It is nine o'clock, and we do have a quorum, so we'll call to order the City of Debt and
Public Utilities Board on Monday, January 12th, 2026.
Are there any presentations from the public?
No?
Okay.
We'll move on to the consent agenda.
Does any board member wish to pull any items A through G?
Mr. Rybeck?
I would like to pull item B.
B?
Okay.
Any others?
All right.
Do we have a motion to approve items A, C, D, E, F, and G?
So moved.
Second.
And a second?
Mr. Newquist, all in favor say aye.
Aye.
Motion carries.
Item B.
Good morning to all David Brown, Water Utilities Project Manager.
How can I help you, sir?
I was curious.
I didn't see anything about the selection process.
The selection process was used the '82-'13 pre-qualified engineering selection that we
had already been approved through PB and Council.
So I can explain that.
Yes.
I think that would be helpful.
Thank you.
That selection process we did an RFP, our procurement did an RFP, and I'll let Lori
go in more detail.
Let me just --
Yeah.
She'll help me out.
Thank you.
She's making --
Lori Hewlett, Purchasing Manager.
So for engineering services, we have to do a request for qualifications.
Those take about four to six months most of the time.
So what we've done here at the city to speed up that process is we do a pre-qualified list.
So every three years, we send out a request for qualifications, and we qualify firms in
different sections.
So that came a couple years ago, I think a year or two ago, I don't exactly remember
when we qualified this list of engineering groups.
So with each project, they take the list of everyone that was qualified underneath that
category and they review qualifications, they'll ask for more qualifications, and then they
pick the most qualified from that.
So it wasn't necessarily an RFQ done recently.
It was done a year and a half ago.
But they do evaluate every firm every single time for every project to make sure they're
picking the most qualified.
Okay.
So this was one firm picked from a list of firms qualified in that particular discipline?
Yes.
Okay.
Is there any reason we don't have the final selection criteria in our information?
We just never, since we, it really wasn't an RFQ, it's an informal selection process
within the team.
I understand that.
Yeah.
But it's not a small quantity of money and it's for an important project.
I would have appreciated some further information like there were some other items in our consent
agenda that were relatively large in dollar value and there was a spreadsheet, and I know
they were competitive bids instead, but at least you had something to look at and say,
okay, this is why this particular firm was chosen.
So I was curious.
I didn't see anything about that and that's one reason I pulled it.
Okay.
I mean, we can add to the AISs in the future why they picked them.
But since the scoring and everything is informal, we don't add that into the AISs for that.
Okay.
Well, three and a half million bucks, I guess I'd kind of like to know.
Okay.
Thank you.
Any more questions, sir?
No, sir.
All right.
Thank you.
All right.
Do we have a motion to approve item B?
So moved.
And a second?
Second.
Mr. Newquist seconds.
All in favor, say aye.
Aye.
Carries.
Next item, receive nominations and hold elections for chair, vice chair, and secretary.
Mr. Gahad, did you hear from Tony?
No, ma'am, I have not heard from Tony yet.
Okay.
All right.
Is he in consideration?
No, sir.
Well, out of anyone here present, does anyone wish to serve in any capacity?
So we have no information about our current officers.
I know that Devin is willing to serve either as chair or vice chair.
I do know that.
I would be willing to nominate Devin to one of the positions since he has indicated a
willingness and we know it.
And I wouldn't have a problem with him being chair because he is -- I think it would be
great.
I nominate him for chair.
Okay.
You nominate Devin for chair.
And I'd like to do them individually if I could, ma'am.
Okay.
Are there other nominations for chair?
All right.
How about -- do we vote on each of them individually?
Either way.
Either way?
All right.
We want to do it that way?
Yes.
Okay.
All right.
Good.
Any nominations for vice chair?
Would you be interested, Lee?
Yes.
I guess I could do that.
You want to nominate him?
Yes.
Okay.
Motion and a second.
All in favor of Lee Rybeck serving as vice chair?
Say aye.
Aye.
Okay.
And secretary?
Madam Chair, what is the -- other than just the name secretary, what is the obligation
of secretary?
It's when the chair and the vice chair are gone, the secretary chairs the meeting.
That's why we have a third.
Wonderful.
And that happened once in the 14 years or whatever I've been on here.
I think we had it last year.
Yes.
A day like today.
Yeah, because all three of them are gone and you got stuck with me.
That's right.
Aaron, would you want to do it?
That would be fine.
All right.
You'd be fine?
I'd nominate Aaron.
All right.
Second.
Okay.
So motion and a second.
All in favor of Aaron, say aye.
Aye.
All right.
There we go.
We call this Louisiana Hayride, Steve, in case you're wondering how this is.
All right.
Chair approval of the December 15 minutes, December 15th, 2025 minutes.
Okay.
Mr. Reddick moves.
Second.
Oh, thank you.
Give me the head.
I'm busy writing.
Okay.
So is it Mr. Nyquist or is it you?
No, it's me.
He nodded to me to do the second.
Okay.
All right.
Quick learning.
You're the second.
Okay.
All in favor, say aye.
Aye.
Future agenda items.
Madam Chair, at this moment, we don't have any future agenda items nor do we have a new
business.
All right.
Wonderful job.
All right.
Any other business?
907.
Motion to adjourn?
We're adjourned.
Not even close to being in record.