Minutes of the July 23, 2019 quarterly meeting

The meeting was called to order by President Wade Cornelius at 6:03 p.m. Board members except David Lucero and Patrick Stafford were present: Cornelius, Rob Campion, and Secretary Beth Morgan. Also present were Randell Mellor; Marty Howell of Souder, Miller, and Associates; and Shane Wohlfert. Stafford was expected to be late and did come in after the meeting had started. Water Operator Henry Torres was also present.

Campion moved to approve the secretary’s minutes without having them read or summarized in the meeting, and Cornelius seconded the motion, looking to Howell, to see if it was allowable. Howell indicated that whether the president were allowed to second a motion should be covered in the association’s bylaws. The second was allowed to stand, and the minutes were approved unanimously.

Campion presented the Treasurer’s report in Lucero’s absence, noting that the VDRMDWCA has $1,319. 56 in available cash. The report showed that the association began the year with $3,604.20. Income for the first six months of the year amounted to $7,125.00. Expenses included $533.75, paid out for road maintenance. Attorney fees were $268.07, utilities were $1,446.60 during that time, and the association paid the Taxation and Revenue Department $158.62. Our largest expense was for well maintenance, at $7,002.80, for an outage in May that required the purchase of a new motor.

The president noted that this was the second time this has happened in three years. We had accrued a nice amount of money, Cornelius said, “and then that well maintenance hit us where it hurts.” He indicated that as we are working with Souder, Miller and Associates to design a new system—specifically new lines, a revamped booster station, and an interconnection with High Valley Farms, we anticipate that this type of problem will be reduced.

Campion asked whether Patrick Stafford had contacted El Paso Electric (EPE) for some relief on the cost of the motor. Campion’s brother, a contractor with EPE, had indicated that they have an active charity arm, and he gave Campion a number to call. “He has no sway or no pull or anything, but he said ‘it’s very easy’.” Campion will provide this number to Stafford. Howell also stated that SMA has hired a new electrical engineer, and that he would inquire with him, as well. Cornelius said that our electrician had been involved both times in recent history that the motor had failed. Howell inquired who that was, to which Morgan responded that he was, she believed, an independent contractor by the name of Mark Parmeter. Howell suggested that the new engineer is probably acquainted with him.

Shane Wohlfert indicated that he thought that pump was under warranty from the last such incident, which he said he thought had occurred less than a year previously. Torres said it had only a six-month warranty. The water operator believes the fact that the pump burned out was the electric company’s fault, because we were experiencing electrical surges. Lucero thought the warranty was a year, as well. Cornelius indicated that we are still pursuing some kind of compensation from EPE. Torres said that Lower Rio Grande Public Water Works Authority also had problems with power surges during the recent outage, but that they have built-in protections and only had to turn off a switch. A gravel company in Organ also had problems, which was being blamed on EPE. Patrick Stafford came in during this discussion. Asked whether he had followed through, Stafford indicated that he was discouraged from going up against such a large utility. Campion volunteered to take it on, since he had a connection via his brother.

This major repair brought expenses for the first half of 2019 to $9,409.64. Net income was minus $2,284.64. Campion noted that there is also a bill of about $500 from the electrician which is not reflected on this report. The good news, he said, is that the association is not completely broke.

Following the treasurer’s report, the president asked Marty Howell of Souder, Miller, and Associates to introduce himself, which he did. He noted that he has been involved in the project to upgrade our system from the beginning, although his role is usually in the background. The individual with whom VDRMDWCA has worked most closely for the past two to three years was Alfredo Holguin, who recently moved on to work with Wilson and Company.

Mr. Howell was interrupted so that Mr. Parmeter’s contact information could be given out. Cornelius indicated that the electrician’s company, Parmeter Power and Control, can be reached at 523-5671. Then, as Torres had recently arrived, the president asked for the well operator’s report. He indicated that bacterial indexes have been coming out well. He then asked Howell whether our new system will include a protection panel monitor for three-phase electrical systems, such as Lower Rio Grande has in place. Although it costs $1,400, Torres suggested that it could save the association $7,000- $8,000 whenever we have an outage. Howell said he did not know. Torres indicated that he would be conducting some sampling in the near future, so we could expect to see him near the well.

