UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
SEPTEMBER 7, 2021
Mayor Foster called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. In attendance were Council members Tom Herz, Ellsworth Tolliver and Meghan Efland, Bob Sipes (Utilities Manager), Jennifer Mulligan (Town Clerk) and guests.
Mayor Foster asked if there were any additions or corrections to the Utilities Commission meeting minutes of August 2, 2021. Rev. Tolliver moved to approve the minutes of the Utilities Commission minutes of August 2, 2021, as submitted, was seconded by Ms. Efland and carried unanimously.
Mayor Foster stated that cash on hands for the Utilities Commission was $2,405,201.35 with $1,121,923.68 set aside for capital projects.
Mayor Foster asked for a motion to pay the bills. Ms. Efland moved to pay bills as submitted, was seconded by Rev. Tolliver and carried unanimously.
Mr. Sipes stated that the department was shorthanded during the month of August and there were things around town that have not been tended to due to the lack of staff. He said that they were prioritizing small and large leaks and would get to each one just as soon as possible.
Mr. Sipes stated that he was waiting to hear about the next PLC installation at Radcliffe Pump Station and was hoping to have it installed within a couple weeks.
Mr. Sipes stated that there was a lean on the walls of one of the buildings at the Water Treatment Plant that was of concern to him as the structural integrity of the building might be in question. He said that the Council was welcome to visit the plant to see what he was talking about. He was meeting with a contractor to discuss the possibility of repairs but thought that there may be the need for major repairs or demolition and replacement.
Mayor Foster asked for input on the Apex report. Mr. Sipes stated that Apex was proposing a special probe to collect samples in several locations around the oil spill at the Hospital. He said that he was going to contact Michael Forlini to see if he thought the areas mentioned were all that was necessary. He said that he was waiting for answers to the plume report.
Mayor Foster stated that the northeast side of the Hospital was where the spill occurred. Mr. Sipes stated that there was a series of four or five wells in place where the spill occurred, but to the north and west there were no wells. He said that there were over fifty wells in total, but not all of them were sampled each quarter.
Mr. Sipes stated that the flow of water is never straight. He said that the least amount of resistance can make the flow change causing riverlets that may go past the monitoring wells. Mr. Sipes stated that the probe will drill to the level where they hit water or oil and it can also smell oil. He said that if there was a high detect they may add an additional well.
Mayor Foster asked if there was a cost for the study indicated in the packet received from Apex. Mr. Sipes stated that it was broken down into different categories and did not know if anything would be finalized until Mr. Forlini assists him with the access request to the Hospital.
Mayor Foster stated that the Hospital would like to meet with the Council, and he asked if this was something that should be discussed at that meeting. Mr. Sipes stated that he would like to meet with Mr. Forlini before any decisions were made.
Mr. Herz asked if this was needed approval before the shutdown. Mr. Sipes stated that he would prefer to do the testing before the shutdown, but it would not make it any less important if performed after the shutdown. He said that he was also concerned about a rebound effect.
There being no further questions or comments, Ms. Efland moved to adjourn the meeting at 6:55 p.m., was seconded by Rev. Tolliver and carried unanimously.
Submitted by: Approved by: Jennifer Mulligan David Foster
Town Clerk Mayor