23 Feb February 23rd, 2015 Minutes

THE FOUR HUNDRED AND FORTY THIRD SESSION OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN

VILLAGE OF ALAMANCE
February 23, 2015 – 7:00 PM

Present: Mayor Bundren, Mayor Pro Tem Tichy, Alderman Sharpe, Alderman Crouse, Alderman Tichy, Alderman Gregory and Clerk York.

Absent: Alderman Clemmons

Alderman Crouse gave the invocation.

Swearing in of New Board Member

Clerk York administered the Oath of Office to Dan Tichy, Board of Aldermen. Mayor Bundren confirmed that Dan Tichy would serve until November. He will need to run for the two year seat. The Mayor welcomed Alderman Dan Tichy to the Board.

Alderman Sharpe moved to approve the January 26, 2015 meeting minutes. Mayor Pro Tem Tichy seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

OLD BUSINESS

Report on Cabin Pump Station Project

Mark Reich reported that the easement has been obtained from Tim Crouse. It is now in hand. Clerk York has done the check, so that everything can be recorded now. Mayor Bundren asked if they now had all the easements needed. Mr. Reich informed that they still do not have the Kirkpatrick easement. Attorney Koonts reported that they have written to Mr. Kirkpatrick, and they have tried contacting him. Yet, they have had no response. Mayor Bundren asked where Mr. Kirkpatrick lived. Mr. Reich provided the directions. Mr. Reich has spoken with Mr. Kirkpatrick, but he had the issue with a person he thought was a former board member. This is not the case. Attorney Koonts summarized that they haven’t had any response at all. Mr. Reich explained that he has everything ready to go out for bids. He has bid dates, if the Board wants to move in that direction. Mayor Bundren asked if Mr. Kirkpatrick could stop the project. Attorney Koonts explained the Board has the power to condemn that easement. This means filing a lawsuit and posting the money with the court. If Mr. Kirkpatrick wants to challenge that, he can. If he doesn’t want to challenge it, then he gets that money. The Board has the power of eminent domain to do that. Attempts have been made to resolve this; this is not impacting his property much at all. They sent letters, beginning in February, and have had no response at all. Mr. Reich suggested that the Mayor, one of the other Board members, and he go out and try to talk to Mr. Kirkpatrick again. Mr. Reich stated that he would be glad to go out and answer any questions that Mr. Kirkpatrick has regarding the easement. He asked if he should go ahead and advertise. The City of Burlington currently has an easement that they can utilize. Contractors that want to bid on the project would have access through that existing easement. Basically, all they are doing is getting an easement from the river to the existing sewer line. They are boring, underneath, the majority of that distance. It is a short distance from the existing sanitary sewer easement over to where they will need to open cut. It is not a very big easement. There is not a lot of money in it. Perhaps, more could be offered. As far as proceeding, Mr. Reich thinks it would be best to have all of the easements in hand. If the Board wants to proceed with the three easements that are now in hand, they could take bids. Mr. Reich recommends a month to obtain bids. He is looking at a bid date of March 31, 2015. Clerk York has indicated the Board will be having a budget meeting in April. The bid award could be made at that time, depending on the outcome of the easement. Or, the Board could wait and award it at the April Board meeting. Mayor Bundren stated her opinion was to proceed. Alderman Sharpe commented that they have waited on this long enough. Alderman Gregory asked how long the process would take. Attorney Koonts explained that as soon as the lawsuit was filed, and the money was posted, the Board has the right to use the easement. It is only a question of consideration. How much is this worth to Mr. Kirkpatrick? Deciding on the value can take a long time, but the Board can proceed with the project. Alderman Gregory asked if the Board could tell Mr. Kirkpatrick they would handle it this way. Attorney Koonts stated this is what he did, at the beginning of February. He still hasn’t had any response. He suggested that they try again. Perhaps he, Mr. Reich and the Mayor could try and sort it out. It is not a lot of space, and it is not a lot of money. Mayor Pro Tem Tichy made the motion to put this out for bid. If they don’t obtain the easement in the next month, they will proceed with the condemnation as discussed. Alderman Crouse seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Mr. Reich will move forward with advertising.

