Dave McMorris Recognized for Workplace Leadership
December 8, 2016 - Northshore Utility District (NUD) Inventory and Purchasing Specialist Dave McMorris will be highlighted in an upcoming publication of the Washington Association of Sewer & Water Districts (WASWD). The feature invited WASWD member agencies to nominate staff who represent going “above and beyond the call of duty” to serve the public.
Inventory and Purchasing is one of those hard-working interior gears of an organization – not often spotlighted because it’s busy keeping the machine running smoothly. But Dave’s work is integral to NUD’s success and service of our customers. We are privileged to him on our team and to share this recognition.
The full text of the article is included below – nomination written by NUD Finance Director Steve Hamilton.
"Northshore Utility District’s Inventory and Purchasing Specialist Dave McMorris is a prime example of workplace leadership and continually going above and beyond the call of duty for Northshore Utility District and its customers.
Dave has been working for the District for almost seven years, and provides both internal and external customer service at a level most managers only dream of.
Dave’s responsibilities are typical for an inventory and purchasing specialist:
- Orders, procures, receives, distributes, and manages inventories.
- Researches and negotiates pricing for the best goods/services at the best value.
- Analyzes and develops complete specifications to meet the competitive price quotes requirement among all vendors.
- Conducts open competitive bidding processes from start to finish and evaluates performance to ensure contract compliance and user satisfaction
- Prepares and maintains databases and spreadsheets to analyze and monitor inventory of purchases of all tools, equipment and supplies for yearly state audit
- Stocks.
- Maintains inventory records and levels.
However, it is the manner in which he manages these responsibilities that makes him such an invaluable member of the District’s team. He goes so far beyond the level of simply meeting these responsibilities. He OWNS them, taking great pride in everything he does. It is not uncommon for Dave to pore over a voluminous purchase agreement to make sure that the supplier lives up to all his commitment. When a lunchtime delivery interrupts his lunch, he happily makes his way back to the inventory room and takes care of business.
Everything Dave does, he does with a big smile on his face and a bounce in his step, cheerfully greeting every employee along the way. He has an attitude unsurpassed within the District. Dave does his job with a pleasant demeanor and youthful smile, not commonly found in an inventory and purchase guy.
He is always cognizant of the bottom line. He has researched using different vendors over the past year which resulted in over $15K in savings.
We have annual All Star awards to employees who go that extra mile. The recipients are voted on by their co-workers. Since inception, Dave has been an annual winner."
Juanita H.S. Teacher and Bothell Resident Matt Breysse Appointed as Commissioner
November 29, 2016
(L) [shown here with District legal counsel Kinnon
Williams at right] was sworn into office on Monday,
November 21, 2016.
Mr. Breysse brings to the position a long commitment to public service. Born and raised in Seattle, Matt earned his Bachelor of Arts and Masters in Administration from Western Washington University, in addition to a teaching certification from Seattle Public University. An educator for the past 21 years, he currently teaches history at Juanita High School.
Matt had actually run against Margaret Wiggins in the General and Special Election held in 2015. Among his reasons for pursuing the role, Mr. Breysse
cited the importance of protecting “the reliable water and sewer system[s] that we all use [which are] easy to take for granted.” Matt relayed his commitment to work with the commissioners to make sure NUD continues to provide “safe, reliable, low-cost water and sewer [services]” both now and in the future, and to promote a “concern for sustainability, environmental stewardship and accountability.”
Matt and his wife Sheila have lived in Bothell for over 27 years and have raised their two daughters here. In his free time, he enjoys golfing and listening to live music.
Matt looks forward to meeting and working for the people of Northshore Utility District. He can be reached by email at mbreysse@nud.net.
District to Adopt New Sewer System Connection Charge for the Totem Lake Area
UPDATED: Sewer System Capacity Expansion Connection Charge for the Totem Lake Area
In late 2015, the City of Kirkland adopted new land-use and zoning provisions for the Totem Lake “Urban Center.” The revised zoning provisions will allow for much higher densities of development, including mixed-use – a combination of commercial and multi-family residential housing.
These land-use decisions are driven by the Washington State Growth Management Act, which requires cities to provide adequate capacity for growth over a specific planning period.
Results from the Kirkland rezone are already being realized, with the Totem Lake Mall demolition and proposal for approximately 1,000 multi-family housing residences as well as office space, retail grocery, and restaurants to be constructed as the “Totem Lake Village.”
