Municipal Water Authority Meeting Minutes 2013
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
January 2, 2013
Board members present: Debra Hahn, Wally Kane, Dave Cohill & William Hewitt
The meeting held at the Franklin Township Municipal Building was called to order by acting Chairman Wally Kane at 7:00 p.m.
Approval of Reports:
Motion by Hewitt, seconded by Cohill, to approve the December 2012 Minutes. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Hahn seconded by Hewitt, to approve Bill List #12 for 2012. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Hewitt, seconded by Hahn, to approve General Account Report for December. Motion carried unanimously.
Reorganizational Meeting:
It was noted that Wally Kane was reappointed to the Municipal Authority Board for another 4 year term, by the Franklin Township Board of Supervisors, at their December 2012 meeting.
Election of Officers:
Motion by Cohill, seconded by Hewitt, to appoint the following officers for 2013: Chairman Wally Kane, Vice-Chairman William Hewitt, Secretary/Treasurer Debra Hahn, Open Records Officer William Hewitt, Plant Operator Jeremy Davis and Back-up Plant Operator Shannon Trostle. Motion carried unanimously.
Appointed Positions:
Motion by Hewitt, seconded by Hahn, to appoint the following positions for 2013. Motion carried unanimously.
Depository: ACNB
Excavators/Plumbers: D&T Construction
Backup Plumber: Carl Frantz
Testing Agent: Trent Stumbaugh of Negley’s Well Drilling
Solicitor: Robert McQuaide
Accountants: Musselman & Creager
Chemical Supplier: Coyne Chemical
An Engineer was not appointed. Secretary Hahn was advised to get a request for proposal of services/fees from Hill & Associates and Glace Associates, which will be reviewed at the February 2013 meeting.
Dates of Monthly 2013 Board meetings were states as: January 8, February 5, March 5, April 2, May 7, June 4, July 2, August 6, September 3, October 1, November 5 and December 3.
Raises were discussed for both the plant operator/backup operator positions. The following motions were approved: Motion by Hewitt, seconded by Cohill to raise the salary for the plant operator to $3500 a year. Motion carried unanimously. Motion by Kane, seconded by Hewitt to increase the hourly pay for the backup operator to $12.00/hour. Motion carried unanimously.
Chairman Kane advised the 12 samples for the SOC testing had been collected and turned into Trent Stumbaugh in December. Hahn advised she had not seen any test results yet from Stumbaugh.
Kane advised that Jeremy Davis had spoken with Terry Lautenslager, concerning the replacement of trees, on the right-of-way at the Rock Top Plant. Lautenslager advised he was aware that several young trees he had planted had died, and he has plans to replace them, as soon weather permits. Lautenslager had also noted, his plans were to plant ‘decent’ size trees.
Jeremy Davis was not present at the meeting, so no quotes for the purchase of a generator were available to review. Hahn was advised to contact Davis, to remind him to have quotes available for the February meeting to review.
Kane advised that Davis had spoken with the property owner of 997 Old Route 30 and he advised there was already a water pit on the property for the connection to the mobile home. Kane advised that the pit may have to be moved, depending on where the connection to the new construction was planned. He also reinterated that the pit & line placement to the newly constructed home, would have to be installed by the Authority’s plumber, with Schultz absorbing the cost, per the Authority’s Rules & Regulations.
Kane also advised that the water meter located at the property located at 1145 Old Route 30 had finally been replaced.
Hahn advised that she received a phone call from the property owner of 133 Orrtanna Road, requesting that the water be shut off to the property. Presently the house is listed for sale with a realtor, and is not being lived in. Hahn noted there is an outstanding balance due on this water account. She also advised the owner that there would be a $25 shut off and a $25 reconnect fee, for the water to be turned off/on. Kane advised Hahn to contact Davis, to have the water shut off to the property.
Kane advised that the water at 1072 Old Route 30 had been reconnected, due to the realtor’s request, for the inspection being held by a potential home buyer. The $50.00 disconnect/reconnect fee had been collected before the water was reconnected.
Board members reviewed the 2013 Negley contract. It was noted that the costs for services had increased by $720, due to additional water testing required by DEP. Motion by Kane, seconded by Cohill, to accept the 2013 contract. Motion carried unanimously.
Kane noted that he had spoken with Solicitor McQuaide, on the possibility of increasing the Authority’s current water hookup fees. McQuaide advised Kane, that the Authority must justify the need to increase the cost, before the fees could be increased. Hahn was requested to contact Davis, to get an estimate of labor/costs, to install a new hookup, for review at the February meeting.
Board members reviewed the 2012 End of Year Financial report summary. Motion by Kane, seconded by Hewitt to approve the report. Motion carried unanimously.
Board members reviewed and worked on the 2013 Budget worksheet. Hahn will prepare a final Budget sheet for review/approval for the February meeting.
Kane also advised he had talked with L/B Waters, concerning the defective pipe, that caused the explosion at the School Well in 2012. He advised that the Authority needed to pull invoices & labor costs involved, to replace the pipe, to submit to L/B Waters for reimbursement. Board members agreed this needed to be pursued. Kane advised he would plan a meeting with Davis & Hahn, to sort through all invoices from that time period, to come up with a list of expenses for labor/materials, to replace the pipe.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted.
Debra Hahn
Secretary
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
February 5, 2013
Board members present: Debra Hahn, Wally Kane, Joe Sharrah & William Hewitt
Guests present: Jeremy Davis
The meeting held at the Franklin Township Municipal Building was called to order by Chairman Wally Kane at 7:00 p.m.
