BWD Board of Trustees Annual Meeting

Thursday - January 28: The BWD Board of Trustees held their Annual Meeting Thursday morning at Wellsville Village Hall. The meeting was pushed back a week due to the trial for the Susany law suit. Normally this is called the Regular Meeting. Present at the meeting was Board President Mike Ryan, Members Bob Wines, Jack Whittaker, Cal Carney, Jack Call and Tim O'Hara. Also present was District Manager Al DeAngelis, BWD Attorney Fred Emmerling, Fiscal Officer Sara Crouch, Project Inspector Mark Allison and Tracy Allen. With an air card & the Skype program Board Member Chuck Bibbee was able to take in the meeting from the deck of his boat in the Florida Keys, through the internet. Legalities do not permit Bibbee to have any input or vote in the meeting. The hook-up was for observation purposes only. Bibbee reported it was around 70 degrees with partly cloudy skies at his location.

In the Public Speaking portion of the agenda Washington Twp. Trustee Pete Sambroak addressed the Board saying he has been approached by individuals asking how members are appointed to the Board. Mr. Sambroak was accompanied by fellow Trustee Jim Sevek. Sambroak noted that the new water line to Salineville goes through Washington Twp. and Salineville itself is located in the township.

At present there are no openings on the nine member Board. V.P. Bob Wines explained that three members are appointed by the CC Commissioners, three from the municipalities and three from the townships. Wines, from St. Clair Twp., is one of the township representatives. Currently Wellsville is the only municipality in the system. Wellsville Mayor Joe Surace just reappointed Board Member Jack Call to another six year term. When consolidated into the system Salineville will be included with the municipalities.

Wines went on to say that Yellow Creek Twp. Butch Kontinier usually co-ordinates with all the township trustees when it comes time to vote on Board members. When questioned Attorney Emmerling advised it would be considered a conflict of interest for any township trustee to be a member of the Board.

The Trustees then went into a 56 minute Executive Session for Personnel matters. At the 35 minute mark BWD Project Inspector Mark Allison was called into the session. When the Trustees returned to the meeting President Ryan announced no decision has been made. Interim changes were made late last year when Allison indicated he may retire.

Three resolutions were passed. The first was to enter into agreement with the County to assume the $13,022 semi-annual payments of Issue II funding that A&L Salvage defauted on, on the Route 45 water line. The County assumed the payments when this happened. See our Finance Committee report dated 1-7-10. Trustee Cal Carney remarked "Bert went out on a limb for us and we don't want to leave him hanging". Carney was referring to County Engineer Bert Dawson.

The second resolution passed was for modifications of the Operating/Construction Budget which was set in June 2009.

The third resolution was passed making changes in the Rules & Regulations adding clauses for ACH payments and up-dating some wording. Wines commented there were 25 changes and commended F.O. Crouch for her efforts. See our Finance Committee report dated 1/30/10.

A "then & now" invoice for $2,193 was approved for engineering work performed by Dallis Dawson & Assocs. on the now unused Hibbetts Mill pump station. With the new reservoir and Water Treatment plant that pump station is no longer needed. Plans are underway to move it out to the West Point area to boost water pressure to district customers north of there. That pump is now designated the Mobil Booster Pump (MBP) station.

The Engineering Committee reported there will be a final Progress Meeting for Part A of the Salineville Water Line Project but no date has been set. That will be announced later.

Bob Wines reported the settlement reached with the Susany law suit for the Litigation Committee. See our Special Meeting report dated 1/21/10.

For Project Reports District Manager Al DeAngelis reported Part A of the Salineville project is completed. All that is left is pressure and bacteria testing. That is expected to be completed in the next few weeks. Approval for the Crews Road extension was received from the Ohio EPA 1-14-10. It is installed and all that is left is testing and customer tap-ins. Installation for Part B of the Salineville project is to begin Monday, February 1.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:20 A.M. Next Regular Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 18, at Wellsville Village Hall.

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