TOWN OF SOMERS
WATER POLLUTION
CONTROL AUTHORITY
P. O. Box 308
Somers,
Connecticut 06071
WPCA Minutes
9/6/05; 7:15
p.m.
Town Hall
Conference Room
I. PUBLIC
HEARING:
Somersville WPCF and Maple Ridge
Community System O&M
Budgets
Chairman Jim Botellio called the public hearing to order at 7:15 p.m. and read the legal notice. No citizen appeared to contest or discuss the proposed Somersville
WPCF and Maple Ridge Community System O&M budgets. Therefore, Steve Getman made a motion to close the public hearing; seconded by Dan Fraro and approved unanimously. The public hearing closed at 7:20 p.m.
II. Call
to Order:
Chairman Jim Botellio called the regular meeting to order at 7:20 p.m. Members present were: Jim Botellio; George VanTasel; Dan Fraro; Steve Getman and Charles Colby (7:40). Also present was Sanitarian Steve Jacobs.
III. Approval of Minutes: August 2, 2005
Correction was made to the spelling of "Botellio", page 2, 4th paragraph.
Steve Getman made a motion to approve the minutes as amended; seconded by George VanTasel and unanimously approved.
IV. Shaker
Road - Proposed Age Restricted Housing - Somers Village:
Steve Jacobs has spoken to Town Attorney Carl Landolina about a sewer
main extension agreement and Carl has supplied a draft with an ownership clause in it. Sewer and water mains can be placed in private ownership. The Authority needs to decide where they want to go with this. Steve also has spoken with Hazardville Water Company. If the Authority owns the water line, we would have to pay an inch cost on the mains, $3,900 per year. If the ARH Association owns the line, the inch foot charge would be waived. Also, we would lose the tax revenue if the town owns the line.
The entire ARH project is within the HWC service area. Other towns such as Enfield, Vernon and Coventry have given ownership of their water and sewer lines to the ARH Association. The connection charge can still be collected by the town as well as the user charge for the sewer system.
At the last meeting, we discussed pump station versus gravity feed septic systems. The pump station would remain in private ownership. All of the ARH roads will remain private. DEP does not have a problem with the sewer and water lines and the pump
WPCA Minutes
9/6/05
Page 2
station remaining in the ARH Association's control. The Association would be responsible for maintenance and would probably have an insurance policy to cover any severe maintenance problems. This would also include fire hydrant maintenance.
Steve Jacobs said this is the last large parcel that remains in our service area. It was the consensus of the Authority that the entire development should be the property of the developer and then the ARH Association.
Frank Smith, engineer for the developer, said he would like to come up with a design to maximize pumping for most of the units and plans to use a high quality pump that would last at least 20 years. In fact, Frank Smith is in favor of using the pump station for the entire project. He said the cost of maintaining (10) homes is the same as maintaining (50) homes. After a discussion, it was decided to have Steve Jacobs contact Carl Landolina to see if there would be a problem executing an agreement whereby the developer owns and maintains the pump station.
Charles Colby made a motion that the developer is the owner of the pump station and all sewer and water lines and is also responsible for maintenance of these items as well as the fire hydrants. This motion is contingent upon concurrence of the Town Planner, the Town Attorney and the Board of Selectmen. This motion was seconded by Steve Getman and unanimously approved.
V. Somersville WPCF - Expansion Update:
Mike Mocko set up a meeting with the DEP representative George Hicks to review completely the design of the expansion. Also reviewed the lagoon as our method of sludge handling. We need to have an automatic chlorinator tied into our flowmeter or use ultraviolet light disinfection. The DEP did not have major concerns, including the lagoon. We followed the federal standards. Mike Mocko should have the revised report by next week and would look for a letter of approval by the end of the month.
It was the consensus of the Authority to take up agenda item VIII at this time.
