29 Sep OWASA Board of Directors Meeting Summary for September 24
OWASA’s Board of Directors met virtually on Thursday, September 24, 2020, and considered an agenda that included an update on OWASA’s Forest Management Program, an update on a new water main prioritization model, and the process for updating OWASA’s strategic plan.
The Board of Directors is currently meeting virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Forest Management
The Board received an update on OWASA’s Forest Management Program. A prescribed burn for OWASA’s Mitigation Tract scheduled for May 2020 was delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions. In accordance with the Board-approved guiding principles, an OWASA consultant has developed stewardship plans for two OWASA-owned properties near the Cane Creek Reservoir.
Water Main Prioritization Model
The Board received an update on the new water main prioritization model. The new model provides additional analysis and decision-support tools to guide infrastructure investment decisions and operational strategies for managing the water distribution system for the community. Condition assessment and system monitoring opportunities that OWASA will continue to explore were also discussed. The Board provided input on and requested staff to return with a recommendation on a revised Key Performance Indicator goal for water main breaks.
Strategic Plan
The Board discussed the process to update OWASA’s strategic plan. The current strategic plan was adopted in 2014, and the strategic initiatives have been completed or are considerably underway. The Board agreed that they were ready to update OWASA’s strategic plan. Staff will bring back a draft process for the Board’s review in a future meeting.
COVID-19 Response
The Board received an update on OWASA’s response to COVID-19 and a phased plan for returning to normal operations. OWASA continues to take proactive measures to ensure we are providing (and can continue to provide) the community with high-quality and reliable water, wastewater, and reclaimed water services during the COVID-19 pandemic. A temporary moratorium on service disconnection for non-payment enacted on March 12, 2020, remains in place. The Board received an update on the extent and severity of past due accounts.
Next Meeting
The Board will hold its next meeting remotely on Thursday, October 8, 2020, via Microsoft Teams at 6 p.m.; a link will be provided here.
OWASA’s administrative office is closed to the public to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Customers in need of assistance can still contact OWASA from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday by calling (919) 968-4421, emailing customerinquiries@owasa.org, or using the chat function available in the bottom-right corner of the web page. Please allow for additional time for OWASA staff to respond during this time. We appreciate your patience.