We are here.

Um to do Division of Water Budget Hearing.

I'm joined by my colleague, Petrona Joe Rausa, Helen Hudson, Donna Moore, Martinave, myself, and President Rida Paniawa, and of course, our wonderful commission that we always bring us fresh water.

Appreciate you with your with your team here.

So we're just gonna give it to you so you can do an overview and then we can go into details of uh of the budget.

Okay, good afternoon, counselors.

Um I would like to just provide you an update of our uh recent accomplishments and our improvements throughout our you know, water uh industry, yeah.

Infrastructure.

Uh we've had 415 water main repairs this year.

Um little more than the previous year that we've repaired.

It's not including fire hydrant replacements or 450 415 breaks and leaks.

So not all of them were major breaks, but these are things that the crews have worked on through the year.

Okay.

Um we also replaced Bose Gatehouse Valve, which has been broken closed for about 15 years and has had a major leak.

Um, maybe longer.

We repaired that and put that back online.

Um that has given us given us an estimate about 1.5 million gallons of water more a day coming into the city by repairing that valve on its own.

Um that valve was in the CIP to be replaced.

Um we did it in-house instead at a much affordable cost with our crews.

In addition to that, we brought mortingside tanks back online, which is restored eight million gallons of storage capacity to the city of Syracuse.

Um, this improvement gather strengths and uh you know our ability to meet demands, you know, during emergencies.

Um we also have inspected the transmission path from Skinnatis Lake to the city of Syracuse, which uh includes every valve and every blow-off along the way, those inspections.

We um operated valves that were closed over the years that were unknowingly closed and unoperable.

We got them up and operating.

We have two valves that are still broken closed out on the conduits we're looking to replace sometimes this year.

And with doing so, we've brought in usually we're bringing in 39 to 40 million gallons a day of water.

The city of Syracuse now is bringing in between 43 and 45 MgD a day, which is great on the times that we do shutdowns and stuff like that.

We could fill our reserve up quicker.

As we use it, we can fill it a lot quicker.

Can I ask a quick question?

Yes.

Is that improving water pressure?

Because I noticed the water pressure in my house has gone up.

A lot of the main work and stuff throughout the city, um, keeping our reservoirs full um has helped.

We we went through a time where we're helping Aqua that our reservoir dropped a little bit because we're supplying so much water on our end to them to keep them afloat, but our reservoirs are climbing every day now.

We're we're gaining, you know, historically we're like.2 plus maybe one MGD plus a day.

Now we're up to four or five plus MGD a day filling our system.

So we f you know we're controlling the flow a lot better.

Um and we're hoping as the growth of the city, we can even bring more in.

We believe we can um with repairing some of the gate, the two gates that are broken on the conduit.

Um we believe we can bring in even more water, which would rely less on us taking water from aqua during the shutdown seasons.

Um we're hoping that we could just fill our system up on our own.

What does that do to the um because I I I know if when you keep water like that, what how does that work with rising temperatures?

I'm sorry, I didn't.

So if if you are filling up reservoirs like that, what does that do with how does that work with rising temperatures with things like algae bloom and stuff like that?

So the way we will could we will control the flow.

Okay.

So the winter months we use more water in the city of Syracuse through the winter months.

So it's when we we don't have LG issues.

Okay.

So we could keep our reservoirs full, we fill them up as you know, we'll shut intake two down, you know, during a turbidity event, which we lose about 10 million MGD a day.

But now that we're bringing in this much water, when we reopen, we could fill a lot quicker than we historically could.

So um Robert, what happened with the um conversations around closing the um closing up the reservoir so that we can store more?

Um I think it was the reservoir up on Strathmore.

Closing it so it's not open.

Oh, covering it?

Yeah.

Um that wouldn't really be much of a storage capacity.

It only holds a certain amount.

That would be more on the algae bloom during the summer months.

Um we're working with a company right now that's helping us come up with more there's modern technology to keep the water moving and circulating.

So what we do in the summer month will slow the flow from Westcott down because that's a covered you know storage facility and we'll take more out of woodland to keep the water flowing.

So it'll flow more out of woodland, re reduce the flow out of Westcott so it keeps circulating more through our system.