Approval of Reports:
Motion by Hewitt, seconded by Kane, to approve the January 2013 Minutes. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Hewitt seconded by Sharrah, to approve Bill List #2 for 2013. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Hewitt, seconded by Sharrah, to approve General Account Report for January. Motion carried unanimously.
Hahn presented the Engagement Letter from Musselman & Creager for the yearly 2012 audit of the Authority’s financial statements . Chairman Kane signed the letter, which will be forwarded back to Musselman & Creager.
Members reviewed 2013 Engineering rates for Glace Associates and W.F. Hill Associates. Kane and Hahn expressed their displeasure with Glace Associates performance as the Authority’s engineer over the past year. Motion by Hewitt, seconded by Sharrah to retain the engineering services of W.F. Hill Associates for 2013. Motion carried unanimously. Hahn was directed to send letters to both Glace & W.F. Hill to advise them of the decision.
Kane advised that Trent Stumbaugh had informed him that the next round of testing for the SOC tests would be conducted in March, 2013. He noted that if the Authority passed four tests, it would be good for two years with no additional tests required. Kane requested that Davis purchase a case of bottles for the tests.
Davis presented two quotes for generators. After review of the information, Motion by Hahn, seconded by Hewitt for Davis to proceed with purchasing a Generac 15,000 watt Generator for the price of $2399. Motion carried unanimously.
Hahn advised that the outstanding water invoice for customer located at 129 Orrtanna Road had not been paid. Davis advised he had shut off the water to the property, as the owner had requested. The property is currently listed with a realtor and there are no occupants living in the house. Motion by Sharrah, seconded by Hewitt to request that Solicitor McQuaide prepare and file a Municipal Lien against the property for the unpaid water invoice. Motion carried unanimously. Davis also advised that as soon as weather permitted, the water pit & plumbing inside the pit at this location would need to be repaired, along with placing two new meters in the pit.
Davis was also requested to bring to March’s meeting, estimates of labor/materials to install new water hookups. The Authority will then use this info to see if the standard water hookup fees currently in place, are still covering all costs involved.
Davis also advised that he had submitted his labor costs to LB Water, for the line replacement at the School Well site, that exploded in 2012. He stated that LB Waters was working with the pipe manufacturer to see if the Authority could recoup any of their costs for the material/labor involved for this project. Kane advised he would followup with LB Waters on this, before the March meeting.
Kane also discussed, the need to find a way to have meter pits installed at those homes who currently do not have pits. He did not know if it would be possible to put an ordinance in place, that a meter pit needed to be installed, for any home that was put up for sale. He advised he would discuss the matter with Solicitor McQuaide and bring info back to the March meeting.
Davis advised that the circuit control board at the upper well plant had recently ‘fried’ and needed to be replaced. Randy of Control Systems 21, replaced the board and set the adjustments for the water level in the tank. Davis noted that since the board had been replaced, he noticed that 3,000 to 4,000 less gallons were running through the system. He also noted that the heaters at this plant, were in need of repair/replacement. Currently one heater was not working at all and the other heater needed to manually be set on a daily basis. Kane requested that Davis speak with Control Systems about getting another heater to have on hand as a backup. Davis also advised that the water tank at the plant should really have a padlock placed on the tank top. Kane requested that Davis purchase a lock for the tank.
Davis presented to the Board, a model of the new Sensus I Perl water meter. Davis stated that the model meters that the Authority had been installing, is a discontinued model. The newer model costs approximately $25 more than the older style meters. Davis suggested that any water meters that needed to be replaced, be replaced with the newer style. Davis also advised that the Authority had recently purchased some of the older style meters, to have on hand. Kane suggested that Davis see if L/B Waters would be willing to take the old style meters back, and replace them with the newer style.
Davis also noted that the pipes in the Upper Well House were in need of painting. He advised that the paint on the pipes was coming loose and falling off. He suggested that once the weather broke, that the pipes be sanded and repainted.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted.
Debra Hahn
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
March 5, 2013
Board members present: Debra Hahn, Wally Kane, Joe Sharrah & William Hewitt
Guests present: Jeremy Davis
The meeting held at the Franklin Township Municipal Building was called to order by Chairman Wally Kane at 7:00 p.m.
Approval of Reports:
Motion by Sharrah, seconded by Hewitt, to approve the February 2013 Minutes. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Hewitt seconded by Hahn, to approve Bill List #3 for 2013. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Hewitt, seconded by Sharrah, to approve General Account Report for February. Motion carried unanimously.
Davis advised he was still researching prices on the purchase of a generator. He stated he received an estimate from a local dealer at the Home Builder show. Davis recommended that it might be better to purchase locally, in case service was needed. Kane advised there was a Surplus store located in Harrisburg, that frequently sells used equipment at lower costs. He stated that he and Davis planned to visit the Surplus store before the next meeting, to see if any generators were available at a reasonable cost.
Kane advised he had not received any updates from Trent Stumbaugh on the next round of SOC testing that was to occur in March. Davis did advise that Stumbaugh had dropped of the testing bottles. Kane noted he would followup with Stumbaugh on the testing.
Hahn reported that the Municipal Lien was filed on the property located at 133 Orrtanna Road on February 8, 2013. Amount of lien was $803.00.
