There's Ed. Hi Ed. Morning. It is nine o'clock and we do have a quorum so we're called to
order the December 14th public utilities board meeting for the City of Denton. The first
item on the agenda is our consent agenda items A through, there was a lot, V. Does any board
member wish to pull one of the items? Ed, go ahead. I'd like to pull item Q as in quick.
Okay. And Russ, I saw your hand up. Yes, item O and item P. O, P. Anyone else? Okay. So
then do we have a motion to approve items A through N, R through V? So moved. Second.
All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Those items are approved. We'll start with item
O. So we should have Terry Cater on the phone. So let me check. Terry, you on? This is Terry.
Can you hear me? Yes, sir. Russ, you're on mute. Yep, you're on mute. Okay. This is a
pretty easy one. When I went to the backup under exhibit one, that was the actual, it
was not the background information for the agenda item that we normally see. So I don't
know the background behind this item. I think this is the one that was just emailed. Emailed
to us, yes. I was just checking. She just emailed it to us, Russ. It just got attached
wrong. We didn't have the AIS attached to it, Russ. So you should have it in your email.
Emailed this morning? Yes. Yes, sir. Okay. So can we go over that background real quick
since I haven't read it yet? Yes, sir. Let me get it pulled up here. So basically the
request is for the purchase of two rear load refuse trucks for solid waste. These trucks
are 25 yard Hile bodies on a crane carrier chassis, which is a different type of chassis
than we usually purchase. The reason for that is the ergonomics of getting in and out of
the cab. These are a true low entry cab that Peterbilt does not currently offer. And these
are both fleet replacements that were approved in the 2021 budget. The two trucks going out
of service meet the replacement requirements. Did it have the score in there that your fleet
manager uses to judge when a piece of equipment is to be retired or replaced? I don't think
that was included. It's just a description that it meets replacement requirements and
they've, it gives the lifetime to date maintenance costs for each of those trucks, 101,000 and
808,000 respectively. They were a 2011 and 2012, Russ, if that helps you. Yeah. Oh, yeah,
he was, he was there for a few times. He was, we'd ask him to include a short description
of his retirement criteria. He's got an index that he uses. Requirements and they've, it
gives the lifetime to date maintenance costs for each of those trucks. Yeah. All we wanted
to do was see what that index was for every replacement that he requested. 11 and 2012,
Russ, if that helps you. Yeah. No. Yeah, he was, he was there for a few times. He was,
we'd ask him to include a short description of his. So, staff member, this is Tony. We're
getting some feedback. So, if you have your, if you're on your computer online and you're
on the phone, you need to please turn off your computer or mute it. Sorry about that,
Russ, go ahead. No, that's all I was wondering about was I thought we were going to be getting
that really for every major replacement we had and, and your fleet manager agreed to
do that.
Yes, sir. I'll make sure that's included in every item from now on. I apologize for missing
that on this one. Okay. I have no further comments on that. All right, then item P.
When I read the background on this, if I understood it correctly, one year ago, we bought a new
CAT 304 excavator and the description said it's undersized and now we want a new one.
Why did we buy an undersized feast of equipment just a year ago? It was new because we never
buy anything used. I know that. How did it happen that we bought an excavator too small
for its intended use?
Yes, sir. So, a year and a half or two years ago when we planned that purchase, there have
been a lot of changes in the department that requested that machine. A lot of the people
that were there before that had the idea that that machine would work for them are no longer
in the department and I think the way the department operates has been changed as well.
So, they have different operating parameters and we tried never to do that, but in this
case, this excavator turned out to be undersized for what their intended, actual intended use
is currently and our intention is to repurpose that machine to another department and let
them make good use of it while we get this department a machine that will operate for
them.
So, my follow-up question to that is if we bought something like that we don't need and
rather than just stick it on the sidelines somewhere because we've got it now, we don't
know what to do with it. Why don't we sell it while it's still got a fairly high resale
value? It's only a year old. What's the objection to that and what's really the need for moving
it out for an alternative use?
