Water And Sewer Committee

City of Sidney, MT Water and Sewer Committee Meeting 7-29-25 July 29, 2025 5:30 PM 115 2nd Street SE |Sidney, MT 59270 The City Council meetings are open to the public attending in person, with masks encouraged when social distancing cannot be accomplished. If the public does not wish to participate in person, they are also invited to participate via a Zoom meeting. You can participate via phone: Meeting ID: 713 080 5898 Passcode: 4332809 Call: 1-346-248-7799 Alderman Present: Buxbaum, DiFonzo and Chamberlin Other's Present: Mayor Norby, PWD Hintz, Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin, Deputy Clerk/Treasurer Schmierer, Water Commissioner Tiesen, Sewer Superintendent Jurgens, Solid Waste Superintendent Meissel, Parks Superintendent Ridl, 1. New Business a. Fire Report Software (Blazestack) and Budget Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin provided the Fire Department budget and CIP information to the Water/Sewer Committee. She stated they increased the 340 Purchased Services for the water/sewer bill to account for the increased usage and increased the 300 purchased services $1,500 for the Blazestack contract. FM/BI Rasmussen stated Blazestack is a software that he can use for fire reports/investigations. He stated this will not only be a tool for tracking but also assist him in training how to do the investigations. This is an automatic renewal contract. Motion was made to recommend approval of the Blazestack contract. Motion made by Christensen, Seconded by Buxbaum. Voting Yea: Buxbaum, Christensen, DiFonzo b. Building Permit Software and Budget Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin presented the Building Inspection budget. She stated payroll was increased to account for part of the code enforcement payroll, and the 310 Purchased Services for plan review was reduced based off of several years averages. She stated they increased the 300 purchased services for a building permit tracking software. FM/BI Rasmussen stated they have reviewed software with IWORKS and have another to review on August 4th with CivicsPlus. Benefits of using one of these programs include better reporting, tracking and information on the building permits, easier for communication between City Hall and FM/BI Rasmussen, City Hall reporting and tracking, it can be used by the Compliance Officer on code Water and Sewer Committee Meeting 7-29-25 July 29, 2025 Page 1 of 4  violations and these modules would include online applications for the public that will ease their time. Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated the fee's earned in the building department must be used for the building department and so this increase is not being paid for out of property taxes. Motion was made to recommend approval of the purchasing a building permit tracking software. Motion made by DiFonzo, Seconded by Christensen. Voting Yea: Buxbaum, Christensen, DiFonzo c. FY25-26 PW Budget-Parks & Pool PWD Hintz and Parks Superintendent Ridl presented the proposed capital projects and purchases for the parks and pool departments. Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated this budget, ultimately, will be approved once the taxable valuation is received and mill levies are set, but they wanted to present what they are expecting to budget should they come in as anticipated. d. FY25-26 PW Budget-Lighting PWD Hintz and Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin presented the proposed capital projects and purchases for the lighting department and its budget for FY25-26. Motion was made to recommend approval of the FY25-26 Lighting Budget. Motion made by Christensen, Seconded by DiFonzo. Voting Yea: Buxbaum, Christensen, DiFonzo e. FY25-26 PW Budget-Streets PWD Hintz and Solid Waste Superintendent Meissel presented the proposed capital projects and purchases for the street department and its CIP accounts. Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated there is no recommendation for increase in the Street Maintenance fees and the CIPs are funded via the oil and gas fund, with the Street Equipment CIP needing a transfer into it of $40,000 to cover the anticipated expenditures. Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated there is another $90,000 saved in the street construction CIP that could be budgeted to pave the parking lot next to City Hall that PWD Hintz anticipates will cost upwards of $85,000 to hire it out to be done. Motion was made to recommend approval of the FY25-26 street department and its CIP fund budgets. Motion made by Buxbaum, Seconded by Christensen. Voting Yea: Buxbaum, Christensen, DiFonzo f. FY25-26 PW Budget-Ice & Snow Water and Sewer Committee Meeting 7-29-25 July 29, 2025 Page 2 of 4  PWD Hintz presented the proposed capital projects and purchases for the snow removal department. Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated there is $67,100 being spent on capital projects, with just under $200,000 in cash available in that fund, leaving the cash available at the end of the year at a little over $160,000. Motion was made to recommend approval of the FY 25-26 snow removal budget. Motion made by DiFonzo, Seconded by Christensen. Voting Yea: Buxbaum, Christensen, DiFonzo g. FY25-26 PW Budget-Water PWD Hintz and Water Commissioner Tiesen presented the proposed capital projects and purchases for the water department. Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated the revenues will exceed the expenditures by approximately $120,000 including the additional bond payment for the water tower project, borrowing the full $10,000,000, that could be as high as $650,000/year. She stated that the bond requirements for net revenue are being met in this department and they are not requesting the review for a fee increase at this time. Water Commissioner Tiesen informed the committee that next fiscal year they might be forced to go to bid for a new SCADA system and the current provider is not responding to support calls and the system has not bee fully functional for 3 years when the last $140,000 update was completed. He stated this will be time sensitive, a the correct provider will need to be included in the water tower project. Motion was made to recommend approval of the FY25-26 water department budget. Motion made by Buxbaum, Seconded by DiFonzo. Voting Yea: Buxbaum, Christensen, DiFonzo h. FY25-26 PW Budget-Sewer PWD Hintz and Sewer Superintendent Jurgens presented the proposed capital projects and purchases for the sewer department. Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated by completing all of the budgeted expenditures, they will be using a little over $900,000 in cash, with $3.47 million in cash remaining at the end of the fiscal year. She stated the bond requirements for net revenue are being met in this fund and they are not recommending a rate increase review at this time, but the conversation for planning for one will need to start within the next year. Motion was made to recommend approval of the FY25-26 sewer department budget. Motion made by Christensen, Seconded by DiFonzo. Voting Yea: Buxbaum, Christensen, DiFonzo Water and Sewer Committee Meeting 7-29-25 July 29, 2025 Page 3 of 4  i. FY25-26 PW Budget-Solid Waste PWD Hintz and Solid Waste Superintendent Meissel presented the proposed capital projects and purchases for the solid waste department. Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated the revenues will exceed the expenditures by approximately $310,000. She stated this puts them inline for saving for new garbage trucks that are needed every 2-3 years and they are not requesting the review for a fee increase at this time. Superintendent Meissel stated they are possibly looking into fabricating the wind racks in house during the slower winter months due to the local contractor possibly not continuing in the future. Motion was made to recommend approval of the FY25-26 solid waste department budget. Motion made by Buxbaum, Seconded by DiFonzo. Voting Yea: Buxbaum, Christensen, DiFonzo j. FY25-26 PW Budget-Sweeping PWD Hintz and Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin presented the proposed capital projects and purchases for the sweeping department. Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated the revenues will exceed the expenditures by approximately $120,000. She stated this puts them inline for saving for a new sweeper that is needed every 2-3 years and they are not requesting the review for a fee increase at this time. Motion was made to recommend approval of the FY25-26 sweeping department budget. Motion made by Christensen, Seconded by DiFonzo. Voting Yea: Buxbaum, Christensen, DiFonzo Adjourned at 7:05 pm. Water and Sewer Committee Meeting 7-29-25 July 29, 2025 Page 4 of 4