Hahn reported that the Municipal Lien filed against the Sowers property, 873 Old Route 30 , on 2/15/12, had not been satisfied at settlement on 8/27/12. Hahn stated that Pat Black Abstracting had requested a final water invoice, which Hahn supplied for settlement. Funds from the settlement were sent to the Authority for the water invoice, but nothing was paid to satisfy the lien. The Abstracting office was contacted and they advised they thought the final water invoice, included the costs to satisfy the lien. After discussing, Hahn, was directed to send a letter to Pat Black Abstracting, copying the current land owner, Jeffrey Bowling and request that the funds be forwarded to the Authority to have the lien satisfied.
Davis reported he did some research and came up with a cost of $3100 for labor and material for a new water hookup. This cost did not involve any boring under the road for installation. Members felt that the boring costs, should be included as an additional, if it was needed to install a new hookup. Davis advised he would contact Taughinbaughs to get an estimate for under road boring. He would then supply a written estimate for labor/costs/boring for new water hookups at the April meeting.
Kane advised he contacted L/B Waters on the status of reimbursement of materials from the explosion at the school well. The contact person at L/B advised there were no updates from the manufacturer as of yet.
Davis noted he was waiting on Randy from Control Systems 21, to supply an estimate on getting a replacement heater for the Rock Top Plant. Kane also asked Davis if the lock had been placed on the water tank. Davis advised no, but he would work on having that done in the new few weeks.
Davis also was requested to be sure to return the recently purchased old style meters back to L/B Waters, and have them replaced with the new Sensus I Pearl water meters.
Discussion was held on the need to update the current Authority Rules & Regulations. Members were each given a set of the regulations to review for updates. Everyone was in agreeance that the document was antiquated and needed to be updated. It was suggested that a one day workshop be planned, to go over the document to make changes. Once members made changes, the document could be reviewed by Ben Shull, engineer and then have Solicitor McQuaide review the final document. Hahn was directed to contact the Pennsylvania Municipal Authority Association to see if they could offer any assistance, in getting a generic blueprint to follow, to update the document.
Kane advised he visited the School well site recently and was concerned about all the equipment, trailers, etc., that was beginning to pile up around the pump house. He stated that he spoke with a gentleman from the construction company and advised him that the plant operator was having trouble getting into the plant, to deliver chemicals. Plus there was a concern of ground/water contamination, due to all the equipment that was sitting over the well. Kane stated that the gentleman was apologetic and advise he would see that he could do, to keep that area cleared away. Kane advised he would be contacting someone at the Gettysburg Area School District, to express his concerns on the situation.
Davis reported that there was a high usage reading on the system on Monday. He was advised by someone on staff at the school, that one of the toilets in the building had been running full force overnight. Approximately 8,000 gallons of water was lost.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Debra Hahn – Secretary
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
April 2, 2013
Board members present: Debra Hahn, Wally Kane, Joe Sharrah
The meeting held at the Franklin Township Municipal Building was called to order by Chairman Wally Kane at 7:00 p.m.
Approval of Reports:
Motion by Sharrah, seconded by Hahn, to approve the March 2013 Minutes. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Hahn seconded by Sharrah , to approve Bill List #4 for 2013. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Kane, seconded by Sharrah, to approve General Account Report for March. Motion carried unanimously.
Kane advised that the next SOC testing would be done in April. Water sample bottles would be given to the same customers who submitted samples for the previous SOC testing.
Kane advised that he and Davis visited the Harrisburg Surplus store and did not find a suitable generator to purchase. He stated the generators there were much larger than what was needed for the Authority. He noted that the Buchanan Valley Fire Department had recently hired a contractor to purchase/install a generator for their facility. He stated he would contact the contractor to get a quote from him, on the purchase of a generator sized for the Authority emergency needs. He would bring quote to May meeting.
It was noted that the funds to have the Municipal Lien released on the Sower’s property, were received from Pat Black Abstracting and the Lien had been satisfied.
Board members are still waiting on a cost to bore under the road from Taughinbaugh’s. Davis, who stopped by briefly before the meeting advised that he talked with Taughinbaugh’s and would bring a written estimate to May’s meeting. This information will be included with Davis’ estimate to install new water hookups, for Board members to review, to see if a new Water Hookup fee needs to be established.
No updates were available from L/B Waters on any reimbursements costs for the explosion at the school well. Kane advised he would follow up with L/B Waters.
It was noted that the heaters/thermostats were repaired at the Rock Top Plant and a lock had been placed on the water tank.
It was also noted that the painting at the Rock Top Plant would hopefully done in June, if the weather cooperated.
Kane suggested that Ben Shull, Engineer and Trent Stumbaugh be invited to attend the May meeting, to meet all Board members. Items to be discussed with them would include upcoming testing and the updating of the Authority’s Rules & Regulations.
Kane also noted that their may be grant money available to the Authority for special projects. Discussion on this would be held at the May meeting.
Members discussed the contract, which was made years ago, with the Gettysburg Area School District, to provide them water at no cost, in exchange for the construction of the well on school property at Franklin Township Elementary. Kane advised he had no luck in finding the original contract in the Authority’s records. Additional research to find the original contract would need to be done, before further discussion could be held on this matter.
Kane advised there were still ongoing issues with the Construction company at the Franklin Township School, with activity surrounding the well & well house area. He stated he talked with the contractor three times and contacted School officials, to express our concerns of heavy equipment running over the well head area and possible contamination of fluids leaking from air conditioner units & vehicles parked in the area. Kane directed Hahn to send a letter to the Contractor and copy to the School District, advising them of the Authority’s concerns.
