Utility Packet 12.17.2025

Andrew Berens. Utility Commission Chair Cassie Lang Village Clerk / Deputy Treasurer 311 Walnut Street | P .O. Box 487 Marathon City, WI 54448 Tel: 715-443-2221 www.marathoncitywi.gov VILLAGE UTILITY COMMISSION OFFICIAL NOTICE & AGENDA Wednesday, December 17, 2025 4:00 pm Marathon Municipal Center PUBLIC VIRTUAL ACCESS Join Teams Meeting: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/join-a-meeting Meeting ID: 261 174 214 35 Passcode: cY2jA33d 1. CALL TO ORDER UTILITY ROLL CALL: A. BERENS, B. BOHR, M. TELFORD, D. SEILER, K. HANDRICK JR. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. RECOGNITION OF VISITORS a. Virtual Meeting Guidelines i. This meeting will be recorded and available upon request b. Public Participation at Government Meetings 4. APPROVAL OF OCTOBER 29, 2025 MEETING MINUTES 5. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF PAYMENT OF BILLS 6. PUBLIC UTILITY OPERATIONS & FACILITIES REPORT 7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Update on Well #5 b. Update on Cure-In-Place-Piping Project 8. NEW BUSINESS 9. SCHEDULED MEETINGS a. Regular Meeting: Wednesday, January, 28, 2026 – 4:00 pm b. Special Meetings as Needed 10. ADJOURNMENT VILLAGE UTILITY COMMISSION MINUTES Wednesday, October 29, 2025 PUBLIC HEARING called to order at 4:01 pm. Administrator Cherek discussed the need for a stepped sewer rate increase of 5.5% for the next 2 years, stating the Commission has not considered the rate of inflation in many years and the Commission and Village Board approved a cure-in-place piping project with its Capital Improvement Plan earlier in the year requiring an 8% increase to cover project costs. Cherek believes the 11% increase in the next 2 years will get the Wastewater Budget closer to the positive. The Commission will revisit the Wastewater Revenues and consumption during the 2027 Budget review to determine if an additional rate increase is needed. No residents present. No public comments made. 1. CALL TO ORDER at 4:06 pm UTILITY ROLL CALL: A. BERENS-Present, B. BOHR-Present, M. TELFORD-Present, D. SEILER- Present, K. HANDRICK JR.-Present 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. RECOGNITION OF VISITORS a. Virtual Meeting Guidelines i. This meeting will be recorded and available upon request b. Public Participation at Government Meetings Attending Virtually: Kevin O’Brien – Record Review 4. APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 24, 2025 MEETING MINUTES MOTION – Approve Minutes for September 24, 2025 Meeting Motion made by Bohr second by Handrick. Motion passed by voice vote. 5. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF PAYMENT OF BILLS Commission members questioned the following bill payments: Check 49048: SJE, Inc. – Well 3 Repairs Check 49080: Public Service Commission of WI – 2025-2026 Advance Assessment Check 49096: Systems Technologies – Internet update to the Water Department MOTION – Approve Payment of Bills Motion made by Telford second by Seiler. Motion passed by voice vote. 6. PUBLIC UTILITY OPERATIONS & FACILITIES REPORT Director of Public Works, Ken Bloom, presented the Commission with a Facilities Report for October. The report can be found in the Agenda Packet. 7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Update on Well #5 Administrator Cherek informed the Commission that he signed a contract with Strand Associates for the engineering for Well #5. The signed contract can be found in the Agenda Packet. Cherek, along with assistance from Strand, submitted the Safe Drinking Water Loan application before the deadline. Strand requested extra data needed to do site testing and analysis to meet DNR requirements. Cherek and Bloom will get required data to Strand. Cherek stated this will remain Unfinished Business going forward to keep Commission updated on progress. b. Update on Cure-In-Place-Piping Project Cassie Lang Village Clerk / Deputy Treasurer Cherek provided the signed contract with Vierbicher Associates, Inc. for the engineering services on the cure-in-place piping project which can be viewed in Agenda Packet. Vierbicher provided the Record Review with bid publications to run for 2 weeks. The project is now open for bids and will close on November 13th, 2025 at 10:00 am. Updates will continue at each meeting going forward. 8. NEW BUSINESS a. Discuss and Approve 2026 Utility Budget Administrator Cherek presented, in detail, the 2026 Utility Budget reflecting the recommended 5.5% sewer rate increase. The proposed 2026 Budget projects $1,449,540.80 in Revenues and Expenditures with $3,753.42 in proceeds from the Fund Balance. After Fund Balance transfers to TID 2 of $26,713.49 and to the Waste Water Reserve Fund of $27,248.00 the projected ending Utility Fund Balance is $1,136,108.78. Key points discussed: • 3rd Quarter consumption levels were strong helping bring Water revenue projected to end near 2025 budgeted amount. Waste Water revenue still expected to fall short due to lower concentrations in industrial contributors. Lower concentrations result in reduced rates based on test results. Cherek adjusted 2026 revenue projections to account for recent consumption trends. • Utility Wages increased close to 7% for Waste Water with an approved 3.5% employee wage increase and adjusted OT hours based on the Utility Department’s current practices. • Administrator wages have been reallocated to shift expenditures off the TIDs. With the Village refinancing this year, the Water Budget has more capacity to help with shifting of wages, resulting in a 27.5% increase