Good afternoon, everyone.

I'm Commissioner Robert Patrick, Chair of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee.

I am joined the PWI team is Commissioner Ted Terry from Super District 6, as well as our presiding officer and district 4 commissioner Shakira Johnson.

Getting started with our first agenda item is going to be the minutes.

Agenda item 2026-0484.

This is for all commission districts, minutes of the March 3rd, 2026 Public Works and Infrastructure Committee meeting.

Commissioners, are we comfortable on voting on this?

I make a motion to approve.

Second.

Okay.

Proper motion, proper second.

All those in favor is your hand and say aye.

All right.

If we have Ms.

Sintai.

We're going to go ahead and do the operational assessment update for PWI.

If we've had these updates for the other committees today, um and uh certainly looking forward to PWI.

Welcome to the best committee ever.

Already?

Ever.

Awesome.

Getting used to this.

But there's there's some slight nuances in the different committees, and they all require their own special attention.

So we'll go through the process.

Lakeisa Susai, manage managing principal of the momentum firm back in September.

We were hired to be the implementers and change managers of the Mom and Jenkins organizational and performance assessment.

We promised at that time that we'll engage the board early and regularly.

This is one of our quarterly updates, and we did provide an update back in December to this committee, but it was written.

So this is my first time speaking to you all, and we'll be back next quarter.

All right.

And yeah, we'll go from there.

If I'm correct, it is I forgot to mention uh the departments that were assessed uh that are associated with this committee, roads and drainage and sanitation.

Okay.

These are some of the uh transformation goals that were developed on the backside of the operational assessment to give some a compass really to the work ahead.

And it's in these areas that we're working to make progress.

Um we've even developed uh a list of specific uh key results associated with these objectives.

Some of them are KPIs, others are key performance measures.

The point is that both through measures and initiatives, we are tracking activity associated with achieving these results.

So through this process, you know, hopefully this year and beyond, we should be uh yielding some um some wins, some accomplishments, like year over year reduced internal audit findings and open issues, um, an increase in customer satisfaction scores, um, achieving cost savings where where appropriate, feasible, um, modernizing technology, um, and really becoming a more data-driven government where uh at some point this year where our the plan is for a hundred percent of all departments to be reporting KPIs.

This matrix is just uh uh sort of an example of the process that we use uh and support departments with thinking about where some of these initiatives should land on an implementation timeline.

It's based on impact, uh perceived level of impact, and uh the perceived level of effort that is required, and it's in the top quadrant that we're focused, right?

We're trying to implement and support the implementation of quick wins, which are things that initiatives rather that have um high impact but require low effort to implement, and some of the major projects that we don't want to lose sight of.

Yes, they may be heavy or lifts to get across the finish line, but they have a ton of impact potential, and so we are doing our best to kind of mitigate issues, overcome roadblocks with departments, and provide the change management needed to to get those major projects across the line.

Our implementation management process that we design and are currently running is depicted on the screen.

Um I'll just call out some of the areas that we are monitoring through feedback surveys that we administer every other month.

Uh we're looking at things from of course the recommendation status, whether it's met in progress, not started.

Uh, we're looking at uh additional context to understand the reasoning behind why things are blocked or or recommendations are rejected.

And um I already mentioned potential cost savings.

So we don't have uh the quantified number of you know cost savings that have been realized to this point.

Um but you know, we we do intend to continue to track this and hopefully uh can report that out in our next uh our our next time we see you.

This is a countywide uh dashboard.

This this is a representation.

What you see on the screen is a representation of um uh the status of all 18 departments that were included in the assessment.

We got 266 recommendations total um that were identified in the report.

Uh to this to this date, there are 59 recording being met.

Um 11 are blocked, and over 123 require additional resources.

Um just some context questions that have come up today.

Um, where you see recommendations blocked, they're usually blocked because they require additional resources, but you will notice that there are over 123 recommendations across the board that require some level of additional support that um reflects the uh in progress nature of some of these recommendations and how you some of them are partially implemented but can't be fully implemented without some other type of support.

And we we went into detail for uh roads and drainage and sanitation specifically, the type of support that they are asking for.

Right.

So this is a committee-specific dashboard, it reflects the roads and drainage and uh sanitation departments feedback from this month.

Uh so across the board, well, really across the two departments.

There are total of 18 recommendations.

Um out of that 18, seven have been reported as met.

Um no recommendations are blocked, which is great, and there are over nine that require additional resources.

So slightly different from the overall trend.

Um as it relates to the top challenge areas for these two departments.

Um, so what were some of the common issues that came um out of the assessment?

Um, a lack of strategic planning and alignment, governance issues, org structure challenges, and technology limitations.

Most of their recommendations are centered around addressing these issues.

Just to interrupt for one second.

Sure.

Um in in each one of these presentations, you've mentioned governance issues.

What uh could you sort of define governance issues or structural changes?

Yes.

Um I I know there's an actual definition because Maldon and Jenkins came up with these categories when they identified the issues, right?

Um for synthesis purposes.

So I don't want to articulate the wrong definition, but what I can say is that um governance issues from you know our interactions and you know, anecdotally what we're hearing from departments are around lack of clarity on roles, responsibility, and authority.

Okay.

When you when you have that as a foundational issue, you'll we'll notice how we have a lot of process issues, a lot of bottlenecks and operational problems.

And so one of the things that we're prioritizing across the board is to sort of refine the administrative governance structure, ensure that department heads are clear on their decision making rights, uh the thresholds associated with that, and all of this is of course aligned with the York Act.

So the point is it needs to be documented.

Um, and we believe that that foundationally would create a lot of clarity needed for departments that interact with one another even for implementing processes.

There's like, well, do I have the authority to enforce this process if it's not being complied uh by a department?

So we're trying to work through those things, but you're absolutely right.

Comes up ever all the time as one of the top issues.

Um, but rightfully so, we think it's also one of the best places to start across the board.

Right.

Right.

Uh just one more second, Commissioners, since I already interrupted any other questions at this time or could it can you yes.

Oh okay.

Mr.

Chair.

And I did sit in on the other committee meetings, but I'm still trying to make sure I truly understand the difference between the blocked and the um recommendations requiring resources.

So if it's blocked, is it mean that we are aware of what is stopping the movement, but we haven't started making the progress to move it forward.

There's some there's some blocker exactly.

So they're they're they've said they accepted the recommendation, they literally cannot even begin implementing it without uh resource requirement satisfaction.

But there are some recommendations that are already in progress that cannot be completed until additional resources are provided.

And in the feedback survey that we administer every month, departments provide context when they when they market as such.

So we do have qualitative insights associated with these answers if you all ever want uh uh deep dive or drill down rather.

Okay.

So the just make sure I understand it in my head.

So the block is there's something in the way.

We know something is in the way, but we've not taken that started to take the steps to move the block.

It doesn't mean it we haven't taken the steps because it could be we we requested it in the FY26 budget, but it was rejected, so it's blocked.

We did attempt, you see what I mean, to implement it.

But there is a blocker.

But I won't I'll I can't say that that's always the reason funding, and that's why I want to be careful.

Okay.

And then the difference between that and recommended recommendations requiring resources is they're it's further along in the process generally.

Still needs additional resources, like block needs additional resources.

They label it as in progress where you see that you know this really stalled.

They're stuck.

We're not moving.

There's no there's no way to move until something is addressed that they're requesting.

Okay.

I think I can and this is uh the slide that actually represents the types of blockers.

Um and so you'll see uh the colors with the blue.

So um additional funding and cross-depart, so additional funding for uh roads and drainage and sanitation overwhelmingly is one of the top blockers.

Um what we've seen in the other committees today is it's almost been equal where it's uh the blockers are additional funding and cross-departmental support needed.

That's definitely something operationally that we could address, for example, just creating that space for that cross-pollination, interdepartmental core collaboration.

But um, this is unique, I would say to the departments in this committee that most of them are blocked because of funding reasons.

Um, and so we pull down um some insights that that you know shed some light on that.

So for roads and drainage and sanitation, um many recommendations are still in their early stages, we noticed.

So it's not necessarily a prioritization challenge, but it's the ability to execute given staffing, funding, and coordination limitations.

So when they labeled funding was a blocker, they went into detail in some instances like funding for a role or funding for an infrastructural improvement.

Um they they specified what kind, right?

Um number two says PWI's progress is more dependent on physical and infrastructure related investments than other committees, 100%, right?

Without looking at the data, I can't say, well, yeah, it's just generally more expensive to do some of these things.

But I do think that that's like a something that's unique to the other two that we spoke to today.

Um, number three, um, most recommendations reported by this uh committee's departments won't be completed until 2027 or later.

