Duluth/North Shore
Sanitary District – Board of Managers
Meeting # 67
Date: August 10, 2005, 0700
Board Members Present: Kevin Bovee; Rick Certano; Lars
Fladmark, chair; Mary Ann Sironen;
Scott Smith
Board Members Absent: None
Others Present: Mel Olson, Eric
Appelwick, Nate Grayson, Clare Carpenter, Carol Surine, Duane Herold, John Miller, Larry Moon, Jeff Cook, John Kessler,
Marilynn Kessler, Scott Harder, Dan Maddy for Mary Frances Skala.
Minutes to: Jim Anklam, Eric Appelwick, Mike Appelwick, Darryl Bathel, Dan Belden, Bruce Berg, Kelli Boedigheimer, Kevin Bovee , John Bowen, Clare Carpenter, Rick Certano, Jeff Cook, City of Duluth, Duluth City Council, Duluth Township, Lars Fladmark, Greg Garmer, Jane Gilbert, Mark Gottwald, Wendy Gustofson, Scott Harder, Mark Herman, Duane Herold, Lynn Ann Hollatz, Kevin Holm , Dan Jacobson, Laurie Johnson, Al Katz, John Kessler, Lakewood Township, Nancy Larson-St. Louis County, Sue Lawson, Patti Logergren, Mike Mahoney, Joe McGaver, Don McTavish, Larry Moon, Dan Neiman, Mel Olson, PLAWCS, David Pierson, Tom Pulse, Yvonne Rutford, John Schifsky, Dale Schroeder, Dick Sigel, Mary Ann Sironen , Mary Frances Skala, Scott Smith, Kurt Soderberg, Tim Strom, George Sundstrom , Carol Surine, Peg Sweeney, John Thomas, Nelson Thomas, Jonathon Thornton, Pete Weidman, Robin Whaley, Sandy Woolum, Greg Mutchler
Minutes by: Carol Surine and
edited by Mary Ann Sironen
|
Item |
Discussion |
Action/Conclusion |
|||
|
Approve
Agenda |
Mary
Ann Sironen asked to add a discussion of Larsmont Cottages to New
Business. Scott Smith asked to talk
about the timing for a ceremony when the restorations are complete. |
Motion by Scott Smith and
seconded by Kevin Bovee to approve the agenda as amended. Unanimously approved. |
|||
|
Approve
Minutes |
Mel
Olson asked that the minutes be amended to read “...All grinder stations that
are not in rock will be installed…” |
Motion by Scott Smith and
seconded by Kevin Bovee to approve the minutes as amended. Unanimously approved |
|||
|
Treasurer's
report |
1.
Clare Carpenter distributed the Request to Pay invoices for a total
of $670,866.66. This includes the major annual (due in
August) repayment on the PFA loans of $446,826.15. In February we pay just
interest on the PFA loan. 2.
Bank Balance –August 10, 2005 is ($111,076.50). Anticipated bank balance as of August 25
is $77,735.34. 3.
We have received two NSF checks. |
1. Motion by Kevin Bovee
to pay the outstanding invoices and approve the Treasurer’s report. Scott Smith seconded. Unanimously
approved. |
|||
|
Public Comments |
Jeff Cook passed along complaints about
restorations in the Greenwood Beach area; the grass seed did not grow,
etc. He recommends not doing any
restoration work past 10/1 but Mel Olson reminded that mulching of disturbed
soil must be done or we are in violation of MPCA rules. Duane Herold and Lars
Fladmark commented that their hook ups were done well. It was clarified that
if a property is leased, the holder of the title has the responsibility to
pay for the sewer charges. |
||||
|
Updates John Miller |
●
The easement on Knute Nisswandt's property is the only one left to be
done. The options for electric power for his grinder pump offered by Mr.
