Public Services Committee Meeting December 2024

The Hot Springs Village Public Services Committee met for its last meeting of 2024 on December 12. The committee discussed many subjects, including but not limited to culverts, dam inspections, road safety, DG Market, recycling, and much more. Please comment below, as we would love to hear your polite input on these subjects.

Committee Members present: Walt Black, Chair; Keith Buchanan, Secretary; Bob Cunningham; Drew Kahle; Danny Moore; George Parker; Jim Patton; John Sowers

Board Members present: Larry Siener, Board Vice-chair; Doyle Baker, Board Director

Staff present: Ken Unger, Director of Public Services; Matt Broom, Associate Director of Public Services

Absences: Rolland White, Committee Vice-chair; Michael Riley

HSVPOA Board Report – Larry Siener

Siener reported that the fee schedule was approved last month. There is one small change, but nothing major. The budget should be voted on at the next Board meeting on Wednesday, December 18.

Utilities (water and wastewater) accounting activities must be separated from the rest of the operating budget due to Act 605 requirements. Money for these two categories should not be used to fund anything else. “We know we have investments to make on water and sewer so we are looking at utility rates. To get the money to pay for the water and sewer infrastructure upgrades, we will look at the bond market rates in late ’25 or 2026. The utility rates will need to be such that we can pay what is due on the bond. Right now, of course, it is unknown what the interest rate will be.

Siener reported that we are in much better shape for the 2025 budget than he expected. “We will get into a situation where expenses will exceed revenues at some point, and that will start narrowing down the amount of money we have to invest in capital projects some years down the line.”

“Right now, we are in very good shape…We’re going to keep making the capital investments.” $8.5 or $9 million are programmed into next year’s budget. “We are going to keep doing as much as possible while we have the money to do it.”

“Look at assessment fees, plus the unit charges on water, sewer, and sanitation; it is worth several hundred thousand dollars a year. Using my cocktail napkin math, every house is worth about $3,200 -$3,300 a year to the POA [This also includes recreation fees.]”

The Board will announce the selection for General Manager next week at the December 18 Board Meeting.

P.S. Chair Report – Walt Black

Due to other obligations, David Childs has resigned from the Public Services Committee.

The next committee meeting is on January 9, 2025, and the next working session is on January 23. Both meetings are scheduled to be held at 9:30 a.m. at the Ponce de Leon Center, 1101 DeSoto Boulevard.

With David Childs’ resignation, the committee is looking to fill two slots. Interviews will be conducted after the committee meeting. Look for new Public Services Committee members to be announced at the December 18 Board meeting.

Staff Report – Ken Unger and Matt Broom

Culvert rehab work – In November the Board approved culvert rehabilitation of 36 culverts. Public Services has determined the most efficient way to rehab these culverts is to line them with concrete on the bottom. At the date of the Public Services Committee meeting, 17 culverts have been completed. “We’re going to try to keep pushing this until the end of the year. We’ve come across a couple that have already been rehabbed with concrete bottoms. No repair was needed on these two,” explained Broom. Public Services is pleased so far with the workmanship of the company performing this work.

Broom reported that we are running under the 2024 budget amount set aside for culverts.

Jersey barriers and other options for traffic safety – A Jersey barrier is designed to minimize vehicle damage in case of contact. These barriers and other solutions, such as rumble strips or RPMs (raised pavement markers), are being considered for installation on curves on Balearic Road one mile south of the Catholic church, one at the DeSoto/Minorca intersection, and one near the turnoff entrance into waypoint. Unger said the ongoing effort would be to address every curve.

Areas are being considered for the installation of speed bumps. One possible candidate is the exit lane at the East Gate. Another area under consideration is the installation of an additional speed bump at the East Gate decal lane.

There are traffic safety concerns on Ponderosa Lane and a few other high-traffic areas.

Committee Member Danny Moore said that the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) has several recommendations for installing speed bumps that can work well. The manual recommends that advanced pavement marking signs are installed before the speed bump installation to inform motorists of the speed bumps.

Moore recommends using surface rumble strips to avoid cuts in the pavement.

Balboa Gate tailgating – Broom said that work on Balboa Gate tailgating continues. In consideration is the use of spikes on the exit lane.

Unger said a good question for the community is, “How much do you want gate security?” He said he has heard a lot of complaints the last couple of years, and they tell the community what they plan to do and try some things.”

The fast-arm gate installed at the East Gate may be relocated to the Balboa Gate.

Dam inspections – Broom said the state will inspect two high-hazard Village dams annually. This year a workshop was held in the Village. Dam owners were trained to perform their inspections, but the state will still spot-check. Two items were found on Isabella Dam that will be repaired next week.

