HomeMy WebLinkAboutCapital Improvements 03/06/2010Capital Improvements Committee Minutes
March 16, 2010 J
Present: Charlene Lavin, Chair; Michael Trowbridge and Jean Millet-, School., ,
Committee, George Dentin, Board of Selectmen, Tommy Ratliff, Finance Cominiltbe,' `
Tony Jodice and Tim Verrochi, Planning Board; Alan Clapp, Municipal Building
Committee
William Ross, Town Manager, Shaun P. Burke, Director of Planning and Development,
Lee Azinheira, DPW Director, Kurt Gaffney, Water Operations Manager, Mark Cook,
DPW Highway
1. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m.
Mr. Clapp asked about the leaking generator at the Robinson School, Mr. Trowb:
responded that it still leaks,
1. March 2, 2010 Minutes
Motion: To approve as submitted (Jodice-Dentino) All in favor. PASSES
3 Discussion of Water Department Bequests
1. Cate Springs Well Improvements Project ($2,300,000), funded through a 20 -year, 2%
SRF loan.
2. Walsh Wellfield Water Treatment Plant Improvements Project ($3,650,000), funded
through a 20 -year, 2% SRF loan.
Mr. Azinheira explained the town is at the top of the list for a $12,717,000 SRF 2% loan
for the Cate Springs and Walsh well improvements, and may be able to complete the
Albertini well improvements, as well. Walsh and Cate Springs will go out to bid as soon
as DEP allows, and Albertini will go out later in the winter, with a target start date of
summer 2011.
Mr, Azinheira said he hasn't heard about debt forgiveness, which was approximately
20% of the principle loan amount last year. The borrowing will be paid for by a water
rate increase at a rate of 6% per year for the next four years, then will drop to 4%. The
town will pay $790,000 debt service per year, In FY 2013, full debt service comes on.
Mr, Azinheira said improvements to Cate Springs will be required tender new regulations;
additionally, the chemical building needs replacing, He said the Walsh Well
improvements are also required under new regulations, and the well must be upgraded.
Cate Springs and Walsh are water quality issues to deal with bacteria. The Albertini
wells are an aesthetic issue, as iron and manganese result in brown water. Mr. Azinheira
said the iron and manganese removal systems must be upgraded at the Albertini well,
Mr. Ratliff asked about financing options if the town doesn't get the 2% loan. Mr.
Azinheira explained the town can use a market rate loan, which would be approximately
4% interest. He said Albertini by itself would not qualify for an SRF loan, again because
it is an aesthetic issue, not a water quality issue. He explained Mansfield came in #1 in
the SRP ranking.
Ms. Lavin asked if the water rates hadn't recently been increased. Mr. Azinheira
explained the water treatment building behind the DPW garage was funded through the
last rate increase a number of years ago. He said last year, water use was down because
of the wet summer; therefore, water revenue was down. He said the goal of the modest
rate increase is to minimize the impact on rate payers, but these are significant projects.
Mr. Trowbridge asked what this borrowing would do to the town's debt. Ms. Lavin said
the town is in great shape because a number of borrowings will be paid off in the next
several years. Mr. Gaffney said these are huge projects that will take care of the water
supply for the next 50 years. I -Ie said the Albetini well hasn't been used in 10 years and
must be upgraded and used for the town to keep its permit. Mr. Gaffney stated his
concern that if we don't get Albertini back in use soon, DEP will require new permits for
the wells.
Mr. Trowbridge said the town has spent a huge amount of money on the Walsh well and
wondered why. Mr. Gaffney said that was a bad design. It is a series of shallow wells
with a manifold system collection that has never produced the projected amount of water.
Additionally, there are problems with brown water. Mr. Ross said having water storage
capacity is very important for a water system; he noted construction prices may not be as
low as they are now in the future. It was stated that the draft SRP amount totaled :$12.7
million and included all three projects. Mansfield was the highest ranking community
that applied for funding.
Ms. Lavin asked the deadline for approval; Mr. Azinheira said he would like to put it out
to bid before Town Meeting; however, DEP will not let the town go out to bid until the
DEP funding list is finalized. At this point, we do not know when that will be.
Mr, Jodice asked if the rates will go down after the debt is paid off. Mr. Azinheira said it
is hard to see the rates going down, but they should be more stable because the big
projects will be finished.
Mr. Jodice asked how Mansfield's rates compare to other towns. Mr. Azinheira said
Mansfield's are about average. Mr, Gaffney said Mansfield has done many system
improvements over the past 10 years. Mr. Jodice asked if Mansfield would have the
highest rates with the new rate increase, Mr. Gaffney said the rates would still be about
average. Mr. Gaffney said the town's wells are not currently working to capacity, but
when these projects are completed and the wells are working to capacity, they will be
able to supply Mansfield's water needs for 50 years.
