TOWN OF SOMERS
WATER
POLLUTION CONTROL AUTHORITY
P. O. Box 308
Somers,
Connecticut 06071
WPCA
MINUTES
2/4/03;
7:30 p.m.
Town Hall
I. CALL TO ORDER:
Chairman Jim Botellio called the meeting to order at 7:30
p.m. Members present were: Jim Botellio; George VanTasel; Dan Fraro;
Simon Lipton; Charles Colby (7:45) and Steve Getman (8:10). Also present were Steve Jacobs, Sanitarian
and Town Attorney Carl Landolina.
II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1/7/03
George VanTasel made a motion to approve the 1/7/03 minutes,
as written. This motion was seconded by
Dan Fraro and unanimously approved by the Authority.
III. EXECUTIVE SESSION:
a. Pending
Claims and Litigation - HWC
b. Scitico
Pump Station - Maintenance
The Town Attorney, members of the Authority and Steve
Jacobs, Sanitarian entered into Executive Session on Item (a) at 7:35 p.m. and
exited Executive Session at
8:05 p.m.
The Town Attorney, members of the Authority and Steve
Jacobs, Sanitarian
entered into Executive
Session on Item (b) at 8:05 p.m. and exited Executive Session at
8:45 p..m.
IV. CONNECTICUT DOC:
a. PCE
Mitigation Update:
Received
the quarterly report. Mitigation levels
are the same or slightly lower than the previous quarter. No change in the perimeter wells. The cost is up around six million dollars
for total expenditures. VOC compounds
are being reduced in the water.
Leading edge of the VOC
plume is retreating northward.
b. Prison
Expansion:
The Land
Use Staff had a meeting to discuss their concerns with Osborn Correctional Institution
Expansion in Somers. Steve Jacobs wrote
a letter to David Elliott, Director of the DOC that listed these concerns. The four main concerns are: sanitary sewerage; VOC contamination; Storm
water management and wetland impacts.
WPCA Minutes
2/4/03
Page 2
George VanTasel said he has
a copy of a letter from the DEP that states that they must replace the sewer
lines. Steve Jacobs said the lines
should be replaced all the way down to Bacon Road and that gravity feed lines
are the best way to go.
V. SEWER/WATER BILLING:
a. Collection
Update:
Connie
Carenzo, Billing System Operator, reviewed her report with the Authority. A total of (90) water assessment bills were
sent out on 1/31/03. These bills were
generated on the new billing system and took six minutes to print off the new
HP Laserjet 1200 printer that Charlie Colby got for us. The bills look great and the reports - for
the most part - balanced with the BMSI reports. The few adjustments that need to be made are being worked on by
Karen LaPlante and Blair Lawson.
It appears that the BMSI
system will be retired and the new system will be used exclusively.
Karen LaPlante is in the
process of learning this system and she, in turn, will teach it to Connie
Carenzo. Karen has been taking notes
and Connie and Karen will put together an Operations Manual for the new system.
VI. WPCA 2003-04:
Steve Jacobs reviewed the budget draft with the
Authority. He said the figures for the
Food Inspector are somewhat confusing because the Board of Selectmen kept
taking the salary out and then putting it back in when the grant money came
in. The health grant money was cut 15%
for this next fiscal year. Steve Jacobs
will check to be sure that this grant will not be cut even more - due to the
State deficit.
Charles Colby made a motion
to approve the 2003-2004 WPCA budget, as written. This motion was seconded by Dan Fraro and unanimously approved by
the Authority.
VII. SOMERSVILLE WPCF:
a. Flow
Meter:
Steve
Jacobs said the new DEP permit for the Sewer Treatment Plant requires that we
record high and low flows on a daily basis.
We can attach a recorder to our present flowmeter at a cost of
$725.00. The other option is a digital
unit with all the components which would cost $1,885.00. The Authority agreed to go with the $725.00
recorder. This will have to be
calibrated each year for accuracy. A
monthly report on the daily flows is
sent to the DEP.
Charles Colby made a motion
to approve the purchase of a recorder to be attached to the existing flowmeter
for a cost of $725.00. This motion was
seconded by Steve Getman and unanimously approved by the Authority.
WPCA Minutes
2/4/03
Page 3
b. Executive
Session:
Superintendent
Position:
It was
the consensus of the Authority that an Executive Session is not necessary in
order to discuss the Superintendent position at the Sewer Treatment Plant.
Steve Jacobs said when the
Annual Pension Report was sent to him, it included a salary amount for the
first time. Steve noticed that the
salary amount for his job as Superintendent of the Sewer Treatment Plant was
not included in his salary total. Steve
talked to Bill Kirpatrick, Chairman of the Pension Committee, and asked why his
superintendent salary was not counted towards his pension. This is 5% of his salary.
He has always received one
payroll check for both the Sanitarian's and the Superintendent's salary. The pension amount is based on taxable
income.
Dick Jackson has proposed to
pay Steve Jacobs with two separate checks - one for his Sanitarian salary and
the other for the Superintendent salary.
The Superintendent would not have taxes taken out of it - more like a
consultant check. Steve feels this
would be very unfair to him. The
Superintendent salary does not justify the responsibility of the job at the
present hourly rate alone.
Jim Botellio said the WPCA
pay Steve Jacobs a salary for the Superintendent job. Steve's union contract does not include the Superintendent
portion of his job. The pension plan
states it includes all wages from the Town.
The Pension Attorney is reviewing this situation.
There are (2) other
employees who have a similar problem.
Jim Botellio will meet with
George Warner, Ed Sullivan, Bill Kirpatrick and Dick Jackson
hopefully by the end of this
week. Dick Jackson will send a copy of
the Pension Plan to Steve Jacobs. This
situation is being worked on and the Authority will discuss it further at our
next meeting. The WPCA does not care
when Steve Jacobs puts in his hours at the Sewer Treatment Plant. The hours worked are at Steve Jacobs'
discretion and the Authority realizes that much of this time is intermingled
with his normal hours.
VIII. CORRESPONDENCE/AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION:
Members of the Authority sent a card and gift to Elinor
Labutis who is recovering from eye surgery.
Steve Jacobs had a phone
conversation with Mrs. Francis of 86 Beverly Drive. She said her husband passed away and she is living there by
herself on a part-time basis. Half of
the year, she spends in Florida. She
feels her septic tank does not have to be cleaned every two years because of
its minimal use. She would like a
discount on the sewer user fee.
After a discussion, it was
the consensus of the Authority that authorizing a discount on a sewer user fee
would set a precedent that the Authority can not allow. The sewer user fee for Mrs. Francis will
remain as it is.
WPCA Minutes
2/4/03
Page 4
We received a memo from Town
Clerk, Ann Logan, asking that all Land Use Commissions post their agendas as
well as their minutes on the Somers Website.
IX. BILLS:
New England Balance 98.00
Atkins Printery 41.71
Charles Colby made a motion to approve payment of the
bills; seconded by Steve
Getman and unanimously
approved by the Authority.
X. ADJOURNMENT:
Motion to adjourn was made by Charles Colby; seconded by
Steve Getman and unanimously approved by the Authority. The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Dan Fraro, Secretary
Connie Carenzo, Recording Secretary
MINUTES ARE NOT OFFICIAL
UNTIL APPROVAL AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING.