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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTuluksak Status, Trip Reports & Field Notes 1989Steve Sowce’ 3:-a°" Alaska Power Authority Stote of Aicska TELECOPY (ANCHORAGE Telecopy Phone No. (907) 561-8584) (JUNEAU Telecopy Phone No. (907) 465-3767) TELECOPY SENT TO: Mr. Roger Helmer NAME OF COMPANY: Yupiit School District COMPANY ADORESS: TELECOPY PHONE NUMBER: 825 4827 SENDER: Peter Hansen TELEPHONE NUMBER: 261_ 7221 CHARGE CODE: 81824108 NUMBER OF PAGES SENT: 6 INCLUDING THIS COVER PAGE DATE SENT: 27Z11/89 IF YOu DO NOT RECEIVE ALL OF THIS TELECOPY PLEASE CALL: (907) 261-7240-Anchorage (907) 465-3575-Juneau SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: Please make copies and Gistribute as Giscussed earlier. Thank you for your help- 7. Zz PO. Box AM Jun@au. Alaska 99814 (907) 465-3575 28esrrggcse? 704 East Ttucer Road Anenorage Aiaska 99519-0869 (907) S61-7877 TRANSMISSION REPORT THIS DOCUMENT (REDUCED SAMPLE ABOVE) WAS SENT **k COUNT %*x # 6 EE SEND aK T NO REMOTE STATION I.D. START TIME DURATION #PAGES ~ COMMENT 1 9078254827 7-12-89 8:25 4°21" 6 TOTAL 0:04'21" 6 XEROX TELECOPIER 7020 Steve Toace’ 32.27: N Alaska Power Authority State of Alaska TELECOPY (ANCHORAGE Telecopy Phone No. (907) 561-8584) (JUNEAU Telecopy Phone No. (907) 465-3767) TELECOPY SENT TO: Mr. Roger Helmer NAME OF COMPANY: Yupiit School District COMPANY ADDRESS: TELECOPY PHONE NUMBER: 825 4827 SENDER: Peter Hansen TELEPHONE NUMBER: 261 7221 CHARGE CODE: 81824108 NUMBER OF PAGES SENT: 6 INCLUDING THIS COVER PAGE DATE SENT: 7/11/89 IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE ALL OF THIS TELECOPY PLEASE CALL: (907) 261-7240-Anchorage (907) 465-3575-Juneau SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: Please make copies and distribute as discussed earlier. Thank you for your help. — L- = PO. Box AM Juneau, Alaska 99814 (907) 465-3575 AR 69 704 East Tudor Road Anchorage, Alaska 99519-0869 (907) 564-7877 = 288s Ptd8°° w State of Alaska Steve Cowper, Governor Alaska Energy Authority A Public Corporation July 11, 1989 Mr. Brad Raphel, Superintendent Yupiit School District Box 100 Akiachak, Alaska 99551 Subject: Letter from Mechanical Piping Contractors of July 8, 1989, Regarding Allegations of Derogatory Statements Dear Mr. Raphel: The Alaska Energy Authority received a letter from Mr. Ralph Fuller of Mechanical Piping Contractors in which he alleges that I made a number of derogatory and racial comments during a recent telephone conversation with him. I am greatly disturbed by Mr. Fuller's allegations that I have made racial comments regarding Alaskan Natives, and Eskimos in particular. As you know, I work almost exclusively in the villages around Alaska and I cannot accept leaving even a hint of such alle- gations unanswered. I have attached a copy of Mr. Fuller's letter and will offer my comments to each of the paragraphs. As stated in paragraph two of the letter, I received a call on June 27 from Mr. Fuller. During this conversation Mr. Fuller informed me of the power requirements for the proposed system. When I questioned Mr. Fuller about the size of the system, Mr. Fuller told me that the size was mandated by the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC). I related to Mr. Fuller that UPC does not mandate but merely recommends water system sizes. I suggested that the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) be contacted in order to determine how DEC interprets the code. Mr. Fuller then gave me the name and telephone number of the DEC offi- cial with whom he had been dealing. To set the record straight, I made a call to this official on June 27 and not June 28 as alleged by Mr. Fuller. I did not inquire about a variance since I was told by the DEC official that UPC makes recommendations only and that DEC reviews each case on its own merits. I did not in any way tell the DEC official that I felt that the system would not work; on the contrary, I asked her to tell me what she knew about ozone systems as I had never seen one! At this time I had not received any drawings of the system, consequently, I had no opinion in reference to the system being over-designed. However, as I also had stated to Mr. Fuller earlier, I was concerned about the size of the system as this would have significant impacts on the power system in Tuluksak. A set of blueprints were delivered to my office on June 29. This set included 3 drawings produced by Adams, Morgenthaler & Company but did not include drawings of the Ozone Water Filtration System. PO. Box AM Juneau, Alaska 99811 (907) 465-3575 PO. Box 190869 701 East Tudor Road Anchorage, Alaska 99519-0869 (907) 561-7877 6200/981(1) Mr. Brad Raphel July 11, 1989 Page 2 On June 30 I received another call from Mr. Fuller. During this conver- sation Mr. Fuller complained about the frustrations experienced during the development of a project to the point where it is ready for con- struction; we agreed that the actual construction was more fun than the design and review stage. In no way whatsoever did I make any derogatory comments to Mr. Fuller in regards to his background, occupation, or personality at any point of time. As I had not yet seen Mr. Fuller's design drawings, I still had no opinion about the system being