DOWNRIVER UTILITY WASTEWATER AUTHORITY
DECEMBER 17, 2020 MEETING MINUTES
VIRTUAL MEETING (due to COVID19)
1. Roll Call and Introductions
DUWA Chair Gail McLeod (Allen Park) called the virtual meeting to order at 9:00 AM and asked for roll call to be taken. At the time of roll call, voting representatives were in attendance from 11 communities: Allen Park, Belleville, Dearborn Heights, Ecorse, Lincoln Park, Riverview, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, Van Buren Township, and Wyandotte. A quorum (at least 7 members) was present.
2. Approval of Agenda
Copies of the Agenda were made available prior to the meeting (Attachment 1). Motion by Dave Flaten (Ecorse) and supported by Dustin Lent (Southgate) to approve the Agenda.
Due to the meeting being held virtually, a roll call vote was completed for Board actions. A roll call vote was taken to approve the agenda. The motion passed unanimously by all attending members.
3. Approval of Minutes from November 12, 2020 Board Meeting
Copies of the meeting minutes from the November 12, 2020 Board Meeting were distributed by email prior to the meeting (Attachment 2). Motion by Keith Boc (Taylor) and supported by Roberto Scappaticci (Romulus) to approve the minutes. A roll call vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously by all attending members.
4. Legal Update
Attorney Jim Fausone, of Fausone Bohn, provided the Legal Update.
a. General Counsel Monthly Report
Attorney Fausone stated that a written summary of the monthly legal update was provided in the pre-meeting Board packet (Attachment 4), and he had no further comments to add.
b. Adoption of Remote Meeting Policy
The Open Meetings Act (OMA) was amended in October 2020 to allow for remote meetings in 2020, 2021, and 2022 under certain circumstances. There will be limitations on the reasons to allow for remote meetings in 2021 and even stricter limitations in 2022. The amended OMA requires a policy to be put in place that makes clear the provisions for conducting meetings with remote participation. The DUWA Remote Participation in Public Meetings Policy was reviewed by the Legal Committee and was provided in the Board’s pre-meeting packet (Attachment 5). Attorney Fausone noted that there have been discussions at the Capitol in Lansing regarding shifting the date of the implementation of additional limitations on the reasons to allow for remote meetings. It is likely that this amendment will be passed before yearend to move the date of additional limitations from January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021. However, Attorney Fausone still recommends the adoption of this policy noting that an amendment to the dates in the policy may be sought in January.
Motion by John Selmi (Dearborn Heights) and supported by Dave Flaten (Ecorse) to approve the “DUWA Remote Participation in Public Meetings Policy”. A roll call vote was taken, and the motion passed with 88.8% of the vote. Motion passed unanimously with all attending members.
c. DRAFT Over/Underpayment & Deduct Policy
The overpayment, underpayment, and deduction policy was drafted after the Finance Committee and Board officers presented and discussed this idea over the last couple months. This policy outlines how overpayments, underpayments, and deductions should be handled by DUWA (Attachment 6). This policy was reviewed by the Finance Committee, but has not yet been reviewed by the Technical Committee. In reviewing the current deductions granted by Wayne County, it was discovered that these deductions are not being recorded accurately. The Legal team is working to resolve these technical issues and will continue to gather comments over the next few months to help finalize this policy.
Kerry Morgan (Riverview Attorney) asked that the policy address whether DUWA has the authority to sue a community to recover the finances owed to DUWA in order to better understand DUWA’s position. Attorney Fausone responded that this policy addresses how DUWA would handle requests in order to shorten the claim period, but the Service Agreement (SA) between each community and DUWA controls the community’s ability to make a change of payment request and DUWA’s ability to grant the change. The next time the SA is opened for revisions, each community can agree to include the new policy to create a binding contract. From DUWA’s standpoint, every community should be treated the same and all requests should be handled the same way according to the policy put in place.