The allowance for higher densities in any particular neighborhood can have an adverse impact on infrastructure, including public water and sewer utility systems. And in fact, as a direct result of the additional densities promoted by the City in Totem Lake, the Northshore Utility District’s sanitary sewer system will require significant upgrades over the next ten years in order to increase capacity to accommodate the additional growth. The improvements required have an estimated cost of $9M.
In order to fund the improvements, the District Board of Commissioners will be considering a proposal to adopt a special Capacity Expansion Connection Charge (CECC) that will apply to new development, or redevelopment, of property located near Totem Lake. Development or redevelopment of any property located in any of the drainage basins near Totem Lake that may discharge into the sanitary sewer system requiring capacity expansion may be subject to the CECC.
The CECC will be assessed in addition to the District’s existing, standard connection charges, which also vary according to proposed development or redevelopment. The existing standard connection charges are available on our website at the following link:
www.nud.net/about-us/departments/engineering/sewer-water-service
Incidentally, please note that the District is considering a comprehensive review of the existing standard connection charges. This analysis is scheduled to occur over the next 18 months, and may result in an increase in the connection charges for both water and wastewater system connections District-wide.
To determine if the CECC may be applicable to a particular property:
Please follow the link below and locate your property on the map or enter the property address in the search field. Properties that may be required to pay the CECC are located within the various shaded areas on the map. These shaded areas represent the distinct sewer system drainage basins that discharge into the Totem Lake Sewer Trunk system.
The proposed CECC amount is $2,115 per equivalent multi-family residential unit. This proposed fee will be presented to the District Board of Commissioners for review and approval at the meeting to be held Monday, November 7th, beginning at 5:30 pm. The final CECC amount, and instructions for applying the CECC to proposed development, will be available within a few weeks after this meeting.
NUD Contact:
Dave Kaiser, P.E., Engineering Director
Phone: 425-398-4422
dkaiser@nud.net
Link to Property Search for Applicability of CECC: http://maps.nud.net/TotemLakeCECC/affectedarea.htm
Your Water Is Safe to Drink! Response to Chromium 6 Concerns
Recent news stories published concerns about levels of chromium 6 in drinking water systems nationwide.
We want to assure you that your water is safe to drink! Please reference page 4 of our 2016 Water Quality Report for specific data - located at www.nud.net/waterquality.
All results show safe, or non-actionable, levels of all compounds detected in our drinking water.
Northshore Utility District purchases its treated water from Seattle Public Utilities (SPU). SPU issued the following further information in response to news items:
SEATTLE'S WATER IS SAFE TO DRINK
Recent news stories discussed a report by The Environmental Working Group (EWG) that said the chemical compound Hexavalent chromium (chromium(VI), Cr(VI), chromium 6) has been detected in water supplies for most U.S. cities, including Seattle.
Seattle’s water—and the water Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) provides to other local water utilities—is safe to drink.
SPU tested for chromium-6 in its water last year, and the results are contained in SPU’s 2015 Water Quality Report (Page 14). Sixteen SPU tests at four testing locations showed that Hexavalent Chromium is present in SPU’s water in low amounts, within a range of 0.063 to 0.17 parts per billion (ppb).
In California, one of the few places chromium-6 is regulated, the regulatory level is 10 ppb — 100 times the amount detected in SPU’s water.
Chromium-6 is an unregulated compound under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules, and in most U.S. states, including Washington. The compound occurs naturally in the environment from the erosion of natural chromium deposits. It can also be produced by industrial processes. There are demonstrated instances of chromium being released to the environment by leakage, poor storage, or inadequate industrial waste disposal practices.
The City of Seattle owns or controls more than 100,000 acres of watershed that are closed to general public access. We protect these watersheds from fire, toxic spills, invasive species, and human disturbance.
For more information, visit the following EPA sites:
- https://www.epa.gov/dwstandardsregulations/chromium-drinking-water
- https://www.epa.gov/cwa-methods/hexavalent-chromium-questions-and-answers
In Memoriam of Commissioner Margaret Wiggins
The District’s long-time Commissioner, Margaret Wiggins, passed away unexpectedly on August 24, 2016, at age 63. She served on the District’s Board of Commissioners continuously since 1998.
Margaret first ran for the Board position in 1997 to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of another Board member. At that time Margaret, her husband and their two sons had been living in the District for 19 years. An Air Force veteran and a former project manager for US West Communications, Margaret was active in the community and served as a Precinct Committee Officer for the Republican Party.
Having retired from regular employment and with two grown children, Margaret was able to direct her energy to the office of Commissioner and devoted a substantial amount of time to the District. In addition to serving on the Board, she represented the District on numerous committees addressing regional, state or countywide issues. After almost two decades of participation, Margaret was recognized as a leader among the appointed and elected officials of most agencies within the water and sewer industry.