over- designed; I certainly made no statements as to whether the system would work or not. We discussed the appropriateness of installing a computer-controlled system in Tuluksak. I explained to Mr. Fuller that such systems fre- quently experience problems in the villages due to surges and spikes in the electrical power systems. I also explained to Mr. Fuller that even though the Yupiit School District has a very capable maintenance crew stationed in Akiachak, a simpler system was likely to be more reliable as weather conditions frequently make travel between the villages impossible. I made it clear to Mr. Fuller that I disagreed with his comments regarding the ability of locals to mix and add chemicals to a simpler system. Such systems work well throughout rural Alaska and I saw no reason that they would not work in Tuluksak. In reference to Mr. Fuller's allegation that I made a comment about Eskimos and what they do and deserve, I can only say that I believe that my all-out efforts during the past 6 years including nights, weekends, and vacations on projects in native villages should speak for them- selves. I have spent hundreds of uncompensated hours working with local construction crews, operators and community leaders in order to develop and design appropriate and reliable systems which can be constructed, operated, maintained, and repaired by local crews at a cost which can be afforded by local communities. Needless to say, if I harbored or expressed any racial and derogatory opinions as alleged by Mr. Fuller, I would be in a different line of work. On page 2 Mr. Fuller alleges that he questioned why I contacted DEC. As previously stated, the name and number of the DEC official were provided to me by Mr. Fuller. Contrary to the statement made by Mr. Fuller, I did not state that the system is over-built; as far as I know, the system has not yet been built at all! Without using the term quoted by Mr. Fuller, I did suggest that I would have preferred to see other options studied in some detail before a concept was selected and a detailed design developed. Finally, let me emphasize that I have not, at any time, used terms such as "dumb" or "stupid" about Mr. Fuller, any of the engineers with whom Mr. Fuller is associated with or about any design presented to me by any of these individuals. Regardless of the opinions expressed by Mr. Fuller, I will continue to promote the design, installation, operation and maintenance of appro- priate solutions, systems, and technology in rural Alaskan communities. 6200/981(2) Mr. Brad Raphel July 11, 1989 Page 3 It is my belief that the most important measure of appropriateness is the extent to which local communities can afford, construct, operate, maintain, and repair such solutions, systems, and technology with local forces and local resources. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 261-7221. Sincerely, le Cran Peter N. Hansen, P.E. Rural Systems Engineer PNH:t1j cc: Mr. Willie Kasaylie, Yupiit School Board Mr. Mike Williams, Vice-President, Yupiit School Board Mr. Brad Raphel, Superintendent, Yupiit School District Mr. Roger Helmer, Business Manager, Yupiit School District Mr. Pat Rausch, Adams, Morgenthaler & Company Mr. Pat Cusick, Adams, Morgenthaler & Company Mr. Boyd Morgenthaler, Adams, Morgenthaler & Company Mr. Wayne Daley, Kramer, Chin & Mayo, Inc. Mr. Ralph Fuller, Mechanical Piping Contractors 6200/981(3) RECEIVED JUL 10 1989 ALASKA ENERGY AUTHORITY 8 July 1989 Mr. Don Shira Alaska Energy Authority P.O. Box 190869 Anchorage, Alaska 99519-0869 Subject: Tuluksak School Water System Upgrade Dear Mr.Shira: This correspondence is a recapitulation of the points covered in our telephone conversation on Wednesday (5 July) regarding the comments made by Peter Hansen of your office. On Tuesday (27 June) I called Mr. Hansen to discuss the power requirements needed to operate the new water system Tuluksak School so that the new genera- tors could be sized to accommodate the load. Also at that time Pat Rausch (Mechanical Engineer) and Pat Cusick (Electrical Engineer) of Adams, Morgenthaler & Company spoke with Mr. Hansen to explain as well as answer any questions about the new water system. (See copy of Adams, Morgenthaler & Company's letter to Mr. Hansen) I am aware of a telephone conversation on Wednesday (28 June) by Mr. Hansen to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) inquiring about a variance to the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) to lower the requirements of the amount of water needed. In this same conversation he also stated that the new system was over- sized, over-built, and that it would not work. On Tuesday ( 27 June) these same comments had been made to me by Mr. Hansen in our telephone conversation. On Thursday (29 June) I delivered a set of prints from Adams, Morgenthaler & Company to the Alaska Energy Authority for Mr. Hansen's review. The Ozone Water Filtration Design was done by Kramer Chin & Mayo Ine. At that time he was out of the office for the afternoon. I asked if it was possible to set up a meeting to discuss the power requirements. On Friday morning (30 June) I called Mr. Hansen to try to arrange a meeting time. I was informed by Mr. Hansen that it was his understanding that I was not an "engineer", but just a "plumber". I