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MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE
Members Present: Thomas
R. Augostini, Chairman
Eugene
Hulbert, Vice Chairman
Thomas Dellapenna, Jr.
Kenneth
Kinsman
Also Present: Kenneth Helisek, Esq., Co-Counsel
Robert C. Murphy, Esq., Co-Counsel
John
Perticone, Esq., Co-Counsel
Catherine P.
Aingworth, Interim Superintendent
Beverly J.
Palmer, Fiscal Officer - ABSENT
John
Cox, Fiscal Officer - ABSENT
Michele Cuevas, Confidential Secretary
Kathleen
C. Carney, Transcriptionist
Guests: Bob Bennett, Engineer,
John LaGorga, Stearns & Wheler
Howard LaFever, Stearns & Wheler
Arthur Van Gelder,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chairman
Tom Augostini called the meeting to order at
PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR
Stearns
& Wheler – John LaGorga
Lime
Stabilization
John
LaGorga reported that the lime stabilization silo has been installed. The interior of the centrifuge room and the
truck bay remain to be completed. Due to
a natural gas leak in the truck bay, the floor was torn up and has been
repaired and new concrete poured. The
motor problems that were delaying the start up of the centrifuges have been
resolved. The centrifuges are being
performance tested; the acceptance tests have not been performed yet. The acceptance test is a six‑hour
continuous test, it is contingent upon the ability to have continuous sludge
flow. The interior construction work has
been delayed until
Pre-Treatment
Program
Stearns
& Wheler has completed the annual sampling for the industries. There are two outstanding issues, one
concerns work being done at Frito Lay where the sanitary system is being
impacted by infiltration and inflow and is backing up into the Frito Lay
treatment process. (The back up is in
the
Interim
Superintendent Aingworth explained that she is requesting prints for all areas
served so Plant management can have an idea of where flows are coming
from.
Mr.
Hulbert explained that as the Plant's engineer (Stearns & Wheler) addressed
a report indicating there may be problems with the
Chairman
Augostini felt the Plant Management or Board should make a request to the Town
of
Mr.
LaGorga advised approaching the issue from the Board explaining that Frito Lay
has no bypass in the treatment process, which affects the Plant's
treatment. It can also be addressed from
the City of
Chairman
Augostini asked Mr. LaGorga to draft a letter to Frito Lay, copying the DEC,
for Interim Superintendent Aingworth's signature, expressing the Plant/Board's
concern with this situation.
Stearns
& Wheler proposed conducting an energy audit at the Plant. The proposal for the energy audit is not
prepared at this point. The first step
in this proposal process would be to meet with NYSERDA on site. They would then conduct a planning meeting
in January at the treatment plant. He
indicated that Interim Superintendent Aingworth and a Board representative
should be present at that meeting. From
that meeting, they will highlight areas of potential energy savings and present
a proposal to the Board.
Stearns
& Wheler provided the Board with a proposal for additional services related
to the Pre-Treatment Program. The
proposal would include preparing a status of the current Pre-Treatment Program,
comparing it with the minimum requirements by law and also comparing it with a
benchmark/role model site. It would also
include assisting the Board in modifying the rules and regulations relating to
the use of the treatment Plant, changing the local limits, adding hospitals and
dental offices to the Pre-Treatment Program, developing a waste hauling program
and establishing standards for fats, oils and grease (FOG).
Chairman
Augostini asked for time for the Board to review the proposal.
Chairman
Augostini asked for an update on Wilson Electroplaters. The owner of Wilson Electroplaters has
died. Stearns & Wheler has sent a
letter to the owner's daughter, (who is helping run the business), indicating
they will contact her in one month's time to discuss correcting the
situation. Michele Cuevas indicated that
the daughter has contacted the Plant and is more than willing to sit down and
work on a remedy.
Michele
Cuevas requested water usage information for the
Construction
Progress
Mr.
Van Gelder provided an update on the current contracts:
Contract
1 has been receiving the damaged parts from the June 2006 flooding. IDI is working with Faulter (contract 3A) and
Matco (contract 3B) to get those parts removed and reinstalled. They will be discussing with Bob Bennett
conducting multiple contract closures at once on the smaller contracts. They will be looking at multiple
warranty/guarantee periods due to the June floods.
Pumps:
TPS: Pumps are
being expedited for TPS as the size of the pumps are smaller and the cost is
about $3,000-$4,000 to expedite. TPS
will have two pumps delivered
Headhouse: It is not
economically feasible to expedite two headhouse pumps as is being done for
TPS. The cost is $15,000 per pump at the
headhouse and expediting them would only gain three weeks. As it stands right now, the headhouse pumps
will be on site by late February or mid-March.
Much
of the restoration is done. Finishing
work, striping, windows and doors are being installed.