Howell spent a few moments unrolling the drawings for the improvements. He indicated that these are not 100 percent complete—more like 60-70 percent. This is the preliminary design and does not include electrical plans or our booster pump, Howell said. He said one line was actually extended beyond the end of the project properties, and that will be cut back. The plans suggest that this is at the northern extremity of Santana (which he was calling Santander) Road. Drawings indicate that the line was to extend past the northern end of the Morgan/Sechrist property on Santana Road. That will be chopped back to theend of their property. New six-inch water line will be put in place.

Howell indicated that the survey points they used had been identified. We will have a new booster station, some tees, and a couple of isolation valves are indicated. Flush valves will be installed at the western, northern, and eastern extremes of our lines, so that stale water can be discharged. He noted an additional couple of tees and a line allowing us to interconnect with High Valley Farms is being designed. There will be an isolation valve for the interconnection with a two-way meter between VDRMDWCA and High Valley Farms. The individual drawing the interconnection is not certain where the pipes are, so they drew it all the way to where they do know where the pipes are. When the pipes are actually located, perhaps a bit less line will be required, the engineer said.

Torres asked how High Valley Farms would deliver water to VDRMDWCA—whether it would be pumped to our tank for VDRMDWCA to distribute, or whether it would go directly to our homes. “We were going to re-do both boosters, so that they could supply both neighborhoods,” Howell said. It might mean a more expensive pump system, “but those don’t cost a lot, maybe ten or twenty grand more for the pump package.” These will actually be pre-made skids with the pumps, valves, and controls, which will be assembled and tested elsewhere. They should be able to “bring it out here and drop it in place,” Howell said. “And it will probably have the ability to ramp up and ramp down the speed so you don’t have to have those five pressure tanks in there in order to buffer your demand.” This should make the pump last longer. As our system is pretty small, it won’t have to be nearly as large as those used by some systems, but we want the pressure and flow to be such that we can supply everybody, Howell, said. The difference in just putting the water into the pipes vs. putting it into each system’s tank is that it would require additional lines to the tanks.

Howell indicated he would research whether a bigger pressure pump or a line to each tank would be more expensive. After a few moments of thinking, Howell indicated that it would be easier for each system to aid the other if only a booster went out, not the actual well. Motors for well pumps are generally more expensive than booster pumps.

Wohlfert asked whether High Valley Farms had the protection panel that had been discussed earlier. Torres and Howell noted that the High Valley Farms well has been reconfigured once, so they are no longer using three-phase. Thus, the system does not have the protection panel mentioned. Wohlfert then wanted to know if they would have sufficient power to get water to us, in case of emergency. Howell said they would not be installing three-phase for their system, but they might use it for a booster pump to provide water to the VDRMDWCA, should it be needed. He asked whether the well or the booster fails more often. Torres indicated that both go out, but when the well goes out, it’s more expensive.

Howell noted that with three-phase, you get more power cheaper. However, he reminded us that he is a civil engineer and he was talking about power: perhaps he should shut up. Patrick Stafford said it’s fine to be able to pump enough to provide both neighborhoods, but how long will our tank last? Howell said he thought that the controls on the tank are not properly set up. The pump runs a lot: the pump comes on without much rest between cycles.

Torres said he thinks perhaps the floats need to be moved. Howell said he would look at how long the tank will last with both communities using it simultaneously, in the event of an emergency. Campion wanted to know if we were sacrificing quality of service for our regular customers if we supply our neighbors to the south. Howell said perhaps we should look at the “Cadillac version” for VDRMDWCA water users, while providing a somewhat more modest quality of service when an emergency arises. Morgan said she thought just running water into High Valley Farms for a limited number of hours daily during a crisis seemed more doable to her than filling their tank and letting them use that water until the association is able to provide additional, to which the president said we should wait until there is more information to make a decision.