Flooring for the Town Hall

Mike Davis distributed photos for the Board members, along with copies of the fungal report. The good news is that they have been able to find out about the problem very early. The mold found in the Mayor’s office was not seen anywhere else in the building. It was only noticed underneath the flooring. The laminate was down, along with a vapor barrier. Under the vapor barrier was some discoloration. You could see where every joist was located. They immediately placed plastic, put in an air scrubber to clean the air, and cleaned the floors. The first report that came back said that the mold spore count in the Mayor’s Office was 5300. Outside, the air reading was 850. You easily get a 4000-5000 reading on a fall day or a spring day. The inside atmosphere of the office was like a fall day or a spring day. Unfortunately, that triggered a series of checks. Mr. Davis presented photos of what was found underneath the crawl space. They found the gutter downspout connection was knocked off, at the corner of the building nearest the Finance Office. It was allowing the water coming off the roof to saturate the ground. It is possible that this could have happened when the truck hit the building. However, it was encased in dirt. That, coupled with the extremely wet weather in the last year and a half, has caused problems. Mayor Bundren asked if the ground could have gotten that saturated since the driver backed into the building. Mr. Davis stated he doubted that. All of that, as shown in the photos, is underneath the crawl space. The next photo showed the doorway in front of the Sheriff’s Office. As soon as the weather will allow, they will go around the entire building, everywhere the concrete meets the veneer, and do a MP1 caulk joint. They will skip the area where they’ve done the recent work. All of that was dug out, and has been re-waterproofed, filled with gravel, and French drains have been installed. That 22-25 sq. foot section has now been protected. There should not be any water infiltration, coupled with fixing the drain line. They have made sure there is an outlet for the water to get out. It comes under the sidewalk and comes down to the swell at the side of the building. The last report, done on a low end day, shows an outside count of 260. The Finance Office report was 1650, the Conference Room reading was 3980, the Sheriff’s Office reading was 0, Clerk York’s Office was 650, the attic was 1340, the crawl space reading was 84,000. The impact of the findings involves the crawl space. There is a small greenhouse effect going on. There is no sunlight getting under there, and no wind. There is very little ventilation. The effervescence on the front wall is drying, but it is just not drying fast enough. The humidity levels, this time of the year, promote this too. There is a “stack” effect. This is all listed on the report, which includes conclusions and recommendations. There is an extreme that Mr. Perkins feels does not need to be addressed. A system can seal the crawl space, seal the walls, and seal the floor. The heating and air system is in the attic. They would need to figure out a way to put a dehumidifier in the crawl space. Mr. Perkins thinks this is an extreme measure and doesn’t need to be considered. This can be a $5000-$6000 fix. Mr. Davis stated he would rather not do that, at this point. Mr. Davis then distributed the testing report. The first air quality test has been completed at the cost of $525.00. This triggered the second round of testing which cost $1490.00. This is a post and pre-test. The first round of testing has been done, and has provided the documentation as presented. He will come back and do a second round of testing, after remediation has been done. Mr. Davis presented information from the report that he has just received. The recommendations are to remove all of the insulation under the crawl space. This is done as they determine how far the mold seems to be, on the floor system. It is very minimal, at this point. Additional ventilation to the crawl space is also recommended. If the problem continues, they may wish to put this on a watch list, before a lot of money is spent. The okay has been given to finish the work upstairs. The new flooring can be finished and the painting can be done. The source of the problem is the crawl space. After