Um all committees are impacted by funding, but again, PWI's departments' reliance on infrastructure and large-scale improvements, um, means that some of these recommendations that were not approved in this budget are gonna be stalled.

Um, so it's it's honestly too, I think, a really good opportunity to just look across the board at some of the things that are coming up in the budget year after year, especially on the capital improvement side, and start to think if there's an overarching strategy required, right, to really be able to address some of these um improvements and modernizations that are coming up across the board.

Um cross-departmental coordination is a critical bottleneck due to the nature of of PWI's work, and again, we are looking at operating model changes inside of the administration to foster better interdepartmental collaboration.

I see that as just a quick win.

So many departments rely on one another for resources and information, but lack the a system, right?

To really collaborate with one another, hold each other accountable, you know, be transparent and stay on top of progress reporting.

So we're we're going to be addressing that and changing those, those things to hopefully improve that.

And then lastly, PWI's performance may appear slower than the county overall, but reflects higher implementation complexity.

So we did just want to mention that some of the things that Maldon and Jenkins recommended for these two departments, they are complex, they are capital improvements, and we imagine that you know some of those things just require specific and detailed strategy and prioritization.

Um I've talked about these sort of insights overall, um reflective of some of the things we we mentioned for the departments associated with the PWI committee, but um I would just say that in a nutshell, um governance issues, organizational structure challenges, um, and technology limitations across the board were the types of challenges that continue to emerge.

So we're really looking to drive a lot of changes and progress and we're focusing on those three areas this quarter, which we imagine will have trickle down impact once we we are trying to address them at the portfolio level.

So I'll pause there to see if there are any additional questions.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you again.

So yes, I it's my third one today.

I got I've gotten the spiel.

I appreciate that.

And I definitely know I'm a big fan of the dashboard and just you know tracking everything.

Um and I didn't get into this on the last two committees because I'm not on those committees.

Um but the real meat of what you're talking about is the final pages.

Um because you have the actual recommendations and very specific things.

So I think it would really behoove um the committees to don't just read the dashboard and say, great, we're making progress, but to actually dive in to the details.

Mostly because we um in some form of fashion have heard about these operational issues by virtue of being on the committee in some cases for like five or six years.

And so, you know, us going through sort of the line by line uh and where they're at being met in progress, if there's any blocks.

Um I think some of the committee members actually probably would have some good um feedback or you know, um input on how we sort of strategies or or or something that might be missing.

Um thing I did notice, and this is probably more on the roads and drainage side.

I was trying to find, did we did did we ever address the um the inventory of the metal plates as one of the operational uh assessments?

That's just kind of like a long-standing issue of metal plates being sort of out there on the war in the world and they may have kind of gotten lost.

Was that a recommendation specifically?

Or or you're you're saying you want to know if there was included.

I'm afraid it may not have made the Maldon and Jenkins um report, but I think it maybe kind of speaks to the SOPs.

Okay.

Of like how like roads and drainage keeps inventory of yep, we've got 300 metal plates out there, and any metal plate that's been out there for more than six months, we were like there should be a little flag that pops up and says, hey, this one's been out there and it's still out there and it's you know on the list.

So I I feel like that's kind of addressed in the R and D R253, which is just updating the SOP's data before 2022.

Um but that maybe that's sort of uh an area if if you could just look in to see of the SOPs on how we track metal plates, just be a small thing, um, just because that's I get a lot of emails about metal plates, Commissioner Patrick.

Just to add a little mission creep because a lot of the metal plates also, sorry, Reggie.

Our water are our watershed management.

Yes, uh, particularly in the municipalities.

Okay.

That they are full service cities and but we still handle water and service sewer services, and so that ends up being a uh frequent concern that residents give to us.

So the question is like what is the process for addressing um tracking, tracking time framing, SOPs on tracking, it's probably just I mean it kind of somewhere the like the um I think that's what city works was supposed to do to kind of keep track of all the job the work orders.

You know, follow-through on them.

Sure.

I'll I'll I'll do the digging and and see where that comes in.

And like I said, we are tracking additional operational improvements that go beyond the recommendations.

I know we're required to address the 266, but when we come back, we're gonna have key results to your point, uh, Commissioner Ted Terry, because that again is the whole that's why I came back to this slide, right?

Like, yes, it's great to have 200 recommendations out of 266 implemented.

What does that really mean for us?

Our services improved, our customers happier, our employees happier, our processes improved.

So that's what we're working towards.

And I I believe that our reporting is supposed to evolve and and become more robust and detailed.

So anything additional that you all would like to see, just reach out and we'll prepare it in advance.

You know, uh, I know on the North Sanitation Lot, which covered primarily Dunwoody and uh at the time Doorville areas, uh there were staffing concerns because we were still going through COVID, but it was making a noticeable impact on levels of service, particularly for yard clippings to be collected.

And so if we had something that could come back to the committee and say staffing levels are sort of in the right spot for these different areas uh that services are being um performed and met as expected, that would be very helpful.

And then to follow up on the metal plates, we have residents that have been known to have birthday parties for the metal plates, and and we don't we don't want that.

We really do not want that at all.

So if we could get on those, that would be uh that would definitely be improved appreciated.

Uh Commissioner Terry, you know.

Just two more things I want to flag just as Ms.

CSA asked about it.

Um so for um here's another good example RD R252 roads and drainage should continue its efforts to increase county traffic signals that are connected to the traffic control center.

Um I actually don't even know what roads are on the traffic control center.

Um so maybe just sort of uh uh an acknowledgement of what roads I guess are now connected to the traffic control center.

Could you repeat the uh number?

Uh RND R252.

It says recommendation met, which is great.

So I've just now I'm just curious what roads are in the traffic control center.

Traffic.

Honestly, not familiar.

Is that like the signalization or is that like related to the video cameras at intersections?

Signalization.

Okay.

Yeah, so that that just would be interesting to know.

Um, but I'm glad the recommendations were met.

Um and then Commissioner Patrick, you I think you actually that was the thing I was going to bring up about for the sanitation portion.

I think a lot of the recommendations um come to sort of staffing and how we compensate drivers like CDL, uh, which that's been sort of a long-standing issue.

So that one to me should be top of mind because I think it impacts how the different lots are staffed.

Absolutely.

And that's acknowledged in some of these of one of these is talking about like a shuttle between lots that could help sort of employees get around more efficiently.

Um the only other thing I wanted to flag that I think is something we still we're still grappling with, no pun intended, is the automatic side loaders within the sanitation department.

And I I think at one point we thought that you know the the efficiency measure would be to switch over to the I guess they call them like the one-arm bandit.

Um, but some of the routes are so small that that truck just never was going to fit down the streets, right?

And then some of our developments that were approving, especially town home developments, we're actually designing these townhome developments where the alleyway isn't big enough for those trucks to even maneuver.

And so we have to have sanitation do a special route with a smaller truck to go down the townhome alleyways because they're the only ones that'll fit.

And you know, for me personally, what that generally means is every once in a while my house gets skipped.

Because someone might have been out that day or someone knew might have gone on the route.

And it's it's literally like just in our area, there's only a few of those specific.

So it's almost like a small truck has to jump around the county just to fit within the alleyway sort of so now we have like different vehicle sizes for different streets.

So I'm I'm really just wondering out loud how do we kind of streamline all the different truck sizes and component technologies that would fit for each route and how they um uh how they work within sort of the daily um staffing flow.

Absolutely.

Yep.

Thank you.

I this is I've taken note of this and during our action planning meeting, these are things that we can uh go into more detail on and come back and report, likely before the next social report um the next quarter.

I think these are things that we can send over in the interim.

Okay.

Um I also wanted to just make a note because this has come up a couple of different times and it excites me because I'm a data person.

Um but you all are mentioning a lot about workforce levels, uh whether they're adequate, um, decisions around that, funding around that, and really comparing and being able to cross-tabulate that with department performance uh essentially.

And so one of the things that we're doing in this process is also developing key performance measures, standard key performance measures, and being able to visualize some of those measures where feasible.

It's a technical uphill battle, but we're we're trying our best to be able to visualize some of these KPIs and dash uh on Power BI dashboards, and we've already built uh a dashboard with all of the HR data that shows the vacancy rates and transit those vacancy rates right now, and you can kind of compare that to other jurisdictions and where does DeCab County fit?

What we're working on this year is to be able to build out this um scorecard, if you would, so that we have the standard metrics, then we'll be able to say, okay, well, look at cycle time in this department that has a workforce shortage versus cycle time in this department that doesn't necessarily have a vacancy rate issue, et cetera.

