The Utilities Committee met 03/21/2023. The meeting was brief, lasting only around 15 minutes.
They took up a request for approve a root foaming contract as well as several requests related to utility equipment. All of the items were approved unanimously and none seemed to be controversial
They also received a report on water main breaks for February of 2023. Probably due to the mild winter, breaks were down by half compared to last year which was positive.
I’ve prepared a transcript of the full meeting for download.
ITEM 23-0291: Award Unit R-23 Chemical Root Foaming of Sanitary Sewers to Duke’s Root Control, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $25,000.
Alderperson Alex Schultz (District 9) asked what chemical compound was being used. Director of Public Works Danielle Block did not know and was going to look into it and get back to him.
Alderperson Schultz noted that $25,000 was not a large amount of money and wondered if that signified that this was not a huge process. Director Block said that the amount of root foaming was based on the sewer televising footage that were taken the previous year which let them know which areas needed address. She did not know what percentage of the area that had been televised needed to undergo the root foaming process.
Alderperson Schultz asked if a mechanical means of cleaning out roots was more expensive or not as effective as the chemical treatment. A staff member responded that there was still a mechanical component to the process and that the root foaming was used to reduce the strength of the roots before the physical removal.
ITEM 23-0304: Award purchase of Primary Digester Circulation Pump from Crane Engineering in the amount of $27,774.
Utilities Director Chris Shaw told the committee that this was a pump that was intended to go on the shelf and be available as a replacement. In the past, it used to take 6 weeks to get a new pump or pump part, but that was now closer to 6 months. Having one on the shelf would ensure they would not be waiting multiple months for an important part.
This purchase had not been originally planned for this year, but recent events made them aware of the critical nature of some of these parts as well as the long wait times for replacements. He noted that pumps wear out and the utility will end up having to buy them, so nothing was lost to the utility by purchasing one early. It was just reducing risk.
ITEM 23-0300 Award the Sole Source Purchase of Secondary Clarifier Algae Sweep System from Ford Hall Company, Inc., in the amount of $131,040 with a 15% contingency of $19,656 for a project total not to exceed $150,696.
I’m sure everyone will be interested to learn that this system cleans out the utility’s “weirs” of which Appleton has about 600 linear feet. If the weirs are not cleaned out, they end up putting more pollutants into the Fox River.
By spending $150,000 on this cleaning equipment, the utility would be saving around $500,000 in labor costs to clean it manually.
ITEM 23-0301: Sole Source Engineering Services Contract to McMahon as part of Phase II Belt Filter Press Equipment Upgrades Project in the amount of $162,000 with a 15% contingency of $24,300 for a Project Total not to exceed $186,300
This was phase 2 of the project. Director Shaw noted that they split the project in two because the construction costs had far exceeded the original construction estimates that were made by contractors and engineers two and a half years ago.
Unfortunately, when projects were split up, it made additional engineering work necessary; however even though there were some engineering costs associated with this phase, it was still a good value in terms of the ratio of engineering to construction costs.
ITEM 23-0302: Sole Source Engineering Services Contract to McMahon as part of the 2023 Digester Piping and Heat Exchanger Replacement Project in the amount of $85,300 with a 15% contingency of $12,795 for a Project Total not to exceed $98,095.
This contract was for two heat exchangers in the wastewater treatment plant’s digester system. These are the parts that keep the digesters at 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
INFORMATION ITEM 23-0297: Monthly Report for February 2023
The City of Appleton had identified 20 water main breaks year-to-date as of the end of February as compared to 45 by the end of February 2022. Staff felt that the mild winter had played a huge role in the lower numbers. There had been little frost on the ground and some areas did not freeze at all.
View full meeting details and video here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1084460&GUID=A3867425-DFA3-4A10-AAE7-A746AAB916C2
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