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RUBA Status Report

Community: Kasigluk RUBA: Yes
Staff: Eli Jacobson Agreement: Yes
DCA Region: Bethel Agreement Date:
Region: Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Exp Date:
Govt Type(s): Traditional Council
Borough: Unorganized Assessment Date: 9/20/2010
Population: 569
Active Community: Yes Date Updated: 4/4/2013


Community Sanitation Overview: The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) connected 65 houses in Kasigluk to water and wastewater lines in 2013. Additionally, 38 houses in the old section of town will be given flush haul units. This new utility will affect several of the essential indicators on the RUBA report. Many of the documents required for verifying RUBA compliance such as the budget, monthly finance reports, and collection policy will have to be created, updated or amended. The washeteria in the old village site of Kasigluk was closed for good. The residents at the old village site rely on rain water for drinking and haul raw river water for washing every day house cleaning needs. The new village area known as Akula Heights uses the school well. Honey buckets are dumped into sewage bins and hauled to the lagoon. Homes are not plumbed, and residents were reliant on the washeteria for bathing and laundry. Major infrastructure improvements have been built, including two new wells, water treatment plant, a 100,000-gal storage tank, and a new washeteria and sewage lagoon. Electricity is provided by AVEC. AVEC installed three wind generators in 2006.
RUBA Status and Activities This Quarter: On March 15, 2013 and December 4, 2012, request for information to update the quarterly online RUBA report were sent to Kasigluk Traditional Council. Up to the writing of this letter, the Bethel RUBA office has not received the requested documentation. Therefore the Traditional Council is no longer in compliance for some essential indicators until documents needed for verification are provided. RUBA staff contacted the ANTHC engineer assigned to the Kasigluk Traditional Council water wastewater project. On the new side of Kasigluk Sixty-five houses have been connected to the new water wastewater utility. Teacher housing will be finished this summer and two houses are receiving flush haul units. On the old side of Kasigluk houses are receiving flush haul units. Currently the rates are still being established. In order to maintain RUBA compliance an onsite RUBA assessment must be conducted every two years. The last RUBA assessment was finalized on September 20, 2010 and therefore no longer meets this criteria. In order to conduct a new assessment the Kasigluk Traditional Council must give an invitation to the RUBA representative to conduct the assessment. Also to be considered is that an entirely new water/wastewater utility has been build and come on line since the last assessment was conducted.

Capacity Indicator: Finances
Essential Indicators
No All revenues and expenses for the utility are listed in the utility budget.
No The utility has adopted a balanced realistic budget.
No Monthly financial reports are prepared and submitted to the policy making board.
Yes The utility is current in paying all water/wastewater electric bills.
Yes The utility has on hand a year's adequate fuel supply or it has a financial plan to purchase an adequate supply.
No The utility is receiving revenues (user fees or other sources) sufficient to cover operating expenses.
Sustainable Indicators
No The utility is receiving revenues (user fees or other sources sufficient to cover operating expenses and Repair & Replacement (R) costs.
No YTD revenues are at a level equal to or above those budgeted.
No YTD expenditures are at a level equal to or below those budgeted.
No A monthly manager's report is prepared.
No Budget amendments are completed and adopted as necessary.
Finances Comment: Kasigluk Traditional Council has not provided its FY2013 budget. Monthly financial reports are prepared by Alaska Rural Empowered but have not been provided to RUBA staff. RUBA staff contacted Alaska Village Electrical Cooperative (AVEC) on March 19, 2013. AVEC communicated that the Kasigluk Traditional Council is current on electric bills. The utility has a one year fuel supply.

Capacity Indicator: Accounting Systems
Essential Indicators
Yes The utility has adopted a collection policy and actively follows it.
Yes The utility bills customers on a regular basis.
Yes An accounts receivable system is in place which tracks customers and reports past due accounts and amounts.
Yes An accounts payable system is in place.
Yes The payroll system correctly calculates payroll and keeps records.
Yes A cash receipt system is in place that records incoming money and how it was spent.
Yes The utility has a cash disbursement system that records how money was spent.
Sustainable Indicators
No A chart of accounts is used that identifies categories in a reasonable, usable manner.
No Monthly bank reconciliations have been completed for all utility accounts.
Yes The utility has a purchasing system that requires approval prior to purchase, and the approval process compares proposed purchases to budgeted amounts.
Accounting Systems Comment: Kasigluk Traditional Council has an adopted collection policy for the wastewater hopper evacuation utility and bills its customers for this service. The ANTHC engineer stated that the houses that are connected to new system are receiving service but not being billed because the rates have not been established. The wastewater hopper evacuation utility has an accounts receivable and payable system. The older utility has a payroll system that correctly calculates payroll and keeps records. The older utility also has a cash receipt system and a cash disbursement system.

