RUBA Community Status Report

Community:

RUBA:

Staff:

Agreement:

DCA Region:

Agreement Date:

Region:

Exp Date:

Govt Type(s):

Borough:

Assessment Date:

Population:

Active Community:

Date Updated:

Community Sanitation Overview:

The City of Kiana operates the piped water and sewer system and maintains a central watering point where residents come to haul water to their residences. The City also maintains honeybucket pits and a sewage lagoon. The City Council is the policy making body for the utility. A 200,000-gallon steel tank is intermittently filled from two wells near the Kobuk River. Water is chlorinated prior to distribution through buried water mains. Kiana maintains a 6-inch buried gravity sewer system, which drains to a lift station and is pumped through a buried force main to the sewage treatment lagoon northeast of the village. A few households haul water and use honeybuckets or septic tanks. The landfill is located west of the sewage disposal lagoon. Kiana is an ARUC community.

RUBA Status
and Activities
this Quarter:

The City administration is working with ANTHC to address issues with its system. There has been several home systems freezing as well as a portion of the sewer force main. One of the results of the sewer force main freezing is the overflow of sewage from a manhole located below a lift station which is close to the river and was working its way to the river ice. ANTHC and the city council discussed the construction of a new sewage lagoon, eliminating the need for the force main, which is expected to cause more problems in the future. The borough and ANTHC will pursue possible funding sources. This was reported to ADEC and barriers were to be installed as requested by the community. The community also saw a raise in its water/sewer rate by $20, Kiana residents now pay $140/month. Though the collection rate is a good rate, the additional costs of operator turnover and those that do not pay their bills drove up the rates. ARUC has rebuilt the cities recovered heat line and the water plant has from 35 gallons per day (cold weather) to approximately 15 gallons per day. Completion of specifications and bid package for the pumper truck is to be expected to completed soon. ANTHC will plan for contruction efforts for the scope of work to be done this summer.

Capacity Indicator: Finances

Essential Indicators:

All revenues and expenses for the utility are listed in the utility budget.

The utility has adopted a balanced realistic budget.

Monthly financial reports are prepared and submitted to the policy making board.

The utility is current in paying all water/wastewater electric bills.

The utility has on hand a year's adequate fuel supply or it has a financial plan to purchase an adequate supply.

The utility is receiving revenues (user fees or other sources) sufficient to cover operating expenses.

Sustainable Indicators:

The utility is receiving revenues (user fees or other sources sufficient to cover operating expenses and Repair & Replacement (R) costs.

YTD revenues are at a level equal to or above those budgeted.

YTD expenditures are at a level equal to or below those budgeted.

A monthly manager's report is prepared.

Budget amendments are completed and adopted as necessary.

Comment:

Kiana is a ARUC community.

Capacity Indicator: Accounting Systems

Essential Indicators:

The utility has adopted a collection policy and actively follows it.

The utility bills customers on a regular basis.

An accounts receivable system is in place which tracks customers and reports past due accounts and amounts.

An accounts payable system is in place.

The payroll system correctly calculates payroll and keeps records.

A cash receipt system is in place that records incoming money and how it was spent.

The utility has a cash disbursement system that records how money was spent.

Sustainable Indicators:

A chart of accounts is used that identifies categories in a reasonable, usable manner.

Monthly bank reconciliations have been completed for all utility accounts.

The utility has a purchasing system that requires approval prior to purchase, and the approval process compares proposed purchases to budgeted amounts.

Comment:

ARUC bills the customers on a monthly basis following the adopted collection policy and provides the plant operator with a list of disconnects.

Capacity Indicator: Tax Problems

Essential Indicators:

The utility has a system to accurately calculate, track, and report payroll tax liabilities.

The utility is current on filing tax reports.

The utility is current on making tax deposits.

If there are any past due tax liabilities or recorded tax liens, a lien release has been issued or a repayment agreement has been signed and repayments are current.

Comment:

ARUC provided a completed tax authorization from IRS showing they meet all essential indicators. The city is not on the Lien Watch List.

Capacity Indicator: Personnel System

Essential Indicators:

The utility has a posted workers compensation insurance policy in effect.

Sustainable Indicators:

The utility has adopted and uses a Personnel Policy, which has been reviewed by an attorney, AML or Commerce for topics and language.

The utility has adequate written job descriptions for all positions.

The utility has adopted and follows a written personnel evaluation process that ties the job description to the evaluation.

The utility has an adequate written hiring process.

The utility has personnel folders on every employee that contain at least: I-9, Job Application and Letter of Acceptance.

The utility has a probationary period for new hires that includes orientation, job training/oversight, and evaluations.

The utility provides training opportunities to staff as needed and available.

Comment:

The city uses AMLJIA as their insurance company and is current. The city has an updated personnel policy in place.

Capacity Indicator: Organizational Management

Essential Indicators:

The entity that owns the utility is known; the entity that will operate the utility is set.

The policy making body is active in policy making of the utility.

The policy making body enforces utility policy.

The utility has an adequately trained manager.

The utility has an adequately trained bookkeeper.

The utility has an adequately trained operator or operators.

The utility has adopted the necessary ordinances (or rules and regulations) necessary to give it the authority to operate.

Sustainable Indicators:

The utility has adopted an organizational chart that reflects the current structure.

The policy making body meets as required.

The utility complies with the open meeting act for all meetings.

Comment:

The city is the known entity who has adopted the necessary ordinances to give it authority and works with ARUC to ensure that they are active and enforce policy. They follow the adopted organizational chart, and meet monthly as required complying with the open meetings act. The plant operator still needs to attend training for certification.

Capacity Indicator: Operation of Utility

Essential Indicators:

The utility operator(s) are actively working towards necessary certification.

The utility has a preventative maintenance plan developed for the existing sanitation facilities.

Sustainable Indicators:

The manager receives a monthly O&M report from the utility operator and routinely "spot checks" the facilities to see that the maintenance items are being completed.

The utility has a safety manual and holds safety meetings.

Utility facilities have not suffered any major problems/outages due to management issues that are unresolved.

The utility is operating at the level of service that was proposed.

The operator provides status reports to the manager on a routine basis.

The utility has completed and distributed its "Consumer Confidence Report".

The utility is not on the "Significant Non-Complier" (SNC) list.

The utility maintains an inventory control list.

The utility maintains a critical spare parts list.

Comment:

ARUC is currently working with the plant operator to achieve the required certification. The Manager and council receives a monthly O and M report and routinely spot checks the facilities to make sure items are being completed. The operator provides to the administrator a report on a routine basis and works with ARUC to maintain the inventory and critical spare parts list. They are not on the SNC list.

RUBA Activities for the Coming Quarter:

The city clerk will contact staff when city staff is ready to review and if needed, update the city code.