Date
Time
Agenda
For the hearing-impaired, an interpreter can be provided with 48 hours' notice prior to the meeting. To arrange for this service, call (541) 744-3603.
“The Mission of the Springfield Utility Board is to provide safe, reliable, cost-effective utility-related services to the citizens and businesses of the Springfield community.”
To ensure safe public meetings, we continue to follow current and up-to-date COVID precautions.
September 8, 2021
Executive Session – 5:00 p.m.
The Board plans to hold this non-public session pursuant to ORS 40.225 and ORS 192.660(2)(h); attorney-client privilege and to consult with counsel concerning legal rights and duties with regard to pending or potential litigation.
Regular Board Meeting – 6:00 p.m.
Detailed agenda further down the page. The public is invited to join this public meeting via phone or internet. The meeting is scheduled to commence at approximately 6:00 p.m., after the conclusion of the 5:00 p.m. executive session. Members of the public wishing to address the Board will be prompted during the Business from the Audience portion of the meeting. The public may also submit public comment in advance to be entered into the record via email by Noon, September 8, by using our Contact Us form.
Instructions to Join 6:00 p.m. Regular Board Meeting and 8:30 p.m. Special Meeting
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Executive Session – approximately 7:30 p.m.
The Board will hold this non-public session pursuant to ORS 40.225 and ORS 192.660(2)(h); attorney-client privilege and to consult with counsel concerning legal rights and duties with regard to pending or potential litigation. This executive session will commence following the conclusion of the 6:00 p.m. Regular Board Meeting.
Special Meeting, if needed – at approximately 8:30 p.m.
The purpose of this public meeting is to allow potential Board action following executive session. The meeting will commence after conclusion of the 7:30 p.m. executive session, if needed.
Regular Board Meeting – 6:00 p.m.
Agenda
I. Call to Order
- A. Pledge of Allegiance
II. Business from the Audience – 10 min
III. Business from the Board
- A. Consent Agenda - Action – 5 min
- 1. Approval of Minutes
- 2. Award/Approve Bids/Proposals
- a. SOQ BID 2021-34, OS Engineering - SSFP PLC Upgrades, Phases 1B, 2, 3 and 4
- b. BID 13.21, Distribution Transformers
- 3. Approval of Accounts Paid Listing
- B. Review RFP 2021B1 – Evaluate General Manager Compensation Package - Action – 15 min
- C. Schedule 2022 Budget Committee Meetings - Action – 10 min
- D. Board Goals Update – 10 min
IV. Business from the General Manager
- A. Property Presentation – 15 min
- B. Strategic Scan – 10 min
- C. Telecommunications Update – 5 min
- D. Team Springfield Update – 5 min
V. Other Business from the Board
- A. Board Member Updates – 10 min
- B. Future Board Agenda Items – 5 min
VI. Adjournment
Total Time: 100 min
Minutes
Regular Board Meeting – September 8, 2021
Minutes
Board approval at November 10, 2021 Regular Board Meeting
Attendance
In-Person:
Board: Mike Eyster, Chair; Robert Scherer, ViceChair; David Willis; John DeWenter; Mark Molina.
Staff: Jeff Nelson; Cindy Flaherty;
Remote Staff: Cynthia Scoble; Sanjeev King; Greg Miller; Nicole Dalke; Tracy Richardson; Joe Leahy, Matt Dahlstrom, Attorneys for the Board.
Others: Mike Evans, Land Planning Consultants; Dave Cady, DR Horton.
Call to Order
Chair Eyster called the regular board meeting of the Springfield Utility Board to order at 6:01 p.m. and led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Business from the Audience
Mike Evans of Land Planning Consultants noted the short time for public comments, and explained that he recently sent email correspondence (Exhibit A) to SUB’s Board and General Manager including related maps for the purpose of offering more complete details on a project that he’s been working on for many years. He spoke on the area known as the Natron area, which is located in the extreme southern end of the Springfield Urban Growth Boundary. The City plans to install sewer to that area, with plans for completion in 2022 or 2023. The project includes about 300 acres of residentially zoned land and currently, there is a national homebuilder organization interested in developing the property for mixed residential housing. Mr. Evans explained that in order to have this property annexed to the City, they have to show that water is available for the development. He is very interested in working together with SUB staff, similar to how they helped with the Mountaingate project, to help and work together on a plan for providing water service to the Natron area development.