So we are trying to become more data driven throughout this entire process, and these questions that you all are asking for, hopefully should be reflected in dashboards soon.

Okay.

Good.

You made me think of one other thing.

Uh-huh.

So I'm glad that you mentioned that, the KPIs.

Um, so the theory of the KPIs is to track how we're doing and that we're meeting those goals.

What and this is something you can don't answer now but the are there performance incentives within the departments down to the staff level that would allow efficiency and productivity to be increased and for with using the KPIs for even rank and file employees to understand if they can do X, Y, and Z, it translates into performance incentives, other words more money in their paycheck or other type of bonuses that are sort of the incentive reward to meet the KPIs.

Yeah.

I actually just had a conversation last week with COL Williams about um exploring options for incentivizing performance improvement um knowing that the change is coming down the line around a hundred percent of departments reporting KPIs us now monitoring performance etc and so you know I defer to COO Williams and the governing authority about what what can be possibly done to incentivize uh staff but uh I do believe that's being explored.

And well just because you're an expert and you know the industry just help us understand like what the the industry what other yes how they how they treated just as so we understand if those are things that are being done.

Yeah I did say that we were going to share some market research insights on those incentives and then just try to explore and see what's feasible and appropriate here for the cab but that is the way to put the bow on it encourage participation for sure.

All right okay thank you commissioner terry uh commissioner Johnson any questions I had well two things on the conversation about the sanitation trucks I think that's an example of cross departmental because some of that could also be addressed with our planning department and the requirements of how wide streets need to be for future development so that's something cross departmental um my other it's not so much a question for you ma'am I think it's more of a question for my colleagues when we're talking about the blocks especially the ones that are funding related blocks and it might actually bleed over into FAB but I feel like if we had an idea of what those actual funding blocks are that can help inform us when we're having our budget discussions so probably bring this up when you present the FAB as well but whether we do it just in fab or if each committee is looking at the funding blocks and how we can help implement those in either the mid year budget or the annual budget I think that's us doing our part of making sure the the departments can be successful in this assessment agreed.

It's okay thank you.

For uh I guess interdepartmental cooperation there's a resident that I have in district one that um says that Fulton County has a camera technology that they can detect either graffiti or potholes or any issues that are in the community because there's an AI component to it.

So I believe we had funded all of our trucks to have video cameras on them if that is in fact been implemented is there a way that we can have an AI component that looks at those videos and can proactively say there's potholes on this street and then it sends a list over to roads and drainage or if there's graffiti then get over to code enforcement and ask them to take a look at it.

That would be uh a phenomenal improvement I think there there um I'm drawing a blank on the specific recommendation but I'm almost positive we had this conversation um in sanitation and the AI component came up I I need to go back and look at the specific recommendation I can't recall if it had been implemented or not which I think is your question but what you're describing absolutely came up so I believe it is in the assessment and if I'm not mistaken I believe it has been implemented we talked about the AI tool component um I know that IT on the other side because administrative policy is something that we're also fixing or is working on that responsible AI policy to be able to track and ensure that you know uh AI implementations compliant and also um achieving efficiencies yeah right yeah uh but certainly I will follow up on the um technological component associated with that recommendation see Ted well I mean uh it's cool stuff sanitation is guaranteed to be on every road at least once a week um and if if we can put that data to use uh for the improvement for our residents I think that's uh that's a double win right there so and and in the future too I want to for department heads to be able to come up here as well and and speak about these so they they wanted to see the process first I came in and did it but next time I'll be sure to call call them up to provide additional insight okay as insight too.

Okay as insight too.

Perfect.

Um any other questions?

No.

All right.

Thank you all.

Thank you very much, appreciate the update.

And uh we look forward to seeing you next quarter.

Uh with that said, Commissioners, let's get on into actually we have a CIP update as well.

Director Hauser, good to see you.

Good afternoon, Commissioners.

Mr.

Chair.

Um, this is our third installment of a possible seven presentations that we are doing regarding our drinking water and wastewater or sewer capital improvement program.

So if you recall, um, just a quick recap.

Our first session, we really had a video presentation showing the successes under previous CIP as well, CIPs as well as projects that were ongoing.

Um we then discuss the backbone of our drinking water system, our huge transmission mains, and the strategy regarding how we would accelerate replacement and making smart decisions around those constructions.

Last time we focused on the pipes that were within our communities.

So, for example, the smaller um water mains where we've seen a lot of breaks, for example, having multiple breaks per day and our strategy regarding categorizing those smaller diameter projects and the execution of them.

We talked about some of the two tools we've used to highlight and actually package projects regarding our drinking water system.

Alongside that, we were talking about the procedures and the guides that we were actually refreshing and adding to that will help us in the development and the execution of our CIP.

So that involved, for example, how do we define a CIP project?

How do we go about prioritizing them so we are giving proper weight on the water side on the sewer side?

Today we're gonna shift and we have a host of people in the back if you all want to wave your hands there.

They're not all going to speak, we're gonna keep it 15 minutes, but they do support each other, and as I mentioned before, there's a huge amount of hands that go into making the CIP and executing the CIP.

So two people I want to introduce.

We have our assistant director of plant operations, Mr.

Kenneth Gobin.

So he will be coming up and speaking on the latter half of this um of the presentation, and he really has responsibilities for all of our plants, both the water plant and the wastewater treatment plant.

We also have um assistant director who can make her way up, Dora Taborda, and she will be speaking.

She's our assistant director for regulatory compliance.

You've you've heard from her before as we were discussing the copper rule and and just things that we have to do on a regulatory basis.

And she has had responsibilities for the water treatment plant projects, and she continued on in that role, even though she's now operating as our assistant director.

So I believe she has the first portion, and then we will switch after we discuss um our water treatment plant, as you know, and I'll just say it for the public.

DeCap County is unique in the metro area in that we have one water supply and we have one water treatment plant.

Hence, even though that water treatment plant was first constructed in 1942, received improvements in 2007.

Remnants of that 1942 plant remain.

And part of the our strategy surrounding the CIP is to address those gaps.

Um if you recall, we've had failures already of our water treatment plant capabilities three times, where we've been left with just having potentially hours worth of water ready for our residents and commercial entities as well as visitors city caps.

So part of what um Dora is going to present is our strategy, certain projects that we're going to utilize to increase the resilient resiliency at our water treatment plant.

Dora good afternoon and welcome.

Good afternoon, Commissioner.

Thank you for having me this afternoon.

Absolutely.

I'm going to talk about our drinking water plan and few of the CIP projects that we are currently running at the water treatment plan to improve our service, as Director Hauser just mentioned.

So as you might know, um, this is our only water treatment plan.

We intake our water from the Chattahoochee River.

And we in the water treatment process is an advanced oxidation water treatment process where we eliminate the solids, eliminate organics, and of course we clean the water to make it safe for consumption.

So the majority of the project that we're going to talk about are related to meeting compliance requirements from EPD and to ensure the continuity of water services for our residents.

So the first project that we have is this project is ongoing is the conversion from caustic to liquid lime.

This is a chemical that we add at the end of the process to stabilize the pH and ensure we haven't found any lead pipes so far in the Cap County, as as I might mention before.

But if we ever find the existence of a lead pipe, by having our pH high, we prevent from any leakage from that lead, any reaction from the water with that lead.

That's how the basis um helps on the water treatment.

And is the pH of the water is regulated by EPD, and that's why we're trying to optimize it.

Also, the caustic is very dangerous for our operators.

It might be explosive.

So we want to do the shift to liquid lime.

In addition, uh all our county industries will be benefit from this, and everybody who use our water are as our primary product to produce any drinking.

Um they will benefit by having a more stable water.

The next project is the largest project that we have at the candler water treatment plan, and this project we have been working for at least six years developing the conceptual design of this project.

And basically, what it is is we will eliminate uh the old water treatment plant that you can see here in color tile.

And in that area, we will um install two large clear wells to increase the storage capacity of our water system, and also this will eliminate um at the single point of failure that we have, which means that all the water that we produce now is going to the blue system that you see in this light.

It goes um the water produced goes to our clear well and then is being pumped to our storage tanks, the five circles that you see there, and from there is pumping to the distribution system.

And that's our only path at this moment to transport the water to the distribution system.

Any failure in the transfer pump um system will mean that we won't be able to uh push any more water to the system.

This is why we are with the Clear Well project, we are adding the two red tanks that you see there, plus another pump station to have a secondary path to be able to transport our produce water to the distribution system in case we have any failure.

Um course, when you have such a large project, you also need construction management services because we're gonna have several crews working in different areas at the water treatment plant and the construction management service is um professional consultants who are gonna give us inspectors and construction managers that are gonna look at the construct and the contractors and are gonna make sure that they deliver the product as indicated by the design.