What comes with that sometimes is reduced pressure on the north side.

So we're we're coming up with a solution so that doesn't happen anymore.

We're trying to keep both systems in full operation, and we believe with modern technology with things to you know help turn the water at the reservoir, it'll help with the algae blooms.

We won't have to really worry about them because that's all it is is stagnant water.

So the design of the reservoir is kind of like a kidney, the the inflow is like three quarters of the way down and from the outflow.

So the south end kind of sits and doesn't really get stirred up.

So what we're gonna do is try to change the flow, the inflow to flow more through the reservoir so the whole reservoir gets the same circulation.

And the idea is as more water coming up, probably by the same amount is leaving comes in.

Correct.

Keep the flow moving.

Yeah, okay.

Um I just wanted to let you know that you know the Syracuse Water Department has successfully transitioned to Syracuse Workforce Central, all our timekeeping payroll.

Um we're up and complete running 100%.

Um it's been going really good.

So I just wanted to let you know that.

Um we also did some main replacements this year.

Forest Hill Drive, who historically had six to seven breaks a winter on.

We haven't had no breaks on it this winter.

Right.

Um Seely Road, historically, you know, four or five, six breaks a year on Seely Hill, haven't had no breaks this winter.

Um Guilford Pump Station is up and running.

Um we haven't had no breaks in that area where we had to shut down.

We had problems with shutting down and and causing havoc for the daycare on top of Kimber.

Had no shuts out this year.

Um from last year till now, we've replaced about 1200 plus lead service lines in the city.

So that's kind of what my report of how we're going and what direction we're moving in.

We have a lot of upcoming projects.

We're working on the chlorine facility designed for that out of Skinny Atlas.

Um, we're looking to put the Hiawatha transmission main back online this year.

Um, some valve replacement on our conduits, and you know, of course, lead replacements just the momentum's keeps going with that.

Um, and that's where we're at.

Um I want to go back to the 415 water break, water main breaks uh and leaks.

Do you know an estimated cost of that?

Can't tell you that offhand.

Um it's a lot, you know what I mean?

We do these all in-house though.

None of this is contracted work.

This is all our employees doing this work.

Um, so there's no contractual cost to this.

This is just supply and you know, our hourly employees.

Okay.

So in terms of the materials and and stuff like that, is that that part is they're usually scheduled as part of the CIP or is that is that something that just come as it goes?

Water mains and stuff like that.

Um half and half on the sub the the pipe and south and hydrants, um, we have some in operating in our 405 line, and then also in the CIP for our large water main large water mains.

Okay.

What about what about the um the uh water increase rates?

Does that go straight to the to that or is that does that go to general fund usually?

That goes straight to the water infrastructure.

Okay, you know, cut the the rise of chemicals, you know, our chlorine's going up, you know, our ortho goes up, yeah, all these things kind of have gone up, and as you know, we're taking on the this you know large-scale lead replacement project.

You know, this is to help fund a lot of all these different projects going on.

And I know that that's a four that's a proposed four percent, right?

Four percent increase.

Four percent increase.

Well, what did that project it in terms of uh money?

What was what was that?

Um a little over a million dollars.

Well, over a million dollars, and that is specifically going where that goes into the our general account for general account to deal with, yeah.

And okay, chemical leaks, all that stuff, you know.

I mean, treatment, water treatment, and stuff like that.

Any of that going to lead that services at all?

Um only what we do in-house.

So what we do in-house, so if anyone replaces their private side on their own, we immediately go over and replace their public side for them.

So that'll that'd be part of that.

But none of that over a million is going to that is a separate No that goes the million goes to that as well.

Okay.

It's part of the whole fund.

Okay.

Um Robert, um page 181.

The water treatment plant operator.

I see that in your um job postings all the time.

Have you filled those positions or is there additional that you need?

No, that has been filled.

They've been filled.

Okay.

My other question is why is it at this grade?

Because I feel like that should fall under like engineering.

Um and the that's a union, that's a union grade.

Um the union contracts, they chose that grade.

Um I can't tell you why, it was well before me.

Um, the previous water plant manager um had did it for 30 years and he was a grade 15 on.

Um, so that's why it kind of stays at that grade.