the remediation of the crawl space, the recommendation is to do a complete wipe down upstairs, including all the furniture. Fogging of the attic is also recommended, as is the cleaning of the HVAC system and air handler. The opinion, presented in the conclusions, is that the spore count does not present a health hazard to anyone working in the building. This is just like being outside on a spring day. Mayor Bundren observed that her office has been closed the majority of the time. Mr. Davis pointed out the recommendation that the doors be left partially open, even when not in use. There were about three things going on at the same time, including the non-regular use of that Office, the door being closed, and the water infiltration. The good news is that the spores did not migrate; it involved closed-in space. Mr. Davis stated that the minimal action to be taken is to “demo” the insulation and see what the remediation part will be. He has numbers based on 2000 square feet. It could be only 500 square feet or less. It could just be 10 feet from the wall (as you look at the photos). Everything seems to be condensed to the last third of the wall and the center section where the 25 feet was, leading over to the Sheriff’s Office door. Mayor Bundren pointed out that the area was already waterproofed and asked if they really needed to all of the area recommended. Alderman Crouse asked about the height of the crawl space. Mr. Davis answered it is 42-44 inches high at one end, and 24-30 at the other end. Alderman Crouse recommended some foundation vents be installed. Mr. Davis admitted that was a good point. Because of regulations and ADA access, there is no way to do that. There is about 30 inches where the Sheriff’s Office door is located. When they dug down, that was to the footing. There has to be wheelchair accessibility to the building. This is what they are up against. The waterproofing addresses the majority of the problem. The exposed downspout correction provides remediation, preventing water from leaching into the foundation system. Mr. Davis summarized these are the recommendations. He doesn’t want to spend the money. He would like to obtain quotes from a couple of companies, now that he has the report in hand. Alderman Crouse suggested others may have ideas that would be less expensive. Mr. Davis added that the good news is there is time. It needs to be put on a watch list, to keep an eye on it. The upstairs work was stopped two weeks ago, but the okay has been given to finish the upstairs. Mayor Bundren asked if adding additional vents on the side of the building would help. Mr. Davis stated that the problem is you can’t get any air filtration from that end of the building. There are sidewalks that go all the way up the building, and across the front. There is no way to get a vent in that would do any good. Alderman Crouse pointed out that there would need to be cross ventilation. Mayor Bundren stated that the hope was that the water seal would hold up, and that the down spout takes the water away, so this can dry up. Mr. Davis added that the air scrubber can be put under there, and they can improve the air quality. He believes they need to get the insulation down and see how far the number can come down (reference to bullet #3). Hopefully, the number can come down by half or more, once the area size is determined. He won’t know this until they start pulling down the insulation. He recommends doing some exploring. Mayor Pro Tem Tichy recommended continuing the investigation and determining the quotes. Mr. Davis restated that he needs to remove the insulation, because it has become part of that environment. It has absorbed the atmosphere into the insulation. It needs to be completely removed. There is really no choice about that. He suggested they wait a couple of weeks, for warmer weather. This way they won’t be dealing with energy efficiency issues. They need to finish the work upstairs, and then pull the insulation out to determine how far the mold goes from the wall. Mayor Bundren expressed thanks to Mr. Davis and reminded that the Board would see him at the next meeting again. She asked Mr. Davis to take a look at the new flooring in the kitchen to see if something needs to be put down, in the area of water testing. There are already spots there. Mr. Davis promised to take a look at that.

