PERFORMANCE PROFILE,
Franklin County, Missouri
1: INITIAL OPERATIONS CHALLENGES
1: Initial Operations Challenges
-
The District was in poor financial condition
and in danger of defaulting on its bond payments. - The District lacked the formal policies, procedures, and regulations needed to govern the provision of its utility services, and was experiencing difficulties in managing its rapidly growing customer base in Franklin County.
- The District staff had not developed routine facility operating procedures and preventive maintenance was seriously lacking.
2: Project Background
Alliance began providing comprehensive
management, operations, and maintenance services to Public
Water Supply District #3 in January of 1994, reporting directly
to the elected Board of Directors. Other Alliance services
include office management, meter reading, and customer service.
Alliance assisted the District with the acquisition and consolidation
of the Meramec Basin Water and Sewer Authority and the Lake Serene water system, as well as
the St. Albans Water and Sewer Authority.
Franklin County is a high-growth participant in the expansion of the St. Louis metropolitan area, with many of its developing communities appealing to upscale demographic groups. Alliance responsibilities include long term planning and full coordination of the capital improvement programs necessary to meet the needs of a growing customer base in the District's 200 square mile service area.
- Through its financial management support, Alliance helped the Board of Directors reverse the District's fiscal outlook, placing it on a firm financial footing.
- To ensure highly reliable utility service, Alliance developed professional utility rules and regulations for consideration and adoption by the Board, and developed and implemented standardized procedures pertaining to all areas of utility operation, including bookkeeping, utility billing, facility operations, preventive maintenance, and system expansion.
- Alliance has served as the District's primary professional, technical, and administrative interface with consulting engineers and financial advisers, and has thus been instrumental in helping the District to plan, design, and construct cost effective infrastructures.
- Alliance implemented a state-of-the-art utility billing software package to replace the District's aging system.
- Pressure zones have been reworked to increase system pressure while reducing required maintenance.
- Rules for operation and development needed to be revised to keep pace with rapid growth. Alliance worked with the District to implement the current rules that allow for standardization and uniformity when dealing with developers.
- Financial standing for the District has improved so much that between 1999 and 2003 the District completed over $1,000,000 in capital expansion using cash.