Well, the only way I would move it out is if we had an actual use for it currently and
we're looking for that in the departments. We're not going to keep it just to have it.
I don't have any objection to auctioning the equipment while it still has a lot of value
to it if we can't find a need for it in the fleet. It would only be to, if we were going
to buy another department that same excavator, then we would keep that one and repurpose
it, but if there's not another department that has one coming up, we won't.
I understand that when you ask a department, "Hey, do you want a new piece of equipment?
It's a year old." Sure, send it over. I can understand the appeal to that proposition,
but I just wonder how smart it is to do that kind of stuff. I would suggest you look hard
at seeing, first of all, if it's really truly going to be used and if not, let's sell it.
That's my suggestion.
Yes, sir. That's exactly what we'll do. I mean, there would have to be justification
to keep the machine if a department said they have a use for it. It's not just, "Hey, I
want it. Here you go."
Can you report back to the PUB at a future date about that evaluation you're going to
make?
I sure can.
Thank you.
Maybe we should go back and get the motion on item O.
Yeah, I move we approve item O.
Was that Barbara or Karen? Karen, were you trying to ... Oh, Barbara. Okay. All in favor,
say aye.
Aye.
Opposed? Okay, that motion carries. How about item P? Do we have a motion to approve item
P, Ms. and Paul? Karen's moving. Do we have a second? Ed's seconding. All in favor, say
aye.
Aye.
Opposed? All right, that one carries. Item Q. And Ed, you're muted, so if you want to
unmute.
Yeah, this is for item Q. I have a couple of questions and observations. I wanted to
know if there is any timeline in place for revisiting this solar and storage issue.
Hi, this is Tony. As of right now, I'm not aware of any specific time that we're supposed
to be looking at this, but it's something we continually look at in market studies and
stuff, but as of right now, there's not a specific timeline for another RFP to go out.
Okay. Thank you for that. I'd like to make you aware of, or perhaps you already know
about a program that Austin has called SHINES, and that is short for Sustainable and Holistic
Integration of Energy Storage and Solar Voltakes. This is the sort of thing that we are rejecting,
and what I find interesting is that whereas the funding here, there was really no external
funding for this, such as there is for the Austin program. The Austin gets federal, state,
and city sources from the US Department of Energy Solar Energy Technology Office, and
the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality New Technology Implementation Grant, as well
as a fund that Austin Energy itself has established. So I would request, given the importance of
this technology in reducing our use of fossil fuels, especially, that staff take a look
at the Austin SHINES program and see if there's possibly any avenues toward approaching this
project from the angle at which Austin approached theirs.
Okay. If we can do that. Thank you very much. No problem.
I just had a quick question for staff or anybody whose memory is better than mine. Is this
the item we discussed in closed meeting last month?
Yes ma'am, it is. Okay. So my memory is that essentially it wasn't
cost effective, correct? Yeah. Well, what I'll say too is, what staff can
do is we can go back and take a look at Ed's request and come back and kind of have a discussion
with the full PUB and make sure that there's consensus on us doing anything on that item.
So we'll put that on the list to do some research, come back to you here in the next couple of
meetings and discuss that further with you. Great, thank you.
My name is Terry Gnalti. I just wanted to address one issue that Ed brought up. I think
one thing for PUB to remember is that unlike Austin, Denton is 100% renewable. While we
do have the DEC, Austin is still less than 40% renewable and many of the programs that
they are initiating are in an attempt to try to get to a more carbon neutral footprint.
I think the council and the PUB has been very forward thinking in achieving the 100% renewable
and so a lot of these programs that you're speaking of, Mr. Stouff, may make economic
sense for Austin, but as we presented, I think last time, the economics of these types of
programs without really a high level of public funding, grant money and such would be a bit
Oh, you're muted, Terry. Sorry about that.
I didn't hear the last part of what you said. I said that without that high level of federal
or state funding, the economics probably for us would be very dubious.