Hahn advised the Authority had recently received a notice from DEP, that the annual water reporting needed to be logged onto their Greenport website. Hahn contacted DEP and they advised that no reporting had been entered since 2009. Hahn stated she had info to report gallons pumped for 2010 & 2011, but no info for 2012. Kane advised he would contact Davis, to see if he had the 2012 info.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Debra Hahn, Secretary
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
May 7, 2013
Board members present: Debra Hahn, Wally Kane, Joe Sharrah, Dave Cohill, Bill Hewitt
Guests present: Jeremy Davis, Trent Stumbaugh & Ben Shull
The meeting held at the Franklin Township Municipal Building was called to order by Chairman Wally Kane at 7:00 p.m.
Approval of Reports:
Motion by Sharrah, seconded by Hewitt, to approve the April 2013 Minutes. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Hewitt seconded by Hahn, to approve Bill List #5 for 2013. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Hahn, seconded by Hewitt, to approve General Account Report for April. Motion carried unanimously.
Stumbaugh advised that the lead & copper SOC testing had to be performed in May. He advised he would pick up the water samples on May 22. Chairman Kane advised that the bottles for the water samples, would need to be distributed to the customers on May 21.
No info was brought to the meeting on the purchase of a generator. Davis advised he had borrowed the generator from the Township, when the power outage occurred last month. It was used to power the Rock Top Plant, so water service could remain uninterrupted for the customers. He did advise that he had to swap out the plug end of the cord, to fit the receptacle and the Authority would now need to replace the cord on the generator. Kane advised he was still checking on costs for the purchase of a new generator.
Kane advised that he was getting no response from L/B Waters, concerning any reimbursement costs from the manufacturer of the materials used, that exploded at the School Well. Kane requested that Hahn send information to Solicitor McQuaide, to have him prepare a letter to be sent to L/B Waters, concerning the matter.
Davis advised that he had returned all the old style meters to L/B Waters and had them replaced with the newer style.
It was noted that painting at the Rock Top Well, would be performed in June.
Kane discussed the updating of the Authority’s Rules & Regulations with Ben Shull. Kane advised that the Regulations were outdated and needed to be update. Shull advised that he could provide the Authority with a Standard Developer Specifications document, that the Authority could review and tailor fit to their needs. He advised he would see that Jeremy got a printed copy. Shull also advised he would be willing to help the Authority review the Rules & Regulations and help get them updated.
Kane advised that he would like to see the Authority apply for grant money to extend the water lines, or possibly drill a new well, to generate more revenue. Shull advised there was CDBG grant money available now, but the application for the grant needed to be submitted this May. Hewitt advised that the Authority had tried to apply for grant money in 2007 and found that the income survey given to customers, determined the income of the customers was too high, for the Authority to be eligible for the grant monies. Shull noted that CDBG Grant money becomes available every year. It was noted that more research would need to be done over the next year, to see if the Authority would be apply to apply for grant monies. Shull also noted that drilling a new well would be very expensive. He stated he had another client who was installing a well, and the costs were half a million dollars. He also advised if the Water Authority’s area, was within the Susquehanna Basin, the permitting would be costly. Davis thought that the area did not fall within the Basin. He requested that Shull check to see if it did, and get back to the Authority with that information.
Discussion was held on the situation with the Franklin Township Elementary School, getting ‘free treated’ water according to the lease signed between the Water Authority Board and Gettysburg Area School District in 1991. Note: Board member Bill Hewitt excused himself from any discussion on this subject, due to a conflict of interest of his position as a GASD School Board member. Kane advised that he would like to approach the School District, to ask if they would consider working with the Authority, for some compensation for water. Kane noted that the residents of Cashtown were literally paying for free water for all school children living in Franklin Township. It also was noted that additional water was being used now at the school, due to the construction to build additional classrooms. All at no costs to the school district, but additional costs to the Authority to treat the water. Shull asked if the Authority ever kept track of the amount of water pumped, versus water invoiced. Members agreed, this information needed to be collected, before approaching the School District. Kane suggested that a few of the Board members make arrangements to meet with Chief of Buildings & Grounds, Dan Galliday, to discuss the issue with him.
Stumbaugh advised that DEP was going to be looking for an Updated Emergency Response Plan & an updated Operating Maintenance Manual Plan from the Authority. Shull advised he would be willing to help the Authority update the plans and said he could supply the Authority with a new DEP template to modify for the Authority’s needs.
Hahn asked Davis if he was able to find the total number of gallons of water pumped in 2012, to add to the Greenport report, required by DEP. Davis noted he was still looking for the information and would advise when/if it was located.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned @ 8:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Debra Hahn
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
June 4, 2013
Board members present: Debra Hahn, Wally Kane, Joe Sharrah, Dave Cohill,
Guests present: Jeremy Davis
The meeting held at the Franklin Township Municipal Building was called to order by Chairman Wally Kane at 7:00 p.m.
Approval of Reports:
Motion by Sharrah, seconded by Hahn, to approve the May 2013 Minutes. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Hahn seconded by Sharrah, to approve Bill List #6 for 2013. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Sharrah, seconded by Cohill, to approve General Account Report for May. Motion carried unanimously.
Chairman Kane advised that the SOC testing was complete and passed, according to a verbal conversation with Trent Stumbaugh. Written results had not been received yet.
No new information was presented on the purchase of a generator. Both Davis & Kane advised they would gather information to be presented at July’s meeting.
Davis advised he did received pricing from Taughinbaugh for under road boring. Those costs would be presented at the July meeting. Kane noted that these costs would be needed, in order to put together a complete estimate of labor/materials to install new water hookups. Once all costs were on hand, members would review and work towards establishing a new water hook fee.
