No preview available
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-SJC-021225SJC MEETING February 12, 2025 SJC Board members A Robert Cantelmo, City of Ithaca P Rod Howe, Town of Ithaca PZ Clyde Lederman, City of Ithaca P Rob Rosen, Town of Ithaca P Scott Reynolds, City of Ithaca A Ray Burger, Town of Dryden P Dave Warden, City of Ithaca A Jason Leifer, Town of Dryden P Rich DePaolo, Town of Ithaca P = Present, PZ = Present via zoom, E = Excused Staff P Wendy Cole, City of Ithaca PZ Peter Wernsdorfer, Camden Group P Scott Gibson, City of Ithaca P Joe Slater, Town of Ithaca A Mike Thorne, City of Ithaca P David O’Shea, Town of Ithaca P Ken Scherrieble, Camden Group P Kelly VanRiper, City of Ithaca P = Present, PZ = Present via zoom, PP = Present via phone, A= Absent Meeting called to order at 1:03 PM. • Agenda Review and Approval of Minutes • Agenda review – No updates • Approval of January 8, 2025, minutes, unable to approve the minutes, because we didn’t have a quorum. • Financial Report - Wendy Cole • See attached for the Financial Report as of 01/08/2025. - Will take a couple months to see 2024 ended - Where it says there is a surplus that information is not current currently. They are still entering posting data. Discussion: • There is not much movement in 2025 currently. • 2024 financials $177,00 expense need to be posted • Septage fees fell way under for 2024 • Wendy wants to address Rich’s questions. - Is it possible to adjust the budget throughout the year? 1. We will need more specific changing information to know budget or budgeted projections based on expenditure and revenue to date. 2. Expenses go down in one area and over in another area an adjustment be made 3. If revenue is higher than anticipated you may make a certain number of adjustments, but it depends where it is coming from. 4. The expenditure / revenue to date is for example we budgeted for an amount. We are not making internal changes based on year to date rather than living with year projection reconciles every time set a budget. 5. What is the advantage of doing it midstream: is it more accurate picture or can it be helpful? 6. Scott gave an example with the Sludge Fee constant over the year and in September we are at maximum. To create a cash flow quarterly, so that don’t run out of money for this expense. 7. Take into account throughout year & make adjustments when we get behind. Some expenses are once a year and some are monthly to help with percentages throughout the year to see if we are ahead or behind. 8. Cash flow projection throughout the year. 9. Dave brought up that there was a time when we had expenses and no idea of where we were financially at that time. We need to know what is available at any time. 10. Can we isolate what is projected and what is not projectable to help narrow down expenses and help with balancing. 11. It is important to know the expenses and how they flow to get the full picture. 12. Wendy, understands what is being communicated. She is currently looking to update the system that are being used in the City to make improvements. The current software is not transparent and looking into a system that can better handle requests. 13. Yearly books are closed in the spring, however, there are adjustments that may need to be made after that time to the books. SJC will have a good idea of what the expenses were for 2024 in early spring. - Legal expenses Usually charged and paid as we receive them. However, we have a recent bill that did cover multiple years from Susan Brock. If we know this, we can carry over to account for this in the new budget. • Operations and Engineering Report - Peter Wernsdorfer • Operations o Regulatory Compliance – Effluent quality is very good. Effluent quality is very good. Ken and Chris have been working very hard on this. The wash report in January doesn’t reflects December. We had not received the Lab reports at that time. We did have a failure caused when the system was being worked on and it has since been fixed. Also, Nitrate was included in our new permit, and we didn’t sample in the last quarter of 2024. We sampled late and reported that we had a notice of non-compliance was submitted. o Personnel – The interviewee declined for a better offer. Additionally, another Operator Trainee has given notice for the same reason. Peter that the interviewee, declined the position. We lost another Operator Trainee to a better offer in Binghamton. o Blowers – This remains unresolved, but we are in contact with Howden’s technician and trying to arrange a site visit. No discussion o Digesters – Operating normally. Gas quality is very good. No discussion o Micro Turbines – RSP conducted repairs