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Minden Gardnerville Sanitation District
District Manager's Report
November 2008
- EDU allocations: No EDU’s were allocated during the month of October.
- Effluent Disposal: No effluent was discharged from the ponds during the month of October.
- Digester Expansion Project: The digester project is progressing with no outstanding issues at this time.
- Plant Security: The contractor recently had a break–in and had approximately $15,000 worth of tools and equipment stolen. Access was made by cutting the chain on the gate as well as cutting a hole in the gate itself. This is an area of the plant, like many others, that is unlit and no security system is in place. Upgrades to the current security system should be considered.
- Hartford: Several MGSD employees are, in addition to the state retirement program, enrolled in The Hartford 457 program. The program is voluntary and MGSD contributes in no way with the exception of the minimal administrative duties associated with the program. Recent changes in the program have made MGSD employees eligible for a program that gives participants more options. In order for MGSD employees to be eligible for this new program, a board motion will be needed to allow the changes.
Frank T. Johnson
District Manager
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Minden Gardnerville Sanitation District
District Manager's Report
October 2008
- EDU allocations: No EDU’s were allocated during the month of August. Scheduled on the upcoming agenda is a request for 21 EDU’s for the Mahogany Court Development project.
Currently, other than the Board Chairman, the District Manager is the only person authorized to sign commercia
capacity connection permits. I would like to propose that in my absence, Mike Rogers be able to sign capacity permits.
- Effluent Disposal: We discharged 40.4 MG (123.98 Ac/ft) of effluent during the month of September, with 28.65 MG (87.92 Ac/ft) to Byington and 11.75 MG (36.06 ac/ft) to Park respectively. The new effluent disposal agreements are in place effective September 16, 2008.
- Digester Expansion Project: The digester project is progressing with no outstanding issues at this time.
For informational purposes I have included a break down of the construction costs of MGSD facilities since 1964. (See attached sheet)
- Grease Program: Paul Cockrell is scheduled on the upcoming agenda to discuss his proposal for a feasibility study pertaining to the proposed grease receiving facility.
McDonalds is planning to remodel their business which will require the addition of 1.2 EDU’s. As McDonalds is currently out of compliance with the MGSD Grease/Oil Control policies, it would be my recommendation that no further capacity be granted until the grease interceptor is brought to MGSD standards.
Please see excerpt from the minutes of October 7, 2007 below.
McDonald’s: Represented by Chris Kassity. Mr. Kassity discussed the history of grease interceptor issues at the McDonald's restaurant in Minden. Mr. Kassity stated that there has been only one isolated incident of grease being poured down the dumpster pad drain. He also felt that the cost to replace the grease interceptor, which will cost approximately $40,000.00, presents a hardship. He requested the Board consider altering the timeframe on the requirement for a grease interceptor upgrade, allowing compliance with the grease interceptor standards after 8 years from date of purchase, which would be March 2012, with the caveat that if there is another incident, the timeline be accelerated by the District Manager. Mr. Dudley felt that a grease interceptor upgrade is a cost of doing business. Mr. Kassity felt that the size is less important than the maintenance. Discussion followed regarding the source of MGSD’s calculations. Mr. Brown felt that the Ordinance needs to be complied with. Mr. Henningsen felt that a 4000 gallon interceptor sounded oversized. Mr. Dudley felt that regardless of the sizing, the current equipment setup at McDonald's is inadequate, and a change is needed. Mr. Brown felt that the ordinance should be researched further, and in the meantime Mr. Kassity should establish a regular cleaning schedule. Mr. Henningsen suggested that a compromise be reached on the compliance timeframe, and that regular inspections occur by MGSD staff. Mr. Kassity stated that the grease trap is currently being pumped every 30 days because of the incident. Bruce Scott suggested a three-month period for the Board to re-examine the requirements of the Ordinance. Mr. Henningsen, Mr. Wilcks, and Mr. Dudley agreed. Frank will coordinate with MGSD's Legal Counsel regarding the Board’s concerns with the Ordinance.
Frank T. Johnson
District Manager
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Minden Gardnerville Sanitation District
District Manager's Report
September 2008
- EDU allocations: 30.90 EDU’s were allocated during the month of August.
- Effluent Disposal: We discharged 85.19 MG of effluent to Byington during the month of August.
- Digester Expansion Project: The digester project is progressing with no outstanding issues at this time.