agreed that I was not an "engineer". Mr. Hansen then proceeded to tell me, "You're crazy, and out of line for taking on an engineering design of a water system." I then explained "That is why you ean hire engineers to work for you." Mr. Hansen then stated, "The system you have designed won't work and has been over designed." I asked, "How do you figure that?" Mr. Hansen explained, "An ozone system doesn't work and on top of that the Eskimos out there don't take care of anything and really don't deserve anything nice." (907) 696-1414 * PO, Box 771396 ¢ Eagle River, AK 99577 Page 2 Ltr/Shira I asked, "Why did you eontaet DEC to ehange the water system that I had submitted?" Mr. Hansen stated, "Your water system won't work, it's over-built, over-sized, and further you went about designing a water system ass backwards." I asked again, "Why did you call DEC?" Mr. Hansen replied: "I take my orders from the Yupiit School District." I then asked Mr. Hansen, "Have you reviewed the prints that I dropped by your office yesterday"? His reply was, "No I haven't yet, but I have them right here." I further asked, "How can you make the statements you have made without even knowing what has been designed?" Mr. Hansen stated, "I don't have to look at your design, it's a stupid design." Mr. Shira, I would appreciate an answer to why Mr. Hansen can make the unpro- fessional comments he has made. Also I would like a response to why Mr. Hansen called me and the registered professional engineers working with me on this pro- ject and the water filtration design "dumb and stupid". Along this same line, please inform me of the chain of command in terms of responsibility for the actions and conduct of subordinate personnel so that I may direct this letter to the appropriate individual. Does this mean that you and/or Mr. Hansen are under contract to the Yupiit School District to offer professional engineering services and advice on behalf of the Alaska Energy Authority? 1 expect a response from you in the very near future. Cordially, (Ph AD Ralph Fuller Mechanical Piping Contractors ee: Willie Kasaylie, Pres., Yupiit School Board Mike Williams, Vice-Pres., Yupiit School Board Brad Raphel, Superintendent, Yupiit School District Boyd Morgenthaler, Adams, Morgenthaler & Co. Wayne Daley, Kramer Chin & Mayo Ine. ALASKA POWER AUTHORITY LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 334 West 5th Avenue, 2nd Floor Anchorage, Alaska 99501 (907) 276-0001 ATTENTION (907) 277-7641 Mr. Norm Bair RE TO ___Department of Community and Regi 1 agea: GENTLEMEN: WE ARE SENDING YOU ©C Attached O Under separate cover via________________ the following items: 0 Shop drawings O Prints O Plans 0 Samples O Specifications O Copy of letter O Change order oO COPIES DESCRIPTION a. Amended describtion and THESE ARE TRANSMITTED as checked below: & For approval O Approved as submitted O Resubmit_______ copies for approval Q For your use O Approved as noted O Submit __________ copies for distribution O As requested O Returned for corrections O Return _________ corrected prints O For review and comment O O FOR BIDS DUE —____________19______1] PRINTS RETURNED AFTER LOAN TO US REMARKS If enclosures are not as noted, kindly notify us at once. 334 West 5th Avenue, ; 2nd Floor Anchorage, Alaska 99501 ~ ALASKA POWER AUTHC?!"Y LETTER “F TRANSMITTAL DATE 1 (907) 276-0001 10/30/89 ATTENTION (907) 277-7641 Mr. Norm Bair RE JOB NO. Ruluksak elementary school To Department of Community and —___Regional Affairs GENTLEMEN: WE ARE SENDING YOU ( Attached (© Under separate cover via_______________the following items: O Shop drawings O Prints O Plans O Samples O Specifications O Copy of letter O Change order FS COPIES DATE NO. DESCRIPTION 1 10/30/89 Amended describtion and analysis of ECM #22 THESE ARE TRANSMITTED as checked below: ® For approval O Approved as submitted O Resubmit_________ copies for approval ® For your use O Approved as noted O Submit________ copies for distribution O As requested O Returned for corrections O Return—______ corrected prints O For review and comment i) O FOR BIDS DUE —_________19_______] PRINTS RETURNED AFTER LOAN TO US REMARKS ZPlease let me know if you need any further information. COPY TO SIGNED: If enclosures are not as noted, kindly notify us at once. ALASKA POWER AUTHORITY 334 West 5th Avenue, 2nd Floor Anchorage, Alaska 99501 LETTER °F TRANSMITTAL DATE 3/17/89 ms (907) 276-0001 (907) 277-7641 ee is. Dawn Bishop RE Tuluksak na Alaska Public Utilities Commission 420 L. Street, Suite 100 Anchorage, Alaska 99501 GENTLEMEN: WE ARE SENDING YOU OC Attached (O Under separate cover via the following items: O Shop drawings O Prints O Plans O Samples O Specifications O Copy of letter CO Change order @ _Trip report COPIES DATE NO. DESCRIPTION THESE ARE TRANSMITTED as checked below: O For approval O Approved as submitted O Resubmit copies for approval @ For your use O Approved as noted O Submit copies for distribution ® As requested O Returned for corrections O Return corrected prints O For review and comment oO O FOR BIDS DUE 19______01 PRINTS RETURNED AFTER LOAN TO US REMARKS / COPY TO Tf y : _ SIGNED: (HAY LF — If enclosures are not as noted, kindly notify us at once. Alaska Power Authority State of Alaska “4, th t va February 3, 1989 Mr. Peter Waskie, Chief Tuluksak Village