VIII. Sunset
Drive - TCP Contamination:
Steve Jacobs reported that every home on the street has been tested and about half are at or above the potable standards. Bottled water and filters will be made available from the State. The State is hopeful to free up funding for a water main extension to bring public water to Sunset Drive. The water main is already at the beginning of Sunset Drive. The contaminated homes should be included in the funded amount for the water. A homeowner would be responsible for the connection fee.
Jim Botellio said that anybody that connects to the water main extension should pay the $2,600 connection fee and he intends to bring this matter up with the Town Attorney.
WPCA Minutes
9/6/05
Page 3
Margaret Lawless of 23 Main Street wanted to know where the contamination came from. Steve Jacobs said that TCP is showing up in many areas where EDB was found. He suspects that this was a chemical that was applied on the tobacco fields in that area of town. Ms. Lawless would like free water because she has health problems. She has been buying bottled water at her own cost. Her contamination level is .04 parts per billion. The State standard for contamination is .05 parts per billion. The Authority advised Ms. Lawless to write a letter to the State about the problem she has and ask the State to add her to the list for state aid.
VI. Somersville
WPCF - O&M Budget:
Charles Colby made a motion to approve the proposed 2005-06 sewer user charge at $185.00 per EDU, an increase of 5.4%. This motion was seconded by Dan Fraro. The vote was: (4) in favor; (0) opposed; (1) abstention (Steve Getman). The motion passed.
VII. Maple
Ridge Community Septic - O&M Budget:
Charles Colby made a motion to approve the proposed 2005-06 sewer user charge at $81.00 per EDU, an increase of 20%. This motion was seconded by Steve Getman and unanimously approved by the Authority.
IX. Sewer/Water
Billing:
a. Delinquent Accounts:
Steve Jacobs reported he has received some response from 66 Maple Ridge. Meyer Motors has not come in with another payment. It was the consensus of the Authority to give Mr. Meyers to the end of the month to come up with a substantial payment and if he doesn't, send the account to the collection agency.
b. Year-end Reports:
Steve Jacobs has talked with George from Rockville and he has agreed to help us out on the year-end reports.
c. Billing Operator:
Steve Jacobs reported that the Land Use Staff sat in on four interviews for this position last week. The Authority would like the new person on board so that she can be trained on the billing system by George, definitely by the middle of September.
Steve Jacobs remarked that the billing system computer needs an adjustment to the new server so that our system can be accessed by our support system in California.
X. Correspondence/Audience
Participation:
Steve Jacobs reported that 111 Main Street is eligible for water service according to the State.
Malcolm-Pirnie sent a report on Rye Hill Circle perimeter wells that showed no appreciable change.
WPCA Minutes
9/6/05
Page 4
Jim Faust's well shows trace levels of TCE and DCE which are a breakdown of PCE. This shows that the mitigation is working on the deep bedrock aquifer.
Maple Ridge Drive - the tanks were cleaned this summer. New baffles were installed on a few homes.
Steve Jacobs said there is a soil training workshop that he would like to attend in October which has a $35.00 fee. Charles Colby made a motion to approve Steve's attendance at this seminar and the payment of the $35.00 fee dependent on approval by the Board of Selectmen. This motion was seconded by Steve Getman and unanimously approved.
George VanTasel said that the WPCA should see the plans the State has for the new sewer system near the prison before the project goes to bonding. The State should give a presentation of their plans to the Authority. Steve Jacobs was asked to write a letter to the State inquiring as to the status of these plans.
XI. Bills:
Sonitrol $258.17
Sharon Olman (State Marshal) $30.00
Ace Hardware $15.16
Ct. Management Services (annual maintenance) $1,000.00
Skip's Septic (cleaning MR tanks) $5,766.25
Peterson Products (12" plugs at sewer plant) $421.00
George VanTasel made a motion to approve payment of the bills; seconded by Steve Getman and unanimously approved by the Authority.
X. Adjournment:
Motion to adjourn made by Charles Colby; seconded by Steve Getman and unanimously approved by the Authority. The meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Dan Fraro, Secretary
Connie Carenzo, Recording Secretary
MINUTES
ARE NOT OFFICIAL UNTIL APPROVAL AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING.