by Neil Richard
The King George County Service Authority Board of Directors began their meeting at 6:33pm, giving the crowd a few extra minutes to arrange extra seats for the Public Hearing later in the evening.
Chris Werle opened the meeting with a prepared statement about the newly hired Service Authority General Manager, Jonathon Weakley. Werle stated that Weakley had 18 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry with 12 of those years as the Chief Operator of Water and Wastewater for Culpeper County. Weakley is currently the Utilities Superintendent for the Town of Warrenton and a Madison County Supervisor. Weakley has an Associate's degree from Germanna Community College and a Bachelor's degree from Ashford University. Werle ended his opening remarks by thanking the selection committee for their hard work.
There were no amendments to the Agenda.
There was no Public Comment.
Mike Bennett began his comments by saying he met on October 18th with Werle, Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, Lavita Cobb, Purchasing Manager, and a company regarding their proposal for an inventory and valuation of Service Authority assets. On October 26th he had a similar meeting with two other companies. On the same day he also attended a closed session regarding the hiring of a new General Manager. On October 24th, Bennett said he attended a meeting regarding the upcoming riverbank stabilization project in Fairview Beach. Bennett met with Dan Hingley of AQUA on November 5th to get a final status update as well as to hear Hingley's recommendations and thoughts on staff, capital improvements, existing and potential water and wastewater issues, and the current Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) consent order. Bennett thanked Hingley for his efforts.
Richard Granger had no report.
Ruby Brabo reported that on October 26th, she participated in the final interviews for the General Manager position as well as attended a Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) meeting.
Cathy Binder said she also participated in the General Manager selection process and the VACo conference.
Chris Werle reported that he attended the Dahlgren Centennial event on October 19th, the Planning Commission meeting on October 21st, and the riverbank project meeting on October 24th. Werle also met with Hingley on November 5th to hear his out-brief and attended the South Potomac Committee Relations (COMREL) meeting on November 6th. On November 9th, Werle said he met with Travis Quesenberry, County Engineer, and County staff to discuss the riverbank project in Fairview Beach. He said the project would entail over 1,200 feet of stabilization, including 255 feet of sea wall.
The Consent Agenda was approved.
The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.
Lavita Cobb presented her request to execute a service agreement with Municipal Financial Services Group (MFSG) to inventory and value Service Authority assets. After her brief presentation, Bennett added that the rumors about the Service Authority being for sale were untrue. He said that this contract, which is to determine the value of assets, does not mean that the Service Authority is for sale. Bennett said the Service Authority hasn't done this before and it's past time to figure out what the assets are worth. He said he wasn't convinced that selling the Service Authority was the best thing for King George residents. Brabo added that it was shocking that nobody knows the value of the assets and that the Board was doing their due diligence to be fiscally responsible. The request was approved.
Mrs. Cobb then presented her request for the Service Authority to adopt the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act Guidelines set by the state. The Board approved.
The Board then approved the ratification of the new General Manager's contract.
Although Mr. Weakley was hired as the new General Manager, he will not begin until November 26, 2018. Because of Weakley not being an employee just yet, Werle gave a brief update on the current state of the Service Authority. Werle said the wastewater facilities have made great progress and are currently in compliance. He did note that the Purkins Corner Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP), Dahlgren WWTP, Hopyard WWTP, and Fairview Beach WWTP won't make the annual limits. Despite this, he did say that going forward, if everything remains stable, they will be in compliance in the future. Werle did note that the Fairview Beach and Dahlgren WWTPs would need to pay back part of the Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF) grant money received because of their being over the annual limits.
Werle said that with each point on the DEQ consent order that is addressed by the Service Authority, DEQ agents come to make an inspection. As of late October, he said another twelve tasks have been completed and inspected by DEQ. He said the water connection between both parts of the Courthouse water system has been completed. The 650 foot line was installed in the Eden Estates neighborhood and the final cost was about $26,000.
Werle passed along that the 2017 water audit reports that had not been done have been completed now and submitted to DEQ. He also said that the highest priority now was the maintenance of the elevated water tanks. Bennett added that during Hingley's out-brief, Hingley warned that the water side of the Service Authority would be an expensive maintenance issue in the future.
Werle added that he sent the Board a draft version of the utility master plan and hoped to have the final version presented later.
There was no Closed Session.
The meeting adjourned at 6:54pm, making this one of the shorter meetings in some time.
The King George County Service Authority Board of Directors began their meeting at 6:33pm, giving the crowd a few extra minutes to arrange extra seats for the Public Hearing later in the evening.