Then another project that we're working on is improving the transfer pump system.

Again, um this is with the goal of ensuring uh uninterrupted service of water.

We had in the past uh a couple of failures on this uh transfer pump system, and it's because we have basically all pumps and all process control system.

With this project, what we'll do is we will put new pumps, new process control system, and this will reduce even the um any any chances for us to have to issue any boil water advisory because the pressure in the distribution system went low and ensure that there is an interrupted system of our water.

Um we also uh are working uh on the filter assessment and the media replacement.

Um this is a project driven by mainly by compliance.

As you might know, uh EPA is coming up with new PFAS regulation.

You might have heard people asking us for PFAS.

So at this moment, the GAC media that we have in the filters is enough to trap all the PFAS particles.

So we are meeting compliance.

However, the media is a little bit old.

As you know, everything ages.

And so it's time for us to replace the meat, the media and look at under drain of the filter, which is the base of the filters, make sure that it is in proper shape.

And um and with the new media, we'll have capacity to keep trapping um not only the PFAS, but also the um all the organics that produce other uh and also of course um these filters are biologically active.

We have microorganisms living in there, so they are also gonna degrade more organics.

And so the water that comes out of there is very polished.

Um together also with all those improvements, um, EPA requires us to have a separate source of power for the water treatment plant.

So currently, as you might know, we have the electrical source of power, Georgia Power.

Uh, but in addition, we have the diesel generators at the plant.

And um they are a little bit aged.

The process control system is old because you know, all computer computer gets old and all these type of things.

So the objective of this project is to bring three new generators and all the computers and all the SCADA and all the process control updated.

So if we have any failure in terms of the weather, you know, when we have all these big storms in Georgia all the time, then we will be able to use the diesel generators as needed to keep the plant um operating and pushing out the water that we need.

So this also gives give us more resilience in our ability to uh put water out of the plant.

Um I think that uh we've got questions as well, or I've got questions as well, but uh Commissioner Terry, if you'd like to go first.

Oh, yeah, just back on that last slide.

Um how does this uh renovation fit into the uh South Face clean energy study?

Because I believe that they identified several locations, including watershed pro sites that could allow for solar installation and battery backup as well as battery generators.

So um how are how is the department interfacing with the um the proposed RFP on the solar installations and battery backup at county facilities.

Um looking at Zach.

Um I'm late, yeah.

So one more time.

The question was how is the South Face report interfacing with the Yeah, because I think like I I didn't realize that we were gonna tear down the whole building.

That's news to me, but I'm glad we're having this discussion.

Um it just because you're talking about installing diesel generators, um just curious uh because part of the South Face clean energy plan was to deploy solar at various sites, and including I think at the waste at the water treatment site as well, um, but then to have solar and battery backup uh at those two components really support each other.

And I know that there's I believe even additional work may be coming before you very shortly in terms of the implementation of the South Place plan with solar and such.

Where we stand specifically with the Scott Candler water treatment plan, I'm not in a position to say I just don't know off the top of my head.

But we can ensure that when we bring forward a solar solution, um that's one of the key places that we'll be looking at.

Okay.

Well, I think the main the main question maybe could be if Director Butler could just tell us if the RFP for solar includes Scott Candler as a site.

You don't have to answer that now, I'm just curious about the because I think that's coming soon.

So if it doesn't, maybe we can modify it.

Okay.

And I guess is the is the rationale for having a diesel generator just because it's just sort of the industry standards a quick answer.

Okay, yeah, that's right.

So um as far as the generators go, we're a power hub.

So we're talking 4,160 volts to run a pump on our high service pumps to feed the water out.

That's what these generators provide.

So it's gonna take a lot of solar to get us there.

So as far as what the generators do, the solar wouldn't really help us.

We need a lot of real estate, a lot of panels to make that possible.

As far as what this part of the plant needs.

No, I understand.

Well, the uh are the generators for backup?

Yes, sir.

Okay.

Yeah, well, I mean, I think what I was actually referring to is not powering the plant with solar, um, it's actually related to how we use solar energy during the day as a power component being a cheaper energy source than Georgia Power would charge us for the kilowattage.

Um and then if there is an additional capacity, it's stored in battery backup generators.

And so but but in essence, the the thing that I'm asking you all to look at is having a hybrid approach.

So by incorporating solar and battery backup, it doesn't replace 100% of the energy usage, but it provides cost savings as well as additional flexibility during outages, or simply kicking on the battery generators to a certain extent of the kilowatt required, not as a backup, but to actually be that power source.

So the solar is literally banking that battery um to be used when the sun's not shining.

Yeah, you might want to look back in, I think it was 2019, Cherry Street Energy that came out to the Pole Bridge plan.

Yeah, that's right.

So also do the evaluation of it.

Yeah, and the South Face Plan Cherry Street updated their solar assessment for county facilities.

I think it was based on 2023 numbers.

Right.

Um so that's just the main thing is just if the solar RFP is looking at Scott Candler, it sounds like it part of it wouldn't be in contention because you're demolishing part of the building.

Um so that wouldn't make sense.

But at one point there was talk about some of the the green, the sort of the grassy area as well as the floating solar panels on the uh reservoirs.

And with with the cost.

As part of the study of the demolition project, we did an analysis uh to see if installing solar panels in the new building, because we are demolishing the old plan and we are installing new buildings.

And we were sizing the solar panels on the roof of the new buildings, and we were thinking, like you say, uh as a partial power component, but I believe the price of the battery at the time that we did the study prohibited um you know, moving forward, it was not economically feasible given to what Ken just said, that the amount of power that we need is so large that the batteries, the cost that we would include in buying the batteries would have been so high.

But certainly we can review that again again.

Just to clarify, like the don't think about the batteries as a replacement for the emergency generators like 100%.

Think about it more as how you taper off energy demand as the sun goes down.

So it's purely for it from an energy perspective, maybe less so from a backup generator perspective, if that makes sense.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Uh Commissioner Johnson.

Yes, just a quick question on this slide about the generator backup.

Um I see that the schedule and the cost of the project is to be determined.

How far out is that?

Just curious.

Is where we think in a year, two years?

Oh no, we we're planning to do it very soon.

Okay.

And uh Ken Head is getting several quotes from for the generators because we're trying to save money.

And so he's trying to piggyback from other uh state contract that we could get a more reasonable price for the generators.

And in addition to that, we're trying to get reasonable prices also for the process control system.

Understood.

Perfect.

Thank you.

Okay.

So the generator uh project costs we have gotten at an $18 million quote at the moment.

Uh one of the things we learned that we're going to be fighting with our data centers.

They're driving the demand for a lot of generators.

So the lead times then push the project out due to data.

Thank you, Ken.

Thank you very much.

Uh just to the role for a data center on this site.

Hey, hey, hey.

Just asking.

No, uh at the very bottom, right?

Um Commissioner Johnson, any other questions?

That's it.

Okay.

Uh following up with uh Commissioner Terry's question.

Uh and since you mentioned the data centers, I remember them saying uh our planning staff saying that um level four generators is I think the industry standard and they're the most efficient and least polluting.

Those are the that is the standard of generator that we're looking for uh to place there?

Well, absolutely.

We um if you don't know, we are uh regulated by the state.

So our diesel emissions from the generators and being so close to our drinking water, we can't have a lot of emissions coming off those generators that could then contaminate the reservoirs.

Okay.

So we have to make sure we got uh top tier on that pollution.

All right, perfect.

Um and then uh since you also mentioned this one, instead of the floating um solar panels, you know, something fixed over top of the uh I forget the first slide, the one that's uh where the water is held over in Gwinnett County, uh that facility.

This one uh nope, one more maybe not.

You had a picture that had the three reservoirs.

Um and uh the one that's over in Gwinnett County would be probably ideal spot that you could put that.

Oh, it's on the other side of Flowers Road.

Anyway, just making a pitch for that notion that you know it is it would be a fixed location.

Um we know the water level goes up and down at a pretty regular is it that one right there for the cover sheet?

Um but that would be uh a recommendation.

That to me does seem like there you go, right there.

Raw water reservoir number three seems like it would be an ideal place to put something like that.

But um I'm a planner, not an engineer.

I'm gonna I'm gonna send you the Los Angeles County Water Authority did a pilot of a floating solar panel that actually has a sort of a it tilts the solar as the sun, so it's kind of like the most recent example of sort of efficiency.

Nice.

And the numbers are really good.

Um I know in the past y'all didn't want anything to touch the water.

Um, but I mean it seems like it's working for other water authorities, so just you know, and this is just all in the vein of cost savings and energy savings.