- Personnel: We have filled both of the Labor/OIT positions. The first employee, Andrew Marshall started working on August 28th, with the second employee; Anthony LaRocca scheduled to begin on September 15th.
We have pre-screened an applicant for the office staff position that will be vacated upon the retirement of Bonnie Fettic.
As this is a sensitive position, I would like to give each Board member the opportunity to meet with the applicant beforehand.
- Safety: During the recent safety inspection conducted by the State, it was verbally suggested that safety lighting be installed on the trucks that are used out in the field, due to the increased liability and traffic on the roadways. The Douglas County vehicle maintenance department installed the necessary lighting on the trucks as suggested.
- Grease Program: Enclosed is a short write up pertaining to grease issues and possible steps and programs to alleviate the concerns.
- Vehicle Maintenance: The county vehicle maintenance department has offered to maintain our vehicles on a routine basis. They provide the labor and materials at their cost which is a significant savings over taking the vehicles to local shops as we currently do. This service would entail services that we are not properly set up to do here at the plant.
It was asked that I contact the county to inquire about auctioning off the 1956 Dodge which we no longer use. They
have discontinued their auctions and take all vehicles to Reno for a state auction. We may want to consider selling the
truck outright via closed bids as opposed to auction.
Frank T. Johnson
District Manager
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Minden Gardnerville Sanitation District
District Manager's Report
August 2008
- EDU allocations: 9.3 EDU’s were allocated during the month of July. Scheduled on the upcoming agenda is a request for 29.1 EDU’s for the Holiday Inn express at the Minden Gateway project.
- Effluent Disposal: We discharged 9.3 MG of effluent to Bentley during the month of July. In addition, Park Cattle received 48.1 MG and Byington received 38.8 MG. The new effluent agreements are effective on September 16, 2008. In an effort to alleviate any misinterpretations of the agreements, I am planning to schedule meetings with each of the parties involved to discuss the terms of the agreements.
- Digester Expansion Project: The digester project is progressing with no outstanding issues at this time.
- Pollution Insurance: At the July meeting, the Board directed Alan Reed to proceed with an application for the wastewater treatment plant pollution policy to be reviewed by the District Manager and an update be provided at the August 5, 2008 regular Board meeting. I have reviewed the application with Alan and the application for coverage has been submitted.
- Personnel: Josh Rollings’ employment with MGSD was terminated on July 22, 2008. I have some recommendations and proposals for fulfilling the position which I will present at the upcoming meeting. MGSD employee Chris Baracosa recently obtained his Grade II certification and has been promoted to the position of Grade II operator.
Frank T. Johnson
District Manager
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Minden Gardnerville Sanitation District
District Manager's Report
July 2008
- EDU allocations: No capacity was allocated during the month of June.
- Effluent Disposal: We are currently pumping effluent to Bently and expect to do so for approximately 2 – weeks.
- Pump station # 2: The pump station has been put on line with no apparent major issues at this time. Final grading and other minor work still needs to be completed. Bruce is expected to have additional; information at the upcoming meeting.
- Digester Expansion Project: The digester project is underway with no outstanding issues at this time.
- Annexations: There are two annexation agreements to be adopted for Waterloo Center LLC and Minden Gateway Center LLC. This is to be addressed under the District Mangers report at the meeting.
- Personnel: MGSD employee Jon Kephart resigned his position effective June 20th. MGSD employee Brian Buffo recently obtained his Grade II certification and has been promoted to the position of Grade II operator. Due to the timing of his certification versus the anniversary date of his previous certification there was a conflict with the salary scale which would not have afforded him the full increase in salary that he would be entitled to under MGSD policies. I met with Mike Henningsen, and it was agreed that if an employee obtains a higher certification within 90 days prior to their anniversary date, the employee would be afforded the full adjustment where warranted. Further discussion and clarification will be held at the upcoming meeting
Frank T. Johnson
District Manager
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Minden Gardnerville Sanitation District
District Manager's Report
June 2008
- EDU allocations: 2.0 units of capacity were allocated during the month of May. On the upcoming agenda is a request for 5.6 EDU’s for a commercial building on Southgate Dr.
- Effluent Disposal: No effluent was disposed during the month of April.
- Pump station # 2: The pump station project is nearing completion with tentative startup and testing scheduled for the second week in June. Todd from RCI is expected to have more information available at the upcoming meeting.
- Digester Expansion Project: K.G. Walters Construction has begun mobilization onto the premises with a scheduled start date of June 16.
