The Board meets on the first and third Monday of each month. Meetings begin at 1:00 p.m. and are held in the department conference room at 65 Lafayette Ave, Littleton. Board meetings are open to the public and time is allotted for public comments at each meeting.
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The regularly scheduled Board of Commissioners (BOC) meeting began at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 in the Littleton Water and Light Department (LWL) conference room. Present were Commissioner Ralph Ross, Commissioner Eddy Moore, Commissioner Perry Goodell, Financial Director Cheryl Wilkins and Superintendent Thomas Considine.
MINUTES REVIEW:
The minutes of the February 1, 2016 regularly scheduled Commissioners meeting were reviewed. Commissioner Moore made a motion to accept the minutes as presented, seconded by Commissioner Goodell.
The vote was in favor of the motion 3-0-0.
FINANCIAL DIRECTORS REPORT:
1. Mrs. Wilkins reviewed the draft financial statements for the month ended December 2016 with the Commissioners. Several discrepancies as compared to budget were discussed and explained by Mrs. Wilkins. The financial statement is annotated “Draft” until the auditors are finished with the year-end review process in the unlikely event that an adjustment is recommended.
2. Mrs. Wilkins reviewed a summary of the 2015 credit card processing fees with the BOC. The costs that are associated with credit card processing have significantly been reduced since switching to the provider used by National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC).
Prior to NISC the department processing fees annual average was $4.57 per transaction since the software conversion the same fee cost has been reduced to $2.52 per transaction.
Superintendent Considine stated that this equates to an annual savings of about $20,000. The annual expenses that are associated with the support to offer this payment method i.e. equipment, software programs and administration software oversite by the data processor is about $5,300 netting the department about $15,000 annually. The processing fees are predicted to continue to decline as more customers opt for alternative payment methods offered by the department that are more economical than a straight credit card transaction.
3. Mrs. Wilkins informed the BOC that the auditors are scheduled to conduct the department year-end financial review later this month. The exact date has not been established as Mr. Harding is in the process of retiring and transferring his customers to another firm and attempting to coordinate their schedules.
SUPERINTENDENT/ GENERAL MANAGERS REPORT:
1. The results of the ISO-NE Forward Capacity Action (FCA) No. 10 were reviewed with the BOC. The market price was set at $7.03/ kW-month as compared to the department hedge price of $7.29 for the same volume. This represents a loss to the department for the period of June 2019 – May 2020 of about $ 57,000. Though the department purchase for this period was just over market the capacity hedge strategy has saved the department about $ 1,000,000 over the three (3) year period beginning June 2017. Theoretically the wholesale energy procurement expense during this period should be lower negating any losses incurred through FCA No. 10.
Note: the FCA’s is held three (3) years before each capacity commitment period and is supposed to provide new capacity resources adequate time to develop following the closing of older resource (i.e. Vermont Yankee).
2. Superintendent Considine reviewed the 2015 favors list with the BOC that totaled to about $71,000. This total represents all the services that were provided to town governmental agencies that were not charged by the department in 2015 i.e. flags and banners, fire suppression, sewer data management etc.
3. The department has responded to several minor water leaks over the past several weeks on High Street and Deer Court. These leaks may have been the direct result of a system over pressurization incident caused when the Brickyard Pump was run against a closed valve at Oak Hill and Railroad Street. Both leaks were not significant and repairs were quickly made. A change in standard work operating procedures relative to the Brickyard Well pump was immediately implemented to mitigate damage caused by this type of event from happening in the future.
There appears to be an unconfirmed leak near Staples on Meadow Street adjacent to a relatively recent repair site on the 8 inch universal steel pipe. To date this supposed leak is not causing a traffic hazard and will be monitored by department personnel.
GENERAL/ OTHER BUSINESS:
1. The BOC reviewed a request made by a resident to revisit the boards previous decision with regard to not including an informational flier with the department monthly (February) billing statements relative to the River District Redevelopment warrant article (no 3).
Following some general discussion the BOC did not rescind their previous decision made on February 1, 2016 where they agreed that the flier was not appropriate. The BOC consensus was that the LWL mail system is for official department business and should not be used as a political mechanism intended to sway a customer’s vote or to advance a particular agenda or goal.
2. The BOC reviewed the bids received by the department relative to replacing the 1989 Clark Fork Lift truck that WD Matthews recommended be removed from service due to advanced wear and tear of critical parts that renders the truck unsafe to operate.
Commissioner Goodell stated that the shop cannot be without a fork lift and that it is essential for safe operations and made a motion that the department accept the low bid submitted by Northland Industrial Truck for $24,143. Following some additional discussion, Commissioner Moore seconded the motion.
The vote was in favor of the motion 3-0-0.
Superintendent Considine stated that a six (6) to eight (8) week lead time is anticipated before the new fork lift is delivered.
3. Commissioner Moore stated that there is going to be a zoning board of adjustment hearing in regard to a proposed change of use of the old Aubuchon Building in the Globe Plaza. Supposedly a tire warehouse type business is looking to occupy the space.
ADJOURNMENT:
Commissioner Moore made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by
Commissioner Goodell.
The vote was in favor of the motion 3-0-0.
Meeting adjourned at 2:15 p.m.
The regularly scheduled Commissioner’s meeting is held twice monthly on the first and third Monday, at 1:00 p.m., in the Department’s conference room.