Time is now five oh two. I'd like to call today's utility service for order. The city of Wilmington
utilities mission is to enhance the quality of our life or quality of life in our community by providing
safe, sustainable and high quality drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services in a cost effective
manner, promoting public health, economic vitality and environmental stewardship.
If any board member has any personal or financial conflict with any issues or individuals on the agenda,
then please be sure to recuse yourself during those portions of the meeting. We will start off with
petitions and communications. Are there any petitions and communications from the public? Moving on
to the approval of minutes from the previous meeting. I move we approve the minutes of our last meeting.
Second. All in favor please say aye. Aye. All opposed say nay. Minutes are approved. Next we have the
approval of claims. We will begin with our standard invoices. Standard invoices for a total amount of
$1,109,368.73. Are there any questions or comments on the standard invoices? Hearing none, do we have
a motion to approve?
We approve the standard invoices for December 5th. Second. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. All opposed
say nay. Standard invoices are approved. Next, we have utility bills for an amount of $10,720.23. Are
there any questions or comments on the utility bills? I move we approve the utilities claims list for
pay date November 25th.
Second. All in favor please say aye. Aye. All opposed say nay. Utility bills are approved. Next we have
wire transfers for a total amount of $553,248.53. Any questions or comments on the wire transfers? I
move we approve wire transfers for December 2025. Second. All in favor please say aye. Aye. All opposed say nay.
Wire transfers are approved. Finally, we have customer refunds for a total amount of $16,140.46. Are
there any questions or comments on the customer refunds? I do have a question. That customer refund
for Hayden Flats was quite significant. What happened there? That's a very complicated situation. OK,
OK. So Hayden Flats is the partway complex on Rogers across from the
golf course. And then when they were building, when they were built in, we put a meter in, but there
was a bypass valve that was on. So the water wasn't going through the meter. And then so we had to go
back and make some estimates on how much water was actually used at the complex. And then to complicate
matters, we asked them to put in a 12-inch service line versus an 8-inch service line. So we owed them money.
for the larger pipe, and so this is the net of the two things to give them a refund. That's the nickel
story of it. Well, that's quite different than closed account. It is on a closed account. So, okay,
great. Thank you. Thank you very much for the explanation. What's a lab test account? I've never noticed
it noted that way.
external people doubted domain okay for water so they were all charged I move yeah I move we approve
the accounts payable payday December 5th customer refunds second all in favor please say aye aye all
opposed say nay
Customer refunds are approved, thank you all. Item number five on our agenda is approval of consent
agenda. Catherine Zager. Good evening, Catherine Zager, utilities director. I'm presenting tonight's
consent agenda, totaling $57,658.75 for non-chemical contracts. First is with Dot Look Crane, Inc.
for $1,800. To pull and rebuild motors at the South Central Booster Station,
Next is with Bledsoe Rigger Cooper James for $24,320 for the relocation of existing sanitary sewer in
relation to Bloomington Convention Center expansion project. Next is with City Glass for $10,000 for
on-call window and door repair and replacement services. Next is with Todd Septic, NTE $15,000 for the
amendment for an on-call service agreement.
Next is with Brehab for $6,538.75. For the air compressor rental and removal at the Monroe Water Treatment
Plant. Next is with JCI Jones Chemicals Inc. for $1.48 per gallon for the 2026 supply of sodium hypochlorite
at Dillman Wastewater Treatment Plant. Next is with JCI Jones Chemicals Inc. for $1.48.
per gallon for the 2026 supply of sodium hypochlorite at Monroe Water Treatment Plant. Is there any
member who wishes to consider one or more of these items individually? Hearing none, if there is no
opposition, these items will be approved as recommended by staff. Hearing no opposition, the consent
agenda is approved.
Item six, request approval of resolution 2025-23 on the disposition of solar panels. Catherine Zager.
Yes, Catherine Zager, utilities director. I'm bringing forward a resolution on the disposition of solar
panels. These solar panels were extra solar panels from the solar panel project. The RDC would like
to do something with them.
potentially sell them. And this is saying that we are okay with them taking the authority to do that.
They will be checking in with regular reporting to CBU on the status of the panels. Happy to take any
questions.
