OWUI Meeting Minutes, June 19, 2023

Olga Water Users, Incorporated 

MONTHLY BOARD MEETING MINUTES 

Monday, June 19th, 2023 6-7 pm — Olga Community Center 

1. Call to Order: 6:05PM 

Board Members Present:  Pat Boehm, Dave Nonemen, Guy Woods, Paul Groeninger, Geoff Cunard.  Members present: Brian McMillan

2. Approval of minutes for May Noneman moves to approve, motion carries

3. OWUI Operators Report Sam Prado could not make it due to medical emergency.

Points to raise with EWUA:

Need geolocation data for meter readings and photos of 2022 meter read.

Provide operator’s report for board meeting if operator not going to show.

Clarify what we get from EWUA per operating agreement.

Codify verbal agreement for system operation that Dan said would be 15K. RFQ for post intertie system operation?  Send RFQ to EWUA and Tom Walker, Guy suggests we cast a wider net for operator.

Any outstanding bills for system repairs?

a. chlorine 

b. addressing system pressure main on branch lines 

4. OWUI Administrators report:   Member letter sent out, many positive responses to email program.  Need to send member letter electronically.  Most memberships have paid. Administrator job description needs to be updated.

5. Treasurer/ Financial report 

May financials, no big surprises, parts for intertie controls cost 2X what we had budgeted, which is about 10K more than expected.  We will end the year with 7K in the bank.  Noneman suggests we get confirmation from DBWUA that Island Ex will stick to their price for control box installation.  Guy has written a greenhouse gas emission policy to go with the loan application.  Board adopts the policy unanimously.

b. update on bookkeeper search:   still in progress.

6. OLD Business: 

a. Intertie Update 

We need to reach out to EWUA re timing/budget for the control station.

i. SWSMP update 

Barry is working with Geoff to craft a SWSMP. Should be done by the end of the month.

b. Leak Detection Update 

i. Results of leak survey. We are still waiting on the report. 2 Meter reads are proposed so that we can compare actual usage with production to get an accurate picture of  current DSL.  Pat will follow up with Dan Burke to get a price for these meter reads.

c. Meters: We are still researching electronic meters

d. Funding:  We are exploring loan for system repairs/upgrades that could hopefully address the water loss that the leak survey identified.  Pat will move forward to get a scope of work for pricing of system leak repairs. Kim from Blue Heron is concerned that we are looking at too many options.  We should decide between using the almost guaranteed 5% loan, or the more restrictive  lower interest loans.  One of these is due July 9.  Guy is working on this.

7. New business 

a.  High pressure was detected at Guy’s house.  We will buy a pressure gauge to determine actual pressure.

Dave is working with Lynn Emmes to get internet at club

We moved to amend bylaws section 2017-1 to remove the word “Regular” in the first sentence.  Motion passes, Bylaws will be amended.

8. Public Access:  Brian McMillan was impressed with how engaged the board is. He commented that he appreciates the website.

9. Next meeting time ANNUAL MEETING July 8, 2023 5:00PM 

10. Adjournment 7:50PM 

Board goes in to executive session to elect officers.

OLGA WATER USERS, INCORPORATED. owuistaff@gmail.com

OWUI Meeting Minutes May 18 2023

OWUI 

Olga Water Users, Incorporated 

MONTHLY BOARD MEETING MINUTES 

Thursday, May 18th, 2023 6-7 pm — Olga Community Center 

1. Call to Order: 6:01PM

Board members present: Pat Boehm, Dave Noneman, Guy Woods, Geoff Cunard, Paul Groeninger

2. Approval of minutes for April Noneman moves to approve, motion carries

3. OWUI Operators Report:  Chlorine is being slowly dialed down.  Sam is watching it for another month. We noted the article about PFAS in Seattle Times.  Sam says that Eastsound tested for PFAS and found none present.  He is checking with the state to try to get free PFGAS testing.

