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 business meeting of the Littleton Water and Light (LWL) Board of Commissioners (BOC) meeting began at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, March 16, 2020 in the LWL conference room. Present were Commissioner Peter Cooper, Commissioner Schuyler Sweet, Commissioner Ralph Ross, Financial Director Cheryl Wilkins, Lori Hogan and Superintendent Thomas Considine.
MINUTES REVIEW:
The minutes of the March 2, 2020 regularly scheduled Commissioners meeting were reviewed. Commissioner Sweet made a motion to accept the minutes as presented, seconded by Commissioner Ross.
The vote was in favor of the motion 2-0-1
Commissioner Cooper abstained from voting on the March 2, 2020 minutes as he was not present.
CUSTOMER AND PUBLIC CONCERNS:
1. Mr. James Duranty presented the BOC with a newspaper article that was written on August 1902 about his grandfather being electrocuted on the job while working for LWL on Saranac Street. Mr. Duranty asked the BOC to have the article printed in the newspaper as August 2020 will be 100 year anniversary of this tragic event.
Following some discussion the BOC agreed that LWL could work with Mr. Richard Alberini from the historical society as to how best to run the article as a “This Moment in History” piece.
2. Covid-19 pandemic mitigation efforts were discussed by Mr. Considine. LWL provides an essential service as defined by the US Department of Homeland Security and must provide services throughout this coronavirus pandemic. To minimize LWL employee exposure to the virus and to preserve LWL mission capabilities Superintendent Considine recommended to the BOC that the lobby be closed to the public and that other measures be implemented and escalated as the situation dictates.
The BOC was in agreement and supports LWL effort to keep employee safe in an effort to provide essential services deemed mission critical by the US government.
FINANCIAL DIRECTORS REPORT:
Mrs. Lori Hogan was introduced to the BOC as the new Director of Finance and Human Resources for the LWL. She began work on Monday, March 9, 2020 and is expected to spend the next several weeks training with Mrs. Wilkins and familiarizing herself with LWL software, processes and procedures until Mrs. Wilkins retirement on March 31, 2020.
SUPERINTENDENT/ GENERAL MANAGERS REPORT:
1. VELCO and their subcontractor are scheduled to begin maintenance vegetative control activities on the LWL primary power supply right of way and easement property the week of March 23rd. LWL will have minimal physical/operational involvement in these activities.
2. The project to remove the dam on the South Branch of the Gale River and restore the river is moving along. Recently the White Mountain National Forest Service has approved the project and is lending their support. A demolish date in early August of 2020 is expected.
GENERAL/ OTHER BUSINESS:
1. Superintendent Considine stated that in his capacity as treasurer for the LWL he is recommending that management of LWL reserve funds in the bank accounts, operating account payables and payroll signatory authority is to be transferred from Mrs. Wilkins to Mrs. Hogan. Mr. Considine and Mrs. Hogan will be the principle signatory agents for LWL and Mrs. Kenney would be the alternate agent.
Commissioner Sweet made a motion to approve Superintendent Considine recommendation and authorized the changes noted above as fiscal signatory agents for the LWL, seconded by Commissioner Ross.
The vote was in favor of the motion 3-0-0.
2. Superintendent Considine stated that the 2019 financial audit has been completed and the draft report is expected shortly. LWL is facing several large infrastructure projects in the near future such as the water main transmission main relocation in Bethlehem Hollow, Lafayette Well permitting and development , the rebuild of the Lafayette Substation and the 115kV interconnection project and that the retained earnings should be allocated toward a LWL project.
Following some discussion the BOC agreed that the 2019 funds should be allocated and reserved for future LWL redundancy system supply project. Presently LWL has one (1) primary water main that provides drinking water and one (1) overhead connection to the electrical grid for power supply to the system.
Commissioner Ross made a motion that the retained earnings from the 2019 operating year as annotated in the auditors year ended 2019 financial auditor shall be restricted and used for projects that improve the redundancy of both the water and electrical supply system.
3. Superintendent Considine stated that he would like to provide Geosphere Environmental Services a notice to proceed with regard to the permitting of the new bedrock well behind the LWL shop and move the project forward.
(Note: The LWL BOC met with the Town of Littleton Board of Selectmen (BOS) in a nonpublic session on March 2, 2020 in the tower room of the Opera House. The BOC briefed the BOS with regard to LWL efforts to locate and develop a large groundwater source to supplement our drinking water supply and provide a redundant water supply when needed. The property behind LWL at the end of Lafayette Avenue has been under exploration since 2014 and the findings are encouraging with an expected water withdrawal of more than 200 GPM from one (1) well. The property could potential support up to two (2) additional well that could be developed in the future as when needed. The BOC stated that LWL is moving into the permitting phase and needed to request that the BOS secure this property or place under LWL management. As this property has no direct access and abuts the LWL parking lot and river it is an optimal site with regard to limiting access and it is in close proximity to existing LWL infrastructure. There was no objection from the BOS with regard to LWL intended use of the property. LWL will provide the BOS language to memorialize this discussion for NHDES permitting purposes).
The LWL BOC was in agreement and Commissioner Sweet made motion to authorize Geosphere to proceed, seconded by Commissioner Ross.
The vote was in favor of the motion 3-0-0.
ADJOURNMENT:
There being no further business to come before the board Commissioner Sweet made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Commissioner Ross.
The vote was in favor of the motion 3-0-0.
Meeting adjourned at 2:08 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.