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Home My WebLink AboutMN-SJC-05-13-26ITHACA AREA WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY TOWN OF ITHACA CITY OF ITHACA TOWN OF DRYDEN, OWNERS 525 THIRD STREET ITHACA, NEW YORK 14850 (607) 273-8381 SJC MEETING May 13, 2026 P = Present, PZ = Present Via Zoom, E = Excused and A = Absent STAFF PZ Wendy Cole, City of Ithaca A Kelly Anderson, Town of Ithaca P Scott Gibson, City of Ithaca P Joe Slater, Town of Ithaca P Kelly VanRiper, City of Ithaca GUEST PZ Peter Wernsdorfer, Camden Group PZ Jesse Semanchik, B & L P Ken Scherrieble, Camden Group PZ Brigid Mulroe, B & L P = Present, PZ = Present Via Zoom, E = Excused and A = Absent Called to Order 1:05 pm 1) Agenda Review 2) Consider approval of minutes: 04/08/2026 a. Motioned by Rich and seconded by Dave b. Unanimously Approved 3) Financials – Wendy a. Review 2026 monthly ﬁnancials i. Wendy sent Scott R some information about the utilities at the Plant. He will work with Camden to develop a plan for studying gas production and best use. ii. Sludge Removal was higher than normal, over $60,000 in March. Otherwise ﬁnancials seem normal. b. Discuss 2025 “mostly complete” ﬁnancials and cash planning i. 2025 has not closed out yet. ii. Rich asked if there was updated fund balance available for 2025. Wendy will meet with Bonadio and ask for an idea of when we will have an actual fund balance for 2025. c. Capital Fund estimate update i. 422J – Various Plant Improvements Estimated $88,823 available ii. 423J – Boiler Room $366,000 available on hand and Wendy is looking into the bonds for details of how we may use the funds, because for a speciﬁc purpose the boiler room. Wendy wants to conﬁrm the question(s): 1. Whether or not we have to use the surplus to pay down the debt? 2. Or whether or not we can transfer it to 0ther repairs and things that the Plant needs? iii. 425J – There is only change left in this Capital Project. d. SJC needs to convene ad hoc meeting to sort out ﬁnances and needed repairs i. This will have to wait until we have a fund balance ﬁgure and updated nos from B&L for the short term CIP. ii. A new Audit Firm has been selected and City signed a letter of engagement for 2022 through 2025. They are a well-known Municipal Auditing Firm. There is no set schedule currently but the plan is to have the 2022 Audit done by year end. 4) Operations & Engineering Report – Peter and Scott G a. Review monthly Report i. Regulatory Compliance – The ﬁlamentous outbreak continues. It has an effect on effluent quality but no permit exceedances. ii. There was a permit exceedance in the DMR reports but it was actually in March. iii. No other items to note outside of submitted report. 5) NYSDEC Permit Modiﬁcation – Jesse a. Update on NYS communications i. Permit is in administrative review ii. No changes since last discussion b. Target to begin lake sampling late June after Outfall inspection. i. B&L to follow up with CSI on schedule and certiﬁcations for nitrite. ii. IAWWTF boat insurance will cover CSI staff. iii. DEC Mixing Zone Workplan and Outfall Modeling on hold until new permit issued. These activities will further inform lake sampling program. 6) Capital Improvement Project Update - Jesse and Scott G a. Discuss modiﬁed short-term plan (2026/2027) thinking, ﬁnances, and schedule i. Meeting conducted on Monday 5/11 with EFC, B&L, Owners ii. Initial response from EFC legal is that Type 1 SEQR should be done for the full project. Near term SEQR can be amended in future for long term projects. Determine lead agency. B&L to prepare EAF and lead agency resolution for City June 1 board meeting. iii. EFC has determined project that can be split into two phases on the Intended Use Plan with separate short-term ﬁnancing agreements. Email summary to EFC ahead of August Draft IUP. iv. Only one WIIA/IMG grant application would be allowed. Recommend holding for long term CIP. IMG 40% of eligible costs up to $30M, WIIA 25% of eligible costs up to $25M. b. B & L Amendment 2 status – the amendment is out for signatures and waiting for it to be returned. c. ASI additional inspection proposal i. SJC approved proposal to expand the inspection of the whole pipe from Plant to the lake. ii. B&L amenable to swapping money for the headworks study in Amendment 2 with ASI increase so that the work can proceed in June. B&L to prepare another amendment codifying the swap. d. PER amendment for EFC – B&L presented amendment to allow expanded forgiveness by getting a hardship determination for the EFC listing. SJC members agreed with presented amendment so B&L to submit. i. Long-term plan – no updates 7) Legal Services – Scott R a. New Attorney i. Scott R presented summary of discussion with PMV. SJC discussed and feel PMV will be an appropriate ﬁrm. ii. PMV feels it has a slight, merely technical, conﬂict of interest with other clients that deal with the City of Ithaca. PMV will pursue City sign off and then the letter can be signed by the owners. iii. Rich made a motion to request a letter of engagement and Dave seconded it. All were unanimously in favor. b. NYSEG Environmental Easement, S Brock email – PMV will pick up after retained by the SJC. 8) Misc. updates a. Foundational Agreements approval progress – Rich i. Intermunicipal Wastewater Agreement - Town of Ithaca board has signed the agreement. Town of Dryden meeting this week. City of Ithaca is out for signatures and has no update as of yet. b. I&I i. Scott R is compiling existing ﬂow meter data for presentation to the SJC. He will meet with Joe re the Town of Ithaca’s concerns re the ﬂows. ii. Town of Ithaca is working with Larson on the interceptor study and could expand the study to the ﬂowmeters later. Joe is looking at how Ontario County uses metering for allocating plant usages across owners. Getting the right equipment and actually maintaining it is key. Adjournment – 2:24 pm Upcoming Meeting Date June 10, 2026 Please See Attached Appendixes: 1 – May 13, 2026, Agenda 2 – April 8, 2026, Unapproved Minutes (Minus Appendixes) 3 – Financials for 2025 & 2026 4 – Operator’s & Engineer’s Report 5 – DMR Report 6 – Gas usage Report 7 – Proposal from ASI Marine 8 – B&L Preliminary Engineering Report 9 – Legal Services Information