Okay, yeah.

All right.

Well, um I think we're questioned out right now, Ken.

So get us quick while we while we're not saying anything else.

Okay.

Well, be pretty quick here.

Um I'm gonna talk about the pole bridge plant.

And the pole bridge wastewater plant is uh been in service since like 1981.

Uh one of the main issues we're having at the Pole Bridge plant are in that top right picture is the electrical switch gear.

The electrical switch gear is what's fed from Georgia Power that feeds the power into the plant to the buildings and to the equipment that you see in that picture.

Um it's at its end of service life.

There has it's a lot of obsolete parts.

So sometimes if part, if uh electrical surge comes through, we can either replace the part, we may have to rebuild the part.

But also the main reason to go ahead and change out this switch gear now is due to the fact that um we're at our electrical capacity.

So we cannot add any equipment to optimize the plant.

We can't change out equipment like UV light, which will be for disinfection instead of using chlorine gas, which poses a risk to the environment and to the public.

So we'd like to go that route, but we don't have the power to do it, so we need the electrical switch gear upgrade to do that.

Um Georgia Power would be the one to uh install it because they need to run the feeder lines, install the unit.

We're looking at about a five million dollar cost.

The um the actual lead time is about a year.

So if we gave them the order today, it'll be a year from now before the it comes in for delivery, and then the install wouldn't take but you know, um probably two months at the most.

Um so that's that.

The middle picture that you see is the bus duck.

We have a couple of those in the plant, and what the bus duck does it supplies the energy that comes from the switch gear into the buildings to the equipment, and that equipment is over 35 years old.

It's been deteriorating.

Uh we've patched it up, put it together, but it ultimately needs to be replaced, and also it again it has to be replaced because with the electrical upgrade and carrying more current, it wouldn't support it anyway.

So that's about a million dollars to replace those and um get us where we need to be electrically and have stable electricity.

And 2011 there was a power study done that showed you know, by not having stable energy, we've lost equipment, switchboards, um, PLCs, and also um VFDs that drive the equipment.

So that's why I'm really pushing for this.

The last thing I want to talk about are the gates.

The gates at Pole Bridge are the same age as the plant, over 40 years old.

We have about 67 gates throughout the plant.

These gates are used to isolate tanks and equipment so we can uh isolate flows to the tank so we can shut it down for maintenance, or if we just want to shut it down for process control.

But the gates now throughout the age have uh got pitting and corrosion, so they're not sealing well, or they're um they're the metal has eaten away to where it's not sealed to the concrete to the tank to where it doesn't properly seal, so we get seepage and things of that nature, and I definitely don't want my people in a tank trying to clean and water's coming in on them, or it gives way.

Yeah, and also the process as well will be affected by things blending that shouldn't blend due to bad gates.

So the gate project will probably run about five million.

It'll probably take at least two years to start to finish from the time we get the fabrication orders in because they're various sizes throughout the plant.

Ken, just a quick question.

So uh as it is right now, that facility can handle the current population of Tacab.

Yes, uh Pole Bridge is designed, that's why we're not asking for expansion because Pole Bridge was designed to handle 20 MGD.

Currently, we handle seven to nine MGD daily, a million gallons per day of sewage coming in.

So we have um we have the luxury there of taking tanks offline that so we don't we can be more efficient.

Um so as that side of the county grows, we can take more flow, but we ultimately nature has gotten us and you know time has caught up with us.

Um if I recall everything north of La Vista Road goes to City of Atlanta, is that correct?

Pretty much, yes.

Uh is if worst case scenario happens, Pole Bridge can handle capacity from north of La Vista, or is that a no one's contemplated that question yet?

No, I I've I've always thought about that because I wanted to me personally, I want to not pay City of Atlanta anything.

I would like DeCab County to treat every bit of our water.

The water plant put out uh 56 million gallons today.

Snapfinger is going to treat about 25 of that.

Pole bridge is going to treat about 7 million of that.

So the rest of that's going to Atlanta.

Uh I feel no better way to serve citizens than to bring it all down.

So we'd have to divert though, some of that snap finger and then divert some of that to pole bridge.

But that will require a considerable amount of piping to put in the ground to get it there, and probably some more lift stations as well to convey that sewage.

Okay.

All right.

Uh commissioners, any questions right now?

If not, we'll have okay.

Go ahead.

Yeah, I just wanted to um share.

I think we're trying to find time at a future committee meeting to report back on the Pole Bridge um master plan because of you know, this is the treatment site, but there's you know almost 300 acres surrounding uh the plant, and so we think we're trying to get on the calendar for the committee to present on that.

All right, sounds good.

Yeah, that's my land application land.

So that's what we apply to slutch if we don't go to the landfill.

Gotcha.

So those 300 acres are still permitted through our EMPDS permit.

Um and it will save the landfill space if we go back to land application.

Okay.

Just uh since we're talking about it, solar cells.

Could you put a solar field over top of that where it doesn't interfere with the distribution?

What's that?

Could you put a solar field over 300 acres of land where it wasn't well like I say Cherry Street came out and they looked at that as well back then um to do the solar, and then of course what we would generate, we could sell back to George Powell.

Sure.

Um I mean you speak to it.

I mean, I I know you uh have CERM and we talked about it.

Yeah, we just asked um the vendor to just look at different options.

I think the goal was just to figure out what the options are, so that's kind of where we're at.

So I mean, I'm you know, there's maybe a little bit of both.

All right.

There's a lot of land out there.

It is it's a total of 583 acres, but the 300 are laid out for the land application, and then it's tree buffers in between the land application sites.

So uh you might make the deer unhappy to turkey.

We got beaver out there, we got three nesting eagles out there.

Well, one of the things that we've asked about is um the uh ability to uh place the compost facility.

And there are um, for instance, Athens Clark County that have uh taken biosolids and instead of taking them to the landfill, putting them into a compost operation.

So that's another way to not do land application but to repurpose it in a composting system and then generate revenue through that.

But again, that's not kind of part of that study that we can about.

I'll tell you what, it is five o'clock.

Ken, can you get us through and I promise gonna lead you through the rest of the yeah?

We're gonna hold all questions until the until the end of the year.

But I'll be here if you have any questions.

But Catherine works for AECOM and she's been with me throughout the whole Snapfinger process of the expansion, and she's gonna speak to the next phase that's coming up.

All right, perfect.

Welcome, Catherine.

Hi, thank you.

Yep.

Um nice to meet everybody.

Um so Snapfinger, when the project was originally conceived to expand and upgrade the plant, um, it was going to be two phases.

Phase one was would be to ready the site uh for the eventual expansion and upgrade.

So we're taking the plant from 36 MGD to 44 MGD, and then eventually to 54 MGD, building tankage in phase two for the 54 MGD plant, but not equipping everything.

So this project is about 99.97% complete.

So but it was gonna so the project was divided into uh phase two and phase three, because in February 2013, there was a cost estimate done, and it was gonna be 378 million dollars to build this the Snapfinger expansion and upgrade.

Too big of a hit to the county to do at that time.

So the so uh the county decided to do phase two and phase three.

What we're doing now is taking phase three and we're splitting it into phase three A through phase three E so that we um stage the costs so that we can strategically use the CIP funding, and we only build facilities when we actually need it.

Okay?

So there we go.

Thank you.

Okay, so phase three A is a project that's in bid right now, so it's designed.

Um the bids are due April 9th.

We're super excited to get the bids.

This will take the influent pump station from 75 MGD to 160 MGD.

And the key feature of this is that we've incorporated what's required to handle that two-year 24-hour modified consent decree storm that you've probably heard about a lot.

And uh so this was originally going to be basically 120 MGD pump station or 129 with a little bit going to EQ.

It's now 160 MGD.

The plant will be able to treat at build out 100 MGD.

So that means 60 MGD will go to equal equalization.

So also with this phase 3A, we're going to convert the abandoned tanks that were abandoned after phase two to an additional 20 point 12.3 million gallons of equalization.

The benefit of this is it gives us a little breathing room on the consent decree until we are able to complete these facilities.

Phase three B is an ongoing design build project with change order one that's already been approved.

We're going to equip the six UV tanks that were constructed in phase two with equipment.

And what this the benefit of this is we will get rid of gaseous chlorine from this plant.

Right now the plant is permitted for 44 MGD, and we're shooting for that 54 MGD plant.

So putting this UV facilities in will allow for the eventual build out of the plant.

Phase 3C, that project is also at bid right now.

And the bids are due next Thursday.

And we are again super excited to get the bids on that.

And what we're going to do with phase 3C is build out the existing clusters one through four and the membrane plant that was constructed in phase two so that we get as much membrane surface area as possible in the plant.

