April 8, 2025 Minutes

Kiowa Water and WasteWater Authority

Call to Order

The regular meeting of the Kiowa Water and Wastewater Authority was called to order on April 8, 2025, at 5:32pm by President Gabehart. 

Pledge of Allegiance

President Gabehart led the Board in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Roll Call

Present: President Donald Gabehart, Director Bret Wager, Director Laurel Brown and Treasurer Teresa Parker and Secretary Jill Duvall on Zoom 

Also in attendance: 
Mayor Howard, Town of Kiowa Board of Trustees 
Trustee Hart, Town of Kiowa Board of Trustees 
Kim Boyd, Town Administrator 
Sasha Davidson, Town Clerk 
Paul Grant, Headways Consultants on Zoom 

Consent Items

1. Approval of the Agenda -President Gabehart entertained a motion to approve the agenda. Treasurer Parker made the motion to approve the agenda. Director Wager seconded the motion, and the motion passed 4-0 due to an audio issue where Secretary Duvall could not be heard on Zoom, with no discussion.
2. Approval of the minutes of March 11, 2025, Meeting - President Gabehart entertained a motion to approve the minutes of March 11, 2025. Director Wager made the motion to approve the minutes. Treasurer Parker seconded the motion, and the motion passed 4-0 due to an audio issue where Secretary Duvall could not be heard on Zoom, with no discussion.

Public Comments

There were no public comments. 

Public Hearing

Intent to Fix or Increase Fees, Rates, Tolls, Penalties, or Charges for Water and/or Sanitary Sewer Services - There were no public comments made. The board held a brief discussion over the need to raise the sewer rate by $12.00 a month to make it solvent. The matter will be taken up for a vote and resolution at the May 13, 2025, meeting. 

New Business

1. Safe Water Protection Plan - Gabriel Matta, CRWA - Mr. Mata shared a PowerPoint presentation on the Colorado Rural Water Association's Source Water Assessment and Protection Program. This program can help the Authority by looking at ways to identify the source water protection areas, inventory potential sources of contamination, and write a plan to mitigate issues and define future goals. The stakeholders need to be involved in the process and will identify the issues that are most crucial and will assist in creating the best management practices model. Once completed there will be a grant of $5,000 that can be used for water protection. It was also discussed that an emergency plan can be created concurrently to tie in with the water protection plan.

Financial Reports

There were some revisions that were made to the financials: 

1. Legal Fees - December's invoices were paid in January, so those were removed from the current worksheet. To assist in bringing down fees, KWWA's attorneys will not be at every meeting; only when requested to do so to deal with legal issues.
2. Total Expenditures Calculation - the formula was incorrectly figuring the total expenditures, but it has been fixed.
3. Large expenditures - Sewer repairs are the largest expenditures to date. There was a question about water expenditures, and the administrator will share those with the board this week.
4. Insurance - Insurance was overpaid this month. Insurance company refunded the money, so it will show in next month's financial statements.

Staff Reports

1. Paul Grant, ORC
   1. Monthly Report - written report was submitted in the packet. No discussion.
   2. Update to Repairs at Sewer Plant
      1. The top parts of two decant arms have come off and need to be grabbed and put back on. The arms weigh around 800-900 pounds each. It requires a crane to come in and pull them up so they can be reattached. President Gabehart thinks he has a crane that can lift them out. The plant can keep running while these are fixed.
      2. The number two valve is working, the number one valve is due to be picked up and repaired in the next week and after it is back the number three valve can be repaired. The plant is running currently, and the lagoons are being pumped out currently.
2. Kim Boyd, Town Administrator
   1. Town Fire Hydrants -
      1. Schedule for Annual Flushing of town hydrants - The hydrants are set to be flushed on May 13 & 14, 2025. The signs from the previous work on the hydrants will be reused.
      2. Vandalism Issues - The Sheriff's department investigated the three hydrants that had locks cut. Two were cut by the Fire Department during training when they did not have the proper keys. New locks have been installed, and the Fire Department has been notified that if they cut off more locks, they will need to reimburse the Authority for them. Things have been put in place to monitor the hydrant at Nordman Park, which has also had a new lock installed.
   2. Mass Notification System - The notification system has been launched and is available for people to sign up for its services. It has been posted on the town's website, social media, and put in the newsletter and on fliers. People must sign up on their own, the authority does not have the ability to sign them up.
3. Sasha Davidson, Clerk
   1. Systems Total Report – There was about an 12% loss of water this month. However, as water use goes up there will show more loss due to the older meters not being as accurate as the new meters. As the meters get replaced, some of those problems should be rectified. There was 1,200 gallons used by the fire department for training. Four shut off letters and eight warning letters were sent out this month; the four customers notified of shut off have already paid.

Old Business

1. Finalize Amended and Restated Operating Agreement with TOK - The board already voted to approve this with amendments. Those amendments have been made, and the agreement has been signed.
2. Water Tank Rehab -Maguire scope of work/billing update - Chuck Graber with Maguire Water came to the meeting to talk about the proposed bid for the water tank that needs rehabbed. He still needs to meet with Paul Grant to look inside and take pictures but doesn't anticipate that the bid will go up unless he finds something catastrophic. The bid includes rehabbing the tank, inside and out, with the option to pay half now and half in a year's time. He plans to have that done by the end of April, so the board can decide at the May meeting. The timeline to get this done would be Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 depending on the weather and other projects.

Consent Items

1. RESOLUTION NO. 3, SERIES 2025 -A RESOLUTION TO REVOKE THE METER DEPOSIT AND DISSOLVE THE METER DEPOSIT ACCOUNT
   President Gabehart entertained a motion to pass Resolution No. 3, Series 2025. Treasurer Parker made a motion to pass Resolution No. 3, Series 2025. Director Wager seconded the motion, and the motion passed 5-0 with no discussion.
2. RESOLUTION NO. 4, SERIES 2025-A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A DESIGNATED PUBLIC PLACE FOR THE POSTING OF MEETING NOTICES AS REQUIRED BY THE COLORADO OPEN MEETINGS LAW. President Gabehart entertained a motion to pass Resolution No. 4, Series 2025. Treasurer Parker entertained a motion to pass Resolution No. 4, Series 2025. Director Wager seconded the motion, and the motion passed 5-0 with no discussion.

Correspondence/Discussion

None

Adjourn

President Gabehart entertained a motion to adjourn. Director Wager made the motion to adjourn. Director Brown seconded the motion, and the motion passed 5-0 with no discussion. The meeting adjourned at 6:45pm. 

The next regular meeting will be on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 5:30pm at Kiowa Town Hall. 

Minutes Approved by: Jill Duvall, KWWA Secretary

Sasha Davidson, Secretary to the Board