4. OWUI Administrators report: Geoff notes 15 members have still not paid.  More late notices will be sent out.

5. Treasurer/ Financial report: No surprises this month, we are looking to end the year in the black.  Intertie parts have been paid for.

6. OLD Business: 

a. Intertie Update: We are waiting for parts to complete the installation.

i. SWSMP update Barry Buchanan is waiting for feedback to the Doe Bay SWSMP in order to complete our document.

b. Leak Detection Update  Pat spoke to Randall at Hydrevolution, he has scheduled a leak assessment for May 30-31.  This is required to get us in line for funding assistance for system updates, modern meters.  Board unanimously approves paying for this service.

Federal Covid funds are drying up, so grants are not available, however loans are available.  Board agrees to hire Kim Peterson from Blue Heron Services to help us pursue loans for completing the intertie and for distribution system upgrades and new meters. 

c. Annual Meeting 

i. Type of meeting setup -Board agrees to have an in person annual meeting to ask for feedback from the members.  Board will send out a letter to the membership explaining all of the various projects we are doing and the possibility for funding and infrastructure upgrade moving forward.

7. New business :  Board talked about asking Eastsound Water to share system information that they have, including photos and geolocation of meters so we can amass an accurate inventory of system resources.

Cleanup party at plant?

8. Public Access   No members present.

9. Next meeting time June 19, 2023 6:00PM 

10.Adjournment  8:02 PM 

OLGA WATER USERS, INCORPORATED. owuistaff@gmail.com

OWUI Meeting Minutes, Mar 7, 2023

   OWUI 

Olga Water Users, Incorporated 

MONTHLY BOARD MEETING MINUTES 

Tuesday, March 7th, 2023 6pm — Olga Community Center 

1. Call to Order. 6:03PM Board members present: Pat Boehm, Dave Noneman, Guy Woods, Paul Groeninger, Geoff Cunard, EWUA operator Sam Prado

2. Approval of minutes for February:  Approved unanimously

3. OWUI Operators Report : Board asks Sam to reduce the chlorine input which is currently much higher than the state minimum.  Sam will dial the chlorine back. Pat asks Sam about valves and lines at the plant in the old pump house.  He proposes we decommission the pump house and add a meter at the downstream side of the tank.  Only using 9.5 gpm in Feb.  14000 gal/day. Last Feb, we used 40,000/day.  Instantaneous flow meter at plant not functioning currently.  Sam asks us if we should replace it? Sam will ask meter company is they will send us a temporary meter while we overhaul it. Board decides to wait before spending money on this.

4. OWUI Administrators report 

1. Late Notice letter to be sent .  WALT account in progress

5. Treasurer/ Financial report 

IRS forms have been sent. Guy is working on 6 year budget  for SWSMP.

6. OLD Business: 

a. Intertie Update.  There is still a question about the availability of the appropriate vault for the control station. Pat will talk to Island Ex about this.  Dave will ask Rock Island if they will share cost for road crossing.  

i. SWSMP update submittal needed:   Ecology is asking about our water rights. Dave will reach out to Tom Pors re: water rights assessment. Geoff is working on update.

1. contracting with Barry Buchanan for assistance Dave suggests we reach out to DOH for help with the SWSMP. It might be a very minimal update is needed.

ii. Final engineering & plan:  Ongoing waiting for county approval.

b. Leak Detection Update Pat and Paul have found that our previous ideas for branch metering are outdated.  Howard from Correct Equipment suggests 6” meters on the branches would be a waste of money.  Instead he proposes we use an electronic meter made by Kamstrup that use RF technology to communicate, and they detect sound to find leaks in real time.  We are looking into this.

c. Bookkeeper search update.  Guy is still working on it.

7. New business 

a. email system/ electronic mailing list milestone Admin will compile a list of missing emails, and send letters to those members telling them we are transitioning to electronic communication.

8. Public Access: Nobody present.

9. Next meeting time April 11, 2023 5:00PM 

10.Adjournment 8:00 PM 

OLGA WATER USERS, INCORPORATED. owuistaff@gmail.com