Board of Water Commissioners, Committee Meetings

Detroit Water and Sewerage Department

Utilities

Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024
1:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m. EDT

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Remote

Five consecutive committee meetings — same Zoom link

To attend online: https://cityofdetroit.zoom.us/j/81572635118

Agendas and times listed on the Legistar page:
https://dwsd.legistar.com/

Check the source website for additional information

Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Detroit - MI Documenters Team

Note-taking by Paige Rollins

The Board of Water Commissioners Customer Service Committee highlighted the EasyPay system, a new way DWSD customers can pay past-due balances available to all customers.

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Live reporting by Amanda Absher

The Board of Water Commissioners Customer Service Committee highlighted the EasyPay system, a new way DWSD customers can pay past-due balances available to all customers.

Amanda Absher @TheAmandaAbsher

Hi, I’ll be live-tweeting today's Board of Water Commissioners committee meetings for #DETdocumenters @DetDocumenters media partners: @BridgeDet313 @chalkbeatDET @freep @metrotimes @Michigan_Public @media_outlier @PlanetDetroit @wdet @wxyzdetroit

11:46 AM Aug 7, 2024 CDT

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The meetings start at 1 pm. Find the Zoom link and committee agendas here: dwsd.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

dwsd.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

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Capital Improvement Program and Operations Committee called to order promptly at 1. Quorum achieved, agenda and minutes approved.

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One public comment. Asking for an update about the Brightmoor project. Deputy Director Sam Smalley says it is still in the plannning phase, they are still trying to identify funding and communicating with residents. 4 projects on the west side, one which has been bid.

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No communication, no unfinished business. New business: GLWA 5 year CIP for Upcoming FY (2024-160). Speaker: Dima El-Gamal

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El-Gamal highlights that the planning for this began almost 2 years ago and prices change, things are delayed, etc.

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El-Gamal encourages everyone to utilize their website, which has tables and maps that describe the CIP and projects.

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This map is in the CIP document on their website.

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Projects are in all different stages throughout Detroit.

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Immediately after getting FY 25-29 approved, they began working on the FY 26-30 road map.

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They have a scoring process that they review on an annual basis. She says score does not always indicate how "important" a project is - "it's not cookie cutter."

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Scoring takes place for new projects and projects that changed from one year to the next. She highlights that the project scoring committees are diverse and thanks them.

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Next item: Planning calendar In September there will be a Review of Engineering and Planning Programs in September. Capital Improvement Program and Operations Committee adjourned at 1:26 pm. Next committee meeting is Customer Service Committee at 1:30 pm.

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Confused chatter between committee meetings reminiscent of cell phone commercials. "Can you hear me? Can you hear me now?"

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Customer Service Committee called to order at 1:30 pm. Quorum achieved. Agenda approved. Minutes approved. 3 public commenters.

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Cecily McClellan with We the People of Detroit: Questions about Easy Pay. Wants to know if it applies to commercial customers, churches, businesses too. (Answer: All are eligible)

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Questions about recalculation of 10-30-50. (Answer: Customers will not be automatically enrolled. They'll need to call to enroll and Easy Pay does not replace Lifeline.)

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Also wondering what programs are available to people facing hardship but not income-eligible. (Answer: Case manager would work with them to find out how they could make payment) Also working on a weekly payment option-not currently in place.

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Jacob Graham thanks for helping get the basin rebuilt near where he lives. However, he says the contractors tore up the cement in that alley when they were rebuilding the basin and did not recement it. He tried to talk to them and they said they weren't going to do anything.

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Sam Smalley says there was never a basin there. They installed a basin where a lamp bowl was there from the 1800s. He says if they disturbed the contract they will make sure the contractors take care of it.

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Meeko Williams of Hydrate Detroit - thanks the department for their participation in activities and EasyPay. Says it's the 10 year anniversary of the Detroit water crisis when 150k people got their water shut off, he's glad they're rebuilding trust. Encourages water bill amnesty.

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Norrel Hemphill, We the People Detroit - they sent a correspondence a month ago and it's not been included in any agenda. Asks how to get it included. They'd also requested data - looking for an update on that.

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Matthew Phillips says they reply at the next meeting if possible, but We the People requested information about 25k users and they need to "sanitize" it to ensure no personal information is revealed. Says the info will be available the next full board meeting.

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New business: Customer service presentation by Kimberly Crowell, customer service manager.

