- Well, good evening, afternoon, everyone. We'll call the meeting of the Utilities Services Board of the
- City of Bloomington for May 18th to order. The first thing to remember is our mission, and that's that
- our City of Bloomington utilities mission is to enhance the quality of life in our community by providing
- safe, sustainable, and high quality drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services.
- stormwater appropriate today, in a cost-effective manner, promoting public health, economic vitality,
- and environmental stewardship. And our vision is to be the leading municipal water utility organization
- in Indiana. Okay, first, are there any petitions or communications from the public as we begin the meeting?
- All right, hearing none, we'll go right to approval of the minutes
- of our previous meeting on May 4th, 2026. They had a chance to take a look at the minutes. And I'm happy
- to entertain a motion to approve. I move we approve the minutes from the previous meeting. Thank you,
- Seth. Thanks, Jim. It's been moved and seconded to approve the minutes of May 4th. All in favor say
- aye. Aye. Opposed?
- All right, minutes are approved. Next are the approval of claims and we have standard invoices for this
- two-week period in the amount of $969,873.72. Any questions about the items on standard invoices?
- standard invoices second moved and seconded any further discussion all in favor say aye aye opposed
- all right standard invoices are approved next your utility bills in the amount of twenty eight thousand
- fifty five dollars and ninety four cents move we approve the utility claims okay so moved and seconded
- any other discussion
- All in favor say aye. Aye. All right. Opposed? Utility bills are approved. Next are wire transfers in
- the amount of $594,229.96. I move that we approve the wire transfers. Second. Moved and seconded. Any
- other discussion on wire transfers? Okay all in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed?
- Wire transfers are approved. Everybody gets paid. That's good. Customer refunds in the amount of $1,492.42.
- Anybody see anything on customer refunds or questions? I move that we approve the customer refunds.
- Second. Moved and seconded. Any discussion further? All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Customer refunds
- are approved.
- Next is the special check run for $3,816.85. I move that we approve. What was the total on that? $3,816.85,
- I think. Yep, it is. That's the first one. Yeah. I move that we approve the special check run. Second.
- Been moved and seconded. Any other discussion?
- All right, and then we have, oh, yes. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? All right, motion carried.
- Item F, then, is the special check run for State of Indiana workforce in the amount of $1,180.50. I
- move that we approve the special check run for the State of Indiana workforce. Second.
- All right, it's been moved and seconded. Any discussion on that check run? All in favor say aye. Aye.
- Opposed? All right, motion carries. Check runs approved. Next on our agenda, item five is the approval
- of the consent agenda totaling $20,464.37. Director Zeiger. Good evening, I'm Catherine Zeiger, utilities director.
- I'm presenting tonight's consent agenda totaling $20,464.37. The first contract is with Bledsoe, Rigert,
- Cooper, and James Inc. not to exceed $15,000 to complete survey work and produce a preliminary plat
- for 6570 South Old State Road 37.
- Next is with Affordable Waste Solutions LLC DBA Affordable Septic and Repair for $4,764.37 for reseating
- plant mixed liquor at Blucher Pool Wastewater Treatment Plant. Next is with Precision Compaction Services
- LLC DBA Precision Odor Control for $700 for air pro-preventative maintenance at Blucher Pool Wastewater
- Treatment Plant.
- Is there any member who wishes to consider one or more of these items individually? Hearing none, if
- there's no opposition, these items will be approved as recommended by staff. Hearing no opposition,
- the consent agenda is approved. Very good, thank you. Item six on our agenda is to request approval
- of consulting service agreement with Commonwealth Engineers Incorporated
- and Kevin White is here to explain this project. Yep, Kevin White, Capital Projects Coordinator. Yes,
- this is a project with Commonwealth Engineer to do a basis of design study for the sewer system that
- runs through basically College Mall Road. We have an ongoing SSO in the area of Covenator and College
- Mall Road.
