May 2, 2022 - Council of the Whole Meeting

VILLAGE OF BREWSTER
COUNCIL OF THE WHOLE MEETING
MAY 2, 2022 – 6:00 pm

Council Members present: Dale Fox, Tom Hilliard, Brett Long, and Mike Schwab.  VA Miller and Clerk-Treasurer Kris King were also in attendance.

Mayor Hawk turned the meeting over to VA Miller to review and discuss the following exerts from a handout provided by Council Member Schwab:

A QUICK REVIEW OF:

Pending Legislation: Electric Demand Response Proposal

  1. VA was asked to outline the Demand Response Proposal.  He stated the original party decided not to pursue it.  VA Miller recommends moving forward with the proposal as this may come up again and the Village will be ready and not have to scramble with the legislation.

 

Fire Chief’s Proposal

  1. Does Council wish to consider the Chief's proposal to revisit Ord. 70-2020, the Bulk Water Legislation from November 16, 2020?  (Copy of Ordinance 70-2020 and the Chief’s proposal provided).  There was a lengthy discussion concerning the risk versus rewards of filling pools.  Council Member Hilliard stated that he worked in the pool industry and knows all about filling pools.  He stated it is easy to make a mistake and ruin a pool liner or other expensive items.  It is better to use the hose.  The utility office can be contacted, and the sewer charges can be removed. This appeared to be the consensus of members present.

Proposed Community Hall Rules & Regulations

  1. Council Member Schwab presented a copy of a Rough Draft for Council consideration (initially provided on 04/18/2022)
  2. Council has been asked to review and comment on these.

Spring (OR Fall) Clean Up Options:

  1. The quotes were converted from a flat rate to a rate for labor plus tonnage.
  2. The discussion became whether it was too late to have a spring cleanup or whether we should wait until after the Village wide garage sales.  This would permit the Village to advertise and get the word out to the residents.  We are currently looking at August 19th and 22nd.

Village Yard Waste & Recycling Program:

  1. Village’s Annual Cost:  Last year the cost was $34,535.34.
  2. Waste District’s funding:  Approximately $15,000.  The $19,000 balance is primarily the Village’s labor costs.
  3. Boy Scouts’ participation: The Boy Scouts still man the recycling center every other Saturday.
  4. Commercial use:  The yard waste is for residents only.

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Project - to be completed on 05/31/2022:

  1. Contract for $ 491,317.53 awarded by Council on 06/14/2020 – VA Miller stated we are wrapping it up.
  2. A metering reading system and technological system that installs a smart meter at each residential and commercial electric, water, and sewer customers.
  3. A communications network (smart grid) installed Village wide to collect data from the smart meters as well as monitor the smart grid for faults and other irregularities.  The Electric Dept. is receiving the information they need.
  4. A data management system installed in the utility office that provides two-way electronic communication between the utility office and each customer.
  5. Funded through $ 380,000 from the electric fund with the balance evenly split between the water fund and the sewer fund.
  6. There are still a couple of meters that we are waiting on.    There are 15-16 residents that need to upgrade before they can be put on the system.

 

New Electric Building - designed to house all Electric Vehicles, Offices, and equipment

  1. Seven Stall building measuring 130 feet long X 59.5 feet from front to back with an estimated cost of $ 767,500
  2. Building is proposed to be located on Brewster Cheese land leased for 50 years at $1.00; legislation is pending to approve that lease agreement
  3. Engineering by EA of Wooster was completed at a cost of $ 30,810 with an additional $ 8145 for construction administration
  4. Legislation was approved on April 18, 2022 to Bid this Project; waiting on the plan revisions before we can bid it out.
  5. A portion of the cost of construction will be recouped with the sale of the current electric building on Lincoln and W. 4th at cost of $ 351,286; Street will offset this amount by $ 118,471 with sale of the front portion of the Street garage to the Police Department

It was stated that the Administration (VA & Mayor) of the Village has undertaken an ambitious program in recent years to upgrade the infrastructure of the Village, especially on the Utility side of the operations.  Through a combination of grants, loans, and local utility funds much has been accomplished or is in the works.  For that the Administration should be applauded and thanked.  The intent of this portion of the Council of the Whole Meeting is to conduct a show and tell session to make sure each member of Council is up to speed on the scope of each of the recently completed projects, those projects that are underway, and those that may be engineered awaiting funding.  Review of Funding - Grants, Loans, and the Local Match and the source of that aspect of funding.

Barber Street Waterline Replacement Project - Completed

  1. Work completed in-house by Village Water, Sewer, Street, and Electric employees
  2. Replaced 395 feet of 4” ductile iron with 4” plastic
  3. Approximate cost = $ 25,000 from Water Replacement Fund
  4. Good job!

Brewster Parke Waterline/Hydrant Project - Contract approved

  1. Contract with RBS General Contractor of $ 46,144.08 approved on 01/18/2022
  2. Funding for the $ 46,144.08 contract from Water Fund
  3. Groundbreaking date???  We are waiting on school to be out.  Pre-construction meeting in May.

Water Filter Media Replacement Project - Underway w/Contract of $ 381,792 approved on 11//1/2021

OPWC Grant         = $   94,080

OPWC Loan          = $   62,720          0% interest for 20 years.

