Two meetings were held this past Tuesday, September 22, to consider a couple of special requests. At last week's regular Board-of-Director's Meeting two individuals addressed the Board in regards to Part A of the Salineville Water Project. Southern Local Superintendent James Herring asked for consideration be given to lower the tap-in fee and Highlandtown VFD Chief Tim Roush asked that more fire hydrants be installed in that village.
The first meeting was the Rate Study Committee chaired by Jack Call. Present at that meeting was Call, Board members Mike Ryan, Chuck Bibbee & Gene McGaffic plus District Manager Al DeAngelis. With all facts & figures rechecked they met to consider the tap-in fee for SLSD. That fee is going to cost the school district $156,000 and as stated before it is based on an EPA formula used consistently throughout the water district. The formula includes the number of students in the facility. There are 960 students in that facility. Herring argued the determined gallons per day usage was excessive using that formula.
Brought out at the meeting was the extra costs involved meeting requirements to supply the school district with required "fire flow" and water pressure. This is for fire fighting purposes. It is required that water pressure be capable of supplying 750 gallons per minute (gpm) be used for the school complex. To meet that demand requires that 16 inch diameter pipe be installed and much of that has to be ductile iron pipe instead of PVC. The required pressure for residential areas is just 250 gpm and could be supplied using 12 inch diameter pipe. Sixteen inch ductile pipe currently costs $60/foot compared to $33/foot for 12 inch PVC. Part A of this project involves running 16" pipe from the Red Brick Church on Route 45 across country to Southern Local. That is a total of 40,264 feet or nearly eight miles of 16" pipe. Because of requirements for the school district this part of the project is adding $656,782 to the total costs.
The Rate Study Committee feels that to be fair to other water district customers and to be consistent they must stick with using the EPA formula for determining tap-in fees. They are going to recommend that the Board decline Southern Local's request. In consideration of the school's financial condition they are also recommending that the school district be offered a three year payment plan at 0% interest. They will also suggest that the school district check into stimulus grant funding or maybe applying for a low interest loan from some of the state agencies.
The second meeting this past Tuesday was the Engineering Committee chaired by Chuck Bibbee. Present at that meeting was Bibbee, Board members Mike Ryan, Tim O'Hara & Gene McGaffic plus District Manager Al DeAngelis. They met to consider the request for additional hydrants for Highlandtown.
Chairman Bibbee advised that there are a total of 36 fire hydrants in the plans to be installed in Highlandtown where currently there is none. The planned hydrants were in accordance to standards set by the American Water Works Assoc. that state hydrants should be no farther apart than 1000 feet to be able to furnish sufficient water pressure consistent throughout the area. AWWA standards are widely used and accepted in the water industry and meet government requirements. It was also noted that property values along the water line will be enhanced and home owner's insurance rates will be favorably effected once the line is installed. Roush stated at last week's meeting that he was using ISO insurance standards which are more restrictive than AWWA.
There are approximately 100 residents located along the nearly eight mile portion of Part A. Two years ago BWD sent out a survey to see how many of those would be interested in getting on the system. Out of those 100 only five responded that they would be interested. Shuttling water to fight fires using tanker trucks will be mostly eliminated with the planned 36 hydrants. The distance and time required, if shuttling water to a fire scene, will be greatly reduced. Presently Highlandtown fill their tankers at the bottom of Rt. 39 in Wellsville or along Rt. 45 depending where they are. All water furnished to fight fires is free of charge. Any additional hydrants added will have to be paid for by the water district. The $2.7 million contract has been awarded. Of that amount the BWD already has to come up with or borrow 20% for their share.
The Engineering Committee will recommend to the Board that up to an additional six hydrants maximum is all that can be afforded to help in the Highlandtown area. They already have project inspectors in the field double checking for areas where those six would be needed.
A special meeting of the Board has been scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 25, at 10:30 A.M. at the new Water Treatment Plant to consider both requests. At one of the two Committee meetings it was noted that in over two years of planning not one representive from either SLSD or Highlandtown approached any official of the BWD. The grant has been awarded to the water district and the project has been contracted out. They can't go back for additional funding now. The Notice to Proceed is expected to be issue by the EPA this week for Part A. Part B bids for the Salineville water line is expected to be put out in the near future.
ole nib
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2 comments:
Has there ever been a positive article about BWD? I mean, every time you turn around, they are putting it to someone else. I like the EPA calculations of 20 gallons per day, per student. I vote that BWD change their name back!
Actually in these two situations they are going out of their way to help. Using the EPA formula for tap in fees is an accepted, established policy not only for BWD but industry wide. It was used for Beaver Local, the Joint Vocational School, the new Highway Patrol Barracks & I think the Elkton Prison.
The BWD Board members are all citizens of the district selected to over see the business of the water district & do what's best in running that business. They have to use sound business principles or we would all be in trouble. Although they didn't change the Southern Local tap-in fee they did offer to make it a 3 year payment plan with no interest added on. I would love to be able to get loan deals like that.
In the case of Highlandtown they are going out of their way to help that community without going into excessive debt. Roush wanted them to use insurance (ISO) company standards on the placing of fire hydrants. Using AWWA standards for placing hydrants, again, is an industry wide accepted practice. Using ISO standards would give the members of that community the best (lowest) home owner insurance rates out there even if they do not tap-in to the new water line. It is cost prohibitive for any water district and wouldn't be using good business sense. You got to remember that Highlandtown has no fire hydrants today. If it wasn't for the EPA demanding that Salineville get a new water source Highlandtown probably wouldn't be considered for a new water line & hydrants. Members of that community in a survey more or less told the water district they were not interested. Because of Salineville Highlandtown was getting 36 hydrants in the original plans. Now that number may be increased to 42 at no cost to that community. With those reconsiderations that is not "putting it to someone" in my opinion.
nib
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