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Sewer Commission 2/13/2025
(Episode Description is AI generated and may be errors in accuracy)
What if you could balance a community's infrastructure needs without increasing costs to its residents? Join us for a fascinating exploration of the latest Board of Sewer Commissions meeting in Raynham, where we unravel the intricacies of local sewer operations. Discover how the town is advancing its sewer system with key developments like the grease trap installation at Gap Restaurant and the Route 138 construction. From new system connections to generator replacements, we cover the full spectrum of improvements aimed at boosting service reliability.
Our journey through Raynham’s sewer operations continues as we spotlight the department's achievements over the past year. Get an insider’s view of how the town manages its 114 miles of sewer to support both residential and commercial growth. Hear about critical maintenance projects and collaborations with other town departments, such as the Route 44 Pump Station Diesel Tank Replacement and the Pleasant Street Cemetery sewer installations. This episode paints a vivid picture of a community committed to enhancing its infrastructure amidst constant challenges.
Finally, we delve into the fiscal year sewer rate budget analysis, exploring the delicate balance between maintaining affordable rates and ensuring long-term financial stability. Despite a slight budget increase, the rates remain steady, thanks to strategic infrastructure projects and financial planning. The episode wraps up with a light-hearted nod to Valentine's Day and a successful rate vote, highlighting the dedication and foresight of Raynham’s Sewer Department in navigating complex financial landscapes. Tune in for a comprehensive look at the challenges and triumphs in managing local sewer infrastructure.
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Okay, excuse me, I'd like to call a meeting to order of the Board of Sewer Commissions of the Town of Raynham this evening, which is February 13th, at 6 pm. First order, as usual, is approval of the minutes. Have you, gentlemen, had an opportunity to review the minutes?
Speaker 2:You were both here. So, yes, good to me. The answer is good to me as well. I'll put a motion. I'll second that motion.
Speaker 1:Okay. Motion by Mr Bickel to accept the minutes as printed, as seconded by Mr keller. All those in favor, it is a trio unanimous. No correspondence no no no how about the superintendent? No, superintendents reporting took you all week to get this together. We did, yeah, we can have it oh there's pictures.
Speaker 3:yeah, oh, with pictures. Yep Superintendent's report February 13, 2025. Department of Operations. We have had three connections to the sewer system since our last meeting, one of those being the reconnect of the new gas station on Route 138 by Route 495. I believe that used to be the Gulf. At one time it was yes.
Speaker 1:What is it now?
Speaker 3:Noria, something like that. They're calling it Noria, something like that they call it Noria. A lot of them going up around Marathon. No, noria, I'm not sure of the exact pronunciation. I've seen them around. You know the exact name of it? No, I don't. I know there's one down off of 495 just as you get into Rock Village exit. Yeah, that's right there, middle ball. Yeah, the Gap Restaurant has now installed the tanks for the grease trap and the pumping chamber, although plumbing into and out of those tanks still needs to be completed. The issue with the force main for the simulcast building, hopefully, has been resolved. Pressure testing of that line was being performed today. Word is so far that that line has passed pressure tests. They have an engineer that Brian was over there witnessing as well Lined, or did they find it?
Speaker 3:They did not line it. They attempted to line it. They had a problem with the liner, so they ended up finding a leak apparently and preparing it that way. The project on Paramount Drive for Greco Ford which I mentioned last month was in front of the planning board last week. That project is at the beginning stages and will still be meeting with the Conservation Commission. And then back to the planning board.
Speaker 2:Time-bound projects.
Speaker 3:The sewer GIS system has now been updated with the plan files to now include phases 1, 2, and 3. So now we have 1, 2, 3 in all the contracts of phase 6 and 7. So 4 and 5 remain, but that's coming along pretty nicely by annual billing. Verney has now completed inputting of the billing information into the SURE user database and will be working with Bay next week, she tells me, to process the bills. Customers shall expect to receive bills within the next few weeks. Taunton second quarter treatment billing. The second quarter treatment bill for the City of Taunton was recently processed, that bill being in the amount of $112,053.58 and being for the months of October, November, December. Last month I mentioned to you that the first quarter bill was also processed and that again was in the amount of $114,723.64.
