by Neil Richard
The King George County Service Authority Board of Directors opened their sole November meeting at 6:30pm.
There were no amendments to the Agenda.
There was no Public Comment.
Christopher Werle was absent and Richard Granger had no report.
Cathy Binder said she would try to keep her report brief and said she did a lot of things over the past few weeks. She thanked Ruby Brabo for letting her attend the Waterways Tour in the Northern Neck and enjoyed learning how the nutrients impact the waterways and their harvest. Binder also met with Lisa Hull about potential tourism opportunities. While at the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo), Binder attended several seminars including one about the Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP3). As somebody without a science degree, Binder said it was very helpful. Binder said she's also been doing a lot of research over the last week and a half and said that there really isn't an origin story for the Service Authority. She found a lot of history as has Jonathon Weakley, General Manager, but she wanted to call attention to one document she found from December 1992. Binder said that the previous stories about the state mandating the County take over the water and sewer systems seems to be incorrect and that the Board of Supervisors at the time actually voted to take it over.
Ruby Brabo said she hosted a local government group tour of the watershed and it was funded by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. While on the tour, she spoke to others about grant opportunities for the Service Authority. Brabo also attended a meeting with Ann Jennings from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and then toured the Purkins Corner Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP). Brabo then said to Binder that the Board of Supervisors had to vote as a formal requirement just like any other time it takes action. Binder said she was just doing her due diligence to which Brabo asked if she got anything from the state. There was some cross-talk between them to which Binder ended the conversation by saying she didn't know why there should be a debate.
Mike Bennett began his report by saying Mr. Werle was absent for the first time in four years and that he deserved a vacation. Bennett said he attended the Planning Commission meeting as well as the meeting with Ann Jennings. He thanked Brabo for setting the meeting up with Jennings and thanked Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, for taking care of the logistics. Bennett said his takeaway from the meeting was that the state couldn't provide financial aid but they could provide their time and knowledge. He also said it can only help to have someone working for the Governor that knows about the problems here. Bennett said he also heard from DEQ that they are not technically mandating the closure of the Purkins Corner WWTP but rather they are suggesting it. Despite this, he said that it seems like the WIP3 would end up mandating it anyway if the facility doesn't meet the new requirements, therefore making decommissioning the only option. Brabo said she was glad to get clarifications. Bennett said it may change the timing on Purkins Corner WWTP. Bennett said he also learned that the grant amounts they used for their calculations only apply to the cost of nutrient reduction technology, not building a new plant. He said, even though he's only a former attorney, it seems like the whole idea behind a new plant is to reduce nutrients. He also recommended looking at grants to cover the cost to pump sewage to Hopyard Farm WWTP instead. He said that in any case, Oakland Park WWTP will need to be closed but it may cost less with grants.
The Consent Agenda was approved.
The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.
At this point, Brabo interjected that the meeting wasn't being televised or recorded.
Wiley Wilson then gave their presentation on the Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) of the sewage pump stations. The primary end result was that out of the all the pump stations, a majority of them fail to meet DEQ requirements. Additionally, there are many stations within the 100 Year Flood Plain and there are some stations where it is unclear who owned the property or had easements.
The PER resulted in three major recommendations. First, over the next year, install generators at two pump stations, fix alarms and test functions at all pump stations, and conduct further research into the land ownership and easements. Second, over two to three years, replace another generator and install two more. Third, over four to five years, move equipment out of the flood plain and address easement issues. Each phase of the plan had varying costs associated with them.
Bennett asked questions during the presentation but the biggest clarification he made was that with the completion of the first phase, over 70% of the work would be done. He said that adding the alarm systems and test functions to 28 of the pump stations would account for the majority of the needed work although not the majority of the expense. The majority of the expenses would be for the generators needed at each pump station. Each of the three phases would cost around $300,000 although the last year could be as high as $600,000 because of the potential for property ownership and easement issues.
Weakley added that the subcommittee that reviewed the plan and arranged the timing did so in an effort to address some things earlier because they were cheaper and easier while some aspects would require more engineering and site planning. He said that ideally a Consent Order isn't stretched out over five years but with this issue he felt it could work to meet all of the DEQ requirements.
Bennett then said that with the easement research, it needed to be done first as it would dictate what could be done and when based on the results. He said his hope was to get DEQ to approve their plan, especially with the majority of the work being done in the first year. Binder thanked everyone for their work, saying she felt it was like a forensic audit. She also liked the phased approach but not so much the price tag. Bennett added his thanks to Wiley Wilson saying their flexibility was appreciated.
