Board Meeting Minutes- July 27, 2026

Monday, July 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM | 601 Cherokee Leavenworth, KS 66048-0576

Directors in Attendance

• Eric Peterson
• William Daniels
• Camalla Leonhard (by phone)
• Eric Price
• Nick Poff

Directors Absent (Excused)

• None

Staff in Attendance

• Joel Mahnken, General Manager
• Dana Splichal, Finance Manager
• John Hodgden, Distribution Manager
• Neil Seichepine, Treatment Manager
• Britni Huff, Staff Engineer

Others in Attendance

• None

Director Peterson called the meeting to order at 4:58 PM.

Director Peterson noted that a quorum was present.

None

None

Upon motion from Director Poff and seconded by Director Daniels, motion passed 5-0…

RESOLVED (No. 15693), that the Board approved the minutes from June 29, 2026 and July 13, 2026 as presented.

Upon motion from Director Leonhard and seconded by Director Price, motion passed 5-0…

RESOLVED (No. 15694), that the Board approved the consent agenda as presented.

After discussion of the audit report and upon motion from Director Poff and seconded by Director Leonhard, motion passed 5-0…

RESOLVED (No. 15695), that the Board approved the 2025 Audit Report as presented.

After discussion and upon motion from Director Price and seconded by Director Daniels, motion passed 5-0…

RESOLVED (No. 15696), that the Board approved the June 2026 Financial Statements as presented.

Review and discussion of what the Finance Manager has compiled to be added to the company website as a proposed FAQ section. FAQ section should be live on the website in the next couple of weeks.

Director Daniels indicated that the FAQ section will need to be reviewed annually to ensure that website is current.

Discussion was also about putting a section on the website with policies that the Board has approved over the years for customers to be able to reference. Director Price suggested potentially hiring a summer intern to help with going through old meeting minutes to compile passed policies.

No motion needed.

After discussion and upon motion from Director Poff and seconded by Director Price, motion passed 5-0…

RESOLVED (No. 15697), that the Board terminate the Pilot Knob Caretaker employment contract and deliver a letter informing tenant they have up to 90 days to vacate the property while still paying monthly rent.

Administration

1. June Reconciliations and financial statements
2. Renewed CPA license
3. Met with Commerce Bank and their related Financing Group, LJ Hart & Company, to explore financing options
4. Monthly project status meeting with Carollo STP
5. Grant administration of the EPA grant, “Community Grants Program” received through CDS – FY26 allocation of $1,250,000
   1. Met with grant project coordinator with the EPA
6. Continue working with auditors – wrapped up audit and presenting for board approval
7. Completed development of FAQ section for website. Included as an agenda item for board information.
   1. Continue to accumulate board policy resolutions in indexed file
8. Management Team holds quarterly professional development discussions – this quarter’s topic was “Assertive Communication Skills for Managers”
9. Out of office week of July 20th
10. Customer service team and distribution survived another year of the Fort move in/out months. From May 1st to July 5th, they process and worked 555 final accounts and 433 new accounts. For comparison purposes, they processed and worked a combined 214 in March 2026.
11. With anticipated awards of federal grants, developing a Grant Management Policies & Procedures Manual. In the beginning phases of that manual but luckily have a couple of examples that I’m able to tailor to our organization.
12. Workers comp premium audit held on July 21st.

January – 1,520 late notices sent and worked 261 shutoffs

February – 1,643 late notices sent and worked 209 shutoffs

March – 2,017 late notices sent and worked 173 shutoffs

April – 2,742 late notices sent and worked 194 shutoffs

May – 1,623 late notices sent and worked 239 shutoffs

June – 2,041 late notices sent and worked 183 shutoffs

6-month average of 1,931 late notices and 210 shutoffs

Distribution

Water Distribution Projects

1. Lead & Copper Service Inventory
   • Total 28/37 for the year.
2. Lawrence Ave. WMR Project
   • Westland scheduled to begin construction 7.20.26

Water Distribution Operations

• Lead & Copper training attended
• West 7th Design started
• Main breaks since June 29th Meeting.
  • 2500 Westwood Dr, 6” CI 1959
  • 403 N 4th St, 4” CI 1883
  • 511 N 20th, 6th CI 1950
  • 8th & Kickapoo, 6” CI 1939
  • 1708 2nd Ave, 10” CI 1942
  • 720 S 5th, 8” CI 1884
  • Vilas & Westwood, 6” CI 1954

Water Treatment

Treatment Summary

1. Divers entered intake to plug influent so C&B could repair pump #3. 7/21
2. Electrical Engineer for Carollo was on site Wednesday. 7/8
3. Attended South WTP Expansion Study Monthly Progress meeting. 7/8
4. UES completed boring for Carollo. 7/20
5. Cullum & Brown completed the new air compressor project (2026 CIP). 7/17
6. Attended KMU monthly Safety Training. 7/20
7. July Usage: 106,866,227 gallons           Daily Average Usage: 4,857,556 gallons

General Manager

• KMU Safety Training held July 20th on “PPE for Hand & Eye Safety”.
• South Treatment Plant Resiliency Project
  • Began working on CDS Grant, met online with EPA Region 7 contact. Grant requirements are very similar to SRF loan programs.
  • BRIC grant application reviewed by DEM, they noted the addition of organizational governance and key employees is now required in grant application. Revised application submitted to FEMA July 10th.
  • Received work from the Kansas Infrastructure HUB that BKF matching grants are now limited to a maximum of $5 million.
  • Began discussions on the Debt Financing portion with Bankers.
  • The Board will need to obtain the services of a new Bond Counsel as Mary Carson is planning to retire at the end of August.
  • Received a report from Tenpenny Law on Federal funding potential on the 17th. (Will share condensed version verbally with Board)
• Began preparing applications for the State Water Infrastructure Grant (formerly known as HB 2303 grants. Projects considered:
  • Prepayment of a portion of the KPWSLF No. 2965 outstanding principle
  • Purchase of Neptune V4 meters to replace remaining V2 and V3 meters in use to enhance the fixed base AMI meter reading. $1 million request.
  • The West 7th Street WMR (project currently being prepared)
  • Second Ave – Limit to Thornton 12-inch WMR
  • Fourth Ave – Evergreen to south end, and cross streets WMR.
• Attended Missouri Regional Advisory Committee meeting 10 am, July 14th in Atchinson online.
• Began working on 2027 budget preparation.
• Plan to take vacation days, July 30th and 31st.

At 6:00 PM, the Board moved to enter an Executive Session to discuss personal matters of nonelected personnel.

Upon motion from Director Daniels, seconded by Director Poff, motion passed 5-0...

RESOLVED (No. 15698), that the Board recesses the regular meeting to enter Executive Session to discuss personal matters of nonelected personnel for ten minutes.

At 6:10 PM, the Board ended the Executive Session and resumed the regular meeting.

Upon motion from Director Daniels, seconded by Director Poff, motion passed 5-0…

RESOLVED (No. 15699), that the Board ends the Executive Session and resume the regular meeting.

Upon motion from Director Poff, seconded by Director Price, motion passed 5-0…

RESOLVED (No. 15700), that the Board provide educational assistance to the Distribution Manager, John Hodgden, to participate in the AWWA/Xavier University Masters of Science in Water Utility Management program in the amount of seventy-five percent of the cost, in lieu of the assistance outlined in the Personnel Manual.

Upon motion from Director Daniels, seconded by Director Poff, motion passed 5-0...

Director Peterson adjourned the meeting at 6:11 PM.