2020-07-22 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Chair Pequeño asked what the process is in responding to leaks. Director Kucharski said the general process is that a call is received, usually by the police, Civil Defense, or DEM, that wastewater appears to be bubbling up in the ground. DEM has stand-by staff who are immediately dispatched to the location of the reported release, where they try to determine if it is from the county sewer or a lateral. Sometimes contractors have to come in with heavy equipment to dig down, depending on the situation. Once the leak is fixed, they will collect from the areas that had contact with the sewage and disinfect. Then they come up with calculations and report to DOH, and DOH will inspect and determine whether to close any beach areas and whether DEM’s handling and treatment of the release was appropriate according to state laws. Chair Pequeño asked how frequently sewer pipelines are inspected, and Director Kucharski said they need to improve on their average of every two to three years. They have been purchasing equipment to help with this. One problem has been the lack of an electronic data base of testing and video, but their new Asset Management Plan will provide for that and increase their efficiency. If they had a newer system of pipes, checking every two years should be sufficient, but the current system is old and needs upgrading. Commissioner Gaffney asked if there is a spill response management plan, and said he would like to see it. Director Kucharski said he will check on it. 8. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Chair Pequeño said to let him and the secretary know if there were any items they would like on the next agenda. 9. ANNOUNCEMENTS Chair Pequeño announced the next meeting of August 26, 2020, saying it would probably be on-line again. 10. ADJOURNMENT Motion and second: Commissioner Fulton moved to adjourn, and Commissioner Gaffney seconded the motion. Michael Last spoke up and said he wanted to comment on abandoned vehicles, as he is concerned about the situation in Ocean View. Chair Pequeño said the time to provide public testimony had passed, and they were just about to adjourn. However, comments are valuable, and he asked Mr. Last to email them to the commission’s secretary so they could be addressed appropriately. Mr. Last said he would do so. Commissioner Fulton said she wanted to comment on Jerome Warren’s testimony. He made a legitimate point about maintaining order. If there is a visual scene that suggests 10