Contract
4:
There has been small delay in the boilers. The boilers for the digester complex are
expected by the middle of January.
The
engineers have asked Mr. Van Gelder to discuss the Hazard Mitigation Plan. The Plan will be completed by the end of this
week and will be ready for review and submittal to FEMA.
SEMO
for Contract 1 is completed and is being used to write the PWs for Contract
1.
A
letter was drafted to Bob Bennett on November 29 regarding the consent
orders. That letter was sent to Steve
Eidt and
Centrifuge
training is being conducted and is progressing well.
Mr.
Hulbert asked about the status of the baffles.
Mr. Van Gelder responded that baffle design is in final review by Bob
Palladine. The design is complete and
the paperwork is ready to go out pending Bob's final review. All 10 tanks have been inspected.
Chairman
Augostini will ask Bob Palladine for a status and schedule for the baffle
installation.
Chairman
Augostini informed the Board that he reviewed
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
As there was not a quorum at the
FISCAL OFFICER'S REPORT
Chairman Augostini presented a Fiscal Officer's report,
dated
Mr.
Kinsman made a motion to accept the Fiscal Officer's report as presented. Second by Mr. Hulbert.
Motion
carried: 4ayes
0 nay
2 vacancies
BOARD LISTING
Chairman
Augostini presented a Board listing of $231,307.59.
Chairman
Augostini asked Michele Cuevas to break out all flood data from the board
listings. Michele indicated that the
flood issues are listed at the end of the Board Listing.
Interim
Superintendent Aingworth reported that the flood cleanup and emergency repairs
are coming to an end. She estimated that
a rough estimate for flood cleanup and emergency repairs is $680,000.00.
Mr.
Dellapenna made a motion to approve and pay the Board Listing totaling
$231,307.59. Second by Mr. Kinsman.
Motion
carried: 4 ayes
0 nay
2 vacancies
It
was agreed that for the future the Board Listing would be presented in a sorted
list.
CORRESPONDENCE
Interim
Superintendent Aingworth noted routine Pre-Treatment Program letters.
Stearns
& Wheler drafted a letter on behalf of Interim Superintendent Aingworth to
Binghamton University which made mention of the plan to have a more aggressive
FOG program and asked for their cooperation.
Interim Superintendent Aingworth indicated they would like to incorporate
that with other Pre-Treatment users and restaurants.
Interim
Superintendent Aingworth indicated a letter notifying the Plant that Monadnock
is shutting down operations. They were a
problem from a BOD and TSS standpoint.
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT
Violations, Complaints
& Significant Problems
·
Urgent repairs to the Johnson City Pump Station and
Binghamton Main Pumps are pending.
Johnson City Pump Station has severe damage to pumps, shafts and inline
channel grinders. Pump #2 is
nonfunctional. The
·
FEMA is awaiting project work sheet authorization. Interim Superintendent Aingworth will contact
co-counsel once she receives the draft from Mr. Palladine. She would like to sign the work sheet
authorization next week.
·
There continues to be a controlled burn in the compost
bioreactor. Plant personnel monitor
temperatures daily and apply nitrogen to control the temperature of the fire.
Interim Superintendent Aingworth is meeting with the insurance agent on Friday
regarding the compost facility.
Compliance
·
The effluent suspended solids, BOD and iron limits were met
in November.
·
Influent suspended solids were 118, and effluent suspended
solids were 33, which is an average 75% removal. Current effluent limits for suspended solids
are 53. Influent BOD was 122 and
effluent BOD was 73, which is an average 40% removal. The effluent BOD limit is 132.
Personnel
·
Pending: Informational request from
Civil Service regarding title changes.
·
Continuing: Management personnel continue meeting with consultant Jack
Bills
·
Continuing: Labor Management
meetings to discuss new management initiatives, including scheduling and
training.
·
New: Guidance policy for
employee educational reimbursement.
·
New: Flex schedules (12
hour shifts) for operators and shift supervisors are being considered.
·
Board policy regarding residency clarification is requested.
The Board discussed the
residency requirements for employees.
Co-counsel(s) Helisek and
Perticone reviewed the agreement and determined that any new employees must be
a resident of either party (
Co-counsel Helisek
recommended that Johnson City submit a proposal to the City of Binghamton
asking what portions of the Inter-Municipal Agreement should be amended now as
well as indicating what portions Johnson City would like amended. It is agreed that the entire agreement should
be changed, but do not have time now to amend the entire agreement.
It was decided that
Chairman Augostini would ask Mayor Lewis to frame the issues that
Compost
Facility
·
Continuing: The compost bioreactor
continues a controlled burn.
Operational
Issues
·
Ten out of ten settling tanks are
on line.
