# sewer-commission — 24 documents, concatenated for reading and search # # This is a CONVENIENCE BUNDLE, not a source. Every document below is # published separately and byte-identically; cite the individual file, # whose path is given in each header, rather than this bundle. # Index of all boards: https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/minutes/INDEX.txt # The town's own scanned original is linked per document. ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-01-09-agenda-6329.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-01-09 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-01-09-agenda-6329.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01092024-6329 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== SEWER COMMISSION AGENDA January 9, 2024 6:00pm Regular Meeting via Remote Participation (Zoom) In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting will be recorded and can be found on the LunenburgAccess YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/LunenburgAccess/videos) within 24 hours of the meeting. This public meeting is being conducted remotely. The following information is also provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please use this link to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87117681305 or from a telephone, dial the toll free number (888) 475-4499 and enter Webinar ID: 87117681305. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e-mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. 1. 6:00 PM CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. PUBLIC COMMENT 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS 4. APPOINTMENTS a. Kevin Olson & Matthew Corbin – Wright Pierce – Potential Rerouting of Wastewater Discussion 5. CURRENT BUSINESS a. Minutes of 12/12/23- Review/Vote to Approve b. Leominster Intermunicipal Agreement Negotiations – Discussion/Possible Vote c. Request for Extension – 1 Main Street – Discussion/Vote d. Capital Planning - Discussion e. Business Manager Report i. Update on System Maintenance & Upgrades ii. Billing/Software Issues iii. Sewer Business Manager Job Description 6. PUBLIC COMMENT 7. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES January 30, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting February 13, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting February 27, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting March 12, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-01-09-minutes-6329.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-01-09 KIND : minutes OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-01-09-minutes-6329.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_01092024-6329 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== Minutes of 1/9/24 Sewer Commission meeting– via Zoom (Video Conference) Attendees: Chair- John Reynolds, Vice-Chair- Brett Ramsden, Clerk- Mike Nault, Members: Dave MacDonald and Mike Mackin, DPW Director- Bill Bernard, Business Manager-Paula Bertram, Minutes Clerk- Jane Ranley Guests: Kevin Olson & Matt Corbin (Wright Pierce), Robert Lilley (CTE) John opened the meeting at 6:04pm. and did a roll call of attendees. The Commission began the meeting by saying the Pledge of Allegiance. PUBLIC COMMENT- Dave thanked all for the birthday wishes and hoped all had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. He added in regard to the recent storms, he was very, very impressed with Bill and his DPW staff. It was an outstanding job, despite not having all the equipment he needed. ANNOUNCEMENTS - none APPOINTMENTS – Kevin Olson & Matthew Corbin-Wright Pierce – Potential Rerouting of Wastewater from Fitchburg to Leominster Discussion- Matt stated about 12 years ago, the Sewer Commission asked Wright Pierce to look at moving the flow on certain streets from Fitchburg to Leominster, due to increasing rates from Fitchburg. Recently, the Commission asked Wright Pierce to again look at updated costs in two areas. The first area is Zone 10 of the CWMP, which is east of the split of Chase & 2A, at the gas station. Originally, the flow was to be split between Fitchburg and Leominster, but 2016, it was determined it made sense to just send it all to Leominster. The other area was Zone 4, which is Electric Ave and north of Mass Ave which includes White St. (beyond Walmart complex), Eastern and Upland Streets. Recently there was a poll for extending sewer to those streets but it failed the 2/3 majority vote. They looked at whether they could redirect the flow going to Fitchburg, down Rt. 13 towards Whalom to Leominster. Matt said it could be done but it would involve redoing pump stations at Electric and Twin City. They estimated the 20 year savings of redirecting the flow would be $2 Million vs the construction cost of $6 Million, so they do not think it would be cost effective. Kevin said he is curious about how things are going with renegotiating the IMA with Leominster. John stated that was a good overview and did not think it would have been cost effective even 3 years ago. Dave asked if there would be any cost savings if they just do a portion of the upgrading. Matt replied they did not look at that but they would need to see if Twin City and Electric Ave stations could take additional flow with existing or slightly upgraded pumps vs new pump stations. He noted the pumps were generally in good shape a few years ago but they may be close to their lifetime. Dave noted Fitchburg will be increasing rates for the next 5 years and Paula confirmed they will increase 7% each year. Dave added that a resident asked about adding sewer to the West St. and Woodruff properties. John noted there is sewer on West St. from Leominster Rd to Sunny Hill. Matt said they did not escalate the Fitchburg costs over the 20 years or figure in the 7% increase for the next 5 years. Kevin added they can make that adjustment and asked what Leominster’s plan would be for the next 20 years--is it possible that Fitchburg and Leominster increase similarly over the next 20 years? Matt noted that Fitchburg is under a consent decree and they still have many phases of sewer separation to go, along with treatment plant upgrades. Kevin added they have been working with Leominster and they just wrapped up phase 3 of their treatment plant upgrade. Fitchburg still has some sizeable upgrades to do also. John asked Matt and Kevin to look at the additional 7% per year. Dave asked Matt if they could turn some of the waste to Leominster without a main trunk line, by gravity. Matt said he would look at that and there may be some redirecting of force mains for Electric and Twin City. Dave said he would like to see the breakeven point. Paula stated there will be a substantial increase initially -more than 10% to start. She added that they need to look at any Capital projects that Fitchburg and Leominster will be doing, because Lunenburg will need to share in that cost. Paula said they will know more information in a month or 2 and the Commission agreed to hold off looking at the numbers until they meet with Leominster. Kevin said they are happy to look at the new draft when the Commission wants. CURRENT BUSINESS - Minutes of 12/12/23- Motion: Mike M. Second: Mike N. To approve the minutes of 12/12/23. Roll Call Vote: Mike N.-aye, Dave-aye, Brett-aye, Mike M.-aye, and John-aye. ===PAGE 2=== Request for Extension – 1 Main St. – John noted this has to do with the grease trap at Bad Larry’s and the landlord is asking for an extension to 1/29. Paula reported he hired a plumber and they cameraed the lines. A plumbing engineer is in the process of evaluating the grease trap. Bill and Paula agreed to granting the extension. Motion: Dave M. Second: Mike M. To accept the proposal and extend the landlord for Bad Larry’s to 1/29. Roll Call Vote: Mike N.-aye, Dave-aye, Mike M.-aye, Brett-aye, and John-aye. Business Manager Report –-Billing/Software Issues—Paula reported the billing/software issues still continue and Munis has several problems. Many of the bill prints were incorrect – the previous balance, interest and payments are off on those bills. Also the applied credits did not work correctly. She worked with Peggy Wintle today and they were able to make adjustments, mainly with irrigation credits. This fixed the existing accounts but if she were to run the bills now, they would still be wrong. Development is working on a fix and she is due to send bills on 2/1. They cannot currently run demands, which development is also working on. This is a loss of revenue because late bills have a $10 fee added. There are currently 238 bills still outstanding, which is $2,300 they are losing. Munis is working on it and a due date for the fix. Another issue is with interest calculating incorrectly on some bills. Paula contacted Tom Alanzo as an IT person and he met with John, Paula, and Dave. Tom, Heather, Dan, Paula and Casey from Suzor IT met remotely with members of Munis to discuss the issues. Tom requested Munis put together a spreadsheet with the issues, who is assigned to them and dates to be fixed, asking for updates daily. They have been getting the updates but no fixes. Paula stated she has spent more than 400 hours on this problem. They found out they should be logging daily into Tyler support for fixes and patches, which also did not work, but have since been fixed. She has also joined some forums for Tyler Technologies and she was astounded by the number of issues they have. Paula noted the new Fitchburg bill was wrong so they are also having problems. Dave asked when the problem started and Paula replied she reported it on 11/6. Dave said he is upset that Paula had to spend 400 hours of their time trying to fix this. He is glad that Heather and Tom have gotten involved. Paula will need to print 1,000 dummy bills to see if they are correct, before she does the bill run in February. Dave pointed out the software printed the wrong mailing address on the bills, which caused more problems. The Commissioners agreed they are upset that it is still not fixed and a bill should be sent to Heather for reimbursement. Update on System Maintenance & Upgrades – CTE – Robert Lilley – John introduced Robert, who started at CTE in September and noted he is doing a great job. Robert stated he is a wastewater operator, has had some past experience with this collection system and he has a good idea about the upcoming issues. Since December, he reported there have quite a few pump clogs at a variety of stations. Leominster Rd. has had multiple clogging on 1 pump and smaller submersible grinder pumps getting bound up and clogged. They need pump outs of the wet wells at 6 stations. The Dana St. dialer is not holding a charge and needs to be replaced. They have been cleaning out the clogged pumps and everything has been functional. They are waiting for new Control Panels for West St. and Francis St. John asked if there is a lot of debris at the bottom of the wet wells, such as flushable wipes that are not flushable and Robert replied yes, along with nylon or elastic. The stations due for pump outs are Dana, Mass 1, Leominster, Meadowwoods, West and Francis. Paula finally got a quote from Hall pump for $7,500 plus disposal for all but Meadowwoods. Robert said they could pump it down to its lowest level and then skim the grease off. Paula said she has not received a quote from Clean Basins. Robert noted Meadowwoods and Mass 2 have the biggest problem with grease– usually due to disposals. Paula stated they had a clog cleared at Mass 2, which is the first one from the center. John asked if they should discuss adding a grease interceptor at Meadowwoods. Robert said possibly but the station had not been pumped in over a year and a half. John noted Robert replaced a solenoid on 12/22 and asked if they need to reorder a spare. Robert replied they have a complete spare kit but will get some more spares. Mike N. asked when they recommend pumping the well and Robert replied annually but it is based on visual. Paula noted they haven’t been doing that. Brett asked if he saw buildup of grease at Mass 1. Robert replied not a lot but Dana shows the most grease, which has to do with the restaurants. ===PAGE 3=== Capital Planning – Paula reported they have spent $52,559 on Capital this year and they budgeted $95,408. She noted that Wade (general manager at CTE) sent over a list of things to look at and Paula asked Robert what the top priorities are. Robert replied the pumps and motors at the 3 largest stations should be replaced over the next 6 years, with Mass 1 being the priority this year. Other priorities would be the hatch cover for the wet well at Electric Ave. and the dialer at Dana St. Paula added the wet well cleaning is #1 priority. She noted that they have not been putting money into Capital and she wants to bring the stations up to where they need to be. In FY25, they are looking at replacing generators and Robert agreed Electric Ave. and Twin City would be priorities. He suggested looking in the storage shed to see what pumps are there and noted a few are interchangeable. Robert said they are using the Maintenance Plan as a guideline. Dave suggested getting generators from the same vendor and Robert noted the ones at Francis and Mass 3 are Cats. Paula stated that Robert has been doing a lot of extra things at the stations and she appreciates all his work. The Commissioners discussed doing visits to the stations on 1/12. Paula noted that in the past years they have not spent more than $25K on Capital and they will spend the $95K budgeted for FY24. However looking forward through FY32, she is looking at spending up to $120K per year on Capital Expenditures. They need to look at a rate increase based on increases from Fitchburg and Leominster but need to also factor in upgrades as well. Dave pointed out they funded the Maintenance program with $100K per year but it was not all spent. Paula said she is working through the budget, looking at all the accounts and fund transfers which have not been tapped into. They need to look at what is in those accounts and put it towards upgrades at the stations. Any money not spent went into retained earnings. Paula and Bill have been discussing what needs to be done at the pump stations, including groundskeeping and wet well cleaning annually. Leominster Intermunicipal Agreement Negotiations- Paula stated what the major changes are to the IMA and pointed out that the changes are in Sections 9 & 10, with no big changes to the rest. Dave said he wished they could break up the fee increases over 2 or 3 years. Paula noted they are asking Leominster for 100 hours of maintenance services each fiscal year, free of charge, with 30 day advanced notice. The services would include inspection technologies, cameraing, and jetting of lines. Also, in the event of an emergency, they would want Leominster to assist with personnel and equipment. They have added an indemnification clause for holding Leominster harmless when they assist. John asked if they discussed the changes to Sections 9 & 10 in the previous meeting with Leominster and Paula replied no. Dave’s thought was if Lunenburg is going to be charged a rate similar to Leominster residents, then services should be provided too or give us a reduced rate. Paula noted the IMA will go to Counsel when they are finished with negotiations. John asked to make a correction to Section 18-1 (connection charge), where they redlined a factor of 70% and Paula will correct that. Motion: Mike M. Second: Brett R. That the Commission authorize the Negotiating Committee to go to the next step with the town of Leominster and the IMA. Discussion: Paula suggested in the discussions with Leominster they make sure there are no looming large Capital projects coming forward in the next 10 years. If there are, that will change their approach to the budget. Roll Call Vote: Mike N.