Howell noted that the project we are currently having designed is only to replace lines, redo the booster, and to interconnect with High Valley. Howell said that he would do the numbers and see which is cheaper, to fill their tank or to fill their houses. Morgan also reminded those attending that when this project is done, it’s not like it’s over and done with. As our attorney had said at a previous meeting, it’s an ongoing process. We need to look at the other potential improvements listed in the PER and for whatever is deemed the next priority, Morgan said, someone else may get to write the grant for that.

“It’s not like you build something and you’re done,” she said.

Howell noted that if we design the improvements so that each system could help its neighbor in an emergency by filling its tank, he said that in that case, each system could only provide emergency relief if the well went out, but not if the booster goes out. He said designing the improvements so that they have larger boosters would allow each system to help the other whether it is the booster or the well that goes out.

Howell noted that there is currently money for capital outlay. People in individual congressmen’s districts go to them for funding for various projects. If you know or have a good relationship with your congress people, these funds are highly desirable, as no matching funds are required. Rob Campion said he knows Doreen Gallegos slightly, socially, and agreed to approach her about the funds. Howell said that the Town of Mesilla got more money than it asked for last year. At the end of the year is when legislators look at these things. If VDRMDWCA wants something additional to what we have the money for, now’s the time to ask, he said.

The SMA representative asked whether we had a five-year plan (the ICIP or Infrastructure Capital Improvement Program) for the association that we have to fill out every year. Associations of a certain size are required to do one. Morgan said that we have not been doing that because we are a Tier Two company, meaning we bring in less than $50,000 per year, which lets us off the hook for fulfilling certain requirements with which larger systems must comply. Howell noted that if we were required to complete such a plan, any legislator being approached about capital outlay money would ask if the purpose for which we were seeking funds was on our plan. If it was not, no money would be forthcoming. Since we are not that big, the plan does not apply. “So, if you wanted to do something else up here, I’d start getting political,” Howell said.

Continuing with the drawings, the engineer stated that the lines are to be buried three feet deep. If it were near a farm field or in an area where it was bladed a lot, line might be buried four feet deep. Looking at the western section of Vista del Rey, Howell noted that there is a hydrant for flushing the lines at the western extreme and that all the driveways have been identified. Where there are culverts, they will place the water lines under them. The lines will be surrounded by a casing, so that, if someone must dig around their culvert, they will hit the casing and not the water line.

Howell said the water line will be installed five feet south of the north right of way. The reason for that is to avoid the existing line, which is on the south side of the road. It’s cheaper to do that to have a surface line and to hook up meters to that while they are installing the new line, but he said it’s generally less expensive to install the new lines on the opposite side of the road. He noted that small arrows on the drawings indicate high points where they plan to put air relief valves. These keep the system from getting bound up with air, after repairing a leak or flushing the lines.

Patrick Stafford inquired whether any fire hydrants have been included in the plan. Howell said that a much larger booster pump would be required to make that possible. If a fire truck were to attempt to draw water from our system, it would collapse it like a paper straw, he said. While firefighters could fill their trucks with them, they could not directly hook up to them, Howell said. He asked if Stafford still wanted one, to which he answered in the affirmative. However, that discussion was not pursued further. (The closest fire hydrants appear to be on the other side of the interstate. One is east of Dollar General, near what may be a well house; one is at the Shell gas station.) Campion joked that if his house starts burning to let it burn all the way down. He did not want a half-burned house.

On the east side of Vista del Rey, there are a few driveways but no culverts the engineers have to work around. The engineer said, “We’re showing that the existing water line is outside the easement on the south side. Interesting.” He said it appeared that there was enough room on the eastern portion of the project for the water line to go into the same side of the road as the existing lines and for it to be “out of the drive path … The contractor will complain, but they complain about everything.” He pointed out the line to the booster station/well house. As there are no culverts along the eastern end of Vista del Rey, Howell asked whether that end did not flood. Stafford indicated that it does, but it does so evenly, not in channels. Discussion turned to the easement for the water line.