Speaker 3:West Pine Estates being the old Laylor Estates, as it was known at one time. Sewer Main to include sewer laterals and a small section of low pressure sewer force main has not all been fully installed within the subdivision. Those lines and manholes still need to be man-drilled, tested, pressure tested and vacuum tested. The sewer main work on Pine Street is expected to start in April. Route 138 construction the gas company's projects have picked back up, with two crews now working in two different areas. One crew is working near the Mook Bottle and the other nearing the Elm Street streets intersection. So full steam ahead. On that. One old King Street pumping station, the new PLC controller has not been installed. We had to work through a couple kinks with the programming cab. The pad required two separate updates through going rough. The very no pumping station also has the older system, similar to what was that old King Street. So at some point I'll probably be looking to upgrade that. As of right now that one's working fine, but it is an older system so we'll probably look to upgrade that one.
Speaker 3:Moving over to the second page, the APA generator project, with the five outside generator replacements now completed, the contractor has moved on to the interior generator installs, those being Market Basket and Mill Street pumping stations. Market Basket was completed last week with successfully passing the load bank test. Insulating of the exhaust system still needs to be completed, so they get a temporary wrap over at the moment. The Mill Street generator replacement is being worked on this week with load bank testing scheduled for next Monday. Those pictures on the bottom first one on the left is that Mill Street shows the old generator closest, with the new one going in in the background. Again a closer picture of that happening, so that one actually fit through the door nicely.
Speaker 3:The doorway At Mill Street. The skid was a little wider so they actually had to cut one part of the door frame out to get it in and then put the frame back together. We thought the Jenner's radios were the same, but the one in Market Basket was slightly larger. The bottom right picture is the picture of Market Basket, that one in place, and you can see that temporary wrap that's around that exhaust which will be getting replaced. They were proposing to use that, although that was going to be basically wrapped around the exhaust, and then there was going to be an aluminum coating put over that, but it did not meet the specs that were in the bid book. So they're going to be going the other avenue, which is a harder silicone type of or classic type of material that goes over the exhaust, which will be a better material. So, again, working to complete that part of it. That's all I got for you on the supertennis report. So we're just about finished with the seven Yep.
Speaker 1:It worked very well and didn't cost us anything. We were able to use the ARPA fund, which is a big plus, and I guess the use of the funds did exactly why they put it out there. Okay, very good report, new business. Now you've got to talk again. All right, anyone report?
Speaker 3:this would be for the full year of 2024 has your wife proofread it?
Speaker 1:She has not. She says it was okay. No, she'll give you chances, yep.
Speaker 3:So for December 31st 2024, the annual report for the year of 2024, to the Arnold Board of Selectmen. Again, this goes into the time report that gets printed To the Arnold Board of Selectmen. The uranium sewer system has approximately 114 miles of sewer, approximately 80 miles of which was publicly funded and 34 miles of which was installed through private land development. I would expect that 34 miles to change in a year or two with the private developments going in now, so that should be increased. We currently have 4,883 residential units and 396 commercial units connected to the sewer system. Rainham conveyed 349 million 30,000 gallons to the Taunton Waste Water Treatment Plant for the year of 2024.
Speaker 3:The Sewer Commission has 35 pumping stations in which it operates and maintains the Sewer Department staff. 35 pumping stations in which it operates and maintains the Sewer Department staff is required to do daily operational inspections and maintenance, to include holidays and weekends, to each one of these pumping stations. The Sewer Commission consists of a three-member board superintendent, administrative technician, a chief pump station operator, an inspector, a pumping station electrical technician and two sewerage collection system operators, one of them actually being a mechanic for us. The sewer department staff rebuilt six Gordimer Rock pumps this year. Compeller to weigh ring. Adjustments were performed on an additional 12 pumps One pump at the Route 44 pumping station required replacing, along with two variable frequency drives which control pump on-off cycles and speed control. One VFD also required replacing at the South Street East pumping station. Generator transfer switch control boards had failed and required changing at both Robinson Street and Paramount Drive pumping stations.
