CHARLOTTE WATER
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MINUTES OF MEETING
April 16, 2015
Charlotte Water Advisory Committee met Thursday, April 16, 2015, 2:30 pm at 4222 Westmont
Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Members Present:
Jim Duke, Jim Merrifield, Pride Patton, Leslie Jones, Ron Charbonneau,
Ralph Messera, Frank McMahan,
Staff Present:
Barry Gullet
Chad Howell
Jennifer Frost
Carl Wilson
Greg Harrison
Louise Bhavnani
David Czerr
Karen Weatherly
Keith Shirley
Director
Business Manager
Assistant to Director
Chief Engineer
Strategic Data Analyst
Community Outreach Specialist
Engineer Program Manager
City Attorney
Safety Minute
Outdoor Protection
Minutes
A motion was made by Leslie Jones, and seconded by Jim Merrifield, to approve the March 2015
Minutes. Motion was approved.
Budget and Rates Plan
Charlotte Water has interacted with Charlotte City Council, the City Manager, and interim
Budget Director Kim Eagle to prepare a budget recommendation for FY2016. Staff is continuing
to work on a budget plan that will be recommended to the City Manager on May 4th. Charlotte
Water’s rates and fees are set according to methodology described in a Revenue Manual. There
are a number of user fees such as Industrial User fees and Land Development fees that are
proposed for updates, addition, or removal during the budget process this year. Changes to
CharlotteWater rate methodology requires a joint public hearing by City Council and the
Advisory Committee. Since revisions to the rate methodology are proposed for FY16, the
required public hearing is tentatively planned for May 11 at the same Council meeting where the
City’s overall budget public hearing will be held.
Financial Update
Expenditures and revenues are trending on track as planned for this fiscal year.
Hot Topics
Environmental Impact Statement – NC DENR is currently in the process of writing the record of
decision for Long Creek Regional Wastewater Project Environmental Impact Statement . Billing
Cycle Alignment project (BCA) – Charlotte Water is beyond a midway point in completing the
project hopefully by the end of May.
Capital Improvement projects (CIP) – Charlotte Water will be informing City Council further in
advance about major capital project contracts that will require their approval. The Steele Creek
Lift Station project is one project of this type.
Bio-Solids Program – Staff continues to work on developing a long-term strategy for bio-solids
management. The existing contract for biosolids disposal expires in 2019.
Coal Ash – Staff are setting up an enhanced water quality monitoring effort on Mountain Island
Lake to detect any water quality impacts that Duke Energy’s coal ash removal project may have.
Charlotte Water is working with the county to provide data and analysis information. Automated
water quality monitoring buoys will be placed in the lake to collect samples and data. Meeting
Adjourned – 3:50
TGN