in Water wage expenditures. Full 2026 Utility Budget details can be found in the Agenda Packet. MOTION – Approve 2026 Utility Budget Motion made by Handrick second by Berens. Motion passed by voice vote. b. Discuss and Approve Sending Resolution U-2025-11-12 “Authorizing Wastewater Rate Increases” to the November 12 th 2025 Village Board Meeting for Final Approval Approval of the 2026 Utility Budget with the 5.5% Sewer Rate increase requires the Village to pass a Resolution stating terms of the rate increases. Utility Commission approval is needed before Village Board approval. MOTION – Approve Sending Resolution U-2025-11-12 “Authorizing Wastewater Rate Increases” to the November 12th 2025 Village Board Meeting for Final Approval Motion made by Handrick second by Seiler. Motion passed by voice vote. 9. SCHEDULED MEETINGS a. Regular Meeting: Commission to Approve: i. Wednesday, December 10, 2025 – 4:00 p.m. OR ii. Wednesday, December 17, 2025 – 4:00 p.m. MOTION – Approve December 17, 2025 – 4:00 pm as Next Regular Commission Meeting Motion made by Bohr second by Telford. Motion passed by voice vote. b. Special Meetings as Needed 10. ADJOURNMENT at 5:46 pm Motion to adjourn made by Handrick second by Telford. Motion passed by voice vote. Marathon City Utility Operations & Facilities Report for November/December 2025 Water Treatment Facility Report The water facility is operating well and meeting all the testing requirements. The clearwell at the water treatment facility is scheduled to be physically inspected (entering inside the tank) sometime in November 2025. This will require us to bypass the clearwell and obtain 2 safe bac-t drinking water samples, before it can be put back in service. The clearwell is expected to be out of service for approximately 2-3 days. UPDATE 12/25 – Lane Tank Company, is scheduled to be onsite on Monday, December 15th to inspect the clearwell. In addition to the clearwell, a visual inspection of both the east and west retention tanks, the backwash basin, and the aeration tank (aerator), will also be inspected, as required by the DNR. The clearwell is anticipated to be back in service by Wednesday or Thursday, December 17th or 18th. The pumping equipment and electric motor are to be refurbished for Well #1, and should be completed sometime this week. Water Well Solutions should be here in the next couple of weeks to reinstall the equipment and put Well #1 back in service. The Utility declined to proceed with the smaller 6” screen installation due to costs, required DNR approval, and an uncertain outcome attributable to obvious risks associated with the procedure (cleaning & installation of the screen). UPDATE 10/25– The pumping equipment in Well 1 was reinstalled by Water Well Solutions on October 14 th. Two safe bac-t water samples were collected on October 14th and 15th. Both samples came back safe from the laboratory. Well 1 was temporarily put back in service on October 17th, until Aaron Martin, Waterworks Operator, noticed the check valve was failing when the pump was off, allowing water to drain back into the well. A new check valve has been ordered. Once the check valve is replaced, the well will be put back in service. The well should be put back in service within the next couple of weeks. UPDATE 12/25 – The check valve was replaced and the well was put back in service on November 18 th. On November 24th, an issue with the refurbished motor wiring caused the starter to burn out. The well was taken out of service again and the starter was replaced. Water Well Solutions was contacted and was onsite on December 1st to repair the electric motor wiring. Well 1 was put back in service on December 2nd. A water leak of approximately 15,000 – 20,000 gallons/day was identified on the high-pressure zone in early November. Wisconsin Rural Water Association (WRWA) assisted the Village in identifying what was causing the water loss. A leak on the watermain was located at 8th & Hemlock Streets. A pipe repair clamp from a previous watermain break in 2020 was the issue. The pipe repair clamp broke, releasing compression around the water main pipe, causing the water leak. The pipe repair clamp was replaced , and the leak was fixed. Water Treatment Facility Report (Continued) On November 9th, the fire hydrant on the south side of 4th Street, just west of Pheasant Lane, was hit by a vehicle, completely breaking off the hydrant and associated piping from the underground watermain. PGA was hired to install a new fire hydrant and 2 new service valves. This was completed by PGA on December 8th. An insurance claim, on behalf of the Utility, will be submitted to cover the costs of the repair. The potassium permanganate mixing/transfer pump has failed at the Water Treatment Plant. The pump is the original pump that was installed at the time the Water Plant was built in 2000. They no longer manufacture parts for this make and model of pump. A new Grundfos transfer pump was ordered through Brabazon Pump & Compressor. Village/Utility Staff will install the new pump at the Water Plant. Wastewater Treatment Facility Report The wastewater treatment plant met all WPDES permit limits for the months of October and November 2025. A drawdown test was conducted by Vierbicher Associates on the Trailer Court Lift Station. This was done to determine GPM@TDH. William Reid will use the design characteristics to match motor and pump size, to meet those requirements. UPDATE – 8/25 – The new pumps and motors were installed at the lift station. After start- up, cavitation was still noticeable