NORTH SALT SPRING WATERWORKS DISTRICT MINUTES OF TRUSTEES MEETING HELD AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE July 26, 2016

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1 NORTH SALT SPRING WATERWORKS DISTRICT MINUTES OF TRUSTEES MEETING HELD AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE July 26, 2016 PRESENT AT THE MEETING WERE: Chairman Trustees District Manager Office Manager/Recording Secretary Marshall Heinekey Jeff Thompson, Les Howell, Denis Russell, Don Hodgins Ron Stepaniuk Anne Williams Called to order at 2:00 pm 1. MINUTES OF MEETINGS a) Minutes of the June 22, 2016 Meeting The minutes of the June 22, 2016 trustees meeting were presented for approval as circulated prior to the meeting. There were no changes. Motion: It was moved by Mr. Howell, seconded by Mr. Russell to approve the minutes of the June 22, 2016 trustees meeting as presented. b) Minutes of the July 11, 2016 Meeting Motion Carried The minutes of the July 11, 2016 trustees meeting were presented for approval as circulated prior to the meeting. There were no changes. Motion: It was moved by Dr. Thompson, seconded by Mr. Howell to approve the minutes of the July 11, 2016 trustees meeting as presented. 2. PLANNING & DISTRICT ISSUES: a) District Manager s Report St Mary Lake Motion Carried KWL is still waiting on a Ministry of Environment (MOE) permit for Change of Works for the new intake and direction from Island Health on the issue of a common wall between the clearwell and backwash tank. The Ministry of Forestry, Land, and Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO) letters to First Nations groups need to go out as well. The District has already sent out a series of letters to First Nations to keep them informed of the weir project, the treatment plant and short term license application. Page 1 of 7

2 KWL estimates tendering will begin the first week of August. It can be done in parallel with the permitting process. Duck Creek weir Tom Fletcher & Co. is finishing the final draft of their report on work to date. It will be circulated to the board as soon as it arrives. Channel Ridge This action is ongoing and we continue to supply all requested information. Shop and Yard Upgrades The crew is completing yard upgrades in the works yard. New shelving has been installed to provide storage for financial and legal records. Staff Aaron Greene has been hired as a Level 3 Water Treatment Plant Operator to replace Kerry Walker who is retiring this year. He will be starting August 8 th. Distribution System Modeling Mr. Stepaniuk met with Rose Sinnott at KWL and discussed completing the distribution system model. The mapping/gps locations of the District s hydrants, valves and major facilities will be forwarded to her and included in the model. We will then do a review and attempt to fill any data gaps. This information will provide NSSWD with a picture of how the system functions, particularly to determine some of our fire flow capabilities. Operations The crew installed 3 service connections this month. The crew repaired a number of leaks in NSSWD, Beddis and Scott Point. The water service recently repaired at the Upper Ganges Center has failed again. The crew is preparing to replace the service. b) Meetings With Other Agencies Mr. Stepaniuk is organizing a meeting between NSSWD board representatives and SSIFD board representatives to discuss the hydrant maintenance contract and fire flows. c) SSIWPA Dr. Hodgins reported that the MOE and FLNRO are contributing $60K to a groundwater study in order to produce a water budget. Money from the Islands Trust may also be available for the study. Page 2 of 6

3 3. BUSINESS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES a) Foodcarts There is now one more food cart in town. Currently the Islands Trust can t prevent them if the property is zoned for a restaurant. The District will continue to monitor the issue and seek a solution to demand creep. The Board agreed that a letter to the Islands Trust expressing the District s concerns should be sent. First an informal meeting to discuss the issue between George Grams, Mr. Heinekey and Dr. Hodgins will be organized by staff. 4. FINANCIAL REPORTS a) June Financials and Current Cash Position (Appendix A) The June financials and the current cash position, as circulated before the meeting, were discussed. Mrs. Williams noted that toll income for May/June was up over forecast in spite of the Level 3 conservation regulation being in place, however overall consumption was down by approximately 2 million gallons over last year. The increased income is attributed to the seasonal rates taking effect. Motion: Mr. Howell moved and Dr. Thompson seconded that the June financials and current cash position be accepted as presented. 5. WATER QUALITY & QUANTITY a) Quantity Motion Carried Both lakes are at approximately the same point as this time last year. Salt Spring is still on Level 4, while Vancouver Island had some rain and dropped back to Level 3. b) Quality Water quality in St Mary is currently very poor, particularly in the smaller, deeper intake. The divers are going to install a riser pipe in the hopes of drawing water from the same depth as the large intake which is currently of a much better quality. No toxins have been seen in samples. 6. CORRESPONDENCE a) from SD 64 re Leak Allowance UB Acct 8003 SD 64 experienced a leak in their irrigation system (which doesn t normally qualify for a Leak Allowance) and requested special consideration. They also expressed concern about seasonal rates for Institutional Class 2 customers. Mrs. Williams noted that the seasonal rates had had a greater impact than originally anticipated on this customer class. It was agreed that Mrs. Williams would put together some additional numbers for the Board before a decision was made on their request. Page 3 of 6

