Bolinas
Community Public Utility District
A
Special Meeting Of The BCPUD Board
Of Directors and the Board of Directors of the Bolinas Fire Protection
District
March 4, 2009 100 Mesa Road (Firehouse Public Meeting
Room), Bolinas
1. Call to Order
7:32 p.m.
2. Roll
Directors Amoroso, Kimball, Siedman and Smith present; director McClellan
absent. Director Siedman presiding jointly with Bolinas Fire Protection
District (“BFPD”) Board of Directors’ President Phil Binley
3. Letter to Steve Kinsey re: BCPUD and Bolinas Fire Protection District
Participation in Planning and Financing
of Engineered Solution for Terrace Avenue; Discuss Related Issues
Staff from both districts presented an overview of the background events
leading to this meeting and request from Supervisor Kinsey for a letter of
commitment from the districts to participate financially with the County
of Marin in planning and financing an engineered solution to stabilize Terrace
Avenue at Surfer’s Overlook. In brief, the bluff at this location is
eroding and threatening the integrity of BCPUD facilities (both water and
wastewater lines) under Terrace Avenue, as well as the road itself.
Terrace Avenue is a vital thoroughfare for more than 62% of the community
to travel back and forth to downtown, for the coastal visiting public and
as an emergency access road. Following the New Year’s eve storms
of 2005-06, the BCPUD re- initiated a dialog with the County about the need
to maintain Terrace Avenue and in March of 2006 requested a specific timetable
for the County’s plans to repair Terrace Avenue. The BCPUD also appointed
a committee to evaluate options and work with the County; the BCPUD’s position
is that Terrace Avenue is a County road and the County has a duty to maintain
it. Supervisor Kinsey visited Bolinas in the fall of 2006 and urged
the committee to work with the County’s Department of Public Works (“DPW”)
to plan a feasible project. After months during which the County
initially denied a responsibility to keep the road open, the County Counsel
in March 2007 acknowledged that the County does have a responsibility to
provide access to property owners. It therefore was a considerable
surprise when DPW issued a memorandum on September 1, 2008 recommending that
the County take “no measures to attempt to maintain, reinforce or replace
the seawall” below Surfer’s Overlook. DPW consistently has alleged
that it does not have sufficient funds to pay for a project to save Terrace
Avenue.
In reaction to the DPW memo, both the BCPUD and the BFPD Boards of Directors
passed resolutions in October 2008 reaffirming the vital importance of Terrace
Avenue and requesting that the County of Marin take immediate action to preserve
and protect this County-maintained road. The districts also issued
a joint letter to the Bolinas community alerting residents to the precarious
status of Terrace Avenue, describing the road’s importance to the entire
community, and requesting that residents write to Supervisor Kinsey to urge
action. Soon thereafter, Supervisor Kinsey convened a meeting of staff
from both districts and DPW to re-establish a partnership approach to solving
this problem. Most recently, Supervisor Kinsey requested a specific financial
commitment from the special districts in Bolinas toward an engineered solution
to save Terrace Avenue at Surfer’s Overlook.
Director Don Smith recommended the districts approve the requested joint
contribution of $25,000; he said he feels the community will be very well
served by obtaining engineering advice and it seems prudent to move forward
incrementally at this point. Director Amoroso agreed; he said it is
important to have the engineering completed for a potential project, particularly
as there may be economic stimulus funds available to pay for the actual project.
Discussion ensued among both district Board members about specific provisions
of the draft letter to the Supervisor Kinsey and concerns about future cost
responsibility. Several Board members expressed frustration with the
County for shifting costs to the districts for work that is the County’s
responsibility. Other Board members acknowledged the same frustration,
but said that the districts have direct interests at stake – i.e., to save
the BCPUD utility lines and to preserve emergency access for BFPD – and,
as a practical matter, it is necessary to participate in order to ensure
something is done. Discussion then focused on the terms of the draft
letter to Supervisor Kinsey and several revisions were offered and agreed
upon to, among other things, make clear this is a one-time financial commitment
of funds that does not obligate either district to continued contributions
and to emphasize the sense of urgency in the community to move forward with
the work necessary to identify an engineered solution to save Terrace Avenue.
D. Smith/B. Kimball all in favor to approve
the letter to Supervisor Steve Kinsey, subject to the revisions agreed upon.
4. Community Expression
None.
5. Adjournment
8:50 p.m.