The engineers’ intention is to put the new water line on the west side of Santana Road. He said that Bob [Melvin] had already purchased an easement on the east side of Santana Road. Wohlfert warned that recent changes in New Mexico’s laws regarding easements make it “a bougar” to get a new easement approved. He also noted that all the other utilities are on his side of Santana (east). Wohlfert said he would be happy if the waterline went on the other side, as he is struggling to slow down the erosion on the northwest corner of his property. If it is put on his side, he is going to have to use a lot of concrete to mitigate the erosion, “unless they compact it or do some kind of erosion control.”

As this point, there was some confusion about what road we were looking at, exacerbated because one of the north arrows on the drawings was incorrect. Stafford told Howell that he thought the reason they were putting the water line on the west was to avoid the power line, which Howell said was correct. Apparently, there is a culvert under Rittenhouse’s driveway on Santana Road.

Howell indicated that new line was planned to go five feet north of the south right of way. Wohlfert noted that he is expecting a great deal of trouble with the northwest corner of his property, where he has already struggled, attempting to slow down the water and limit the erosion. He believes there is an easement for utilities on his side of the road. That appears to be for the phone lines, which Alfredo Holguin indicated was for the phone line only. Howell said that the money we had “leftover” when we signed the contract amendment was intended to be used for easements. That was approximately $6,000. Wohlfert also noted that there is a cattle guard on the road that the water line will most likely have to go under.

The engineer noted that he had gone over the project’s big picture and what remained was details, where and how the pipes go together and so on, and restraints where the pipe must bend. Campion asked what kind of pipe they are planning to use and how long it is supposed to last. Howell said that it is PVC, and it should last “forever.” It is laid in a cushy gravel bed, so that, if there are no sharp rocks and it is properly installed, with no kinks in the line, it should last a long time and not present any safety issues for Henry. He estimated that it should last perhaps 40 years. Morgan said she thought Holguin had told us the PVC now being made lasts longer, perhaps 70 years. “This is where we show them how to put the valves in, this is where we show them how to put your meter in, this is how they’re going to put the flush hydrants in,” the engineer said. Continuing, Howell asked whether we want bollards around the flush hydrants. Torres indicated that it would be helpful.

Wohlfert asked whether the engineers had considered the size of the pipe to install based on current usage, or what we could have when the five vacant lots are sold. Howell said they could easily supply a thousand people with 6-inch pipe and that they don’t generally install anything smaller. However, they do sometimes neck it down to four inches at the meters or interconnections. He said it is likely they would neck it down at the meter between us and High Valley Farms, at least to four inches. Six-inch meters are not cheap, he said. We could potentially save money by installing a smaller one.

Howell noted at the culverts, they would use “flow fill” (weak concrete that you can dig into) and pipes would be held in place with rubber guides inside a metal casing. Campion then inquired what kind of pressure we might be able to expect. Howell said what he had observed as current in our well house was 40 psi. With a pump that you can ramp up and down, you can tell the steady pressure “to respond to you and vary the flow.” He asked if individual property owners had boosters. When these kick on, it pulls really hard on the system and makes the booster pump work more frequently, and with a bigger booster at the well, we can make it do all the work, and individual homeowners could turn theirs off. “If you tell me you want 65 pounds, I’ll give you 65 pounds.” He believes individual booster pumps will not be necessary with the new system. The engineer said he lives down near the river, and at his house, he uses a pressure reducing valve on his system.

Stafford asked whether most city water systems ran on 70 psi. Howell said more often, he sees 50 to 65. (At this point, the recorder ran out of memory. Switching to record on Morgan’s cell phone took a few moments.) Howell noted that the purpose of pressure pumps that are part of the system, as well as individual pressure tank systems, is to even out the water pressure, if it’s running well.