Broom said dams are mowed before inspections to make problems easier to see. In the past, there was an accident with the POA mower, so a contractor proficient in high-hazard mowing is now hired for $2,500 per dam. Broom said they also spray the water side of the dam every year for broadleaf.

Cardboard recycling program and baler usage status – Broom reported the POA was bailing one or two bales per day. In the past, commercial trucks had to stop their routes two or three times a day and empty the cardboard dumpsters before going to the dump. This created extra dump trips. The benefits of cardboard recycling are:

1. Cardboard recycling has resulted in fewer transfer station trips (less dumping costs).
2. Lower fuel costs
3. Less wear and tear on the commercial trash trucks
4. Money is made by selling the cardboard.

The first partial load of cardboard was sold in November for $1,100. “The biggest thing I have noticed is that when we were billed for our disposal fees in November, one of our most expensive months as far as disposal fees go, we were charged $19,175. I looked back to November 2023, and that disposal bill was $21,406. This is over $2,000 difference. As you know, we have more residents this year. I even went back to 2022, when it was $20,015. The disposal fee was cheaper this year than it was for the past two years and that is with increased disposal fees and more people served. I think this is proof that this will work for us, ” detailed Broom.

Broom said that everybody has been trained in cardboard baler safety. There is not any one employee designated to the cardboard baling operation.

Aluminum can recycling – Broom said the recycling operation accepts aluminum cans. Kahle said, “Every golf course has a special bin for aluminum cans, and they used to give the cans to the Animal Welfare League. (AWL). The AWL no longer recycles aluminum cans. Have you arranged to pick up those aluminum cans, or what is happening to them?”

Unger said, “We are working with the golf courses on cardboard so we should do the same on the aluminum cans.”

Broom said he would investigate the aluminum can issue.

Recycling plastics – Unger said recycling plastics is labor intensive, but this topic may be visited later.

Tornado clean up – Broom said the cleanup has not moved as quickly as he wanted in the past few months. Click here to read “Input requested from residents in tornado-ravaged areas.” Broom stated his email blew up from the article. “I’ve gotten at least 50 responses [from tornado-affected residents], and everyone is saying to burn.”

The POA will follow strict debris burn pile safety protocols and guidelines. The burn sites will be manned as long as there is a flame and the fire department will be engaged.

Unger said they “do not intend to go on every property to clear debris. What we are looking at are wide, vast areas that have a lot of debris, mainly tied to common property, where we can aggregate all that debris in one spot and burn it up rather than trying to haul it out. Hauling it out is very difficult.”

Tornado insurance reimbursements – Unger stated, “The last money we received was $200,000 and considered a ‘grace’ payment, so to speak.” This payment was tied to tornado cleanup.

Lake Sergovia sanitary sewer work to reduce I and I* – (Infiltration and Inflow) Public Services is working to reduce inflow and infiltration at Lake Sergovia. Unger explained, “They are in the process of cleaning out rocks and debris in the lines. Next week they will work on the line underneath the dam. That is the key one for me. There is a blockage from the original slip line segment that appears to have failed. They must route this out and clean it before they can line it. We’ll know more after the end of next week. They did find an old lift station that was converted to a manhole that was taking on water constantly. We’re very optimistic that when it is sealed, we will see a drop in water flow coming into the system.”

Unger said that maintenance work is vital because this is a good way of uncovering problems in the sewer system. “Doing I and I and cleaning work exposes our faults.” Unger expects dramatic improvements from the Lake Sergovia sanitary sewer system work.

Chris Boutzale, Water and Waste Water Superintendent keeps track of the lift stations that show increased activity when it rains. “We know that something is getting into the system when it rains. He goes upstream of that area and we look to see if there are any indications that the manholes are taking on more water. Once Boutzale identifies a line that needs work, it is added to the I and I cleaning list so that he can get an idea of what is causing the excess water intake,” shared Unger.

Boutzale has worked on I and I from the lift station at Calella back up and across Lake DeSoto. They have been repairing as we go, as the lines are cleaned.

*“Groundwater entering sanitary sewers through defective pipe joints and broken pipes is called infiltration.” “Water entering sanitary sewers from inappropriate connections is called inflow. Typical sources include sump pumps, roof drains, etc.” Wikipedia

Cortez Lift Station – This project has continued since Ken Unger became Public Services Director. While he was unaware of the problem when he took the director position, he soon became cognizant of the situation in November of 2022 as he began hearing complaints of sewage overflow from residents. The department had the Cortez lines cleaned and inspected and is now working to install a new lift station.