- So this basis of design will implement some flow meters that you'll hear another contract later tonight
- with grip about. We'll set the flow meters out, study the system, figure out potential route and size
- of pipe needed to be upgraded to alleviate this ongoing SSO. As part of that basis of design study,
- they'll also
- estimate the construction cost of the different options. So this is really just the very beginning stages
- of what's going to be a much larger project down the road. Happy to try and answer any questions. It
- is for the amount of $197,461 and no cents. Kevin, could you give us a little background on the SSO
- issues in that region and
- you know the development what we are trying to plan for here or catch up to yeah and I might defer to
- Phil a little bit on this I know he's got a lot more history on it but I know that we've been we've
- had we fought some undersized pipes in the area there and it's a pinch point to where two of the larger
- pipes come together and we just need some more capacity in the pipe now Phil can speak to the ongoing
- issue there if you don't mind
- sure. Philippine engineering. So we had the corrective SSO corrective action plan from 2004 that detailed
- a lot of the issues that we have in the southeast range basin or sewer basin. And so that area around
- college mall, we've done a ton of rehabilitation, we've done a lot of lining, we've done grouting. So
- we did connection remediation too. So I'm gonna say
- over $5 million, maybe $10 million in rehabilitation in that basin, try to eliminate I&I. We
- still occasionally still have the SSO there at Covenanter and College Mall Road. So as part of that
- corrective action plan, it detailed upgrades to this system for more capacity all the way down to where
- the sewer crosses Sayre Road. It's significantly undersized. We lined it to try to eliminate I&I along
- the stream.
- And that was years ago, but that didn't correct it, so. This happened during storm events, more or less?
- Yeah, dry weather were okay, but rain events. Yeah. Well, I ask that because, you know, we're kind of
- seeing some transition in that area and how we need to be ready for future uses and that sort of thing.
- In terms of current SSO issues, is this like top three, number one priority that we have? Yeah, so the
- biggest one that we had was right down here at Micro Motors at Grimes and Walnut, the most reoccurring
- one, but then our sewer that we did, the South Central Sewer Interceptor, which is about two miles of
- interceptor from Grimes to Moores Pike.
- that corrected that one, it went through the switch yard park. So we eliminated our worst one, but College
- Mall Road still occurs. Matt, do you know how frequently we've seen that one occur in the last year?
- I'm not entirely sure. It's at least once a year, I think. Yeah. So the idea was we do all
- this rehabilitation and try to eliminate I&I to push this down the road a little bit so we didn't have
- to do the big project. But it's still happening. And like you said, there's
- a lot of development happening in that area too. A lot of changes where we're seeing increased flow.
- The goal is to get this estimate so that we can put this on the next rate case for sewer so we have
- an accurate idea what the cost will be for the project. That's a good idea. Other questions or discussion
- for our staff experts?
- with Commonwealth Engineers. Second. All right it's been moved and seconded. Any further discussion?
- All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? All right motion carries thank you. Item seven then is the request
- for approval of the second amendment to our agreement with Commonwealth Engineers which pertains to
- booster station improvements and Kevin is still at the podium.
- Yep, Kevin White, capital projects coordinator still. This is, as Kirk said, related to the booster
- station improvement and general guaranteed savings contract that we started a while back and then had
- some funding issues. So we hit pause for a couple of years. We've since
- Receive the one point two five million dollar grant from Congresswoman who chin and then so it's and
- then we have the water rate case funding that's going to become available so this project starting to
- pick back up the thirty nine thousand six hundred dollars and no sense that this second amendment is for is to
- is to cover the fee rate increases from Commonwealth during that two year delay. And it is not a change
- in material costs as it says on the summary of contract as pointed out to me from the controller's office
- this morning. So I just wanted to make that clear. Happy to answer any questions. Any questions, Kevin?
- second amendment to the agreement with Commonwealth engineer for the booster station improvements second
- okay it's been moved and seconded any further discussion all in favor say aye opposed all right motion
- carries thank you thank you next is item 8 request approval of the resolution 2026-12
- which is the bid acceptance and contract award for the Dillon Wastewater Treatment Plant Filter Media
- Replacement Project. Dan. Hi, I'm Dan Hudson, Capital Projects Manager for the City of Bloomington Utilities.
- And back in April 30th, we had a special board meeting. It was open to the public where we accepted
- bids for the replacement of the media.
