By Jackie Burhans and James Howald
In June, the Monument Sanitation District (MSD) board heard an audit report from Derek Watada of Olson, Reyes & Sauerwein LLC, the district’s auditor. In his Manager’s Report, District Manager Mark Parker discussed a change to the plan to repair a sewer line that runs under Highway 105 adjacent to the Taco Bell restaurant.
Audit shows no concerns
Watada thanked the MSD staff who helped with the audit. He described the district’s finances as “business as usual.” He mentioned that the grant MSD received as part of the American Recovery Plan Act, which is being used to repair a sewer main connecting the Willow Springs neighborhood to the Tri-Lakes Waste Water Treatment Facility, was a new category in the audit. The district’s net position, or equity in MSD’s infrastructure, increased from $5 million to $9.4 million, primarily due to a lift station built by the developer of Willow Springs and then donated to the district, which will maintain it.
Watada asked the board to be aware of the need to separate duties, pointing out that it was difficult to compartmentalize duties in an organization with such a small staff. Parker pointed out that Haynie & Co., the district’s accounting company, assisted Accounts Administrator Cheran Allsup and Parker in their efforts to separate all duties involving financial matters.
The board voted unanimously to accept the audit report.
Unexpected spot repair needed
In his Manager’s Report, Parker told the board that the repair to a sewer line running under Highway 105 was planned to be complete by June 4, but that deadline had not been met. After telling MSD that the pipeline could be repaired by relining it, with no need to excavate and interrupt traffic on the highway, the contractor, Aegion/Inasituform, had changed its position and now said a spot repair was needed. Parker said he believed that change of position invalidated the district’s contract with Aegion/Insituform. Parker said he was organizing a meeting with the contractor and GMS Engineering Inc., the district’s consulting engineers.
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Monument Sanitation District meetings are held at 9 a.m. on the third Wednesday of the month in the district conference room at 130 Second St., Monument. The next regular meeting is scheduled for July 17. See colorado.gov/msd. For a district service map, see colorado.gov/pacific/msd/district-map-0. Information: 719-481-4886.
Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.
James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.
Other Monument Sanitation District articles
- Monument Sanitation District, Sept. 18 – Board reviews rate study (10/3/2024)
- Monument Sanitation District, Aug. 21 – Board approves four-day work week (9/7/2024)
- Monument Sanitation District, July 17 – Repair completed without blocking traffic (8/3/2024)
- Monument Sanitation District, May 15 – Board aims to educate community (6/1/2024)
- Monument Sanitation District, April 17 – Repair will spare traffic on Highway 105 (5/4/2024)
- Monument Sanitation District, March 20 – Property owner petitions for inclusion (4/6/2024)
- Monument Sanitation District, Feb. 21 – Federal dollars help fund sewer line replacement (3/2/2024)
- Monument Sanitation District, Jan. 17 – Willow Springs sewer line to be replaced (2/3/2024)
- Monument Sanitation District, Dec. 20 – Board sets bonuses and salary increases (1/6/2024)
- Monument Sanitation District, Nov. 15 – Board approves budget, leaves rates unchanged (12/2/2023)