The Jasper Utility Service Board meeting notes
The Utility Service Board meeting held August 20
Heidorn Property
The Heidorn Property public hearing occurred at 6:30 p.m. After two minutes with no public comment –no members of the public were present– USB Chairman Wayne Schuetter closed the hearing.
During the regular meeting the board passed a resolution authorizing the obtaining of Request For Proposals (RFP) on the leasing of the Heidorn house. The Jasper Electric Committee will create guidelines for the RFPs submitted by interested groups. The city would like to see the property that sits near the Jasper Power Plant used in some form that complements the Jasper Clean Energy project.
The city purchased the property that sits next to the Jasper Power Plant last fall from the Heidorns so that it could be used in conjunction with the Power Plant, possibly in a lease arrangement with Jasper Clean Energy.
Jasper Clean Energy progress
Utilities Manager Bud Hauersperger reported Jay Catasein was in the process of reviewing requests for proposals for the purchase of the electricity produced at the plant.
Attorney Bill Kaiser with Bingham, Greenebaum and Doll reported on the appeal by Healthy Dubois County. The city’s response brief was filed August 7 and the plaintiff’s can file a response on August 22. He stated the appellant court would review the appeal and response by the city and may hear oral arguments from the two parties, however many times the judges will render a decision without hearing oral arguments.
Kaiser also told the board the appeal has set back the lease option payments ($60,000 due quarterly) from Jasper Clean Energy. The option payments are pushed forward a length of time equal to the time after May 1 the litigation is finalized. Kaiser told the board if the litigation was resolved today the first payment would not be due until the end of the year.
North Water Tower project
The board was presented with costs for the painting of the interior and exterior of the North Tower as well as a new mixer system.
Gas and Water Manager Mike Oeding stated the mixer ensures the water coming in from the plant is combined with the water already in the tower before being supplied to homes.
The board approved the bid from the Utility Service Company from Perry, Georgia for $367,100.
Third Avenue water main and repaving project
Region 15 Planning Commission Executive Director Lisa Gehlhausen provided information on the grant application for the water main project. The combined water and road project is estimated at about $1.6 million and the city is applying for a grant through the Economic Development Administration for $798,000. Gehlhausen stated the city needs to show there will be job creation and private investment growth on Third Ave. due to the project. The project will be from Staat Strasse to Hopf Avenue and includes curbs and sidewalk repair with repaving.
Jasper Mayor Terry Seitz sent an e-mail out to employers along that route with little result and would be contacting key businesses along Third Avenue advising them of the federal grant the city is pursuing and the importance of their consideration of adding jobs because of the project.
Atrazine litigation
The city is a plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against Sygenta for the chemical ingredient atrazine found in herbicides the company manufactures. The city is responsible for removing the chemical from the water it treats from the Patoka River and has an added expense for doing so.
Gas and Water Manager Mike Oeding was recently called to testify in the case in St. Louis due to the extensive records the water department maintains. The city is one of about 2000 litigants in the case and Kaiser doesn’t know what the settlement will mean for the city in regards to payments.
Atrazine has been linked to birth defects, breast cancer and prostate cancer and is banned in the European Union.
Current water restrictions
The Board discussed the continuance of the water restrictions place on the city residents and businesses. Oeding told the board the restrictions have worked and the board could recommend going to voluntary water conservancy, however he recommended the city maintain the current mandatory restrictions. He stated the mandatory restriction gives the city the teeth to enforce it and precludes any emergency meetings to reenact the restriction if it was necessary.
Oeding also told the board that despite the recent rains Beaver Lake has actually dropped another two inches and Patoka Lake’s level has not went up noticeably.
Mayor Seitz addressed the board on this citing that if the city was asking the Corp of Engineers and DNR to release a higher volume of water to sustain the water supply in the current drought, the city should act responsibly and maintain the water restrictions.
The dam normally allows 20 cubic feet per second to be released during the summer. The city has asked for the dam to release 25 cfs.
Mike Harding asked about relieving the restrictions on the weekend, but it was not approved.
Other notes:
The board approved $12,500 for a rate study to be conducted by Umbaugh and Associates.
The board approved $4863 for a bar screen inspection for the Waste Water Department. This was also capped at $5000 in case of unforeseen problems.
Hauersperger spoke about HomeServe USA, a water line insurance company.
