Water & Sewer Commission

Town of Mount Airy Water and Sewer Commission Meeting Minutes February 7, 2024 Commission members in attendance: Chair Dick Swanson, Nathan Berch, John Cherry, Dave Difonzo and Fran Sonkin. Council Liaison Tim Washabaugh was an excused absences. Mayor Larry Hushour and Tony and Paula Stube also attended. The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm. Minutes: Fran Sonkin moved to approve the minutes of the December 6, 2023 meeting. Seconded by John Cherry. The motion passed unanimously. Other Business: 1. In deference to Mr & Mrs Stube, the commission address their questions about PFAS. They asked about the status of PFAS remediation and what they can do as residents to address PFAS both in the water and many other commonly used products. The the mayor and members had a lengthy discussion about the ongoing remediation and suggested that they look into using their refrigerator's carbon filter system for their cooking and drinking water or look into larger systems. Old Business: 1. Rainfall/WWTP Update and Drought Status: Dick Swanson noted that we ended calendar 2023 with a precipitation deficit and voluntary water restrictions. January's rainfall exceeded the average by approximately 3 inches. Consequently the mayor allowed the voluntary water restriction to lapse on February 1st and the commission agreed with the decision. 2. Available Water & Sewer Capacity Yield: The chair informed the members that the recommended water capacity available for development and redevelopment of 38,798 gpd was approved by the council at thier February 5th meeting. New Business: 1. FY 2025 Water & Sewer Rate Discussion: Dick Swanson distributed copies of the updated Water & Sewer Reserves/Bank Statement spreadsheet detailing the decrease in reserves of approximately $1.4 million from February 2022 to January 2024. He stated that with the water meter replacement program still underway and some anomalies in water meter readings for the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2023, the impact of the new water meters could not be determined. He suggested that the commission could still recommend a modest rate increase to help reverse the trend of declining capital reserves. After much discussion, the Mayor and members expressed their concerns about increasing rates while the full impact of the new meters is not know. They suggested postponing any decision until additional date is available. 2. Review of Draft Master Plan Chapter Three: Chairperson Dick Swanson shared his comments to the Planning Commission on water during their Master Plan update meeting. 3. Potential Stormwater Management Project: The Water Resource Coordination Council and the Carroll County Department of Planning & Land Management are assessing the need for stormwater management improvements in the Nothingham section of Mount Airy. Other Business: At the request of Council Liaison Washabaugh, the March meeting with start a 6pm instead of the usual 7pm starting time. Adjournment: Fran Sonkin moved to adjourn and seconded by John Cherry. The meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm. The next W&S meeting is March 6, 2024 at 6pm in Town Hall. Minutes prepared by Dick Swanson