Water District Board Mourns Death of Commissioner Timothy Bradford

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting - December 7, 2017

1. Reconvened Annual Meeting
2. Board Meeting
3. Public Hearing on the Tentative 2018 Budget

Commissioner Timothy Bradford, who died suddenly on December 1, was remembered fondly by his fellow Commissioners at the start of the Board meeting.  His desk was draped in purple.

The MWRD Board holds an Annual Meeting each year at which the accomplishments of the past year are recounted.  Today was a reconvening of the meeting that had been scheduled for December 5, that was not held due to lack of a quorum.  President Spyropoulos’ written report is available HERE.

At the Board Meeting, topics of interest included:

• Approved the forfeiture of a contract with Atlas & Associates, which had failed to deliver 6 submersible grit pumps for the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant.  The pumps were manufactured, but were not turned over to Atlas by the manufacturer because Atlas had not paid the manufacturer.  At a meeting, later confirmed by an email, Atlas cancelled the contract.  Atlas will remain on the District’s list of non-responsible vendors until Feb. 2, 2021.  The District hopes to deal directly with the manufacturer to obtain delivery.  So far, the costs to the District for this non-performance are the maintenance hours spent on keeping the existing pumps in operation.  (Agenda Item 13, File # 17-1285)
• After deferring from last month, the Board approved entering into a contract for up to $50,300 to pilot test for 12 months a product at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant for the removal of certain products.  The hope is that this product will prove better than traditional technologies.  The cost is in the 2018 budget.  (Agenda Item 17, File # 17-1164)
• Approved an increase in the cost of a contract with Vulcan Construction by almost $3 million (for a total contract thus far of $97.7 million) for the McCook Excavation Agreement in order, for among other things, to subcontract for the plugging of an abandoned tunnel at 73rd Street.  The Army Corps of Engineers was originally expected to take care of this, but it has notified the District that, due to budget limitations, the Corps will not be able to do this in a timely manner.  Cost for this item is $1.9 million, which the Corps has said is reasonable, and which will be paid for by the $35 million getting from the Federal government as part of the cost share for Phase 2 work on the McCook project.  (Agenda Item 35, File #17-1252)
• Agreed to waive the late payment charges of almost $730,000 accrued by the City of Chicago on user charges at the Jardine and Sawyer Water Purification Plants.  City is habitually late, but the Board did not want taxpayers to have to pay the late charges if not waived.  (Agenda Item 38, File # 17-1287)
• Approved an intergovernmental agreement for $100,000 with the Cook County Sheriff for collection of unused medicines.  A prior agreement had expired in June 2017, and the parties have been negotiating this new contract since then in light of the Cook County Safe Disposal of Pharmaceuticals Ordinance. Commissioner Shore asked that the Sheriff be asked to reach out to those who don’t drive or who are homebound as there is a mail-in option under the ordinance. (Agenda Item 42, File # 17-1260)
• Two items on the Board agenda were deferred:
  • Amendment of an agreement with d-Builder for a project management system and technical support systems until Feb. 1, 2021.  This was also deferred from the last meeting. (Agenda Item 18, File # 17-1175)
  • Agreement with law firm to represent and provide the MWRD counsel in bankruptcy and collection matters.  Asked that Legal look into a program that State has where MWRD may be able to get payments for costs.

​At the Public Hearing on the 2018 Tentative Budget, there were 4 comments presented by: 

• The Friends of the Chicago River, commending the Distric’s infrastructure projects, touting the Friends’ “Our Liquid Asset” study from 2013 which found a 70% return on investment in green infrastructure projects, available HERE.
• The Center for Neighborhood Technology which asked about the status of a pilot study for investigating basement back-up; told that it is in the 2018 budget.
• The Better Government Association which urged that there be at least 0.1% (based on best practices) of the budget for 2018 be set aside for an Independent Inspector General; told that $600,000 is included in the 2018 budget should the Board decide to create an Inspector General.
• The Civic Federation, which praised the MWRD budget for the financial safeguards, including reserves, the increased contributions to the Pension and Retirement Health Funds; but also raised concerns about the continued increase by the District, along with other taxing bodies, in property tax levies, along with pension concerns across the board; and asked that the District streamline its budget proposal by having a single book.

:Observer - Priscilla Mims