Lighting in Heritage Glen

Clerk York reminded the Board that the lighting plan for the new phase of Heritage Glen needs to be approved. This basically involves what type of lighting is desired. At the last meeting, the Board requested pricing and additional information. Clerk York referred to the documentation. He called attention to the pricing for LED lighting and also high pressure sodium lighting. Those are the two main options. The most common lighting used is high pressure sodium. Some places use LED lighting; for example, the town of Mebane. Clerk York addressed the photos for illustration. The majority of lighting already at Heritage Glen is the older mercury vapor lighting, on wood poles. There are a couple of newer lights, toward Liberty Drive. Alderman Dan Tichy added there is a new light at Serenity, installed after the accident. Clerk York observed that these newer lights are high pressure sodium lights. Alderman Dan Tichy noted that the new one, put in after the accident, illuminates very well. Clerk York stated that this one is high pressure sodium. Alderman Dan Tichy said this is what he would choose. He added that the LED lighting is very expensive. Clerk York said this could be the consensus of the Board, if they wish to use the high pressure sodium lighting. The Mayor asked the Board for input from the Heritage Glen residents. The consensus was to proceed with the high pressure sodium lighting for the new phase.

ORC Report

Arnold Allred presented the ORC Report for January 2015. Everything is working fine, relating to the collection system. Regarding the distribution system, they did THMHA5 sampling the middle of February, but do not have the results yet. The Village is now on the 3 year, reduced monitoring, for lead and copper testing. Clerk York noted that this will take place in the Fall of 2016. Mr. Allred provided photos of the recent leak. Basically, what he did was go to a hydrant on Liberty Drive and take a pressure reading. The pressure was 15 pounds. He turned this valve off. As soon as he turned it off, it went to 80 and then everybody else had pressure. It took a while to find the leak, after a little hiking. They did have to go all the way around to Burlington, to turn the valve off themselves. Burlington had so many leaks occurring, they couldn’t send anyone over to help with the Village leak. Mr. Allred informed that 4.7 million gallons of water were involved in the leak. An 8-inch pipe runs a lot of water. Mr. Reich commented that this is about 9,000 gallons a water per minute. Typically, from a hydrant, there is 1500-3000 gallons. Mayor Bundren asked about the cost of the water. Clerk York answered that, without the adjustment, the cost would be $13,818.00. He has spoken with the City of Burlington. They will give an adjustment for half of the difference. They will look at the Village usage for the last six months, and the last year, and compare that to the difference in February. Mr. Allred explained that this is what he did to calculate the 4.7 million gallons. Clerk York stated that the Village will get half of that difference back. This will cost the Village $7900.00. He has looked at revenues and expenses in the current budget. This expenditure will not take the budget into the red for the year. Mayor Bundren asked about the repair work to the Town Hall. Clerk York said that even with those expenditures, the budget would not go into the red. Mr. Reich stated that he does not have any definitive answer as to what caused the leak. They have talked about a solution to repair it. Mr. Allred expressed that his two concerns now were the open pipe and that bacteria could get into that pipe. This is not a problem in cold weather, but the quicker they can get the pipe repaired, the better the situation will be. If something should happen to the other line, there would not be water coming in at all. Mr. Reich pointed to a photo that showed the HDPE pipe which the contractor bored up underneath the river. This is on the Alamance side of the river, probably a couple of hundred feet from the top of the bank. That is where that bore terminated. The outside diameter of the pipe is 12.75 inches. The inside diameter is 8 inches for the water line. There is reducing coupling that comes down from there. There is probably 6 feet to where there is a “sleeve.” This is where there was so much trouble with the bore, that the water line was installed starting from Liberty Drive. When they got across the emergency spillway at the dam, there was an air release valve at the top. They put a gate valve down below. Once that was in place, they tied the two lines together. That was why they ended up installing the sleeve. Mr. Reich then pointed out the mechanical joints. Then he referred to the slip line joint. This pipe, typically, goes “home” into a 4 inch bail. Something has caused movement. Mr. Reich doesn’t know exactly where the movement has occurred. There is probably about a 1 1⁄2 inch gap between the end of the pipe and the end of the bail. Something has moved about 5-6 inches or so. The photo shows that there is no horizontal alignment. This is important. It is along the center line of the pipe that the thrust is running. If something is “off”, that