MINUTES OF MEETING
NORTH SPRINGS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
The regular
meeting of the Board of Supervisors of the North Springs Improvement District was held Wednesday, December 2, 2009
at 5:08 p.m. in the district office, 10300 N.
W. 11 Manor, Coral Springs, Florida.
Present and
constituting a quorum were:
Steve Mendelson President
David Gray Secretary
Vincent Morretti Assistant Secretary
Also present
were:
Doug Hyche District Manager
Dennis Lyles District Counsel
Jane Early District Engineer
Rod Colon Director of Operations
Brenda Schurz District Administrator
Cory Johnson CH2M
Hill
Jan Zilmer Human Resource
Director
Kay Woodward District
Accountant
Dan Daly CSID Director of Operations
Joe Sabino HBC Clubhouse Manager
Donna Holiday GMS-South Florida, LLC
FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS Roll Call
Mr. Hyche called
the meeting to order at 5:08 p.m.
SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS Approval
of the Minutes of the November
4, 2009 Meeting
Mr. Hyche stated the next item is approval of the
minutes of the November 4,
2009 meeting. Are there any
questions or comments on the minutes? There not being
any,
On MOTION by Mr. Gray seconded by Mr. Mendelson with all in favor
the minutes of the November 4, 2009 meeting were approved as presented.
THIRD ORDER OF BUSINESS Consideration of Resolution 2010-01
Amending the Water and Sewer Budget for Fiscal Year 2010
Mr. Hyche
stated item three is consideration of Resolution 2010-01 amending the
water and sewer budget for fiscal year 2010.
Mr. Gray stated as I understand it part of the amendment
deals with the 1.1% margin we need
for the bonds.
Mr. Hyche stated that is correct.
Mr. Gray stated
I have a question on the additions and deletions. Under
the additions on Exhibit A, operating
revenues, it lists that we had projected $100,080 in interest investments and now we have zero. What is the
move there?
Ms. Woodward
stated one of the things that you want to provide for under debt service coverage is not exactly 1.1% coverage. You want
more than that in case emergency
expenditures have to be made during the year. We know right now that roughly the funds that are at U.S. Bank in trust for
your bonds are earning exactly zero percent. In
order to be conservative we are basically removing any budget expectation for that revenue to come in. To the extent that you do
earn interest income those funds will be available in absorbing expenditures
that come up during the year.
Mr. Gray stated we are actually earning nothing.
Ms. Woodward responded from U.S. Bank yes.
Mr. Gray stated our coverage calculations is the change
from 1.14% to 1.20%. Ms. Woodward
responded yes, it goes up slightly.
Mr. Gray stated we had a professional management
consulting agreement that we canceled
which was $108,324.
Mr. Hyche stated that is correct.
Mr. Gray stated even with that deletion the additions
went up by $196,785. Mr. Hyche stated
that is correct.
Mr. Gray stated there has to be something other than the
fact that we absorbed the management
services as originally planned. I'm missing what that is.
Mr. Hyche stated there were two new employees hired to
help facilitate accounts payable.
Mr. Gray stated
I understood the increase. When we discussed it earlier I thought we had a fairly neutral exchange on the costs
that we were going to incur in the new hires with
the loss of the management consulting numbers.
Mr. Colon stated we actually eliminated one of the plant
positions and one of the employees that
was hired was a wash and there was no increase on that end.
Mr. Gray stated it appears that instead of breaking even
that it cost us three times the amount.
Mr. Hyche
stated we deleted $59,000 in payroll salaries and another $64,000 in contract personnel. You have an additional $34,000
brought back through utility services from
CSID.
Mr. Gray stated you are talking about under the
operating field services section. Is that
something they used to cover under the previous agreement?
Mr. Hyche stated
it was a split cost.
Mr. Gray stated
you are saving half of the split cost. That is the other half. There was a reduction on the other side of it. The way it ran
before involved that expense on another point.
Mr. Hyche stated
that is correct.
On MOTION by Mr. Gray seconded by Mr. Mendelson with all in favor Resolution 2010-01 was approved.
