HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_GUS_02.15.2005
Minutes of the Meeting of the
Georgetown Utility System Advisory Board
and the Governing Body of the
City of Georgetown, Texas
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
The Georgetown Utility System Advisory Board of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met on Tuesday ,
February 15, 2005.
Board Members Present:
Doug Smith, Patty Eason, John Gavurnik, Larry Brown, Jack Hunnicutt, Robert Kostka, Kendall Young
Board Members Absent:
Staff Present:
Paul Brandenburg, Jim Briggs, Jana Kern, Michael Hallmark, Tom Benz, Glenn Dishong, Micki Rundell,
Laurie Brewer, Michael Stasny
OTHER PRESENT:
Allen Woelke - Camp Dresser & McKee Inc. (CDM), Charles Kaplan, Steve Sallman & Tom Dreiss -
Escalera Ranch
Minutes
Regular Meeting
Board may, at any time, recess the Regular Session to convene an
Executive Session at the request of the President, a Board Member, the
Assistant City Manager, City Council Member, or legal counsel for any
purpose authorized by the Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code
Chapter 551, and are subject to action in the Regular Session that
follows.
Tour started at 12:30 p.m.
A. Tour of Treatment Plants/Substations Jim Briggs
Attendees for the tour: Patty Eason, Doug Smith, Robert Kostka, Larry Brown, Kendall Young,
Jim Briggs, Glenn Dishong, Tom Benz, & Jana Kern.
Discussion: We went to Pecan Branch WWTP, Rivery Substation, Lake WTP, and Southside
WTP.
Action: None
Regular Meeting called to order by Smith @ 2:18 p.m.
B. Consideration and possible action to approve the minutes from the regular Board meeting
held on January 18, 2005 Jana Kern
Discussion: Eason had a few changes to item "I" under discussion: Q by Eason should have
read - What was being done about drainage under the railroad tracks especially around 21st
& 22nd Streets? What Eason heard as Miller's response was: We are trying to work with the
Railroad Company, to get them to help in the repairing while the City was working in the same
area. The real problem is that the houses are located in the flood plain. The hope is that the work
being done in that area would help alleviate flooding problems. Q by Eason: Work being done on
College, Ash and all of those streets - does this work include the widening of these streets.
Millers answer the work being done in that area does not include widening.
These corrections were made to the January 18, 2005 minutes.
Action: Motion by Eason, seconded by Gavurnik to approve the minutes with the stated
corrections.
Approved 7-0
C. Review of the Project Progress Report and timelines (including but not limited to items
listed). Joel Weaver
Discussion: Tom Benz introduced Michael Hallmark to the Board as the new CIP
Coordinator. Hallmark presented the items. Hallmark stated all projects have rain delays.
Berry Creek WWTP: 99% complete. Need to do some site grading and the final walk through.
Airport Road Rehab: We have a couple of failures on the Type "B" Asphalt that need to be cut
out & repaired, driveways need to be re-poured to meet the new grade. After these things are
done we will lay the final asphalt. This should be complete in about 3 weeks. This does not
include
the portion of Airport from Lakeway to IH 35.
EARZ Phase 1: 95% complete. We are waiting for the engineer inspection and the final walk
through.
Jennings Branch Elevated: Final clean up needs to be done. Vegetation needs to be put along
the fence line.
2004 Street Overlays: Gabriel View & Northwest Blvd. is complete, lacking the site clean up.
River Bend we need to replace storm drain at Williams Dr. The it will be ready for overlay.
13th Street W/WW/ST & Drainage: Water is complete, lacking the tie ins at a couple of
intersections. Wastewater is complete. Next step will be the paving. Q by Eason: Corner
Pine St. & 13th St. the drainage ditch at this corner continuously has trash in the tunnel
at the moment there is a bag of cement there. A by Hallmark: I will go and take a look at this
and see if we can get this taken care of.
Smith Branch Interceptor Phase 3: This is complete. We are waiting for vegetation.
Wolf Ranch Lift Station: Excavation is complete. We have made two pours on the Wet Well.