per contract and systems are operational. No Discussion o Asset Management – OpWorks continues to full scale implementation with a completed asset structure Turning out to be a benefit. It is helpful in managing work orders, work process, starting to document hours, and labor hours on a job. o Clarifiers – As soon as the weather breaks, repair will be made. No discussion o Boiler Replacement – This project is complete. No discussion o Facility Improvements – Installation of the laboratory HVAC is underway. It should be done in 2 weeks. o Staff Management – All activities continue. The Lab Director returned from parental leave this week. 1. Announce that Chris Cabisca promoted the Assistant Chief Operator – Camdem 2. The City has lost another Operator Trainee – Andy Ace 1. He was hired in Binghamton making approximately $5.00 more an hour than the City Ithaca is paying after the contract went into effect. 3. Ken stated that he has had to give multiple raises to the Camdem employees to keep up with the market rate. 4. Currently the City of Ithaca is paying approximately $25,000 below the market rate. 5. We need to look at over the target rate to be able to catch up with the market rate. 6. The new contract gave City employees a 2 grade level increase in the Administrative Unit and about $10,000 raise, and reduced the Steps from 5 to 4 to rate the max rate of pay. 7. This doesn’t address the starting rates when hiring new employees. This is affected by Civil Service issues. 8. Maybe we could investigate sign on bonuses. 9. We are currently advertising 4 positions and have received no applications as of yet. • Reporting o Regulatory reports were sent as scheduled. No discussion • Business, Long-Term Development o Capital Planning – First team meeting was held; three years of operating and energy data were forwarded. Asst. Supt. Gibson will address the contract. Currently 3D photography for NYSERTA360 is being done today. o Energy Management – The preliminary model was completed prior to the holidays. Workshop 5 is in February. NYSERTA will do a site visit probably May 2025 • Operations Data – Under separate cover. Peter and Ken will review and share soon. • MRB I&I Contract: Scott Gibson has spoken with Tim Carpenter, the consultant for the MRB I&I Contract: - original flow monitor cost match was $30,000 to $35,000; this was to include a basic engineering report based on new data. - there has been confusion about the scope of the contract. MRB feels that they have completed the contact. So, if we want a full I&I study, this would be a separate scope. - they have now offered a two-phase approach to evaluating the data. Phase 1 Do an evaluation of the data concerning the 2 years since the monitors were put in. Cost approximately $12,000 Phase 2 Do an inclusive analysis of I&I between the City of Ithaca, Town of Dryden, and Town of Ithaca. Cost approximately $17,000 Scott Reynolds was concerned because several flow meters are either off-line or are giving suspect data now. Scott will look into this with LECTRE to determine the hold up. Scott Gibson wants to further define the approach of MRB's latest two scopes with Tim because they seem somewhat redundant. IN addition, it appears that Tim's scope is more individualized instead of concentrating on a global effort. At this time, it looks like the Town of Ithaca has completed their study and is unsure of where Dryden is currently on their study. Rich DePaolo added that 2 years of data some meters not viable, due to the missing data and suspect reporting from some of the meters as mentioned earlier. Cynthia Brock had issues with the original MRB report due to water flow lags, lake level influence, and groundwater tables. She also had concerns about meter accuracy but that many of these concerns had been taken care of since her departure from the SJC. Joe Slater questions data on the report: 65% of flow is from municipalities other than the City. Forest Home Drive interceptor at a University Avenue it goes through Thurston Avenue He stated that he had more questions about items in the report. Did they actually come in and do a presentation? Scott G indicated that they had soon after the flow meter project was wrapping up. David O'Shea stated that the Town is budgeted to do an interceptor study this year. and had reached out to Scott G for the City to join. The City seemed to be on board. • Misc. Updates: • Staffing - Scott Gibson This was discussed during the Operations Reporting • B&L CIP Town PIO Process - Scott Gibson & Dave O’Shea • Danforth demobilization and training / boiler rehab- Scott Gibson • Plant improvements • Adjournment 2:33 PM • Upcoming Meeting Date: March 12, 2025