May I say something? I agree completely with what Terry has just said about our wonderful
status as being 100% renewable. My concern and what I would like to see further discussion
about is the fact that right now, as of today, according to ERCOT's website, 58% of the grid
of the Texas grid is still fossil fuels. Wind and solar are 24%. Actually, if you break
it down further, wind is 22% and solar is 2%. Whereas Denton is very, very green, the
grid still isn't. I see projects such as Austin's, even though theirs is geared toward getting
to 100% renewable energy, but I see ours is going a step further and continuing to green
the grid. I'm speaking out of, I admit, ignorance now, so someone can educate me. I was wondering
if extra or energy that Denton say generated that we didn't use, that we generated through
renewable resources like a battery solar installation, could the city or DME sell those as wrecks
to other utilities or to other municipalities? But in any case, given the great concern that
there is now about climate change, which is happening, and the fact that we're going to
have a new administration in Washington that is going to be climate friendly, I think we
need to look outside of our own parameters and boundaries and see what we can do to not
only help our own air economy, et cetera, but make the grid better as well. So that's
my concern. Thank you. Okay, any other questions? Do we have a motion to approve item Q? So
moved. Okay, all in favor say aye. Aye. I abstain. Thank you, Ed. That motion does carry though.
Questions for individual consideration. Approval of the November 9th, 2020 minutes. Corrections
or changes? I'll move approval. Thank you, Charlie. Second? Second. All in favor say
aye. Aye. Item C, consider recommending the adoption of the ordinance for the City of
Denton Utility System Extendable Commercial Paper Financing Program and authorizing the
Utility System Revenue Extendable Commercial Paper Note Series A in providing an effective
date. Morning. Cassie Ogden, Director of Finance. Let me share my screen and I'll start. So
if you'll remember, we went through a detailed presentation in November regarding this Extendable
Commercial Paper Program for the utilities. So just a little bit of background. November
2019, the citizens approved our bond election, which we then brought forward a general obligation
Extendable Commercial Paper Program that council approved in April. And now we are coming to
you for a utilities Extendable Commercial Paper Program. So commercial paper, as we
talked about last time, is a short-term financing. It's another tool in our toolbox, if you will.
And if you have specific questions, I forgot to mention at the beginning, we do have our
financial advisors as well as our bond council on the line. So just like last time, if you
have any specific items that we need to get into, they are here to help us. So as we discussed
in November, this is really where our intention is to use it for the appropriation authority.
We're not necessarily looking at actually issuing commercial paper, but it is, like
we said, another tool. So some of the benefits of this program, I'll turn your attention
to bullet two. That's really what we're using it for is the appropriation authority so that
we don't have to have all of the cash on hand at the beginning of when we award the contract.
And so we went through this example last time for the water treatment plant. Just as an
example, we would issue the full $85 million before we awarded the contract. And then the
actual costs would be incurred throughout the life of the project. Whereas if we utilize
commercial paper, we would match our debt issuance with our planned expenditures. And
then projected timeline. So we discussed it in November and now we are seeking your approval
of all of the documents that we will take to City Council in January. If Council approves,
we will apply for and receive our credit rating and then close on the program in February.
And with that, I will pull my screen down. And if you have any questions, any questions,
please feel free to ask. Muted. Here we go. You said we were not the issuer, but in the
document with U.S. Bank, it defines City of Denton as the issuer. So City of Denton would
be legally considered the issuer of these debt obligations, correct? I believe so. Laura,
are you on the phone? Can you clarify? This is Laura Alexander with Hilltop Securities.
The City is the issuer of the commercial paper in terms of that is the correct terminology.
I think the intent was that the City is not going to actually issue commercial paper in
the near term. It's just used for appropriation authority. So that may be where the confusion
came in. Right. So we're going to pass this, but we won't use it, right? That's what you
just told me, sort of. Yeah, it's kind of like a shelf filing, right? Okay. My only
concern about this is the documents we were given to review for backup is one is between
the arrangement between City of Denton and U.S. Bank, and the other one is between City
of Denton and JP Morgan, who's a dealer. This question is not for U.S. Bank or for JP Morgan.
