Water and Sewer 11/17/25

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Water and Sewer Minutes 11-17-25 209 KB

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Town of Richmond

Meeting of Water and Sewer Commission

Minutes of November 17, 2025

Members Present: Bard Hill, Erin Farr, David Sander, Morgan Wolaver

Members Absent: Jay Furr

Staff Present: Town Manager Josh Arneson; Duncan Wardwell, Deputy Town Manager; Steve Cote, Water Resources Superintendent
 

Others Present: The meeting was recorded for MMCTV, Jeff Forward
 

MMCTV Video:  https://youtu.be/8h8fGhZPASw?si=9n_3GtglpQnV9W4Y

Call to Order: 6:00 pm

Welcome: Wolaver

Public Comment: Forward suggested using a local option tax to help pay for the upgrade of the Wastewater treatment plant.  He also mentioned this at the 11/10/25 Selectboard meeting (https://youtu.be/bH-HrlpIPiE?si=vZo3oHTN0Kymu2ft).  Arneson stated that they would talk more about financing in the second meeting in December.

Additions or Deletions to the Agenda: None

Approval of Minutes, Warrants and Purchase Orders

Minutes:

Farr pointed out that she provided the Welcome on 11/3/25 and not Wolaver.
 

Farr moved to approve the amended minutes of November 3, 2025.  Hill seconded.

Roll Call Vote: Farr, Hill, Sander in favor. Wolaver abstains.  Motion approved.

Purchase Orders: None
 

Warrants:

Sander moved to approve the Warrants as presented.  Hill seconded.

Roll Call Vote: Farr, Hill, Sander, Wolaver in favor. Motion approved.

Items for Presentation or Discussion with those present

Update on easement obtainment for the Tilden Ave., Bridge St., and Cochran Rd. Waterline Replacement Project
Timestamp: 0:06
 

Arneson stated that they still need 8 of the 22 total easements.  Cote confirmed that everyone has been mailed or handed an easement.  Cote stated that if they do not get the easements before the end of November then they are not able to go out to bid.  


Update on next steps for proceeding to Step II Final Design for the 20 Year Wastewater Treatment Facility upgrade
Timestamp: 0:14
https://www.richmondvt.gov/fileadmin/files/Water_Sewer_Commission/Meetings/2025/11/4b1_DEC_Cert_-_Richmond_WWTF_Upgrade_Step_II_-_2025-10-30.pdf

https://www.richmondvt.gov/fileadmin/files/Water_Sewer_Commission/Meetings/2025/11/4b2_EJCDC_Agreement_-_Richmond_WWTF_Upgrade_Step_II_-_2025-10-30.pdf

Arneson stated that the packet contains the agreement generated by the State.  Once the State approves that, it then comes back to the Commission to approve, and then to get the loan agreements they need Selectboard approval.  Cote stated that there are things in the upgrade that are big ticket items that can be bought outright.  Cote reviewed that another major concern is the blowers which an expert says their current setup was poor man’s odor control and would never be done this way today.  Cote summarized they might be able to buy a rebuilt head for about $10,000 where a new blower is $1,000,000.  Hill stated that the State engineers have to approve whatever is adequate.  Hill suggested consulting with the engineers to provide language where there are opportunities to save money.  Arneson confirmed they have a meeting in the next week to get some of these questions answered.


Superintendent’s Report
Timestamp: 0:32

Cote stated that since October 27, they have had an increasing problem of meeting effluent pH that must be 6.5-8 when discharged into the Winooski River.  It was a 6.45 on October 27 but it wasn’t a violation according to the State as they “round up.”  The pH dropped to 6.170 on November 7, which is a violation but by the end of the day it jumped up to 6.52.  Cote stated that the State wants them to look at the industrial users like Stone Corral, but they did not discharge on the days they had problems.  Cote is going to look at Harrington’s, restaurants, schools, and the veterinary office.  Cote reviewed that there is something causing the pH to drop in the aeration tank, but the microbiology has never looked better.  Even though it was a violation there was no penalty.  Hill suggested it might have been rainfall as there is some stormwater infiltration into the wastewater system.  Cote confirmed that there have been no problems with the air or dissolved oxygen.

Cote stated that the screw that goes into the gearbox drive motor snapped so Giroux’s pressed it out.  It is $8,500 to get a new screw and a new set of liners for the auger.  Cote is looking at a timeframe for rebuilding it with a new auger.  If he can get an auger cheaper, he will get it from Giroux’s.  If he gets it faster through Fournier’s with the liners at the same time, then there is going to be some expense.

Cote stated that they do not have any heat in dewatering right now, so they are running a propane salamander.  The dialer for the SCADA system is not working as Verizon stopped prioritizing email to text, so it is a 24-hour lag time.  Cote confirmed that now he gets sent an email directly and Verizon is providing a price for a new text-to-text modem.  Cote stated that the SCADA computer is four years old and it is recommended being changed every 4-5 years.

 

Discuss Items for Next Agenda:

-Finances
-Easements


Adjournment

Farr moved to adjourn. Sander seconded.

Roll Call Vote: Farr, Hill, Sander, Wolaver in favor. Motion approved.

Meeting adjourned at: 6:58 pm

Chat file from Zoom: None