Kane advised that Chandler of L/B Waters, stated that the pipe from the explosion at the School Well sent to the outside manufacturer, came back not faulty. Chandler advised Kane that he may be able to get a maximum of $1,000 store credit for the Authority, in working an agreement with the sales rep of the pipe company. Kane noted that if the Authority pursued legal action, there were no guarantees that any compensation would be received. MOTION by Hahn, seconded by Sharrah, to accept L/B Waters offer for store credit. Motion carried unanimously. Kane stated he would contact L/B Waters and advise them of the same.
Kane requested that Davis purchase paint needed, to paint the pipes on the inside of the Rock Top Well house. Kane noted that he and Davis would wire brush the pipes and get them painted some time in June. Davis also noted that the chlorine injection port may also need replaced, as it was becoming corroded. Kane said they would wire brush/paint the port to see if it could be cleaned up.
Davis stated that there were approximately four valve boxes that needed to be cleaned out. He also advised that the water blow off located at the school, was completely full of surface water. Kane suggested that Davis contact the Township, to see if they had a Trash pump available, to clean out the blow off.
It was noted that the construction at the school was ongoing and there were few issues with the area surrounding the well head area/pump house. Davis did advise that it was difficult to get into the well house at times, due to construction vehicles being parked around the area. Kane noted followup discussion on the construction status would be discussed at the July meeting.
Davis advised that Ben Shull gave him a copy of the Standard Developer Specifications, for Authority members to review, as a guideline in updating the Authority’s outdated Rules & Regulations. Kane suggested that the document be reviewed in sections by each Board member making notations of suggested changes. Information would then be reviewed at July meeting for that section. Each member was given the first section of the Specifications to review and mark changes.
No new information was available on obtaining grant money for improvements. Kane advised discussion on this would be reviewed at July meeting.
In further discussing the situation with water usage at the School, Hahn advised that 1,204,377 gallons were invoiced the first quarter of 2013. Davis advised that during that time period an additional 200,000 gallons of water ran through the meters. Davis stated that he had done some testing at the school and felt that any low flow water usage, was not being recorded on the water meter. He suggested that a 3” low flow meter be installed at the school. He advised the cost of such a meter would be around $2,000. Kane stated that a meeting needed to be arranged with school officials to discuss the situation of the current agreement with supplying the school with free water. Hahn advised she would be willing to attend the meeting with Kane, but felt the Authority needed to gather additional factual information, before approaching school officials.
Discussion was held on the potential purchase of a wooden shed, to store the Authority’s lawn/grounds maintenance equipment, at the Rock Top Well site. Davis advised he would bring costs of the Amish type wooden sheds, to the July meeting. Discussion was also held on the possibility of the Authority purchasing various piping, supplies, etc., to store in the shed, for use in case of emergency. It was also discussed on clearing an area at the Rock Top Well site, to stock pile various materials, i.e. cold pack, screenings, etc. , to have on hand, in case an emergency situation, so repairs could be made.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Debra Hahn
Secretary
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
July 2, 2013
Board members present: Debra Hahn, Wally Kane, Joe Sharrah
The meeting held at the Franklin Township Municipal Building was called to order by Chairman Wally Kane at 7:00 p.m.
Approval of Reports:
Motion by Sharrah, seconded by Hahn, to approve the June 2013 Minutes. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Sharrah seconded by Hahn, to approve Bill List #7 for 2013. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Hahn, seconded by Sharrah, to approve General Account Report for June. Motion carried unanimously.
Chairman Kane advised that he and Davis were still researching information on the purchase of a generator. Information would be brought to August’s meeting for discussion.
Board was still waiting on costs for under road boring from Taughinbaughs, to complete estimates of labor/material to install new water hookups. Davis to supply this information at August’s meeting.
Kane advised he had left messages with L/B Water’s to followup on the status of reimbursement for materials from the explosion at the school well. He noted his phone calls had not been returned. He would continue to try and get a status update from them.
Painting at the Rock Top Well site had not been completed in June as planned. Kane advised he was hopeful it would be done in July.
Valve box cleaning and the emptying of the water blow off at the school had not been completed. He would be contacting Davis to get an update on when this work would be performed.
There was no new information on the status of the construction activity around the well head/pump house. Hahn noted that it might be best to wait until closer to school starting at the end of August, to review the situation. Members were hopeful by that time, the area would be cleared away of construction materials/equipment.
Due to two Board members not be present at the meeting, Kane tabled the continued discussion until the August meeting, on updating the Rules & Regulations. He did note that Davis advised there was an electronic file available of the sample Standard Developer Specifications received from Ben Shull. Kane requested that Davis find out the cost of obtaining the file, so the Authority could use it to update the Rules/Regulations.
Kane advised that he spoke with Shull about obtaining grant monies. Shull stated that there was $200,000 of grant monies not claimed. Kane suggested that the Authority apply for these monies to possibly extend the water line. Kane noted he would gather additional information from Shull on the subject.
Kane noted he would be contacting Gettysburg School District officials, to set up a meeting to discuss water usage at the school and the no charge of water being used at the school. He stated that he and Davis were gathering information for the meeting.
Hahn advised that the Authority was in need of purchasing a copier/scanner. She offered to get quotes/information for the August meeting for discussion.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p .m.
Respectfully submitted,
Debra Hahn
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
August 6, 2013
Board members present: Debra Hahn, Wally Kane, Joe Sharrah, Dave Cohill & Bill Hewitt.
