ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

May 2010

 

 

          After our April budget workshop, we spent several hours over the course of several days working on a study of potential water and sewer rates.  I have prepared several different reports for the workshop on May 4.  Staff recommends adopting the price per gallon method originally suggested.  Over the course of the year, we feel that we can handle the cash differences and best provide for a reserve to fund future upgrades, such as line extensions.  Over the last 18 years, our flows have remained constant enough to easily handle a “bad snow” year.

          We are also working on a billing system that is less complicated and less expensive.  We have acquired a Quickbooks version for the office and are looking at software that transfers the meter reading to Quickbooks.  We hope also to set up a method of payment by credit card and electronic transfer and will work with Winter Accountancy on those issues.

          On April 9, I attended a meeting of the San Juan Chama contractors and the Bureau of Reclamation in Albuquerque.  If you think our budget approach is confusing, you should see theirs.  The largest line item was budgeted last year at zero dollars, but they spent $140,000. on the travel and vehicle line item.  This line item expenditure was originally under supplies and misc., but when I asked about it, they changed it.  According the BOR the expenditure was for repairs to some of their big equipment.  In any event, there will not be an increase in cost this year as they ended up with a $400,000. surplus.  They have to budget for the first quarter of the next fiscal year, i.e. for 15 months rather then 12, so they said they would just use that money for the first quarter.  I don’t think they quite understand the budgeting process, but they are the federal government.  Bottom line, even with the costs of remediating the “damages” caused by the SCADA system’s failure to operate correctly, there will be no increase in costs this year.

          We have been working on the offices again.  We remodeled Don’s office and fixed the ceiling in the main office.  We still have the stairway and Vanessa’s office to go.  We hope to have Vanessa’s office done by May 3, 2010.  By fixing the offices in a piecemeal fashion, we are only spending minimal amounts when we have it available.  The most expensive part will be the stairway, which is included in the new budget.  All other costs have totaled less than $10,000.  We are also looking for an economic way to further insulate the offices to prevent the winter ice build up.  We may also expand the parking around the office.  The high winds of last Thursday caused a major tree to fall behind the office, but luckily it fell uphill and only uprooted two wires.  We will be working on removing the tree and freeing the wires (we think it is TV and phone, but don’t know for sure as no one has reported any outage).

          After interviews, we have hired Roger John Padilla in the Public Works Department.  John has been working for us in a temporary capacity in place of Lawrence, who has returned to the Department.  He has experience and a veteran’s preference.  We had previously hired Jessie Miera ( a temporary moved to a permanent employee) to replace Brian, who was unable to return to work in any job vacancy that we had and for which he was qualified.  We welcome both of them to our staff.  We should also be hiring the two youths that worked for us during the summer last year.  They will help on a variety of clean up projects.

          Another issue that has come up relates to the State Fire Marshall sending an investigator to inspect the Austing House.  Whoever made the complaint told the investigator that the Village did not have a Fire chief or a fire department.  Dave, Don, Rich and I have spent time disabusing the State Fire Marshall of this fact, but the bottom line is that the State Fire Marshall has jurisdiction to do what they did.  We have asked that we be notified if they come into the Valley.  They said they would, but also said that often they have trouble finding people in the small communities.  We are following up with a letter.  In the mean time, they have said that they will probably inspect some other structures in the Valley, saying they know that other structures were built in the same manner.  The main problem is that many of the older commercial structures are not sprinkled.  Some of the older codes did not require sprinklers, but each owner will have to show that when their commercial structure was built, they were not required to sprinkle the building.  This is problematic for Amizette as the structures not only would have to have sprinklers, but a water tank of sufficient size to sprinkle the building.  Although the State Fire Marshall has the power to grant a variance, it is ultimately their decision.

          This morning, while we are having the workshop, Don is meeting with the engineers and the contractor to get a schedule of work for the water tank construction in the core area and the installation of pressure reducing valves.  Since the pressure reducing valves may call for a street blockage in certain areas, we will publish that time line so that the residents can plan around the blockage if they need to travel on the days that there may be closures.  We will try to keep one lane open, though, at all times.

          Finally, I’ll be on vacation from the 5th to the 12th.