Speaker 3:The sewer department, as part of a biannual maintenance program, continued with cutting of the approximate five miles of cross-country sewer easements throughout the town. Heavy rains in the spring delayed some of this work until the summer months. An occupied, homeless encampment was once again encountered and removed, this time in our easement off of South Street West. Last year we had one that was unoccupied in the easement behind Pep Boys. I don't know if it was the same group that went over, but they got kicked out again. Downed trees were removed from multiple easements after a couple heavy snowstorms Well, storms rather not snowstorms. After a couple heavy snowstorms Well storms rather not snowstorms.
Speaker 3:The sewer department continued with work related to high-in-iron rule. This work included repairs to additional manholes throughout the town to include the replacement of 36 broken, cracked or badly worn sewer manholes, frames and cutters. A majority of these were replaced during the Center Street and Orchard Street paving projects were replaced. During the center street and orchard street paving projects, the rainham sewer department installed an emergency backup generator at the sewer department office and maintenance garage. The project construction was performed by the rainham sewer department staff started in 2023, with completion and loan bank testing performed by craft power early in 2024. The Sewer Department was awarded the use of APA funds for the replacement of generators at seven pumping stations throughout the town. Generators for this project were ordered in early 2024 and replacement started in late November. Three of these generators, as well as seven transfer switches, were replaced as part of this project in 2024. Work is expected to continue in 2025, with the remaining four to be completed. Pumping stations completed to date include O'Brien Ave, judson Street and Nottingham Drive. This work will increase the reliability of our older pumping stations and generators, especially during storm events. Mill Street Colet Replacement While this project is a highway component project, the Sewer Department continued to be involved with the oversight of a temporary sewer bypass line during the construction, as well as overseeing the relocation and installation of the new 8-inch permanent sewer lane.
Speaker 3:Route 138 reconstruction project. The sewer department staff continued to be involved with this state project with oversight while excavating was being performed for relocating of a gas main. The area of this phase of gas main relocation started at the dog track and ran up to the Great American Pub restaurant. The gas company labeled this as phase one of a three-phase project. This stretch of roadway had multiple sewer lateral and sewer mainland crossings to contend with. They were calling this, uh, three phase, but actually there was a first phase that was done, uh, maybe a year and a half, two years ago, from the stretch of king phillip street down to basically in front of cbs. So it was more than three phases on that. But that is my report. This would be uh. With your approval, I'd be giving this to the town clerk for posting in the uh, annual report.
Speaker 2:Mr. Yeah, did you have one more page here? Oh, I'm sorry that was done.
Speaker 3:Reading yeah moving on route 44 pump the station diesel tank replacement project 2024. Moving on Route 44, Pump to Station Diesel Tank Replacement Project 2024 saw the completion of this tank replacement project, which is a critical part of the Route 44 Pump to Station operation. This tank is used to supply the emergency generator with fuel during power failures. The sewer department oversaw and assisted with the repair of a stonewall sluice way again adjacent to the White Street surge pumping station. This stonewall is within the sewer easement where an 8 inch sewer main and a 4 inch force main travel beneath. These sewer lines were installed as part of the phase 3 sewer expansion reform in 1997. The sewer department assisted the cemetery department with the installation of a low pressure sewer force main to be utilized for a sewer ejector pump. This is in preparation for a bathroom install to service the garage facility at Pleasant Street Cemetery. This work will continue in 2025. Now I believe I'm done with your approval and give this to the counselor.
Speaker 1:Looks good to me very comprehensive okay, to give that to them your approval uh, yeah, yeah, yeah, why don't we make a motion? Yeah, discussion, excellent job, rob, thank you, and forward it to everybody involved. Really, when you put up, summarize it like that yeah, really busy year. Yeah, yeah, well done. And I'll second motion, most made by mr Bickle, to accept the report to be presented to the town annual report, seconded by mrller. All those in favor? Aye, aye, it's a unanimous trio vote. Budget review. I can sleep at night. Yeah, hope so. That's somebody can Okay.