I mean, that would be a union thing for you know, for him to petition his union to try to get a grade increase on that.

Um, but that's why it's kind of at that.

How long was it vacant before you filled it?

Because I think I saw it for a little bit of a like a year.

Yeah, so it got filled pretty quick.

I don't know why it was still, you know, just floating around.

Um, we had an internal candidate that was a water plant crew leader for years.

Okay.

Um he's in the process of getting his B1 license.

So I promoted him.

He had a he has a year to get his B1 license.

I believe in May, he'll have his B1 operator's license.

And Mike Lynn will still be a consultant for us.

You know, and he lives out at the lake house.

Yeah.

Okay.

Can you look at page?

We're gonna want to go back to page 180 and 184.

They're the same lines.

Professional services.

Why such an increase?

So we um we went with um the leak that you know, these are all leak detection, our general engineering services.

We also had to add due to the state requirements, the state health department, there was a law put in effect in 2008.

We didn't comply to that with our cross-connect.

So we we have to hire a company to manage our cross-connect.

And also this goes to our lead testing as well, our sampling.

Is that the same?

Well, this is skinny atlas watershed, same thing.

184.

Which one is that?

I'm sorry.

184, skinny atlas jumped ahead.

I'm sorry.

Under professional services, that went up quite.

Yeah, so that kind of all stayed.

That's our Cornell and um I just gotta find out.

I'm sorry.

These are things were mandated.

Or required for our filtration aidance.

So while the while the counselors are looking at um looking over their notes, um, I want to go back to the water rate.

And um 4% proposed.

Uh what what what did that quantify to per person, roughly?

Um, I think it was $7 a year.

Yeah.

I believe $7 a year for minimal use homes.

Okay, $7 a year.

Yeah.

But and for people who use it heavily, like council arouser, it'd be like what?

You pay it a lot more than seven dollars.

Is this the this is what the third the fourth water rate increase?

Do you know?

Um, we didn't do anything last year, water rate increase.

Um the previous years, I believe it may have been two percent.

Two percent increase in twenty-four.

That makes sense.

Yeah.

Yep.

I mean, we we have the lowest water rates in uh, you know, all over the country, Syracuse studs compared to our neighboring, you know, counties and stuff like that.

We have very affordable water rates.

Which for me, I I raised that question because you know, you know, uh there is no increase that is good increase.

Right, right.

There's no increase.

It's it because it's a cost, right?

But um in terms of all the struggles that that we are going through, especially with lead line and all of this, that is just there's just not enough money to fix it.

So you know, you know, we got to remember we have our our water system was put online in 1894.

Right.

It's a hundred and thirty-two-year-old water system that still works.

Yeah.

And some of the components are still 132 years old.

You know, so the the the infrastructure definitely needs an overhaul.

Right.

You know, and it's going to take time and it takes funding.

Which which for me, you know, when you look at the increase of a 4% on average is gonna cost somebody seven dollars a year.

A year.

I I I was under the impression that maybe doubling that $14 a year, which could save a life.

A child getting contaminated by lead and stuff like that.

Right.

So what why four percent, not eight percent?

Because we know with the economy right now, we kinda, you know, looked at a big picture.

$7 to some people is a lot of money a year.

A year.

You know what I mean?

It I mean it is.

I mean, we have to, you know, and we didn't want to what is that?

That's this is year one, you know.

It might could be four percent next year, you never know.

You know, we definitely need rate increases.

I mean, like I said, you know, with everything, everything's going up, you know, and we do have you know, lead service lines that need to be replaced, and we do have an infrastructure that's 132 years old.

Yeah, that's um that's one of my main concerns that our infrastructure is so old, right?

And we have all this new development everywhere happening.

Um, and we're you know, we'll be on the same pages as the grid, you know, just the infrastructure is failing and we need to make major improvements, but the money isn't there.

And and and you know, we'll strategize us, senior staff, team, come up with ways to bring in more revenue, you know, on our end.

Um I'm all for any size increase we want to go with, you know.

I'm uh we have a lot going on, you know, and and we're not talking about you know, commissioner like I like for me, I I mean it it's it's great to be sensitive to the cost of living and and and all the difficult financial difficulties people are going through.

