For your consideration, please read the minutes from the Commission Meeting held on Thursday, June 16, 2022 at 2:00 pm in the Commission Meeting Room.

Commission Minutes 6-16-22 with Attachments

To read the minutes, please open or download the pdf from the link above, or you may see more below.

Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission

1703 Gloucester Street, Brunswick, GA 31520

Thursday, June 16, 2022 at 2:00 PM 

COMMISSION MINUTES 

PRESENT:                             

G. Ben Turnipseed, Chairman

Bob Duncan, Vice-Chairman

Charles Cook, Commissioner

Wayne Neal, Commissioner

Tripp Stephens, Commissioner

Chad Strickland, Commissioner

Kendra Rolle, Commissioner 

ALSO PRESENT:                  

Andrew Burroughs, Executive Director

LaDonnah Roberts, Deputy Executive Director

Todd Kline, Director of Engineering

Charles Dorminy, HBS Legal Counsel

Janice Meridith, Executive Commission Administrator                                           

Chairman Turnipseed called the meeting to order at 2:00 PM.

Chairman Turnipseed provided the invocation and Commissioner Stephens led the Pledge of Allegiance. 

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD

Chairman Turnipseed opened the public comment period.

There being no public comment, Chairman Turnipseed closed the public comment period.

COMMITTEE UPDATES

Facilities Committee – Chairman Turnipseed

Chairman Turnipseed reported that the Facilities Committee had met the previous day at 1:00 p.m.  The committee approved: the purchase of UV equipment for Academy Creek and Dunbar Creek, Phase 2 Services for Dunbar Creek Rehab, replacement pumps for Pump Station 2032, and forwarded a few other items that will be considered for approval at this meeting.  The Committee reviewed the Capital Projects Report with some projects completing and bidding new projects.

Finance Committee – Commissioner Duncan

Committee Chairman Duncan reported that the Finance Committee meeting was held on the previous day at 3:00 p.m. The committee approved the following items to the full Commission:  2022-2023 Employee Health Insurance Renewal, the Fiscal Year 2023 Rate Resolution, the Deposit Refund Policy and the Connection Assistance Policy. The financials showed that JWSC remains in a very strong position and we are executing better than budget.

APPROVAL

1. 2022-2023 Employee Health Insurance Renewals – Catina Tindall, First Coast Benefits Solutions, Inc / A. Burroughs

Mrs. Tindall and Mr. Burroughs presented the various options for the Commission to consider for renewing the employee health benefits plan as requested by the Finance Committee on the previous day.  The claims for the past couple of years have been lower than expected.  Fewer met the stop loss amount so the decision was made to raise the individual loss coverage levels to $60,000.  At this meeting it was considered to raise the stop loss coverage to $75,000 rather than $60,000.  There were three options presented to the Commission.  Discussions concerned variations in deductibles to offer, HRA percentages, and incentives to consider in future plan years.  JWSC is under a rate guarantee on dental, vision, voluntary short-term disability, employer paid long-term disability, and voluntary life and dependent life insurance coverages through August 1, 2023.  With the negotiated zero increase renewal from United Healthcare on employee health insurance, the JWSC can renew all employee insurance coverages at the same rate as currently provided. Mr. Burroughs’ recommendation to the Commission was to pass on the savings incurred by increasing the HRA, leaving all other plan details the same, and increasing the individual stop loss to $75,00.

Commissioner Duncan made a motion seconded by Commissioner Cook to move that the Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission renew the employee insurance coverages to be effective August 1, 2022 as presented by Mr. Burroughs keeping the plans the same except increasing the Stop Loss to $75K and increasing the HRA to seventy-five percent (75%).  Motion carried 6-0-1.  (Commissioner Stephens did not raise his hand for a vote in favor.)

2. Minutes from the May 19, 2022 Regular Commission Meeting

Commissioner Stephens made a motion seconded by Commissioner Cook to approve the minutes from the May 19, 2022 Regular Commission Meeting.  Motion carried 7-0-0.