Chris Werle opened the meeting with a prepared statement about the newly hired Service Authority General Manager, Jonathon Weakley. Werle stated that Weakley had 18 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry with 12 of those years as the Chief Operator of Water and Wastewater for Culpeper County. Weakley is currently the Utilities Superintendent for the Town of Warrenton and a Madison County Supervisor. Weakley has an Associate's degree from Germanna Community College and a Bachelor's degree from Ashford University. Werle ended his opening remarks by thanking the selection committee for their hard work.
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| Photo used with permission. |
There were no amendments to the Agenda.
There was no Public Comment.
Mike Bennett began his comments by saying he met on October 18th with Werle, Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, Lavita Cobb, Purchasing Manager, and a company regarding their proposal for an inventory and valuation of Service Authority assets. On October 26th he had a similar meeting with two other companies. On the same day he also attended a closed session regarding the hiring of a new General Manager. On October 24th, Bennett said he attended a meeting regarding the upcoming riverbank stabilization project in Fairview Beach. Bennett met with Dan Hingley of AQUA on November 5th to get a final status update as well as to hear Hingley's recommendations and thoughts on staff, capital improvements, existing and potential water and wastewater issues, and the current Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) consent order. Bennett thanked Hingley for his efforts.
Richard Granger had no report.
Ruby Brabo reported that on October 26th, she participated in the final interviews for the General Manager position as well as attended a Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) meeting.
Cathy Binder said she also participated in the General Manager selection process and the VACo conference.
Chris Werle reported that he attended the Dahlgren Centennial event on October 19th, the Planning Commission meeting on October 21st, and the riverbank project meeting on October 24th. Werle also met with Hingley on November 5th to hear his out-brief and attended the South Potomac Committee Relations (COMREL) meeting on November 6th. On November 9th, Werle said he met with Travis Quesenberry, County Engineer, and County staff to discuss the riverbank project in Fairview Beach. He said the project would entail over 1,200 feet of stabilization, including 255 feet of sea wall.
The Consent Agenda was approved.
The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.
Lavita Cobb presented her request to execute a service agreement with Municipal Financial Services Group (MFSG) to inventory and value Service Authority assets. After her brief presentation, Bennett added that the rumors about the Service Authority being for sale were untrue. He said that this contract, which is to determine the value of assets, does not mean that the Service Authority is for sale. Bennett said the Service Authority hasn't done this before and it's past time to figure out what the assets are worth. He said he wasn't convinced that selling the Service Authority was the best thing for King George residents. Brabo added that it was shocking that nobody knows the value of the assets and that the Board was doing their due diligence to be fiscally responsible. The request was approved.
Mrs. Cobb then presented her request for the Service Authority to adopt the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act Guidelines set by the state. The Board approved.
The Board then approved the ratification of the new General Manager's contract.
Although Mr. Weakley was hired as the new General Manager, he will not begin until November 26, 2018. Because of Weakley not being an employee just yet, Werle gave a brief update on the current state of the Service Authority. Werle said the wastewater facilities have made great progress and are currently in compliance. He did note that the Purkins Corner Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP), Dahlgren WWTP, Hopyard WWTP, and Fairview Beach WWTP won't make the annual limits. Despite this, he did say that going forward, if everything remains stable, they will be in compliance in the future. Werle did note that the Fairview Beach and Dahlgren WWTPs would need to pay back part of the Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF) grant money received because of their being over the annual limits.
Werle said that with each point on the DEQ consent order that is addressed by the Service Authority, DEQ agents come to make an inspection. As of late October, he said another twelve tasks have been completed and inspected by DEQ. He said the water connection between both parts of the Courthouse water system has been completed. The 650 foot line was installed in the Eden Estates neighborhood and the final cost was about $26,000.
Werle passed along that the 2017 water audit reports that had not been done have been completed now and submitted to DEQ. He also said that the highest priority now was the maintenance of the elevated water tanks. Bennett added that during Hingley's out-brief, Hingley warned that the water side of the Service Authority would be an expensive maintenance issue in the future.
Werle added that he sent the Board a draft version of the utility master plan and hoped to have the final version presented later.
There was no Closed Session.
The meeting adjourned at 6:54pm, making this one of the shorter meetings in some time.
Meeting Attendees:
Christopher Werle (Chairman, Board of Directors)
Richard Granger (Board of Supervisors)
Michael Bennett (Citizen)
Ruby Brabo (Board of Supervisors)
Cathy Binder (Board of Supervisors)
Neiman Young (County Administrator)
Eric Gregory (County Attorney)
Absent:
Jonathon Weakley (Future General Manager of Service Authority)
Next Meeting:
The Service Authority will next meet on December 4, 2018 at 6:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.
Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Service Authority Meeting.
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