- GRGID Agreement: There was a question about the GRGID agreement at the previous meeting. Attached are copies of the 1974 agreement along with the subsequent supplements and amendments. I would like to have further discussions with Bruce Scott and MGSD legal counsel to get a better understanding of the history of the agreement and bring it for discussion if necessary, to the July meeting.
- Personnel Session: Scheduled on the agenda is the personnel session for the upcoming fiscal year. I have made recommendations to the personnel committee, which will be presented at the meeting.
Frank T. Johnson
District Manager
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Minden Gardnerville Sanitation District
District Manager's Report
May 2008
- EDU allocations: 25.44 units of capacity were allocated during the month of April. On the upcoming agenda is a request by Raley’s to purchase 46.74 EDU’s. Although, while not yet determined, they may revise the plans in an effort to reduce the capacity requirements.
- Effluent Disposal: No effluent was disposed during the month of April.
- Pump station # 2: An issue has arisen with the project and the wetwell structure was removed and is being reconstructed. Bruce is expected to have more information available at the upcoming meeting.
- Sewer Laterals: On the upcoming agenda is a request for reimbursement of the sewer lateral repair at 1749 Bougainvillea.
The lateral on County Road that was installed without MGSD permits has been excavated by the contractor and inspected by MGSD personnel.
The sewer main on 10th street was televised and determined that the property in question was in fact properly connected to the main. The issue, as
reported to me, was found to have been within the private lateral itself.
- Park Cattle Company: Bruce Scott and I met with Rob Anderson of R.O. Anderson Engineering and representatives of Park Cattle Company, where they explained their upcoming proposed project. Some areas will require an adjustment of the MGSD boundaries. They have requested a special meeting on May 22nd to discuss their proposal.
- Lab Inspection: A representative from NDEP visited the premises for an inspection of the laboratory and the procedures within the lab. No violations were noted and we were commended on the appearance and operation of the facilities.
Frank T. Johnson
District Manager
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Minden Gardnerville Sanitation District
District Manager's Report
April 2008
EDU allocations: A total of 6.9 EDU’s were allocated during the month of February. (See attached sheet). In addition, on the upcoming agenda is a
request for 20 EDU’s by GRGID
- Effluent Disposal: We are still currently pumping effluent to Bently, and expect to discontinue the pumping by the end of the first week of April.
- Pump station # 2: The pump station is progressing with no apparent major concerns. A change order for an additional valve, which is needed for redundancy, in the amount of $11,554.26 was authorized.
- 2008-2009 Budget: The tentative budget is scheduled on the agenda for approval. No copies will be available until the meeting, as the final revenue projections were not released from the state until late last week. Subsequently, I could not complete the budget and meet with the accountant until the 31st of March.
- Solids Handling: I am planning on ordering the necessary parts and equipment that have been approved for the solids handling processes. While the initial cost estimates came in at approximately $85,000, there were some proprietary electrical components that were an additional $11,000.
- OSHA: A representative from OSHA visited the plant and he was impressed with the condition of the facilities. No major concerns were noted with the exception of a few minor items, all of which have now been corrected. In addition, safety lighting needs to be installed on all the vehicles. I have included that in the safety budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
- Bougainvillea: I received an invoice for repair of a lateral at 1749 Bougainvillea. Upon excavation, it was found that the lateral had a kink in the line and no backfill material was found around the line. The homeowner has requested re-imbursement for the repair as they feel the line was improperly installed. I explained to them the MGSD policies regarding private laterals, but they would still like the board to consider their request. In addition, I explained that the board could take no action until the May meeting as it was not properly agenized.
Frank T. Johnson
District Manager
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Minden Gardnerville Sanitation District
District Manager's Report
March 2008
- EDU allocations: A total of 4.5 EDU’s were allocated during the month of February. (See attached sheet). In addition, on the upcoming agenda is a request for 6.9 EDU’s by Bently Bio-fuels.
- Effluent Disposal: As of 2/28 we are pumping effluent to Bently. The new effluent contract with Bently becomes effective in September. With that in mind, the upcoming budget for effluent pumping will reflect that, and will be considerably higher than it has been in the past.
- Pump station # 2: Work has begun on the pump station # 2 project. Hopefully the weather will cooperate so the job can be completed within the allotted 130 days for substantial completion.