Speaker 3:So grab somebody, ken Mary. Starting with the budget, on personnel expenditures Salary elected chairman $5,400, no change. Salary elected members for the two $9,600, no change. Salary for the superintendent $127,26, 127 262 by contract, 3.5 percent increase. Salary for the assistant superintendent's last chief operator 102 876, three percent.
Speaker 3:Um. This is a contract here for the for the uh so department. For the crew well back, so, um, they will be working with the selectmen to negotiate. So I'm carrying 3% of that. We don't really know what that's gonna be yet, so I'm carrying that for the whole crew. Moving down to salary and wages for the operators, being five of them 416, 508, 6.10% increase. That's due to the fact that it carries the 3% increase. But they also are eligible for and three members are eligible for a years of service step increase by the contract. So that's included into that.
Speaker 3:Salary wages for temporary clerical for a thousand no change 4,000, no change. Overtime 35,000, no change. Longevity 7,053. That's an 11.4% increase and that is due to the fact that I have two members that are now coming into longevity. They have now reached over 10 years. They get a longevity bump in that. So I now have one, two, four people that are eligible for that. On-call status 25,480. That's an increase from 24,000, 6.17%. That again is a bump related to contract negotiations. I expect them to get a $10, each member, a $10 increase in the on-call typically Again, something that they will most likely be negotiating for Health insurance. Remember I was told to carry $120,455. That's a 12% increase. Again, that is not in stone yet, but I was told to bump it up by 12% from last year's reading of $107,550. Can I make?
Speaker 2:a note here. Yeah, and for the public out there, fy23 was $138,780, so we're $18,000 under what FY23 was. Fy24 is $140,168. So even though there is a 12% increase, we are still lower than what we have been in the past. Correct, so that's good.
Speaker 3:Retirement pension $159,301, up from $151,715, 5% increase. Again, the number of that may change. I haven't been told the exact number to carry on that yet. Uniform and allowance $11,150 up from $10,600. Again, this is going to be a negotiating issue for the guys out back. So, increase on total personnel $1,024,086, 5.65% increase for the whole line.
Speaker 3:Moving on to expenses, most of them are at zero, so I'm not going to mention anything other than the amount unless there's a change. Energy and heating $18,000. Energy and electricity $140,000. Capital costs through the IMA $280,000. That's the IMA with Taunton, city of Taunton. Treatment costs 500,000. Infiltration and inflow again an IMA agreement with the City of Taunton 71,400. That's a decrease of 1.96%. That was a 20-year payment bond and this will be the last payment for that bond.
Speaker 3:Your PS and maintenance building $12,000. Your PS and maintenance equipment $73,000. Your PS and maintenance vehicle $7,000. Again, these are all no change from last year. Your PS and maintenance I&I $175,000. Repairs and maintenance infrastructure $50,000. Other property related services $3,000. Professional and technical $30,000. Communication $6,500. Telephone would be be 12,000. Again, these are all no change from last year, although they were actually a few years back.
Speaker 3:If you look back, office supplies 15,000. Building and equipment repair and maintenance supplies is 5,000, sorry, 15,000. Right yep 15,000. Building and equipment repair and maintenance 15,000, right Yep 15,000. Building or equipment repair and maintenance supplies 15,000. Customer custodial I'm sorry, custodial and housekeeping supplies 5,000. Groundskeeping supplies 1,000. Vehicular supplies 11,000. Gasoline and diesel fuel 18,500. We haven't changed that for a few years now. Public works supplies $20,000. In-state travel $500. Dues and memberships $5,000. Again, all of them are unchanged. Transfer to the general fund, which is what we call indirect cost this is the payments we make to the city, to the town of Rainham town hall, for service that they provide for the sewer department $125,360. This is the formula that they came up with. This isn't a set-in-store number yet. We're still waiting on it, but this is the way they projected it last year, as you remember, joe. Again, this is last year's numbers. Let me recognize that form, joe, from last year.
Speaker 1:Yes, he took the number of bodies, used that factor. Yeah, this covered X and Y. That's how the calculation goes. Yeah, Yep, so again, that's a very that was at the meeting that was presented to us. I said that's a fair, equitable way of doing it. In their process of doing it they found, if I recall correctly, that they could delete certain items because it was a duplication and it came down to what was satisfactory.