Council Tulkisarmute, Inc. General Delivery Tuluksak, Alaska 99670 Subject: Power Cost Equalization Retroactive Billing April 1 - November 30, 1988 Dear Mr. Waskie: The Alaska Power Authority has carefully reviewed the Utility Monthly Reports for the periods of May 1 - November 10, 1988 and November 11 - November 30, 1988, and we have determined the information provided is insufficient to support payment of the arrears billings for Tulkisarmute Power Utility. As discussed in our meeting with Joe Alexie and Bobby Peters on, February 2, 1989, before the arrears billings are accepted by the Power Authority, Tulkisarmute, Inc. must provide: 1) Meter readings for the periods of; March 30 - November 10, 1988 and November 11 - November 30, 1988; 2) Copies of Tuliksarmute's retroactive billings to its customers; 3) Proof that at least sixty-five percent of the balance due from your customers on the retroactive billings has been collected. This should consist of copies of receipts and/or checks for both the regular monthly billings and the retroactive billings. Please be informed that PCEP payments have been suspended until Tuliksarmute, Inc., can provide backups to the Power Authority, the documents requested in this letter, evidencing that prudent utility management practices are in place to collect the monies due by its customers on a regular basis. Failure to make the required collections will not only delay payment of the retroactive billings but may jeopar- dize Tulkisarmute Power Utility's participation in the Power Cost Equalization Program. 0 PO. Box AM Juneau, Alaska 99814 (907) 465-3575 TR PO. Box 190869 704 East Tudor Road Anchorage, Alaska 99519-0869 (907) 561-7877 4949/937(1) Mr. Peter Waskio February 3, 19€ Page 2 It is vital that Tulkisarmute, Inc., be brought into compliance with the necessary reporting requirements established by the Power Authority. Unfortunately the financial solvency of the utility is severely threatened by the repeated lack in reading customer meters, proper billing and collecting from customers, and of the filing of the Utility Monthly Reports. To insure a stream of revenues to the utility, the Power Authority strongly recommends that the Village of Tuluksak trains village residents in the process of reading meters monthly, proper billing and collection of your electric customers, and the filing of the Utility Monthly Reports for receiving PCE credits. In July, 1987, at the request of the Power Authority, the Department of Community and Regional Affairs visited the village and provided training to Willie Phillips, then Utility Manager, on the reporting requirements of PCE, establishing a log book for customer meter readings and billings, maintenance of a log book for utility operation, etc. We recommended that the Village Council train at least one primary individual who will be responsible for the monthly filing and one person who can provide backup support, as needed. Should you have any questions regarding this issue, please call me or Cheryl Young, PCEP OFficer at 561-7877. A separate letter from our Rural Technical staff will follow to discuss an upcoming visit to inspect the Tuluksak electric system, and a meeting with the Village Council to present alternative solutions for the repair/upgrade of the system. We are looking forward to meeting with you, and we thank you for the cooperation in the resolution of these matters. Sincerely, Danio Wa. Gloria Manni, Director Accounting & Administration CY:GM cc: Joe Alexie, Tulkisarmute Inc. Brent N. Petrie, Alaska Power Authority Donald L. Shira, Alaska Power Authority Cheryl Young, Alaska Power Authority 4949/937(2) State of Alaska Steve Cowper, Governor Alaska Energy Authority A Public Corporation July 11, 1989 Mr. Brad Raphel, Superintendent Yupiit School District Box 100 Akiachak, Alaska 99551 Subject: Letter from Mechanical Piping Contractors of July 8, 1989, Regarding Allegations of Derogatory Statements Dear Mr. Raphel: The Alaska Energy Authority received a letter from Mr. Ralph Fuller of Mechanical Piping Contractors in which he alleges that I made a number of derogatory and racial comments during a recent telephone conversation with him. I am greatly disturbed by Mr. Fuller's allegations that I have made racial comments regarding Alaskan Natives, and Eskimos in particular. As you know, I work almost exclusively in the villages around Alaska and I cannot accept leaving even a hint of such alle- gations unanswered. I have attached a copy of Mr. Fuller's letter and will offer my comments to each of the paragraphs. As stated in paragraph two of the letter, I received a call on June 27 from Mr. Fuller. During this conversation Mr. Fuller informed me of the power requirements for the proposed system. When I questioned Mr. Fuller about the size of the system, Mr. Fuller told me that the size was mandated by the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC). I related to Mr. Fuller that UPC does not mandate but merely recommends water system sizes. I suggested that the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) be contacted in order to determine how DEC interprets the code. Mr. Fuller then gave me the name and telephone number of the DEC offi- cial with whom he had been dealing. To set the record straight, I made a call to this