Dave Cady, Vice President of Land Development in Oregon and SW Washington for DR Horton, stated that he is in attendance tonight with Mike Evans. He has been working with Mike Evans and the ownership group to bring a substantially large new community to the City of Springfield. They are encouraged and excited to work with SUB staff to build a favorable public/private partnership to extend water service to the development site. Mr. Cady noted that he has worked on very similar projects of this magnitude and have had very successful partnerships with public and private entities to deliver services to extending residential areas. He noted they have had good meetings with SUB staff already, and look forward to having more progress in the future.
Business from the Board
Consent Agenda
1. Minutes
- a. August 11, 2021 Midyear Budget Committee Meeting
- b. August 26, 2021 Special Meeting
2. Award/Approval of Bids/Proposals
- a. WSC SOQ Bid 2021-34, OS Engineering - SSFP PLC Upgrades, Phases 1B, 2, 3 & 4, approved for a total amount of $69,942.00 for OS Engineering to provide engineering and programming services for upgrades to three legacy Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) within SUB’s Slow Sand Filter Plant (Exhibit B). These upgrades will include Design, PLC, & Ignition Programming and Commissioning to the following areas:
- 1) Slow Sand Filter Plant (RTU15) - $38,390.00
- 2) UV Unit Interface - $7,509.00
- 3) Chlorine Building Pump Station (RTU3) - $10,542.00 4) Corrosion Control Facility (RTU19) - $13,501.00 b. ESC BID 13.21, Distribution Transformers: awarded a total amount of $220,015.00 to Anixter/Cooper for the purchase of 49 distribution transformers, and awarded a total amount of $58,593.00 to HEES Enterprises/ERMCO for the purchase of 31 distribution transformers (Exhibit C).
3. Accounts Paid - August 2021
* Mark Molina moved to approve the Consent Agenda, as presented. This motion carried unanimously 5:0.
RFP 2021B1 - Review General Manager Compensation Package
Chair Eyster recused himself due to a potential conflict of interest with being on the governing body of the Lane Council of Governments (LCOG) Board of Directors. Before leaving the dais, Chair Eyster appointed Vice-Chair Scherer to preside over the meeting in his absence.
Vice-Chair Scherer explained that the Board has been discussing this topic for some time and is part of the General Manager’s compensation plan in SUB Board policy.
Nicole Dalke referred to her memo on General Manager Compensation RFP Results (Exhibit D) and explained that the Board had decided to review how they determine their General Manager’s compensation package and sought proposals to conduct the review via RFP 2021B1 - Review of General Manager’s Compensation Package.
Following Ms. Dalke’s update on three proposals received from consultants, 1) Taryn M. Consulting, 2) HR Answers, and 3) LCOG, and following discussion, the Board approved HR Answers’ proposal and requested Ms. Dalke to assist the Board to come up with a contract needed to execute this project, and with coordinating the efforts of HR Answers as they conduct their review.
* John DeWenter moved to select HR Answers to perform the salary survey for General Manager, and move forward with a contract for consulting services. This motion carried unanimously 4:0. (Noting that Mike Eyster was not tallied in the vote.)
Following the vote, Chair Eyster returned to the dais. Following brief discussion, Eyster appointed Mark Molina and John DeWenter to work with Ms. Dalke to develop a contract.
Schedule 2022 Budget Committee Meetings
Following brief discussion, Board consensus was to schedule the following Budget Committee meetings for deliberations on SUB’s proposed 2022 Operating Budget: (to be held from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm)
1st Meeting Wednesday, November 3 - to begin review and deliberations
2nd Meeting Tuesday, November 9 - if needed for further deliberations If the Budget Committee completes its deliberations at the 1st meeting, then the 2nd meeting will not be needed and will be canceled.
3rd Meeting Tuesday, November 16 - if needed. This potential 3rd meeting may be held in the event that the Budget Committee desires to meet again to discuss any public comment heard at the 1st public hearing on November 10. If there is no public comment from the 1st public hearing, and the Committee has no further recommendations to the Board, then this 3rd Budget Committee meeting may be canceled.
Board Goals Update
Referring to his memo Update on 2021 Board Goals (Exhibit E), Chair Eyster noted that he and Jeff Nelson have worked together to present an update on Board Goals. Eyster briefly reviewed the updated 2021 Board Goals, explaining that updates in red denote progress made. The Board had no further suggestions to the updated goals.
Business from the General Manager
Property Presentation
Jeff Nelson and provided a timeline showing when property transactions occurred (Exhibit F), and reviewed his presentation with the Board on SUB Property Transactions from 2010 forward - as of September 2021 (Exhibit G).
Following brief discussion, the Board thanked Mr. Nelson for his very thorough presentation.
Strategic Scan
Chair Eyster wanted to complement Jeff Nelson on a very remarkable and comprehensive strategic scan. General Manager Nelson noted that SUB already has a 20-Year Strategic Vision, as well as a 10-Year Plan. Referring to the Springfield Utility Board Strategic Scan September 2021 (Exhibit H), Mr. Nelson explained that the strategic scan goes beyond the 20-Year Strategic Vision, in that a Strategic Scan puts a longer term view on what the guidepost be for SUB and what direction we should be going.
Next steps are to come back with recommended management and organizational goals reflecting on the goals that the Board has already adopted, look at potentially prioritizing those goals, as well as updating the Strategic Vision; and that would occur again in October. In the meantime, the Board could come forward with other goals they might like to consider. Management could come back to the Board in November with a response to the Board’s goals and may consider reprioritizing things. He would appreciate the Board’s input to know if the Board would like to pivot and go in a different direction, in terms of what the Board would like to see. Following in-depth discussion, the Board thanked Mr. Nelson for his time and effort putting this together and for a very informative update.
Telecommunication Update
Mr. Nelson shared brief update regarding his two memos, April 9, 2021 on Telecommunication Strategy (Exhibit I), and May 7, 2021 on Revisiting SUB’s Telecommunication Strategy (Exhibit J).
TEAM Springfield Update
None.
Other Business from the Board
Board Member Updates
Chair Eyster shared the following updates: 1) Developers have presented SUB with a specific ask on certain projects. He asked the Board if it would want to consider these asks one at a time, as individual developers offer proposals for projects, or would the Board like to consider looking again at SUB Board Policy related to SUB Development/Redevelopment Charges. 2) A meeting with the City is planned in the near future for potential discussions on, but not limited to, Downtown Voltage Conversion, Springfield Telecommunications Enhancement Projects (STEP). 3) He will reach out to Pat RiggsHenson with the Springfield City Club about a joint meeting on January 6.
Vice-Chair Scherer attended an interactive webinar offered by Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA) on Robert’s Rules of Order and found it very enlightening. He will send the Board some information on a publication that NWPPA offers on an updated Robert’s Rules of Order book.
Jeff Nelson wanted to check-in with the Board on if it wished to continue with the current hybrid-meeting format for Board meetings going forward. Board consensus was to continue with the hybrid meetings.
Joe Leahy shared that he has met with SUB Water staff who are working on the various aspects of the Rainbow agreement. He wondered if the Board would offer any kind of extension to the October 13, 2021 deadline. Board consensus was to extend the deadline to the November 10 Board meeting.
Future Board Agendas
None.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 7:38 p.m.
Mike Eyster, Board Chair
Jeff Nelson, Board Secretary