is where there can be a problem. Mr. Reich doesn’t know if the pipe has shifted. It is hard to say what caused this to happen. This is a high pressure zone, because this is the lowest point on Burlington’s water system. There is the plant just up the road. The plant has numerous pumps in there, depending on what their demand is, pumping water back into Burlington. This is the first connection from that. You can potentially have what is referred to as “water hammer.” Mr. Reich is not aware of anyone complaining about pipes rattling in their homes. Clerk York affirmed that he also has had no complaints. Alderman Dan Tichy stated that someone who resides at the end of Liberty Drive had reported hearing a “knocking.” He lives about three houses from the end of the cul-de-sac. The knocking was heard before the leak. Mr. Allred confirmed that this sound would be heard during a time of low water pressure. Mr. Reich said that when the pumps turn on and off, there is water coming back up toward the emergency spillway. The elevation differential is probably 75 feet. This water is trying to come back; this could possibly be a problem. Mr. Reich would like to do some investigation. The immediate need is to take off the mechanical sleeve and place a Hi-Max coupling on the pipe, cut the bail off, and place another Hi-Max coupling (at the point demonstrated on the photo). Then, they could get the pipeline back up to where the water can be turned on. They will also check the pipe coming up the hill to be sure it is honed up. They may have to do some more investigating. If the pipe moves up two inches, they will need to look at the next joint. They will turn off the valve at the top of the hill. They will then fill the line back up and make sure there is not a leak somewhere else, in between. They can always go back and look at the meter, to see if the dial is turning. They can then know if more water is being lost. If so, they will need to do some more investigating. Mr. Reich will do some more investigation about whether there is a kind of shock absorber that can be put in the line. That may be a possibility. Burlington had recent issues with a force main on the other side of town. They may be able to place some gauges inside the master meter box. They will take microsecond readings about eight times per second, to see if “big spots” can be caught. This may be the root cause of the problem. It’s been cold, and generally speaking, the ground temperature is more constant. The freeze line in that area is about 12 inches. The water line was at least 30 inches deep. As you come back up the hill, it is probably 5 feet deep. Mayor Bundren commented that it shouldn’t have involved freezing issues. Mr. Reich said there shouldn’t have been a lot of movement in that line. Mayor Bundren asked if this was a temporary fix. Mr. Reich stated this will be a permanent fix, unless they find they need to put in a shock absorber. If they are convinced it is an issue of expansion and contraction, there is a joint for that as well, that will allow up to 12 inches of movement in the line. Mr. Reich has had this to occur on sewer lines which are visible and exposed to the sunlight. Black pipe expands when it gets hot. Typically, with the pipe in the ground, this is not an issue. Mayor Bundren asked about the cost. Mr. Allred added that they have never mowed the right-of-way in the area that the line is in. It has trees growing in it. A lot of Jerry’s problem will be getting to it, to start. After that, Rusty could mow this right-of-way, as he does everywhere else. They talked to Tom, at the water plant, about that also. Clerk York pointed out this would add to Rusty Saxon’s pricing, to regularly maintain that area. Mr. Allred observed this wouldn’t be until the summer, so this could be added to the budget figures. Mr. Reich pointed out the $800.00 cost to clear the water line right-of-way. The next cost item is the signs. Mr. Reich thought it would be helpful to place some signs to identify the location of the line. This doesn’t have to be done now, but is a good idea. This is like the gas line markers that you often see. The signs would say “Buried Water Main.” This cost would be $1125.00. Mr. Allred noted they would also be adding signs up in the spillway area, and up into the field, where there is a farm. It would be good to have this marked. Clerk York mentioned the caveat about running into rock. Mayor Pro Tem Tichy asked how long it would take to do all of this work. Mr. Allred responded that Jerry had indicated it would take about 3 days. Mr. Reich though that one section should be completed by tomorrow evening. Mr. Allred felt this could be back together by tomorrow evening or the following morning. The problem right now is getting to it. Jerry has figured a day to get in there, to clear everything. He can’t get any equipment in there, except the track hoe and the bobcat. They will not allow a vehicle to go across the spillway. Mayor Pro Tem Tichy stated he saw nothing wrong with the pricing. He suggested that the signs be included now. Mayor Pro Tem Tichy made the motion to proceed with the estimate and do the repairs. Alderman Sharpe seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