Yes Sure, you know great question. So we were originally Larger solar panel projects. So there are solar
panels here and at our plants and so we have a stake in what happens to the excess solar panels because
we help to pay for that project and
And so that's why they would report to us how many solar panels they sold and then Divvy up whatever
profits Yes, and through checking in with us So when we declare these surplus Is that we're doing are
we just selling them
No, so this is not declaring them surplus. So the RDC is basically going to manage getting appropriate
compensation for the solar panels. And then they will give us fair reimbursement for solar panels that
depending on the portion that we paid for. So they're not planning to do a surplus sale on these. Are
they planning to
try to do a market price sale, I don't know. You know, that's what I'm confused about is normally when
municipalities decide they don't need something, we've got to come up with, we've got to use the state
surplus laws to get rid of it so that it is fairly disposed of and the taxpayers or rate payers in our
case get a fair
amount for it. So I don't know, will they already see, if there's a separate corporation, they might
not have to do that, but if they're a subunit of local government, they might have to follow surplus
rules. So yeah, and that's what this staff report is saying, is that they may retain some of them as
replacements, but then they plan on
selling some of them in accordance with the statutory surplus property laws. So essentially surplus
sales, yeah. Okay. That seems like a lot of solar panels. It's a lot of solar panels. How big are these,
Jenna? Anybody know? Where are they? They're standard size solar panels. Yeah. Like sorry, maybe three
by five, somewhere in there. Okay.
That's a lot. There's no other we don't have any other need for them. Utilities wise any place. So there
were a number of them that were slated to go to blue chair but unfortunately they were slated to go
in a floodplain so they could not be installed. So.
No, we've not found a good use for the surplus of solar panels to answer your question. And how was
it just now, like how was it not determined that it was in the floodplain? Don't ask, huh? Okay, sorry.
We've had a lot of that tonight, I feel like. How do we ensure that we do get fair market value on these
and that our portion does come to us? I think I'm a little,
I'm a little uncertain as to that we'll negotiate the appropriate percentage of reimbursement. How much
did we pay? I feel like that's a little vague in here because in the beginning we all paid a certain
amount. So in an effort to make sure that to ensure that we do get
our portion of fair market value and is whatever this RDC commission, are they, I know it's part of
the city, but are they gonna take a portion of this for managing? I'm not sure how they're going to
do that. I just know that they're gonna have regular reporting to us as far as the status and what they're
selling and what our agreed upon portion is.
just like for background, I think these were the same solar panels that we were storing at Blucher Pool
for a while. And they became essentially a nuisance there. And now they are at the Bunger and Robertson
building and have, you know, impeded progress there as well. So I think really the RDC managing
how to, what to do about this large amount of solar panels while we will see our portion of whatever
they sell is really a service to us to figure out what to do with these solar panels. It has been an
ongoing conversation. What are we going to do with these solar panels? Who's going to do what with them?
And they're old. And they're eight years old.
I mean, I think it's a really important question. These are pretty expensive. And I'd have trouble voting
for this without having that information on what they're doing. So I'd like to suggest tabling this
until we can get more information on how this sale or distribution is going to take place. I think that's
a good motion if you want to make it. I did. But I'll second the tabling.
We discuss after tabling, I can't remember. I just have one further question. Who's paying for the storage
at Bunger Robertson? The city owns the building. Of the supplies? Oh, the city owns it, so we're not.
Yeah, because they bought it for convention centers. Okay. Well, it's really supposed to be where the
hotel sits. But, so we're not paying, so nobody's, this is city, okay, that was my final question.
Thank you. So I would like to see in the revised more information is what is our percentage with these
partnerships?
Thank you. Because normally what what what concerns me here is normally when we do surplus it's because
we've used it till it's beat up and done and and it's okay to get rid of it but this stuff's never been
hooked up to anything. It's like letting a brand new dump truck sit at Blucher pool for several years
and then decide no we really didn't need that. We'll just figure out a way to offload it.
I mean, there might even be some productive ways to use this partnership with another, if we did it
with another public entity, we wouldn't necessarily, I think there's a way to transfer this stuff to
another public entity without doing surplus. And maybe get better public benefit out of it. If they're
using the same product that was from
Yeah, I don't know. But it's worth a couple of weeks to take a look at, I think. So we have a motion
and a second to table this, and we'll seek some more information. All in favor, please say aye. Aye.
All opposed, say nay. Motion is approved. We will table that and look forward to hearing more in a couple of weeks.
Next, we have. I think we had a new packet that didn't come out today. Oh, I'm sorry, I might have missed
it. I'm assuming. Request approval of first change order for public works agreement with Crider and
Crider. Kevin White, PSU. Okay, thank you. Hey, Kevin White, Capital Projects Coordinator. Seek an approval
of change order number one.
With Crider and Crider, this will increase the overall cost of the contract by $12,927.73. That part
is related to the use of flaggers to maintain traffic. We'd originally set up an MOT with boards, road
closed signs, and the public were just not paying attention to that, and it got pretty dangerous pretty quick.