Margaret always took her duties as Commissioner very seriously. She demonstrated a keen interest in areas of emergency preparedness and cost containment. As staff, we all knew that our recommendations must withstand vigorous scrutiny by Margaret if it might increase the cost of operating the District. She extended the same inquisitive resolve towards rate adjustment proposals from King County and the Seattle Public Utilities —our wholesale suppliers—to keep costs down for the ratepayers.
Besides being busy with her work on behalf of the District, Margaret found time to continuously hone her skills to better serve the public. While serving as Commissioner, Margaret attained the highest designation – the Gold Certificate – from the Commissioner Accreditation Program, issued by the Washington Association of Water and Sewer Districts.
Commissioner Wiggins’ devotion to her elected office did not go unnoticed. Last November, she was re-elected to the position of Commissioner, receiving almost 72% of the total votes. For her re-election campaign, she only put out seven old yard signs left over from the previous elections.
Margaret will be greatly missed by those she represented, her friends and colleagues in the industry and the District staff.
Accepting Applications for New Commissioner
Position Open for New Commissioner
With the untimely passing of late long-time Commissioner Margaret Wiggins, State laws require that the remaining members of the Board of Commissioners appoint a replacement to serve in Margaret's position.
To that end, the District will accept applications for a Commissioner to serve on the Board until the end of 2017.
The successful candidate must stand for election in November 2017 for the remainder of Commissioner Wiggins’ term until the end of 2021. This is an opportunity for those who are interested in public service to the community.
Northshore Utility District is a special purpose district formed under title 57 of the Revised Codes of Washington. The District is governed by a Board of five Commissioners. Acting as a body, the Board sets policies to guide the operations of the District. The office of Commissioner is elected at large for a six-year term.
The applicant must be a registered voter residing within the District. A minimum time commitment of approximately 100 hours per year is required.
Any party interested in filling this role should send a resume and cover letter to:
Northshore Utility District
Attn: HRA
6830 NE 185th Street
Kenmore, WA 98028
The letter should include a statement explaining the applicant’s interest in the position. All applications received before October 1, 2016, will be considered. Selected applicants will be invited for an interview. The Board of Commissioners will make the appointment around November 14, 2016.
Inquiries about the nature of the Commissioner position may be made by email to HRA@nud.net.
Extreme Heat Warning in Place
With the Excessive Heat Warning in place from Thursday afternoon through Sunday, King County shares some helpful information on ways to stay safe - see www.kcemergency.com.
The tips include:
- Checking in on neighbors or relatives who may be vulnerable to the heat.
- Visiting air conditioned places like libraries, malls or movie theaters.
- Drinking plenty of water - the body's air conditioner!
- Never leaving children or pets unattended in a vehicle, even with open windows
Many cities are offering cooling centers for those who need them. You can search win211.org for registered "Extreme Heat Cooling Centers" by zip code. The City of Kirkland also offers a list of public buildings open to residents for heat relief at: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Whats-Happening/News/City-of-Kirkland-Establishes-Cooling-Center-Ahead-of-Heat-Wave.
Stay cool and well-hydrated this weekend!
Upcoming Emergency Preparedness Events
Like us, the recent Cascadia Rising earthquake preparedness event may have put emergencies in the forefront of your mind.
We may not face a major earthquake for 100 years—or, it could happen within 10. We may see major winter wind storms again this year that find thousands without power.
In any event, NOW is a great time to get your home and family as prepared as you can be! These upcoming events and classes can help you take those next steps.
- Saturday, September 24th: Northshore Emergency Preparedness Fair
- WHERE: Lake Forest Park Town Center, between 10am and 2pm
- WHAT TO EXPECT: Expert staff onsite to share preparedness tips with giveaways, emergency supplies and hands-on activities. FAMILY FRIENDLY!
- Saturday, October 1st: Northshore Emergency Preparedness Workshop
- WHERE: Northshore Fire Station (Kenmore), from 9am-1pm
- WHAT TO EXPECT: Hands on training in suppressing fire, shutting off your gas and water lines, generator examples, etc.
- Thursdays, October 6th - November 24th: Community Emergency Response Training (CERT)
- WHERE: Northshore Fire Station (Kenmore), evening hours TBD
- WHAT TO EXPECT: An 8-week course for those seeking more comprehensive emergency preparedness training to support community efforts during a large-scale emergency.