The engineer stated that regarding the equipment in the well house, he is still working on that and the electrical portion of the plans. He has photographed what is actually there for the project manual. He has also indicated for the contractor what traffic control signs to use during construction. Since Santana Road and Vista del Rey—at least the portion of them that are subject to being torn up during construction—are not public roads, we will not have a flagger, but there will be signage warning motorists of construction. Howell noted that they had also provided specifications indicating what materials in what portions the contractors will be using.

Cornelius indicated that he would take the drawings from the partially completed design and the project manual and pass them on to David Lucero, as he was not at the meeting. The engineer indicated that he had sent the plans and the project manual to the Environment Department’s Drinking Water Bureau for comment. The president also noted a $500 electrical bill for repairing a meter should be debited from our balance on the treasurer’s report.

At this time, the president and Patrick Stafford were discussing a pump that can be returned for some cash back. Wohlfert and Howell were discussing how the project will proceed, at what point it is at, and the importance of maintaining records of such projects. (As an organization, we have improved in this area, as we are keeping both paper and digital versions of such records. Bob Melvin, who had the original system designed, had the documents on it until recent years, but all of those are now backed up digitally, and we have a paper copy of them that can viewed at the secretary’s house.)

Howell said that the Drinking Water Bureau has 45 days to review the plans, and after another 15 days (60 total for SMA), the plans should be 90 percent complete. At that time, Morgan said, we could begin thinking about applying for Colonias Infrastructure Fund money to obtain funding for construction. As Howell actually reviewed and signed off on our grant application for the design work, he agreed to help us on this grant, if we so desire. Campion asked if we could approve a grant for the construction at this meeting. Morgan discouraged it, as we had not announced it as an action item on the agenda.

After some additional conversation, the president noted we needed to move on to old business. He indicated that we still need to meet with the homeowners association (HOA) to discuss the need to establish documentation regarding who maintains the road. Wohlfert said that he had a difficult time getting a loan to buy his home, because this is not specified in either the bylaws and articles of incorporation for the HOA or the water association. Because the HOA membership chose to be an association that does not collect fees, it cannot be responsible for the road maintenance, which must be paid for, whether it is done by a water association member or a professional road grader. The president said that we could put it on the agenda for our next meeting.

Randy Mellor mentioned that Bill Rittenhouse, who had been dragging our roads after a rain, is working now, so would probably not be able to do road improvement any longer. Mellor is available Monday through Wednesday, but is not available on the weekends because of his work schedule. That led to a discussion of the fact that the I-beam being used to drag the road has been broken, repaired, straightened out, but is being worn down so that it does not work as well as it once did.

Morgan suggested that Bob Melvin, who provided the original I-beam, might have another. Stafford suggested the vintage road grader that the water association had, in essence, inherited from Southwestern Contractors and Riggers, Inc., who maintained the road when they owned the subdivision lots, could be repaired. Morgan said that she understood it was not fixable. Stafford indicated he had spoken to someone in Mesilla who knew about older road graders. He said that, even though it was a 1946 model, the man he had spoken to in Mesilla did not seem to be concerned about finding parts for a road grader of that age. Wohlfert said that his father-in-law had warned that it would be very difficult to get parts for it.

Stafford said the clutch is currently the main problem, but that the exhaust manifold has a crack in it, as well. The president asked if Stafford could call the man he had referred to. Cornelius reminded him that he was going to call our electrician, Campion and he were going to meet with Doreen Griegos [sic, Gallegos], to inquire about getting some capital outlay funds. Someone said the clutch was the problem eight years ago. Morgan said it is probably infested with rats. Someone else said it is probably rusted out. Another individual said it probably needs new tires and a battery. Stafford agreed the hoses and pressure lines would probably need to be replaced.

At this point, Cornelius announced that it was 7:37 p.m. and adjourned the meeting.