John Hodgden

The agenda includes the consideration of payment for March claims, approval of February 2026 financial statements, and review of a contract with American Roofing for the Distribution Center. The Board will also consider the final payment to DN Tank for the Water Tank Project and a utility relocation agreement with KDOT for the new Centennial Bridge, followed by division reports covering administration, distribution and engineering, treatment plants, and the General Manager's report.

The agenda for the Leavenworth Waterworks Board Meeting includes consideration of payroll disbursements for December 2025, and the payment of various claims for December and January. Regular agenda items include considering a policy on Board Member Travel & Meetings and discussing a proposal from Verizon Wireless regarding the Pilot Knob Sublease. Division reports are scheduled from Administration, Distribution & Engineering, and Treatment Plants, followed by the General Manager's Report.

The meeting began with a public comment regarding a late fee assessment on an electronically paid bill, which led to a discussion clarifying payment application dates. Board member items included a request for drafting a policy on board travel and attendance, and a decision to postpone sending members to conferences in 2026 following a rate increase. The Board approved the consent agenda, which required corrections regarding utility billing refunds. Key financial actions involved approving the November 2025 financial statements and authorizing the signing of the engagement letter with SSC CPAs, P.A. for the Fiscal Year 2025 audit. Furthermore, the Board approved the purchase of a replacement vehicle, specifically a 2026 Chevy 1500 DBL Cab, for the Meter Shop, utilizing bids received from three vendors. Division reports covered updates on various water distribution projects, including the Lead & Copper Service Investigation and the Mount Olivet Project. Treatment updates included meeting with consultants about the South Plant Capacity Improvement Project and winter preventative maintenance. The General Manager reported on the completion of punch list items for Contract #2 Tank, progress on the South Treatment Plant Resiliency Project, and the certification of the 2025 Risk and Resiliency Assessment update.

The meeting included the consideration and approval of a draft policy to establish guidelines for board member travel and event attendance, specifically addressing the Kansas Open Meetings Act and encouraging collaborative travel to reduce organizational costs. The Board also discussed a proposal from Verizon Wireless regarding a sublease agreement for the Pilot Knob tower, including options for a perpetual easement or a reduced monthly rent, ultimately tabling the topic for further staff research. Division reports covered reconciliation updates, status of various infrastructure projects like the Lead & Copper Service Investigation and the Mount Olivet Project, main break statistics for 2025, and updates on the South Treatment Plant Capacity Improvement Project. The General Manager also reported on the KDHE inspection of Contract #2 Tank and the solicitation of RFQs for the South Treatment Plant Resiliency Project engineering services.

The meeting's discussions included the consideration of an Administrative Water Reconnection Fee policy aimed at recovering administrative and operational costs associated with service disconnection due to non-payment; the board ultimately tabled the approval pending further review. The Board rejected a proposal from Verizon Wireless regarding a reduction in the sublease agreement payment for the Pilot Knob tower. Division reports covered administration updates like reconciliations and policy documentation, distribution activities including service inventory and project status updates, and water treatment activities such as completing the 2025 Water Usage report and reviewing capacity improvement proposals. Presentations were held by Carollo Engineers and BG Consultants regarding the South Treatment Plant resiliency project. Subsequent sessions on January 27th and 28th, held due to recessing the main meeting, involved presentations from BG Consultants and Black & Veatch, respectively, concerning the same resiliency project, though no official action was taken in those sessions due to lack of quorum.