UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
DECEMBER 21, 2015
Mayor Cerino called the meeting to order at 7:32 p.m. In attendance were Council members Liz Gross, Linda Kuiper, Samuel T. Shoge and Mauritz Stetson, Bob Sipes, Utilities Director, Jennifer Mulligan, Town Clerk, and guests.
Mayor Cerino asked if there were any additions or corrections to the Utilities Commission meeting minutes of November 16, 2015. Mr. Stetson moved to approve the minutes as presented, was seconded by Ms. Gross and carried unanimously.
Mayor Cerino stated that operating funds on hand was $984,004.54 and an additional $495,400.00 set aside in capital funds.
Mayor Cerino asked for a motion to pay the bills. Ms. Gross moved to pay the bills as submitted, was seconded by Mr. Shoge and carried unanimously.
Mr. Sipes stated that a new sewer line was being installed on South Queen Street to South Water Street. He said that the existing line was bad and the new line would be relocated in a southerly direction 5’ and would lie on the property line.
Mr. Sipes stated that there was a sinkhole reported on Queen Street but once the crew dug it up, it was firm and dry. He said that he does not know the reason for the settling that took place, but it was approximately 6” deep. He said that the patch would be cut out and the area blacktopped.
Mr. Sipes stated that Well Pump #4 had to be replaced by a well-driller. A new pump was installed.
Mr. Sipes stated that it appears that the Hospital was far off the action plan regarding the Ivey Sol injections. He said that the amount of surfactant per injection has been doubled, they were installing plugs in the screens when injections were taking place, equipment was failing on a routine basis, and “clean water” injections and extractions were taking place. Mr. Sipes stated that the equipment was tripping a GFI so a battery-powered pump was being hooked up to a truck for pumping out water.
Mr. Sipes stated that that pilot study and reports indicated that three (3) times the amount of water injected into the wells would be removed, but what was being removed was less than two (2) times the amount of water.
Mr. Sipes stated that he believed that clean water was being injected and then extracted to see if there was oil product mixed in with the water to see if the well was clean or not. He said that this went back to his entire point that the exercise only cleaned the wells and not the contaminated site.
Mr. Shoge asked if the Town could dig samples around the wells to see how far the oil reached. Mr. Sipes stated that any time he made that request to the Hospital, it went unanswered. He said that he also asked to split samples and that was refused.
Mr. Sipes stated that he received an email that interconnection to the solar field was approved.
There being no further business, Mr. Stetson moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:40 p.m., was seconded by Ms. Gross and carried unanimously.
Submitted by: Approved by:
Jennifer Mulligan Chris Cerino
Town Clerk Mayor