Local Match         = $ 225,992          To be funded primarily by the ARPA money Available balance in American Rescue Plan Fund on 04/04/2022 = minus $ 112,424.33; to be made whole with the next ARP distribution.  There will still be around a $6,000 remaining balance.

Water Transmission Replacement & Improvement Project - Proposed

  1. OPWC application submittal legislation currently pending
  2. Project based on the recommendation of the Water Model Project
  3. Scope - Replace 4540 lineal feet of aged water line in the following manner:

Replace transmission line from Water Plant down W. 4th to Wabash with a new 10” line (1690 ft)

Replace 6” Lincoln Avenue water line from W. 4th to W. 2nd with an 8” line (775 feet)

Replace 6” W. 2nd Street water line from Lincoln to Wabash with an 8” line (1700 feet)

Replace “Washington Ave. water line from W. 4th to W. 5th with an 8“line (375 feet)

  1. Estimated cost of engineering = $ 72,000
  2. Estimated cost of construction = $ 920,000 
  3. Estimated Cost of Proposed Project = $ 1,101,000
  4. Proposed Funding is a combination of OPWC grant and loan plus local match


Tuscarawas/Locustdale/Pinewood Waterline Replacement Project - Pending

  1. Proposal: Replace 1718 lineal feet of aged 4” water lines in the above with 6” water lines
  2. Council approved an application for OPWC funding on August 16, 2021
  1. Quicksall Engineer estimate =  $ 387,133 with $ 75,000 of that amount for pavement repair
  2. Proposed Funding for the $ 312,133 of the Water Line Replacement:

OPWC Grant         = $  113,817         (OPWC funding not received to date)

OPWC Loan          = $    75,878         (OPWC funding not received to date) (20yrs @ 0%)

Local Match         = $  122,438         (Paving Fund can’t be used for water ditch.  Full paving project to follow.  Likely get OWDA Lon for local match to maintain fund liquidity.)

 

FUNDING OF WATER PROJECTS:

$ 381,792 Water Filter Media Replacement Project - Underway         OPWC Grant = 24.6%

OPWC Loan          = $   62,720          Still 20yrs @ 0%

Local Match         = $ 219,300      Covered by ARPA Fund (see above)

 

$ 920,000 Water Transmission Replacement & Improvement Project – Proposed 2023 (see above)

$ 387,133Tuscarawas/Locust/Pine Waterline Replacement Project - Pending    OPWC Grant = 29.3% (see above)

OPWC Grant         = $  113,817         (OPWC funding not received to date)

OPWC Loan          = $    75,878         (OPWC funding not received to date) (20yrs @ 0%)

In the above three Water Projects what Funding would be utilized to support the Village’s Local Match for each?

Water Filter Media Replacement Project                                     OPWC Loan = $ 3,136 per year

                                                                                                         ARPA = $ 219,300

                                                                                                         Water = $ 6,000

 

Water Transmission Replacement & Improvement Project      Match = $ 72,000 engineering

 

Pending: 2022 Application

Tuscarawas/Locustdale/Pinewood Waterline Replacement Project       OPWC Loan = $ 75,878 ($ 3,494)

                                                                                                                        OPWC Grant = $ 113,817
                                                                                                                        Local Match = $ 197,438

 

TOTAL Match       = $ 582,719 is Council Member Schwab’s estimate.


In the above three Water Projects what would funding would be utilized to support the Village’s OPWC Loan for each?

Water Filter Media Replacement Project                                                    Loan       = $   62,720 Water Fund/ARPA

Water Transmission Replacement & Improvement Project                     Loan       = $   65,711 Water Fund

Tuscarawas/Locustdale/Pinewood Waterline Replacement Project       Loan       = $   75,878 Water Fund

 

                                                                                                                        TOTAL Loan          = $ 204,309

 

If Water borrowed the Match and Loan Total above of $ 787,028 at 0% interest for 20 years, the annual payment would be $ 39,315.   Not a bad deal.  VA Miller pointed out that his calculations are $ 39,991 based on:

Even at 2% interest the annual payment would be around $ 48,000 for 20 years.

Asked of Ms. Village Clerk: “Will the current Water Utility revenues support payments of $ 48,000 for 20 years?”  King replied that the current estimate of loans is $799,820.  This would produce an annual payment of 40,000.  The rates studies have a $45,000 a year project estimation that we only generally use $25,000.  Considering all factors, the Water Fund can afford this.  The total estimated costs for all three projects is $1,758,792. With grants and ARPA funds, the total loan amount would be $39,991/year.

Councilman Hilliard brought up the walking path between Park and Dartmouth.  Clerk King stated the Capital Projects Fund would have to be used to complete the path.

Meeting adjourned at 6:55pm

Respectfully submitted,

 

____________________________
Kris King, Clerk-Treasurer

 

VA summarized:                 Total costs            $    381,792 Filter Media
                                                                           $    358,000 +/- Tuscarawas Water Line
                                                                           $ 1,019,000 +/- Water Transmission
                                                                           $ 1,758,792 Total

                                             Projected:            $   799,820 Loans
                                                                           $   958,982 Grants plus ARPA
                                                                           $   737,672 W/out ARPA

Loans:   Tuscarawas ≈ $12,405 + Filter Media ≈ $ 3,136 + Water Transmission ≈ $24,450 = $ 39,991.