Douglas L. Cote

Key discussion points included addressing a visitor's request regarding a catastrophic underground water leak on their property which resulted in a significant account balance, and extending congratulations to an employee on their retirement after 28 years of service. The Consent Agenda, which included approvals for annual contracts for plumbing fittings, co-op purchases for access control equipment, a change order for Myers SCADA Upgrades, and the purchase of V xRail Computer Systems, required clarification on the significantly increased cost of the computer systems due to a third-party vendor price adjustment; the Board approved the Consent Agenda with the modification for Item 4D. The Safety Department provided a Year-End Status update covering 2025 incidents and 2026 goals. The Board approved the acceptance of sewer facilities for Dunham Farms Phase I. An Executive Session was scheduled to discuss two litigation matters and one confidential matter.

The meeting agenda included committee reports from the Ad Hoc Supplier Diversity Committee and the Finance/Risk Management Committee. Recognition was scheduled for two retiring staff members. The Consent Agenda involved approving several bids and purchasing items, including IFB 26-008 for a flow meter installation, IFB 26-009 for oxygen sensors, professional services for Hach Instrumentation, a sole source contract for Sensus Water Meters, and a change order for the Jacobs Project No. D3521300 Myers SCADA Upgrades. The Regular Agenda covered discussion and potential approval for Master Plan Phase II 2026/2027 SRF Loan Closings, including granting authority to Mr. Cote for loan representations. Additionally, the Board planned to address an agreement with the United States Army Corps of Engineers for the Alabama Environmental Infrastructure Improvements Project and the suspension of MAWSS DBE Policies related to public works and services contracts.

The purpose of this meeting was to open bids for three specific Invitation for Bids (IFB) projects. The first bid opening was for IFB22-020, the steel guard booth, which received bids from Business Systems and Consulting and Quick Buildings Modular. The second opening was for IFB22-021, pressure washers, with bids from Sioux Corporation and Technology International. The final opening was for IFB22-023, lime slurry, receiving one bid from Burnett Lime Company Incorporated, detailing pricing per dry ton and liquid pound, delivery terms, and payment terms. It was announced that the award for these bids is scheduled for the next board meeting on Monday, May 2nd.

The meeting involved a public bid opening for the HVAC maintenance contract for 2022. Two bids were received and opened in alphabetical order. The first bid was submitted by Easy Heating and Cooling, totaling Three Hundred Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($315,000.00). The second bid was submitted by Star Service Incorporated of Mobile, totaling One Hundred Seventy-Nine Thousand Eight Hundred Eighty Dollars ($179,880.00). The proceedings concluded with the statement that the contract award would be planned subsequently.

The meeting included congratulations extended to three employees on their retirements following significant years of service. The Board unanimously approved the Consent Agenda, which covered several Bids and Purchasing items, including the demolition of a SWAT tank, annual contracts for pump repairs and software subscriptions, and various infrastructure replacement projects such as digester cover replacement and sewer line replacements. Field Operations and Logistics were presented in detail, covering fleet maintenance statistics, water leak response, and capital projects. New business included the recommendation and subsequent approval for the acceptance of sewer facilities for The Waters at McGowin Apartments. Items for information only covered numerous upcoming annual contracts and sole source purchases.