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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_Workshop_01/30/2017 MINUTES VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA WORKSHOP January 30, 2017 CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. A roll call was taken by Assistant to the Village Clerk, Mary Ann Grieser. Present were: Mayor Abby Brennan, Vice-Mayor Vince Arena, Council Member Steve Okun, Council Member Tom Paterno and Council Member Frank D'Ambra. 1. Discuss the Purchase of Sensus iPERL Water Meters from HD Supply to Replace the Aging Water Meter System Sam Heady, Deputy Utilities Director explained that during the last Council Meeting there was a request to compile some information on the replacement of all the water meters in the Village, with iPERL meters. Mr. Heady informed Council that some the benefits of the iPERL system included: immediate leakage alerts, identification of dead meters, "up to the minute" billing, identification of outages within the system and the ability to pinpoint water usage consumption for a specific location. Vice Mayor Arena asked Mr. Heady if he knew how much water the Village lost every year. Mr. Heady estimated that it was between seven and ten percent over the year, which was considered "good" according to AWWA (American Water Works Association) standards. He attributed the loss to leaks, older and ineffective meters, and billing errors. Mr. Heady revealed that the cost of the Sensus iPERL would be a one-time fee of four percent, or it could be extended over a time span of finro years, at a rate of finro percent per year, according to the rate study. Mr. Heady expressed to Council that there would be an approximate 10 to 20 percent savings in labor, allowing employees to concentrate on other areas of water system upkeep. He mentioned that using an outside vendor for anything other than installation, was not advisable as other area utilities had reported unsatisfactory results. , Council Member D'Ambra inquired as to whether or not the system was fully automated or would it still require an employee to drive by to access the information. Mr. Heady explained that it was dependent upon the system that was purchased. The difference in cost was about $100,000 more for the system that was fully automated and did not require a"drive-by". Council Member Paterno confirmed that the difference was eighty-five thousand dollars. Vice Mayor Arena inquired as to how the chemical cost would be reduced with the new system. Mr. Heady revealed that there would be savings from the decrease in lost water as well as savings in energy costs on the distribution side. The same chemicals would Village Council Workshop Minutes January 30, 2017 Page 2 still be used, just in a lesser amount due to a decrease in the amount of water lost per month. Mr. Heady further informed Council that the new system would give the water department the ability to set up parameters within the software, to have analytic ir�formation available for both the Village and the water customer. Other municipalities, such as Seacoast, Stuart and Jupiter were already using similar technology. Council Member D'Ambra recalled that Council raised the water rates to address some capital requirements which did not include distribution. He wondered how far an increase of four percent would go, towards addressing the distribution system, over the next 10 to 20 years. Mr. Heady felt that it would be another $200,000 in revenue or it could be a cost reduction in water rates. Vice Mayor Arena questioned if there was an additional oontract for this system or if extra expenses were involved. Mr. Heady revealed that this was a standard system which included software support, and noted that the fees were minor. It would service both businesses and residential properties. Mr. Heady advised Council that the software ofFered a°customer portal" which could be set to flag certain criteria deemed to be of importance to the consumer. This type of information would cut down on leakage due to the near instant availability of data. He added that the life of the meter was approximately 20 years. Mr. Heady felt that there were still some issues that needed to be addressed but overall the system looked promising. Council Member Patemo pointed out that many meters were located in pairs between properties, which in tum, created the need for only one reader, which the two could share. Mr. Heady determined that he did not have a hard count of dual box meters as of yet. Conversation ensued regarding the location of the antennae and boxes. Council agreed that the newer technology made a lot of sense. Mr. Heady determined that the cost presented was a rough estimate and was not the final cost estimate. Council Member Patemo offered his final thoughts on the subject and felt that the labor involved in reading meters would be decreased substantially if the new system was implemented. In addition, he felt the need for price adjustments would greatiy diminish, due to the leak alerts built into the new soflware. Attomey Davis advised Council to wait until the next Counal meeting in February, where the topic would then appear on the agenda. Village Council Workshop Minutes January 30, 2017 Page 3 2. Discuss Option and Cost to add a Landscaped Curbed Median on Old Dixie Highway Just North of Tequesta Drive (Similar to the New Median on Tequesta Drive) Mr. Doug Chambers, Deputy Public Works Director, conveyed to Council that he and Manager Couzzo had discussed building a curbed median on Old Dixie Highway, just north of Tequesta Drive. He explained that he had also contacted Palm Beach County and imparted that they loved the idea but would not be able to partner with the Village. Mayor Brennan reminded Council that Old Dixie Highway was owned by the County and was scheduled for road work in the near future. Council felt the project was a good idea but was premature at the moment. 