But when you are gambling with with lives, $14 a year.

Allegedly, you know, allegedly, right?

You know, it's it's it's it's it's kind of that cost that you can understand because the the outcome of it is it put us in much much better place than where we are, and if we then keeping the $14.

The outcome versus keeping the $14 makes a lot of sense.

It does, you know.

Um we think that at this table, but people that are rubbing pennies together might not have the same, you know, right, same thought.

So it become if if you do that, uh you know, uh four percent a year.

I would rather put money into my water infrastructure than sidewalk uh snow removal.

Right, yeah, you know, that's just right, right.

It's water, right?

And it's and we all need it.

Yeah, and we do have very good water in the city of Syracuse.

And we look good.

So we have good water.

We just have an aging infrastructure, right?

And that's and that's one of our greatest assets.

It requires some investment to continue to have that great water.

They the water could be coming out of Skinala is great.

Right.

But by the time it reaches us, it might not be great.

Well, it'll be great right till it gets to the front of your home.

Right, right.

You know, you see, so it makes sense to entertain that conversation.

Okay.

So I I don't know.

We'll talk offline.

I don't know.

Yeah, I think Joel, I think this also is a good argument for when we have new development in the area.

And with the fees that we passed, you guys passed last year before I was on the council.

I think this makes a good argument for why we want those, because we're adding to our infrastructure.

I mean, we're building two new dorms up on SU Hill, right?

That's gonna take a lot more water.

And people don't realize making sure that we collect them.

We're taking, we're taking, you know, which is great.

You know, we need this, this infrastructure growth in the city of Syracuse is phenomenal to see.

Everyone's excited.

You know, we just have to take in picture.

The more we build, we're taking, you know, five homes and taking them down and building five-story buildings that are housing a hundred units.

Yeah, the demand of waters.

Yeah, and you're dealing with it.

Increasingly gonna be higher.

Yeah, and that's why we're working day and night to try to bring more water from the skinny our resource into the city.

Back in the 1950s, 1940s, we used to bring in 50 MGD a day to the city when it was a booming city, infrastructure growth, you know, manufacturing, we're trying to get back to that where we can control the flow and bring as much as we need it.

Yeah, but and and you need good infrastructure for that.

Right.

You know, you know.

And how does the um aquarium fit into that?

Um they'll buy water from us just like everyone else.

You know, I mean, they're they're gonna be tied to our what you know, our resources, um, and they will purchase water from us.

At what rate?

The same rate as residents, or is that different?

Okay, offline conversation.

Yeah, okay.

I had a question on page 185.

Uh we're having a public information officer.

So what is the uh what is the position going to do?

It's gonna just help me with like um, you know, social media platforms and putting out, so you know, the one thing we lack in, you know, ourselves is we need to be flooding the what is it called?

Social media.

Social media because there's a lot of false information.

We're putting ours on there and flooding.

There can't be false narratives.

Right.

If we leave room for people to put their narrative, what's going on?

Right, is when we can so we need to be putting more out there, so this is to help us accommodate that, put more information onto our social media.

Water main breaks, lead service lines, what neighborhoods we're in, um anything we're doing for the infrastructure of water, we need to be putting out there in public.

Okay, it's very important.

It's very important.

Okay.

Can you talk about infrastructure fee?

Because I'm looking at page 13.

Uh for the is that is that part of the 4%?

Or what where is that?

What is that?

Page 13.

13.

Yeah.

Uh infrastructure fee, uh 421510.

Yeah, so this is for like any new new development or anything that's they required to put sprinkler systems in.

Okay.

This is a fee for that.

Oh, that's that's what that is.

Yep.

Uh, and you usually work with the fire department to make that work.

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

So they have to put backflow prevention in, yeah.

Fire system, you know.

Okay.

What up, what about the um?

I want to look at insurance recoveries.

It kind of took a dip in a sense, right?

Like, went from 75 to 10.

Yeah, these are for like hydrants that get hit and stuff like that.

We're working on it.

We're kind of wondering why it took a hit too.

Yeah.

So we're working, we're working with law and all that, trying to figure out how to get this, you know, back moving.

Okay, so the hydrants, um, how come the hydrants are like up now?