FOURTH ORDER OF
BUSINESS Consideration of Work Authorizations
A. WA 193 for Record Drawings and
Electronic Plans Update for Water Main, Force Main and Raw Water Main in the Amount of
$12,000
Mr. Hyche stated
the next item is consideration of work authorization 193 for record drawings and electronic plans update for water
force mains and raw water mains in the
amount of $12,000.
Mr. Gray asked is this part of the normal budget? I
assume it is something standard or is
this something unusual we have to do?
Mr. Colon
stated our original plans are from the 1970's and 1980's and they are so deteriorated that we would like to get a digital form of
them. This project involves digitizing our
plans where we are able to print them out at will and basically preserve our
infrastructure.
Mr. Gray asked is that part of the budget that is
calculated into a general operating type
item?
Mr. Colon responded
it is more of a contingency. We have plans that are falling apart when you
pull them out of a drawer and we realized this is something that has to be
done.
Mr. Gray stated
you are going to digitize everything which I think is a good idea. Mr. Hyche stated this is not a budgeted item.
On MOTION by Mr. Mendelson seconded by Mr. Gray with all in favor work authorization no. 192 was approved.
B. WA 194 for Construction Phase
Services for NSID Booster Pump Station Chemical Feed System Improvements for a Lump Sum of
$50,824
Mr. Hyche stated item B is work
authorization 194 for construction phase
services for booster pump station chemical feed system
improvements for a lump sum of $50,824.
Mr. Gray stated this is for the changeover of chemicals
that we have been talking about. Is this
in agreement with the original projections that were done?
Ms. Early stated budgets were projected on the total
costs of this project which included the
engineering.
Mr. Gray are we
on track to do what we planned to do at the budget we planned
to do it at?
Mr. Colon
responded it is below budget because we decided to put it out to bid ourselves. We are using the engineers less and less so we
are going to save money on that. Our
projects will be handled a little differently and we will be a lot more hands
on.
Mr. Gray stated
so it is within the budget and it is planned for and the money is
available.
On MOTION by Mr. Mendelson seconded by Mr. Gray with all in favor work authorization no. 194 was approved.
FIFTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Staff Reports
A. Manager
i. Land Acquisition - the Wedge
Mr. Hyche stated before you is a letter on land
acquisition concerning the wedge property.
Mr. Mendelson
asked will this have to be surveyed?
Mr. Colon
responded right now we are just asking permission from the board to move forward with some planning to see if it is in our
interests to acquire the property. There is no
commitment. We did some negotiations with the landowner but everything is verbal right now and there are a lot of contingencies
so before we spend money on a survey and an
environmental assessment we are looking to see if this is something we want to
do.
Mr. Lyles stated
this is requesting a green light from the board to proceed as staff both administrative and legal to look into this potential
acquisition. Another recommendation
if this deal firms up is that there be a real estate appraisal to confirm the
price we are getting and things like that. It is a significant purchase and we
wanted the board to know that it was a
matter that we would like you to authorize us to
proceed with at least investigating. If you don't want to
proceed with that we won't spend the time
or the preliminary money to even investigate it further.
Mr. Mendelson stated I think it is important to check
that out.
Mr. Johnson
stated some time ago we did a master plan for putting some type of expansion on the RO facility at the NSID site. Given the
site constraints it is not impossible but it would be a real challenge. You
would also have to drill additional wells along with
an injection well which is probably an 18 month project with a 150 foot drilling rig in the middle of a residential neighborhood
so I think politically that may not be in the
district's interests.
On MOTION by Mr. Mendelson seconded by Mr. Gray with all
in favor staff was authorized to move forward with investigating and planning work for the possible acquisition of property in the wedge.
ii. Consideration of Proposals for Landscape
Maintenance for the Parkland
Isles Perimeter Berm
Mr. Hyche stated item two is consideration of proposals
for landscape maintenance for
the Parkland Isles perimeter berm. You have in front of you the three quotes we received.
Mr. Gray stated these are not the same.
Ms. Schurz stated they were all provided the same scope
of services.
Mr. Gray stated these are proposals but we will use our
contract.