And that way we will more reliably achieve the peak hourly flow rate for the phase two facilities.

Now we're going to phase 3D.

So phase 3D, we are going to build out membrane clusters five and six.

This will allow us to hydraulically pass that uh hundred MGD peak hour flow that the plant should be able to take.

And we're going to do that by uh, like I said, building out clusters five and six, um, adding a bunch of equipment um associated with that build out.

And then phase three E will build out the treatment capacity of the plant.

So uh we want to be able to hydraulically pass the peak hour flow, but with the build out of the plant to 54 MGD, we also want to be able to treat everything.

So what we're gonna do there is add primary clarifiers, um, three primary clarifiers, and that will reduce the solids in the plant.

It will improve the membrane life, and it will also improve the plant efficiency because the bug population will be keyed in on the the what the biological process actually needs to treat that 54 MGD flow.

So um we're also looking ahead at phase four.

And phase four, we had a study done to with the objective to reduce the quantity and approve and improve the quality of sludge going to landfill.

Uh so we had a um a design engineer come in, do a study.

What we came up with was um adding two unit processes to handle sludge, um, a thermohydrolysis process and a digestion process.

Um that was projected to cost 414 million dollars back in July 2024.

Um we consider this project at the pre-planning stage.

We see it on the horizon, but we we are not planning for it like a specific date at this time.

So that is it for Snapfinger and what we're planning there.

Thank you.

Any questions?

I'm not seeing any questions.

Oh let's make them kind of focused because we are like I said, we're after five o'clock and I still want to get through our seven agenda items for today's more just for research later.

I'm gonna come I'm gonna keep coming back to just sort of the highest and best use of the the bio sludge or the biosolids, I guess, in different terms, but um so um would you all um so you said it's 14 million to increase that treatment?

Dewatering?

An additional 14 million?

Oh oh the 400 for phase four.

Well, just for the the increasing cost of landfill sludge.

Is that related to the tip fee that we increased at the sanitation level?

Basically, what she's referring to, what she's referring to is the tipping fee.

Yeah.

Um by thermal hydrolysis and digestion, it will eat more of the uh constituents out of the water, which will help us produce sludge.

Right.

So that's why you want to bring the facility.

And I do remember we I think we had to spend about three million dollars to improve the leach aid system at the landfill because there was more liquidity biosolids coming, so all these things are kind of related.

We can't you know reduce the water content.

We have to pay for it somehow in the landfill system.

Yeah, so the landfill the the rain water percolates through the uh trash and gets into the soil, hits the liner, they pump it over to us to the uh treatment plant.

Oh what we're doing, we're in a circle.

Yes.

So what we're doing, we're it is coming in to us, and we're trying to break it down and treat it as much as possible to you know uh do that.

So what we have right now uh in phase two that was built is the centrifuge system.

So we're treating our sludge, which our compati um sludge production has decreased since we went into the new plant, so we are more efficient at eating those constituents out of the wastewater.

Uh what Catherine was talking about here at 414 in phase four, we'll be adding more units to make us even more efficient and reduce the solids that go to the landfill, which will come back to us in the tipping cost that we pay.

And eventually when the landfill is gone and we don't have anywhere to go, like Atlanta, you're going out of state, trucking all that sludge.

Yeah, unless we do a compost facility.

You do composting, you do thermal, some sort of thermal dry, and then you make a class two A biosolid that is fertilizer that you can sell or give away to the citizens, sell it to farmers.

There you go.

I got it.

You're picking up what I'm putting down.

We just need the money.

If you're talking to that's why I'll hear can we get him some money for that, please?

Sure.

Yours first, Ted.

Um no, I do agree with what you were saying about the idea of fertilizer, I guess, with the events in the Middle East.

Access to fertilizers is restricted.

And so um we may actually have uh some economies that we can put to advantage for our residents.

So uh great conversation on that point right there, and thank you for being able to speak to that.

Commissioner Johnson, did you have any other questions to add to it?

No, okay.

Well, I'm gonna say thank you very much.

Uh much appreciate you guys here as always.

Um that's it, really.

Um phase three C is important to the consent decree and ensuring that we hit certain deadlines.

So we'll be coming back to you to talk a little bit um of what we would need to make sure we accomplish that as always.

Um commissioners, you have your site.

Um the public site is not quite available as we transition to new um a new I guess the whole county is transitioning um on the website.

So, but typically our presentations will be made available to the public.

Okay.

Could you, as a as a benefit for the commissioners, could you resend out that link uh to our site?

Oh, sure.

Um for us.

No problem.

Understood.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Commissioner, appreciate you.

All right.

Um as long as staff is good hanging out with us, we're gonna keep on rolling.

I don't see any objections coming from the audience.

So um Zach, is there a priority list that you want us to go through?

Or we just take them as they come.

I think take them as they come.

It looks like several of them may be in audit.

I don't know if 0241, 277, and 288.

Oh, they're all back.

They're all back.

I'll tell you what, let's take those big items first because they've been around for a minute, and I know that there's probably something urgent with those.

Um so uh director Wells, if you're ready.

We're gonna start on page three of the agenda.

Agenda item 2026-0241.

This is for all commission districts.

RFP request for proposal number 25-023-RFP.

Shoal Creek Trunk Sewer Section 1 construction management services, multi-year contract for use by the Department of Watershed Management.

Consist of providing pre-construction services, construction inspection, and other field services, as well as scheduling and attending meetings and preparing progress reports during the construction phase of the Shoal Creek trunk sewer relief section one project.

Recommend award to the highest scoring proposer, benchmark management LLC, total amount not to exceed five million six hundred and forty-eight thousand nine hundred and twenty-three dollars and fifty cents.

Yes, sir.

So about two months ago, we uh came forth with the legislation for the actual construction of the soul uh shoal creek trunk section one project.

This item here in particular is for the construction management of that said project um because of the sure magnitude, we need a dedicated construction manager to assist to ensure that we um have full conformance to the uh design standards and the construction is in a manner that um it's above question and we more and uh more than get what we pay for.

Understood.

Absolutely.

Um just for clarity, uh Mr.

Labwa Campbell came out with his report, results of our review based on the documentation reviewed.

OIIA determined that the five million six hundred and forty-eight thousand nine hundred twenty-three dollars and fifty cents was supported.

Yes, sir.

Um any questions or concerns or ready to roll.

I'll just note that I know benchmark to be a good replica firm.

So that good to see.

Okay, uh open the floor for a motion.

Move to approve item ending in 0241.

All right, we got a proper motion, proper second.

All those in favor, raise your hand and say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All right.

Uh Director Wells, we're gonna move on to the next one.

Agenda item 2026-0277.

This is for all commission districts.

Low bid invitation number 2025-069 ITB.

Consent decree, major gravity sewer line capacity restoration, multi-year contract for use by the Department of Watershed Management.

Consist primarily uh to address urgent sanitary sewer maintenance and rehabilitation needs identified through assessment in the ongoing sewer assessment and rehabilitation program, OSAR, and the maintenance management system.

Secondly, the contract will also be used to perform sewer rehabilitation uh to reduce inflant infiltration and inflow uh and provide additional capacity for potential development.

Recommend award to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, uh Southeast Pipe Survey Incorporated, total amount not to exceed 21 million forty-two thousand four hundred and sixteen dollars and forty-five cents.

Director Wells.

Yes, sir.

So this item um obviously is a consent decree item.

It's important to note that it's for our large diameter um uh system, not to be confused with a lot of the efforts that are usually on the small diameter.

This here in particular allow us to um clean and do rehab on the large diameter trunk sewers along the um waterways and are usually the main factor in our large uh SSOs spills in particular.

So this uh this item, this contract uh legislative item will allow us to uh address those.

Perfect.

Commissioners, any questions?

No, okay.

I'll just note again from Mr.

Lavois Campbell.

Uh based on the documentation reviewed, OIIA determined that the 21,042,416 and 45 cents was supported.

Uh so with that said, I'll open the floor for a motion.

Move to it.

Move to adjourn.

Ah no, ma'am.

Move to the ma'am.

027.

All right, we got a proper motion and a proper second, and I'm watching.

Um all those in favor, raise your hand say aye.

Aye.

We're moving on to the next item.

Uh agenda item 2026-0288.

This is for all commission districts.

Low bid invitation number 2025-087 ITB water valve and air valve replacement and repairs.

Multi-year contract for use by the Department of Watershed Management.

Consists of installation and maintenance of valves within a uh within its potable water system that have been previously identified as failing.

Recommend award to the lowest responsive and responsible bidders, GS construction incorporated, amount not to exceed $19,088,160.

Director.

Absolutely.