Like when they get put in new ones, they sit up.

The barrels, so they're they're they're measured by no the barrel size.

So they go anywhere from three foot to six foot, eight foot barrels.

So you you try to get them when you're measuring, you're measuring underground.

And when you're doing large scale projects, you're kind of guessing what do you think it could be?

So some of them are higher.

If the ones that are lower, we can put extender kits on them and rise them.

But the ones that are higher, the barrels are already pre-cut.

You can't cut them down to put them to that level.

And they're breakaway hydrants.

So if a car was to hit it, they're supposed to just snap off.

That way we could still keep the barrels and stuff.

You good?

Yes.

Um, what about the sale of water?

What is that is that what you were talking about with uh aquarium or is that just the residential use?

Sale of water is all sale water that we sell water in the right.

Residential and commercial commercial.

Okay.

And you you you think that it's gonna go up by four percent?

Which is okay, the four percent, okay.

Um then on reserved, talk about that a little bit.

The very top unreserved.

And reserve on designated.

Isn't them what is what else?

Oh, that's from the water fund if we needed it, if we needed to jump into that for like some emergency that we would have unexpected.

We we keep a fund so we could we have the resources.

Okay, okay.

Okay.

Um thank you for that.

I want to go to, unless if you have something.

Did I throw you off your do we throw you off or you've got to be?

Okay.

Um I want to go to uh page 179.

Um we have that instrumentation mechanic.

Yep, yep.

What's what's the deal with that?

You didn't have it and now you have you're gonna have it.

Yep.

So we need someone per the EPA in New York State Department of Health to start managing our our equipment more.

So like they'll handle like our turbidity meters, make sure, you know, our flow meters to make sure they're all calibrated.

Our UV plant, um, they're gonna, you know, learn about our UV plant to keep us keep more data, more record keeping, make sure we're complying to the you know, Department of Health and EPA regulations.

Is CPA giving us some money for that with that?

No, non-fund it.

Only us.

It's a very important position that has been as technology grows, it's something that we have needed for a long time.

Well, this is more of also internal assessment of the need versus and as well as the requirement.

Right.

We need to kind of get with the times.

Okay.

Um are you all set with the lead repairs for this year?

We're still going.

Oh, you haven't you didn't stop.

I thought you had.

Oh no, no, that that won't won't stop.

Okay.

That's something that'll just continue for the next 15 years.

Okay, Lord.

So where are you now?

We team we're um we are on the south side, I believe, right now.

Um so contract one, two, and three have already been awarded.

We're getting ready to bid that's already under, you know, construction.

We're getting ready to put out contracts three, four, I mean four, five, six, and seven out for bid.

And then try to draw in some more contractors to work in other areas throughout the city.

This is gonna be a large scale project that'll continue to just keep growing.

Is it on your website um on your page where you're gonna be this year?

We're working on that website right now, trying to design that and get it up and running.

Um, but that's that's definitely one of our main priorities getting that going so people know who what contractors in their area and what areas we're gonna be going into.

That is an important and that will be part of the PIO officer helping us with that too.

Well, um I want to jump to page 185.

And I see that the secretary to the water commissioner.

Is that is that a new one or what's what that's always been there.

So it was zero on 2025, 22026, and now is No, that zero is the equipment maintenance supervisor.

Oh, is that what it is?

Okay, I gotta get one of these.

Yep, that was um so we used to have a crew leader in our mechanics garage, uh-huh, and that we're replacing with equipment maintenance supervisor just to do more ordering, to do more um for like the auctions, getting vehicles on the road.

They're gonna have a lot more job to detail if we could find one.

So maybe maybe what I'm talking about.

It's public yes.

Yes.

That's what I'm talking about.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So is that is that new?

Yeah, that's what we're that's what we're utilizing for our social media and all that stuff.

That's going to be in the new funded position.

We did talk about you putting your story out there.

Right.

So this is what that is.

This is gonna help me do that.

Okay.

Okay.

Um anybody else with questions?

Well, uh, commissioner, I think uh we may what about just quickly?

What uh what about the uh equipment maintenance supervisor?

That's the one we're on page 80.

Yep.

We're trying to fill that now.

That is taken over for the heavy equipment crew leader.