-aye, Brett-aye, Dave-aye, Mike M.-aye, and John-aye. Sewer Business Manager Job Description- Paula said Bill talked to Julie and she said the Personnel Committee will be reviewing the revised job description at the 1/17 meeting. Paula hoped they will vote on it also. Some Commissioners will attend and Paula will post the agenda. PUBLIC COMMENT – Dave urged people in the Water District to attend the Water District meeting on 1/10 to vote on articles. Paula asked to start working on the budget at the first February meeting. Paula and Bill will go through the numbers prior to the meeting. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES: January 30, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation ===PAGE 4=== February 13, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation February 27, 2024 @ 6pm - Regular Meeting, Remote Participation March 12, 2024 @ 6pm - Regular Meeting, Remote Participation Motion: Mike M. Second: Brett R. To adjourn at 7:35pm Roll Call Vote: Mike N.-aye, Dave-aye, Mike M.-aye, Brett-aye, and John-aye. Respectfully submitted, Jane L. Ranley Minutes Clerk ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-01-30-agenda-6379.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-01-30 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-01-30-agenda-6379.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01302024-6379 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== SEWER COMMISSION AGENDA January 30, 2024 6:00pm Regular Meeting via Remote Participation (Zoom) In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting will be recorded and can be found on the LunenburgAccess YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/LunenburgAccess/videos) within 24 hours of the meeting. This public meeting is being conducted remotely. The following information is also provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please use this link to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87117681305 or from a telephone, dial the toll free number (888) 475-4499 and enter Webinar ID: 87117681305. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e-mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. 1. 6:00 PM CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. PUBLIC COMMENT 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS 4. APPOINTMENTS a. 6:15 p.m., Philip Arcidiacono – Grease Trap – 1 Main Street 5. CURRENT BUSINESS a. Minutes of 1/9/24 & 7/18/23 - Review/Vote to Approve b. Leominster Intermunicipal Agreement Negotiations – Discussion/Possible Vote c. Capital Planning – Discussion d. FY25 Budget – Discussion e. Rate Increase - Discussion f. Warrant Articles – Annual Meeting g. Annual Report h. Business Manager Report i. Update on System Maintenance & Upgrades ii. Billing/Software Issues iii. Sewer Business Manager Job Description 6. PUBLIC COMMENT 7. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES February 13, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting February 27, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting March 12, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting March 26, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-01-30-minutes-6379.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-01-30 KIND : minutes OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-01-30-minutes-6379.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_01302024-6379 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== Minutes of 1/30/24 Sewer Commission meeting– via Zoom (Video Conference) Attendees: Chair- John Reynolds, Vice-Chair- Brett Ramsden, Clerk- Mike Nault, Member-Dave MacDonald, DPW Director- Bill Bernard, Business Manager-Paula Bertram, Minutes Clerk- Jane Ranley Absent: Member-Mike Mackin 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 & ANNOUNCEMENTS - none CURRENT BUSINESS - Minutes of 1/9/24- Motion: Dave M. Second: Brett R. To accept the minutes for 1/9/24. Roll Call Vote – Mike N.-aye, Brett-aye, Dave-aye, and John-aye. Minutes of 7/18/23 Motion: Mike N. Second: Brett R. To accept the minutes for 7/18/23. Roll Call Vote – Mike N.-aye, Brett-aye, Dave-aye, and John-aye. Warrant Articles – Paula noted that the warrant is open until early March and she will be submitting the usual ones but wanted to know if the Commissioners had anything they wanted to add. They can discuss any changes to the regulations or processes at the next couple of meetings. Bill said the presentation to the Finance Committee will be on 3/15. Paula looked at last year’s presentation and she would like to make changes, talking more about Capital Planning and their existing operation. Annual Report- Paula stated that she will mimic reports from past years and asked if there were any highlights the Commissioners would like to add. The report is due in February and John mentioned that Jane had written the report in the past. Paula and Jane will work on it. APPOINTMENTS – Philip Arcidiacono (Landlord), Chris Garcia (GGD Consulting Engineers) and Al Wernick (Tenant) – 1 Main Street -Philip thanked the Commission for giving them the extension. He reported that in November he hired Rooter Man to do a scope with the camera of the system and gave the footage to Chris Garcia, so he could prepare a report for the Commission. He stated that a neighbor downstream had a backup and the Commission was concerned about grease on their site. The Commission had proposed an exterior grease trap and Philip replied he wanted to get a professional engineer’s opinion on whether the interior grease trap is working or not. Chris Garcia reported he went to the site last week and reviewed the interior installation of an existing 3 compartment wash sink as well as 2 hand sinks all connected to an interior interceptor, discharging to the sanitary drain. The interceptor is rated at 25/gal/minute and based on their calculations, the 3 compartment sink requires 19 gal/minute, so the interceptor is adequately sized. The video did show some grease downstream in the cast iron pipe and some evidence also in the sewer line, but in his opinion it did not appear to be an excessive amount. The interceptor was installed in 2016. Chris noted Al Wernick had completed logs going back to 2020, which noted the trap had been serviced and cleaned every 3 months. There wasn’t excessive FOG taken out each time and in his opinion the trap is working as it should. Based on the age of the trap and rust on the interior, he recommended the trap be replaced with one of the same size. He also recommended that the owner video inspect downstream every 6 months to insure the trap is operating properly, along with maintaining the trap every 3 months. Dave asked when Al moved into the space and Al replied in 2015, when he started the renovation. Chris added that metal traps can rot out quickly and he recommends they install a new fiberglass one. Dave asked if Chris would recommend installing an external grease trap going into the abandoned septic out back and Chris replied it would take a lot of work to get it back into that area. Dave asked if there are floor drains and Chris no, they are not required. Dave asked Chris if he was comfortable that if a new internal trap is installed, there will be no grease going into the system. Chris stated his recommendation is to install the new internal trap, clean it every 3 or 6 months and video inspect every 6 months. ===PAGE 2=== Brett asked if the camera work was just for that property or did they look at other lines. Chris replied that they did 5 or 6 videos, entering the manhole near Mass Ave and the clean out near the retaining wall and the towards the bank, along with the old septic areas. Chris added that there were no blockages but they saw evidence of grease on the sidewalls. Dave asked if they had cameraed when the incident happened and Paula said unfortunately, they did not. They had 2 people on site, including herself and John and just have a simple statement from the pumper that there were heavy blockages. There was not an official report. Dave noted that there is a problem at 1 Main St. and they just want to fix it. John told Chris the history of the site and noted they cameraed in 2015, which found no grease in the line. A year ago there was a back-up on the street with grease logs in the manhole and did not know where else it could be coming from. Paula added that their technician has noted heavy amounts of grease in the wet well at the Mass 2 pump station. Philip stated the grease trap is old and will be replaced. Additionally, Al can present his 3- month cleanings and they will camera every 6 month, jetting anything they find. Dave stated they are here to help them and thanked him for getting an engineer. Mike N. commented that this was not the first time there was grease there and for first year, he would want to see multiple cameraing to make sure the trap is working. Bill asked Chris for information about his engineering firm. Chris noted they are located in Dartmouth, with 15 employees and his father started the business in 1973. He added that 90% of their business is public bid work in Massachusetts. Chris will send business information and his report. Al said he would like to put in a trap twice the size, so they won’t have a problem. Right now they are cleaning grease out weekly and putting it outside in the grease pit. Dave suggested listening to Chris because a bigger trap may create problems and Chris agreed. Paula asked for the camera videos to be forwarded to the Sewer Department. Motion: Dave M. Second: Mike N. To accept engineer’s recommendation of replacing the existing grease trap with a new plastic grease trap, every 6 months cameraing is required and a copy of the video must be sent to the Commission for review; property owner and engineer to meet with the Commission in 6 months to provide a status update. In one year, the Commission will evaluate the property to confirm that no blockages or excessive grease have occurred. Roll Call Vote– Mike N.