5. System Manager Update
System Manager Vyto Kaunelis, of OHM Advisors, provided a verbal summary of activities since the last meeting. A written summary was in the pre-meeting Board packet for the System Manager Report (Attachment 7).
a. System Manager Monthly Report
System Manager Kaunelis noted the following highlights from the System Manager Report:
• The Permit to Install (PTI) was submitted to EGLE for review for the Biosolids Dryer Facility project and has been approved. The construction process has begun with the demolition of the belt filter presses and relocation of the underground utilities in preparation for the thermal oil room.
• The DUWA’s GIS is now available to be accessed by the communities, and there is a user agreement in place.
• The WIFIA loan closing is anticipated to occur in mid-January.
b. Biosolids Dryer Facility Project
The biosolids dryer facility monthly progress report is provided in the pre-meeting Board package (Attachment 8). The Biosolids team prepared and submitted a Permit to Install (PTI) to EGLE’s Air Quality Division (AQD) for an anticipated minor source permit. A waiver for financial hardship was also submitted with the PTI application in order to allow construction to proceed during the permit approval process, which typically takes six to nine months. If construction is delayed until after EGLE’s AQD approval, DUWA would incur operational expenses associated with the continued landfill and hauling and disposal, which would total nearly $85k per month. Approval of the financial hardship waiver would mitigate a $500k-750k incremental cost in 2022. EGLE has since approved this waiver per the conditions included in the Board’s pre-meeting package (Attachment 9). The Biosolids team reviewed the conditions of the waiver and noted that they are very standard. The biggest risk to DUWA in proceeding with the waiver is that construction would commence at DUWA’s own risk.
Jim Taylor (Van Buren Township) asked whether DUWA would assume all risk prior to receiving the permit and if any additional risk was anticipated beyond the risk of not receiving approval of the permit. System Manager Lambrina Tercala, of OHM Advisors, responded that if the permit isn’t approved, then the spent construction cost remains DUWA’s risk. There is no other major added risk beyond that outlined in the waiver; however, it is possible re-configuration of a vent stack (height or location) may be requested by EGLE.
Attorney Kerry Morgan (Riverview) asked whether the waiting period for the permit approval would interfere with the ability to turn the biosolids dryer system on. System Manager Tercala responded that this would not interfere with the timing of turning the system on as the permit approval is anticipated to be received prior to any trial operation of the system. Construction on the facility, however, is allowed to begin prior to permit approval. Attorney Fausone added that the waiver contains very standard conditions and allows for construction to commence on the foundation and underground utilities.
Motion by Jim Taylor (Van Buren Township) and supported by John Selmi (Dearborn Heights) to agree to the conditions in EGLE’s December 11, 2020 financial hardship waiver and allow the Chair or Vice Chair to sign the letter for delivery to EGLE. A roll call vote was taken, and the motion passed with 88.8% of the vote. Motion passed unanimously with all attending members.
c. Rate Methodology Community Meetings
Raftelis provided a rate methodology project schedule, with the first Town Hall virtual meeting scheduled for Friday, January 8, 2021 (Attachment 10). As part of Raftelis’ scope with DUWA, each community has the option to meet one on one with Raftelis after the Town Hall to discuss their concerns on the existing rate methodology and considerations for a future methodology. It is important to allow Raftelis to consider all thoughts when determining the future rate methodology. A total of 20 time slots were provided to the communities to allow for 13 meetings. Ecorse has already signed up for its one on one meeting, and the other communities are encouraged to sign up soon if they desire.
6. Requests for Authorizations
System Manager Tercala provided the following requests to the Board.
a. 2021 Insurance Renewal
Aon (DUWA’s insurance broker) prepared a summary of DUWA’s 2021 insurance policy renewals (Attachment 11). Brandon Bacon, from Aon, presented the three insurance policies that are up for renewal, including the Package Liability, Inland Marine, and Property insurance policies. The Package Liability includes insurance coverage for general operations, including sewer backups and public officials. The Inland Marine policy includes coverage for the sewer interceptors and tunnel and the operation of these assets. In previous discussions, a 20-30% increase on property insurance was anticipated. Premium costs for the Package Liability were expected to increase by about 5%, which would include inflation.