3. Discuss Options and Relative Costs in Repairing and Replacing the Sidewalk on Country Club Drive Mr. Chambers explained that the sidewalk area on Tequesta Drive and Country Club Drive was in dire need of repair. He proposed either replacing it with concrete or continuing to patch the asphaft. He informed Council that the concrete was $60 per square yard as opposed to the asphalt which cost $50 dollars per square yard. Council Member D'Ambra felt it would be beneficial to get one large area completed instead of doing the project in small increments. Mr. Chambers agreed and stated that the funding was not in place to do the entire project. Council Member Patemo felt that Tequesta Drive was an area that had the greatest need for reconstruction and should be the first area addressed. Council agreed that it would be prudent to separate the project into two separate phases and bids. The first portion of the project would be Tequesta Drive with Country Club Drive being the secondary phase. Council Member Patemo mentioned that he had been receiving a lot of complaints ftom residents regarding the man holes in the area of Tequesta Country Club and along Country Club Drive. The area surrounding the man hole covers had recessed and was causing an extremely bumpy and irregular surtace for vehicles as they travelled the streets. Council Member Patemo advised that a petition would be forthcoming regarding this defect. Mr. Heady assured Council that he would assess the issue and present it to Council. 4. Discuss Options and Costs: Village of Tequesta Right of Way on Tequesta Drive in Front of 4979 Tequesta Drive — Continuing Sidewalk to end of the Property Line and Adding 1 or 2 Driveway Aprons Mr. Chambers revealed that the homeowner at the comer of Tequesta Driv�e and Country Village Council Workshop Minutes January 30, 2017 Page 4 Club Drive had been cordial over the phone, but at the same time non-responsive to Mr. Chambers requests. He further explained that the owner was planting trees within the Village's right of way. Counal determined that it would be practical for the Village to plant a hedge behind the sidewalk, and to continue the sidewalk past the comer property. 5. Discussion on Medical Marijuana Dispensarles Attomey Davis informed Council that this item was pulled at the Manager's request. 6. Discussion on the Jupiter Narrows Resolution Vice- Mayor Arena informed Council of the request to write a resolution of support to back the no wake extension in the area of the Intracoastal Waterway, just north of Cato's Bridge. Attomey Davis stated that he could have the resolution ready for the February Council Meeting. Council Member D'Ambra mentioned that he recently attended an event and spoke with Senator Clemens regar�ding the recent topic of annexation. He revealed that there was a concem regarding endaves and the current wording involved with the legislation. Council Member D'Ambra was hopeful that the legislation would be amended. Mayor Brennan revealed that Commissioner Valache did not attend several meetings on his calendar recen�y. Attomey Davis reminded Council that the annexation topic was not an agenda item and therefore must be limited. He mentioned that an update was within the workshop parameters, however, an in-depth discussion was not advisable as notice had not been made public. Mayor Brennan reminded Council of the 60�' Birthday Celebration coming up for the Village of Tequesta. Vice Mayor Arena announced that he would have detailed information regarding the event at the next Council Meeting in February. Council Member Okun menfioned that he was interested in having a dog adoption event sponsored by an outside organization. Council Member Patemo thought that honoring the residents that had been here the longest, would be a good idea. Mr. Chambers asked Counal for guidance in reference to the sidewalk issue, and homeowners who had installed pavers within the right of way. Council agreed that extending the sidewalk with cement should be no problem, even if pavers were present. Council Member Patemo informed Council that the Loxahatchee River District was creating a plan to go back to a natural- flow, producing a much clearer river. Village Council Workshop Minutes January 30, 2017 Page 5 ADJOURNMENT: Mayor Brennan moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Council Member Okun. The motion to adjourn carried unanimously 5-0; therefore, the meeting was adjourned at 7:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, �bk- � �l.c�CR���•-- Lori McWilliams, MMC Village Clerk Note: These summary minutes are prepared in compliance with 286.011 F.S. and are not verbatim transcripts of the meeting. A verbatim audio record is available from the office of the Village Clerk. All referenced attachments are on file in the Village Clerk's office. I _