official on June 27 and not June 28 as alleged by Mr. Fuller. I did not inquire about a variance since I was told by the DEC official that UPC makes recommendations only and that DEC reviews each case on its own merits. I did not in any way tell the DEC official that I felt that the system would not work; on the contrary, I asked her to tell me what she knew about ozone systems as I had never seen one! At this time I had not received any drawings of the system, consequently, I had no opinion in reference to the system being over-designed. However, as I also had stated to Mr. Fuller earlier, I was concerned about the size of the system as this would have significant impacts on the power system in Tuluksak. A set of blueprints were delivered to my office on June 29. This set included 3 drawings produced by Adams, Morgenthaler & Company but did not include drawings of the Ozone Water Filtration System. PO. Box AM Juneau, Alaska 99811 (907) 465-3575 PO. Box 190869 7014 East Tudor Road ~=Anchorage, Alaska 99519-0869 (907) 561-7877 6200/981(1) Mr. Brad Raphel July 11, 1989 Page 2 On June 30 I received another call from Mr. Fuller. During this conver- sation Mr. Fuller complained about the frustrations experienced during the development of a project to the point where it is ready for con- struction; we agreed that the actual construction was more fun than the design and review stage. In no way whatsoever did I make any derogatory comments to Mr. Fuller in regards to his background, occupation, or personality at any point of time. As I had not yet seen Mr. Fuller's design drawings, I still had no opinion about the system being over- designed; I certainly made no statements as to whether the system would work or not. We discussed the appropriateness of installing a computer-controlled system in Tuluksak. I explained to Mr. Fuller that such systems fre- quently experience problems in the villages due to surges and spikes in the electrical power systems. I also explained to Mr. Fuller that even though the Yupiit School District has a very capable maintenance crew stationed in Akiachak, a simpler system was likely to be more reliable as weather conditions frequently make travel between the villages impossible. I made it clear to Mr. Fuller that I disagreed with his comments regarding the ability of locals to mix and add chemicals to a simpler system. Such systems work well throughout rural Alaska and I saw no reason that they would not work in Tuluksak. In reference to Mr. Fuller's allegation that I made a comment about Eskimos and what they do and deserve, I can only say that I believe that my all-out efforts during the past 6 years including nights, weekends, and vacations on projects in native villages should speak for them- selves. I have spent hundreds of uncompensated hours working with local construction crews, operators and community leaders in order to develop and design appropriate and reliable systems which can be constructed, operated, maintained, and repaired by local crews at a cost which can be afforded by local communities. Needless to say, if I harbored or expressed any racial and derogatory opinions as alleged by Mr. Fuller, I would be in a different line of work. On page 2 Mr. Fuller alleges that he questioned why I contacted DEC. As previously stated, the name and number of the DEC official were provided to me by Mr. Fuller. Contrary to the statement made by Mr. Fuller, I did not state that the system is over-built; as far as I know, the system has not yet been built at all! Without using the term quoted by Mr. Fuller, I did suggest that I would have preferred to see other options studied in some detail before a concept was selected and a detailed design developed. Finally, let me emphasize that I have not, at any time, used terms such as "dumb" or "stupid" about Mr. Fuller, any of the engineers with whom Mr. Fuller is associated with or about any design presented to me by any of these individuals. Regardless of the opinions expressed by Mr. Fuller, I will continue to promote the design, installation, operation and maintenance of appro- priate solutions, systems, and technology in rural Alaskan communities. 6200/981(2) Gry “O0bY Cae. ie T6( lyyr Mr. Brad Raphel July 11, 1989 Page 3 It is my belief that the most important measure of appropriateness is the extent to which local communities can afford, construct, operate, maintain, and repair such solutions, systems, and technology with local forces and local resources. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 261-7221. Sincerely, ble OA Peter N. Hansen, P.E. Rural Systems Engineer PNH: t1j cc: Mr. Willie Kasaylie, Yupiit School Board Mr. Mike Williams, Vice-President, Yupiit School Board Mr. Brad Raphel, Superintendent, Yupiit School District Mr. Roger Helmer, Business Manager, Yupiit School District Mr. Pat Rausch, Adams, Morgenthaler & Company Mr. Pat Cusick, Adams, Morgenthaler & Company Mr. Boyd Morgenthaler, Adams, Morgenthaler & Company Mr. Wayne Daley, Kramer, Chin & Mayo, Inc. Mr. Ralph Fuller, Mechanical Piping Contractors 6200/981(3) Page 2 Ltr/Shira I asked, "Why did you contact DEC to ehange the water system that I had submitted?" Mr. Hansen stated, "Your water system won't work, it's over-built, over-sized, and further you went about designing a water