Water and Sewer 6/16/25

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Water and Sewer Minutes 06-16-25 169 KB

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Town of Richmond

Meeting of Water and Sewer Commission

Minutes of June 16, 2025

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

Members Absent: None

Staff Present:  Superintendent Steve Cote; Assistant to the Town Manager Duncan Wardwell.

Others Present: The meeting was recorded for MMCTV Erin Wagg.

https://youtu.be/VfLGW5kPZpE?si=lAs90R_8t1mem1Ge

MMCTV Video: MMCTV Erin Wagg

Call to Order: 6:00 pm

Welcome: Wolaver

Public Comment:  None

Additions or Deletions to the Agenda:  None

Approval of Minutes, Warrants and Purchase Orders

Timestamp: 0:01

Minutes:

Furr moved to approve the minutes of June 2, 2025. Sander seconded.

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

Sander moved to approve the Annual meeting minutes of June 3, 2025. Furr seconded.

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

Purchase Orders:

Sander moved to approve Purchase Order number 5181 to VLCT Property and Casualty for property, casualty, and workers compensation insurance for an amount billed to water and sewer of $11,528.79. Furr seconded.

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

Sander moved to approve Purchase Order number 5291 to M and T Bank/Wilmington Trust for the water tank loan payment for an amount of $37,704.86. Farr seconded.
Roll Call Vote: Hill, Wolaver, Furr, Farr, Sander in favor. Motion approved.

Warrants:

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

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

Review of May 2025 water data
Timestamp: 0:05

https://www.richmondvt.gov/fileadmin/files/Water_Sewer_Commission/Meetings/2025/06/4a_Monthly_Water_Report_for_May_2025.pdf

People who participated in discussion: Cote, Furr

Cote explained the numbers are rock solid. Cote wants to buy a new chlorine analyzer. Furr said excellent job to the staff.

Request from the Town Plan Committee for feedback on the Town Plan from the Water and Sewer Commission
Timestamp: 0:07

https://www.richmondvt.gov/fileadmin/files/Water_Sewer_Commission/Meetings/2025/06/4b_email_on_Town_Plan_Survey.pdf

People who participated in discussion: Wolaver, Cote, Farr, Hill, Furr

Wolaver said the Town Plan Committee is asking for feedback. Farr asked if she should respond as an individual or if they should respond as a board. Furr thinks they should not respond as a board. Hill feels that goal 2 needs more discussion in terms of extension of water and wastewater to support more housing. Furr thinks its prohibitively expensive. Wolaver concurred that economically it’s not feasible and the State won’t support or pay for it. Farr asked if a letter should be created to give as feedback and highlight obstacles that have been discussed previously. Furr said he can take a stab at it and send it to the other members. Hill concurs that there should be a formal letter sent to respond to this request. The members think two members should collaborate on this letter. Farr volunteered to respond to Chelsye. Cote said service lines belong to the customer and won’t be paid for by the Town to upgrade. He added that the Sewer line across the river is still in need of protection, the water line has been moved and protected from flooding.

Superintendents Report
Timestamp: 0:24

People who participated in discussion: Cote, Farr, Furr, Hill

Cote said they are feverously working to install the water meter at Camel’s Hump Middle school. Next up is the church.

On the water side they are back working on curb stops, but not on Cochran and Tilden because they will be changed next year.

The plant is running well. The polymer pump in the dewatering process broke during the week of Jun 9 – 13. The part is taking 3 weeks to get here, but they fixed it with $13 of parts from the hardware store. He wants a different polymer system that doesn’t use water in the future. They are taking septage again. In the 3 days they were down they lost over 140,000 gallons of septage. He said Montpelier is overrun with septage at the moment. He said the three days without septage was a lot easier for him, so he is happy to not accept septage in the future. He wants to cut back on the upgrade regarding the Hoyle Tanner study and its suggestions.

Cote has bids in for the influent pump. Submersible pumps are highly recommended, but more expensive. Parts are an issue with several models of these pumps. There is a Swedish model that is the Cadillac of pumps, but getting parts for it is difficult.

Farr wanted to know if engineers get kickbacks from certain suppliers, which Furr stated was illegal and does not happen. Cote said some engineers like to work with specific suppliers. Farr said she does not see on her bill that there is a discount given when there is a septage receiving place in Town, something she heard was possible to get. Cote said he thinks Montpelier allows such a discount, but he isn’t sure. Hill doesn’t think a small discount will pay for the $22 million upgrade that Tanner is suggesting. Cote wants to keep the upgrade under $15 million. Currently he is limping along with the septage receiving, but he thinks he can keep things going this way. Preventative maintenance is currently the primary focus at the plant.

Zinner software still is not up and running for customers to check their water usage on the app.

Discuss Items for Next Agenda:

Wolaver and Cote working together

Public outreach meeting for Cochran and Tilden update

Easements must be signed

Update on waterline

Adjournment

Farr moved to adjourn. Furr seconded.

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

Meeting adjourned at: 6:57 pm

Chat file from Zoom:  None