New Mills Dam Committee
MINUTES OF NEW MILLS DAM COMMITTEE MEETING 2-6-23
Members present: Dave Kamila, David Smith, Mark Fish, Matt Tarbox, Johnnie Beane, Rick Sieberg, Jack Daniel. Guest Wendy Dennis, CWD
Chairman Dave Kamila called the meeting to order at 5:40.
Item 1 approve minutes of the last meeting of 3-14-22. Wendy D. requested that pp 3 be amended to read “some other municipality dam operators require bids be accepted for dam work, while others do not”. Mark F. suggested that we note that the minutes of 3-14-22 were incomplete. Both suggestions were accepted and a motion was made by Mark F to approve the minutes, it was seconded by Jack D. there was no further discussion and the minutes were approved.
Item 2. CWD water level report by Wendy D. Due to 11” of rain in October, the water level fluctuated, but the winter level of 133’ was finally achieved by late November for the dam repairs. Wendy suggested that in the future we require KEI to remove flash boards as the water level reaches them to allow for a smoother drawdown.
Item 3. Review Commercial Divers dam inspection report. Dave K handed out a 24 page report, with drawings and photos of the dam repairs by Commercial Divers. Dave K reported that the estimate for the work was $25K, but with much more work required the final cost was $46,282.08. leaving an account balance of $742.37. The report lists the work that is needed in the future. Mainly this work is to replenish the gravel and rock rubble that fills the wooden cribwork that the dam and the concrete apron rests upon. The estimated cost for this work is approximately $100K. Commercial Divers recommendation is that the work be done in four sessions, one each year for four years in order to spread out the cost. A motion was made and seconded to accept Commercial Divers Inspection Report, it was approved.
Item 4. Dave K. recommended that the annual assessments that the dam owners make be increased to take into account inflation and to build the NMDC fund for making the anticipated repairs. Currently Richmond and Litchfield are assessed $5100. per year, Gardiner $3780. for a total of $13,980. The recommendation is to increase the total to $25K per year to cover the future repairs. This increase would be $9120. for Richmond and Litchfield, and $6760. for Gardiner. It was recommended that committee members should approach their respective municipalities soon to request this increase. This recommendation was approved by the committee.
Johnnie B. asked how long this future repair to the dam would last. While no one knows the answer, it was mentioned that the dam crib work dates from at least the 1880’s and possibly the 1860’s and it is still mostly sound.
Item 5. To officially record the email vote taken in December to approve the payment of the repair work. Johnnie B. made the motion, and David S. seconded it. The discussion made clear that the electronic vote in December was legitimate, but this vote was taken to memorialize the prior vote.
Item 6. The next meeting is scheduled for March 13 with the location to be determined.
A motion was made, seconded and approved to adjourn the meeting. The meeting adjourned at 6:40.
Respectfully submitted, Jack Daniel