- at the Dillman Wastewater Treatment Plant. We received three bids and we found that Thenemann was the
- lowest, most responsive and responsible of the three for $690,000. The engineering estimate for that
- was $800,000. So I'd like the board to consider Resolution 2026-12
- as an acceptance of their bid. Okay, thank you. Any questions for Dan? Nope. All right. I move that
- we approve resolution 2026-12 with Deniman Construction. Second. Moved and seconded. Any further discussion?
- All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed?
- motion carries thank you next as item 9 the request for approval of our public works agreement with
- thenaman construction incorporated again this is the contract with the thenaman and us to perform the
- work we previously talked about for
- $690,000. I'd like the board to consider this contract so we can move forward with it. Okay. I move
- that we approve the contract with Veneman. All right. Moved and seconded for approval of the contract.
- All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? All right, motion carried.
- Very good. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Item 10 is a request for approval of the service agreement
- with GRIP, Incorporated. Matt. Hi, folks. I'm Matt Dabberton. I'm the environmental program coordinator
- for the utility. This contract is related to item six that Kevin presented with the contract with Commonwealth.
- RIP would be placing three sewer flow meters in the College Mall sewer basin, as well as installing
- a couple of rain gauges. We would then be using that equipment once the flow study is concluded to replace
- some of our old permanent flow meters that the utility owns, which have been failing lately.
- I believe the contract is for around $47,000. I'm happy to answer any questions. Okay. Yes, $48,901.74.
- Very good. Questions for Matt on this project. Okay.
- that we approve this service agreement with GRIP, Incorporated. Second. All right, it's been moved and
- seconded. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? All right, motion carries.
- Thank you. Thank you. And next is item 11, request for approval of the amendment number three to our
- agreement with Stantec Consulting Services. Matt. Yeah, so Stantec is the
- that is doing our rate design for our current rate case. So hopefully this last amendment will get us
- to the finish line with them. OK. Any questions? Discussion? All right. Yeah. Well, I'm just curious.
- So it looks like it's like quadrupled since we started. Am I looking at the right page here? Well, this last one.
- We just threw $49 on it again to make sure, but they billed by the hour. So if they don't use it all
- day, we won't pay for it. Why originally did we expect that there'd be so much less work? I mean, I
- guess we spent a lot. I thought we spent a lot of time going back through records to provide the data
- that they needed.
- Yeah, we did. So there was some data issues in the beginning that caused some doubling of work. And
- then just as we've gone through this process, it's taken them more time to do the analysis and to prepare
- testimony for the IURC. OK. And are we still hopeful to get on? Do we have a calendar date yet? We do.
- We're at an evidentiary hearing on June 2. June 2. OK. Which is after our next meeting. Yeah.
- Yes, okay. Okay, thank you. Okay, any other questions? All right. I move that we approve amendment number
- three to the agreement with Stantec Consulting Services. Second. Okay, it's been moved and seconded.
- Any other discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? All right, motion carries.
- Item 11. Now we're up to item 12, requesting approval of the revised memorandum of understanding between
- CBU and retreat at the switch yard. Yes. Catherine Sager, utilities director. I'm bringing back the
- MOU between CBU and retreat at switch yard, which was considered at our last regular meeting.
- It was suggested by the board that we added additional language that now reads, in the event retreat
- decides to sell the property before the balance is paid in full, the retreat shall immediately notify
- CBU and the remaining balance due and owing for connection fees shall be paid to CBU at closing on the
- sale of the property. We have added that.
- and are presenting this again to the board. All right, thank you. Any questions or discussion? Thank
- you for adding that in there. My only question would be then it's on them to disclose, if they would
- buy, which I know is a big hypothetical, but if they would sell, I mean, then it's up to them to disclose
- that to us. There's no like, oh, we know before it happens
- They have to be the one to tell us like there's not like a legal lien or something on the property that
- we would be automatically notified if it would come up for sale. I don't think there's like an automatic
- lien that we would be notified. But if it did change hands, we would likely know that you're about it.
- But right. But what's the consequence if they don't collect this money?