Unger stated, “We’ve come in at about $500,000 on receivables of materials, which is a little bit more than we were forecasting.” Unger said it worked out because there was money in the budget. They are prepping for the pouring of the foundations for the buildings. We will start working with the integrators to lay the electrical pipe between the buildings. We still don’t have completion dates for the buildings, pumps, or generator.” Unger said they had to commit to purchasing this equipment before they started building it.

DG Market – Some clearing work has begun at the DG Market site. Broom said the area will be cleared out for the entrance and sign. It was anticipated the store would open in May 2025, but this date has been pushed back. They planned to start in January but are getting an early start. After the clearing, the initial work will be for stabilizing the property and installing the drainage system, and building the parking lot.

Roof replacements – Unger explained where the POA is in the process of roof replacements. “Where we are now is we have the final signoff from the material manufacturer on the TPO roof for the Coronado Center,” Unger said Public Services had their own inspection with the contractor’s help, who pointed out some items. We ensured the warranty was good and had the material supplier sign off on some things. The material supplier identified a few more items that needed to be repaired. This project is expected to wrap up shortly.

“TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) is a single-ply white membrane used in both commercial and residential roofing. Due to TPO being a white membrane, it reflects heat instead of absorbing it.”

Four structures at the tennis center needed roofs due to tornado damage. Insurance paid for these roof replacements.

Unger said they are in the RFP process [Request for Proposal] for new roofs for the Cortez Pro Shop and the Fitness Center. The bids are expected back this week (December 16-20). These roofs are budgeted for 2025.

Unger said there are also a series of shingled roofs at the rental house and a couple of pavilions.

Previously, David Moore, HSVPOA Board Treasurer, encouraged the POA to have a deductible buy-down policy. Luckily, the POA took heed, and this policy helps cover tornado roof damage.

Water tank rejuvenation – “This project will slip into 2025 primarily because a needed valve was difficult to source. The rest of the project is moving forward but not without some issues. Both the interior and exterior of the tank are being painted. The painting contractor had to bring in a new crew based on the quality of the work performed. Everything was stripped down and repainted. The painting of the water tank should be finished on Monday, December 16. Because the painting project has exceeded the guaranteed finish time, a discount will be given on the work.

Contractor registration – Click here to read “POA Considers Contractor Registry.”

Balboa Clubhouse – Broom said this project is essentially complete except for a little bit of work taking place in the kitchen. There is still work remaining downstairs. The restaurant had a soft opening on Friday, December 13, and is now open for business. Logan McGear and his wife, Leah Harris, own the Balboa Club Restaurant. The POA owns the building.

Emergency Water Supply – Click here to read “Hot Springs Village Takes One Giant Step Forward in Securing Emergency Water Supply.”

HyperFiber Installation Status Update – Click here to read “Hot Springs Village HyperFiber Installation Status Update.”

Wastewater Treatment Plant Consolidation – Public Services Director Ken Unger said that if he had to guess, they are probably about 30% into the design of the wastewater treatment plant consolidation. Click here to read an article on this subject.

We are on schedule as far as the design goes and will come in around half a million dollars this year for the completed design work.

“There have been changes at the state level. While we haven’t received the final criteria, we expect the state changes, based on what our engineer is hearing, they will be more accommodating to us.”

The engineer has been focusing on the final grades of the project, establishing what the project will look like when completed. There are multiple phases to be enacted over time.

“We are structuring the plant so there are fewer pumps and will use as much gravity flow as possible.” This strategy reduces energy and maintenance costs.

Unger plans to use staff talent to self-perform the rough grading. We will need a separate stormwater management permit from the State to start the excavation next year. “By the time we get to construction, the rough grading will be finished…This will create a stockpile of material for us to use throughout the Village.” Self-execution also has the advantage of saving hundreds of thousands in excavation costs.

POA staff will also install around two miles of 18-inch PVC force main.

West Gate Fountain – Public Services has assumed all pump responsibility in the Village and is standardizing the pumps. “instead of using all the unique pumps that take months to replace, we are using sewer system pumps.” If a pump should fail, they have a stockpile, and ordering unique pumps with a long waiting period is no longer necessary.

Unger said the lower pond will probably need to be painted (sealed) because of leaks.

Balboa Golf Course Restoration – Click here to read the Balboa Golf Course renovation article.

By Cheryl Dowden; Photography by Cheryl and Joe Dowden

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR HSV ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SERVICES

Matt Broom
Associate Director Public Services
Hot Springs Village
mbroom@hsvpoa.org