mentioned that there is a marketing person within the city. Did I kristen? Did I see you shaking your head as well? City.

G

C

So the assistant city manager originally came on as our communications manager, so she can usually help with like the marketing type. How.

D

Would we go about getting this kind of option we're still working on the uh the motion? That's made just discussing it at this point.

C

um So there um again, if you, if you develop those um facts that you want to have in to be presented, she can work on it. It can either be like a series. Like so say, you were having once a month that you wanted to be in the weekly or, if you wanted it to be over four weeks, you go here's another question. She can. She can do a lot of different things that way she usually will also put things like say on facebook or um not sure which other avenues we use.

C

We use some other social medias as well, but.

D

She'd probably be best to make a recommendation as to what would be the uh best way to communicate that to the to the public, but in the meantime I guess it's uh back to uh uh derek's motion about it. I have something I'm.

B

I'm a little torn on us putting together or organizing and riding.

B

At our level, I I I feel we're really advisory. I mean I like I like that role. I mean I'd like to advise the utilities department to be more aggressive in informing the public, about the good things that they're doing and why the water is so much improved and so forth. I I know, I'm I'm not so sure it's our role to start writing things that well here's a question that should be answered, or this is the answer that we're looking. I just, I think, there's a level of detail there that that's not us.

B

It's us to direct them to do it to with the resources they have, or even the recommendation would say. Maybe you need to hire someone to help you do it. I mean when I worked for the well the developer. We we had a wonderful company. We dealt with that put together our in information and presented it to the public long before we were going before county commissioners.

B

It was just a smart way to do it, and so anyway, that's me I'm kind of rambling on here, but I I don't. I don't see us getting into that level of detail.

D

I don't know that it would be exceptional detail. I would think more in terms of just like we do with the ro that it's no longer hard. It's it's no.

B

No, I mean yeah, that's what we need to do pretty basic, but I was it was. I was understanding I.

H

Don't want to write things either.

B

Yeah, I know I I that weaver writes, but I don't like putting.

H

D

I'm thinking about, we have criteria that that is sent to the uh to the utility man may have to comply with for the quality of the water, and certainly certain chemicals that not uh shouldn't be in it that type of thing or or limitations on the the quantity. What does that address.

H

Maybe let me let me let me withdraw and restate a different motion slightly, because I don't get a full second on it.

H

I recommend that we ask the city manager, the city council, to develop an update to the public on the ro plant, to give some of the benefits of it to to sort of toot the city's own horn for what they, what they've done and and to the extent that we can be helpful in crafting it and advising on it. We would be available to do so.

A

I'd like to just, I think, that's that's good, except unless you know what the public's opinions are. Unfortunately, that's what works. Well, you know what what their perception not opinion, what their perception is of water. You know, because we can address a lot of things, but it may not hit their perception.

F

The city gets I'm going to say the lion's share of all any kind of customer service water quality calls. I mean we may get a a rare one once in a while, but the city receives all those calls well.

A

They should know what the perception I mean they.

F

Should yes, they should know better than we do probably.

A

F

I I generally agree- and I the only thing I was going to add, is and derek's new motion. If that's what it is, that's what addresses this, the city manager and the marketing is that melissa. They need to be on board with all this before anybody spends a whole lot of time on.

H

Yeah, I think it's implicit in my it's a recommendation. If the manager doesn't want to pursue it, yeah yeah.

F

I'll uh second secondary motion.

D

The last motion, if, if I can ask about adding one thing, seeing as how I initiated the soul conversation somewhere along the line, the guy who starts in, ought to be able to be able to jump into it, maybe having a meeting with the the city manager. There would not be a problem with that to talk to about this.

D

Would there be any objections within the uh the committee? No, no fine that'd be the way to do it and get it started. Okay, uh with that, uh we have the motion. It's been seconded uh all in favor all opposed me.

G

I thought you just had the solution right there on your lips and then you called for a vote.

D

Oh I'm sorry, I thought I needed one bill, you're, the one who normally directs me with this. From your previous experience, you.

G

D

High and dry here I apologize.

D

G

So asking me and that's the important thing.

D

Yeah we'll uh talk to him and probably speak to uh who is the uh the assistant, melissa, melissa, melissa, she's. Okay, thank you uh well with that, unless anyone has anything to move.

H

D

We can adjourn welcome aboard. Thank you.

D

Did you enjoy it? Yes, it was an experience.

D

I'll leave these stacked up someplace. If anybody wants to read the, uh I speak for the order assistance. Thank you thank you. There you go enjoy. I want to buy.