DUWA attempted to go to market for competitive bids for the Package Liability insurance; however, no alternative markets were available. Thus, it is proposed to continue coverage with Hudson at their annual premium of $137,867, which is a 3.4% increase from the policy that is expiring. Similarly, DUWA attempted to go to market for competitive bids for the Inland Marine coverage, but only their current carrier quoted. Thus, it is proposed to continue coverage with Hanover at their annual premium of $62,500, which is the same rate as the policy that is expiring. Considering that the largest change in the market was expected to be the Property insurance, DUWA went to market for competitive bids for the Property coverage, and four bids were received. Based on the proposed quotes and rate increases, it is proposed to switch carriers from Zurich to Chubb with an annual premium of $272,748, which is a 2.3% increase from the policy that is expiring. Renewing the current insurance policy with Zurich would have resulted in a 26.6% rate increase. Chubb offered adequate limits that protect the assets including the Fire Department and Accounts Receivable. It is proposed to exclude the terrorism premium from all three insurance policies, which is consistent with the Board’s 2020 insurance renewal election.
Motion by Doug Drysdale (Riverview) and supported by Dave Flaten (Ecorse) to authorize the Chair or Vice Chair to execute agreement(s) with Hudson for the 12-month liability coverage renewal without election of the terrorism premium. A roll call vote was taken, and the motion passed with 88.8% of the vote. Motion passed unanimously with all attending members.
Motion by Dustin Lent (Southgate) and supported by Rick Rutherford (Belleville) to authorize the Chair or Vice Chair to execute agreement(s) with Hanover for the 12-month Inland Marine Floater coverage renewal without election of the terrorism premium. A roll call vote was taken, and the motion passed with 88.8% of the vote. Motion passed unanimously with all attending members.
Motion by Roberto Scappaticci (Romulus) and supported by Doug Drysdale (Riverview) to authorize the Chair or Vice Chair to execute agreement(s) with Chubb for the 12-month Property Insurance coverage renewal without election of the terrorism premium. A roll call vote was taken, and the motion passed with 88.8% of the vote. Motion passed unanimously with all attending members.
b. WIFIA Loan Authorizations
DUWA’s Professionals continue to work with EPA in support of the WIFIA Loan Agreement and Term sheet. EPA advised DUWA that loan closing is now expected to occur in mid-January. It is possible that approvals may be required prior to the closing of the loan. To remain on schedule with the anticipated loan closing date, an omnibus motion is proposed to handle time-sensitive approvals that may be necessary between the December and January Board meetings (Attachment 12). As a reminder, DUWA is responsible for a 51% match of total project fees, while the WIFIA loan will provide 49% of the project funding. A conservative EPA loan value of $17.85M was requested; however, DUWA will only pay for what is actually drawn from the loan. The loan agreement, term sheet, and other associated loan documents will be shared with the Board after Bond Council negotiations, and a super-majority affirmative vote will be necessary for approval of the WIFIA loan.
Motion by Roberto Scappaticci (Romulus) and supported by James Krizan (Lincoln Park) to allow the Chair or Vice Chair to execute time-sensitive WIFIA loan documents, between now and the January Board meeting, to effectuate the WIFIA loan closing by mid-January 2021. A roll call vote was taken, and the motion passed with 88.8% of the vote. Motion passed unanimously with all attending members.
c. Centrifuge No. 1 Repair
At the June 2020 Board meeting, the Board approved Veolia for a fee of $58,772 to repair Centrifuge No. 1. This estimated fee was based on the level of effort and repairs that were recently completed for Centrifuge No. 2. Alfa Laval, Veolia’s subcontractor who performed the work, conducted a factory inspection of Centrifuge No. 1 and determined that additional repair work was necessary that was not included in the original fee estimate (Attachment 13). The final repair cost was $89,298.81. This fee is WIFIA eligible and would be funded from the small capital budget.
Motion by Jim Taylor (Van Buren Township) and supported by Roberto Scappaticci (Romulus) to authorize Veolia for repair of Centrifuge No. 1 for a revised fee from $58,772 to $89,298.81. The revised fee would be funded by DUWA’s Small Capital Outlay Budget. A roll call vote was taken, and the motion passed with 88.8% of the vote. Motion passed unanimously with all attending members.