Next on the Agenda was the approval of the Pump Station Implementation Plan. Weakley said that it is due to DEQ by December 4th so there is time to approve it at the December 3rd meeting if necessary but he felt action tonight would be more beneficial. Bennett asked if Weakley would send it to DEQ and Weakley said he would and also follow up with any response from DEQ. The Board approved the plan.
Jonathon Weakley then gave his General Manager's report. He said an insurance claim was filed and they hope to be reimbursed for the storm damage. He also said there was a Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) event at Presidential Village previously and one at 10th Street earlier in the day. Regarding the one at 10th Street, he said it will be necessary to install stronger impellers to help better grind up the "items" going through there and that they still have not identified the source of the issue.
Weakley continued by sharing nutrient levels at each WWTP noting that Fairview Beach, Hopyard, and Oakland Park are all within or well below the required amounts. He said the Dahlgren WWTP wasn't too much of a concern for him, although he didn't want to jinx himself, but he felt it was on track to finish the year under the necessary limits. Purkins Corner WWTP had a blower failure which led to a spike in nutrient but he said DEQ was aware and that increased sampling helped show that the repairs were in place and the plant was back to normal levels.
Bennett asked if things were as good as they could get and Weakley said maybe. He said that Oakland Park was doing great largely because of chemical treatment which meant higher chemical expenses. His goal was to find the right balance of meeting the needed nutrient limits without spending too much money.
Closed Session began at 7:19pm with Dr. Young, Eric Gregory, and Jonathon Weakley attending. The Board returned from Closed Session at 8:00pm and adjourned.
Meeting Attendees:
Jonathon Weakley (General Manager of Service Authority)
Richard Granger (Board of Supervisors)
Michael Bennett (Chairman, Citizen)
Ruby Brabo (Board of Supervisors)
Cathy Binder (Board of Supervisors)
Neiman Young (County Administrator)
Eric Gregory (County Attorney)
Absent:
Christopher Werle (Board of Directors)
Meeting Agenda
Next Meeting:
The Service Authority will next meet on December 3, 2019 at 6:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.
Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Service Authority Meeting.
The King George County Service Authority Board of Directors opened their sole November meeting at 6:30pm.
There were no amendments to the Agenda.
There was no Public Comment.
Christopher Werle was absent and Richard Granger had no report.
Cathy Binder said she would try to keep her report brief and said she did a lot of things over the past few weeks. She thanked Ruby Brabo for letting her attend the Waterways Tour in the Northern Neck and enjoyed learning how the nutrients impact the waterways and their harvest. Binder also met with Lisa Hull about potential tourism opportunities. While at the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo), Binder attended several seminars including one about the Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP3). As somebody without a science degree, Binder said it was very helpful. Binder said she's also been doing a lot of research over the last week and a half and said that there really isn't an origin story for the Service Authority. She found a lot of history as has Jonathon Weakley, General Manager, but she wanted to call attention to one document she found from December 1992. Binder said that the previous stories about the state mandating the County take over the water and sewer systems seems to be incorrect and that the Board of Supervisors at the time actually voted to take it over.
Ruby Brabo said she hosted a local government group tour of the watershed and it was funded by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. While on the tour, she spoke to others about grant opportunities for the Service Authority. Brabo also attended a meeting with Ann Jennings from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and then toured the Purkins Corner Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP). Brabo then said to Binder that the Board of Supervisors had to vote as a formal requirement just like any other time it takes action. Binder said she was just doing her due diligence to which Brabo asked if she got anything from the state. There was some cross-talk between them to which Binder ended the conversation by saying she didn't know why there should be a debate.
Mike Bennett began his report by saying Mr. Werle was absent for the first time in four years and that he deserved a vacation. Bennett said he attended the Planning Commission meeting as well as the meeting with Ann Jennings. He thanked Brabo for setting the meeting up with Jennings and thanked Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, for taking care of the logistics. Bennett said his takeaway from the meeting was that the state couldn't provide financial aid but they could provide their time and knowledge. He also said it can only help to have someone working for the Governor that knows about the problems here. Bennett said he also heard from DEQ that they are not technically mandating the closure of the Purkins Corner WWTP but rather they are suggesting it. Despite this, he said that it seems like the WIP3 would end up mandating it anyway if the facility doesn't meet the new requirements, therefore making decommissioning the only option. Brabo said she was glad to get clarifications. Bennett said it may change the timing on Purkins Corner WWTP. Bennett said he also learned that the grant amounts they used for their calculations only apply to the cost of nutrient reduction technology, not building a new plant. He said, even though he's only a former attorney, it seems like the whole idea behind a new plant is to reduce nutrients. He also recommended looking at grants to cover the cost to pump sewage to Hopyard Farm WWTP instead. He said that in any case, Oakland Park WWTP will need to be closed but it may cost less with grants.