Action: None
D. Discussion and possible action to provide City Council with input on the 2005/06 budget.
Laurie Brewer/Micki Rundell
Discussion: Rundell presented the item. Attached is blank form that we would like for you
fill out. The information from this form will be used by us to take to council. Q by Smith:
Do you want us to fill this out now? A by Rundell: Yes, but we don't have to. If you want to
take this home and fill it out. Then we can discuss it next month.
Action: Board will take forms home and fill them out. Rundell to come back to the March
meeting to review the input sheets.
E. Consideration and possible recommendation to continue the third phase of GSWW
Edwards Aquifer Program testing and approve the annual budget of $150,000.00
Glenn Dishong
Discussion: Dishong presented the item. This is the third phase of an eight phase
project. Phase Three will be primarily Sun City and some small areas where we feel
flaws need to be looked at. Tests will be done by staff personnel and GSWW.
GSWW will also compile the data, from the data they will suggest to us whether
the flaw is infiltration or an exfiltration, and if it needs to be address right away or
falls under the realm of us fixing it with in a year. Q by Gavurnik: It is my understanding
that we are doing the Sun City area because we anticipate spending less money for
repairs, but are we prolonging a worse problem in other areas that we know are going
to be bad that in the long run could cost us more money? A by Dishong: It is true that we
are starting in Sun City, but we have the option, if we don't find extensive flaws in this
area we can start testing else where. We have a certain about of dollars set for repairs
and we will spend that amount. Q by Hunnicutt: Are the engineer standards set in such a
way that systems would need repairs in five years? A by Briggs: Due to the threat of
the Aquifer, TCEQ has set a standard that the whole system must be gone through
every five years. Q by Kostka: If TCEQ is looking to protect the Aquifer, and if that is the
purpose of this, should we be looking at areas that are most likely to have leaks first?
Q by Dishong: If that was our only goal, if there were no restraints on funds, and the
program was not an eight year program, with that goal in mind, we had eights years to
shift things around to make sure that we have levelized costing that was really the reason
TCEQ allowed us the eight years. Q by Kostka: When you identify a problem/issue
you have to correct it within one year? A by Dishong: Yes, you have one year from the
date the problem/issue was identify.
Mr. Briggs mentioned what he felt would be the issues in Old Town. A lot of the main
lines are old clay lines and I don't think that they will be the issue. I think the service
laterals going from the house to the main are going to be the real issue. We can not spend
public dollars to repair these. Q by Gavurnik: Since we can't use public dollars to make
these repairs, we expect the homeowners to make them? A by Briggs: By statute we can
not use public money on private property. What we have to do is identify them, notify the
home owner but we have to come with ordinances. Then we get into the issues of how
does the home owner pay for these improvements. Some of the issues that we have
come across are missing clean out caps. Most of these have been in our right of way,
and we have fixed those. The number of other violations, I am not sure but we are not
obligated to fix these under this testing we only have to identify them. Depending on the
amount of violations that are found we will have to deal with them separately.
Action: Motion by Gavurnik, seconded by Eason to approve the third phase of GSWW Edwards
Aquifer Program testing and approve the annual budget of $150,000.00
Amendment to motion by Young, seconded by Smith if there is any residual money left we will
use
it for Old Town.
Discussion: Dishong asked if there is any money left from the testing of Sun City we will use it for
Old Town? A by Young: Yes, if there is any money left from the $800,000 set for repairs we will
use it in Old Town. Dishong stated that we are not discussing the repairs, we are only discussing
the testing cost which is $150,000 for Sun City.
Since we are not discussing the repair costs of $800,000 and this is only for testing costs of
$150,000 Young & Smith withdrew their amendment and the original motion is back on the table.
Approved 7-0
F. Consideration and possible action to award the contract for the construction of the Berry Creek
Lift Station and establish a project budget. Glenn Dishong
Discussion: Dishong presented the item. This finishes off the scope of work that was originally
planned, for the expansion of this Lift Station. When this project was put together it included
both the expansion and the upgrade of the Lift Station. CDM is recommending that we award
the bid to Cash Construction Co, Ltd. in the amount of $ 1,036,880.00 with a project budget
of $1,100,000.00. This is about twice the amount that we expected. This is due to the increase
price of construction materials - steel, piping, re-barr, etc.