Greg Mayhew (Wyandotte) left the meeting after approval of the Centrifuge No. 1 Repair request.
d. Ferric Chloride Consumption – 2020 and Future
Ferric chloride is used at the Downriver Wastewater Treatment Facility for the removal of phosphorous to meet the NPDES permit limit. In 2020, the NPDES permit limit for phosphorous was reduced, which required additional chemical usage and triggered a change to Veolia’s contract. To quantify the impact of this permit limit change, Veolia analyzed nearly a year’s worth of data. The 2020 data shows an increased chemical usage of 25%. It should be noted that Veolia has also worked to optimize the ferric chloride usage, including adding a monitoring system to provide continuous feedback on the phosphorous concentration to allow for adequate pacing of the chemical feed to achieve the targeted level. Veolia has also considered the usage of alternate chemicals and feed points, and these options are continuing to be evaluated. Veolia has requested a reimbursement for the increased chemical usage in 2020 of $47,083. Veolia has also requested that the volume and unit cost be adjusted to minimize the monthly reconciliation amount. Instead of amending the contract now, Veolia and Fausone Bohn will prepare a Memorandum of Understanding outlining the requested changes and stating that it was agreed to wait to perform a contract amendment until after the biosolids dryers are online and after relocation of the influent sample line. A sample of the MOU specifics was provided in the pre-meeting packet (Attachment 14). When the next contract amendment occurs, it is expected that the amount and cost of the ferric chloride will be revised to reflect the new permit limit requirements.
Keith Boc (Taylor) asked if this reimbursement cost includes Veolia’s markup. Program Manager Irving responded that this is the actual cost for the volume used with no markup. Kerry Morgan asked whether this reimbursement cost would be an annual cost. System Manager Tercala responded that this is a one-time cost. Keith Boc (Taylor) asked if bids from other ferric chloride vendors have been solicited to keep the unit cost increase down. Program Manager Irving responded that Veolia solicits competitive bids for all chemicals annually and alternative chemicals have been pilot tested to potentially reduce costs. Keith Boc (Taylor) asked whether contracts with chemical suppliers are annual. Program Manager Irving responded that it depends, as sometimes longer-term contracts allow Veolia to lock in a lower price, but contracts are typically in effect for at least one year.
Jim Taylor (Van Buren Township) asked where the reimbursement funds are coming from. System Manager Tercala responded that this reimbursement cost is included in the 2021 budget. Program Manager Irving added that the DWTF used more ferric chloride volume (volume consumption is a Veolia risk, not DUWA) this past year than what the MOU is asking to be considered for the future. This is because glycol can reduce the overall volume needed, but it is variable based on seasonal changes.
Motion by Rick Rutherford (Belleville) and supported by Dustin Lent (Southgate) to authorize $47,083 in reimbursement to Veolia for increased ferric chloride usage in 2020 due to NPDES permit limit changes. A roll call vote was taken, and the motion passed with 78.4% of the vote. Motion passed unanimously with all attending members.
Motion by Keith Boc (Taylor) and supported by John Selmi (Dearborn Heights) to approve amendment of Veolia’s contract unit rate of Ferric Chloride from $0.822 to $1.30 per gallon and annual volume consumption from 264,720 gallons to 330,900 gallons. This approval will be formalized in a Memorandum of Understanding between DUWA and Veolia. A roll call vote was taken, and the motion passed with 78.4% of the vote. Motion passed unanimously with all attending members.
