CRANE LAKE WATER & SANITARY DISTRICT (CLWSD)

BOARD OF MANAGERS REGULAR MEETING

December 15, 2004 – 7:30 P.M.

CRANE LAKE CHAPEL FELLOWSHIP HALL

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Michael White at 7:30 P.M.

Members present:  Managers Bud Bystrom, Darrell Scott, Rob Scott, and Michael White.   Manager Deena Congdon arrived at 7:35PM.

Members absent: None

Also present: Jim Pucel of RLK Kuusisto, Jim Pohlman of NTS, Clerk Jo Ann Pohlman, a reporter from the Voyageur Sentinel and 1 member of the community.

BUSINESS:

A motion was made by R. Scott, supported by B. Bystrom, to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting of December 1, 2004.  Motion carried.

The correspondence was presented to the Board.  A motion was made by B. Bystrom, supported by R. Scott, that the correspondence be placed on file and acted upon as required.  Motion carried.

RLK-Kuusisto Project Status Report

• MDH – Minnesota Health Department issues have been resolved except the well on the Zullick property.  A quote and scheduling was received from Peterson Well Drilling; they will do the work in the spring. MDH is putting together the stipulation agreements, including the Stahnke property.
• Service Connections/Abandonments – 73 have been completed to date. The A. McKie property remains.
• Punch list items are being completed.
• Plant Influent Meter and Treatment Plant Modifications – John Jamnick and Jim Pucel of RLK met with Mike Appelwick of NTS to review items that NTS would like to see at the treatment plant, including the plant influent meter.  A package will be presented to the Board before the next meeting.
• System Infiltration and Grinder Pump Corrections – These issues are still a concern and are being addressed as punch list items.  Some winterized pumps will be monitored for infiltration.
• Wagner Invoices – Property owners have received invoices from Wagner for connection work.  M. White asked J. Pucel to contact Wagner to determine if property owners were charged for work within and outside the easement.  The property owner should be paying for work outside the easement only.  Wagner stated that they did not include billing for work done within the easement on property owners’ bills.  Some customers have questioned their bills.  Jim Pucel will provide a list of measurements to the Board for review.
• Change Order – Change Order No. 5 for Rice Lake Construction was emailed to the Board before the meeting.  The work can be done within the budget for remote monitoring items.  A motion was made by R. Scott, supported by B. Bystrom to approve Change Order No. 5 for Rice Lake Construction for CO-5 Generator Automation – to enable the generator automatically and electrical work to provide two outlets for the battery charger and the block heater for $3,182.00.  Motion carried.
• A response was received from St. Louis County regarding the potential freezing problem underneath the newly excavated ditch on the north side of County Road 425.  The County does not see it as an issue for the County as the ditching was done in the right-of-way.
• A response was received from St. Louis County regarding the drainage problem on C.S.A.H. 24.  They have looked at the problem and will continue to monitor it with work being done in the spring, if necessary.
• Easements – The recording of the Plat will take approximately three more months.

NTS Project Status Report

• Facility Operations – Jim Pohlman reported that the plant is operating well and the effluent pumps are running properly.
• Grinder Pump Winterization – There is still some winterizing to be done.  The Fire Department has been asked to assist again.

• User Guides – User guides were sent to everyone in the WSA along with copies of amended Ordinance No. 1 and rate Ordinance No. 3.
• Stuart McKie property –The issue with the grinder pump alarm system at the Stuart McKie property has been resolved.

Easement Changes Cost Distribution

• The Board agreed that Board action was not required to bill homeowners for requested easement changes during construction as a notice had been posted August 6, 2003 and a newsletter was sent in August to all WSA property owners stating that homeowners would be charged for requested easement changes after that date.  The Board asked Jo Ann to send out invoices to those property owners that requested changes.
• There was discussion on the responsibility of some of the other changes made by the Contractor.

Accounting/Reporting System

• The 2003 Year-End Financial Statements and construction audit requirements were mailed by Glorvigen and should be receive soon.  If not, Deena will contact Glorvigen.

Eastern Service Area Plan and Long Range Plan (2005-2009)

• A letter was sent to Environmental Health Director Dale Schroeder of St. Louis County regarding holding tanks for the ESA.  M. White would like to meet with John Jamnick of RLK, Gary Cerkvenik of Costin Group, and Rob Scott to discuss a plan as to wastewater capacity allocation information requested by the County and the MPCA.
• After that meeting a meeting should be arranged between Gary Cerkvenik and C. J. Fernandez, U of M Center for Changing Landscapes, who is currently working on the landscape plan for the Town, to coordinate District and Town plans.
• Aerial Photos – M. White reported that the aerial photos had been received by Gary Cerkvenik and would be sent to C.J. Fernandez to assist him in his landscape plan for the Town.

2005 Levy

• M. White circulated the 2005 budget to the Board prior to the meeting.
• The County was advised in September to set the levy at $50,000 for 2005.  Because of the ESA planning requirements, M. White recommended the levy remain at that figure.
• A motion was made by R. Scott, supported by B. Bystrom allowing the levy to stand at $50,000 as submitted to the County in September.  Motion carried.

OTHER BUSINESS

A motion was made by M. White, supported by B. Bystrom to adopt Resolution No.1204-03 authorizing signature of the pledge agreement with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, acting as collateral agent for the CLWSD funds at American Bank of the North to secure deposited funds not insured by the FDIC.  Motion carried.

Budget – M. White included a pay increase for Clerk Jo Ann Pohlman in the 2005 budget. A motion was made by R. Scott, supported by D. Scott, to increase the Clerk’s hourly rate from $10 to $15 per hour effective  January 2005.  Motion carried.

OTHER BUSINESS (Cont.)

Scott’s of Crane Lake – The Board  recognizes that a capacity allocation policy is needed for the wastewater treatment facility.  A permitting process must also be developed for new connections to the collection line.  Mary Frances Skala of Fryberger has assured the Board that Scott’s request for 11 additional EDU’s can be addressed at this time.  A motion was made by R. Scott, supported by D. Congdon to approve 11 EDU’s for Scott’s of Crane Lake and that a letter be sent to the County with a copy to Scott’s stating that the plant does have the capacity for 11 more EDU’s.  There was discussion as to conflict with Article VI, Section 6.1, d of Ordinance No. 1.  Since this is not a permitting issue, that did not apply.  The motion carried with D. Scott abstaining.

A motion was made by B. Bystrom, supported by M. White, to contact Mary Frances Skala of Fryberger regarding process requirements related to EDU allocation increases.  Motion carried.

There has been no response from Ruth Hubbard of Minnesota Rural Water regarding Board training.

PUBLIC COMMENT – There was none

There being no other business the meeting was adjourned at 9:15P.M.

J. Pohlman, Clerk

NEXT MEETING:  JANUARY 5, 2005, AT THE CRANE LAKE CHAPEL FELLOWSHIP HALL AT 7:30 P.M.