Here are the most recently adopted 2020 SSID Minutes. The July 2020 minutes will be adopted at the next trustee meeting, not yet scheduled, and will be posted thereafter. 2019 Minutes may be downloaded from the bottom of this page. For Minutes from 2016 - 2018, please see the Archived Minutes page.
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MINUTES
Trustee Meeting
May 11, 2020, 10:07am
On conference: Trustee Chair Dale Gregory, Trustee Bryan Miles, Operator Courtney Robertson, Administrator Janine Reimer.
1. Approval of the Agenda Moved D.Gregory, 2nd B.Miles. Carried.
2. Approval of the Minutes
2a. March 16 Trustee Meeting Moved B.Miles, 2nd D.Gregory. Carried.
2b. March 16 In Camera Meeting Moved B.Miles, 2nd D.Gregory. Carried.
The Chair asked the administrator if there had been an update in regard to In Camera item 3c. The administrator said no, nothing new since her summary emailed to the trustees in March.
3. Coronavirus Effect on SSID J.Reimer
3a. AGM Deadline. The deadline is now year-end or earlier if/when the Provincial Health Officer says so.
3b. AGM Venue. The Hacienda has been cancelled, and the administrator will ask for a refund.
Administrator to request Hacienda refund
The operator asked if there were other methods for holding an AGM. The administrator said electronic meetings were now permissible, but we were under no obligation to do so, and that coordinating an electronic meeting would be complex. Trustee Miles said that Zoom would work. Chair Gregory said that new instructions would probably be coming from the government at year end, so we needn’t decide yet.
3c. Trustee Election. Trustee Bryan Miles remains a trustee until the AGM and election are held, unless he chooses to step down.
Trustee Miles said he already intended to put his name forward for another term as trustee, so was satisfied to continue under the current regulations.
Trustee Miles to continue as trustee
3d. Accountant. DMD remains SSID’s accountant, and has already been told so, and has accepted.
3e. Meter Data. Due to health risks, Meter Reader Ruth Sutherland and substitute Martha Allen chose not to come to Savary to do readings at the end of March. The data is therefore missing for March, so Trustee Miles copied February entries into the March column.
Trustee Miles said there had been a total of 66 water users in March and April, compared to 131 for the same period in 2019.
3f. Meter Reading. Maintenance staff Ruth White and Glen Moore took meter readings at end March. Ruth Sutherland has indicated she will return to meter reading at the end of July if health risks have improved. For the months of May and June, the administrator will ask maintenance staff to do the readings.
Administrator to ask RuthW and Glen to do readings May and June
3g. Extra Costs. Lund Water Taxi charges included $10 to mail the CanadaPost tax notices at the end of March, and $300 for 2 days of charters for the Water Sampler to collect and drop off bacteriological and full-spectrum samples within the tight daily schedules.
3h. CWSA Conference. The CWSA cancelled its conference, and owes SSID its $125 registration fee. The administrator can contact CWSA for a refund or could donate the fee.
Trustee Miles said SSID should wait for the CWSA to contact its members about the refunds.
3i. Inspection and Permit. The VCH has not done its annual inspection nor issued a permit.
The operator offered to contact VCH to find out the status.
Operator to ask VCH for status of inspection, permit, and payment.
3j. CanadaPost Delays. There are 13 outstanding taxes. Some of the property owners have been late in the past, while some have never been late, so the missing payments could be due to CanadaPost delays. The administrator said she would check for mail again the next day, May 12.
4. Operator’s Report – C.Robertson
4a. Standpipe Lids
The operator reported that the lids were not yet installed, and that she had asked Ecoterra to complete the installation before issuing an invoice. Trustee Miles agreed that the work should be done before invoice approval. The administrator suggested that payment could be postponed up to 30 days from the invoice date, while waiting for completion of the installation. The operator and trustees agreed.
Administrator to wait for operator’s approval of installed lids before issuing payment
4b. Automation
The operator reported that she was still waiting for an update from Newport Electric. They had ordered the transfer switch at the end of January.
4c. Fire Hydrant Maintenance
The operator said she would like a helper for hydrant maintenance, as previous. The trustees agreed she could hire someone. The administrator said the person would not need to sign a contract if the work was for the one project.
Operator to contact the administrator with details
5. Administrator’s Report – J.Reimer
5a. Bank balances & Reserve Funds
The administrator had provided a chart, approved by Trustee Miles, proposing 2 bank transfers that would move the 2020 asset renewal levy into its own savings account, and part of the 2019 surplus into the PowerSaver savings account, for the purpose of increasing the renewal funds, and to increase the percentage of renewal funds that are immediately available as cash.
5a (i) Motion
THAT the $10,800 asset renewal levy collected in 2020 be moved from the chequing account to the dedicated Asset Renewal savings account; and
THAT $11,000 of the 2019 annual surplus be moved from the chequing account to the PowerSaver savings account.
Moved B.Miles
Discussion
Trustee Miles explained the amounts and dates available for each of the term deposit funds, and the amounts available in the savings accounts.
Motion 2nd D.Gregory. Carried.
5b. Tax Payments Report
The administrator said $6,140 is still payable of the total $99,180, and that $360 lost discounts had already been paid of the $3,105 lost discounts payable.
5c. Quarterly Report
The administrator had provided a Budget spreadsheet. She said there was nothing of significance in the 1st quarter line items, and that they were similar to the figures of the 2019 1st quarter, with some minor differences that she explained.
5d. Annual Documents to Government
The administrator reported having emailed the financials, the trustee list, and the general statistics to the government.
5e. Maintenance Projects Update
(i) Storage Shed Doors. A method of fixing the man-door and garage doors is to be decided by Bryan when he returns to Savary.
Trustee Miles asked if Gareth Jones had provided his estimate on fixing the garage door. The administrator said no, and that she would contact Gareth again.
Administrator to remind Gareth Jones re estimate
(ii) Vents. New vents for better circulation, to prevent mold, to be decided when Bryan is on island.
(iii) Shelves. New shelving was on hold due to COVID-19, as maintenance staff couldn't get supplies over. When restrictions are lifted, the job will get done. Glen will build extended shelves on the east wall like the existing ones, and will discuss with the operator how she'd like the supports for the pipes and municipal hoses, then will build them. Ruth will paint the new shelving white.
(iv) Wheelbarrow. The administrator has not yet purchased it.
(v) Racks. Racks for the rakes, shovels, etc., and a rack for papers, will soon be installed by Glen.
(vi) Roofs. Glen will clean off the roofs and skylights within May sometime. He will also clean the inside of the skylights if finds they had been sprayed during the interior spray painting.
(vii) Burn circle. Ruth has planted grass in the front lawn area that has been used as a burn area. In future, we will not burn in that area.
(ix) Vacuuming. Ruth will vacuum meter boxes, if they need it, this month. Glen will clean up around the boxes.
5f. Customer list
The administrator had included an updated customer list with the agenda. There were no changes of ownership since the last list.
6. Trustee’s Report – B.Miles
6a. Calendar of Events
The Calendar had been provided with the agenda. Chair Gregory asked about the status of the Emergency Response Plan. The administrator said it was currently with the operator, and that the two of them had yet to finalize it.
Administrator and operator to finalize ERP
7. Next Meeting 10 a.m. July 7, 2020
8. Adjournment – D.Gregory
11:22 a.m.