e. Flow Metering Agreement, 2-Year Term
The Downriver Flow Metering Program was established to ensure that appropriate maintenance and rehabilitation continues to occur in the collection system to avoid future reoccurrence of sanitary sewer overflows during conditions less than the design event. Wayne County initially managed the flow metering program, but then awarded ASI a contract to continue the program through the period when DUWA took control of the system. ASI worked with subcontracted specialty firms to maintain and replace equipment, analyze data, and provide periodic reports. When DUWA took over the system, significant upgrades to the equipment were required to restore acceptable performance. The flow metering program was not included in the initial scope of work for the DUWA operations and maintenance contract. During the transition process, discussions occurred with both ASI and Veolia about the best way to run the program. Following these discussions, it was decided that a joint proposal between ASI and Veolia would be executed, which combined the benefits of Veolia’s available in-house staff and ASI’s expertise and history of running the program for several years. The joint proposal provided significant savings to DUWA with an initial cost of $300,888 per year, which was about $100k less than the cost when Wayne County operated the system. The initial term of the joint proposal was for two years to allow for an initial review of the contract performance. During this time, Veolia looked for opportunities to improve the program while also reducing costs. Veolia proposes to continue with the flow metering program for a fee of $290,751.12 with a scope of work consistent with the past contract, but also including enhanced access to the data by Veolia, DUWA, and the communities in “near real time” (Attachment 15).
Program Manager Irving stated that there are a number of vendors that offer similar products and services, but Veolia looks to keep as much work in-house as possible to reduce costs. She added that the scope of work in this proposal assumes the conversion of all remote metering stations to cellular to allow Veolia to continuously monitor the data and tie it into SCADA, which would allow for operational decisions to be made based on the data being received. Roberto Scappaticci (Romulus) asked whether payment would be made on a flat fee per month or an hourly not-to-exceed fee. Program Manager Irving responded that this fee is a flat fee. The subject matter expert (SME) consultants include ASI and an electrical subconsultant, and the fee is a firm number based on past contracts with these subconsultants. Veolia is taking the risk for any repair or maintenance events up to $2600 per event. The SME contracts are lump sum contracts and do not cover capital repairs. If an unexpected repair were to cost more than $2600, DUWA would need to authorize the work. Roberto Scappaticci (Romulus) asked if the System Manager sees value in the program. System Manager Kaunelis responded that DUWA is getting value from this program and the team has done good work.
Kerry Morgan asked if the new contract is the same as the previous contract as it was not provided to the Legal Committee for review. Attorney Fausone responded that the new contract is very similar to the previous contract except for the removal of some language that pertained only to the first two years. Kerry Morgan responded that the Legal Committee should have the chance to review the new contract even if there were only minimal changes as the attorneys look for impacts to their client. Kerry Morgan stated that in the future, all contracts should go through the Legal Committee prior to being presented to the Board for approval. Keith Boc (Taylor) agreed noting that the communities rely on the Legal Committee for review of contracts. Dave Flaten (Ecorse) agreed with this comment. Dustin Lent (Southgate) proposed to amend the motion to include language that the motion would only be approved pending the review and approval of the Legal Committee. Jim Taylor (Van Buren Township) agreed with this proposal, but noted that he does not want this review to delay the execution of the contract as this flow metering program provides value to the communities.
Motion by Jim Taylor (Van Buren Township) and supported by Dustin Lent (Southgate) to authorize the Chair or Vice Chair to execute Veolia’s 2-year Flow Metering contract for CY2021, Year 1 annual fee of $290,751.12 contingent on Legal Committee approval. A roll call vote was taken, and the amended motion passed with 78.4% of the vote. Motion passed unanimously with all attending members.
f. Real-Time Monitoring
As part of DUWA’s blending minimization efforts, HRC developed several necessary improvements, one of which included providing real-time monitoring within the collection system. Veolia developed a proposal for implementation of real-time monitoring for a cost of $118,927.60, which is less than HRC’s opinion of probable cost of $155k. (Attachment 16). This one-time fee includes the cost for hardware, software, and SCADA integration. Veolia’s staff will install the hardware without additional cost to the system. Implementation of real-time monitoring is tied to Veolia’s 2-year flow metering proposal approach outlined previously. This work is WIFIA eligible and will be funded from the small capital budget. This proposal was reviewed and recommended by the Technical Committee.
For the same reasons as noted previously in the 2-Year Flow Metering Agreement request, this motion was amended to only be approved contingent on Legal Committee approval.
Motion by Keith Boc (Taylor) and supported by Dustin Lent (Southgate) to authorize Veolia for flow metering improvements for a not-to-exceed fee of $118,927.60. The cost would be funded by DUWA’s Small Capital Outlay Budget. A roll call vote was taken, and the amended motion passed with 78.4% of the vote. Motion passed unanimously with all attending members.