This is probably one of the um most important items I presented since I've returned here to the CAP County.

Um there's a desperate need for us to have a mechanism to really be able to uh repair and replace our uh water valves within our water distribution system, and this item here allows us to do just that.

Um we currently have a uh exercising and assessment program that's going on, but once you find those uh items, those valves that need maintenance, repair, replace, this mechanism will allow us to do just that.

Perfect.

All right, commissioners.

Any questions?

So just to make sure I'm understanding there's this you we're doing a systematic process across this across the system on where the status of the valves and then we can proactively replace them and not just wait till they fail.

Absolutely.

That's that's the exact intent.

Wow, perfect.

I'm here for it.

She she's an engineer.

A great one for at the right time when we need it.

Commissioner Terry, any questions?

Well, everything he knows, right?

Um all right.

Well, that said, Commissioners, uh open the floor for motion.

And uh, I guess before I do that, again, Mr.

Lavois Campbell, our review showed that the 19 million eighty-eight thousand one hundred and sixty dollars cited uh on the agenda was supported.

So uh again uh open the floor for a motion.

Second.

Got a proper proper set, proper motion, proper second.

All those in favor, raise your hand and say aye.

Aye.

Aye, all right, got that.

Thank you, guys.

Great, thank you.

Thank you, Director.

Um I guess circling back.

Uh let's go to public works sanitation on page two.

This will be agenda item 2026-0408.

This is for all commission districts.

Renewal of contract number 200201, uh, rock crushing, annual contract, first renewal with two options to renew for use by the Department of Public Works Sanitation.

This contract consists of crushing rock, granite, stone, and hauling materials to and from the seminal landfill.

Request uh seeks to ratify a previously provided contract term increase.

This request also seeks to exercise uh the first renewal option through February 28, 2027, awarded to ATL aggregates LLC, amount not to exceed 175,000 dollars.

Hey, good afternoon.

How are you doing?

Good afternoon, sirs.

Um item um yeah, this is uh uh request for uh concrete operation uh single concrete uh that we use in our pad building and putting the roads around.

And this is the first renewal option out of two.

Okay.

Commissioners, any questions?

I cr I crushed it.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much for that.

You know, we're just working together as a bunch of rolling stones.

Uh but no hard feelings under somebody safe.

Uh I do need a motion on this one if we're good to go.

Move to approve item 0406.

All right, second.

Uh all those in favor, raise your hand, say aye.

Aye.

Okay.

Next, uh, this is public works sanitation and beautification, fire rescue to cab uh DEMA to CAB emergency management agency and public works, roads and drainage.

Agenda item 2026-0462.

This is for all commission districts.

Change order number three to contract number one three seven eight one one one.

Beverages for use by the Department of Public Works Sanitation and Beautification, Fire Rescue, DeCab Emergency Management Agency, and Public Works Roads and Drainage.

This contract consists of providing beverages for county employees working primarily outside uh throughout the summer season.

This request seeks to add police services and the Department of Watershed Management to the contract to increase the contract funds and term through May 8th, 2027, awarded to Coca-Cola Bottling Company United Incorporated, amount not to exceed 185,000 dollars.

Director Wells.

Yes, sir.

So this item is for us to be able to take care of the valuable team members throughout the cav, in particular in the public works infrastructure sector, which include all those departments you name there as well as uh public safety.

In particular, this allow us to buy bottled water, um package caterer to mix and coolers, things that nature, so we can deploy and inclinate weather when it's really hot.

Um in addition, watershed also use it to depart the uh pilots of water when there's extended outages or whatnot.

So this is a very important item for us to be able to take care of our employees, um, more especially during the summer.

Do we know is this decab water or other water?

Just bottle water.

It's just bottled water, okay.

Thank you.

Uh Commissioners, any questions on this item?

No, sir.

No, okay.

Uh open the floor for a motion.

Move to approve item 0462.

Second.

Proper motion, proper second.

All those in favor, raise your hand, say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Um, I guess let's take the next one.

Uh 2026.

This is top of page three.

2026-0497 for commission districts four and seven.

Extension of the contract time provision for City of Tucker ADA transportation plan.

Uh, who can speak to this item?

Alan Mitchell.

Good afternoon, Director.

Good to see you.

Good afternoon.

Glad to be here at PWI.

So I'm here to request permission to extend a contract with the City of Tucker.

As you know, my background, we have a cooperative agreement with all cities.

And Tucker is one of those.

We've recently given Tucker a quarter of a million dollars to do ADA equipment and Fish General Park.

Which has been completed.

However, we also gave them $50,000 to do an ADA transition plan.

Unfortunately, because the contract was awarded in September of 2025.

They only had until April this year to be able to complete the study.

They have to actually do more work to be able to get the details to let an RFQ to the public.

And as a result of that, we're requesting that we extend the contract to the end of this year to allow them time to be able to do an inventory in Tucker to determine all the facets they have to give to the contractor who's going to do the study.

So that is the request.

All right.

Commissioners, any questions?

No.

Nope.

Seeing none.

Open the floor for a motion.

Move to approve item 0497.

Second, all right.

Proper motion, proper second.

All those in favor, raise your hand and say aye.

Aye.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank uh thank you, Director.

All right, uh Zach, I guess this one's yours.

Agenda item 2026-0478, and this is for all commission districts, an allocation of up to $300,000 to contract with a firm to perform research and analysis of the county's water and sewer system.

This analysis will determine how the county's water and sewer function can be best managed to ensure long-term health and stability of the county's water and sewer assets and whether optimum service delivery uh would be achieved through the existing structure, reorganizing outsourcing in whole or in part, or the creation of a water and sewer authority.

Thank thank you, Mr.

Chair.

And then the item is as reads what we're seeking is authorization from the board ultimately to allocate up to $300,000 for us to take the time and really assess our service delivery and see what is the best means and method to deliver to deliver water and sewer for our residents.

What we are the logic behind it, this is in part um our commitment to improving our service delivery.

Um we don't have any necessary preconceived notions, but we do feel now is the time.

Over the last uh year, um we have implemented the 1010 uh rate increase.

We are on track on terms of moving forward with our capital program as Director Hauser has simply in has indicated.

I think our water billing is uh has tremendously improved.

We've implemented the RAP program, so there's a number of key milestones that we have met, but we find that we're at a time where we need to ask ourselves now what is the best way for long-term service delivery in the with water and sewer.

Although we look back and historically we've had challenges.

I mean the the the fact remains that but for um you know long past, but but for um inactivity of uh previous administrations, previous boards, we never would have been in a consent decree.

Um over the past decade and certainly over the past few years, we have uh taken huge steps in the past um 12 months, tremendous steps to to get on the right track and to move forward.

But what we are trying to do is take the long-term view to see what is the best course of action for this critical asset for the long-term viability of DeCab County.

So what could come of it?

You know, the study will evaluate how we do service now.

Uh it will also piggyback on work that is being done by Maldon and Jenkins as we speak.

Part of the 1010 um uh board approving of the uh rate increase was for a separate operational study, which is ongoing right now.

Maldon and Jenkins is uh doing that work, and this uh will will you know be informed by that work.

But um what we're going to do is propose taking a look at our service delivery for watershed management, uh which includes water, sewer, the plants, and our utility customer operations, all of those business units, to see what is the best um method to move forward.

There was a KPMG study done um back, I believe around 2017 or so that proposed merging uh the UCO back in or into the water uh watershed department.

That's the type of thing that it would also be looked at.

Currently, use uh utility customer operations water billing is currently uh managed and overseen by the finance department.

Um so those are the types of things that would be um evaluated.

Um this decision to make this proposal stems from some internal research that we have done in uh this past year, um, you know, looking into other alternatives, what is done out there, and there's a variety uh of approaches.

Um people have outsourced and privatized, some have created um water authorities, some have combined their billing and uh operations uh into one business unit.

Um so these are all the things we would want to look at.

And I think now is um just a good time for this because we're not proposing any major rate increase, and we do have these other initiatives that we are moving forward, um, so we want to see what is the you know best long-term approach.

So that's why we're proposing this.

Okay.

And so at this point, there's no specific contract, we just want um the board's uh authorization to allocate the funds, and then we would um seek the contractor to perform the service.

And uh typical fashion would be you would come back to us with more detailed confines of the scope of the service scope of this study.

Gotcha, okay.

And the contractor, the vendor.

Okay.

Um Commissioner Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I think that is in the lines of the questions I have now is um I was wondering if we had a consultant or if we were going to use one of our existing consultants.

We haven't determined.

We have not.