-aye, Brett-aye, Dave-aye, and John-aye. Dave thanked Philip for getting his crew together with the engineer and Philip thanked the Commission. Paula said she will notify them for the 6 month meeting and they will need a plumbing permit for the new trap. When the plumbing inspector signs off on the permit, a copy should be sent to the office and Paula will schedule the 6 month meeting. Philip noted that Rooter Man did the cameraing. Dave asked when they would install the new grease trap. Al replied once he gets the proper size, he will buy it and get a plumber to install it. John asked Al and Philip to keep Paula informed. Leominster Intermunicipal Agreement Negotiation – Paula reported that the team met with the representatives from Leominster today. The major changes they were looking for were to have Leominster provide a set amount of regular maintenance and assistance in emergency situations. Unfortunately Leominster is not able to provide that service because their equipment is consistently in use.. Paula noted the majority of the other changes they were amenable to. The only other change they did not agree with was the increase in flow from 500,000 to 800,000 because Lunenburg is not using all the capacity they have now. The average usage now is 214,000 gals/day but there is language in the agreement for future discussion on increased flows. She noted that the rate did come down from the projected $6.46. Currently the rate is $5.32 and will go up to $6.18 for FY25 and $6.37 for FY26. After FY26, the rate will increase penny for penny. There are no capital infrastructure projects on the horizon and the treatment plant has been updated. Paula stated that they made some recommendations for identifying sources of I/I such as looking at the phasing of the sewer to see where they saw the increase in flow. As a side discussion, they talked about potentially upgrading the sewer line servicing Pioneer Dr. and improvements on Rt 70. That line is currently managed and paid to Leominster but Lunenburg may want to discuss taking it over. Dave noted they talked to Roger Brooks about coming to a meeting and also talking to Wright Pierce. Mike N. noted that Roger said Lunenburg’s flow should be about 170,000 – not 215,000- which points to a lot of I/I. He gave a lot of good ideas to start looking for it. ===PAGE 3=== Mike suggested they should meet once a year – they always learn a lot. Paula noted in section 19.2 -debt services, the wording will be that Leominster will provide their forecasted debt service in January and be payable by July 30th. She added that when she gets the wording from Leominster, she will send it to the Commissioners Capital Planning – Paula suggested having a workshop to discuss the budget. She screen-shared her spreadsheets and reviewed figures. Paula met with Robert L. (CTE) to discuss the capital planning worksheet and they are looking at about $95K-100K each year. The majority of the cost is for upgrading the pumps and generators. These costs need to be incorporated into the budget for the next few years. She explained the worksheet for looking at potential rate increases from the current rate of $13.66 and how it would affect transfers from Retained Earnings. She also noted that the Green Energies Taskforce is looking at potential projects, with one being grants for sewer pumps. Robert estimated the pumps for Dana Street, Leominster Rd and Mass 1 could be $40K each. The pumps are very old and showing signs of having issues. New pumps would be more efficient and there is grant money available. Bill said the Green Communities Taskforce met with a representative from Dept. of Energy who told him that they would fund pumps and the drive systems. If it fits, they would apply in April and Paula added that if they could get a grant, it would cut their capital costs and potentially drop the rate increase too. Paula suggested talking about this in the workshop. Dave said to look at what you have – not the ifs and Mike N. stated they still need to do a rate increase. Paula noted that she has changed how they do the budget and read the balances on the funds. She suggested putting money into each account going forward, rather than drawing on it. Dave asked about the I/I fund and Paula replied the funds come from certain connections. She explained the numbers for I/I remediation and noted there is a problem with sump pumps. When they popped the manholes, they saw water going in at a very high rate of velocity, indicative of sump pumps. Robert has been great about identifying I/I sources and where they should focus. Paula got rid of extra line items not needed and explained the Capital Expense figures. John stated when Rob Oliva was there, they gave him $100K to work on the Maintenance Plan, but he did not spend it all. The Commission discussed funding the Capital Reserve Stabilization Fund and withdrawals. Paula noted the withdrawals need to be done with a vote at Town Meeting. If a pump needs to be replaced, it comes from the Capital maintenance line item, which she is proposing at $95K. Infrastructure Maintenance for $47,600 would be for replacing parts. John asked the Commissioners to review the worksheets and have a workshop to discuss it. Paula noted they can put in an article for pulling from the Stabilization Fund and she will talk to the town accountant and town manager. Paula suggested looking at whether they want to pull from Retained Earnings and they need to decide their goal amounts for each fund. The Commission discussed and will have a budget workshop on 2/13 at the DPW at 6pm, in place of the regular meeting. Business Manager Report – --Update on System Maintenance & Upgrades- Paula reported they are still waiting for prices on the pumps for Dana St. and Mass 1. She anticipates the cost will be higher than they thought. There was a clog from rags in the pump on Leominster Rd. Foreign objects in the system continues to be a problem. --Billing/Software Issues- Paula stated the saga still continues! She is hoping the billing issues will be fixed so the bills can go out 2/7. Munis had to create a custom form in order for the numbers to be correct, which is ludicrous. They did a proof and the data was incorrect. Paula sent a list of the missing information, such as the Boston address, sewer rate and interest rate. Munis sent her a sample that had interest on it that should not have been there but she will send data files to work with and hopefully get a correct proof. When a correct proof is received she will run through the billing and training. Paula and John discussed doing a public announcement about the status of the billing issues. She forwarded the draft to the Town Manager and there were some changes. John said he thought Paula’s draft was great, but it came back with edits from the Town Manager, which he read out loud. John was concerned about the statement about the impact to property/real estate. The Commission discussed the wording and agreed the announcement should not include verbiage in regard to the property tax impact. Dave recommended that Paula read her original announcement. Paula noted only .6% of bills were incorrect and the majority were correct. Dave stated that Paula has put in 500 plus hours to deal with this issue and he is very upset they are at this point. He thanked Tom Alanzo for stepping in. Brett and Mike N. agreed that the property tax has nothing to do with sewer. ===PAGE 4=== Paula read her original statement about the software upgrade’s impact on the billing and the delayed mailing for the February bill. Bill suggested the Town Manager could issue the statement with the property tax information in her name. Paula and Bill will talk to the Town Manager. --Sewer Business Manager Job Description- Paula, John and Bill attended the last Personnel Committee meeting. The prior score for her position was 495 and after they went through the revised job description, which they accepted with 1 minor modification to the experience level, the score was raised to 655. Paula stated she was happy with the score and the Personnel Committee hope to have something for the May Town Meeting. Dave thanked the Personnel Committee for their help. PUBLIC COMMENT – none UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES: February 13, 2024 @ 6pm – Budget Workshop, at DPW building. February 27, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation March 12, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation March 26, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation Motion: Brett R. Second: Mike N. To adjourn at 7:53pm. Roll Call Vote– Mike N.-aye, Brett-aye, Dave-aye, and John-aye. Respectfully submitted, Jane L. Ranley Minutes Clerk ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-02-13-agenda-6409.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-02-13 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-02-13-agenda-6409.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_02132024-6409 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== LUNENBURG SEWER COMMISSION WORKSHOP AGENDA February 13, 2024 6:00 pm Lunenburg DPW Building, 520 Chase Road 1. Budget Workshop a. FY25 Budget – Discussion, Possible Vote b. Rate Increase – Discussion, Possible Vote ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-02-13-minutes-6409.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-02-13 KIND : minutes OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-02-13-minutes-6409.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_02132024-6409 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== SEWER COMMISSION WORKSHOP MINUTES 6:00 pm February 13, 2024 The Commission met in the DPW Conference Room as scheduled. AƩendees: Chair- John Reynolds, Vice-Chair- BreƩ Ramsden, Clerk- Mike Nault, Member-Dave MacDonald, DPW Director- Bill Bernard, Business Manager-Paula Bertram. Chairman opened the meeƟng at 6:03 p.m., no public discussion. Paula reviewed the various spreadsheets she compiled for the FY25 budget and five-year forecast with the Commission. Fitchburg’s rate has increased 7% each year over the next five years and Leominster will increase 16.17% in FY25 and an addiƟonal 3% in FY26. In order to upgrade some of the pump staƟons and keep them operaƟng efficiently, capital expenditures over the next several years are anƟcipated to be approximately $100,000 per year. AddiƟonally, in order to comply with Leominster’s new NPDES permit reporƟng requirements engineering costs are expected to rise. Inflow/InfiltraƟon (I/I) into the system has increased significantly and funds will be necessary to idenƟfy the causes and to remove I/I. The Commission reviewed the balances of revenue accounts at the close of 2023. Retained earnings $2,232,978, Sewer Capital Reserve StabilizaƟon $145,964.73, Inflow/InfiltraƟon $9,986.63; Sewer Reserve Capacity $7301.40. Based on current projecƟons, it will be necessary to draw on retained earnings to supplement the budget through FY28. The Commission discussed various rate increase scenarios and the financial impact to the rate payers. Currently the average residenƟal customer pays $233 per quarter and the average commercial customer pays $2,194 per quarter. Paula noted that this is the average, some customers may pay less or substanƟally more. In order to fund the budget for FY25 and beyond and to meet financial obligaƟons to Fitchburg and Leominster, it was the consensus of the Board that a rate increase of 16% in FY25 is required. This equates to approximately $10.00 per quarter for the average residenƟal customer. Annual rate increases are esƟmated at 3% thereaŌer. The minimum rate should increase from $115 to $126 (800 cf). Leominster is increasing Lunenburg’s connecƟon fee from $750 to $3,500 in FY25. The Commission discussed the appropriate fee for connecƟon given the Leominster increase. Following discussion, it was the consensus that the connecƟon fee should increase from $2,250 to $3,900 in FY25. Mike Nault made a moƟon to increase the sewer rate by 16% in FY25, to change the connecƟon fee to $3,900 and to accept the FY25 budget. Mike Mackin seconded the moƟon. MoƟon passed unanimously. At 8:00 pm BreƩ Ramsden made a moƟon to adjourn, seconded by Dave MacDonald, passed unanimously. Respecƞully submiƩed, Paula Bertram ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-02-27-agenda-6434.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-02-27 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-02-27-agenda-6434.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_02272024-6434 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== SEWER COMMISSION AGENDA February 27, 2024 6:00pm Regular Meeting via Remote Participation (Zoom) In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting will be recorded and can be found on the LunenburgAccess YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/LunenburgAccess/videos) within 24 hours of the meeting. This public meeting is being conducted remotely. The following information is also provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please use this link to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87117681305 or from a telephone, dial the toll free number (888) 475-4499 and enter Webinar ID: 87117681305. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e-mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. 1. 6:00 PM CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. PUBLIC COMMENT 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS 4. CURRENT BUSINESS a. Minutes of 1/30/24 Meeting & 2/13/24 Workshop - Review/Vote to Approve b. Leominster Intermunicipal Agreement Negotiations - Update c. Warrant Articles – Annual Meeting d. Regulation Changes Appendix G, Sewer Connection Charge Policy– Discussion and Scheduling of Public Meeting e. Repairs at Mass 1 Pump Station f. Budget & Rate Increase Discussion g. Business Manager Report i. Update on System Maintenance & Upgrades ii. Sewer Business Manager Job Rating 5. PUBLIC COMMENT 6. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES March 12, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting Marc 26, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting April 9, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting April 30, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-02-27-minutes-6434.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-02-27 KIND : minutes OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-02-27-minutes-6434.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_02272024-6434 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== Minutes of 2/27/24 Sewer Commission meeting– via Zoom (Video Conference) Attendees: Chair- John Reynolds, Vice-Chair- Brett Ramsden, Clerk- Mike Nault, Members: Dave MacDonald and Mike Mackin, DPW Director- Bill Bernard, Business Manager-Paula Bertram, Minutes Clerk- Jane Ranley John opened the meeting at 6:02pm. and did a roll call of attendees. The Commission began the meeting by saying the Pledge of Allegiance. PUBLIC COMMENT- Brett congratulated Dave on his retirement from the Salvation Army and thanked him for his many years of service. ANNOUNCEMENTS - none CURRENT BUSINESS - Minutes of 1/30/24 Meeting and 2/13/24 Workshop Motion: Mike N. Second: Brett R. To accept the minutes of the 1/30/24 meeting. Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye, Mike N.-aye, Brett-aye, and John-aye. Motion: Brett R. Second: Mike M. To accept the minutes of the 2/13/24 meeting. Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye, Brett-aye, Mike N.-aye, and John-aye. Leominster Intermunicipal Agreement Negotiations Update – Paula reported that she forwarded it to Heather for approval and said the Select Board will discuss it at their 3/5/24 meeting. Paula noted that Heather asked for copies of the old agreement, the new agreement, and a list of the changes, which she provided. Warrant Articles for Town Meeting – Paula stated these are the standard articles as follows: 1. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds, a sum of money to operate the Sewer Enterprise Fund for FY24; or take any action relative thereto. 2. To see if the Town will vote to transfer from available funds $35,000 into the Sewer Capital Reserve Stabilization Fund; or take any action relative thereto. 3. To see if the Town will vote to transfer from available funds the sum of $1,500 into the OPEB Sewer Trust Fund; or take any action relative thereto. Motion: Mike M. Second: Mike N. To adopt the warrant articles as written. Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye, Brett-aye, Mike N.-aye, and John-aye. Regulation Changes Appendix G, Sewer Connection Charge Policy- John stated that the policy change is a result of the new IMA agreement and they will need to conduct a public hearing on it. Paula suggested a hearing at one of the March meetings and noted that it needed to be posted before the end of the fiscal year (June 30th). The Commission discussed a date and agreed to holding the hearing on 3/26/24. Repairs at Mass 1 Pump Station- Paula and Bill met with Scott (Pride Environmental) and Robert Lilley (CTE) at the Mass 1 station. Pride Environmental is being subcontracted by CTE. She noted that they had constructed the platform in the wet well and the work would be starting tonight at 9pm. Wind River Environmental will be pumping the force main first. Robert Lilley and Rob Walsh (DPW) will be on site for the entire 8-10 hour project. A reverse 911 call went out to all those effected by the repair and advised them to use minimal water. The cost of the repair will be about $40K which will take most of the Capital. In addition to the repair, there were numerous other issues found. The 2 suction lines are severely corroded and will need to be replaced. If one of those failed, it would cause the system to fail. The wall and the force main have deteriorated and the main has rusted, requiring replacement. In order to repair that, they will need to excavate and the entire main will be exposed. They will be putting together an estimate for the repairs. They are recommending removing the carbtrol and enlarging the vent to allow the system to breathe to prevent corrosion. The wet wells will need to be cleaned annually. Robert reported that the Dana St station is in a similar situation, so there are some major repairs coming up. Brett asked about exposure of force main and Paula clarified it will be from the station to the wet well. Bill added that he also put a message on Facebook about the work and noted Pride Environmental was confident it could be done in about 8 hours. Paula screen-shared pictures and a video of the pipe they are working on tonight, showing water leaking out. She also shared pictures of the suction lines needing replacement and pictures of the corrosion on the pipes. Robert noted there had been some spot welding done many years ago to try to repair it. Paula stated tonight’s work entails cutting the pipe, replacing it and fixing the coupling. John said poor venting contributed to this. Bill noted the stations are almost 20 years old and they recommended letting it breathe to slow the corrosion down. Paula said that when she gets the estimates on the other work to be done, she will share it with the ===PAGE 2=== Commission and is hoping it can be put off until July 1. She will meet with the town accountant to see where they have any wiggle room. Besides these repairs that could be more than $40K, they are looking at the same thing at the Dana St. station and this does not take into account the other planned repairs. The Dana St. pumps are giving them a lot of trouble and they were planning on replacing them, but that money is being used to do the Mass 1 repair. John noted that they have to plan carefully because they can’t just take money from Retained Earnings. Paula added that the town accountant confirmed they cannot take money from Retained Earnings or a Stabilization Fund unless it is allocated at a Town Meeting. She noted that if there is any money left over at the end of the fiscal year, they can encumber it without the Town Meeting. Paula stated they are budgeting $100K for capital but asked if that was enough. Brett suggested doubling it and Paula replied that could cause a substantial rate increase. Brett questioned what they may run into at the other pump stations. He asked if there might be any insurance to use and John replied that he did not know but it probably would be considered wear and tear. Brett questioned why they are paying insurance if it does not cover underground. Paula said she and Bill will talk to the Town Manager. She added that one option would be to consider putting another $100K from Retained Earnings into Capital, which would not impact the rate. John agreed, saying the system is deteriorating faster than they expected and the pumps are running 50% more than 2020. Mike M. asked if the Capital money would include engineering to test the health of the system and Paula replied it does not. She stated that they were going to take $182K from Retained Earnings but will now take $282K. They could take more and if they don’t use it all, they can return it. Mike M. asked if they had a 5 year maintenance plan and Paula replied they had worked on one based on recommendations from CTE but found out they had not done wet well cleaning for many years. It was during the wet well cleaning that they discovered all the issues. She cannot put the figures in until she gets quotes and they may want to put a bigger buffer in. John noted the capital plan has been for the moving parts but now they are looking at pipes and connections. Brett asked how many wet wells were cleaned and Paula replied 7 out of 10, which includes the 3 big ones. Bill stated the 3 other stations do not see a lot of flow and Robert said they did not need to be done right now. The Commission discussed numbers for Capital and agreed to add $200K to Capital. Motion: Mike M. Second: Brett R. To move $200K into Capital. Discussion: Paula asked if the Commission wanted to take half the money from the Capital Reserve Stabilization Fund and the half from Retained Earnings or all from Retained Earnings. The Commission discussed and agreed to take only from Retained Earnings. Roll Call Vote: Mike N.-aye, Mike M.-aye, Brett-aye Budget & Rate Increase Discussion- John stated they had voted on a 16% rate increase. The Commission discussed the rate increase and agreed it was a solid number, but they will need to look at the rate again next year. (Dave M. joined the meeting). John filled Dave in on the repairs and Bill explained the additional damage found on the pipes when setting up for the repair. Paula noted the work is being done through CTE, but if they have to do substantial repairs, they may have to go out for bid. John added that Dana St station is in the same situation and the charcoal system will need to be redone at all 3 larger stations. Dave questioned if the problems are due to the stations being 20 years old or because of excessive use during Covid. John replied that besides their age, the flow to Leominster increased 50% more than 2020 and it has not dropped since then. Brett noted the issue with the pipes is from the age. John stated they just voted to add another $200K to capital. Dave agreed but questioned whether it was enough and suggested $250K. Paula noted that CTE and Pride Environmental are working on figures and she should have them for the 3/12 meeting. The Commission discussed and agreed to vote to increase Capital to $250K. Motion: Mike M. Second: Mike N. To reconsider the vote of moving $200K to Capital. Roll Call Vote: Mike N.-aye, Mike M.-aye, Brett-aye, Dave-aye, and John-aye. Motion: Dave M. Second: Brett R. To increase the money to Capital to $250K to support the pump stations’ needs. (John lost signal and Brett took over the meeting) Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye, Mike N.-aye, Dave-aye, and John-aye. Business Manager Report – --Update on System Maintenance & Upgrades – Paula noted she is still waiting for quotes for the other repairs at Mass 1. They installed a new control panel at West St. on 2/12 and there was FOG again at Leominster Rd, caused by rags. There was a pump failure at Dana St. and Robert was able to get it back online but those pumps will need replacing in the near future. Brett asked if they have backup pumps and Bill replied they have 3 smaller ones but not a big one for Dana. (John was back online.) Dave asked if the Dana St. pump had a long lead time and Paula replied yes. She is having a real hard time getting quotes and Robert said they can be ===PAGE 3=== upwards of $40K each. Paula and Bill will look at possible prices online. West St had a low level float stuck, which Robert repaired. They have ordered a dialer for Mass 1 which will be about $3K. The generator repairs are underway for $5K. Paula is working on the Invitation for Bid for the manholes and they received $100K of ARPA money for that work. The Wright Pierce report of 2016 identified 30 manholes with I/I. The DPW staff went out and looked in the manholes, to confirm those repairs are needed. The $100K will cover the repair of those 30 manholes but unfortunately they will still have 145 more to repair. Paula has proposed budgeting $50K for manhole repairs, which will address 20-30/year. They are prioritizing the manholes with I/I per the Wright Pierce report. Based on the numbers in 2016, if they address those manholes, it will reduce I/I by 225,000 gals/day, which will reduce their costs as well. Bill reported there was a big sink hole on Fairview next to a sewer manhole, with water sucking out the fines. When that is fixed, it will help with I/I. --Sewer Business Manager Job Rating- Paula noted she was happy when they met with the Personnel Committee and they came up with a rating of 655. On 2/12, the Personnel Committee reviewed it and reduced it to 605 and to grade 9. Paula and Bill did not agree with that. The Committee is working on a salary grid and it doesn’t look like they will change any grades or move anybody but may do 3% across the board. Paula has sent memos to the Selectmen and noted that it is very disheartening that they made an agreement but changed it without notifying them. This was also done to the Public Safety coordinator and the chief was disappointed that changes have been made without input from department heads. Dave noted this would have to go to town meeting. Paula stated the downgrading was inappropriate and she is very unhappy with the process. She added that during the meeting the HR director said they believed some scores should be lowered and she gave her reasons. Bill said he gave his reasons for the higher score and they said ok, but then they were blindsided by the change. The Commission discussed the process for job rating and the responsibilities of Paula’s job. Bill noted that at the meeting, part of the discussion was the job description, which they wrote to match what is needed now and they agreed. John stated they need to keep an eye on it. Paula noted they are meeting 3/11 and 3/13. They need to finalize it and present to finance committee and Select Board. Mike M. suggested expressing their views at the next personnel meeting. PUBLIC COMMENT – Dave said he retired from going nationwide with Salvation Army disaster services and will still work locally. He thanked everyone and his heart goes out to those who served and were served. He emphasized that they need to look at improving their own community. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES: March 12, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation March 26, 2024 @ 6pm – Public Hearing and Regular Meeting, Remote Participation April 9, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation April 30, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation Motion: Dave Second: Mike M. To adjourn at 7:18pm. Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye, Mike N.-aye, Brett-aye, Dave-aye, and John-aye. Respectfully submitted, Jane L. Ranley Minutes Clerk ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-03-12-agenda-6456.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-03-12 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-03-12-agenda-6456.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03122024-6456 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== SEWER COMMISSION AGENDA March 12, 2024 6:00pm Regular Meeting via Remote Participation (Zoom) In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting will be recorded and can be found on the LunenburgAccess YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/LunenburgAccess/videos) within 24 hours of the meeting. This public meeting is being conducted remotely. The following information is also provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please use this link to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87117681305 or from a telephone, dial the toll free number (888) 475-4499 and enter Webinar ID: 87117681305. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e-mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. 1. 6:00 PM CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. PUBLIC COMMENT 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS 4. APPOINTMENTS a. 6:15 p.m. Wright Pierce – Upcoming IFB’s and System improvements - Discussion 5. CURRENT BUSINESS a. Minutes of 2/27/24 - Review/Vote to Approve b. Repairs at Mass 1 Pump Station – Discussion c. FY25 Upcoming Information for Bids - Discussion d. State Revolving Loan Fund - Discussion e. Budget & Rate Increase Discussion - possible vote f. Business Manager Report i. Update on System Maintenance & Upgrades 6. PUBLIC COMMENT 7. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES March 26, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting April 9, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting April 30, 2024 pm Regular Meeting May 4, 2024 Town Meeting ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-03-12-minutes-6456.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-03-12 KIND : minutes OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-03-12-minutes-6456.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_03122024-6456 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== Minutes of 3/12/24 Sewer Commission meeting– via Zoom (Video Conference) Attendees: Chair - John Reynolds, Vice-Chair - Brett Ramsden, Clerk - Mike Nault, Member - Dave MacDonald, DPW Director - Bill Bernard, Business Manager - Paula Bertram, Minutes Clerk - Jane Ranley Absent: Mike Mackin John opened the meeting at 6:00pm. and did a roll call of attendees. The Commission began the meeting by saying the Pledge of Allegiance. PUBLIC COMMENT- Dave announced that he will be leaving the Commission at the end of his term. He thanked the present and past Commissioners, along with Paula, Jane, Bill and past DPW Directors. He encouraged residents to consider joining the board. He noted that this is a good board to work with and there will be new challenges. John, Mike N., and Brett stated that Dave will be missed. Paula noted that Dave has been an integral part of the team and he will be missed. ANNOUNCEMENTS - none APPOINTMENTS – Wright Pierce -Upcoming IFB’s and System improvements -John reported that he, Paula, and Bill did a teleconference with Wright Pierce. They discussed obtaining State revolving funds but found that it is 1 to 2 years to get them, if you qualify, so it is not an option for repairs they need to do now. They also brought up the repairs to Mass 1 and Dana St., which they agreed are a priority to do. Grant funding from the Green program was discussed for purchasing pumps. Paula, Bill and CTE have been having trouble getting information on newer pumps, but Wright Pierce will try to help with that. In regard to repairing manholes, Wright Pierce will be doing a quote for looking at the 30 highest priority manholes and indicating what needs to be done. This information will enable them to come up with an IFB. CURRENT BUSINESS - Minutes of 2/27/24 – John asked to hold them until the next meeting so he can review one of the votes on the video. Budget & Rate Increase Discussion- John requested to review the numbers for the transfer from Retained Earnings. Paula stated they will be spending $106K on pump stations and Capital needs. The revised figure was $95K and they will need to transfer from other line items. The Capital costs for FY25 has gone up to $335K, due to the repairs at Dana St. being over $100K. This will not leave much of a buffer for emergencies unless they take more from Retained Earnings. John stated that they voted to move $250K at the last meeting and the Commission discussed whether to move more. Paula noted they voted to move $35K from Retained Earnings into Capital. She stated the Retained Earnings balance is now about $1.7Mil. She is proposing moving $35K to Capital and $381K into the Operating budget. That would leave them with $1.36 Mil. in Retained Earnings. The FY25 Capital Expense line item will be $350K. The Commission discussed numbers for the planned repairs in FY25. John noted that they may need money available to address I/I issues too. Mike N. commented that it is a lot of money and suggested looking at competitive bidding. John replied that Bill and Paula will get estimates from other providers, using Empey’s scope. He added that Wright Pierce thought Empey’s proposal seemed reasonable. Dave suggested having engineers look at the request for quote to make sure they don’t miss anything. Motion: Brett R. Second: Mike N. To increase the amount from Retained Earnings to $400K. Roll Call Vote: Mike N.-aye, Brett-aye, Dave-aye, and John-aye. Budget presentation – John asked for feedback on the presentation and Dave suggested explaining the $12.34 rate increase up front. Repairs at Mass 1 Pump Station- Paula reported the repair took place on 2/27 and they pumped 15,000 gallons from the force main, which was more than they anticipated. They transported the sewage to Twin City and also to Dana St. The repair was finished around 3:30 am and all went well. John noted when they shut down Dana St. for repair there will be no other station able to take the sewage pumped. If they look at bringing it to the treatment plant, it will open up all kinds of other issues. He questioned whether it could be put down the manhole. Paula suggested ===PAGE 2=== having someone look at Dana and get a real scope of work. Dave suggested looking at dumping it in near the town line where the Tri-Town buildings are. FY25 Upcoming Information for Bids- Paula reported that they worked on the language and are just waiting for the specifications from Wright Pierce, along with a date for them to look at the 30 manholes identified with I/I. She hopes to get the IFB done for late May/early June, so they can start at the beginning of FY25. This will be done with the $100K ARPA funding. State Revolving Loan Fund- John stated they talked to Wright Pierce about looking at rolling the Capital Plan work into a project and maybe getting some funding. Business Manager Report – Paula reported that the Spill Sens unit came in. It is a float that will sit in the manhole to identify I/I issues and Robert (CTE) is looking for the best place to install it. The installation and training by the company is planned for 3/19. --Update on System Maintenance & Upgrades- Paula stated the majority of the generator work is complete, except for a controller on the Leominster Rd. generator for which she is awaiting a quote. She also sent out Robert’s logs and noted that he is finding a lot of bricks in the wet wells, which is an indication of I/I. There have been a lot of clogs at Leominster, Mass 3, and Francis. Paula has asked Bill to put on Facebook a list of what is ok and not ok to put in the sewer. She has been in touch with Kelly Brown (regional coordinator for Green Communities) about the 2024 Green Communities Grant. The application is not available yet but money is available for pumps so she is working with Matt (Wright Pierce) to get the data together for the application. Dave asked for a copy of the scope of work. Paula stated that they are not looking at bids, which would take several months, but looking for quotes. She will put together a scope of work and have Wright Pierce look at it. Then it will be sent to several companies. John noted that the next meeting on 3/26 will be a public hearing on the Regulation changes to Appendix G, Sewer Connection Charge Policy. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES: March 26, 2024 @ 6pm – Public Hearing and Regular Meeting, Remote Participation April 9, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation April 30, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation May 4, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation Motion: Brett R. Second: Mike N. To adjourn at 6:52pm. Roll Call Vote: Mike N.-aye, Brett-aye, Dave-aye and John-aye. Respectfully submitted, Jane L. Ranley Minutes Clerk ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-04-09-agenda-6511.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-04-09 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-04-09-agenda-6511.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04092024-6511 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== SEWER COMMISSION AGENDA April 9, 2024 6:00pm Regular Meeting via Remote Participation (Zoom) In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting will be recorded and can be found on the LunenburgAccess YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/LunenburgAccess/videos) within 24 hours of the meeting. This public meeting is being conducted remotely. The following information is also provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please use this link to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87117681305 or from a telephone, dial the toll free number (888) 475-4499 and enter Webinar ID: 87117681305. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e-mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. 1. 6:00 PM CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. PUBLIC COMMENT 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS 4. PUBLIC HEARING – 6:15 P.M. - Change to the Sewer Use Regulations, Article 7 Section 4 #1 to increase the minimum residential connection charge from $2,250 to $3,900 5. APPOINTMENTS a. 6:30 p.m. The Reboot – Payment Agreement Non-Compliance – Discussion, possible vote 6. CURRENT BUSINESS a. Minutes of 3/12/24 - Review/Vote b. Q3 Commitment – Discussion/Vote c. Engineering Services – Review Various Task Orders, discussion, possible vote d. Public Notification - System Clogs – Discussion e. Business Manager Report i. Sewer System Update ii. Budget Status iii. Grease Traps iv. Possible Grant Funding - Update v. Demands/Transfer to Delinquent - Update 7. PUBLIC COMMENT 8. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES April 30, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting May 4, 2024 6 pm Town Meeting May 14, 2024 pm Regular Meeting May 28, 2024 Town Meeting ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-04-09-agenda-6513.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-04-09 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-04-09-agenda-6513.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04092024-6513 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== SEWER COMMISSION AGENDA April 9, 2024 6:00pm Regular Meeting via Remote Participation (Zoom) In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting will be recorded and can be found on the LunenburgAccess YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/LunenburgAccess/videos) within 24 hours of the meeting. This public meeting is being conducted remotely. The following information is also provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please use this link to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87117681305 or from a telephone, dial the toll free number (888) 475-4499 and enter Webinar ID: 87117681305. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e-mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. 1. 6:00 PM CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. PUBLIC COMMENT 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS 4. PUBLIC HEARING – 6:15 P.M. - Change to the Sewer Use Regulations, Article 7 Section 4 #1 to increase the minimum residential connection charge from $2,250 to $3,900 5. APPOINTMENTS a. 6:30 p.m. The Reboot – Payment Agreement Non-Compliance – Discussion, possible vote 6. CURRENT BUSINESS a. Minutes of 3/12/24 - Review/Vote b. Q3 Commitment – Discussion/Vote c. Engineering Services – Review Various Task Orders, discussion, possible vote d. Public Notification - System Clogs – Discussion e. Business Manager Report i. Sewer System Update ii. Budget Status iii. Grease Traps iv. Possible Grant Funding - Update v. Demands/Transfer to Delinquent - Update 7. PUBLIC COMMENT 8. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES April 30, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting May 4, 2024 6 pm Town Meeting May 14, 2024 pm Regular Meeting May 28, 2024 pm Regular Meeting ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-04-09-minutes-6513.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-04-09 KIND : minutes OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-04-09-minutes-6513.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_04092024-6513 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== Minutes of 4/9/24 Sewer Commission meeting– via Zoom (Video Conference) Attendees: Chair- John Reynolds, Vice-Chair- Brett Ramsden, Clerk- Mike Nault, Member Mike Mackin, DPW Director- Bill Bernard, Business Manager-Paula Bertram, Minutes Clerk- Jane Ranley Absent: Dave MacDonald John opened the meeting at 6:05pm. and did a roll call of attendees. The Commission began the meeting by saying the Pledge of Allegiance. PUBLIC COMMENT- Mike N. announced he will be resigning from the Commission in May and he thanked everyone, in particular Dave MacDonald who started all this. All the Commissioners and the Sewer Business Manager replied that they will miss Mike. ANNOUNCEMENTS – none CURRENT BUSINESS - Minutes of 3/12/24 – Motion: Mike N. Second: Brett R. To approve the minutes for 3/12/24. Roll Call Vote: Mike N.-aye, Brett-aye, Mike M.-aye, and John-aye. Q3 Commitment for $255,498.52- Motion: Brett R. Second: Mike M. To accept the 3rd quarter Commitment for $255,498.52. Roll Call Vote: Mike N.-aye, Brett-aye, Mike M.-aye, and John-aye. PUBLIC HEARING – Change to the Sewer Use Regulations, Article 7 Section 4 #1 to increase the minimum residential connection charge from $2,250 to $3,900 – John opened the public hearing and read the notice published in the Ledger on 3/29/24, noting that the minimum residential connection charge will increase from $2,250 to $3,900. This increase is a direct result of Leominster increasing the connection fee in the new IMA. There were no public comments. The Commissioners agreed that this needs to be implemented and Paula stated the increase will go into effect on 7/1/24. Motion: Brett R. Second: Mike N. To increase the connection fee from $2,250 to $3,900 as written. Roll Call Vote: Mike N.-aye, Brett-aye, Mike M.-aye, and John-aye. Motion: Mike M. Second: Mike N. To close the public hearing. Roll Call Vote: Mike N.-aye, Brett-aye, Mike M.