4 b) from RCMP re car washing The RCMP requested permission to periodically wash their vehicles to maintain visibility for safety purposes. The Board agreed they could wash the vehicles as necessary. Mrs. Williams will notify them and issue a limited use permit. c) from Wayne McIntyre re Drake Road The Board discussed Director McIntyre s enquiry regarding service for the Drake Road affordable housing project and why the District will not serve it but is committed to service for the Community Services project in Bishops Walk. It was agreed that another letter will be sent explaining that Community Services project has had its infrastructure in the ground since Drake Road does not have any infrastructure, however, it is on the Parcel Tax roll and entitled to service for one single family dwelling. Applicable bylaws and provincial legislation regarding water service will also be cited. d) from Jim Garrett re Leak Allowance UB Acct An from Jim Garrett regarding a Leak Allowance was discussed. It was agreed that as the leak was attributable to an outside tap and possibly to an optional appliance (a filtration system) installed in the home that it did not qualify for a Leak Allowance. Mr. Garrett will be notified of the decision. e) from Richard Fraser re Special Watering Permit UB Acct As agreed at the July 11 th meeting, the Board again discussed the extension of the Fraser s Thimble Farm Special Watering Permit and an from Richard Fraser. It was agreed that the Permit would be extended again with the proviso that it could be revoked at any time should drought conditions warrant. A letter will be sent advising that the Frasers are not entitled to an infinite amount of water. The District only has a finite supply to meet the needs of all customers and that domestic water use comes before agricultural use, particularly non-food production. They will again be strongly urged to seek alternative water storage options for their needs. 7. BYLAWS & POLICIES a) OP 7: Data Access & Use Policy OP 7: Data Access & Use was represented for approval after modifications based on the last meeting and the latest feedback. Dr. Hodgins still had concerns and suggested further changes were required. After discussion it was agreed that references to an applicant s credentials should be removed and that more discussion was needed. Therefore, a special meeting would be called within a week to finalize and approve the policy. The meeting will also be used to discuss institutional class rates. Page 4 of 6

5 8. COMMUNICATIONS a) Upcoming Communication Needs Mrs. Williams noted that as the weir project is nearing the end of its current phase, and the proposed parcel tax reform is nearly ready for Board discussion and ratepayer communication, that a communications plan for each needs to be developed. b) Water Preservation Society Panel The Water Preservation Society s panel discussion on drought is going ahead on August 18 th and Mr. Stepaniuk is representing the District. Dr. Hodgins will be representing SSIWPA. 9. NEXT MEETING: The next regular meeting of the trustees is scheduled for Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 1:30 pm. The meeting adjourned at 4:45 pm Original signed by: Marshall Heinekey, Chairman Anne Williams, Recording Secretary/Financial Officer Page 5 of 6

6 APPENDIX A - NSSWD CASH & ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE at JUNE 30, 2016 CASH ASSETS 30/06/ /05/ /06/2015 Chequing Accounts Operating Account BMO 78, ,605 88,041 Operating Account RBC 5,000 5,000 0 Operating Account Is. Savings 4,184 4,184 4,220 Total Chequing $87,274 $146,789 $92,261 Operating Reserve Accounts Investment Account BMO (incl. Sunset Surcharge $18K) 602, , ,831 GIC - BMO (maturedin Feb./16) ,691 Total Operating Reserve 602, , ,522 Total Operating Cash $690,241 $749,599 $661,783 Special Reserve Funds Capital Expenditure (CEC) Fund Is. Savings 156, , ,312 Capital Const. Surcharge Fund RBC 892, , ,117 Total Special Reserve Funds 1,048,739 1,025, ,429 TOTAL CASH $1,738,981 $1,774,820 $1,289,212 ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE Tolls 332,628 79,159 93,192 Parcel Tax & Surcharge 88, , ,320 Contract & Misc. Income 33,255 36,953 45,513 TOTAL A/R $454,718 $222,243 $255,025 ACCOUNTS PAYABLE -$63,318 -$78,171 -$59,077 CASH POSITION JULY 25, 2016 Account $ Amount Operating Account, BMO 103,358 Operating Account RBC 5,000 Operating Account, Is. Savings 4,184 Investment Account, BMO 602,967 Total Operating Cash $715,510 CEC Account 167,153 Capital Const. Surcharge Fund RBC 892,624 Total Special Reserve Funds $1,059,777 Total Cash $1,775,287 AR & AP Tolls 258,250 Parcel Tax & Surcharge 72,747 Contract & Misc. Income 71,805 Total Accts Receivable $402,802 Accts Payable -$40,905 Page 6 of 6