Ms. Schurz stated this was a proposal and a contract will
be provided to them. Mr. Lyles asked
did this go out as an RFP?
Mr. Colon
stated the board has the option to go out to bid. We wanted to explore the territory to get proposals. We also have present a
representative of Valley Crest which was the
company doing the Parkland Isle•berm.
Mr. Gray asked how do these compare to our budget?
Mr. Colon responded they are $40,000 less.
Ms. Schurz stated one proposal came in at the budgeted
amount but the other two were about the
same and less than what we budgeted.
Mr. Hyche stated we have a representative of Valley Crest
here if he would like to speak on
this.
Mr. Cameron
stated I manage the Coral Springs branch for Valley Crest Landscape Management. We currently do the contract for
Parkland Isles. Last week we received a
termination letter and the reason I'm here is to ask you if it is possible to reconsider terminating our contract or making us a part
of the bid process if it does go out to bid. We
have been involved in that job for over 31/2 years and have a very
good relationship with the management
company of that community and many of the homeowners along
the berm we work hand in hand with extensively to keep everybody happy on that berm. We were kind of blindsided that we
got a termination letter on this job
especially for some of the reasons stated in the letter that you have received complaints from the City of Parkland and some residents
and that there was an investigation
that we really had no indication of that and we have not been able to validate
any of those complaints from the City of Parkland or any residents. I spoke with the landscape committee of Parkland Isles, I spoke
to the management company, I spoke to Brenda
last week about it and we just haven't been able to find any of this stuff as indicated in the letter. I would like to see if it is
possible that you reconsider us for the project if
it does go back out to bid or if you will keep us on as the landscaper.
Mr. Gray stated one of the proposals matches your
contract but the other two do
not.
Ms. Schurz
stated I would prepare the contract and have Dennis review it.
Mr. Cameron stated the current scope we provide is
complete full service
mulching, tree trimming, complete all
inclusive irrigation. It is a full service contract. Mr. Morretti asked what is the current price of your
contract?
Mr. Cameron
responded it was originally a three year contract and we waived our increase for the last two years so we actually
lowered the price at the beginning of last year. It is
$15,000 a month $180,000 a year all inclusive.
Mr. Gray stated
the problem I have is if I take the guy who actually has a verbatim contract to what is written here, his price is
$6,000 a month more than the other two guys
who don't have something saying they really have the same contract we are talking about. That gives me very little faith with
that big of a difference that these two guys are
bidding the same thing that the third one is bidding.
Mr. Hyche stated we can write up a contract and have them
sign that contract based on their proposed price.
Mr. Gray stated
that is what I would like to have done. I wouldn't mind going month to month and getting a proposal back from you
either then we could hear from management on the recommendation regarding that
first.
Mr. Colon stated one of the reasons we terminated Valley
Crest and I know Mr. Cameron said he did some investigating and couldn't
validate the complaints but the complaints are
very real. I was at the commission meeting when they brought up Parkland Isles. Also when residents call in they are logged
in along with their complaint.
There was a performance issue and that is why we are sitting here today taking other solicitations. We have a list of everyone
who complained, their address and what they said. I suggest before we even
consider that we need to actually meet and see what
you would be willing to do to address these issues. The complaints are very real and that is why we are in the situation we are
in today.
Mr. Hyche stated we have attempted to notify Valley
Crest when we received these complaints.
Ms. Schurz
stated previously there was immediate response but there are a few instances where it has taken months to address the issue.
Mr. Gray stated you are not interested in having them
bid at all.
Mr. Colon stated
the complaints are very real and I know Brenda has dealt with this and done an Excel sheet and listed the people who
were complaining along with the addresses
and what has been happening. I was at the commission meeting and for them to bring up Parkland Isles is also an issue. This is
one of the reasons we decided to terminate
their services. It is really up to the board if they want to give you a second
chance or not. Also you are very over priced compared to
some of the other quotes we received.
Mr. Cameron stated I would like the opportunity to review
that complaint sheet. I have never
seen that sheet and we could address it.