system ass backwards." I asked again, "Why did you call DEC?" Mr. Hansen replied: "I take my orders from the Yupiit School District." I then asked Mr. Hansen, "Have you reviewed the prints that I dropped by your office yesterday"? His reply was, "No I haven't yet, but I have them right here." I further asked, "How can you make the statements you have made without even knowing what has been designed?" Mr. Hansen stated, "I don't have to look at your design, it's a stupid design." Mr. Shira, I would appreciate an answer to why Mr. Hansen can make the unpro- fessional comments he has made. Also I would like a response to why Mr. Hansen called me and the registered professional engineers working with me on this pro- ject and the water filtration design "dumb and stupid". Along this same line, please inform me of the chain of command in terms of responsibility for the actions and conduct of subordinate personnel so that I may direct this letter to the appropriate individual. Does this mean that you and/or Mr. Hansen are under contract to the Yupiit School District to offer professional engineering services and advice on behalf of the Alaska Energy Authority? I expect a response from you in the very near future. Cordially, GL FL Ralph Fuller Mechanical Piping Contractors ec: Willie Kasaylie, Pres., Yupiit School Board Mike Williams, Vice-Pres., Yupiit Sehool Board Brad Raphel, Superintendent, Yupiit School District Boyd Morgenthaler, Adams, Morgenthaler & Co. Wayne Daley, Kramer Chin & Mayo Inc. “ 5 of : eet \ ‘ RECEIVED oth 4 Mechanical Piping Contractors JUL 10 1989 ( Yo Phy ALASKA ENERGY AUTHORITY ee mR oe 8 July 1989 Mr. Don Shira Alaska Energy Authority P.O. Box 190869 Anchorage, Alaska 99519-0869 Subject: Tuluksak School Water System Upgrade Dear Mr.Shira: This correspondence is a recapitulation of the points covered in our telephone conversation on Wednesday (5 July) regarding the comments made by Peter Hansen of your office. On Tuesday (27 June) I called Mr. Hansen to discuss the power requirements needed to operate the new water system Tuluksak School so that the new genera- tors could be sized to accommodate the load. Also at that time Pat Rausch (Mechanical Engineer) and Pat Cusick (Electrical Engineer) of Adams, Morgenthaler & Company spoke with Mr. Hansen to explain as well as answer any questions about the new water system. (See copy of Adams, Morgenthaler & Company's letter to Mr. Hansen) I am aware of a telephone conversation on Wednesday (28 June) by Mr. Hansen to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) inquiring about a variance to the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) to lower the requirements of the amount of water needed. In this same conversation he also stated that the new system was over- sized, over-built, and that it would not work. On Tuesday ( 27 June) these same comments had been made to me by Mr. Hansen in our telephone conversation. On Thursday (29 June) I delivered a set of prints from Adams, Morgenthaler & Company to the Alaska Energy Authority for Mr. Hansen's review. The Ozone Water Filtration Design was done by Kramer Chin & Mayo Inc. At that time he was out of the office for the afternoon. I asked if it was possible to set up a meeting to discuss the power requirements. On Friday morning (30 June) I called Mr. Hansen to try to arrange a meeting time. I was informed by Mr. Hansen that it was his understanding that I was not an "engineer", but just a "plumber". I agreed that I was not an "engineer". Mr. Hansen then proceeded to tell me, "You're crazy, and out of line for taking on an engineering design of a water system." I then explained "That is why you can hire engineers to work for you." Mr. Hansen then stated, "The system you have designed won't work and has been over designed." I asked, "How do you figure that?" Mr. Hansen explained, "An ozone system doesn't work and on top of that the Eskimos out there don't take care of anything and really don't deserve anything nice." (907) 696-1414 * PO. Box 771396 ¢ Eagle River, AK 99577 FIELD TRIP REPORT Date: 11/21-22/88- Sites: Akiak, Tuluksak, and Akiachak. Crew: Peter N. Hansen Mfr Purpose of visits: RTA request from Yupiit School District. I arrived at the airport at 6.15 a.m. to check in for the 7.00 a.m. flight to Bethel. The school district had arranged for a discount ticket with Mark Air and the flight left Anchorage almost on time. In Bethel the school district had arranged for a charter to Akiak with Hageland Air, and at 10.00 a.m. we were finally ready to leave Bethel. One passenger was to be dropped off in Kwethluk, and upon landing in Kwethluk, the right landing gear started making interesting noises. The pilot inspected the landing gear and reported that out of 3 bolts holding the split-rim together, one was missing, one was loose, and one appeared to be in good order. He then decided to return to Bethel, where I managed to arrange for another charter. This time one passenger was to be dropped off in Akiachak, and after take off from Akiachak, the pilot headed west, while he conplained about the loran not working. I managed to convince the pilot that Akiak is about 11 miles due east of Akiachak, and the rest of the trip was then pretty uneventful. In Akiak I was picked up at the airport and taken to the