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2026-08-10 - Utility Commission

Summary

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utility Commission met at noon with Chair Tom Griffin presiding and nine of ten members present (Yvonne Hines absent). No one spoke in public comment. Utilities Director Courtney Driver introduced new staff and updated the commission on a July 29 water main break (July 30 2026 Water Main Break in the Council committee record gives July 30), which she was also to present to the Public Works Committee on August 11. The commission approved all six agenda items on one motion (Davenport, seconded by Doughton): the July 13 minutes including closed session, developer water and sewer agreements (revised to drop the Whitehall Village South and U-6154 Lewisville Roundabout Relocation projects), an $859,000 Black & Veatch arc flash assessment update covering 79 facilities, a $1,765,000 second amendment to Black & Veatch's construction administration contract and a $595,759 change order to Ulliman Schutte, both for the R.W. Neilson Water Treatment Plant Modernization, and an amendment to the Greensboro Wholesale Water Agreement Amendment. In the treatment update, Bill Brewer said Kerr Scott Reservoir had recovered after rain but North Carolina remained in drought and Forsyth County stays in Stage 1 (Water Shortage Response and Stage 1 Conservation); Ricky Ruvio presented the 2026 customer satisfaction survey (1,004 responses). The meeting adjourned at 1:22 p.m.

Summary written from the August 10 minutes as printed in the September 14 meeting packet, plus the August 10 agenda packet; no transcript yet.

Issues discussed: R.W. Neilson Water Treatment Plant Modernization, Greensboro Wholesale Water Agreement Amendment, Water Shortage Response and Stage 1 Conservation, July 30 2026 Water Main Break

Official Minutes

Minutes of the August 10, 2026 regular meeting, as they appear in the September 14 agenda packet for approval (the packet's own agenda item 1 approves them). Page headers removed. Closed session content is not recorded.

A regular meeting of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utility Commission was held Monday,
August 10, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. on the fifth floor of the Bryce A. Stuart Municipal Building, 100
East First Street, in the Arnold G. King Public Meeting Room, with Chair Tom Griffin presiding.

CALL TO ORDER

Chair Tom Griffin

ROLL CALL

MEMBERS PRESENT:         Tom Griffin, Chair; Simpson Brown; John Davenport; Stephen
                         Doughton; Stan Forester; Hugh Jernigan; Calvin McRae; Gary Styers;
                         Charles Wilson

MEMBERS ABSENT:          Yvonne Hines

MISSION MOMENT:          Manuel Gimeno Amoros – Chemist-Grease Compliance Officer –
                         Industrial Waste Control

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD:

       The public comment period is a time where citizens can address the Utility Commission
       on matters or concerns that are germane to utilities. Comments should pertain to issues
       that are relevant only to utilities.

       Each speaker will be given the opportunity of five minutes for comment. The Utility
       Commission may or may not respond to comments at the meeting but may respond at
       a later date or ask staff to follow up.

Seeing no one wishing to speak, Chair Tom Griffin closed the public comment period.

UTILITIES DIRECTOR UPDATES:

   -   Courtney introduced new staff members.
   -   Update to Utility Commission on the July 29 Water Main Break. Courtney will also
       present information on the water main break to the Public Works Committee on August
       11.

THE FOLLOWING AGENDA ITEMS WERE PRESENTED FOR ADOPTION/DISCUSSION:

   1. APPROVAL OF REGULAR MEETING MINUTES JULY 13, 2026, AND CLOSED SESSION
      MINUTES

   2. CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF VARIOUS
      AGREEMENTS REGARDING PROPOSED WATER AND SANITARY SEWER
      IMPROVEMENTS TO BE INSTALLED WITHIN VARIOUS DEVELOPMENTS

   3. CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION APPROVING AN ENGINEERING AGREEMENT
      WITH BLACK & VEATCH INTERNATIONAL COMPANY FOR AN ARC FLASH HAZARD
      ASSESSMENT UPDATE

   4. CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION APPROVING A SECOND AMENDMENT TO A
      CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES
      ASSOCIATED WITH THE R.W. NEILSON WATER TREATMENT PLANT MODERNIZATION
      PROJECT

