Water.battleground.in.gov



BATTLE GROUNDCONSERVANCY DISTRICT MEETINGMay 20, 2020Attendance: Directors present were Chairman Andrea Agree, Philip Baer, Pam Gramelspacher, Steve Hancook and Carol Watson. Also present: Dan Gemmecke (Superintendent), Georgia Jones (Financial Clerk). Ron Holladay was absent.Guests: Steve Egly, Ron Evans, Bill Jones, Joe Kline, Buffy RogersAdditions to the Agenda - Ron Evans submitted requests and the chairman will address them during the course of the meeting. The questions relative to Interlocal Agreement may be premature at this stage of consideration. Chairman CommentsRecently there was an uptick in consumer comments on NextDoor social media. Andrea asked the billing office for a count of individuals who called the Utility Office for assistance or to register a complaint. So far, none of those on social media took time to get the Superintendent involved. Water Superintendent ReportDan Gemmecke reported that the historic town has experienced some cloudy water attributed to the greater water pressure from the new tower plus a fire department pump test at the Intermediate School. The water draw acts like a hydrant flush however the effect can be mitigated and the department will contact Dan prior to future tests. Bill Jones, township trustee, commented that the Fire Department apologizes for customer experience and has changed their testing method going forward. Some water complaints are associated with the recent spring hydrant flush. The Ora-Cle has been working and the greater pressure is now clearing service lines in addition to the mains. Two meter transmitters were replaced and chemical pumps were rebuilt and installed. The tower project punch list is further along but there are still a couple items to work on. The IDEM Sanitary Survey was completed in February, and outlined some minor deficiencies as well as a few recommendations. Items deemed most critical were completed in March. The Conservancy response was submitted April 1. Dan has been in contact with the department. He is working on specifications for Tower #2 cleaning/painting project bid. Dan offered that Ron Evans could contact him about specific questions related to the survey. The remaining items will be handled as COVID-19 restrictions allow. Dan would like customers who experience an off color or odor in the water to contact the office for investigation. This data is important to track. There is no known reason for water to have the reported “fish” odor, stated on social media, at the system level. Andrea commented that there is a call log in place to track consumer issues and customers do need to inform the Operator rather than social media to get a resolution to their issue. Recently it was confirmed for one resident that their own residential system was responsible for higher iron content and color in their water. This is not uncommon, and consumers often are unaware how their system can affect their water. Recent comments on social media appear to consist of legitimate complaints as well as negative comments about the rates or the Conservancy in general. Methods to improve consumer education were discussed. Creating more awareness about residential infrastructure may help resolve some issues. Financial ClerkMotion by Steve Hancook to approve minutes of the April 15 meeting. Second of Pam Gramelspacher, motion carried.5 Aye, 0 Nay.Motion by Carol Watson to approve the register of claims April 16 to May 20. Second of Steve Hancook, motion carried. 5 Aye, 0 Nay.Steve Hancook asked about signing the documents that have been approved during teleconference meetings. At some point in the future, each director will come to town hall and sign the documents they approved, whether at a meeting or an arranged time as individuals. The appropriation and fund reports were distributed. There is $336,843.21 in the operating fund (separate from investments) and $42,800.00 in maintenance reserve. Steve Hancook observed that the overtime budget is nearly expended. It is anticipated that a second employee would be added this year which would help reduce overtime. Carol Watson commented that active search is underway. Dan responded to a break on Main Street that required a significant expense in overtime. That break was due to ground shift resulting from weather conditions. It was difficult to locate due to the presence of other utilities. Buffy Rogers asked if the sidewalk would be repaired at the break location. Soil has washed out under the sidewalk at 207 Main. Dan said the water from the repair site was not near a sidewalk and went into the sewer. He will take a look at the location to verify. Old BusinessDevelopment Guide – Dan Gemmecke said he has started the section for water concerns, to be included with the work from BFS. Customer Call Log – Tracking continues to log customer issues. As discussed previously, it is important that customers call in and not expect resolution from social media.HR Manual – Carol Watson needs the final draft after all edits were made. Andrea has a copy from late January that she will provide to Carol. The final will be shared with the town council.New BusinessInterlocal Agreement – At a previous meeting it was discussed to have a resolution or document of joint agreements between the Council and Conservancy. Attorney Eric Burns suggested using an Interlocal Agreement. The Interlocal identifies a committee to represent both units. Andrea would like to see the agreement improve efficiency and empower timely decisions. This meeting is to gather concerns and questions to help guide the recommendation and/or development of the agreement. Carol mentioned a couple areas that would increase efficiency to have mutual agreement and cooperation, such as sharing space and expenses at town hall and work assignments for meter reading and utility locates. Indiana code 36-1-7 describes Interlocal Cooperation.Board vacancy – The Conservancy Board may appoint an individual to the vacant seat, which is up for election in January 2021. The nomination process for that election may be slightly different than prior years, subject to state health guidelines. The usual requirement for freeholders running for office is to have five other freeholders sign a nomination form which is timely filed. The vacancy will be announced in October and nominations are due before December 1. The area to be represented is historic Battle Ground and River Bluffs subdivision. It would be preferred to appoint a freeholder who is also eligible to run for office. Directors discussed how to inform people of the vacancy. There was a memorial for Kerry in the recent newsletter which served as the first public notification. Information will also be posted on the web site. Directors may recruit people who have skills that would complement the board. Individuals who have expressed interest in the past may also be notified.There is a desire to present a memorial plaque to the Smith family, commemorating Kerry’s many years of service to the Conservancy and Town Council. Andrea will share some design ideas by email.Guest CommentRon Evans commented about water filters and iron content. There was discussion about whether to recommend to residents that they install a home water filter. Ron does not see this advertised anywhere. In previous years the conservancy provided water filters to help customers mitigate the iron levels in the water. That program ended but might be considered for revival. The grain level recommended for this area is available at the Utility Office when customers call about setting up a water softener. The water softener manufacturers do not address iron other than to recommend using a specialized salt product for iron removal, and periodic use of an exchange tank cleaning product. Iron that collects in a home water filter can retain bacteria and there are other considerations of which people are generally unaware. The concentrated iron particles collected during commercial filtration is considered hazardous waste. The directors discussed ways for website to promote consumer information to better understand home water systems. Motion to adjourn by Carol Watson at 7:51 p.m. Georgia Jones, Financial ClerkAndrea Agree, Chairman of the Board ................
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