Mr. Dentino asked if the state will actually be funding SRF loans. Mr. Azinheira said it
would be. Mr. Dentino said the Albertini well is scheduled for FY 2015. The answer
was yes, but with SRF funding, that would move up.
fhe-committee-discussed whether -the -Water-D.epartment_is_ptoposing_other
- projects. The answer was it is not, and the FY 2011 budget is a 5% decrease. The
committee discussed the town having $25,000 in operating reserves and $300,000 in
retained earnings, which could drop to $200,000. A better number should be available by
April 1.
2. 10 -Wheel Dump Truck with plow and sander: $170,000
3. 1 -Ton Pickup with plow: $46,000
4. Utility Truck: $60,000
Mr. Azinheira explained the department doesn't use the 1985 Mack for anything other
than sanding. Mr. Cook explained the Mack from the Water Department barely passed
inspection because of rust problems, He said one of the department's pickup trucks is off
the road.
Mr. Azinhoira said he will be updating the Board of Selectmen on the pavement
management plan. He said roadway maintenance is continual, and while the department
has been focused on preventative maintenance, the town needs to do more than that,
Mr. Cook stated that with no real structured plan for annual funding, it is very difficult to
plan road maintenance because he never knows how much money he will receive,
Ms, Lavin noted the $500,000 debt exclusion was matched by Chapter 90 funding, and
asked if there is anything left from that. Mr. Azinheira said there is $119,000 in Chapter
90 funding and $200,000 in the road bond. He said he is expecting $490,000 in Chapter
90 funding.
Mr. Ross asked what roadway maintenance is done in-house, Mr, Cook said paving, chip
sealing and crack sealing are all contracted out; DPW does things tike sweeping, small
repairs and assisting contractors in preparing a site, Mr. Ross said an additional concern
should be that the town is not working in subdivisions, which could affect house values.
Mr. Trowbridge said the town should be spending $1 million a year on roadway
maintenance. Mn Cook restated he cannot plan road repairs long-term because the
funding is constantly in flux.
Mr. Cook explained the 10 -wheel dump truck would replace a truck that was taken off
the road three years ago. Mr, Dentine asked how many 10 -wheel dump tricks with
sanders the town has. Mr. Cook explained the town currently has two, and will be getting
two more used trucks from the Water Department for next winter. He said the trucks
have a 20 -year life expectancy because of the amount of sanding they do.
Mr. Dentino said once the fleet gets back up to seven trucks, the requests for acquisition
should slow down. Mr. Cook agreed.
t
Mi Cook said the 1991 I pickup truck came from the Light Department five to
years ago. DPW has since put $2,500 into it and continues to use it.
Mr, Dentino asked how many one -ton trucks with plows the town has. Mr. Cook said
there are two, but three would be best.
Mr. Cook explained the town currently has one utility trick, and only needs one.
Therefore, the existing utility truck be eliminated and replaced with a new one without
the welder.
The committee discussed how the Department of Public Works gets used vehicles from
other departments. Mr. Azinheira said that when other departments surplus their vehicles
to DPW, there is still life in them, and DPW repairs and adapts these vehicles to its use.
Mr. Jodice said currently, excise tax and parking fees go into the general find. He asked
if that money could be put into the capital budget. Mr. Ratliff said parking is already an
enterprise fund that really cannot be used for non -parking items. He said creating another
enterprise account would be a "band aid,"
5. Discussion of Wastewater Requests
Mr. Azinheira explained the first step in the Wastewater Treatment Plan expansion is
( land acquisition for effluent disposal ($1,750,000). He explained the state will not allow
additional effluent to go into the Taunton River, so these properties would be used as
giant leech systems/effluent recharge area. He said within the next month, he would be
getting three cost options for evaluation.
Mr. Trowbridge said he was concerned about buying properties prior 10 getting DEP
approval to use the sites for effluent disposal. Ms. Lavin agreed, saying the town should
have an assurance the properties can be used for effluent disposal. Mr. Azinheira said
that while DEP had not approved the plan, that agency seemed supportive of the concept.
In addition, expansion of the plant involving Mansfield, Notion and Foxboro supports
DEP's goal of regionalization,
Mr. Dentin discussed the potential for recharge at the airport as having significant value
as an option if DEP doesn't approve the Norton location.
Mr. Azinheira explained the cost of acquisition would be split among Mansfield, Foxboro
and Norton, with Mansfield paying 30-40%. In addition, Norton could do the taking.
Motion: To adjoin at 8:15 p.m. ('I
_ Datgjof next meeting
)wbridge-Miller) All in favor. PASSES
April 6, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. (Engineering, MIS)
U
Date Appuov 1