The Consent Agenda was approved.
The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.
At this point, Brabo interjected that the meeting wasn't being televised or recorded.
Wiley Wilson then gave their presentation on the Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) of the sewage pump stations. The primary end result was that out of the all the pump stations, a majority of them fail to meet DEQ requirements. Additionally, there are many stations within the 100 Year Flood Plain and there are some stations where it is unclear who owned the property or had easements.
The PER resulted in three major recommendations. First, over the next year, install generators at two pump stations, fix alarms and test functions at all pump stations, and conduct further research into the land ownership and easements. Second, over two to three years, replace another generator and install two more. Third, over four to five years, move equipment out of the flood plain and address easement issues. Each phase of the plan had varying costs associated with them.
 |
| Wiley Wilson gives recommendations on the pump stations. |
Bennett asked questions during the presentation but the biggest clarification he made was that with the completion of the first phase, over 70% of the work would be done. He said that adding the alarm systems and test functions to 28 of the pump stations would account for the majority of the needed work although not the majority of the expense. The majority of the expenses would be for the generators needed at each pump station. Each of the three phases would cost around $300,000 although the last year could be as high as $600,000 because of the potential for property ownership and easement issues.
Weakley added that the subcommittee that reviewed the plan and arranged the timing did so in an effort to address some things earlier because they were cheaper and easier while some aspects would require more engineering and site planning. He said that ideally a Consent Order isn't stretched out over five years but with this issue he felt it could work to meet all of the DEQ requirements.
Bennett then said that with the easement research, it needed to be done first as it would dictate what could be done and when based on the results. He said his hope was to get DEQ to approve their plan, especially with the majority of the work being done in the first year. Binder thanked everyone for their work, saying she felt it was like a forensic audit. She also liked the phased approach but not so much the price tag. Bennett added his thanks to Wiley Wilson saying their flexibility was appreciated.
Next on the Agenda was the approval of the Pump Station Implementation Plan. Weakley said that it is due to DEQ by December 4th so there is time to approve it at the December 3rd meeting if necessary but he felt action tonight would be more beneficial. Bennett asked if Weakley would send it to DEQ and Weakley said he would and also follow up with any response from DEQ. The Board approved the plan.
Jonathon Weakley then gave his General Manager's report. He said an insurance claim was filed and they hope to be reimbursed for the storm damage. He also said there was a Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) event at Presidential Village previously and one at 10th Street earlier in the day. Regarding the one at 10th Street, he said it will be necessary to install stronger impellers to help better grind up the "items" going through there and that they still have not identified the source of the issue.
Weakley continued by sharing nutrient levels at each WWTP noting that Fairview Beach, Hopyard, and Oakland Park are all within or well below the required amounts. He said the Dahlgren WWTP wasn't too much of a concern for him, although he didn't want to jinx himself, but he felt it was on track to finish the year under the necessary limits. Purkins Corner WWTP had a blower failure which led to a spike in nutrient but he said DEQ was aware and that increased sampling helped show that the repairs were in place and the plant was back to normal levels.
Bennett asked if things were as good as they could get and Weakley said maybe. He said that Oakland Park was doing great largely because of chemical treatment which meant higher chemical expenses. His goal was to find the right balance of meeting the needed nutrient limits without spending too much money.
Closed Session began at 7:19pm with Dr. Young, Eric Gregory, and Jonathon Weakley attending. The Board returned from Closed Session at 8:00pm and adjourned.
Meeting Attendees:
Jonathon Weakley (General Manager of Service Authority)
Richard Granger (Board of Supervisors)
Michael Bennett (Chairman, Citizen)
Ruby Brabo (Board of Supervisors)
Cathy Binder (Board of Supervisors)
Neiman Young (County Administrator)
Eric Gregory (County Attorney)
Absent:
Christopher Werle (Board of Directors)
Meeting Agenda
Next Meeting:
The Service Authority will next meet on December 3, 2019 at 6:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.
Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Service Authority Meeting.
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