Nisswandt do not meet D/NSSD requirements for connection. Eric Appelwick will
convey the message to Mr. Nisswandt that he must hook up to electrical power. ●
A few amendments to easements remain to be done. ●
Six easements cannot be recorded for various reasons ~ one being
French River Lutheran Church. John Miller needs an affidavit from the church
stating the process used before the easement is signed. Carol Surine said that there was an
affidavit signed at a church Council meeting, but it needs additional
clarification. Dan Maddy will work
with French River Lutheran Church on preparing the correct affidavit. |
||||
|
Updates I&I Jeff Cook |
·
No further action on I&I inspections. Jeff inquired about the
procedure for getting a sewer permit. In other areas, the sewer permit has to
be in hand before the building
permit would be issued. D/NSSD is Step Two in the process; the building
permit is Step One. ·
Eric Appelwick is putting together a packet for new homeowners. Scott
Harder and Mary Frances Skala are finishing the draft of a document which
would contractually oblige the holder of a building permit to pay to reserve
sewer capacity. ·
D/NSSD does not have or want zoning/land use authority and plans to
work closely with local municipalities on new customers. |
||||
|
KR-LSD Larry Moon |
·
The Knife River detention tank has been ordered and should arrive in
September ·
In an e-mail, Al Katz of the North Shore Community Association
requested information on sewer service to the Larsmont Cottages development.
D/NSSD has no current arrangement with WLSSD to provide sewer service to
Larsmont, only the Knife River flow has been included in the current
allocation negotiations. In order for Larsmont to be considered, it must go
through the same assessment as Knife River. Alternative systems have to be
considered and the only ones that would be covered by current PFA funding
would be sending sewage to WLSSD or a pond system that would have to be built
over the hill. Development is a concern but Lake County has a moratorium on
PUDs until next April. Possible rule
changes to conform to the North Shore Management Plan include 1) Two acres
per lot; and 2) 10 acres per PUD. |
||||
|
Updates WLSSD Allocation Status |
·
Mel Olson received a letter from WLSSD which included the draft of a
new agreement. WLSSD wants D/NSSD to
review and comment on the enclosed information, and return it to them by
8/12. This lays out the discharge
units, and allocations for planned growth based on a formula using 1) Average
Daily Flow, 2) Peak Daily Flow, 3) BOD, and 4) Solids load. The numbers are very similar to the
figures Ayres put together. ·
Mel recommended that D/NSSD draft a response letter to clarify how
much we will be charged for our level of service. Some townships are charged a fixed rate per unit but since
D/NSSD flow can be measured, it is charged $1.05 per 1000 gallons domestic
equivalent rate. WLSSD should acknowledge the fact that D/NSSD is a different
class of customer, with very strict rules of flow into their system. Lars
Fladmark asked Scott Harder to draft the letter, and Kevin Bovee to sign in
his absence. Scott Harder said he would have a letter by fax to Kevin Bovee
by tomorrow (8/11). ·
Currently there is no surcharge for exceeding our flow. If that condition occurs D/NSSD would be
required to install more storage. It was noted that a grinder pump is
considered an extension while a new gravity system is not. |
||||
|
Discussion: Proposed $750
fee for new hook-ups |
Scott
Smith, Scott Harder, Eric Appelwick, and Rick Certano were in attendance at
the meeting where WLSSD proposed to add a fee of $750 per new hook-up. This fee would apply to D/NSSD customers
and would be over and above the $4,500 to D/NSSD to put the sewer in AND the
$750 fee for a sewer extension application to MPCA. Motion by Rick Certano and
seconded by Mary Ann Sironen to authorize Lars Fladmark to send a letter to
WLSSD (copy to Jane Gilbert), stating the D/NSSD Board’s objection to the
$750 fee. Unanimously approved |
||||
|
Budget Discussion |
Rick
Certano reported that the citation in the audit for not withholding properly
for a non-Minnesota company was inaccurate. Mel Olson will send Rick Certano
a copy of the waiver and one to Clare Carpenter for next year’s audit. The
Audit also questioned the D/NSSD separation of duties, and Rick Certano went
through the chain of events:
| ||||