-aye, and John-aye. CURRENT BUSINESS: Engineering Services – John noted they had received 5 expensive quotes from Wright Pierce. Bill sent 2 emails to Wright Pierce. The first email was for writing the specs for the manhole repair contract. He asked for some canned specs that they could rework, which would cut the price way down. The second email, Bill asked them to cut down the scope of work for the pump replacements, which would drop the cost for the quote. Paula noted that they have gotten the prices but now need help with the energy calculations. Public Notification- System Clogs- John stated they are getting more and more clogs from flushing wipes, which is costing the Sewer Department more money. He has discussed with Paula about making a presentation at the Select Board and Commissioners agreed. Mike M. suggested adding it to Facebook pages and Paula replied it was added to the DPW page already. She will contact Tara to add it to the Website. Mike M. also suggested getting it published in the Lunenburg Ledger. Paula noted that she designed an insert in color to add to the May bills. ===PAGE 2=== Business Manager Report -- Sewer System Update- Paula sent Robert’s report to the Commissioners and she noted he is still doing a great job. Clogs are a major issue and hopefully getting the message out to the public will help with that. Paula noted that they installed the Spill Sense unit a couple of weeks ago at the manhole near Stone Farm, but unfortunately it is not transmitting. She obtained a new antenna and they are waiting for details on how to obtain data manually. She, Bill, and Robert will install the new antenna and try to obtain data on Friday. --Budget Status – Paula reported that receipts are $963,750.32 and there is a substantial amount of outstanding accounts, which is why she wants to get the demands out. Their expenditures are $1,750,649.89. A big chunk of income will be from the tax bills which will hopefully be able to go out next week. The Betterments are forecasted at $367,782, with interest at $115,628. Paula added that if those amounts do come in, they will be okay. APPOINTMENTS – The ReBoot – Payment Agreement Non-compliance – Joshua Champlain and Lawrence Lagoy -- Paula stated they had signed a payment agreement with The ReBoot, dated 12/13/23, and required a payment of $600/week, along with future bills paid before the due date. She added that the last payment was received on 2/20/24 and the February bill was not paid as required. The current balance due is $14,541.23. Since 12/19/23, they have paid $6,000. The Select Board approved the liquor license, with the contingency that they appear before the Select Board on 5/21/24 for a license status review, to assure that they have been compliant with the Sewer Department Agreement. Heather requested that Paula let her know what the Commission decides relative to the outstanding balance so they can take action at the 5/21 meeting. Joshua stated that they are in the midst of an active 93A case against the landlords (Silver Linings Investment), which means that they have not met the terms of their lease. When they reviewed their lease, they discovered that sewer was not their responsibility, so they stopped paying the bills. Paula noted that they were required to get a statement from their landlords, stating they were aware of the issue but she has not received that yet. She has sent correspondence to the landlords at all the addresses she could find but everything was returned. Joshua said they are having the same problem. He added that a Constable came looking for 50 Massachusetts Ave. LLC (Bootlegger) who owed $250K to the state for unemployment. The Commission discussed placing a lien and Paula noted The ReBoot is paid through 2023, but any balance as of 6/30/24 will go on the tax bills. Joshua confirmed the landlords pay the property taxes. The Commission discussed the issue and Joshua agreed to bring a check for $2,000 to cover the May bill of $920.95 plus some of balance. The Commission agreed it was a good faith measure and will keep the discussion on the agenda for the next 2 meetings. They discussed whether to void the old agreement or make an amendment. (John lost his signal and was unable to rejoin the meeting. Brett started chairing the meeting.) Paula stated that they can continue to the next meeting and Joshua will bring the $2,000 check to the office. The Commission did not take a vote. Joshua will contact his attorney for an updated address for the landlords. Business Manager Report –(con’t) --Grease Traps- Paula reported that Kindred Spirits and Bad Larrys are late with their March reports. Mr. Wernick (Bad Larrys) said he was getting a new plumber and the new trap was due to install on 3/8. External traps – The ReBoot is overdue for pumping their interceptor and Paula will discuss this with Joshua. They missed pumpings in June and December. --Possible Grant Funding – Paula and Bill attended a meeting with the Green Communities Chair, Unitil and the State Grant program. They will need to determine if they will see energy savings with the new pumps and have a chart to fill out to show that. Paula has reached out to Wright Pierce for assistance with this. The new pumps will be $205K without freight, which will be substantial. The maximum grant is $225K. The key is whether there are savings with the new ones. --Demands/Transfer to Delinquent – Paula reported that Munis has not been working but they finally were able to get $41,491.04 transferred to tax bills. She still cannot run Demands. She was unable to send the Q2 Demands which was a loss of $4,500 or the Q3 Demands for a loss of $3,790. The Delinquency rate is very bad – out of 988 Q3 bills sent out, there are still 379 still not paid. Bill added that the problem is not with the Sewer Department – it is due to the issues with Munis. Paula noted that the Tax Office was also having significant problems but were finally able to print out tax bills. ===PAGE 3=== PUBLIC COMMENT – Mike Mackin thanked Mike Nault for all his work on the Commission. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES: April 30, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation May 4, 2024 @9am – Town Meeting May 14, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation May 28, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation Motion: Mike M. Second: Mike N. To adjourn at 7pm. Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye, Mike N.-aye, and Brett-aye. Respectfully submitted, Jane L. Ranley Minutes Clerk ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-04-30-agenda-6551.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-04-30 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-04-30-agenda-6551.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04302024-6551 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== SEWER COMMISSION AGENDA April 30, 2024 REVISED 7:00pm Regular Meeting via Remote Participation (Zoom) In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting will be recorded and can be found on the LunenburgAccess YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/LunenburgAccess/videos) within 24 hours of the meeting. This public meeting is being conducted remotely. The following information is also provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please use this link to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87117681305 or from a telephone, dial the toll free number (888) 475-4499 and enter Webinar ID: 87117681305. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e-mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. 1. 6:00 PM CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. PUBLIC COMMENT 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS 4. CURRENT BUSINESS a. Minutes of 2/27/24 and 4/9/24 - Review/Vote b. Engineering Services – Review Various Task Orders, discussion, possible vote c. Q4 Bill Insert – Discussion, vote d. Draft Turnover Procedure – Discussion e. Waiver of Interest Request – Account #s 0101323, 0200109, 0201281 - Discussion, Vote f. Business Manager Report i. Sewer System Update ii. Budget Status iii. Town Meeting Articles iv. Possible Grant Funding - Update v. Munis Issue – Demands & Q4 Billing – Update 5. OLD BUSINESS a. The Reboot – Payment Agreement – Discussion, possible vote 6. PUBLIC COMMENT 7. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES May 4, 2024 9 am Town Meeting May 14, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting May 28, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting June 11, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-04-30-minutes-6551.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-04-30 KIND : minutes OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-04-30-minutes-6551.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_04302024-6551 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== Minutes of 4/30/24 Sewer Commission meeting – via Zoom (Video Conference) Attendees: Chair- John Reynolds , Vice-Chair- Brett Ramsden , Clerk- Mike Nault, Members: Dave MacDonald and Mike Mackin , DPW Directo r- Bill Bernard , Business Manager- Paula Bertram, Minutes Clerk- Jane Ranley Brett opened the meeting at 7 :02 pm. and did a roll call of attendees. The Commission began the meeting by saying the Pledge of Allegiance. PUBLIC COMMENT - Mike M. reminded all that town meeting will be on 5/4 at 9am and will be a busy one . He encouraged all to attend. Dave also reiterated that this town meeting is very important for the future of Lunenburg . Brett stated that their software billing issues are in deplorable situation. It is important for t he Select Board and Town Manager to focus on this situation. He added that this has been a p roblem for a long time and could affect the continuation of the Sewer Department business if it gets worse. The Staff are totally overwhelmed. CURRENT BUSINESS - Minutes of 2/27/24 – Motion: Dave M . Second: Mike M . To accept the minutes of 2/27/24. Roll Call Vote: Dave-aye, Mike N.-aye, Mike M.- aye and Brett-aye. Minutes of 4/9/2 4 - Motion: Mike M. Second: Mike N. To accept the minutes of 4 /9 /24. Roll Call Vote: Mike N.-aye, Mike M.-aye and Brett-aye. Dave abstained. Engineering Services – Paula repor ted that they had asked W right P ierce for a number of task orders , with the most critical one being a review of electricity for pumps at Dana, Leominster Rd., and Mass 1 . This was for preparing a su bmitt al of a grant application . The quote for looking at the efficiency of the pumps came in at $7 ,200 , which Bill said was very h igh. Paula and Bill talked to Wade at CTE who said there could be savings with new pumps but he didn ’t know how much. She noted that they needed to see significant savings in order to get the grant. Paula sta ted they spend $25K/year for th ose 3 stations and the d eadline for the grant is 5/10. She has p ut together figures and specs but no one is qualified to do the calculat ions . Dave suggested talking to John DiNapoli and rely on the Green Communities Task Force. Paula said she reached out to them and they suggested using Wright Pier ce. Bill also talked to RISE but has not heard back yet. Paula will reach out to John at Unitil. Mike N. stated that getting new pumps would be big and suggested asking the pump supplier for data on efficiency. (J ohn joined meeting and starting chairing .) The Commission discussed and agreed to not spend the $7,200 and will apply for the grant if they can get the data in time. The y also agreed that the other task quotes were high – especially for the manhole s . Dave asked if Ch . 90 money could be used for sewer covers and Bill replied that if they are raising covers , they could use Ch. 90 money but they are doing more work than that . Paula screen-shared a spreadsheet for repairs on the ma n holes . The Commission discussed the list and agreed up to 21 manholes could be covered by Chapter 90 money. John stated concern that when they start work on the manholes, some may be in worse shape and could end up costing more than $100K. The Commission discussed coming up with their own scope or hav ing a contractor inspect each one and give an estimate for repair s . Paula suggested it would be 2 separate projects – inspections and a bid to do the work , since it is over $ 50K. Paula asked if the company doing the inspections could bid on the work. ===PAGE 2=== Bill replied that would be a question for the Inspector General ’s office and will ask J ulie (Asst. Town Manager). John said they will discuss this again at the next meeting. Q4 Bill Insert – Paula noted that they talked about increasing the minimum charge of $133 and the Commission agreed with the wording on the insert. Mike M. said he was pleased to see the Ledger article . Draft Turnover Procedure – The Commission discussed the new procedure. John said it seemed cumbersome to have staff go to Town Hall to bring checks every day and h ope d it would go to once per week. Waiver of Interest request for 3 accounts- (car wash es and office ) for total of $74.75. Paula s aid they did not receive their bills and there were others who called to say they also did n o t receive a bill. She noted that they ran them through the post al meter, prior to bringing them to the Post Office. It also appears that certain pockets of town did not receive their bills. Everyone was asked to pay the i nterest on past due amounts. The o wner of the 3 accounts was very upset and refused to pay the interest. Since the amount was over $15, the y cannot waive the amount without a vote from the Commission. The Commission discussed the waiver request and Paula noted if they do it, it needs to be done for others. Bill noted it was not a Munis issue but a post office issue. Paula said a late bill was sent out instead of a demand. If demands had gone out, a $10 fee would also have been added . Moving forward, she w ill mail the bills as a bulk mailing with the number of bills sent certified by the Post Office . Dave suggested asking the post office why they were late. M: Mike N. Second: M ike M . To take care of the customer at hand with the interest and any body who has been current up to this last billing that comes forward in the next 7 days with interest, that they will take care of the interest . The Commission discussed the motion and Paula noted any charge over $15, the board will need to sign on it. Paula added that she will be out for 2 weeks and will not be able to address this until she comes back. Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye , Mike N.-aye , B rett -aye , and J ohn-no . Dave abstain ed . Business Manager Report – -- Sewer System Update – Paula reported that there was another major clog at Leominster Rd . John noted that this is the 22 nd clog since September. -- Budget Status – Paula sta ted that receipts are down . She had planned on sending out bills tomorrow but will have to wait until she is back. -- Town Meeting Articles – Paula said she will not be able to attend so s omeone will need to be present to read the articles. Heather asked for 3 slides on the budget and Paula sent out the draft presentation. The OBEP transfer will be in the consent calendar but the budget will be done separate . Paula screen-shared the budget slides with a p icture of a pump clogged by disposables . -- Grant funding – already discussed -- Demands and Q4 billing – Paula noted that demands are still not working on Munis and based on the earlier vote, she will not know who has not received their bill. She will hold off on Q4 billing until she comes back , but she is concerned that it will push out their revenue s . They need to give 30 days for payment and that w ill be right at the end of the fiscal year. -- Munis Issues – John stated that they cannot appreciate the day in, day out problems of dealing with Munis issues and it is o verwhelming. Paula noted that John has requested a meeting with ===PAGE 3=== the Select Board and the Enterprise F und has lost money because of th e se billing issues. Mike M. asked how it was adopted and Paula replied they had Munis , version 11 . An upgrade was required and it has been a disaster ever since. She was unable to send out demands in Q2 and Q3 – a loss of $8K. Also there have been i ssues with pay stubs and tax bills in Town Hall so it is not isolated to just the Sewer Department. OLD BUSINESS – The Reboot- Payment Agreement - John noted that t hey came in with $2K but that wa s it and they are still way behind in their agreement. They will be o n the Select Board agenda on 5/21 and the Sel ect Board is looking to the Commission as to whether their liquor license should be renewed or not. Paula noted they ha ve to pay in full by 5/28, but the Select Board hearing is 5/21. However, she will ask if they can move it to the 1 st meeting in June . The Commission discussed the agreement and the license renewal. Paula noted there are no penalties other than they had to pay by 5/28. The Commission agreed that if ReBoot does not pay in full, they recommend the Select Board re voke their liquor license. P UBLIC C OMMENT – The Commissioners wished Paula well with her surgery. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES : May 4, 2024 @ 9am – Town Meeting May 1 4 , 202 4 @ 6 pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation May 28, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation June 11, 202 4 @ 6 pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation Motion: Mike N. Second: Mike M . To adjourn at 8:27 pm . Roll Call Vote: Mike M .-aye, Mike N.-aye, Brett-aye, Dave- aye and John-aye. Respect fully submitted, Jane L. Ranley Minutes Clerk ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-06-11-agenda-6605.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-06-11 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-06-11-agenda-6605.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06112024-6605 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== SEWER COMMISSION AGENDA June 11, 2024 6:00pm Regular Meeting via Remote Participation (Zoom) In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting will be recorded and can be found on the LunenburgAccess YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/LunenburgAccess/videos) within 24 hours of the meeting. This public meeting is being conducted remotely. The following information is also provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please use this link to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87117681305 or from a telephone, dial the toll free number (888) 475-4499 and enter Webinar ID: 87117681305. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e-mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. 1. 6:00 PM CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. PUBLIC COMMENT 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS 4. APPOINTMENTS a. R. Proctor – Extension Request 12 Kimball Street – Discussion and possible vote 5. CURRENT BUSINESS a. Organization of the Board b. Waiver of Interest – School Accounts, Discussion & Vote c. Meeting Schedule d. Q4FY25 Commitment – Discussion & Vote e. Manhole Inspections – Discussion f. Pump Station Clogs – Discussion of Public Notification, possible vote g. Business Manager Report i. Billing Software Update ii. Budget Status iii. Green Communities Grant - Update iv. 50 Mass. Avenue – Account Update v. Bad Larry’s, 1 Main Street – Grease Trap Update 6. OLD BUSINESS 7. PUBLIC COMMENT 8. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES June 17, 2024 6:30 pm Executive Session/Select Board June 25, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting July 9, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting July 23, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting August 13, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting ===PAGE 2=== ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-06-17-agenda-6606.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-06-17 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-06-17-agenda-6606.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06172024-6606 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== LUNENBURG SEWER COMMISSION Thursday, June 17, 2024 6:30 PM AGENDA Bilotta Meeting Room, Town Hall This meeting will be held in-person at the location provided on this notice. 6:30 PM CALL TO ORDER OF JOINT MEETING WITH SELECT BOARD I. ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION: Motion to enter into Executive Session and to adjourn the meeting after exiting Executive Session pursuant to MGL c. 30A, Section 21(a), Paragraph 3, to discuss strategy with respect to litigation if any open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the public body and the Chair so declares (Tyler Technologies). II. ADJOURN ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-06-25-agenda-6630.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-06-25 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-06-25-agenda-6630.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06252024-6630 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== SEWER COMMISSION AGENDA June 25, 2024 6:00pm Regular Meeting via Remote Participation (Zoom) In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting will be recorded and can be found on the LunenburgAccess YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/LunenburgAccess/videos) within 24 hours of the meeting. This public meeting is being conducted remotely. The following information is also provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please use this link to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87117681305 or from a telephone, dial the toll free number (888) 475-4499 and enter Webinar ID: 87117681305. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e-mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. 1. 6:00 PM CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. PUBLIC COMMENT 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS 4. APPOINTMENTS a. R. Proctor – Extension Request 12 Kimball Street – Discussion and possible vote 5. CURRENT BUSINESS a. Organization of the Board b. Waiver of Interest – School Accounts, Discussion & Vote c. Q4FY25 Commitment – Discussion & Vote d. Manhole Inspections – Discussion e. Pump Station Clogs – Discussion of Public Notification, possible vote f. Business Manager Report i. Billing Software Update ii. Budget Status iii. Green Communities Grant - Update iv. 50 Mass. Avenue – Account Update v. Bad Larry’s, 1 Main Street – Grease Trap Update 6. OLD BUSINESS 7. PUBLIC COMMENT 8. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES June 25, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting July 9, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting July 23, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting August 13, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-06-25-minutes-6630.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-06-25 KIND : minutes OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-06-25-minutes-6630.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_06252024-6630 ======================================================================================== Minutes of 6/25/24 Sewer Commission meeting– via Zoom (Video Conference) Attendees: Chair- John Reynolds, Vice-Chair- Brett Ramsden, Clerk-Mike Mackin, DPW Director- Bill Bernard, Minutes Clerk- Jane Ranley Absent: Business Manager-Paula Bertram John opened the meeting at 6:04pm. and did a roll call of attendees. The Commission began the meeting by saying the Pledge of Allegiance. PUBLIC COMMENT and ANNOUNCEMENTS - none APPOINTMENTS – R. Proctor – Extension Request 12 Kimball Street- not present but Bill will contact Greg. CURRENT BUSINESS - --Organization of the Board – Election of Officers Chair – Brett nominated John R.; Mike M. seconded. Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye, Brett-aye and John -aye. Brett thanked John for staying on as Chair. Vice Chair – Mike M. nominated Brett; John seconded. Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye, Brett-aye and John -aye. Clerk – Brett nominated Mike M.; John seconded. Roll Call Vote: Brett-aye, Mike M.-aye, and John -aye. --Waiver of Interest – School Accounts – John stated that they did not pay the interest of $194.04 on their Q3 bill. In order to waive it, they will need to take a vote. They did not give an explanation for not paying it. Paula sent a reminder to Eric Hevy (Facilities Dir.) but did not hear back. Brett noted that anything the Schools Department pays for is paid by taxes, but he would appreciate an explanation. John noted that the Select Board revoked the license for Re-Boot Restaurant for not paying. Also, a while back they gave an opportunity to ask for interest forgiveness, but the time frame is well past. John noted at a Select Board meeting that the Sewer Department is an enterprise fund and they are having some cash-flow issues right now. Motion: Mike M. Second: Brett R. To deny the waiver. Discussion: Brett stated that they need to hold people accountable. Mike added that he can’t support the idea without an explanation. Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye, Brett-aye, and John -aye. John will notify Myleen. --Q4FY25 Commitment of $249,988.42 – John asked for a vote. Motion: Brett R. Second: Mike M. To approve the Q4FY25 Commitment of $249,988.42. Roll Call Vote: Mike-aye, Brett-aye, and John-aye. John noted that Paula sent out the DocuSign and asked the Commissioners to sign it. --Manhole Inspections- John reported that they hired CTE to look at a specific number of manholes that Wright Pierce had noted as having I&I issues. Bill gave them a list from 2016 inspections to reinspect. They came back and noted that some did not need any work, so he gave them a second list to inspect. They found a lot that just needed patching and new covers/frames. They did note some with actual I&I coming in and it gave Robert (CTE) a better idea of where I&I is in town. Bill added that CTE was much cheaper than Wright Pierce and the information is valuable. Brett stated that this was a great way to go and asked how they test for I&I. Bill replied that they looked for cracks and staining. John noted that the inspection was in preparation for going out to bid for manhole repairs, using the ARPA money. Mike asked to clarify that the repairs will come to $94K – within budget and John agreed. Bill stated the next step is to work with Paula on specifications and quantities in order to go out to bid (IFB). --Pump Station Clogs- John said he will be giving a presentation on 7/9 to Select Board as an awareness campaign. They have also talked about running an ad with pictures in the Ledger. There have been 30 clogs since September. John observed clogs at the Leominster Rd. station with huge clump of wipes that Robert had been clearing. He noted that they could add a grinder but it would cost tens of thousands of dollars. They could also pump the wet wells out more frequently but that costs $4K to do all stations. The best option is to try to educate users, with a full page ad for $400. Brett suggested adding that the clogs are directly effecting their bill. Mike suggested adding pictures of things to not put in the system. Business Manager Report – Billing Software Update- John reported that the Q4 bills went out with brute force and a lot of help from Town Hall staff. They did meet in Executive Session with the Select Board and Suzor IT about the issue. He is hoping the next billing cycle is better for August 1st. Munis needs to fix their software, but Bill noted that it is still not fixed. --Budget Status- John stated they are showing a $52K deficit but the bills just went out and there are still some delinquencies from Q1 & Q2. Betterments are slower coming in, but that may be an accounting issue. --Green Communities Grant- John noted that the new pumps would offer little savings so they will not be able to get money from the grant. --50 Mass Avenue – ReBoot – The Select Board did not renew their license and the water was shut off. --Bad Larry’s, 1 Main Street -Grease Trap Update - Paula received word that their new grease trap has been installed. PUBLIC COMMENT – Mike reminded the public that they have openings on this committee. John said it was brought up at Select Board meetings and it is a good way to start on a town board. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES: July 9, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation July 23, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation August 13, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation Motion: Mike M. Second: Brett R. To adjourn at 6:42 pm. Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye, Brett-aye, and John-aye Respectfully submitted, Jane L. Ranley Minutes Clerk ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-07-30-agenda-6682.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-07-30 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-07-30-agenda-6682.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07302024-6682 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== SEWER COMMISSION AGENDA July 30, 2024 6:00pm Regular Meeting via Remote Participation (Zoom) In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting will be recorded and can be found on the LunenburgAccess YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/LunenburgAccess/videos) within 24 hours of the meeting. This public meeting is being conducted remotely. The following information is also provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please use this link to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87117681305 or from a telephone, dial the toll free number (888) 475-4499 and enter Webinar ID: 87117681305. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e-mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. 1. 6:00 PM CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. PUBLIC COMMENT 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS 4. APPOINTMENTS a. 6:15 p.m. - R. Proctor – Extension Request 12 Kimball Street – Discussion and possible vote 5. CURRENT BUSINESS a. Q4FY24 Billing – Late Notices/Delinquent Accounts – Discussion b. LUFA Farms – 361 Mass. Avenue – Discussion c. ARPA Funding – Discussion and Possible Vote d. Leominster IMA - Discussion e. EOY FY24 Commitment – Discussion & Vote f. Public Notification Advertisement - Discussion and possible Vote g. Manhole Inspections & IFB – Discussion h. Business Manager Report i. Billing Software Update 6. OLD BUSINESS 7. PUBLIC COMMENT 8. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES August 13, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting August 27, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting September 10, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting September 24, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-07-30-minutes-6682.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-07-30 KIND : minutes OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-07-30-minutes-6682.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_07302024-6682 ======================================================================================== Minutes of 7/30/24 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 6:15 pm. and did a roll call of attendees. The Commission began the meeting by saying the Pledge of Allegiance. PUBLIC COMMENT & ANNOUNCEMENTS - none APPOINTMENTS – Ryan Proctor (Dillis & Roy) –Extension Request 12 Kimball St. – Ryan, representing Richard McGrath, screen-shared the site plan and noted they had previously done an extension with a manhole installed in front of 4 Kimball St. They also put in an 8” stub which they will tie into and are proposing 132’ of 8” sewer main. They will add a stub at 8 Kimball St., a manhole at the end and another stub for future expansion up the street. Ryan noted that they reviewed the plan with Mr. Bernard and that there would be a condition to re-pave the street, manhole to manhole. Bill said he is satisfied with the plan and that the road was paved over 5 yrs. ago but is still in good condition. He suggested they repave the area disturbed side to side. Motion: Mike M. Second: Brett R. To accept this plan for 12 Kimball St. with the recommendations by Bill Bernard. Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye, Brett-aye and John-aye. CURRENT BUSINESS – --Minutes of 4/30/24 & Minutes of 6/25/24 – will vote on at next meeting. --Q4FY24 Billing – Late Notices/Delinquent Accounts – Paula stated they have been unable to send demands so on July 9th she sent a letter to anyone owing over $1,000. On 7/17 they were able to do demands and the amounts were correct but the due date was the same as the send date. She and Jane put on labels to correct that. Paula noted that she is waiting for the FY24 year to close out so she can give an overview on where they are with Revenues. Mike asked how many delinquencies there are and Paula replied about 253. --LUFA Farms –361 Mass Ave- Paula stated that several years ago there was a project by Bright Farms for indoor farm at the property near Walmart but it didn’t go forward. There is a similar proposal by Lufa Farms for a 2 story building with 400,000 sq ft on each level. Paula and Bill had a short meeting with the building inspector, proponents, conservation agent and water district. It is not clear what the proposal will be from a usage point but they are talking about using rain water as much as they can. Bill said they didn’t know how much water they would use and were not sure how much water will go into the sewer. --ARPA Funding – John reported that the town manager sent a letter stating there is $313K left in the ARPA funding and they are looking for requests from department heads. He asked for any thoughts for a request and Paula stated she suggests trying to recoup some of the $10K in lost demand revenue. In addition, Paula has been working with a consultant for the Munis issues and his rate is $1,425/day. She will need 1 or 2 more sessions and would like to request ARPA funds to cover those costs. John agrees that Sewer should not be paying for consultant fees. Brett suggested upgrading pumps. Paula stated that they need to replace the suction line on Mass 1 and there are problems on Dana St. She has asked Robert (CTE) for estimates for those repairs. Robert told her that if the suction line goes at Mass 1, the station ceases to work. Bill noted they will need to excavate to the pipes so it would be more than $40K. John noted the deadline to submit is 7/31. He suggested going with the cost of repairing at Mass 1 and Bill figure excavation cost. Paula suggested putting in 3 requests – Demand request, consultant fee request and the work on Mass 1. --Leominster IMA- Paula reported that the Selectmen voted to accept the IMA and it will be recorded. --EOY FY24 Commitment- Paula will email the final total to the Commissioners but they need to vote to approve it. Motion: Brett R. Second: Mike M. To approve the EOY FY24 Commitment. Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye, Brett-aye and John-aye. --Public Notification Advertisement- John noted that Paula sent out 2 versions of ads regarding clogs. Paula stated that a ½ page ad is $350 and a full ad $400. John said that the Select Board suggested just saying “Only flush toilet paper” rather than a list of what not to flush. The Commission discussed the ads and John noted that there have been 31 clogs since September, (10 months). Motion: Mike M., Second: Brett R. To have the Sewer Department pay $400 for a full page color ad regarding clogs. Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye, Brett-aye and John-aye. Paula will have it put in the townwide issue. --Manhole Inspections & IFB – Bill said he will be looking at it this week and Paula added that they want to get them down before the cold weather. CTE did inspections at the end of June and they got a lot of good information. Paula is looking at IFBs from other towns to make sure all the specs are right. --Business Manager Report – Billing Software Update – Paula noted that before the upgrade, the billing was a simple procedure. She stated that the consultant-Randy Mercier- came in today and he was very helpful. They can now print a PDF of the bills and can streamline the input process for data from Lunenburg Water. In the midst of doing a refresh on data, the whole system went down. Randy was concerned about who configured the server and questioned why they do not have an on-prem contract. They will work again remotely on Thursday and do the bill test run. Hopefully she can run the bills on Thursday and she and Jane will be able to fold bills on Friday. John suggested that the contract should be a town-wide contract – not just Sewer. Brett said he was glad to hear there has been some progress. Paula thanked Ezekiel (Town Finance) for finding the consultant and John added that Ezekiel understands the pain they have been going through. OLD BUSINESS – Paula noted that they could not get the grant because the new pumps would be too low savings but in October, Green Communities will do another grant process. PUBLIC COMMENT – John announced he will be stepping down from the Commission at the end of August. Paula noted that John has been a valuable volunteer for Sewer Commission and he will be missed. Brett added that he has been a great leader and thanked him for all he has done. Mike said he will be a great loss. John replied that it has been great working with everyone. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES: August 13, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation August 27, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation September 10, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation September 24, 2024 @ 6pm – Regular Meeting, Remote Participation Motion: Brett R. Second: Mike M. To adjourn at 7:04 pm. Roll Call Vote: Mike M.-aye, Brett-aye and John-aye. Respectfully submitted, Jane L. Ranley Minutes Clerk ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-08-14-agenda-6705.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-08-14 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-08-14-agenda-6705.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08142024-6705 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== SEWER COMMISSION AGENDA August 14, 2024 6:00pm Regular Meeting via Remote Participation (Zoom) In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting will be recorded and can be found on the LunenburgAccess YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/LunenburgAccess/videos) within 24 hours of the meeting. This public meeting is being conducted remotely. The following information is also provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please usethis link to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83187249940 or from a telephone, dial the toll free number (888) 475-4499 and enter Webinar ID: 83187249940. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e-mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. 1. 6:00 PM CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. PUBLIC COMMENT 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS 4. CURRENT BUSINESS a. Minutes of 4/30/24 & 6/25/24 – Discussion & Vote b. Sewer Manhole Overflow 8/11/2024 - Discussion c. Sewer Commission Vacancies - Discussion d. Manhole IFB – Discussion/Possible Vote e. Acquisition of Low-Pressure Line Inventory Items – Discussion & Possible Vote f. Q1FY25 Commitment – Discussion & Vote g. Business Manager Report i. Resignation – Hiring & Training of New Business Manager - Discussion ii. Grease Trap Update iii. Munis Software Update 5. OLD BUSINESS 6. PUBLIC COMMENT 7. UPCOMING SCHEDULED SEWER COMMISSION ACTIVITIES August 27, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting September 24, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting September 10, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting October 8, 2024 6 pm Regular Meeting ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-08-14-minutes-6705.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-08-14 KIND : minutes OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-08-14-minutes-6705.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_08142024-6705 ======================================================================================== 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 ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-08-21-agenda-6718.txt BOARD : sewer-commission DATE : 2024-08-21 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/sewer-commission/2024-08-21-agenda-6718.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08212024-6718 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== SEWER COMMISSION AGENDA August 21, 2024 6:00pm Special Meeting via Remote Participation (Zoom) In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting will be recorded and can be found on the LunenburgAccess YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/LunenburgAccess/videos) within 24 hours of the meeting. This public meeting is being conducted remotely. The following information is also provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please usethis link to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7663167607?omn=89867702504 or from a telephone, dial the toll free number (888) 475-4499 and enter Webinar ID: 89867702504. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e-mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. 1. 6:00 PM CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. CURRENT BUSINESS 1. Hiring of New Sewer Business Manager – Discussion & Vote 3. ADJOURNMENT