Water Board approves chamber contract, new policy

A contract with the chamber and a new policy were on the agenda during the Dec. 18 meeting of the Daleville Water and Sewer Board.

The board discussed terms of a contract with the Daleville Area Chamber of Commerce before approving the contract to providing funding for a year.

The water board previously approved providing $15,000 to fund the salary for the chamber’s executive director position during its Nov. 19 meeting.

There was a four-year contract with the water board that included a reduction in funding over the four years and was not meant to be renewed after the contract ended this December.

The water board was first approached for funding from the chamber’s former administration during the board’s May 15 meeting. At this meeting, Daleville City Council member and water board member Scott Moore suggested the chamber approach the city about potential funding.

The city council tabled the request during its June 5 meeting. The request was ultimately denied during the council’s July 17 meeting.

During the water board’s Nov. 19 meeting, Executive Director Kecia Ham told the water board she believed it would be self sufficient in a year and requested the funding to help “take a lot of heat off the chamber” for the next year.

Ultimately, board member Josh Robertson made the motion to enter into a one-year contract with the chamber to provide the $15,000 for the salary. Board member Patrick Sullen seconded the motion, which was also approved by Moore.

Board chairman Charles Tongret and board member Bob Slagle did not attend the Nov.19 meeting.

During the Dec. 18 meeting, Tongret asked who the president of the chamber was. Ham told the board the chamber board does not have a president and will not have a president until board elections are held during the first meeting in January.

Ham said the board has waited to hold the election until more board members could be added. She said there are currently six board members.

“We wanted to have at least six, minimum, to have a full board before we made that decision,” Ham said. “Everything has been decided as a group instead of putting it off on one person in particular.”

Tongret asked how how Ham became the executive director.

“I was voted on by the two (remaining) board members,” she said. “I was a board member at the time.”

Ham also told Tongret the funding would help the chamber “to use all the funds for events and building the chamber back up instead of worrying about payroll.”

Tongret asked about current funding for the chamber.

“Right now, we have about $4,000,” she said. “Some of it is new money from the memberships that we’ve gotten and the fall festival that we helped with. Some of it is new money, but some of it is the last payment that the chamber got from the water board.”

She told the board that there are 93 paying members now, with average dues being $125 per year. She said there are others who have expressed interest in joining at the beginning of the year.

The contract presented to the water board was similar to the chamber’s previous contract and was narrowed to a one-year time period.

Moore said the contract would also not be renewed unless the water board approved a renewal.

Tongret asked if the vote taken place by the board during its last meeting was to provide $15,000 for the salary.

Water Board Secretary Angelia Filmore said the board only had to sign a contract showing what it required of the chamber executive director.

“I like this contract as it is,” Moore said, asking what changes any other board members might suggest.

Tongret said he would like to see the funding go toward funding the events for the chamber.

“We’ve already earmarked (the $15,000),” he said. “I’d say we earmark that for the projects and things, and they, through their funding, pay the executive director salary they want to pay.”

“I’d say that the thing we discussed at the last meeting about this was that the whole goal was for them to become completely self sufficient in this year, and it be just a one-year deal,” board member Josh Robertson said.

Moore motioned for the board to accept the contract presented to the board, which Robertson seconded.

Board members Bob Slagle and Patrick Sullen approved the contract, and Tongret voted against approving the contract.

In other business, Water Department Supervisor Orson Bullard recommended the water board create a policy to limit the amount of times an individual or business can request water be turned off or on at no cost.

He presented the board with records of numerous requests to turn water off and on at one location in Daleville.

“It’s during the night,” he said, stating that the water department also receives calls several times a day. “Normally, we don’t charge anybody to cut the water off, but I think if we have to go out (excessively), we need to set some kind of policy or some kind of fee. One, we have to pay the guys overtime to go out there and cut it off and then to go back and turn it back on.”

There has not been a policy in place for situations with excessive requests before. Bullard said there has been no similar issue in the past.

Board member Josh Robertson suggested that there not be a fee for an emergency situation or for situations that occur after hours. Board Chairman Charles Tongret said he believed there should be a flat service fee applied for excessive requests “month by month.”

“We need to come up with a fee that’s not crazy but that also pays for our guys,” Tongret said.

Bullard said it takes up to 30 minutes to turn water off or on. If a request is made for both actions, the process could take an hour to complete. He also said any requests that occur during the work day would require employees to be removed from the project they were already working on.

Bullard suggested that a fee be applied per billing cycle to help keep track of charges for excessive requests. The board also agreed that two requests to have water turned off and two requests to have water turned on at a single location, whether business or residential, should be the limit before a fee is applied.

The board ultimately approved applying a fee of $25 per request to turn water on or to turn water off. This fee would be applied during a single billing cycle after two on and two off requests have been completed.

To have water turned off and then turned back on would equal $50. This fee will affect residential and business locations equally. A note will be printed on future water bills.

The board also elected to keep the board officers the same for the following year. Tongret will continue to serve as board chairman. Moore will continue to serve as Vice Chairman.

The next water board meeting will be held on Jan. 15, 2019, at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall.