FINAL COPY
Skyline Mountain Resort Special Services District
2201 Skyline Mountain Resort
Fairview, UT 84629
Minutes of the monthly Board Meeting Jan 26th, 2008. 
Held at Skyline Mountain Resort Clubhouse  5:30 p.m.

Meeting called to order by Chairman Frank Fraser.  Present were all board members plus Max Henrie, Sharon Hansen, & Shella Behunin. Also present by invitation were Ralph and Susie Brothersen of Brothersen Well Drilling.

RJ suggested that we move Mr. Page up on the agenda reference his water meter installation.  24th of Nov letter requiring meter and back flow device within 30 days.  He wrote back asking for an extension given the depth of the snow and the frost in the ground.  An extension was given until 15 Jan 2008.  Page wrote and included a letter from his contractor asking for an additional extension of time.  Terry suggested that we give him until April 1st or sooner, depending on weather.  Frank expressed concern at the risk due to lack of backflow prevention at present.  Mont expressed concern over the fragile nature of the PVC pipe when it is cold and what might happen if the pipe was broken attempting this installation.  This line is the main up line and a break would cause us to have to shut the whole system down until repairs could be affected.  Jay suggested that April 1 is the absolute back end and that the meter should be installed if we have sufficient warm days.  Jay offered the motion to extend the installation deadline to no later than April 1 and that, if weather allows, Page will have 5 working days to install after telephone notification by RJ or other Board member.  Terry seconded.  Motion passed 4-1 

The Chairman introduced a guideline for collaborative approach to problem solving with defined goals.  Three of those, for tonight’s meeting are: 1. Provide safe drinking water to all of our customers;  2.  Insure adequate water supply to meet year round needs of our customers; 3. have enough water to make sure we are protecting our water right.

#1.   What, if anything, needs to be done to improve our main well?  For this purpose we have invited Brothersen Drilling to offer plausible solutions. Ralph furnished a diagram of our well showing a casing liner within the existing well to eliminate entrained air from cascading water.  The experts suggest that it may well work but there are no guarantees.  One risk is when you go below the casing the open bore hole can introduce debris.  If it is cased clear to 456 ft or plugged below the present casing this may work but without further testing, the effect on the well is unknown.  Using the capability of our new variable speed pump, we can reduce the output so that the entrained air is minimized or eliminated. The well log is not detailed enough to know exactly where the water strata’s are.  It is also possible that we are having water go down hole into the aquifer but only pulling the well and investigating with a camera will tell for sure. Other possibilities are available, including drilling a new one beside the existing well.  Rough estimate is $150,000 to $200,000.  Also there is a good possibility that cleaning the perforations could increase flow.  Jay questioned if the right strategy is to wait until we get the new well at the other site and then we can idle the present well and have time to rehab it.  Ralph said, “this is a good, clean, pure well and should be included in whatever we do”.  After discussion, Jay suggested we leave the new pump at a reduced rate for this year and see what happens.  Mont suggested that Jay was on to a good idea and that last year we got down to 29 gallons per minute just prior to the pump failure and threatened on multiple days to run people out of water.  The new variable capacity controller can be run as Jay suggests but could be ramped up for those few holidays.  Ralph suggested that little if any harm would likely come to the pump for such a short time run. Also, if Jay will help, now that we have our discharge and screen in the tank, we could raise the sensors up another 12+ inches increasing water storage by as much as 5,500 to 6,000 gallons.  This could get us through this summer season.  Ralph expressed concern at undertaking the re-casing given the less than 100% chance of success.  RJ and Jay had information from the summer use showing we still have 2 or 3 users that are simply wasting 100’s of thousands of gallons of water.  This must be curtailed.  After additional discussion, the Board decided to go with Jay’s suggestion and not to undertake a re-hab at this time.  The plan, then, will be to run the pump at a low level until the summer season comes and then ramp it up enough to maintain supply to our customers.  For the 4 major 3-4 day holiday week ends, the controller will be ramped up even more, knowing that we may get some entrained air but thereby allowing our customers to receive water.  Monte and Jay will raise the sensor prior to May 15th and RJ will work on a plan to notify the abusers of the importance of real conservation. 