3. Fiscal Year 2023 Rate Resolution – L. Roberts

Mrs. Roberts stated that each year the Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission reviews the resolution previously passed by the Board to document rates and fees associated with JWSC’s products and services to our customers (the “Rate Resolution”). This document is public record and it is made available to interested parties on the JWSC website as well as upon request for printed copies. Mrs. Roberts provided a redlined Rate Resolution draft setting forth the rates necessary to support the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2023 JWSC budget. 

Commissioner Duncan made a motion seconded by Commissioner Cook to move that the Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission approve the attached Rate Resolution for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023.  Motion carried 7-0-0.

4. Deposit Refund Policy – L. Roberts

Mrs. Roberts noted that in conjunction with the presentation of the Proposed Annual Budget for Fiscal Year 2023, staff also outlined various JWSC policies that would be reviewed within the coming months. One of these policies is related to customer deposits. In order to ensure consistency with regional neighboring utilities, JWSC staff contacted six (6) such organizations to gather information about their handling of customer deposits. This information was then compared with JWSC’s current practices in order to determine areas where differences exist. Since JWSC wants to prudently manage risk while also considering our customers’ needs, several potential changes were identified. These changes relate to the determination of when to require, increase or waive a customer deposit, as well as when and how to credit or refund a customer deposit. Proposed redlines to the specific Ordinance sections were attached for the Commissioners to review.

Commissioner Cook made a motion seconded by Commissioner Stephens to move that the Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission recommend to the City of Brunswick Commission and the Glynn County Commission that the Ordinance sections related to customer deposits be amended as shown in the attached document.  Motion carried 7-0-0. 

5. Connection Assistance Program – A. Burroughs

Mr. Burroughs provided that in recent years, the JWSC has taken a proactive approach to system expansion that will allow access to public water and sewer systems for existing residences and businesses that were previously unable to connect to the public systems. One such example of a current project that will accomplish this goal is the expansion of the water and sewer systems in the Arco neighborhood.  The JWSC would like to allow these existing homes and businesses to connect to the system without placing an unnecessary burden upon the property owners.  This proposed policy accomplishes the goal of allowing these customers to connect to the systems without having to provide a cash outlay that would be burdensome to the customer base. The JWSC will allow customers to pay monthly installments towards the total cost of the Capital Improvement Fee and operational fees associated with new accounts.  Financing charges increase as the years financed increases to offset increased administrative costs associated with maintaining these agreements. If approved, this Connection Assistance Policy would ideally become part of the annual Rate Resolution and reviewed annually for current market conditions.

Commissioner Stephens made a motion seconded by Commissioner Duncan to move that the Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission approve the creation of a Connection Assistance Policy effective July 1, 2022.  Motion carried 7-0-0.

6. Academy Creek WPCF UV Equipment Purchase – A. Burroughs

Mr. Burroughs presented the request for approval to purchase UV equipment for the Academy Creek WPCF Rehab Project.  The JWSC applied for and was awarded a State Fiscal Recovery Funds Grant from the State of Georgia Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget in the amount of $1,900,000 to install an ultraviolet disinfection (UV) system to eliminate the usage of chlorine gas at the facility. The RFP was released on April 12, 2022.  The two proposals received were scored by three staff members from JWSC Operations and Senior Leadership.  Trojan Technologies was the highest scoring proposal at 89.0 points.  Strengths of the TrojanUVSigna equipment as identified by the evaluation team were lower UV bulb count reducing ongoing maintenance needs, adequate disinfection effectiveness, and the ability to Buy American preferences for the federal grant funding available for this project.

Commissioner Stephens made a motion seconded by Commissioner Strickland to move that the Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission purchase UV disinfection equipment from Trojan Technologies in the amount of $1,125,000 for installation at the Academy Creek Water Pollution Control Facility.  Motion carried 7-0-0.