Speaker 3:So again I'm carrying $125,360 for those costs. Again, not a set in stone number at this time. Last item is transfer of the sewer assessment fund $500,000. That is the money that was set inside for the payment, the expect expected payment to the city of Tarleton for for the treatment plant upgrades in public station upgrade. So total budget line I don't want to buy on three million one hundred six thousand three forty six. That's a one point eight, seven percent increase from last year.
Speaker 1:And the vast majority of the increase is all contractual labor.
Speaker 3:Correct In the personnel In health insurance Whether it's longevity or contractual.
Speaker 1:Whatever the contract is, that's how it affects it and is? I mean, if you look at it was 3049, now it's 3106. So we got $57,000 more. Is that correct? Yeah, $57,000 more in operating expense, total operating expense, and of the 57,000, if you go up to payroll you see it's a million 24 as compared to 969, which is 55,000 of that. So, yeah, so it isn't. We're holding expenses. What you can't control are the big nuts the pension, the medical insurance and the contractual commitments. Not much went up 1.8% last year.
Speaker 2:I wish everything only went up 1.8%.
Speaker 1:Well, you know, yeah, but you can also go on particular lines and say how come that went up 3% or how come that went up 5%. It's circumstance though, as superintendent said, when you put in there for gas and he said it's eighteen thousand, he says that hasn't moved in a couple of years. Well, that's because we're still under three dollars a gallon. Was still under three dollars a gallon for regular gas, but that may change. So I compliment you on the completing of the project of putting it together. Because of the complexity of the outside forces, doing the best you can. What you control, you control everything very well, and what we can't control, we have to learn to live with.
Speaker 3:So that's fine so that would be my recommendation on the budget amount.
Speaker 1:Hopefully you approve yes, you know we can. As a committee, we should approve this budget with an asterisk subject to change depending on what numbers are solidified prior to town meeting. If it's not solidified until after town meeting, then that's a different situation completely. We don't have that luxury that the town has, that you can come back at a special town meeting and take money out of another pocket to do that. But as it's presented, I think that we'll live with that because you've done your homework and you've done the calculation that we have the revenue that we need.
Speaker 1:So I would have to say we have negotiations in there too, right, but I think you've projected in the right direction. Yeah, that you won't get caught off guard, right, I do. I'll make a motion to accept the superintendent's budget to be submitted to the powers to be. I'll move that. I'll second that. Moved by Mr Bickle, seconded by Mr Kellifer. All those in favor, aye, aye, it is a 3-0 vote. Now the good news. Good news.
Speaker 3:So, sui user rate, now that we've set the budget, you can determine if the rate will support the budget. Well, I'm sure we'll miss the superintendent because you wouldn't be smiling coming up to the table right back up here pretty quick surprise, you know, put the gun away, please, okay. So, um, suzy, user rate and rate calculation. So I'm sorry. So we use a flow and rate calculation for the fiscal year of 26. Uh, the first two items you'll see there are the two separate billing cycles and below that you'll see in the square the average. So, from january through december of 2024, the total gallons of taunton 349 million 30 000 gallons. Commercial gallons 79 271. Commercial gallons 79,271,753. That's roughly 23% of the flow to Taunton, leaves the residential gallons at 269,758,247, or roughly 77%, with the operating budget at 3,106,346.
Speaker 3:The residential contribution being $492, this is the current rate. $492 per year times the 4,883 units brings in 2,402,436. Commercial contribution at the 23%, they would need to contribute $714,459 using their commercial rate of $9.32 per 1,000 gallons. You'll see below that, the residential rate, which I already mentioned, $2,402,436. $2,436. The commercial rate, at $932,000, bringing in $737,230, gives us an amount of $3,139,666, leaving us a reserve from the budget of $33,320,. Keeping in mind that we don't necessarily collect all that money because of people not keeping up with their sewer bills. So there's actually a deficit there sometimes. But that projecting that that would cover the cover, the rate. Interesting thing on the bottom you'll see, I always go over this. So the fiscal year 26 operating budget from 26 to 25 1.87 percent increase and from 21 50 21 to 26 5.1 percent increase, which is an average of 25 over the six years. Um. So my recommendation to the board again maintaining the rate of 492 per per year, being built by annually at 246 and a commercial rate of $9.30 per thousand $9.32. $9.30.