Next was the Baker/Birch Creek plowing issue.  After considerable discussion, it was moved and seconded to write a letter to Mr. Baker advising him that he is no longer to plow above the snow gate.  The precedent set is unfair to other users.  Frank and Terry both expressed significant concerns as to the problems of allowing this exception to go on, thereby creating tacit approval for other exceptions in the future.  Mont said that by our having allowed this to go on so far this winter, Baker is in a bad position because he may not be able to get in or out or be able to get water.  The problem is the majority of the Board was not aware of this until Jan 2008.  It has been noted that by plowing a non-full time area, Mr. Baker has caused his own dilemma.  Terry and Frank disagreed and said that, in fact, Baker knows he is living in an area not officially designated for full time residency.  Mont said that he believes Baker is planning on building down on his other lot this coming year in any case.  After lengthy discussion, vote was taken on the motion.  Moved by RJ to cease and desist plowing above the snow gate.  Terry seconded.  Motion to issue cease and desist carried 4-1.  The letter will be written by the Chairman indicating that they will have 3 weeks from the date of the letter to comply. 

Road grooming and plowing:  CJ Lowe is doing a good job and says, in spite of Legacy plowing his old exit route, he actually ends up doing a better job by grooming lightly on the uphill run and more completely on the downhill run so it is working fine to groom and reverse course grooming lightly up the Hot Well road and more firmly down the Juniper Drive side.  The grooming is holding up longer by doing it this way.  As far as plowing, we seem to be keeping up with this great snow so far.  Monte said we have used over 2,500 lbs of road ice melt so far this year.  The board decided to make Joe Hanks the contact/go-ahead person to initiate grooming.  The office is a focus point for incoming calls regarding grooming.  Mont can furnish Joe updated information as to condition and how much new snow may have come.  Jay suggested after we get the Baker issue cared for, have the groomer, push the snow back into the plowed area thereby extending the season for cabin users.  Monte will contact Joe Hanks and C.J. Lowe about this decision.

Graeme letter.  RJ read  letters from Mr. & Mrs. Graeme appealing with us to have consideration with regard to their water yoke installation.  The Dec. 15th letter is very angry and threatens legal action.  The Dec 23rd letter is much softer and asks for consideration. R.J. said they were upset that we left their meter area un backfilled after last winter’s new water line was installed.  This was actually done as a favor to them to save them money in digging and installing their new meter.  We clarified that he does have his meter and backflow prevention in now.  We do not have a written requirement specifying a yoke.  It was decided to ask them to make it possible for us to read their meter, which is set nearly 5-6 ft down and that we would not require a yoke at this time. 

New Water system Biological Report:  This was just received last night.  The engineering for the final application will be done within a week according to Hansen-Allen-Luce.  Jay has not read it in its entirety but there seem to be no environmental stumbling blocks in it.  The Rural Water Development people indicate they still have sufficient funds to do our project.   Due to the recent complaints about us being in violation of the open meetings law when we have meetings outside the district, we need to have our meetings here … even work meetings.  Jay wondered if there wasn’t some common sense exception for meeting with legal and professional advisors.  Frank will clarify.  Monte suggested that with the Federal interest rates coming down, the window of opportunity may be as good as it is going to get.

Meeting Schedules 2008:  Frank brought a proposed meeting schedule for 2008 SSD meetings so they could be reviewed and posted on the web site.  None seem to be in conflict with holidays.  The 6:30 p.m. time seems to be best for all and continuing to have our monthly meeting on the 3rd Saturday seems to be best for all. 

Discussion surrounded Legacy’s drilling of a test well that seems to border on the edges of Archie’s Hollow and Birch Creek drainages.  No one has seen any published notice of such a well application.  Jay will have the attorney check to see if any such application or permit exists.  There may be a member who is seeking to drill his own well in the O section (Elk Meadows area).  Everett Taylor, SMR Board President, has told Frank that in his opinion, there is no way to source protect an individual well on a one acre lot where a septic tank is involved on the lot.  Also, it would seem that the CC&R’s do not allow the drilling of individual wells within the Resort.  We will stay very vigilant on this.

Bills to be paid were reviewed.  The largest was to Hansen Allen Luce for the biological study.  It was reported that, thanks to the SMR Board’s contribution to road projects last year, over $33,000 worth of extra work was performed.   The final budget was shown as well as the previous month’s financials.  Monte reported that he has completed the action item to move $5,000 from checking to savings.  This money is the amount left over for constructing the C- section fire exit road when the legal easement issues are resolved by SMR Board. Due to higher returns, the checking is being moved.

Jay said we can still get the one ton pick up if we want it.  Our costs would be the amount needed to tune it, put a battery in it and bring it up to safety standards.  The primary reason would be to increase safety for our summer foliage spraying.  It could also be fitted with a sand/salt spreader and/or a plow for winter use.  Jay will follow up on this.

Tabled the road priority survey to the next meeting, which will be Feb 16th, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.

Page:  We have a copy of a letter from Page to Shelley Excavation short paying for work performed on GC16.  Doug did not file a lien due to the common interest ownership of lots.  We assured him we will not allow water service to that lot until we have been furnished lien waivers for the home and site improvements.

Meeting adjourned 9:10 p.m.