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Lots of time spent with committee members wanting to know if they call people back who hang up before being talked to. The answer is no. Committee members seem dissatisfied with this answer, sometimes interrupting staff.

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Highlights that they've exceeded customer satisfaction goal for 9 months.

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Garcia expresses concern that there's not enough staff. Asks where they can get funding for staff. Phillips says the funding would come from customers. 186k customers over 60 days behind on payments.

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Longer waits, longer calls, high customer satisfaction.

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Next is a Lifeline presentation from Matthew Phillips.

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Garcia appears to be on the phone, seemingly unaware her mic is on. Next is a video about EasyPay. 1,682 households enrolled as of this morning - that is enrollment in 1 week.

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Customer Service Committee adjourned at 2:16 pm. Human Resources/Organizational Development Committee never formally called to order. Roll Call starts at 2:16 pm. Agenda, minutes approved.

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Meeko Williams commends the door-knocking strategy mentioned for outreach on EasyPay in the Customer Service Committee meeting. Praises the customer service department. Says there should be more recruitment for the department.

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No communications, no unfinished business. New business: HR metrics presentation by Patricia Thornhill.

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Thornhill also showed a demographic slide that showed majority Black employees. (Moved too quickly for a screenshot)

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26 requisitions that equate to 38(?) open positions.

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Recruiting events since last meeting were career fairs.

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Training and Development Manager Carla Calhoun says she's been working with Detroit at Work and focusing on apprenticeship opportunities.

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More details and questions about the apprenticeship program: employees with 5+ years service and 24 months w/o discipline eligible, it's a 5 year program, returning citizens eligible, looking for a 3 year commitment after graduation.

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Human Resources/Organizational Development committee adjourned at 2:40 pm. Legal and Government Affairs is scheduled at 2:45 pm.

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Legal and Government Affairs called to order at 2:45 pm. Quorum established, agenda approved, minutes approved.

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Public Comment: Meeko Williams, Hydrate Detroit re FOIA. References a request made by organizations for data. Says he hopes that phone numbers and addresses are being protected, and that water info should be available to the public.

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Commmunications: Litigation report and DWSD FOIA report. Both moved and supported to receive and file.

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No unfinished business, no new business. Nothing scheduled on planning calendar. No other business. Legal and Government Affairs committee adjourned at 2:53 pm. Finance committee scheduled for 3 pm.

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Finance committee called to order. Roll call, agenda approved, minutes approved.

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Public comment: Meeko Williams, Hydrate Detroit Wondering how much they've collected on the announcement of "cracking down" on commercial customers who are delinquent. Also wondering how much is collected from drainage fees.

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Commission approves votes FOR contract/contract amendments for Midwest Auto Auction, AIS Construction Equipment Corporation, Jefferson Chevrolet Company, Bob Maxey Ford Inc., Moriarty Machinery & Supply and Ferguson Enterprises LLC dba Pollardwater, (ctd)

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(ctd) AIS Construction Equipment Company, Oracle America, Inc., and LGC Global, Inc. Minimal discussion and questions from the committee.

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The final contract is for $16,752,023.00, but was spoken as "$16,752.23." No correction was made. Passes unanimously.

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Next item: May financial review by Istakur Rahman.

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Rahman points out that the balance exceeds the operating needs in all months. Points out a shortfall in sewer.

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No major fluctuations.

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Meeting adjourned at 3:41 p.m. This concludes the Detroit Board of Water Commissioner Committee meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for September 4, 2024. For more meeting coverage, check out . documenters.org

documenters.org

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Attachments

Capital Improvement agenda

By Paige Rollins 8/7/2024

Customer Service agenda

By Paige Rollins 8/7/2024

Human Resources agenda

By Paige Rollins 8/7/2024

Legal and Government Affairs agenda

By Paige Rollins 8/7/2024

Finance agenda

By Paige Rollins 8/7/2024

Legislation Details

By Paige Rollins 8/7/2024

Finance presentation

By Paige Rollins 8/7/2024

Transcript and recording

By Noah Kincade 8/7/2024

Agency Information

Detroit Water and Sewerage Department

dwsd.legistar.com

See Documenters reporting

Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) is one of the largest water and sewer utilities in the United States, serving more than 200,000 Detroit residential and commercial accounts that includes a city population of nearly 680,000. DWSD’s water network consists of more than 2,700 miles of transmission and distribution mains and nearly 3,000 miles of sewer collection piping.