- legal avenue to collect this money, I guess. Since they'll be signing it. Yes. And they're responsible
- for it. Yes. So if they would sell and not disclose it at closing and pay at closing, then this document
- holds them liable for the full amount. Yes. OK. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. I guess my question is, so
- my question is, will we
- file this with the, will this lien be filed then with the, I don't know which department it is. If you.
- This is anything but MOU. Okay. Yeah, this is an MOU. This is not necessarily a lien. So once again,
- how do we get this money if they sell it? That's, I mean, that was what we were talking about last week.
- But I guess my, wouldn't it
- be like, so it's a loan, so why wouldn't there be something filed with the, again, I don't know which
- department it is, but if you buy a home or if you do something and somebody loans you money, because
- we're essentially loaning the money, correct? I mean, we've worked out a payment plan with them, so
- if someone were to loan you money on a property, then you file that with
- And again, I don't know which department it is, so that there is this then legal document on file that
- this is owed. So I guess. I don't see it as a loan. There's a charge for the connection, and it's to
- be paid over time. It would be as if someone did work on your house, and you paid it off over time.
- They're not loaning you the money.
- It's just setting a time period for the payment of their connection fee. OK. Like we could, I assume,
- send this to collections if they didn't. Like we have ways of collecting money if they weren't. Well,
- and it would also be breach of contract. Yeah, also breach of contract. This is a contract. OK. But
- I can certainly see that.
- point of the discussion. Because we've seen lots of examples where things happen, and then four or five
- years later, we forget about them. Or someone does. We would never forget, but. Let's not forget. We
- won't forget. And then there it is. I can see how it's been billed, but they said they were not able
- to pay it.
- So we've performed the services. So I guess that's why I see it as more than like their bill that we've
- agreed to let them pay over five years. It's the services have been performed. So like, um, like somebody
- that go put on a new roof for a thousand dollars, they've performed the services are getting paid back.
- Yeah, we also, I mean, I suppose we also have payment plans for
- regular customers and they've used the water or the water has been used and then they are paying for
- that service for that water over time. But they're not it's not a five year payment plan. For fifty
- two thousand dollars. No no no this is a much larger example which is why we have an MOU and we're taking
- this to the board. And they're getting into the agreement with us saying that they couldn't pay but
- I digress.
- I know I understand I'll just say I understand that I appreciate that our legal has looked over this
- so I think we've all made our. Expectations and thoughts about it very clear and so what we expect we
- hope that this is held holding them to that expectation yes. And future developments yeah. I move that
- we approve.
- revised MOU between CBU and retreat at the switch yard. Second. It's been moved and seconded. Any other
- discussion? All right. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Okay. That MOU is approved. Now we go to
- old business. Any old business from the board? Old business from staff?
- New business from the board. New business from staff. Have we had any subcommittees meet in the last
- two weeks? I don't think so. Now we're up to staff reports. All right. Got a few. So first, we're going
- to welcome Colton Harden, apprentice master equipment operator in operations who will be working at
- Blucher Pool Wastewater Treatment Plant.
- We want to congratulate T&D crew members Brandon Bray and Joseph Gibson. They were promoted to utility
- specialist too. We want to congratulate Alan Christie and Joshua Wathen in T&D who earned their collections
- licenses. And also Parker Iles with environmental programs who earned his DSL. And I also want to just, you know,
- Thank all the crews who were helping to clear inlets ahead of this storm to help lessen the impact that
- our current aerial flooding is going to have on the city. I know we've been really, really busy with
- a lot of other storm projects, and we've got a lot of projects happening right now because it's construction
- season in Bloomington. So I just really appreciate all the crews who took that extra time to get out there.
- And then finally, I wanted to present to this board a video that we're really proud of that Frank made
- following the partnership we had with Eskenazi. They had this exhibit called Moliana Vital Ecosystems.
- And what was cool about it is it used art and science to teach folks about the importance of keeping
- our waterways clean and how it's all connected and how watersheds are connected. So yeah, enjoy this
- video made by Frank. And sorry, the sound will be coming from this computer over here.
- good example thank you all right thank you okay then any petitions or communications from the public
- or others with us okay well no other business we will stand adjourned until next meeting thank you