Speaker 1:Interesting. I got $9.32 on the paper, $9.32. $9.32 per thousand and $9.30 at the bottom.
Speaker 3:Okay, carry on. It's either per thousand and 930 at the bottom. 930 at the bottom, oh okay carry on.
Speaker 1:Well, it's either one or the other.
Speaker 3:It's 9, 30, 9, 30, what's what the difference? No, no, no, no, no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no no no, no, no no no no, no, no, no no no, no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no no no, no, no, no no no, no, no, to just get rid of that 932 up above, because that's not.
Speaker 1:It cuts out two cents. That should be about five grand.
Speaker 2:That's coming out of his paper.
Speaker 1:You think you multiplied that wrong. Definitely, definitely. A motion has been made. You want me to check. You can run a zero and not an issue. Now my concern every time I look at a piece of paper that has numbers on it, you carry that number someplace else and it changes in the transition. You've got to explain why.
Speaker 1:It's just an error yeah so what we're saying is we're not increasing. We're saying is we're not increasing the rates, that's fine from fy 25 yes, it's it actually it hasn't been increased for at least two years three years, interestingly enough, or point to note if the expenses come in roughly the same. If there's a lot of money, well, I actually wasn't even going to do it. If you were multiplying with the last digit being two, you couldn't really have a zero on the end correct.
Speaker 3:Well, it would be $9.30.
Speaker 2:That's why I think you would multiply by 9.30.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean, okay, just had a typo on there.
Speaker 2:That's fine, but interestingly enough enough, I mean our budget this year went up by 1.87, which we said was around 50 grand. We are losing a 71 400 expense next year because we said the infiltration and inflow is done. Yeah, yes we could.
Speaker 1:Well, we're down to the bottom line of everything is fine, we'll leave the thing alone. But as a member of this board, I was going to make the comment. This is all good for us at the moment. The rates will have to be changed as soon as we settle with Torton.
Speaker 1:We have carried a half a million dollars at this point and we've put that aside at the last financial, the free cash, one that they call free cash. There's no such thing as free cash. We took out a retained earnings and isolated $750,000 towards the cost of Taunton. As soon as we find out how they're going to pay the bond, there are two choices fixed annual payment or fixed principal plus interest. The interest will go down as you pay down. I would prefer a number, book it in and that's gonna stay for the 25 years of the mortgage. You don't have to play with the changing the budget here or changing the budget there, working on that, trying to get that confirmed, and I think that we might be able to have more information of it, sometimes throughout this calendar year and we're in the fiscal year. So that's good. That's going to have to. We have to be extremely careful to make it, but in the near future the rate will have to be adjusted to carry the debt. There's no other way to do it. So we've been fortunate up to now that we are in such good financial condition. We will maintain that as we move forward. There are other things on the line items of the budget that I compare actual expenditures per line item that we could trim, drop down to that line and not affect the bottom line too dramatically. And that's one of the reasons why we've worked with our superintendent to keep the numbers like this, so that we can kind of establish everything for a simple adjustment.
Speaker 1:Okay, so compliments you on all the work you did to get it to where it is. Thank you. We need a vote on the rate. I'll motion that We'll take an action to maintain the rate. I will entertain a motion to keep the rates, as is. Second Made by Mr Bickle, seconded by Mr Kellinger. All those in favor, aye, aye, it is unanimous. Thank you, great year.
Speaker 1:No old business. None, okay. No emergency, no commission, no public forum, no press time. To those people out there, it's going to be a little bit late, but don't forget to say Happy Valentine's to your Valentines. Everybody, stay healthy. A motion to adjourn for the purpose of administrative work and take no either action so moved. Second Moved by Mr Bickel, seconded by mr Kelleher. All those in favor, aye, it's unanimous. We adjourned at 637.