school, where I had a chance to inspect the burned out generator module. I was unable to determine any obvious cause for the fire; however, it was obvious that the module and the equipment had burned way beyond repair. At the time of the visit (noon) the load on the school’s remaining generator was 44 kw, while the load on the city’s generator was 33 kw. The school’s remaining generator is a Cummins 855 rated at 223 kw. The local utility's generators are a Waukesha rated at 125 kw and a John Deere rated at 300 kw. Obviously neither of the plants exhibit reasonable operating efficiencies. A three phase service drop had previously been installed from a transformer bank on the utility’s 2400 volt delta system to the module, which had burned. However, due to realiability problems, the school had decided to continue to provide its own power. The service drop and the transfer switch had been damaged in fire, and consequently the school was now unable to receive power from the utility’s system. I took down enough notes to design a new service drop on _ the remaining module, and was able to catch the next mail plane to Tuluksak. Here the high school was operating a Caterpillar 3304T with a load of 25 kw while the grade school was operating a Detroit 3-71 with a load of 15 kw and the city utility was operating a Caterpillar 3306T with a load of 45 kw. The school district had decided to provide its own power as_ the local utility is in sad shape. The 2400 volt delta distribution system is ripe for replacement as poles are rotten and leaning. The utility's power plant is in equally sad shape, as only one generator is operable. This Caterpillar 3306T unit has a total time of 16000 hours since new and has never been overhauled. A John Deere generator had been dismantled and was scattered all over the floor, while a Detroit 6-71 was only partially dismantled. According to Hans Jensen, this situation has been unchanged for more than a year. The high school's generators consist of 2 ea. Caterpillar 3304T rated at 75 kw and one John Deere rated at 25 kw. The John Deere is unable to handle winter loads and is used during the summer only. The Caterpillars are both in need of an overhaul as_ they have operated for more than 25,000 hours with a top overhaul only. The grade school’s generators are rated at 65 kw and are both in reasonably good shape with total times of 15,000 hours. However, these generators are quite inefficient, especially at low loads. I left Tuluksak at 4.00 p.m. on Bush Air and arrived in Akiachak 15 minutes later, where I was picked up at the airport by school district personnel. At the school district offices I met with the superintendent Mr. Brad Rafael and the assistant superintendent, Mr. Roger Helmer. They briefed me on the power situation in the three villages of Akiak, Tuluksak, and Akiachak and told me that the school district intended to provide its own power in Akiak and Tuluksak as long as the local utilities there were unable to provide reliable power at a reasonable price. They stated that the cost of providing power in Akiak had been $0.28 per kwh and that their own power had been quite reliable. They would be willing to pay no more than $0.30 per kwh at this location and the local utility would have to guarantee against random shutdowns during school hours for such reasons as checking the oil etc. In Tuluksak they did not believe that the local utility would be able to deliver reliable power in any near future and the school district had just recently received a grant through DCRA to install co-generation in the grade school and to install an intertie between the schools, thereby allowing for a more efficient use of facilities and fuel. They stated that they would like the Power Authority to take over this project in order to assure a correct and efficient installation. I told them that I would look into the matter. After a dinner break, we continued the meeting with a review of the DCRA grant, which addressed a number of energy conservation measures. They expressed a strong desire to have APA staff review these measures prior to implementation and I promised to provide some brief recommendations. (I later found a provision in the grant in which DCRA requires APA-review of all co-generation installations prior to construction.) We finished the meeting at 10.00 p.m. The next morning I was asked to arrange for a contractor to go to Akiak to re-establish a service drop, which would allow the school to use power provided by the utility. I arranged for P.E. Company to send a lineman the Akiak, where he would install a new 400 amp. drop and meter base. I reviewed the school district's generating facility in Akiachak and found two ea. Cummins generators rated at 150 kw and one Detroit 4-71 rated at 100 kw. Generation was single phase only. This facility is operated 2 days each weekend in order to keep it in operating shape; I recommended that the operating times be reduced significantly. The high school’s generating facility was identical to the one described for Tuluksak. The local utility, which is owned by the local native corporation, incorporates one water cooled Deutz generator rated at 300 kw and two air cooled Deutz generators rated at 150 and 100 kw. The two smaller units are installed in one 40’ steel container, while