Okay.

We're looking to fill it with an equipment maintenance supervisor.

Um, we put that out the bid.

Um, and we're putting it out, you know.

I think it's on the website.

We're looking for external candidates.

Okay.

You have many vacancies right now.

We do.

We have 15 vacancies.

Um throughout our whole department.

Some of them, we probably ten of them would be CDL drivers.

Um just conversation.

Yep.

So we're having trouble finding them.

It's a national problem, just so we're all on the same page.

Um have we thought about because we water having issues around that department of public works.

Um have we thought about coming together maybe for with coming up with a collective solution where we do our own in-house training or at all?

So I I'm gonna be honest.

Right.

The the problem we have now in New York State municipalities are having the same problem.

Legalizing marijuana in New York State has crippled the driving industry.

In what way?

Because federally you're still tested for marijuana when you get a federal driver's license.

So people are NTTS closed down.

National Tract Trailer School was here for 50 years, has shut down.

That's because they don't have enough clientele.

So that's that's what's kind of pushed us back.

There used to be an entry-level position for young people to come in, they go out, they get their CDL, they come in and they work, and you start from the bottom and you work away up, like I did in 35 years, you know, 33 years ago.

Now, because legalizing that is reduced the people that are interested in it because they feel it's legal.

Why do I get tested at my job?

It's like drinking.

You know what I mean?

So that has taken effect on the driving industry in New York State as a whole, not just Syracuse.

It's it's the Roselli.

Um, everyone's having problems finding drivers in the country.

So even though if it's legal, cannabis, marijuana, they're literally still federally you're tested with a CDL license.

Oh wow, and that's what hurts puts a restriction on New York State.

You know what I mean?

So a lot of our young adults partake, just like they do, you know, people drink, it's legal, they're avoiding getting their CDL license because of the restrictions.

And like I said, this is a state problem, not a Syracuse problem.

This is a state problem.

This is happening all over the country.

Yes.

With with private, the you know, private companies and municipalities.

There's been fatality having trouble finding CDL drivers.

Yeah, that's that's true in the private trucking industry as well.

They're having a reality if someone came to work, private.

Well, they can't, because they can't get their license.

No, you can't.

So that's what's hurting the the the driving industry in New York State, and other states as well that have the same issues, you know, whether it be Colorado, there's a lot of there's a lot of places that are facing the same hospital uh folks that can be trained.

Most of the young folks in house don't want to be trained, they don't want to.

They're they're kind of like, well, you know, so it's tough.

It's a tough thing right now that we're all facing, you know, DPW, um, like I said, everybody.

Rosali's uh all your trucking industry is having that's why they're offering such large-scale bonuses to sign up, and everyone's trying to steal each other from you know, I'll try to steal this one from this one.

Yeah, it's when I started here, there was 600 CDL applicants.

You had to have a CDL to start for the city, and you start it in sanitation.

Yeah, you know it's bad when the trucking industry is offering free classes for anybody who will come.

Right.

Because they used to have to pay for the license.

School buses are trying to take get retirees back.

You know, I mean, everybody's facing the same obstacle right now.

Uh uh page uh what is this page 186?

Still there.

I see you are adding four more positions for water maintenance worker one.

Yep.

Um we uh took a few positions, so you know, we we abolished the labor two position over the years.

There is no more labor two, so we took those positions and put them into the water maintenance because I can have a water maintenance worker do whatever I need them to do.

So we have we have a mixed group of water maintenance workers.

Some have their CDL license, some don't.

Same title.

It's you know what we need at the time, and right now we have an abundance of ones that don't have their CDL.

So we're looking to hire um employees that have their CDL license to recruit them because we have to have people to drive the trucks as well as fix the water mains.

So, what's your what's your position increase this year?

How many more total?

What's that?

How many total position are you adding on top of what you already had?

And our whole budget?

Yeah, I think we had it three maybe total number of additions.

Yeah, I think like two or three.

There wasn't many more additions to total amount of employees.

Okay.

Nada, could we look at that?

Thank you.

Um, thank you.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

All right, that will conclude our meeting today.

Have a great day.

Thank you.

So move.

Uh motion?

So moved.

So moved.