So when we're getting into approaching doing something like this, I think that the City
of Denton should have a very carefully detailed written policy and procedure on who within
the City of Denton is going to administer compliance with all the terms in these other
agreements because unless we're very careful about how this is handled, you have you could
have some financial liability there that you weren't bargaining for. And I think it would
be very important to also consider regular reporting to the council with every on a regular
basis on the fees. I notice the fee schedule that you want us to approve is blank. There's
no fee schedule in the backup information. And so are we supposed to approve a blank
fee schedule? Is that the idea as well? The estimated costs right now are about $255,000,
but we do not have the final cost for our bond council. So that's the outstanding piece.
And we did provide that in the AIS in November when we discussed it. We can we can send that
over to you or the whole board in a separate email. As far as the policies and procedures,
we actually do have an internal written document that dictates our policies and procedures
and who is responsible for what as far as city staff. And we can also forward that to
the board for your review. Okay. Along with bond council has. Yes. And there are there
are annual requirements as far as reporting that we do have to follow. Okay. Well, Russ,
and I also want to say, you know, just to be clear, even though we may not be issuing
the commercial paper, we are using it for appropriation purposes to meet state law requirements
so that we don't have to issue bonds sooner than we need to. So that's really the main
purpose of this program is the appropriation components that we can enter into multi-year
contracts without having to issue the actual bonds before we need them. So I just want
to make sure that we that we're clear on on how the program is going to be used. Yeah,
I understand the desire to smooth out the cash flow needs and make the cash disbursement
more in line with when the expenses are incurred. I understand that. My only concern is let's
let's make sure that the city of Denton is adequately documented documenting the procedure
that city of Denton is going to use to administer all this. And then the the schedule of fees
literally is blank that you gave us to look at. So the documents that you have in front
of you are in the backup were actually our draft documents. Council will not review them
until January. And so we are still we're still doing some due diligence with our financial
advisors and bond council trying to finalize everything. And so we can we can absolutely
give you the schedule of fees whenever that is finalized. If you remember, we had we changed
our timetable when we were originally discussing this in November because of the limited P.U.B.
deans. So we weren't intending to bring this back to you until January. But we're we're
back in December so we can get to council in January now. Because otherwise the schedule
was showing that we got it after the fact from council. And I didn't personally like
that. So you want us to approve the fee schedule that's blank, correct? The free schedule we
have to look at is blank. There's no information on it. We're asking you to approve or recommend
approval to council for the extendable commercial paper program for utilities. But we're approving
the program. Yes. Not the fee structure. So is there a council is there a way that we
can make this approval, but note to city council that we have approved it blank with the intention
that once the numbers are filled in, they'll make a rational decision. Once those numbers
are known, we can provide that information to council. Absolutely. Yeah, I would have
no problem agreeing with the concept at all. The concept I get I understand agree with.
But I agree with Russ's comment that it's an awful lot like signing a blank check. If
we recommend approval of this with the fees blank. I think that's a good catch. And I
realize in order to accomplish this on a timely basis, you can't know all the answers until
the approval process begins. But at this point, it ought to be fairly easiest for us to make
sure that council knows that we have approved it subject to a rational fee schedule being
completed. And I think you could make that motion just that way, Charlie. Okay, I will
move approval of the program with the notation that subject to councils review of the fee
schedule, which is blank at this time. Second. All right. And emotion in a second. All in
favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed. All right. Does that give you what you need? It does to move
forward. Yes, sir. Next item is item C. Execute a contract with Rayrug Pacific Company through
the US communities government purchasing Alliance contract 0254 for the purchase of residential
refuse recycling and yard waste cart carts in the amount not to exceed $3,862,000. Susan,
we have a couple of staff members. Let me let me step in the hallway and grab them so
they can come in and get ready to do that presentation. So I believe we have Adrian
Hill. He's our solid waste operations manager who's going to walk through a brief presentation.