- FOR MORE INFO AND TO REGISTER: Contact Carl Lunak, northshoreEMC@gmail.com.
Managing Assets, Bursting Pipes at the 73rd Ave / 181st St Project
You may have noticed some traffic delays by the old fire station on 73rd. Really, it’s not a deliberate attempt to frustrate your commute!
This construction work is actually part of our larger asset management program, a very technical way of saying:
- The District (which is all of our ratepayers) owns all of NUD’s infrastructure – pipelines, reservoirs, pump stations, etc. Our staff at NUD take care of the infrastructure, making sure it continues to do its work of bringing you clean drinking water and safely carrying away your wastewater, every single day.
- Many of the District’s pipelines are older, having been installed over 50 years ago. Side note: “old” for NUD is nothing in comparison to systems on the East Coast that have been in operation for over 100 years! Some of the old wood pipelines still exist!
- As pipe technology has advanced, NUD has worked to keep pace, replacing our older pipe materials with new. But with a system containing 270 miles of water main, obviously we have to prioritize which parts to replace. Here’s where the “asset management program” comes in.
- Weighing multiple factors, our engineering team determines the risk and consequence of failure for each pipe. What is the pipe’s age? What is the water pressure level (higher pressures increasing wear and tear on pipes)? What is the pipe material (some materials have proven to be less durable and prone to disruptive failure)? And how high is the potential for damage if the pipe were to fail—is it in a landslide or earthquake zone, or a location that could damage the environment or blow out a road?
- All of these factors weighed together produce a priority number our engineering team relies on when scheduling projects.
This leads us back to our project situation at 181st and 73rd. If you live in the Kenmore area, you may remember a pretty dramatic water eruption at this location two years ago. The break in this 12 inch main spewed 890,000 gallons of water and took crews and contractors many hours to patch up both the pipe and the asphalt overlay. The replacement project will keep this pipe and the road secure from future disruptive main breaks.
We're also performing the replacement in the least disruptive and most economical way possible. The pipe portion on NE 181st St. will be installed by a process called"trenchless pipe bursting."
How it works: A machine bores the new pipe into the old one – literally bursting the old pipe into shards as it goes. Unlike traditional “open-trench” construction, which tears open the entire length of a stretch of road, this method requires smaller, localized excavations in the road, which reduces road restoration costs and traffic impacts.
All things considered, we hope our customers in the affected areas count a couple of month’s-worth of traffic delays a reasonable cost for 1,500 LF feet of new, secure water main serving you for many years to come. If you have any questions about this ongoing project, you may contact our Engineering Director, Dave Kaiser, at 425-398-4422, or dkaiser@nud.net.
Want to see a pipe bursting in progress? Check out this video!
Response to Tacoma/Seattle New Lead Concerns
We understand your concerns with water safety due to Tacoma Water’s recently identified lead issues in the news, and Seattle Public Utilities’ recent response, recommending customers run water before drinking. The following information is to help explain the issue and how to make sure you are safe.
- Our water source, supplied from the Seattle Public Utilities system, does not contain lead. However, lead can leach into water from home plumbing systems built with lead-based solder, brass fixtures, or some types of old zinc coatings used on galvanized pipes and fittings. Both Seattle and Tacoma have much older infrastructure than we have at Northshore Utility District.
- The cities of Tacoma and Seattle suspect lead-related issues associated with older galvanized piping systems and lead “gooseneck” fittings. Northshore Utility District uses plastic service lines and has replaced nearly all older galvanized lines with plastic. We estimate that only a very small fraction of our existing water service lines - perhaps as few as 200 out of the 22,000 – are not plastic. Northshore has no record of any “gooseneck” leaded connections being installed within the Districts system, which triggered the Tacoma and Seattle concerns.
- If older plumbing is a concern, it is recommended that residents follow Washington State Department of Health guidelines:
- Run water for two minutes before using it if the water has not been run for more than six hours.
- It is also always best to use cold water for consumption since lead dissolves more quickly from plumbing materials in hot water.
- For peace of mind, you can also contact a local testing lab to test for lead, such as AmTest Labs in Kirkland. The cost for the test is approximately $25.
- You do not need a sterile container.
- Fill a clean plastic bottle (Talking Rain, Dasani, etc.) with a minimum of one liter of water.
- Take the water sample from the cold side of a tap that has been dormant for at least 8 hours (the time of dormancy is very important). Labs recommend using the kitchen faucet first thing in the morning if it has not been used.
- Use the first draw from the tap - do not let the tap run first.
- Take the sample to the lab.