7. Dunbar Creek WPCF Rehab Phase 2 Services Contract Award – A. Burroughs

Mr. Burroughs recalled that the JWSC entered into a design-build contract with BRW Construction Group, LLC (BRW) on January 25, 2022 for Phase One Services for the Dunbar Creek Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) Rehab project.  Phase Two Services, if approved by the Board, would include final design and construction of the scope of work items in the contract. BRW has provided a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for the listed scope of work with two additional alternates to cover Items 8 and 9.  Total GMP for the base work is $3,660,309.84.  Item 8, the alternate for a new clarifier is $3,384,286.18 and for the new roadway is $497,442.16.  At this time, staff does not feel the addition of a new clarifier would be a cost-effective approach.  Item 9, the alternate for the new entrance road off of Sea Island Road would eliminate the need for equipment and passenger vehicles to pass through the Glynn Haven neighborhood to access the treatment plant.  This is a liability reduction for the JWSC and would be a betterment for the community.  Staff recommends awarding the contract for Phase Two Services for the base amount and alternate item no. 2 totaling $4,157,751.30 or less to BRW Construction Group, LLC. 

Commissioner Stephens made a motion seconded by Commissioner Duncan to move that the Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission approve authorize the Executive Director to award a contract to BRW Construction Group, LLC in the amount of $4,157,751.30 or less for Phase Two Services at the Dunbar Creek Water Pollution Control Facility for completion of the Base Scope of Work and Alternate No. 2.  Motion carried 7-0-0.

8. Dunbar Creek WPCF UV Equipment Purchase– A. Burroughs

Mr. Burroughs provided that throughout Phase One of the Dunbar Creek WPCF Rehab project, staff and BRW have discussed the JWSC separately purchasing large equipment to avoid sales tax and contractor markups on equipment purchases to reduce overall project costs. After several discussions between JWSC staff, BRW, and design engineer Hussey Gay Bell (HGB), the decision was made to move forward with installation of TrojanUVSigna equipment from manufacturer Trojan Technologies at the Dunbar Creek WPCF.  This decision was based upon disinfection effectiveness, life cycle costs, and experience using the Trojan system.  BRW solicited the attached proposal from Trojan Technologies for supplying the equipment in the amount of $351,165. Note that the supplier has agreed to hold the $351,165 price through the end of the week due to JWSC meeting calendar.  Official shop drawings will be submitted to BRW and the JWSC no later than 6 weeks after acceptance of the attached offer, and actual equipment delivery is expected 27-29 weeks after approval of shop drawings. Assuming schedules are met for production, equipment delivery would occur mid-to-late February 2023.

Commissioner Duncan made a motion seconded by Commissioner Neal to move that the Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission purchase UV disinfection equipment from Trojan Technologies in the amount of $351,165 for installation at the Dunbar Creek Water Pollution Control Facility.  Motion carried 7-0-0.

9. Dunbar Creek WPCF Filtration Equipment Purchase – A. Burroughs

Mr. Burroughs advised that JWSC would like to purchase another piece of large equipment for the Dunbar Creek WPCF Rehab.  This purchase would also help to avoid sales tax and contractor markups on equipment purchases to reduce overall Dunbar Creek WPCF Rehab project costs. After several discussions between JWSC staff, BRW, and design engineer Hussey Gay Bell (HGB), the decision was made to move forward with installation of AquaDisk cloth media filtration equipment from manufacturer Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. at the Dunbar Creek WPCF.  This decision was based upon filtration effectiveness and experience using the Aqua-Aerobic system.  Dunbar Creek and Academy Creek both currently have Aqua-Aerobic filters in service. BRW solicited the attached proposal from Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. for supplying the equipment in the amount of $671,005.  Official shop drawings will be submitted to BRW and the JWSC no later than 8 weeks after acceptance of the attached offer, and actual equipment delivery is expected 18 weeks after approval of shop drawings. Assuming schedules are met for production, equipment delivery would occur late December 2022. 

Commissioner Neal made a motion seconded by Commissioner Duncan to move that the Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission purchase cloth media filtration equipment from Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. in the amount of $671,005 for installation at the Dunbar Creek Water Pollution Control Facility.  Motion carried 7-0-0.