We also have Eugene McKinney, who's our deputy director for solid waste available as well
in the room. So Adrian. Just going to walk up there. We have a presentation. We have
a presentation. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Good morning. My name is Adrian Hill. I'm the collections manager for the solid
waste and recycling department. I want to run through a quick slides. There's about
four of them. Just some background on this. I'm not going to read it word for word. 2005
the city of didn't began using the cart for the collections department three years later
in 2008. The city of didn't sign a contract with Ray Rick Pacific Company provide the
risk the refuse and recycling carts on October 1st 2019 Ray rig supplied the city of didn't
with yard waste parts for the new yard waste program that we set out. So the past 12 years
we've been using the regular carts containers are are made from 100% recyclable material.
Ray Rick is located in Dallas, Texas. So it's it cuts down on freight as well as delivery
time. Ray Rick also offers a 10 year replacement warranty on all carts and parts. The solid
waste is hoping to sign a new contract with with the Ray Rick Company for five years for
three point eight six two million dollars. This this contract will allow us to continue
a contract with purchasing carts recycle trash and yard waste carts. I'll stop sharing if
you have any questions. Okay. Yes, Ed, go ahead. You're muted. Okay. Thanks, Charlie.
What is the lifespan typical lifespan of these carts? We have carts out there. Like I said
12 years ago we started using these Ray Rick carts and we still have carts out there from
the from the first purchase ever. Over the five years that three million eight hundred
and sixty two dollar contract boils down to seven hundred and seventy two thousand four
hundred dollars per year I believe. Yes, sir. I I you'll have to pardon me but I don't if
there's first of all there's a 10 year replacement guarantee. Well what's the what what the growth
of the city of didn't we're getting maybe 300 new residents assigned cart so every cart
it comes in a set. So that's that's two carts. So that's at least 600 carts that we're we're
putting out a month and that's that's not including any of the damaged carts and before
the the 10 year contract we had a different or before the other contract we had a different
provider and we're having to replace those carts out in the field as well. So let me
get see if I understand this. So this money is not only for replacement parts it's for
new carts as well. Correct. Oh I thought I was saying those are mighty expensive wheels.
There's a guarantees in there. OK. Thanks a lot. I appreciate it. I have a quick question.
When somebody has a problem with their cart does the city do that sometimes for free sometimes
charge you know if somebody is seems to be mistreating it. Yes sir. All carts are replaced
on a call basis so if a customer calls in I have a crack down my cart or a wheel needs
to replace and it's all done for free. It's part of the the rental fee that they're paying
every month or their their the fee that they pay the for the service. I'm sorry. OK. Thank
you. Any other questions. All right. Do we have a motion to approve. I'll move. I'm second
I guess. All in favor say aye. Aye. All right. Next item is consider recommending the adoption
of the ordinance with the city of Denton and Texas meter and device company for meter reading
services for the water department providing for the expenditure of funds therefore providing
an effective date of one year for the option of four more additional years and one year
extensions in the total five year not to exceed amount of two million six hundred and thirty
six thousand dollars. Susan let me let me go grab a Chris Luttrek. He'll be walking into
that presentation. OK. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Good morning. P.B. Chris Chris Luttrek executive manager of operations at DME presentation
for you on a contract to provide water water meter reading services. So just a little background
you may be a little confused why the electric fund is here given a presentation on on the
water the water fund issue. But the city of Denton provides water service to residents
by a municipal water utility and currently has about thirty nine thousand four hundred
customers. The current technology used are mechanical water meters. They measure and
track the water as some dials that mechanically spin on the meter. And these meters must be
read manually. So someone must go out open up the can look down in it and see what the
usage is for the given cycle. So that function back in the day DME had electromechanical
meters as well. So when we would send somebody out we'd send out one person they would read
the electric meter and then they would read the water meter at the same house. So it made
sense for that to be done by one utility DME must have drawn the short straw so they got
to read the meters. So but over the last 10 years DME has moved over to a AMI system it's
advanced the meter infrastructure where these meters now are electronic and they use a radio
signal. So whenever we ping them we just send a command and these meters will send the read
in to basically our our billing system so that we don't have to go out and manually
read the meters. Water has has not converted to that technology. So there's still a need
to go out and manually read the meters. That function stayed within the electric fund.