There was no further Old Business.

NEW BUSINESS

County Memorial for 9-11-01

Clerk York introduced County Manager, Craig Honeycutt. He will present information about the memorial to recognize the September 11, 2001 emergency workers. It should be finished by September 11th of this year. The Board may consider contributing to the cost of the memorial. Mr. Honeycutt thanked the Board for allowing him to come and make the presentation. He expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to be present at the meeting. He began with background information. In 2003, they learned that D.H. Griffin was the constructor and did demolition for the World Trade Center. They have a storage bin in Greensboro. Alamance County asked for a piece of the structure, which was secured. Basically, it is a 4 x 4 cube from World Trade Center #2. They weren’t sure how to memorialize this and whether to place it at the Library or at the County Office Building. They brainstormed with staff and with the Board of County Commissioners. They were able to contact Casey Lewis, with Beechwood Metals of Haw River. He is a local artist. They asked him for ideas of using the cube for an art piece. Mr. Honeycutt provided a visual of the representation. The figures will be 6-8 inches tall. They are symbolic. Local models helped with this. C-COMM is at the top, standing up, as they are the first to be called. The deputy sheriff and EMS technician are on the side. The fireman is the one holding up everything. Since more firemen were lost during the 911 attack, the weight really fell back on the firemen. This is the symbolism of the four emergency management figures lifting the cube. Mr. Honeycutt informed that the base would be about 4 feet tall. It is not a huge piece. They are thinking of locating the piece at the Rotunda of the old historic courthouse. They will place plaques recognizing donors and honoring the event. The Board of County Commissioners wants the municipalities to have the opportunity to participate, if they so choose. The County is committed to doing the project, but wants to offer the opportunity to municipalities to participate. Now, the goal is to have it ready by 9-11-2015. It will be a traveling piece: three months at a fire department, three months at an EMS bay, three months at a police station. So, for the first year, it will be a traveling piece. Then on the 15th anniversary, there will be a grand celebration and it will be placed at the county courthouse. The cost is $12,000.00, including the base. Ossipee has responded it will contribute $500.00. The City of Graham has also indicated it will contribute $500.00. Mayor Bundren asked about the location of the mention of the Village of Alamance, as a contributor. Mr. Honeycutt indicated a plaque would be on the wall, at the side of the memorial. Alderman Sharpe commented that the Village of Alamance should support the 911 memorial. She then made the motion that the Village donate $500.00 for the memorial. Alderman Crouse seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Mr. Honeycutt expressed his thanks and apologized that it was the first time in six years that he had attended a Board meeting for the Village of Alamance. He offered county services and support from the county. He also stated how much he has enjoyed working with Clerk York, over the last six years. Clerk York expressed he had a good working relationship with the county, and that the city managers are also a good group that helps each other out. The County Manager thanked the Board, on behalf of the County Commissioners.

Finance Report

Clerk York observed there was not a Finance Report in the packet. The CD does not mature until tomorrow.

OTHER BUSINESS

Mayor Bundren mentioned the conversation about naming the street in Heritage Glen. She called the Alamance Historical Museum to obtain suggestions. The street, supposed to be named “Alamance Lane,” has a name already being used by the City of Burlington. Typically, the Board does not get involved with street names. At the same time, the name should be indicative of Alamance. She asked Alderman Dan Tichy, since he is also President of the HOA, if Heritage Glen wanted to be involved in making the decision. Alderman Tichy said he would talk to the rest of the Board members of the HOA and get their input. Mayor Bundren provided the two names suggested by the Historical Museum: “Aramanche” (an Indian name) and “Oak Grove,” the name of the plantation that used to be in Alamance. Alderman Dan Tichy will discuss this with the HOA and get back with the Board.

Mayor Bundren asked if there was any other business. Alderman Sharpe stated that she would like to talk about the appointment of the new Board member at the last Board meeting. Alderman Sharpe stated that the Board was not aware there was going to be a resignation. Her feeling is that they should have accepted that resignation at the last meeting. They should have discussed who they might want to fill the vacancy, but waited until this meeting to vote on it. Mayor Pro Tem Tichy stated that, in the future, they should include a mailing in the water bills, notifying of the open position, asking anyone if they wished to volunteer. This would encourage more public participation. They should probably do this now, for the Planning Board opening. Clerk York informed that water bills go out this week. There are a total of 9 Planning Board positions. Six of them are inside the Village; three are ETJ. Since Dan Tichy is inside the Village, the next person will need to be a Village resident.

Sherry Ford asked about the potholes on Highway 62. Mayor Bundren reminded that Highway 62 is maintained by the State Department of Transportation. Clerk York stated that he would call Chuck Edwards. Ms. Ford noted that there are potholes across the driveway from her old house. Alderman Crouse observed that it is starting to migrate some. Ms. Ford noted that the potholes are right there together, becoming one. She thanked Clerk York. She also asked about the Historic District Commission. Mayor Bundren stated that she was going to ask about that, after the meeting. She was speaking with someone from Glencoe recently regarding this topic. Currently, the Board is acting as the Historic Commission. This does need to be designated. Ms. Ford indicated she would love to participate. Mayor Bundren asked if others could be enlisted to serve, along with a Board member. She will discuss this further with Ms. Ford.

Public Comment

Alderman Crouse moved to adjourn and Mayor Pro Tem Tichy seconded. The motion passed unanimously and the meeting was adjourned.