Ms. Schurz
stated these are addressed. Every time someone calls I log it in.
Mr. Lyles stated staff has reported to the board that
there is documentation of complaints and
the lack of response or delayed response and also when we were on your behalf in front of the city commission of Parkland
we got jumped over these issues which are
documented on the spreadsheet that Brenda provided and explained to you today. It is really a two step process. You need to
approve terminating the Valley Crest agreement,
giving them notice and terminating their agreement and then if you prefer to authorize the not to exceed figure that was submitted
by the low proposer in response to the
solicitation of proposals then you can approve that and we can get a contract drafted at that not to exceed price.
Mr. Gray stated
that is a good recommendation because as long as they are in agreement with what it is then we do have an apples to
apples proposal because they are signing it.
On MOTION by Mr. Mendelson seconded by Mr. Gray with all in favor staff was authorized to terminate the
Valley Crest contract for the
Parkland Isles perimeter berm for cause.
On MOTION by Mr. Mendelson seconded by Mr. Gray with all in favor staff was authorized to prepare a contract
with Terra Firm Services, Inc. for the
maintenance of the Parkland Isles perimeter
berm in an amount not to exceed $140,080 per year
contingent upon their acceptance of the scope of services that was attached to our request for proposals.
B. Attorney
There not being any, the next item followed.
C. Engineer
i.
Project(s)
Status Report
Ms. Early stated we have our typical project status
update form that is in your package.
ii.
Updated
Supplement to Master Engineer's Report for Assessment Areas
Ms. Early stated
item two is an updated supplement to master engineer's report for assessment
area. In the process of pump station no. 1 our re-piping and the reason we are doing that is to give Nick more capability of
pumping because of all of the construction and
the building we have done in Heron Bay and Parkland Golf & County Club. I was thinking about the cost of this and I felt
that this actually should be paid out of one of
the special assessment bonds because the reason we are doing this project is to accommodate all the lake and additional surface
water that we built up there. We had been paying
it out of general funds. I contacted Ms. Mossing regarding the bonds because she was heavily involved in the bond issue and
the master engineer's report that we wrote
and I discussed it with her and she agreed. She said I needed to write another supplement to that master engineer's report and
include this project. There were a lot of
projects that came in under budget so there are funds available in the existing
bond issues so we can pay for this project out of the bonds and anything we have paid to date we can reimburse the North Springs
general fund from the bond issue. It is
approximately $400,000 when the total project is complete that I can reimburse NSID from the bond issue back into the general
fund.
Mr. Gray asked what is your recommendation on this?
Mr. Lyles stated it is what the bonds were issued for and
I think as the projects evolve and the
numbers are finalized for the engineer to go back and calculate how it
could be properly accounted for from an engineering
perspective and then bring it to the board is a
good way of spending the money the way it should be spent.
On MOTION by Mr. Gray seconded by Mr. Mendelson with all in favor the supplement to the master engineer's
report was approved.
iii.
Discussion of Water and Sewer Rates This item was tabled.
iv.
Consideration of Right of
Way Permit to Install a Fence at 8728 Valencia Court, Parkland Florida
Ms. Early
stated that is in your agenda along with the letter that we wrote. There
is a utility
easement dedicated to both North Springs and the City of Parkland. We don't
have any utilities in it but since it is dedicated to us we have to review it
and make a recommendation. We are recommending giving them permission with the condition that in the event we have to obtain ingress or
egress that they would have to remove the fence
at theix expense and our typical conditions. We don't have a problem with it as it is. We don't have anything in the easement.
On MOTION by Mr. Gray seconded by Mr. Mendelson with all in favor the right of way permit to install a fence
at 8728 Valencia Court, Parkland, Florida was
approved subject to the conditions
listed in the engineer's review letter.
SIXTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Approval
of Financials and Check
Registers
Mr. Hyche stated the next item is approval of the
financials and the check register.
On MOTION by Mr. Mendelson seconded by Mr. Gray with all in favor the check register was approved.
On MOTION by Mr. Mendelson seconded by Mr. Gray
with all in favor the meeting
adjourned at 5:45 p.m.
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