March 2025

Minutes

VFSA Board Meeting Minutes
March 10, 2025

The Valley Forge Sewer Authority monthly meeting was held on Monday, March 10, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. In attendance: Board members: Terri Woodman, Samuel Cupp, William LaPorte, Richard Stipa and David Demey. Also in attendance were General Manager Leonard Pinchok, Operations and Engineering Manager Matt Jackson, Laboratory Supervisor Richard Taylor and David Shirk, representing the Authority’s Engineer of Record, BuchartHorn, Inc.,
The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Public Comment
No public comments

Meeting Minutes
Ms. Woodman made a motion to approve the February 10, 2025, meeting minutes, which was seconded by Mr. Demey, and the Board unanimously approved the motion.

Operations Report
Mr. Taylor stated at the time of the printing of the report all parameters were in compliance with the exception of a few outstanding results. All outstanding January results were in compliance. No order complaints during the month of February. With respect to the EPA and pretreatment program, Mr. Taylor elaborated on the increased number of tests per the EPA required by the Headworks Evaluation (local limits evaluation) included under the new permits. After extensive correspondence, the sampling plan for testing was reduced and agreed upon between VFSA and EPA. The Headworks Evaluation will be submitted by November 1, 2025.Mr. LaPorte asked if questions on the pretreatment resolutions for East Pikeland Township and Schuylkill Township were resolved. Mr. Taylor indicated that no further comments or questions were received after he submitted an email explaining the procedure to adopt the pretreatment resolutions for each township. Mr. Pinchok asked each township if a meeting was needed to discuss the resolutions. He has yet to receive a response from the townships. Mr. Pinchok will follow up to see if a meeting is needed. Mr. Taylor recommended each township solicitor review the township ordinances and the resolution and make changes as necessary.
Mr. LaPorte made a motion to accept the operations report as presented, which was seconded by Ms. Woodman, and the board unanimously approved the motion.

Financial Report
Mr. Pinchok presented the combined statement of operations for all accounts at the end of January with a balance of $26,594,329. Fund balances were presented for review, including budget-to-actual summaries, where the revenue fund actual for the month has a surplus of $366,062 and the treatment plant fund actual for the month has a surplus of $190,521. The impress fund reconciliation was $779.24. Petty cash reconciliation was $26.06. Credit card purchases for the month were $6,902.08. Accounts payable invoices totaled $595,268.63. Mr. Stipa made a motion to approve agenda item B, 1 through 6, which was seconded by Ms. Woodman, and the Board unanimously approved the motion.
The financial report continued with requisitions totaling $238,943.97 from the Treatment Plant Construction Fund and requisitions totaling $13,495.25 from the Capital Improvement Fund. Mr. Stipa made a motion to approve the requisitions as presented, which was seconded by Ms. Woodman, and the Board approved the motion by a vote of 3-0. Mr. LaPorte abstained.

New Business
Mr. Pinchok reported the year-end audit will begin on March 17, 2025, and should have draft financial statements by the end of April. Mr. Stipa asked if the exit audit interview can be conducted in person this year. Mr. Pinchok will arrange the interview. In an effort at transparency, Mr. Stipa asked for the year-end audit report to be sent to the member municipalities. Mr. Pinchok will provide final audit reports to township managers.
Mr. Stipa asked if the VFSA Joint Board responded to the Draft Memorandum of Understanding VFSA Treatment Plant Capital Cost Reimbursement. Mr. Pinchok indicated the draft memorandum will be presented for review and discussion at an upcoming joint board meeting to be scheduled in early April.
Mr. Stipa would like RKL to provide in writing, if the Authority agrees to give proceeds from a sale, that the Authority can still report revenue as it is currently being recorded. Mr. Pinchok will discuss this with auditors.
Mr. Laporte asked if Mr. Busch from Keystone Alliance would attend a future committee meeting to discuss the rate study proposal. Mr. Pinchok will coordinate his attendance at the next Administration and Finance committee meeting.

Old Business
Meadow Lane Sewer Extension
The staff is continuing to review final invoices for submission to East Pikeland Township. Once the final project costs are determined, a special tapping fee resolution will be drafted that will reimburse the authorities funding of the project. The estimated special tapping fee is $3,000. The resolution will be presented at a future board meeting for approval.

Act 537 Special Study
Mr. Shirk indicated Buchart Horn is continuing to progress through the alternatives analysis and will provide a copy to the staff by Friday, April 14, 2025, for review and comments. The report will be presented to the board by April 21. Mr. Shirk is requesting a special board meeting to discuss concerns or modifications prior to submitting the plan to partner municipalities on April 28, 2025. The partner municipalities will be asked to provide hard copies of the plan in their administration buildings for public review and comments. The final resubmission of the plan to PADEP is scheduled for June 20, 2025. Mr. Pinchok will schedule a special board meeting to discuss the Act 537 Special Study Plan.

PMAA Board Training
Mr. Pinchok reminded the board members of the training and to advise if interested in attending.

Other
Mr. Pinchok asked board members to consider being part of an ADHOC committee to negotiate a new union contract. The current CBA expires on August 31, 2025. After a brief discussion, several board members expressed an interest in the committee.
Mr. Demey asked if there were any new developments on the leased property to Delaware Valley Paving. Mr. Pinchok reported the notice to terminate the lease was sent to Delaware Valley in July 2024. Mr. Demey noted that the leased property will need to be remediated to its original state.
Mr. Jackson reported that of the seventeen budgeted capital projects this year, twelve are in progress and three are completed. The remaining projects are waiting on proposals. In addition, the authority has taken possession of two specialty vehicles. Mr. Jackson reported an advertisement for the reroofing project, which will begin next week and may be presented for approval in the April board meeting. Mr. Jackson presented photographs of the painting project currently being performed at the treatment plant.
Mr. Pinchok will schedule an Administration and Finance Committee meeting to discuss draft bylaws.

Adjournment
Ms. Woodman made a motion to adjourn the meeting that was seconded by Mr. LaPorte, and the board unanimously approved the motion. The meeting adjourned at 7:47 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

David Demey
VFSA Board Secretary