- Reservoirs: In light of the recent canal break in Fernley, there was some concern about the integrity of our ponds. A query of the Division of Water Resources website found that the reservoirs were last inspected in September of 2005. In addition, I am scheduled to attend a workshop in Carson City pertaining to Dam Safety and how to implement emergency action plans.
- NvWarn: The Nevada Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (NvWarn) has requested that MGSD join their program. The intent of the program is to provide intrastate mutual aid and assistance to other entities such as MGSD, in the case of any disasters that may occur, such as the before mentioned Fernley incident. (See attached information).
- MGSD Cash Analysis: It was requested by the Board at the November 2007 meeting that a cash flow analysis be performed before awarding the bid for the upcoming digester expansion project. However, the report came back reflecting the cash flow for previous years as opposed to upcoming years as was requested. I have instructed the accountant to run projections for the upcoming 3-4 year period.
- Meeting Times: A request was made to explore the possibility of moving the meeting times from 7:00PM to 6:00PM. It does not appear that any regulations prohibiting this are present.
- Granite Claim: The insurance company for Granite Construction has once again denied the claim for reimbursement of the costs MGSD incurred due debris in the manholes near the roundabout at Hwy 88 and County Road. It has been suggested by MGSD legal counsel that in the interest of saving on litigation costs, that we offer to settle for $12,000, as it does not appear they are willing to accept any responsibility.
Frank T. Johnson
District Manager
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Minden Gardnerville Sanitation District
District Manager's Report
February 2008
- EDU allocations: No capacity was allocated in the month of January.
- Effluent Disposal: We pumped approximately 65 MG of effluent to Bently during the month of January. In addition, I attended a meeting pertaining to the interruptible pumping rate (IS 2) program we are currently on. The Public Utilities Commission has authorized Sierra Pacific Power to install automatic cutoff switches on the control panels of all IS 2 customers to automatically shut down power to pumping stations during high peak periods in an effort to conserve power. This could be a big detriment to the District as it may affect our pumping to Bently, particularly since the new contract with Bently is scheduled to go into effect in September. I have consulted with MGSD legal counsel, and he is looking into the matter for us.
- Pump station 2: Construction is scheduled to begin on the pumping station project. As in the past, change orders may be needed during the project. The Board has typically authorized the District Manager to authorize change orders up to certain monetary amount so the project will not be delayed while pending Board approval. With the Boards approval, I would like to authorize change orders. In addition, any authorized changes would be reported back to the Board Chairman.
- Bio-solids: We are no longer taking bio-solids to the Dreyers. Due to the wet weather conditions they were unable to incorporate the solids into the ground and had some accumulated solids in storage. I spoke with Marvin Tebeau and Bruce, and it was decided in order to avoid incurring any possible violations that it would be prudent to take the solids to the Lockwood landfill.
- GRGID flows: We installed the portable flow meter in the GRGID interceptor line to monitor the flows from GRIGID. It was determined over a 38 day period that an average of .813 MGD could be attributed to GRGID, which equates to approximately 45% of our overall flows. We will re-install the meter in the spring to see if the flows increase during high water table periods.
Frank Johnson
District Manager
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Minden Gardnerville Sanitation District
District Manager's Report
January 2008
- EDU allocations: No capacity was allocated in the month of November.
- Effluent Disposal: No effluent was discharged during the month of December. We will begin discharging to Bently by the first week of January.
- Pump station 2: 13 bidders submitted bids for the pump station project, with the bids ranging from $911,000 to $1,469,000. The final bids are to be reviewed prior to the Board meeting, with an anticipated award of the bid at the meeting.
- Micro Ease: The programmer for the accounting program has submitted an invoice for time spent above and beyond his initial bid of June 26, 2007. This bid was integrate the accounting program with the software program to perform additional functions that were not initially requested at the time the system was programmed. However, there are still several outstanding issues that are yet to be resolved with the already completed programming. It is my recommendation that the additional payment request not be authorized until the outstanding issues are resolved.
- Grease Interceptor: In an effort to promote and enforce the Grease/Oil control policy, it may be prudent to submit an informational article to the local newspaper explaining the concerns associated with grease and the way to mitigate the concerns. Another avenue may be to write an informational flyer to be inserted into the quarterly billings.
- Banking Accounts: We are experiencing customer service issues with Wells Fargo Bank, which holds our payroll accounts. Bonnie has requested that we consider transferring all funds to City National Bank. Bonnie and I will meet with representatives of City National and see what they have to offer.
Frank Johnson
District Manager
