10/07/2003 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 10/7/2003 ,,},~~ were improperly co-mingled, and the funds were returned with the proper return on the money that was invested. It is not only improper to co-mingle the funds, it is illegal. ^ They are required by federal law to distribute an annual water quality report. ^ The terms of the contracts are favly perpetual with no end point unless a community chooses to terminate their contract, which would require a five year written notice. The original contracts actually called for the suburban communities to form a council of governments, and it is a good idea. There are various topics which could be discussed, with rates being one important item. There is no question that there is a rate spread between the city and the suburban communities that needs to be addressed. Another issue to be discussed would be capital investments. Because of the recent power failure and the world political situation, security issues are being studied. Investments will be made in alternative power supplies. The costs could range from $20 million to $30 million. The finances of the division are such that this will not cause a rate increase. This can easily be put into the capital program and funded out of the existing rate structure. Alea Margevicius, Assistant Commissioner for Engineering ^ The water system serves all of Cuyahoga County, significant portions of Medina County, the northern portion of Summit County and there are agreements with Geauga County, Lake County and other surrounding counties. There are four water treatment plants, and the one nearest to North Olmsted is the Crown Water Treatment Plant at Clague and Detroit roads. The topography of the area is such that the ground rises from Lake Erie as you go further from the lake. The highest point serviced in Broadview Heights is approximately seven hundred feet higher than lake level. It would be inefficient to attempt to serve the entire seven hundred feet range with a single pressure district. It was far more efficient long ago to break it up into four districts. The low service district is the district closest to Lake Erie. North Olmsted is entirely within the first high pressure district. The Crown plant pumps into the low service district. From first high, there are booster stations that then take first high water and boost it into second, and it's further cascaded once more from other stations that take second high water and boost it into the third high district. ^ The water system is set up such that it's fully interconnected, meaning that any one of the four water treatment plants could be taken out of service and the systems would continue to operate. Post 9/11, this is a good system. There is water storage in all pressure districts, with the range anywhere from 3 to 48 hours of storage that can float the system in case of a power outage like what happened on August 14. The North Olmsted Dover Center Road tower was built about 50 years ago before the Crown plant came on line. It was essentially at the farthest end of the system. The Division Avenue Plant pumped all the way out here, and there were some booster stations to pump across the Rocky River and fill into the tower. The Crown Plant subsequently has come on line and, with improvements that have been made, the tower is now misplaced. It's not at the end of the system any more, and it is too low. It doesn't effectively float on the system any more. A number of water mains from the Crown Plant were placed here, and pressures are higher here than they were 15 years ago. A consequence of that is the Dover tower does not float. Extreme measures have to be 3 .:. f