10. Pump Station 2032 Replacement Pumps Purchase – A. Burroughs

Mr. Burroughs stated that JWSC Pump Station 2032 is located on Frederica Road near Bennie’s Red Barn. This station receives most of the flow from the north end of the island and pumps it to the Dunbar Creek gravity basin. The JWSC recently did gravity system rehab work upstream of this basin. Before the gravity rehab was complete, this station saw a tremendous amount of grit causing wear and tear on the pumps. Also, the wet well had residual grit that cause the bases to become unlevel and need replacement.  Both pumps have seen wear and tear and it appears more cost-effective to replace both pumps rather than trying to rehab the current ones given their poor condition. Currently, the station is on bypass. Quotes were received from three manufacturers for these replacement pumps. Manufacturers, pricing, and lead times were reviewed with the Commission as shown in the chart below:

Manufacturer	Cost	Pump hP	Lead Time
Flygt	$60,154.30	45	Available
KSB	$53,717.00	40	16-18 Weeks
Grundfos	$56,155.00	56	Available

Based on availability, staff narrowed the search down to the Flygt and Grundfos pumps. Due to the increased horsepower requirements for the Grundfos pumps, new variable frequency drives (VFDs) would be necessary as the existing ones are not rated sufficiently. SP&M uses VFDs at this station to hold the level at the station consistent to avoid air stripping of hydrogen sulfide as the influent comes into the wet well. The existing VFDs are sufficient for the specified Flygt pumps and given the immediate availability of those pumps, this station could be returned to normal operations very soon instead of the 18 week lead time required for the KSB pumps.  Funding for this agreement will be in the Systems Pumping and Maintenance Lift Station Pumps budget as approved by the Commission.  Given the immediate availability of the Flygt pumps and the ability to use existing electrical equipment, staff recommend purchasing two Flygt 45 hp pumps for installation at Pump Station 2032. 

Commissioner Stephens made a motion seconded by Commissioner Strickland to move that the Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission approve the purchase of two new pumps for Pump Station 2032 from Xylem Water Solutions in the amount of $60,154.30.  Motion carried 7-0-0.

11. Academy Creek Clarifier Gearbox Purchase – A. Burroughs

Mr. Burroughs presented that the Academy Creek Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) has six clarifiers that help separate solids from wastewater following biological treatment in the aeration basins. Each clarifier has a mechanical drive that rotates a set of rakes on the bottom of the clarifier to force solids into the sludge collector. It also has a skimmer arm on top to push floating scum to the scum trough for removal. Prior to the installation of the new bar screens at Academy Creek, large amounts of rags were making their way into the treatment system and ultimately settling out in the clarifiers. It appears that enough of these rags became wrapped around the rake arm to significantly increase the torque that the mechanical drive was experiencing. This led to a failure of the worm gear inside the drive gear box. Staff has been working to locate a replacement worm gear for the gear box. Initials quotes for the worm gear were approximately $27,000.  Upon inspection it appears that there is more rehab needed to the gear box than originally anticipated.  Staff went back to Ovivo to request a price to replace the entire gear box rather than rebuilding it and received quote 220519BGJWSC in the amount of $47,672 to be purchased through Triple H Specialty Company in Georgia.  Estimated delivery of the new gear box is 16-18 weeks. Assuming schedules are met for production, equipment delivery would occur in October 2022.

Commissioner Duncan made a motion seconded by Commissioner Neal to move that the Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission purchase a clarifier gear box from Ovivo USA, LLC in the amount of $47,672 for installation at the Academy Creek Water Pollution Control Facility.  Motion carried 7-0-0.

12. Standby Generator Rental Agreement – A. Burroughs

Mr. Burroughs advised that each year, funds are allocated in the Systems Pumping and Maintenance hurricane preparedness budget to support the rental of portable generators to support the seasonal storm contingency plan. Historically, a rental contract has been established for five (5) portable generators and associated connection appurtenances to be onsite and available for use during the high activity times of the annual hurricane season. Staff is in the process of finalizing bid documents to purchase approved portable generators through a FEMA grant, but staff has been advised by engineers and sales personnel that delivery of new generators is likely to take 12 months or more due to supply chain issues. Under the Sourcewell cooperative purchasing agreement 062320-CAT, staff obtained a quotation from current generator CSA partner, Yancey Power Systems CAT, for five (5) portable generators and associated connection appurtenances to support the 2022 Storm Contingency plan.  The amount of the quotation is $123,102.50 for the full period from 06/01/2022 – 11/15/2022. The amount will be prorated on a weekly basis as the JWSC is able to delay delivery of the generators until 06/20/2022 and the amount will be prorated accordingly to $119,862.50.