And so we implemented flaggers on that job site. So that's what that change is. And then in addition
to the monetary change, Crider is asking for 45 calendar days to be added to the contract. That's related
to the fiber box installation conflict. There was a fiber box that had been installed in the wrong spot,
which happened to be right in the area that we needed to work to begin this project. And so it took
a little bit of back and forth between Chris Wheeler
And and the M Street fiber, but we got that resolved and project is now about halfway complete Happy
to answer any questions Yeah, thanks I'm assuming that when a contract is as big as a million and a
half dollars that there are always like This was this was over this was under this
For $12,000 to a million and a half just seems like that's just part of the changes of doing business.
So I'm wondering why such a small amount got added to such a big contract. Very good question. This
is funded through the REDI grant process. So the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative was the
was overall funding this so we had very limited contingency built into this project so for any of our
own CBU projects we would hopefully not be here in this instance but given that it was grant funded
that's why we're here today. Thank you for that. Remind me again it's not in the tech the text it's
in the packet but we're
Where are the extra flaggers needed? Location? It was on South Rogers, basically in front of the, is
that the community kitchen? I believe right there, so south of the, of the doctors, yeah, in front of
the warehouse. Which are we doing, water or sewer there? Sewer. Okay. We're increasing the diameter
of the sewer pipe.
started in South Rogers and we're kind of going over, we'll be splitting, heading north, splitting the
social security building on our west and the dermatology center on our east, going up to just south
of Grimes and cutting over west to Fairview Street, which is the other entrance to Catalan right there.
So that work should not include getting into Grimes. So I'm really hoping that there's no additional
MOT adjustments.
Okay, thank you. Any other questions for Kevin? All right, I move we approve the change order number
one to the Crider and Crider contract. Second. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. All opposed, say nay.
The request is approved. Thank you.
Item eight, request approval of First Amendment to agreement for on-call SCADA services with Control
Freaks Consulting LLC. Catherine Zager. Yes, we're requesting an amendment to the contract to increase
the NTE by an additional $15,000 for a new annual NTE of $40,000. This is for on-call service agreements
for all of our SCADA services. Happy to take questions.
All right, I move approval of the on-call agreement with Control Freaks for skated services. Second.
All in favor, please say aye. Aye. All opposed, say nay. Request is approved, thank you.
Moving on, old business. Any old business from the board? Old business from staff? I just got one. They
were asking about how much proceeds we've gotten from our surplus auctions. We've gotten about $140,000
this year. Thank you. To pay for a vehicle being fixed. Did I say that out loud? New business. Any new
business from the board?
I never know whether to say it now or petitions and communications, but I just wanted to say thank you
to our folks who've been working out in the cold overnight, over time, outside. I know that there's
been a lot of breaks or projects where we're trying to least inconvenience our drivers out in the community.
And so just thank you to our crews that are out there, especially in this cold week. I'm sure unfortunately
there's gonna be extra breaks. And so thank you for your dedication to our community.
Any other new business from the board? Is this an appropriate time to bring up the? What's it called?
Administrative? Yeah, sorry. We were talking about needing to have an administrative meeting based on
the roles of
board next year, so. I don't recall, but I think I chair that one. Let's see. Or you're the chair. OK,
good. OK, good. You're the alternate. I'm the alternate? Yes. Good. OK, good. Stuart Parmenter and Debro.
Don't we have it already on the calendar?
I think we, for which meeting? 15th. 15th, okay. What do we have? At 445. 445. Yeah. Okay, so I don't
have to be there. That's a reminder for everybody. Fair enough. New business from staff. Subcommittee
reports, Mr. Chairman. Yeah, we had a,
finance subcommittee meeting prior to this meeting. There was one item in the agenda that involved fleet
maintenance rates. The board had had questions for a while now about whether CBU was getting fair return
for the amount that we were paying
for fleet maintenance. Data were presented. There were some estimates made, just research-only estimates
for what seemed like obvious and necessary repairs to vehicles, and that amount was about $137,000,
whereas the
The cost to CBU for the year was $846,000. And while that sounds like a big difference, it's not comparing
apples to apples. And so we had a presentation by Adam Wason, who's the head of public works for the
city. And he tried to explain all of the costs that go into the
$846,000 and it's very complicated and difficult to digest and the bottom line is that we will continue
to pursue what we're paying and what we're getting and we will have more meetings and presentations
in the future but this was a good first step.
I'd also like to add that a thank you to Matt and Kat for doing all the legwork on getting those numbers.
And thank you to Adam and Gretchen for being available and transparent and looking forward to further
conversations on this. So thank you all. Staff reports. None today.
Any petitions and communications from the public? Do we have a motion to adjourn? I move we adjourn.