the 300 kw unit is installed in an extreemely crowded 20’ steel container. At the time of my visit the load was approximately 160 kw and the largerst unit was on line. It was a pretty day with a temperature of 22 degrees below zero and a chill factor of 55 degrees below zero. Consequently, I spent a few moments looking at the distribution system and determined that it was a 12.5 kv three phase system whish appeared in excellent shape. I left Akiachak at 5.00 p.m. and arrived back in Anchorage at 9.00 p.m. FIELD TRIP REPORT Date: 2/16/89 Site: Tuluksak eo Crew: Dale Rusnell bw ‘Ys Peter N. Hansen Wr Purpose of trip: Meeting with City officials concerning upcoming electrification upgrade project. We arrived at the airport at 6.15 a.m. to catch a 7 o'clock flight to Bethel. After waiting for an hour in Bethel, we arrived in Tuluksak at 9.30 a.m. on a charter flown by Hageland Air. We spent about 4 hours reviewing the power distribution system and the power plant in order to develop a plan of action for the necessary upgrades. It was interesting to note that new treated poles had been placed along the existing distribution system, which is built with untreated, native poles. The existing systems was built 5-6 years ago and is a 2400 volt delta system. All existing hardware appears to be reuseable for a new 4160 volt system and it would be a relatively simple task to move the existing conductors over on the new poles and add a _ neutral underneath. All conductors are 1 ought size, transformers are mostly 15 kva with a few 25 kva units located at larger users. The step-up bank consists of 3 ea. 75 kva 208-2400/4160 transformers. We walked through the school district's high school power plant, where one generator set was too small to handle the load, another generator set had a blown engine, and a third generator set was experiencing problems with over heating while being very lightly loaded. The school district's power plant in the grade school appeared to be operating well in spite of being very lightly loaded. As mentioned in a previous trip report, the City owned power plant is in pretty sad condition with only one generator in operable condition. We met with City Council member Joe Alexie and most members of the Elder Council including Chief Peter Waskie and members John Peter, and Peter Napoka, Sr., and we were left with the impression that the Elder Council's involvement is an honest attempt to get Tuluksak's administrative mess straightened out. The elders explained to us that the City Council previously had transferred the power plant and the distribution system to the Village Corporation for the corporation to operate and maintain this entity. However, for obvious reasons there was general dissatisfaction in Tuluksak with the mismanagement of the utility, and the City Council now intended to take the utility back from the corporation and give it to the Elder Council to operate. The Elder Council is generally perceived as being the most stable entity in Tuluksak, and it was our impression that the Elder Council for historic and cultural reasons is allowed to monitor the City Council and the Corporation to assure honest and correct operation. We explained to the elders that their efforts were appreciated and that they simply appeared to be running into trouble with the State due to the fact that the Elder Council is a non-elected and consequently non-recognizable entity as far as the State is concerned. We further explained that the Elder Council could operate and maintain the electric utility while the utility remained property of the City. This way there would be no transfer of State funds from the legal entity (the City) to a non- legal entity and the State most likely would not object or interfere. The ownership issue did not seem too important to the elders; they basically just wanted to make sure that the utility kept operating. We proposed that the Power Authority would develop a Project Agreement for this project and that we would deal only with the City. Once the project was complete, the City would maintain ownership, but could let the Elder Council operate the utility as a subdivision of the City. This concept seemed agreeable to the elders, and they also asked us to take contact with United Utilities in order to get a pole sharing agreement worked out. Apparently there had been some misunderstandings between United Utilities and the people in Tuluksak; at least the elders appeared to have the impression that giving a utility easement to United Utilities would be the same as giving them ownership to the land. A final request from the elders was to assist them in teaching 2-3 of the young women to read the meters and to keep the books for the utility. Apparently nobody currently knew much about it, and it was believed that the young women would be more reliable than the young men. We left Tuluksak at 4.00 p.m. and were unable to get into Akiak due to a combination of pilot insecurity and ice on the runway in Akiak. (We landed in Akiak on our way to Tuluksak and noted no problems; however, this particular pilot determined that the runway was too slick and refused to land there.) We arrived back in Anchorage at 8.00 p.m. cc: Jerry Larson Don Shira Brent Petrie Gloria Manni Dave Denig-Chakroff Susan Rogers Cheryl Young