So we have get to the next slide. That that that task is performed by seven FTS when fully
staffed. They are DME employees. They are they are supported by a lead technician a
meter billing coordinator and they're managed by the meter data and billing supervisor.
So what that is is setting up the routes the cycles coordinating who's working that day
and making sure that all of the cycles are read on time. These guys read about 350 meters
per day. They are troopers. They work summers when it's it's 110 degrees and in the winter
and in the rain they walk about four to eight miles per day reading these meters. So our
total reads per year about four hundred and seventy five thousand. And again this is this
is in the DME budget but the water fund has an inner fund transfer every year. And last
year that fund transfer was about nine hundred forty thousand dollars that the water fund
transfers over to the electric fund to cover the expense of reading their meters. So looking
to the future one of the items today on your consent agenda was a feasibility study that
the water fund is undertaking to take a look at what AMI would look like for the city of
didn't in the in the water department. So that that's a study that will go out they'll
tell us is the cost should it be done. And the big thing that we'll look at is being
we already have an AMI system for the electric for electric meters. Can we have a technology
that will service both the electric and the water meters. A key benefit of this is you
don't have to send someone out to manually read the meter and you have the meter to cash
functionality. So the signal will come out will seamlessly flow through the processor
into our North Star and we'll be able to generate a bill. So and if this technology is feasible
so it's determined that financially it's a good deal for the city of didn't the implementation
of this infrastructure is going to take several years. So in the in the transition period
you know what do we do with our FTEs that currently read read meters. So we do have
a plan for that this number here says five current FTEs that is now down to four. One
of our one of our meter technicians just received another position in the city. So in the meantime
we actually currently already using contractors to help out our meter readers. So this summer
we kind of got shorthanded we knew this was coming down coming down the pipeline. We didn't
want to go fill those FTEs and then have to do something with them. So we've been working
shorthanded guys have been working overtime doing double shifts and we brought in a contractor
on just just a single contractor to see how that would work. And it actually has worked
very well so that the contractors provide basically the labor and the vehicle and and
then we provide the rest. So the contracted services going forward will provide the same
service at a substantially lower cost to the ratepayers and that savings is approximately
three hundred and sixty thousand dollars per year. And that is with using their their labor
versus using city FTEs. DME is currently upgraded and we're mostly upgraded to a new a new field
collection system. The old days we had kind of an ITRON handheld computer that looked
like an old brick phone these guys are carrying around and all they did is type in a meter
number and and a value in there. Nowadays we've gone to where that's a smartphone application.
It's the same company it's ITRON but it's it's much easier for them to carry. It has
cellular communication so if they type in miss a digit and it's way out of whack it'll
say hey turn around and walk back and go check that meter again take a picture. So that's
really helped out on our having to send guys back out to do rereads. And then the big benefit
of this is it actually geo locates our meters. So one of the issue we had with going to contractors
is that the the water meters on our system are not located. We generally have a map that
shows this this residence or this business has a meter but it doesn't show exactly where
it is. So actually our our staff knows where these routes are. So it takes a staff member
walking along with a contractor for at least a month showing them where all the meters
are so that we can get them read. With this new system that we just have a couple of bugs
to get worked out the actual handheld device will be like a map. So it'll be able to say
hey walk here now walk over to here and it'll actually be able to locate the the meters.
