Minutes of 8/14/24 Sewer Commission meeting– via Zoom (Video Conference) Attendees: Chair- John Reynolds, Vice-Chair- Brett Ramsden, Clerk- Mike Mackin, DPW Director- Bill Bernard, Business Manager-Paula Bertram, Minutes Clerk- Jane Ranley John opened the meeting at 6:01pm. and did a roll call of attendees. The Commission began the meeting by saying the Pledge of Allegiance. PUBLIC COMMENT- Mike M. expressed his gratitude for all that Paula has done for the Commission and acknowledged her long history of service to the town. Brett added that it will be difficult moving forward without Paula and John. He was happy for her new opportunity, but she will be incredibly missed. John said he echoes what Mike and Brett have said – he has enjoyed working with Paula. Paula replied she will miss everyone and thanked them for all their kind words. ANNOUNCEMENTS - John noted that Scott Foreman is observing the meeting and may be interested in joining the Commission. John stated that he thoroughly enjoyed working with the Commission and he would recommend it to anyone. CURRENT BUSINESS - Minutes of 4/30/24 & 6/25/24 Motion: Brett R. Second: Mike M. To approve the minutes of 4/30/24. Roll Call Vote: Brett-aye, Mike M.-aye and John-aye. Motion: Brett R. Second: Mike M. To approve the minutes of 6/25/24. Roll Call Vote: Brett-aye, Mike M.-aye and John-aye. Sewer Manhole Overflow 8/11/24- Bill reported that a resident on Sunset Ave. called, saying he saw water coming down his gravel driveway and smelled sewer. They confirmed the manhole was overflowing and called a Vactor truck to suck out the manhole. They found a leak from a fitting that had cracked, filling the manhole. CTE came out right away and repaired it in ½ hour. The next day they put lime over the area and added stone dust. Bill stated that they made sure the water did not go into the lake. He sent out a SSO notice to DEP. Mike asked Bill if he had any suggestions and Bill said they will get some extra parts to have on hand. Paula asked Robert to put a list together of parts and pricing. John noted that Lancaster Ave. has a clean out valve and wondered if there was one near Lake Whalom. Brett thanked Bill, John and CTE for quickly taking care of this situation. Sewer Commission Vacancies- John noted there are 2 vacancies now and there will be 1 more at the end of month. Paula noted that if they only have 2 Commissioners, they can not call a meeting. Manhole IFB – Paula sent out a draft and Bill needs to add some specifications. She added that it was really important for it to go out ASAP, because they need to have a contract in hand by November. It will need to go through Julie (Procurement). Bill said Paula did a great job putting it together. John noted that the Select Board granted $100K for manhole repairs last year. Q1FY25 Commitment (Quarterly Billing) for $298,135.94 – Motion: Mike M. Second: Brett R. To approve the Q1FY25 Commitment for $298,135.94. Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye, Brett-aye, and John-aye. Business Manager Report – -- Resignation – Hiring & Training of New Business Manager-Paula noted that her last day will be 8/29. Bill stated that the job was posted and Julie had a candidate with a good business background in the private sector but has worked with government contracts. Paula noted that she could come back to do training at nights, especially with the next billing in November. Mike asked if the Commissioners have input and John said he will check into that. John asked to have Paula’s resignation letter added to the minutes. Motion: Mike M. Second: Brett R. To add Paula’s resignation letter to the minutes. Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye, Brett-aye, and John-aye. --Grease Trap Update- Paula reported that there have been a couple of late reports but nothing alarming. She added that this is the time the Grease Trap Permit renewals go out and she will send them. Paula also said she will put together a list of items to work on such as the NFTS permit reports and an Emergency Preparedness plan. She has also been putting together a manual for how to do billing, do a final bill, adjustments, etc. to help with the transition. --Munis Software Update- Paula noted that they were able to send out the bills and they were actually correct. However, there still remain a number of issues that need to be addressed. There were 598 errors during the bill generation process so it is still not correct. Brett asked if they should push the Select Board to scrap Munis. Paula replied that the Finance Director is exploring other options and has taken the lead with dealing with Munis. Also the consultant (Randy Mercier) that he brought in was able to determine right away what the problem was with the bills. They submitted the cost of the consultant to be covered by ARPA funds and the town is trying to address the issues. John noted that other towns are experiencing the same issues, and there are also issues in other states. Mike asked how much the town pays each year for Munis and John said he heard the Town Manager reply $60K at a Select Board meeting. OLD BUSINESS- John asked about the phone line at Dana Street and Bill said he will be contacting Verizon about it. PUBLIC COMMENT – Brett thanked Paula and John for their time and commitment. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES: August 27, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation September 10, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation September 24, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation October 8, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation Motion: Mike M. Second: Brett R. To adjourn at 6:44pm. Roll Call Vote: Brett-aye, Mike M.-aye and John-aye. Respectfully submitted, Jane L. Ranley Minutes Clerk Handouts: Resignation Letter from Paula Bertram Paula J. Bertram 933784786575312 Townsend Harbor Road Lunenburg, MA 01462 August 6, 2024 William Bernard, DPW Director Town of Lunenburg 520 Chase Road Lunenburg, MA O1462 Dear Bill, Please be advised that I am resigning from my position as the Sewer Business Manager for the Town of Lunenburg effective August 29, 2024. This decision has not been an easy one and comes after considerable thought and reflection on my personal well-being and professional future. I have enjoyed working with you, all members of the Sewer Commission past and present, Sam Tucker, Joe Progin, Todd Holman and all of the employees in the DPW, I will miss everyone. The staff at the DPW are truly some of the hardest working and most dedicated people I have ever worked with. Since the upgrade of Munis, I have faced significant challenges that have impacted my ability to do my job well. Despite my best efforts to adapt and engage constructively with TylerTech, Suzor IT and management, the issues with utility billing have not been addressed. As you are aware, the Assistant to the Business Manager resigned in May due in large part to the continual issues with Munis. The quarterly sewer billing should take 2-3 days at most. Instead, due to software issues, endless frustrating hours have been spent on billing, at the expense of other important tasks. I entered this position with enthusiasm, however the lack of support to correct the utility billing software has made it impossible for me to continue performing at my best or to see a positive path forward with the Town of Lunenburg. I have concluded that it is in my best interest to pursue a new opportunity. To ensure a smooth transition, I am committed to working closely with you to transfer my responsibilities and knowledge. As you know, the role of the Sewer Business Manager is not an administrative position, but rather a complex managerial position. It is my recommendation that the Town consider hiring a temporary employee as soon as possible, so I am able to train them prior to my departure. I am fully dedicated to completing various projects and assisting in the transition in any way possible. I wish you and my co-workers all the best and hope that my departure will serve as feedback to create a more supportive environment within the Town of Lunenburg's labor force. Best Regards, Paula J. Bertram cc: Carter Terenzini, Interim Town Manager Sewer Commission Julie Belliveau, Human Resources Select Board Jane Ranley