   5. CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION APPROVING CHANGE ORDER NO. 4 TO THE
      CONTRACT WITH ULLIMAN SCHUTTE CONSTRUCTION, LLC AND AUTHORIZATION TO
      UTILIZE REMAINING APPROPRIATED FUNDS AS PROJECT CONTINGENCY FOR FUTURE
      CHANGE ORDERS

   6. CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE EXECUTION OF AN
      AMENDMENT TO THE ANCILLARY INTERGOVERNMENTAL WATER SERVICES
      AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF GREENSBORO

MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS 1-6, WITH A REVISION TO ITEM 2 THAT ELIMINATES WHITEHALL
VILLAGE SOUTH PROJECT AND U-6154 LEWISVILLE ROUNDABOUT RELOCATION PROJECT:

       Commissioner Davenport:            Moved approval
       Commissioner Doughton:             Seconded              Motion carried

Water/Wastewater Treatment Update - Bill Brewer, Deputy Director of Water/Wastewater

The W. Kerr Scott Reservoir levels recovered through the recent rainstorms. North Carolina still
remains in drought status. Forsyth County will remain in Stage 1. The water production is 1.9
million higher than last year due to the drought. Year to date approximately 184,000 samples
of water quality sampling and distribution have been analyzed. Bill also updated the Utility
Commission on the PFAS settlement, the Wastewater Facilities Master Plan, the Elledge
Lagoon Rehab project, and the High Rock Lake Nutrient Management Plan.

Customer Satisfaction Survey Results - Ricky Ruvio, Assistant Director Business Services

Ricky presented the 2026 Customer Satisfaction Survey findings which was conducted by ETC
Institute. The objective was to identify areas for improvement and measure service quality

across water, sewer, and solid waste. The response was 1,004 completed surveys, providing a
95 percent level of confidence.

MOTION TO ADJOURN:

      Commissioner McRae:               Moved approval
      Commissioner Brown:               Seconded             Motion carried

ADJOURNMENT

      There being no further business to come before the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County
      Utility Commission, the meeting was adjourned at 1:22 p.m.

Recording Clerk – Beth Broom

Agenda

Regular meeting, 12:00 P.M. Commissioners in the August packet: Tom Griffin (Chair), Simpson O. Brown Jr., John Davenport, Stephen Doughton, Stan Forester, Yvonne H. Hines, Hugh W. Jernigan, Calvin McRae, Gary Styers, Charles Wilson.

Call to order; roll call; mission moment; public comment period; Utilities Director updates.

General agenda

  1. Approval of regular meeting minutes July 13, 2026, and closed session minutes
  2. Resolution authorizing execution of various agreements regarding proposed water and sanitary sewer improvements within various developments. Developer-paid projects listed: 12803 Baity Street Redevelopment Infrastructure Area 2 (water $322,400, sewer $97,520); 12829 Wallburg Flexspace ($57,750 water); 12833 Beckman Creek Subdivision ($567,400 water, $1,242,530 sewer); 12840 Quarry Overlook ($120,750 water, $181,470 sewer). Table totals $1,068,300 water and $1,521,520 sewer, while the resolution recitals state $1,444,750 and $1,796,060, probably before the two projects removed at the meeting (not confirmed).
  3. Resolution approving an engineering agreement with Black & Veatch International Company for an Arc Flash Hazard Assessment Update: not to exceed $859,000, 79 facilities, task order under the 2023 on-call agreement; work expected within 12 months; last full study was 2017.
  4. Resolution approving a second amendment to the construction administration agreement for the R.W. Neilson Water Treatment Plant Modernization: $1,765,000 more to Black & Veatch; the original 2021 agreement was $7,247,800 and a July 2025 first amendment added $2,100,000; final completion has slipped from August 2026 to August 6, 2027.
  5. Resolution approving Change Order No. 4 with Ulliman Schutte Construction, LLC: $595,759, raising the contract to $109,684,398.98 over a $107,445,000 original and exceeding the $2,000,000 contingency approved in 2021; authorizes $750,000 as contingency for future change orders.
  6. Resolution approving an amendment to the Ancillary Intergovernmental Water Services Agreement with the City of Greensboro (see Greensboro Wholesale Water Agreement Amendment).

Water/wastewater treatment updates (Bill Brewer); customer satisfaction survey (Ricky Ruvio); adjournment.

Transcript

Transcript pending: video captions can't be retrieved yet (see the Winston-Salem playbook).