Also present: Jeremy Davis, Plant Operator
The meeting held at the Franklin Township Municipal Building was called to order by Chairman Wally Kane at 7:00 p.m.
Approval of Reports:
Motion by Sharrah, seconded by Cohill, to approve the July 2013 Minutes. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Kane seconded by Hewitt, to approve Bill List #8 for 2013. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Hewitt, seconded by Sharrah, to approve General Account Report for July. Motion carried unanimously.
Davis advised his research on purchasing a generator, resulted in finding an 8000 watt Generac generator for $1500. He noted that the generator had an electric start. He felt that a generator this size, would be sufficient for the Authority’s needs, in case of an electrical outage. He also advised a price on a wooden, stick built building, 10 x 14 for $1560.
Kane stated that the Authority needed to start to stockpile supplies, i.e. piping, fittings, etc., and also needed a place to store equipment. Davis advised that currently, the Authority’s supplies were being stored in his own personal business shop.
MOTION by Sharrah, seconded by Cohill, for Davis to make arrangements to purchase the generator/building and to prepare the foundation to install building. Motion unanimously approved.
Davis advised he did receive the costs for under road boring from Taughinbaughs. He stated that the costs were so much a foot. He would bring the costs to the September meeting for review. Once these costs are on hand, the Authority would be able to compile a complete estimate of labor/material to install new water hookups.
Kane advised he still had not received any commitment from L/B Waters for any damage reimbursement from the line blowing apart at the Rock Top well. He stated he would have time in two weeks to personally visit L/B Waters, to speak face to face with the appropriate parties making the decision on any reimbursement.
Kane advised that he was hopeful that the painting at the Rock Top Well house, would be done in the month of August. He requested that Davis get the paint purchased. He advised Board members that anyone was welcome to come and help with this task.
Kane also noted that he would be working with Davis to get the valve box cleaned out and empty the water blow off at the school, over the next few weeks.
Members discussed the construction/remodeling at the school. It was noted that the construction area should be cleared of equipment and trailers by the start of school by August 22.
Kane advised that Ben Shull of Wm Hill & Associates, had recently left his position with the engineering firm. Shull had been communicating with Kane, on the possibility of obtaining grant money for Authority approvements. Kane advised this subject would need to be tabled for now, until he was able to speak with Shull’s replacement.
Kane noted that he was still planning to met with the Gettysburg Area School District, along with Hahn & Davis, to see if some kind of an agreement could be made, for the school to help pay for water usage. Hahn handed out information on how much water was used at the school, since 2010, according to meter readings. It was noted by Davis however, that the meter at the school, did not register low volume usage. So the meter readings are not a true picture of the total amount of water used. Kane was hopeful that a meeting could be scheduled with school officials in the near future to discuss.
Kane discussed the ongoing need to update the Authority’s outdated rules & regulations. Davis advised he did obtain an electronic file of a sample Standard Developer Specifications document for the Authority to use as a base to compile their own set of rules/regulations. Board members were given copies of the Specifications. Kane suggested that each member review the copy and mark up any suggested changes and bring the information back for the September meeting for review.
Davis advised that the meter pit needing to be installed at 348 High Street, was not complete yet. Davis was instructed to get the meter pit done and the meter of customer Wetzel, 996 Old Route 30 replaced or repaired, as soon as possible.
Davis also advised the sporadic water leak was continuing somewhere within the system. Kane noted there was no visible evidence of the location of the leak. He advised they needed to get some professional help in trying to locate the leak. Hahn stated she would check with the Rural Water Association to see if they could offer assistance with this issue.
There being no further discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Debra Hahn
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
September 3, 2013
Board members present: Debra Hahn, Wally Kane & Dave Cohill
Also present: Jeremy Davis, Plant Operator
The meeting held at the Franklin Township Municipal Building was called to order by Chairman Wally Kane at 7:00 p.m.
Approval of Reports:
Motion by Cohill, seconded by Hahn, to approve the August 2013 Minutes. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Hahn seconded by Cohill, to approve Bill List #9 for 2013. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Hahn, seconded by Cohill, to approve General Account Report for August. Motion carried unanimously.
Davis presented the invoice for the purchase of the generator to the Board. The cost of the generator was $1500.
Davis also advised he received a cost of $40 per foot, for under the road boring from Taughinbaughs. Kane advised this was the last bit of information the Board needed to compile an updated price list for a proposed new water hookup fee. Kane requested that Hahn get all pricing together to present to the Board at the October meeting.
Kane advised he had made repeated attempts to obtain an answer from L/B Waters on reimbursement of labor/materials from the school well explosion. To date, he had received no commitment from them. It was the consensus of the Board to let the matter drop and move on.
Kane advised that the painting at the Rock Top Well site had not been completed yet. He made a request for Davis to purchase a gallon of paint, so the painting could be done before the October meeting.
Davis advised that he had not had a chance to clean the valve boxes & empty the water blow-off at the school. He noted these tasks would be completed by the October meeting.
Hahn advised she was not able to locate a copy of the Emergency Road Boring Permit. Kane suggested that may be the permit was being held in the School Pump House. Davis advised he would look for the permit and report back to Kane whether it had been located.
Kane advised that a water leak had been found in the area of Edward’s Court. The leak had been repaired, but Davis still felt that there was another slight leak somewhere. Kane stated that a resident of Edward’s Court had told the Authority that she had noticed water coming up to the service, in the area of the leak. Kane suggested that the Authority put the word out to customer’s that if they notice any suspicious wet areas within the service area to contact the Authority immediately. He thought if the Authority would offer a reward for anyone reporting a genuine leak, it might make customers more apt to report a leak. MOTION by Kane, seconded by Cohill to offer a reward of $100 to anyone who reported a leak, which would involve repairs to correct. Motion carried unanimously.
