I just talked to Frank and he is not going to be available tonight or through the weekend due to being out of town.

We did have a pretty good conversation and here is what was said.

The water dept took out a bond (loan) from a bonding company he said in the 80s and has a 12k monthly payment on it. Five percent interest. It seems it has about 10 years left. I'm not sure if we are in arrears but he says we can't prepay without a penalty. A grant to pay it off would likely involve prepayment penalties. But 5% is not so bad and if we can have enough income I can't see any problem with continuing that. Ragsdale likely will require a standpipe as it doesn't have enough pressure at the fire

Dear Citizens of Bicknell: 

Where has our leadership taken us?

We campaigned to make positive change and work together for the betterment of Bicknell and we tried to do what we promised to do.

At the January 2, 2006 city council organizational meeting this failed to occur again. As the meeting progressed Councilman Kitchens had submitted a proposal to allow better communication between the elected officials and the public. This was seconded by Councilman Parker. However, the Mayor refused to call for a vote, as outlined in Roberts Rules Of Order and also according to the Attorney General’s office. Councilman Goodwin called for a “point of order” because it had not been placed on the agenda for a vote. This is not accurate. At the November 2005 council meeting the council members was told by City Attorney Currier that any changes to procedures had to take place in January during the council organizational meeting. Mr. Kitchens did follow the rules. In our opinion Mayor Trowbridge was out of order by failing to call for a vote. Roberts Rules of Order was not re-adopted and new rules were dismissed. This city is running on the Mayors whims and not with any guidelines for meetings and to exchange ideas and/or opinions that would better the city. This is not how a democracy works.

As the appointments to the Board Of Works (BOW) was made, Councilman Parker suggested to the Mayor that the city would be better served if all council persons were given equal voting power when it came to expenditures. However, once again things did not change; the BOW is being served by Goodwin & Volling, who have never voted against the Mayor. Everyone was elected to serve the city. We were granted this privilege by the voters on Election Day 2004 to represent their needs. Even though it is the right of a 3rd class city Mayor to make his appointments to the BOW, is Bicknell being served equally? We think not! Councilwoman Duncan was elected as President of Council, after Volling’s nomination of Goodwin failed to get a second. For more than 20+ years the President of Council has always served on the Bicknell Board Of Works.

During the meeting Council Parker once again made an attempt to get fair and equal representation for the city, by suggesting that all council persons have equal voting for expenditures. His reasoning for this is because of the increased sewer rate. Council members who do not serve on the BOW is not privileged to the sewer expenditures or any other expenses that the city incurs. Of the 136% only 25% has been saved towards the construction of a new plant. When asked where the other 111% has gone, former President of Council Goodwin didn’t know what Parker was talking about, and the Mayor could only answer by saying for expenses. As President of Council Duncan proceeded to ask what are those expenses the city attorney said they are a matter of public record. It is a matter of public record, as pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act and also the Attorney General‘s Office. However when Clerk Treasurer Flickinger was asked about this on October 14, 2005 her response was that the items were on the monthly expenditure sheets, that is only made available to the council after they have been approved for payment. It was explained to the Clerk Treasurer that these items do NOT explain what the expense was for, only the amount of payment and who it was too. On October 14, 2005 and again on January 3, 2006 requests were made to the Clerk Treasurer for ALL PAID DETAILED INVOICES for the waste water treatment plant. That request has

From: KESLAR, RUBY
To: Lydia
Cc: HOLLINGSWORTH, MARY
Sent: Friday, December 09, 2005 12:53 PM
Subject: RE: differences in licenses.

Ms. Lawhead-Duncan:

Bicknell Water Department is classified as a DSL water distribution system.  Mr. Horst is certified as a grade DSM water works operator and, therefore, cannot be the certified operator in responsible charge of your system.  Mr. Horst does qualify to apply to sit for a DSL examination, however.  The next scheduled examination will be May 4, 2006, with an application deadline of March 20, 2006.

During a recent conversation with someone from the Bicknell Water Department it was mentioned that Mr. Dearing holds a grade DSL water works operator certification.  We do not have written documentation that Mr. Dearing is the certified operator in responsible charge.  It is the responsibility of the governing body of a public water system to designate an appropriately certified operator to be the operator in responsible charge.  If Mr. Dearing is not to be considered the certified operator in responsible charge of Bicknell Water Department, please provide us with the name of the operator you have designated who holds the appropriate certifications.

The descriptions of a class DSM and DSL public water systems are as follows:

A class DSM (Distribution System Medium) includes systems that serve a population greater than or equal to 3,301 but less than or equal to 10,000 people and have no mechanical means of movement of water other than pressure tanks or storage tanks, or consist of pump, storage tanks; booster pumps to storage tanks.

A class DSL (Distribution System Large) includes systems that serve a population greater than or equal to 10,001 people; or consist of the following: storage tanks, booster pumps to the distribution system, or mechanical devices for movement of water beyond storage.

The operator’s role in distribution is as follows:

-          Operate the system to maintain water quality by managing water age in the system, maintaining positive pressure at all times, and controlling water direction and       velocity.

-          Maintain pipes, valves, pumps, and other facilities to ensure a continued flow of potable water.

-          Monitor and operate valves and pumps to vary the amount of water supplied as the demand varies.

-          Install connections to supply water to new customers.

-          Maintain main line and customer water meters.

-          Read customer water meters.

-          Sample water to ensure that its quality is maintained.

-          Operate a cross-connection control program to ensure that nonpotable liquid does not flow into the potable system.

-          Maintain system maps and records;

-          Keep informed on new technology and investigate the use of better equipment or methods of operation that could improve the efficiency or safety of distribution system operations; and

-          Recommend to superiors any repairs, replacements, or improvements that should be made to the distribution system.

-          Set up emergency procedure in case of contamination or system failure; e.g., power outage or equipment failure

-          Meet with IDEM field representatives.