Commissioner Duncan made a motion seconded by Commissioner Cook to move that the Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission enter into a rental agreement with Yancey Power Systems in the amount of $119,862.50 as presented.  Motion carried 7-0-0.

13. Pump Station RTU Panel Purchase – A. Burroughs

Mr. Burroughs stated that the JWSC recently completed an overhaul of the pump station SCADA system and standardize on a specific panel configuration including specific components in each panel. The JWSC installed 136 of these panels during calendar year 2021 and have seen tremendous benefits to SP&M operations as a result. Moving forward, the JWSC expects all new pump stations to have one of these new SCADA panels installed if the pump station is to be dedicated to the JWSC for public ownership and operation.  Working with local utility contractors for the installation of pumping stations attached to the JWSC system provides staff an opportunity to facilitate a successful completion of private development projects that benefit the utility.  A recurring concern among private entities is the cost and timeframe associated with construction and installation of the new SCADA panels required for pump stations.  Given that the JWSC buys directly from the panel building shop and the integrator, we can purchase these panels for considerably less than contractors can and, according to the contractors, the costs associated with SCADA are prohibitive for their projects.  To facilitate successful completion and alleviate these concerns, the JWSC would like to maintain an inventory of no more than 3 complete SCADA panels at the Academy Creek warehouse that the private contractor may purchase from the utility for installation at the new pump station site. By doing so, the contractor can install the correct SCADA panels without having to pay considerable markups through the supply chain and the JWSC gets the specific SCADA panels it wants in the system.  Furthermore, the JWSC has a handful of pump stations that have not had their SCADA panels changed out yet due to currently planned capital projects. Having these panels on hand would benefit the schedule control on those upcoming pump station projects.  These items will be held in inventory and thus will be funded through general revenues and held as an asset in the inventory line item on the balance sheet each month until they are used. The contractor would purchase the panel directly from the JWSC. Upon use of one panel, the JWSC will maintain inventory quantities to ensure no delays in availability.

Commissioner Neal made a motion seconded by Commissioner Duncan to move that the Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission approve the purchase of three new pump station RTU panels from Electric Machine Control in the amount of $63,932.46.  Motion carried 7-0-0.

14. Infrastructure and Easement Dedications – T. Kline

• Grace Crossing Phase 1

Mr. Kline presented the request for acceptance of the Easement and Private Infrastructure Dedication from the Grace Crossing Phase 1 development.  The Owner of Record of the infrastructure described within has submitted legal documents to: 1) define and execute the transfer of ownership; and, 2) convey an easement for access and maintenance.  The infrastructure is understood to have complied with applicable standards at the time of construction. JWSC inspection records indicate the infrastructure is functioning and in acceptable condition.  All requirements of the JWSC Standards for Water & Sewer Design and Construction and Development Procedures have been met, and all related documents submitted. Staff recommends acceptance and approval of the described water and sewer infrastructure and easement.

Commissioner Stephens made a motion seconded by Commissioner Cook to move that the Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission approve the dedication of infrastructure and one sewer easement for Grace Crossing Phase 1.  Motion carried 7-0-0.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S UPDATE

There was no further update from the Executive Director at this time.

COMMISSIONERS DISCUSSION

Commissioner Stephens had one question which Mr. Burroughs responded to.  There was no further discussion by the Commissioners.

CHAIRMAN’S UPDATE

The Chairman thanked the staff for all of their hard work.  He also thanked the Commissioners for all of their input and discussion.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

There was no Executive Session

There being no additional business to bring before the Commission, Chairman Turnipseed adjourned the meeting at 3:30 p.m.