In other business, Hahn handed out packets of the balance of the sample Rules & Regulations to Board members & Davis. Kane requested that everyone review the document, note changes and bring suggested changes to the October meeting. At that time the changes would be reviewed and studied.
Kane also advised he had made numerous attempts to speak with someone from the Gettysburg Area School District, to set up a meeting to discuss the School water usage. To date, he had not been given a return call. He noted he would continue to contact someone concerning this matter.
Hahn asked Davis if the meter pit at 328 High Street had been installed yet. Davis stated he was hopeful to get the pit installed before the October meeting.
Hahn also asked Davis if he was able to provide water usage information from both wells, so the DEP Greenport water usage report could be completed for 2012 & the first half of 2013. Davis supplied usage info for the second half of 2012 & the first half of 2013. It was again noted that no usage reports could not be located for the first half of 2012, due to the untimely death of the plant operator, Robert Cullison.
Davis advised the Board that he recently discovered that the valve box located at 781 Old Route 30 had recently been covered up with blacktop. Using a metal detector, he was able to locate the box and have it exposed. Kane advised that the labor costs for Davis to perform this task, would need to be forwarded on to the homeowners. He requested that Hahn send the owners an invoice for $100 for the work.
Davis also reported that he was working on getting the pad in place at the Rock Top Well Site for the 10’ x 16’ shed the Authority was purchasing, to house supplies. He was hopeful to have the pad in place by the October meeting.
Davis also requested that the Board give him some monetary consideration, when he had to use his own personal water pumps, to perform repair work for the Authority. He noted that going forward he would be adding charges for use of his pumps, on the invoice for the job.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjoured at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted
Debra Hahn
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
October 1, 2013
Board members present: Debra Hahn, Wally Kane, William Hewitt, Joe Sharrah & Dave Cohill
Also present: Jeremy Davis, Plant Operator
The meeting held at the Franklin Township Municipal Building was called to order by Chairman Wally Kane at 7:00 p.m.
Approval of Reports:
Motion by Hewitt, seconded by Cohill, to approve the September 3, 2013 Minutes. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Sharrah, seconded by Hewitt, to approve Bill List #10 for 2013. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Cohill, seconded by Hewitt , to approve General Account Report for September. Motion carried unanimously.
Board members reviewed the proposed costs of new water hookup fees. Davis had advised labor/materials to do a new water hookup would be approximately $3100. If under road boring was needed to install the hookup, a cost of $40 per foot, was quoted by Taughinbaughs. MOTION by Hewitt, seconded by Kane, to increase the fee of new water hook up fees to $3100 with an additional $40 per foot, if under road boring was needed. Motion carried unanimously. Kane advised he would contact Solicitor McQuaide to find out what further requirements were needed in approving this increase.
Kane advised that neither he nor Davis were successful in getting a commitment out of L/B Waters for any type of reimbursement for the school well explosion. Kane stated he was going to be contacting L/B Water’s main office, to request that an answer be given to the Authority, one way or the other, whether any reimbursement would be considered.
Davis advised he had purchased the paint to do the painting at the Rock Top Well House. Kane noted that the painting would be done by the November meeting.
Davis advised the valve box cleaning & emptying of the water blow off at the school would also be completed by the November meeting.
It was stated by Davis, that he was not able to locate a copy of the Road Boring permit issued by the state. Kane offer to contact DOT to see if they could send the Authority a copy or apply for a new permit.
Hahn advised she would be placing a note on the October water invoices, advising of a reward to any customer who reported a valid leak within the water system. She also noted she would place a sign at the Cashtown Post office advising the same.
Members discussed the pending updates of the current Rules & Regulations. Davis noted that one change to the regulations would be needed, to change piping to C2S, instead of copper. It was also noted that the document needed to contain references to charges for water & water hookup fees. Kane advised that further discussion would need to be held to add these items, before the Board voted to adopt the revised Rules & Regulations document.
Kane advised he had not heard back from Gettysburg School District officials, on setting up a meeting with them to discuss School water usage and the request to invoice for water. He stated he would contact them again and demand a meeting.
Davis advised that the meter at 328 High Street was replaced on 10/1. He stated that the water pit needing to be installed at this location, would be done by the November meeting.
Davis advised that the cement pad had been installed at the Rock Top Well site, in anticipation of the placement of the new storage building. MOTION by Hewitt, seconded by Hahn, to pay the invoice for the building in full, in the amount of $1540.00. Motion carried unanimously.
Davis also advised that when DEP did their inspection of both wells, they had requested that each well have standards for the readers. Davis noted he had ordered a new Chemical reader for the Rock Top well. Kane advised Davis to also purchase a new Chemical reader for the School Well.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Debra Hahn
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
November 5, 2013
Board members present: Debra Hahn, Wally Kane, William Hewitt, Joe Sharrah.
Also present: Randy Bailey, Engineer of Wm Hill Associates & Solicitor Bob McQuaide
The meeting held at the Franklin Township Municipal Building was called to order by Chairman Wally Kane at 7:00 p.m.
Approval of Reports:
Motion by Hewitt, seconded by Sharrah, to approve the October 1, 2013 Minutes. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Sharrah, seconded by Hewitt, to approve Bill List #11 for 2013. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Hewitt, seconded by Hahn , to approve General Account Report for October. Motion carried unanimously.