7. Contract Operator Update
Kelly Irving, Veolia’s Program Manager, provided the Contract Operator update.
a. October 2020 MOR
The October 2020 Monthly Operating Report (MOR) was provided in the Board’s pre-meeting packet (Attachment 17). Highlights from the summary and other updates included the following:
• Plant operations were in compliance for the month of October marking 24 consecutive months of perfect compliance.
• October flows were generally low with minimal precipitation and no tunnel usage.
• Plant operations have been fine-tuned and dialed in nicely.
• No glycol was received in October, but the DWTF started receiving glycol in mid-November.
• One centrifuge went out for rebuild, but should be back by the end of January.
o There is now a closed loop system to cool the oil on the centrifuge. This was an in-house design and does not use City water, so water usage is expected to decrease.
• Many maintenance activities were completed including yardwork, electrical work, UV maintenance, and replacement of railings around the plant.
• The DAF trench work is complete.
• October was a typical month for the number of Miss Dig tickets.
• PFAS sampling will likely be increased to monthly sampling. The November sample was about 10-11 ppt, which is near the standard limit of 12 ppt.
• The DWTF is fully staffed.
• Safety remains a priority, and all visitors are screened prior to entering the DWTF. This is especially important as many contractors are onsite daily working on the roof repairs at the plant.
• The annual AMP report was submitted in October.
• The annual biosolids report is complete.
• Utility consumptions are trending downward with the exception of ferric chloride.
Prior to moving to the Treasurer’s Report, System Manager Tercala noted that Veolia completed the CCTV inspection of the long section of 60-inch brick sewer on Fordline. Some inflow and infiltration was identified at Goddard/I-275 requiring near-term attention. HRC is reviewing the inspection tapes and anticipates recommending in-situ repair. More info will be shared as it becomes available.
8. Treasurer’s Report
a. Resolution to Adopt CY2021-2022 Budget (2-Year)
The details of the CY2021-2022 Budget were discussed at the last Board meeting, and a resolution to adopt the budgets is now in order. Accountant Doug Drysdale (Riverview) noted that there was a net revenue of $256k in the original 2020 capital outlay budget, but there is now a net deficit of $884k in the projected 2020 capital outlay budget. Operating revenues and capital outlay have increased, and expenditures have decreased. The 2021 capital outlay budget request is for $10.1M, largely for the biosolids project. The 2022 capital outlay net revenue is projected to be $186k (Attachment 18).
Roberto Scappaticci (Romulus) asked how DUWA will get back to a positive capital outlay balance after experiencing a deficit of $884k and a request for $10.1M. Accountant Drysdale (Riverview) responded that the $10.1M is mainly to fund the WIFIA eligible capital projects, which will be 49% reimbursed. DUWA’s reserves will fund the remaining 51% of the project cost. A rate increase was also anticipated. Beth Bialy (Plante Moran) added that there will be a short-term spend down of DUWA’s reserves, but not too low to cause concern. The reserves will then be built back up over the next ten years assuming a stable rate increase. Debt service payments on the WIFIA loan are anticipated to be about $600k per year, but there will be a significant cost savings in the reduced sludge disposal once the biosolids dryer facility is online. Accountant Drysdale (Riverview) added that flows have been similar to previous years even considering the COVID-19 climate, so revenues are anticipated to be similar as well.
Roberto Scappaticci (Romulus) asked if a 4% rate increase is expected each year or if the rate will increase even more. Beth Bialy (Plante Moran) responded that they do not anticipate significant rate increases over the next five years as the reserves and the rate stabilization reserve can help offset rate increases. Additionally, the insurance premiums did not increase by as much as what was first anticipated. The rate increase is anticipated to be near 4-5%. Roberto Scappaticci (Romulus) asked what the target levels are in the reserve funds and if the spend down will reduce the reserves below the target levels. Beth Bialy (Plante Moran) stated that DUWA typically maintains $5M for capital reserve and $1.6M for tunnel reserve. The spend down will still keep the reserve balances above these levels. It is expected that Raftelis will also help create a Reserve Policy and advise on the reserve balance target amounts. It is important that the rates are set to generate appropriate net revenues after the debt service payments are made.