And finally is is this this this whole intent of bringing the contractors in to do this
service is not to eliminate positions for our staff members that are doing this role
knowing that that probably that we're headed towards an AMI system for water meter technology
at some point. It was just kind of a job that kind of had a end of life date. So we've given
them we've given them notice. We've actually had a couple of staff members that have moved
on and we also have have reopened some positions that used to be at DME. So one of the things
I said earlier was we had electric service when we go out and look at electric meter
you can see around the service you can see something was loose or weather had you actually
put eyes on the meter every month and you could proactively do some maintenance on some
issues be a tree growing around it or something. So the worst example we've had is when we
went to AMI you no longer have to do that. So we went out and had a meter that was not
acting correctly and a tree had grown around the meter and was trying to pull the meter
out of the meter socket. So one of the things one of the positions that we've budgeted that
we're waiting to fill until we get this contract in place is an AMI service inspector. So that's
that's a prime position for one of our meter technicians to move over to where we'll actually
go out and start inspecting meters. So we'll try to put eyes on every meter in the city
of Denton every year to do some proactive maintenance. Is there anything is the display
cracked is it weathered. So to provide a better level of service for our customers where these
failures that we have we find out after the fact after the power goes out to the citizens.
We also have another position where would be a apprentice electrician spot opening up.
So we already have a couple of positions at DME opening up for these guys they could potentially
apply for and then kind of the catch all is if these any any staff members that are still
there when we convert over to the contractor the contractor has a program where they could
apply if they really love reading water meters they can apply with the contractor and if
they meet the contractors requirements they would be taken on to work for the contractor.
So that's that's our plan is to transition those guys make sure they have a job before
we bring in a contractor to to provide that service. So that's the transition period.
So in summer summary the contractor reading service will allow this transition to get
us from where we are today to where we want to be in the future without eliminating any
positions from from DME the service we provided the same level of service at the rate payers
are accustomed to. So our will still have the billing oversight will still be handled
by DME the and the management of this contract will still be done with the DME meter department
and again the the biggest point we have is existing staff will have the opportunity to
migrate to another position in the city. So with that I'll answer any take this down
and answer any questions. Questions. Well you must have done a fabulous job Chris.
Actually I have a couple of questions. Okay. Nothing. Sorry Charlie. Can I get your email
address. Mine. Chris. Yes sir. Chris dot Lutrik at city of Denton dot com. And how does Lutrik
get spelled. L U T R I C K. Okay. And I just want to comment while you're making that I've
been in the city 22 years and have never encountered a misread on a water meter or electric meter.
And so I want to express my thanks to to your team. That's pretty impressive. I've been
in the residential meter reading kind of business in my property management. That's just really
impressive. And are they really able to read every 90 seconds a meter. That 350 per day.
That just sounds amazing. It is. Yes sir it is. And there's actually days where they're
that number pushes 450. So they have some shorter routes that they can get done earlier.
But yeah there's they're out there you know six seven hours a day. All right. When the
other questions are done I'm ready to move for approval. Go ahead. I don't have a question.
I just wanted to thank you for making sure that these fellows who have been doing this
arduous work are still going to be employed in some manner either by the city or by the
contractor. Great. Great for the reputation of the department. Great for the reputation
of the city. Thank you Mr. So that was one of our our our focuses is you know it is we
do have to look out for our ratepayers for money. But how can we do that in a responsible
manner. So that was always one of our kind of our guiding principles. We were not in
a hurry. We've been discussing this for a year but we thought we that this plan worked
out best to transition in a manner that takes care of the ratepayers and it takes care of
our employees. Wonderful. Any other questions. All right. I think you had a motion Charlie.