So likely it would be an RFP, um, where we'd flesh out a scope, and then we would have um information on what the study would bring back and those deliverables so that we can as a board make an informed decision.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

So really all you're wanting to ask right now is can we set aside this money to do for this purpose?

For this purpose to do the assessment, and then we'll make the long range decision.

Yes, ma'am.

That's correct.

Okay.

Commissioner Tayer.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um the 300,000, is that a watershed?

Yes.

Um expense.

Yes.

Okay.

Um, the reason why this agenda item is here is because we didn't put it in the butt in the budget.

Right.

So this is so this is in essence isn't an agenda item to amend the budget.

We'll we'll see if we need to admin the budget, but it's really to get the board's um endorsement of this effort too before we come back to you with a contractor.

Okay.

I feel like okay, so you just don't you just don't want to start down this road if it's a non-starter.

Okay.

Well, it's kind of hard to determine if it's a non-starter without having a clearer idea of the scope that you're looking at.

I think you laid it out in what you just said, Zach.

Um I was really hoping that we could do the operational audit first.

Um that should be concluded.

It seems like that is sort of the that would be the natural next step to just determine, you know, how are things within watershed from an operation operational standpoint if there if Malden Jenkins review comes back and says, actually there's some really great things happening, and here's some small change.

You know what I'm saying?

Like it'll meet it almost seems like you'd want to go in the water authority route or other options if it seemed like there were some really bad findings.

Um and or um any and tractability on at the rate setting level, which is us, you know, and not moving forward with the investments that need to be made as it relates to the consent decree and the other priorities.

Um would it be possible to just get a clearer um scope of work that you're just written out in more details and what you'll be looking for in the RFP?

Yes, what so what I would propose is the authorization to move forward.

And then we can come back, we can even before putting the RFP on the street, which is non-traditional.

Let me think that part through.

Because we we we do not seek board authorization prior to putting RFPs on the street, but you know, some sort of way to assure that everyone's clear on how we're moving so that before we come back with a proposed vendor, you know, there's no surprises.

So we've got to figure out how to minimize the surprises part.

Well, maybe just some more details, because it the very the last sentence, I can't tell if it's just like commas or and or but it says in whole or in part or the creation of a water and sewer authority.

So I'm trying to figure out is the what's the end goal here.

Right.

Right.

So the goal, the goal of this is to do an open, honest assessment without a preconceived presumption that it ends in an authority or it ends in an outsourcing, or it ends in a consolidation of the UCO with the existing business units.

We would literally have someone take a look at all of those, because it could be any number of things.

Okay.

Well, that's that's just one small piece of the puzzle, though, right?

I mean, just taking billing, right?

Yes, that's putting that together.

That's the same thing.

Any of these things could be, you know, what is ultimately proposed.

Okay.

You know, a few years ago, Commissioners, I was very interested in a water and sewer authority because I felt like we weren't making progress on um, you know, the various things related to water and sewer.

But then we got a new CEO and a new board, and we took action, and I feel like we've set ourselves up for success for the next 10 years.

So I am concerned that there's maybe a little bit of um, I mean, we already made the hard decision to raise water rates to address the consent decree and fix all the systemic issues.

Um now I'm just wondering out loud what is the per what would be the purpose of a water and sewer authority if only just to delegate power to a an unelected board that you know and there's lots of boards out there and authorities that we have some inner like advice and can consultation with, but ultimately if the authority has the ability to vote on rates and contracts and things, then they it's sort of taking it out of our hands and then you know that that could be a good thing, it could be a bad thing.

We have to do that.

So as it relates to that, the discussions that we have had are you know, just looking historically at and there's there's no doubt as to where we are today relative to the implementation of uh initiatives and the managing of the water sewer uh uh department and those assets.

We're we're doing a great job, and and I believe that the Malden and Jenkins study will show that.

But as we look, you know, and and we're really just asking ourselves what does 20 years from now look like, you know, and you know, is there um you know potentially better ways of doing it?

Maybe, maybe not.

Um a number of our peer counties have moved to authorities, but there are those who have not.

So it's it's literally taking this opportunity to explore to see, you know, okay what what is in the best interest of the citizens.

Okay.

Well, I'd be really interested in sort of um, I guess those best practiced examples, um, whether they're peer counties.

Um I seem to remember like in years past Atlanta at one point privatized.

Atlanta and they sort of kind of went back.

Right.

So I might have hesitation if any part of the study is to look at privatization.

Uh to me that doesn't seem like that would ever be a viable option for our ratepayers.

But I mean the the the thought of a water authority is to sort of take the politics out of it, I believe.

That's I think that's kind of the notion.

Right.

Um so I understand the mindset there.

So I mean I'd be happy to move forward with this.

Um if we could just maybe get uh and not not asking for approval of the RFP, but just by the time it comes back to the board, just a more detailed here's what we are actually looking for line by line.

Um just so it's very clear and what the expectations are of the contract and then what the firm will be doing.

Is that sound reasonable?

We just have a couple of things.

Just a little bit more detail because the the the agenda item gives a little bit, but I think it'd be good just to get it written out exactly what we're looking for.

Absolutely.

Okay, thank you.

Okay.

Um the question was first asked, I I had said no straight out.

Um and then having some time to think about it, uh, you know, I'm I am very confident in this governing authority to be able to make the right decisions going forward.

Um that said, I still feel like we're obligated to the residents to be able to say we've double checked everything to make sure that this is the best process.

And I still think from you know, when we first got elected uh to where we are today, we have done some absolutely Herculean improvements.

Um I I feel like the residents are in the mindset of make it work.

Um but again, there is that component of making sure that we're doing it the best way possible.

So I'm a firm believer in DeCab County, and uh I have my concerns about unelected boards as well.

Uh but uh but uh the obligation I think and the expectation is to do what's best for the residents for the ratepayers in particular.

So um when we are ready to move into a vote on this, I'll be voting yes.

I do like the idea of just having more idea of what the parameters are of the act.

If that was possible to have that ready for Tuesday, I think that might allay some casir concerns.

Um and then uh just knowing how we've operated, even with our new presiding officer, we probably will have some level of discussion at the BOC on the a little discussion.

Um but we'll probably have some some type of discussion on it.

Um but uh in particular.

Um but um uh commissioners, unless there's anything else, I say let's open up the floor and we'll take that vote.

I will say that I agree with that.

I would like to see just at least a better understanding of what the scope would be, but to Commissioner Patrick's point.

I think we are doing a good job now of managing the utility, but we won't be here forever.

So if we're thinking long if we're thinking long range planning and making sure we're setting up ourselves for a success in the long range, yeah.

I think that this is not a bad exercise to go through.

Um for that reason I think we should move forward.

But I think I would like to see additional information as well.

Okay, and um I don't know if it would be appropriate, but maybe something a slide for Tuesday uh that you can easily point back to or we can look at on our screens that so we understand exactly what we're getting by doing.

Excuse me, reasonable.

Let's see.

I mean that there's there's some research that that has been done.

Um we'll make every effort.

Okay.

And if not, I'll let you know before we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

So and just request that Zach reach out to every commissioner that was not here to go through it ahead of time so that we don't spend an hour talking about it.

And we have the same hours.

Yes.

Oh, uh, you know, one other question I had.

Um especially when we don't have a scope of talk.

Could could could stormwater be added into this as well?

Stormwater.

The stormwater utility.

Because uh as I hear from uh Director Hauser, we end up having a lot of the Arcadis folks for water and sewer getting involved in in stormwater and yeah, yeah.

We have lots of issues uh even within the municipalities.

There are stormwater uh concerns that are well beyond an individual's capacity to pay and that and and to be honest with you, some of the problems out there are great enough that's uh it's a challenge at a governmental level.

Can I do this either we'll take a look to see if it would be logical?

Yeah, or if not, can I come back with a separate item?

I think we need a separate item.

Separate item.

Okay.

All right.

I think we're gonna be surprised at how much of problem stormwater is.

I've been saying it.

You're absolutely right.

I mean, the system.

Well, it's conversation for another day, but yes.

Okay.

All right.

Um open the floor for a motion.

Yeah, motion to uh recommend approval of item zero four seven eight uh with some additional um scope of work details and the request that CEO Williams uh personally brief all the other commissioners ahead of the BOC.

Second.

Okay, I'll double second for their benefits.

So they can get all the questions and answers that we got.

Yeah.

Taking all right, Commissioners.

Well, all those in favor, raise your hand and say aye.

Aye.

All right.

Uh well, we're at that sweet part of the day when it's time to go home.

I get to repeat my other motion, motion to adjourn.

Uh yes, you do.

Second, all right.

All those in favor, raise your hand say aye.

Aye.

Thanks for sharing the better part of your day for the greatest committee in America.