Capacity Indicator: Tax Problems
Essential Indicators
No The utility has a system to accurately calculate, track, and report payroll tax liabilities.
No The utility is current on filing tax reports.
No The utility is current on making tax deposits.
N/A 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.
Tax Problems Comment: On March 15, 2013 a request for authorization was sent to Kasigluk Traditional Council. Up to the writing of this report this request has not been responded to and therefore federal tax compliance cannot be determined. The state Department of Labor (DOL) was contacted on March 20, 2013. DOL verified that Kasigluk Traditional Council is current on their Employment Security Contributions account. Kasigluk Traditional Council is not on the Lien Watch dated January-February 2013.

Capacity Indicator: Personnel System
Essential Indicators
Yes The utility has a posted workers compensation insurance policy in effect.
Sustainable Indicators
Yes The utility has adopted and uses a Personnel Policy, which has been reviewed by an attorney, AML or Commerce for topics and language.
Yes The utility has adequate written job descriptions for all positions.
Yes The utility has adopted and follows a written personnel evaluation process that ties the job description to the evaluation.
Yes The utility has an adequate written hiring process.
Yes The utility has personnel folders on every employee that contain at least: I-9, Job Application and Letter of Acceptance.
Yes The utility has a probationary period for new hires that includes orientation, job training/oversight, and evaluations.
Yes The utility provides training opportunities to staff as needed and available.
Personnel System Comment: As of 3/31/13 Kasigluk Traditional Councils workers compensation insurance policy was current. Kasigluk Traditional Council has a personnel policy. It describes job classifications, performance evaluations, orientation/training, and reassignment/probation periods. Tribal staff are provided training as needed.

Capacity Indicator: Organizational Management
Essential Indicators
Yes The entity that owns the utility is known; the entity that will operate the utility is set.
Yes The policy making body is active in policy making of the utility.
Yes The policy making body enforces utility policy.
Yes The utility has an adequately trained manager.
Yes The utility has an adequately trained bookkeeper.
Yes The utility has an adequately trained operator or operators.
Yes The utility has adopted the necessary ordinances (or rules and regulations) necessary to give it the authority to operate.
Sustainable Indicators
No The utility has adopted an organizational chart that reflects the current structure.
Yes The policy making body meets as required.
Yes The utility complies with the open meeting act for all meetings.
Organizational Management Comment: Kasigluk Traditional Council owns the wastewater hopper evacuation utility. Kasigluk Traditional Council has weekly meetings. The policy making body enforces policy on the wastewater hopper evacuation utility. The tribal administrator is a new employee but has pervious administrative experience. Bookkeeping duties are assisted by Rural Alaska Empowered. Operators for the older utility are properly trained. The council adopted the ordinances necessary to give it the authority to operate. The council has not adopted an organizational chart.

Capacity Indicator: Operation of Utility
Essential Indicators
Yes The utility operator(s) are actively working towards necessary certification.
Yes The utility has a preventative maintenance plan developed for the existing sanitation facilities.
Sustainable Indicators
No 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.
No The utility has a safety manual and holds safety meetings.
Yes Utility facilities have not suffered any major problems/outages due to management issues that are unresolved.
Yes The utility is operating at the level of service that was proposed.
No The operator provides status reports to the manager on a routine basis.
No The utility has completed and distributed its "Consumer Confidence Report".
Yes The utility is not on the "Significant Non-Complier" (SNC) list.
No The utility maintains an inventory control list.
No The utility maintains a critical spare parts list.
Operation of Utility Comment: Operators for the older utility are properly trained. A preventive maintenance plan was provided for the older facility. The manager does not receive a monthly Operation and maintenance report from the operator. A safety manual and documentation of regular safety meetings has not been provided. The wastewater removal utility has not suffered any major outages. The operator does not provide status reports to the manager on a routine basis. It is unknown if the utility has completed and distributed its Consumer Confidence Report. Kasigluk Traditional Council is not on the SNC list dated January 2013. An inventory control list and critical spare parts list have not been provided.


RUBA Activities for the Coming Quarter: RUBA staff will continue to communicate to Kasigluk Traditional Council the need for an onsite RUBA assessment and will provide assistance as requested.