City of Quincy Utilities Committee met Feb. 2.
Here are the minutes provided by the committee:
The monthly meeting of the Utilities Committee was held at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 2, 2023, at Quincy City Hall. Members present were Alderman Dave Bauer, Alderwoman Brianna Rivera, Alderman John Mast, Dan Cook, and Jacob Venvertloh. Director of Utilities & Engineering Jeffrey Conte, Assistant Corporation Counsel Bruce Alford, Director of Administrative Services Jeff Mays, Mayor Mike Troup, City Treasurer Linda Moore, Dustin Neese, and Theresa Alford were also present. The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m.
Approval of Minutes
Alderman Mast, seconded by Cook, moved that the minutes from the January 5, 2023, meeting be approved as distributed.
Public Comment
No one present for comment.
Utility Fund Financial Update
Conte presented the monthly financials. Revenues are showing improvement since the rate increase and expenses have begun to stabilize. The Water Fund reserve balance is $2.5 million, and the Sewer Fund reserve balance is $3.3 million.
Old Business
PFAS Liability Cost Recovery
Bruce Alford gave an update. The city of East Peoria has contracted with a law firm for PFAS recovery costs at a cost equal to one-third of their potential settlement. Conte estimates the cost for the PFAS removal project to be $12 million, but without knowing what the EPA regulations will be, there is no way to know the total cost of implementation. The Committee agrees that the City should wait for the EPA regulations before entering into a lawsuit.
Water Department Vehicle Purchase
The FY23 budget includes $40,000 for the replacement of a 2013 Ford F150 pickup truck that is used by the Water Distribution supervisor. The cost of a 2023 Ford F150 4x4 extended cab with a 6.5’ bed from the State bid is $39,245. A 2023 Ford Ranger 4x4 with extended cab is $32,165.
Action: Prepare a Request for Proposals for the purchase of a replacement truck.
Water Loss Update
Losses have improved significantly in the past month. Several residential leaks were found and have been repaired. The leaks most likely resulted from the extreme cold in mid to late December.
New Business
Water Fund
FY 24 Proposed Budget
Conte presented the fiscal year 2024 Water and Sewer budgets. The Committee discussed several options to maintain the fund minimum reserve balances that are set by City ordinance.
Property Insurance Renewal
The City’s current property insurer, Liberty Mutual, no longer provides coverage for public entities. Willis Tower Watson Midwest received quotes from HDI Global and Continental Casualty Company for property coverage, and Chubb and Travelers for equipment coverage. The best offer is the combination of HDI Global and Chubb for a premium total of $249,551.00. A separate policy will be needed for flood coverage for the two plants.
Action: Send to City Council for approval with Committee recommendation. Motion: Mast/Rivera Motion Carried
Payment Processing and Collection Proposals
The City recently requested proposals for payment processing services. Linda Moore presented the proposals to the Committee. Program demos will be set up and a recommendation will be made at the March meeting.
CSO LTCP Phase II Engineering Services
The Committee and City Council approved an engineering agreement in the amount of $330,000 with Crawford, Murphy, and Tilly in March of 2022 for design engineering services for the CSO LTCP Phase II project. It was noted at that time that additional engineering services would be needed to complete the second part of the Phase II design. CMT submitted a proposal in the amount of $150,000 for the completion of the project design.
Action: Send to City Council for approval with Committee recommendation. Motion: Mast/Cook Motion Carried
Sewer Fund
Waste Water Treatment Plant Report
Dustin Neese presented the monthly report to the Committee.
Adjournment
With no other items to discuss, the meeting was adjourned on a motion by Alderman Mast.
https://www.quincyil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/6916/638128495408730000
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