Action: Motion by Brown, seconded by Eason to award the bid to Cash Construction Co., Ltd.
and set a project budget of $1,100,000.00.
Approved 7-0
At this point of the meeting Ms. Eason asked to address the board about a letter that she has. The letter
is from Pickett, Kelm & Associates, Inc. To: Governor Perry, Topic: Qualifications Based Selection of
Engineering Providers by State and Public Agencies. It was noted that not all GUS Board members
received this letter, a copy was made for each Board member Smith stated that this was not on the
agenda so it was to be tabled until the next Board meeting.
G. Presentation of the accepted Water Distribution System Master Plan, dated January 2005
by staff and the engineering consultant for the project, CDM. Glenn Dishong
Discussion: Dishong presented the item. The Master Plan is the driver for a lot of the Capital
Improvement Plan for Utilities. CDM just finished the System Master Plan and Allen Woelke
is here to give us a presentation. From this Master Plan we build 10 year Capit al Improvement
Plan which the impact fees are based, we also build a 5 year Capital Improvement Plan.
Presentation given by Woelke of CDM. The purpose of this plan was to evaluate the existing
water distribution system. This consists of all of the pipes that are underground. This has to
meet all of the TCEQ requirements for pressure and flow to individual houses.It also has to meet
fire flow demands - for most systems this is the biggest demand it has to deal with. We are
check this for both current and future demands.
Full presentation is on tape.
Q by Brown: There were some projections when the impact fee study was done by HDR.
How much of what you determine in your report is going to be consistent with the Capital
Improvement Plan that was the basis for the impact fee study? A by Woelke & Dishong:
Most of this should be consistent. We did not have to much planned in this area two years
ago when we were looking at the Capital recovery fee. We probably be looking at these
side by side - good point. Looking at the next agenda will also address some of these
issues. Q by Smith: The Southeast side of town that seems that it might be greater than
Southwest side as far as demand goes? A by Woelke: The good news there we have some
infrastructure in place. We have the ability because of Southside and Park Treatment Plant
and piping to get water there a little easier.
Action: None
H. Consideration and possible recommendation of the First Amendment to the development
Agreement Concerning Proposed Subdivision and Construction of Escalera Ranch.
Glenn Dishong
Discussion: Dishong presented the item. We wanted to make sure that you were aware
on what was going to happen as far as utility provisions. Then it will go into a normal
process of the development agreement. What is attached is a draft of the first
amendment and we maybe 90% there on an development agreement amendment.
The biggest change is Escalera would like to develop at a higher density going from
547 units to 2011 units. In do so it will now need to be on organized sewage collection
system instead of septic systems. As you are aware there is no treatment plant on
site so the strategy was to pump their wastewater from a lift station on site north to
Cimarron Hills. This would establish wastewater services and load the Cimarron Hills
plant. This would allow for more irrigation water for Cimarron Hills Golf Course. At a
later date they would finish up the line going down the South San Gabriel with treat-
ment going to Dove Springs.
Hunnicutt went on the record: He does not feel that there is a conflict of interest but wanted it
to be known that he owns a lot in the Escalera Ranch area in the process of exchanging it for
another lot. Neither one of the lots are in the area will be effected by this. Our lot is in the area
that is designated for septic systems and will always be that way. After I hear the discussion
I will decide whether or not I need to exclude myself.
Q by Eason: Why is the developer keeping so many lots on septic systems? A by Tom Dreiss
of Escalera Ranch: It has a lot to do with topography of the land. Dishong added that It could
require additional lift stations etc.
Action: None
Motion by Gavurnik, seconded by Young to adjourn the meeting
Approved 7-0
Meeting adjourned at 3:46 p.m.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 03:46 PM.
Approved : Attest:
_______________________ ________________________
Doug Smith - Chair Jack Hunnicutt - Secretary