I move approval. And Ed seconding. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed. All right. Motion
carries. Management reports. Thank you for your time. Thank you Chris. It's good to see
your face. I haven't seen it in a long time. Thank you. So Madam Chair and members on the
future public P.B. agenda items currently for January 11th we have you know two obviously
there'll be other items on that agenda but two that we want to highlight. Well finance
will be bringing forward a reimbursement ordinance. This is to authorize approval to move forward
with some of the capital improvement projects that are included in the FY 2021 CIP program
that'll be for water wastewater and electric and then customer services currently working
on an update on some some challenges that we've seen over the last you know a couple
months regarding the online portal. You know we did have a request we did get a request
for that presentation but it was something that we were already planning to do anyway
so we'll be bringing that forward to you through our customer service folks Krista Foster will
be bringing that forward and then for the new business action items to have a few items
on here the first two are related to the solid waste and anticipate that those will be certainly
after the first of the year but in conjunction with the solid waste strategies that we're
working on we have again the online portal challenges listed on here as a request and
we the final item that we're also kind of working on based on your last the last meeting
that we had so questions about you know by by America or made in America and so we we
have met with the finance department and and legal and they're preparing a discussion for
you as well on that particular topic on what what may be available for your consideration
so with that those are the items that we have kind of pending for you I'm happy to answer
any questions or if there's anything else that the that the committee would like or
the board would like to have included happy to discuss that yeah I have a couple of things
first of all I understand that of December 4th all the funds for solar incentives were
used and I just want to congratulate you guys on the success of the program and great community
education people know about this now I went on some solar installer sites and it's prominently
mentioned there as well so the word is out and I understand that the the beginning of
the next fiscal year in October that that the fund will be re will be replenished and
I hope that we can find a way to boost it because there obviously is the demand for
it so I thank you very much for that secondly I would appreciate an update on the situation
with the Givens Creek power plant and sorry and if you allow me I'll let me speak on that
so so last week on Thursday the the TMPA board did approve an asset purchase agreement with
Chara for the sale of that facility we're currently working on on getting an update
to the PEB into the council with that information that that APA is available already on on TMPA's
website so so you can go out there and take a look at it now it is all it was all done
in a public meeting and so but we are preparing that for you and we'll be sending that to
you here if not at the end of this week next the following week but we are we have scheduled
I was not listed on here on January 11th we will be coming to you in work session to have
a discussion with you about that deal and then the plan would be that we would come
back to you to the council on the 12th and then on January 25th to the board and into
the council on the 26th for consideration of approval of that APA that APA does require
that all four member cities approve a unanimously for it to actually be signed and executed
but the board TMPA board did approve that last Thursday and so again those documents
are available on their website today if if you'd like to take a look at them thank you
very much yes sir and I have one more item okay as I understand it there are 525 residential
photovoltaic or solar installations in the city there's 23 commercial and three industrial
what I what am requesting is I would like to see data showing the total amount of electricity
of electricity generated by these installations over the past over the past year over 2019
and I would also like to know how much of that generated electricity was returned to
the grid because it wasn't used by the household or the commercial or industrial facility and
if possible I would like to know how much of that electricity was generated at peak
demand times that's thank you and then rest I you hand right yeah I would like to see
a list if we could get a list of the items that are purchased that are considered to
be sole source we see that term frequently and the items were asked to approve sole source
which means we don't shop for anything we just pay whatever it is the vendor wants and
I'd like to see a list of those for the utility department whether it's hardware or software
or services so I get a better understanding of the size of this it doesn't have to be
January it can be February or or March but that's it Barbara you're on mute
all right how's it good I don't know if there's anything new out there that you thought about
or that you can do something about but our dumpsters continue to have people that fill
up dumpsters that they don't pay for and pile trash around it that the person that
pays for it gets notified that they're to take care of it and basically they're taking
care of other people's trash when they leave it around the dumpster I don't know if there's
let's continue to look and see if there's anything we can do because no one likes to
get a call that someone's put a sofa in front of their dumpster and and it doesn't belong
to the tenants so if you've got anything new on that that would be great yes ma'am thank
you anything else like I guess that was kind of concluding items wasn't it and are there
any other comments or items that a board member would like to see placed on the agenda in
the future well I'd like to say Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to everyone Merry Christmas
to everyone Merry Christmas Happy Holidays I I'm sorry go ahead Barbara next meeting
11th moment okay motion to adjourn so moved okay we are adjourned thank you everybody