·
Request collection system prints
from areas we serve. We had sets that
were damaged in the flood. Interim
Superintendent Aingworth will make this request.
·
Emergency repairs to the gas line
because of a gas leak in the filter building needed to be made the last week of
November.
Digesters
·
Number 3 digester is currently working to stabilize
solids.
Centrifuges
·
The
·
We are working with
·
Work for the lime upgrade equipment has begun.
Influent
Pumps
·
Pending: Corrective action is being
planned through C & S Engineers and lead agency, the
Primary Tanks
·
We are in chemical precipitation and primary settling only
mode with tanks 1-10 on line.
Industrial Pretreatment
Program
·
Continuing: Stearns & Wheler is
assisting our staff with the Industrial Pretreatment Program.
·
Monadnock (*formerly known as Landers) has ceased production
and moved their facility to
Plant Business
·
The Plant Interim Superintendent has been invited to give a
presentation at the New York Water Environment meeting in February 2007
regarding our experiences with the June 2006 flood.
·
The Plant has been contacted by Stearns & Wheler
regarding the County study of wastewater treatment plants and capacity.
·
Plant personnel are soliciting information and quotes
pertaining to safety programs and equipment.
Recommended Board Actions
·
Consider a website for the Plant.
·
Request permission for Catherine Aingworth to attend the
February NYWEA meeting in
·
Request prints of collection systems from the municipalities
we serve.
·
Recommendation regarding FEMA project worksheets.
Contract 3 – BAF's
·
Work is in progress.
·
Jack Gaasch, the New York Grade 4 operator
consultant for IDI has made site visits to the Plant and we are beginning to
coordinate the start up plan for the BAFs with him.
·
Plant personnel have had meetings with IDI and
C&S regarding start up plans.
Contract 4 – Solids
Handling
Work is in
progress.
Motion made by
Mr. Kinsman granting permission for Interim Superintendent Aingworth to attend
the NYWEA Conference in New York City from February 5 through February 7,
2007. All customary and reasonable
expenses will be reimbursed. Second by
Mr. Hulbert.
Motion
carried: 4 ayes
0 nay
2 vacancies
Interim
Superintendent Aingworth reviewed with the Board the union agreement for the
Building Maintenance Helper. She
explained there was some confusion regarding what the starting and base salary
would be for this position. The newly accepted union agreement will
supercede the
BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS
The
Personnel Committee worked developing the new union contract.
OLD BUSINESS
There
was no old business.
NEW BUSINESS
Chairman
Augostini invited the Board to the Plant Holiday Party to be held at Red's
Kettle Inn on
Interim
Superintendent Aingworth asked that consideration be given again for a website
for the Plant. Chairman Augostini asked
Interim Superintendent Aingworth to contact Donna McCue of McCue Advertising
(who had previously provided information regarding public relations/website
development) and ask her to attend a future meeting.
Chairman
Augostini asked for nominations for Vice Chairman for 2007. (Mr. Hulbert is Chairman for the 2007
year).
Motion
by Mr. Dellapenna to nominate Mr. Kinsman as Vice Chairman for the Joint Sewage
Board for 2007. Second by Mr.
Hulbert.
Motion
carried: 4 ayes
0 nay
2 vacancies
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Motion
by Mr. Kinsman to enter Executive Session at
Motion
carried: 4 ayes
0 nay
2 vacancies
Motion
by Mr. Kinsman to exit Executive Session at
Motion
carried: 4 ayes
0 nay
2 vacancies
Chairman
Augostini asked for a motion to ratify the tentative union contract between the
Joint Sewage Board and CSEA through
Motion
by Mr. Kinsman to ratify the tentative union contract between the Joint Sewage
Board and CSEA through
Motion
carried: 4 ayes
0 nay
2 vacancies
A resolution must be made adopting 41J. Chairman Augostini will have that information available for the January 2007 meeting.
Mr. Hulbert thanked Mr. Richardson, Attorney Murphy, Mr. Abbott and the personnel committee for their work ratifying the union contact.
Chairman
Augostini will forward the new agreement to all Board members.
Chairman
Augostini noted that co-counsel J. Perticone is on vacation from
ADJOURNMENT
Motion
by Mr. Dellapenna to adjourn at
Motion
carried: 4 ayes
0 nay
2 vacancies
The next regularly scheduled meeting is scheduled for
TIME & PLACE OF NEXT BOARD
MEETINGS
City Clerk's Conference
Room, City of
Respectfully submitted,
Kathleen C. Carney
Transcriptionist
Mayor Ryan, City of
Mayor Lewis,
Kenneth P. Helisek, Esq.
Robert C. Murphy, Esq.
John L. Perticone, Esq.
John Cox, Deputy Comptroller
Catherine Aingworth, Acting Superintendent
City of
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