Solicitor McQuaide addressed the Board on additional requirements needed, before the Board could officially increase the water hookup fee. McQuaide advised there are statutes that govern Authorities on how much than can charge for the fee. Historical costs & data needed to be reviewed and a formula derived from those costs, which would set the hook up fee. Bailey advised he would do the research needed to finish out the process of setting the fee.
Kane advised that he had again contacted Chandler at L/B Waters to demand some kind of compensation for the equipment failure/blow up at the School Well house. Kane was hoping for at least $1,000 compensation. Kane stated that Chandler, verbally agreed to give a credit of $600 – $800 on future purchases from L/B to compensate the Authority for their losses.
Kane also updated Bailey on where they stood with getting the outdated Rules & Regulations updated. Kane noted that the Board was waiting on additional information from Jeremy Davis on pipe/material specifications. Bailey advised he would review the current Rules & Regulations, along with the sample Rules & Regulations that Ben Shull had given to the Board.
Kane advised that the paint had been purchased for the Rock Top Well house, but the painting had not been completed yet. He also advised he did not receive any updates from Davis as to whether or not the valve box cleaning or the emptying of the water blow off at the school had been completed. Or word on whether or not a meter pit had been installed at 328 High Street (Young property).
Kane advised he contacted the PA Dept of Transportation, regarding the Authority’s Road Boring Permit. Staff there advised they would send the Authority a copy of the permit.
Kane announced that an appointment had been scheduled for Wednesday, 11/6, for Davis, Hahn and himself to meet with Dan Golliday, Director of Buildings & Grounds for the Gettysburg School District. He advised that the group would meet with Mr. Golliday, to request the 99 year agreement between the Authority and the School District, to provide the Franklin Township school with free water, in exchange for drilling the well on School property.
Discussion was held on the School usage. Davis suggested that a low meter usage be installed at the school. Bailey advised that if the water meter was over 20 years old, it should be replaced.
Hahn advised she had sent a second invoice to the property owners @ 781 Old Route 30, for costs incurred by the Authority to uncover the blacktopped over valve box. She advised that she received no communication from the property owners, after the first invoice for $100 was sent.
Kane advised that the cement pad for the storage building at the Rock Top Well site had been poured. He also noted that the recently purchase storage building had been delivered to the site.
Kane also noted that the purchase of a new Chemical reader for the School Well, had been put on hold. He stated that the usage at the school well was down and appeared to be returning to normal usage.
Hahn advised that her term on the Authority Board would expire 12/31/13. She requested that if anyone knew of someone who would be interested in serving on the Board, she would be willing to let them take her place on the Board. But if no one was interested, she stated she would be willing to serve another term.
Board members reviewed the audit letter sent by Musselman & Creager for the 2012 audit. It was noted in the audit results that only two deficiencies had been found. One deficiency was one check for repairs only had one signature, when two signatures were required. The other deficiency was there was no separate invoice or payment for the treasurers’ surety bond coverage for the policy period October 30, 2012 to October 30, 2013. Hahn advised she would contact Hockley & O’Donnell, concerning the matter.
McQuaide advised that the Authority was required by law to post a long form of the audit results, in the Gettysburg Times. Hahn advised she would submit the long form ad to the Times for publication.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 7:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Debra Hahn
Secretary
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
December 3, 2013
Board members present: Debra Hahn, Wally Kane, Dave Cohill, Joe Sharrah.
Also present: Dick Sharrah
The meeting held at the Franklin Township Municipal Building was called to order by Chairman Wally Kane at 7:00 p.m.
Approval of Reports:
Motion by Sharrah, seconded by Hahn, to approve the November 2013 Minutes. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Sharrah, seconded by Cohill to approve Bill List #12 for 2013. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Cohill, seconded by Sharrah , to approve General Account Report for November. Motion carried unanimously.
Kane advised he had spoken with Randy Bailey of Wm Hill & Associates and advised him that the Authority was going to table the proposed increase of the water hookup fee and the proposed updates on the Rules & Regulations, until February, 2014.
Kane stated that the painting of the Rock Top Well house did not get done, but would need to wait now, until warmer weather to be completed. He also advised he did not know if Davis had a chance to clean the valve box, or empty the school water blow off. He noted he would check with Davis on the status.
Kane advised he would follow up with the Pa Dept of Transportation on the copy of the Road Boring Permit that was to be sent to the Authority, last month and was not received.
Kane gave an update on the meeting that he, Hahn & Davis attended on November 6, with Gettysburg Area School District’s Business Manager, Brad Hunt & Director of Buildings & Grounds, Dan Golliday. Kane stated that the Authority was looking to find some relief, from the 99 year lease, signed in 1991, in providing free water to the school, in exchange for having the well operation on school property. Lots of discussion was held, but School officials did not offer any help, in working with the Authority to possibly cancel the lease. Board members felt the Authority should possibly look to some outside legal advice, to see if anything could be done.
Along with the same subject, Kane did note during the meeting with the school officials, that the Authority would like to install a low usage meter at the school, so all water being used, could be recorded. School officials advised that would be acceptable, but the Authority would need to pay the costs of the meter and its installation as outlined in the Lease Agreement. Kane noted during this Board meeting, that the purchase and installing of a low usage meter at the school, was going to be put on hold for now.
It was noted again, that Hahn’s term on the Water Authority Board would expire at the end of 2013. At present, the Authority was not able to find anyone who was willing to serve on the Board to replace her term. Hahn advised she would be willing to serve another term.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 7:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Debra Hahn
Secretary