The Avalon Water and Sewer Service Corporation (AWSSC) met Thursday evening for their regular monthly meeting. Agenda were on discussing purchase of Gillespie land, discussion on whether to pay for Gregg Rodriguez medical expenses and upgrades to wastewater pump.

Carol Gillespie started the meeting out with a discussion about the board not posting a 72 hour notice for their meetings. Gillespie stated that according to the Texas Open Meeting Act (TOMA), the Avalon Water Supply and Sewer Services Corporation is required to give a 72 hour notice for a regular or special called meeting. She said a pattern has developed of not posting notice of the meetings with sufficient notice as required by law. She went on to say that the notices for both the January 5th special meeting and tonight’s meeting were not posted giving 72 hour notice. In both instances the notice was posted in the Avalon Post Office on the Tuesday prior to the meeting on Thursday, and in both instances it was posted at noon or after. For a meeting at 7 PM on Thursday, the notice should be posted by 7PM on Monday. Any meetings were the public is not given 72 hours notice are illegal.

The president of the board, Patsy Russell, responded that they would be better about posting the 72 hour notice from now on.

Gregg Rodriguez asked the board if they would pay for his medical expenses because he did not have any insurance and his illness was due to working with the sewer water, therefore job related. He said he was told he should have a series of hepatitis shots and an antibiotic shot when working with sewer water. The board said they would discuss this in Executive Session.

Dean Carrell (consultant for AWSSC) updated the board on the sewer. He said they were doing smoke testing and stated they got the smoke machine for free.

The board went into Executive Session to discuss whether the purchase of the Gillespie property and whether to pay for Gregg Rodriguez medical expenses.

The board decided to table the decision on purchasing the Gillespie property until they could hire a lawyer and discuss it with him. On paying Rodriguez’s medical expenses they decided to pay for half of his medical expenses, pay for his shots and look into insurance for him which they would pay part of for him.

In regular business the January 12th 2012 meeting minutes, approval of financial report, payment of current expenses and approval of repair invoices were all accepted with a unanimous vote.