Woodfin Sanitary Water and Sewer District
Meeting of Board of Trustees
Minutes of June 17, 2024
Chairman Gordon Maybury called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. In attendance were Larry Hopkins, Vice Chair; Lauren Edgerton, Secretary; Dr. Joseph Martin, Executive Director Emeritus; Seth Eckard, Executive Director; Jackie Bryson, MSD Representative; Jeff Angel, Woodfin Fire Chief; Keith Webb, McGill Associates; R.J. Mosley, McGill Associates; and Sam Chattin, Distribution Field Supervisor.
Approval of the Agenda
The agenda was approved by unanimous consensus.
Approval of Minutes
Motion by Edgerton to approve May 2024 minutes, Hopkins seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
Woodfin Fire Department Report
Woodfin Fire Chief Jeff Angel introduced himself and noted that the Water District’s building was once the fire department's original home. Chief Angel provided a brief update on the department and took questions from the Board of Trustees. Chairman Maybury asked if the WFD tested hydrants. Chief Angel said they must test a certain percentage of hydrants each year. Dr. Martin mentioned that the District has a form that the Fire Department can fill out and submit to the District so that the District is aware of hydrants that need to be repaired or replaced.
MSD Report
Ms. Bryson reported that the updated capital improvement plan and information regarding rates and personnel adjustments were presented to the board at the April Metropolitan Sewerage District meeting.
Public Comment
Chairman Maybury made the Instagram live audience aware that they could send texts to him, and he would read messages sent to him out loud during public comments.
No one, virtually or in-person, spoke during public comment.
Director’s Report
1.
Director Eckard reviewed the projected end-of-year budget with the Trustees. He noted that revenues slightly exceeded projections and expenses aligned with the budget.
2.
We are currently advertising and interviewing for two utility field tech positions.
3.
Our team attended a preconstruction meeting for Reynolds Mountain Villas and a post-construction walk-through for Rydele Phase 2.
4.
Our team met with the Town of Weaverville to discuss an emergency connection between the two systems and a possible partnership to purchase water. We plan to continue discussions throughout the year.
5.
Plans are underway to inspect the condition of the Reynolds Water Tank.
6.
The District will conduct the NC DEQ triannual lead and copper sampling in July and August. This consists of sampling 30 residences and institutional facilities out of a predetermined pool of 60, which is determined based on NC DEQ criteria.
7.
We have started posting more content to the District's social media account.
8.
The new line breaks, leaks, and pressure complaints report is included with the activity reports.
9.
We received results from the required 19 PFAS and lithium analysis from our system. None of them were detected! If no PFAS are detected in three more quarterly samples, we will no longer have to test them.
10.
Kenric Walker obtained his C Certification this month.
Old Business
No old business.
New Business
A.
Chairman Maybury declared the public hearing on the FY 2025-2026 budget to be open at 5:25 PM. No one spoke during the public hearing. Chairman Maybury declared the public hearing closed at 5:27 PM.
B.
Resolution 2024-03 FY 2025 Budget—Trustee Hopkins moved to approve the budget resolution as presented. Trustee Edgerton seconded the motion, which carried unanimously.
C.
CIP and Rate Study—Representatives from the engineering firm McGill Associates, Keith Webb and R.J. Mosley, introduced themselves and provided an in-depth overview of long-term planning and its value to the organization. The capital improvement plan and the rate study will provide a road map for how we can pay for the system’s needs. Mr. Webb noted that one of the District’s financial challenges is that we cannot borrow money due to how the State of North Carolina formed the District. Mr. Webb also noted that the District was one of his first clients more than 30 years ago and was familiar with how the system has evolved.
Trustee Edgerton asked how long it would take to complete this planning process. Mr. Webb explained that it would probably take around six months. Director Eckard noted that this plan will be presented to the Board during the early stages of next year’s budgeting process. Mr. Mosley stated that this plan is just a guide and that the District has complete discretion to make changes as circumstances change. The plan helps you make an informed decision as we enter the budgeting process.
Trustee Hopkin asked if this plan needed to be updated every year. Mr. Webb noted that it should be updated at least every two years. Dr. Martin said that the District’s former CIP went into stasis mode around the time of COVID due to staffing challenges and retirements.
Trustee Hopkins moved to accept the McGill proposal for $45,800. Trustee Edgerton seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously.
D.
Asterra Leak Detection Proposal – Chairman Maybury reviewed Asterra’s satellite leak detection system with the board. He noted that the District is having a difficult time finding hidden leaks throughout the system and that after listening to Asterra’s presentation, he feels confident we will be able to discover more leaks that our team can begin to fix. Director Eckard said fixing these leaks will save the District money and allow us to rely less on Asheville water. Director Eckard reviewed references from other systems, which were positive.
Trustee Hopkin moved to approve Asterra’s proposal for $57,000. Trustee Edgerton seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
E.
Resolution 2024-07 Backflow Policy and Construction Standards Amendments – Utility Field Supervisor Sam Chattin provided the board with an overview of the proposed changes. Mr. Chattin highlighted the following changes: The District will require developers to use stainless steel materials, install automatic flushers at the end of dead-end lines, include tracer wire in all new pipes, and require contractors to wrap new service mains. Dr. Martin wrote the original construction standard and that the proposed updates are reasonable.
Trustee Hopkins asked if these changes would apply to active projects. Director Eckard said the old rules will apply to any projects already in process, but the new rules will apply to any new projects moving forward. Dr. Martin mentioned that we have a catch-all in our standards that says contractors will follow whatever rules we give them if they wish to build new lines that will become part of our system.
Trustee Hopkins motioned to approve the Backflow Policy and Construction Standards Amendment resolution, which Trustee Edgerton seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
F.
Reimbursement Request—Dr. Martin reviewed a travel reimbursement request from a former Executive Director candidate. The Board engaged in a brief conversation about the request.
Trustee Edgerton moved not to approve the reimbursement request, which Chairman Maybury seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Call of Board Members
Trustee Hopkins plans to attend the June 18th Woodfin Town Council meeting to share the District's activities and initiatives started over the last year. He also plans to ask the Town Council if there are opportunities to partner with the Town by sharing information in their upcoming newsletter. Director Eckard said he would follow up with the Town Manager to explore possibilities for a partnership.
Chairman Maybury mentioned that our bills are not easy to understand. He said that he was working with Director Eckard on furthering transparency by adding additional helpful information to the bill, such as which zone customers are in, and creating a “How to Read You Bill” section of the website. Director Eckard agreed and will work on this.
Chairman Maybury asked that staff look into our billing vendor to ensure we can communicate with our customers as affordably and effectively as possible, specifically by including information from MSD in an upcoming billing cycle.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 6:31 PM.