on both pumps. UPDATE – 9/25 – I have forwarded the start-up report to Vierbicher Associates for review. UPDATE – 12/25 – Steve Cherek and I had a conference call on December 4th, with Darrin Pope, Vierbicher Associates, regarding the current lift station issues. We conveyed that Vierbicher should take the lead on finding a solution to the cavitation issue and work closely with Paul Ludwig from William/Reid. In addition, I directly emailed Smith & Loveless (twice) voicing my disappointment in the fact they have not stepped up to help address the pump cavitation issue and find a solution to the problem. S&L did respond in an email on Friday, December 12th. The have provided a list of recommendations. I have asked William Reid to verify that these recommendations have been completed. I also had a discussion with Paul Ludwig, William Reid, about the possibility of installing submersible pumps at this lift station to eliminate the cavitation issue all together. More details (design, costs, etc.) need to be determined before I or Paul present anything to the commission for discussion and/or approval. This possible back-up plan/option, will not stop the effort to find a solution to the current pump cavitation issue, with the recently installed S&L pumping equipment. The mechanical seal failed on pump 2 at the Trail Court Lift Station due to excessive pump cavitation, causing the seal to fail prematurely. William Reid will be onsite, Monday, December 15th, to replace the mechanical seal and get the pump back in service. We are currently operating on only one pump at this lift station, with no back-up. Wastewater Treatment Facility Report (Continued) Wastewater Regulatory Requirements: 1) The Utility received a letter from the DNR requesting additional information, for determination of eligibility of the Multi-Discharger Phosphorus Variance. UPDATE 9/25 – The DNR issued a letter of denial, dated 8/8/25, regarding our application for the Multi-Discharger Phosphorus Variance. The notification came through an email from Matt Claucherty, Permits Section - WDNR, on 9/4/25. UPDATE 10/25 – Nick Lindstrom, WDNR Wastewater Basin Engineer, reached out to me regarding our Phosphorus Compliance Options. He is requesting the Village select a new Phosphorus Compliance Option for our next WPDES permit. Since the MDV has been denied, the only 2 options the Utility has are; meet the effluent phosphorus limit at the wastewater treatment plant through chemical addition, or convert the contract with Miltrim Farms to a Water Quality Trade contract. I have requested a meeting with Andy Johnson, third party administrator between Miltrim Farms and the Village, to discuss future options, before making any decisions. UPDATE 12/25 – Andy Johnson (3 rd Party Administrator), Tina Sebold (Strand), and myself met to discuss the MDV denial letter from the DNR, on October 27th. In order to continue using Miltrim Farms for phosphorus credits, the Village would have to convert to a Water Quality Trading Plan, which would cost additional money to develop. Miltrim Farms may also want a yearly fee for providing available phosphorus credits (as a back-up plan), even if the Utility does not use those credits. After our discussion, we notified Andy Johnson that the Utility plans on meeting our phosphorus limit at the treatment plant, and would not utilize phosphorus credits from Miltrim Farms during our next permit term. Andy Johnson was going to have a discussion with the staff at Miltrim Farms prior to our next meeting. We plan to meet again in January to review any options. As of now, the Utility plans to meet our phosphorus limit at the treatment plant through chemical addition. This will be our phosphorus compliance option for our next permit term. However; it should be noted that if the Village continues to expand and grow, there may be a need for future phosphorus credits (WQT Plan) with Miltrim Farms. 2) I have requested a copy of the WPDES draft permit, prior to the 30-day public notice. The DNR has agreed to send me a copy of the draft permit and fact sheet. As of the meeting, I have not received a copy of the draft permit, which leads me to suspect they will not reissue our permit on time. Our current permit is set to expire on September 30th, 2025. If the new permit is not reissued on time, we continue operations under our current permit. UPDATE 10/25– Additional effluent zinc testing has been requested by the DNR, due to one higher than normal result collected during the testing period, conducted during the permit application process. I am currently in the process of collecting 3 more effluent samples for zinc analysis. Wastewater Treatment Facility Report (Continued) UPDATE 12/25 – The 3 Zinc samples collected in October 2025, were higher than the effluent limit set by the DNR; therefore, the DNR has requested that I take additional samples, for a total of 11 samples, collected 3 days apart from one another. From those 11 samples, the DNR will determine whether an effluent Zinc limit is appropriate, and whether a limit will be included in our next wastewater permit. The DNR also contacted Marathon Industrial Finishing and Aluminum Fabricated Products to inquire about their operations, but was informed that neither of these facilities generate any wastewater from their production lines. If effluent zinc concentrations remain an issue at the wastewater treatment plant, the DNR will then schedule a site visit with these industries, to verify their operations. Submitted by: Ken Bloom, Director of Public Works & Utilities