Kerry Morgan asked if the budget fits within the assumption that communities would not be paying more after switching from Wayne County. Beth Bialy (Plante Moran) responded that this fits within that assumption noting that there has not been a projection for how much the communities would be paying if they were still with Wayne County. Costs could have been even higher with another operator. Accountant Drysdale (Riverview) added that many of the expenditures are for capital outlay projects that Wayne County did not do, but needed to. DUWA has the reserves to address these projects now.
Motion by Jim Taylor (Van Buren Township) and supported by Roberto Scappaticci (Romulus) to approve the Resolution adopting the 2021 and 2022 Budgets for DUWA. A roll call vote was taken, and the motion passed with 78.4% of the vote. Motion passed unanimously with all attending members.
b. Pending Invoices
Accountant Drysdale presented the invoice register for a request for payment. The invoice register was provided in the pre-meeting packet (Attachment 19). The invoice register included 50 invoices due for a total of $2,767,329.07. Largest invoices included those to Veolia for O&M services and unit cost reconciliation, Walsh for their effort on the Biosolids Dryer Facility project and PFAS testing, Inland Waters for their effort on the Alkali Sewer Rehabilitation project, and Wyandotte for utility services.
Motion by Roberto Scappaticci (Romulus) and supported by John Selmi (Dearborn Heights) to pay the invoice register. A roll call vote was taken, and the motion passed with 78.4% of the vote. Motion passed unanimously with all attending members.
9. Public Comment
Doug Drysdale (Riverview) asked Board members to check in with their accounting staff to ensure sewer invoices are being paid as he would like to get as many payments processed as possible before the end of the year to reduce the Accounts Receivable value.
Chairperson McLeod (Allen Park) wished everyone a happy holiday.
10. Other Business
Considering that the election of Board officers will occur in January 2021 (Attachment 20), Jim Taylor (Van Buren Township) remarked that all of the elected Board officers have done a good job stepping forward and giving their time this year.
11. Next Board Meeting Date: Thursday, January 14, 2021 (Virtual via Zoom)
Chairperson McLeod (Allen Park) reminded the Board that the next meeting would take place on Thursday, January 14, 2021 virtually via Zoom.
12. Adjournment
There being no other business, Chairperson McLeod (Allen Park) announced that a motion to adjourn would be in order. Motion by Rick Rutherford (Belleville) and supported by Doug Drysdale (Riverview) to adjourn the meeting. A roll call vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously with all attending members. The meeting adjourned at 11:00 AM.
Meeting Minutes Prepared by:
Mackenzie Johnson, OHM Advisors, Engineer
Meeting Minutes Reviewed by:
Lambrina Tercala, OHM Advisors, DUWA System Manager
Attachments
- 1. Meeting Agenda
2. November 12, 2020 DUWA Board Meeting Minutes
3. Proposed 2021 Board Meeting Schedule
4. Monthly Legal Update (by Fausone Bohn)
5. Remote Participation Policy Memo (by Fausone Bohn)
6. Draft Overpayment, Underpayment, and Deduction Policies (by Fausone Bohn)
7. System Manager Report for December 2020 Board Meeting (by OHM Advisors)
8. Biosolids Dryer Facility Project December 2020 Monthly Progress Summary (by Veolia)
9. EGLE Conditional Approval of Waiver for Permit Requirements of AQD PTI
10. Rate Methodology Community Meetings with Raftelis
11. 2021 Insurance Renewals
12. WIFIA Loan Omnibus Motion
13. Request to Amend Authorized Amount for Veolia for Critical Repair of Centrifuge No. 1
14. Ferric Chloride Consumption – 2020 and Future
15. Flow Metering Agreement – 2-Yr Term
16. Request for Real-Time Monitoring
17. Monthly Operating Report for October 2020 (by Veolia)
18. Resolution Adopting the 2021 & 2022 Budgets
19. Invoice Register, dated December 10, 2020 (by Doug Drysdale)
20. Pending Election of CY2021 Board Officers