MINUTES
1.
Call to Order.
7:33 p.m.
2.
Roll.
Directors
Comstock, Godino, Siedman and Smith present; director Amoroso absent. Director Siedman presiding.
3.
Manager’s Report.
-- Update
on the Terrace Avenue Bluff Stabilization Project.
Staff reported that a local fundraising
committee has been meeting frequently to develop a strategy to meet the
County’s July 1st deadline for the community to raise $500,000 to
pay for the replacement of the road-level retaining walls at Surfer’s Overlook this
Fall. This project is necessary to
preserve the usable life of the road by 10-15 years; without the project, the
road could fail within three years or less.
The committee also is organizing another town meeting with Supervisor
Kinsey to explain why the project will benefit the entire town and bolster the
fundraising effort; this meeting tentatively is scheduled for May 9, 2015 at
the Firehouse.
Director Amoroso arrived at 7:37 p.m.
-- Update on the BCPUD Chlorine Disinfection
Byproduct Reduction Project.
Lewie Likover reported that the
rehabilitation of the clarifier located next to the Woodrat Water Treatment
Plant (“WRTP”) is complete, so the district now is diverting its backwash water
into the clarifier prior to pumping it up to the reservoir. This improves plant operations as well as
water quality in the reservoir, which is important for reducing the source of chlorine
disinfection byproducts. Staff is
conducting tests to determine if this process is reducing the levels of phosophorus
or whether a chemical treatment will be necessary to do so. As for the operational upgrades at the WRTP
itself, the plant now has multiple shut-down alarms (i.e., for high rainfall, high
chlorine, high turbidity, etc.), a new chlorine analyzer, a new finished water
turbimeter, a new chlorine pump and a new flow meter. Staff conducted tests today to determine if
the existing plant filters can pump directly to the water tanks (the results
are not yet conclusive); staff has researched possible automatic strainer
baskets for the plant and will solicit bids from vendors. A technician visited the WRTP earlier in the
day to evaluate potential automation of some of the operational equipment,
which will save labor and upgrade overall plant operations (and make it easier
to diagnose problems remotely via an on-line program). Staff currently is preparing for a coagulation
pilot test, which will need approval from state regulators. In response to a question from director
Amoroso, Lewie explained that the coagulation will occur prior to filtration;
special plumbing has been installed at the WRTP and the plan is for the
coagulant to be injected, for detention time to occur in the new plumbing, and
then for the filtration to occur. Staff
will analyze the water to determine whether the coagulation process sufficiently
enhances water quality; all water used for the pilot project will be diverted
to waste per state requirements.
--
BCPUD’s Capital Improvement Plan; BCPUD’s Financial Reserve Policy.
Staff continues to work with the Finance
Committee on the development of the district’s Five-Year Capital Improvement
Plan and and the next meeting of the Finance Committee is scheduled for March
24, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. If finalized
then, the Board can approve the plan at a special meeting next week. The Financial Reserve Policy is in final
draft; staff requests that the Board
approve it tonight.
On the water side of operations, staff
reported that consumption was down again for the quarter ending in February (for
the customers on the back of the Mesa), but this was not the lowest in recent
years. Total rain fall for the 2014-2015
rain year is 32.1 thus far (last rain year, the district received a total of 27.4
inches of rain). Staff is working on a
newsletter on the “Status of the Bolinas Water Supply” to send out to customers
with the next round of bills. Briefly
stated, the district is in about the same position it was last year in terms of
supply; importantly, however, the distribution of rainfall has been very
different this year, with nearly all of the rain received in December. The prior year, the district received almost
no rain until February (12.4 inches), March (4.3 inches) and April (4.3 inches). So last year was the story of late rains, whereas
this year (thus far) is the story of early rains. Overall, the town needs to keep up its great
work on conservation and it is critical that outdoor water use does not start
to rise.
Staff recently completed a water main
relocation project necessited by bluff erosion at the end of Rosewood. The six-inch A/C water main was abandoned on
Rosewood, a new service was run to a home at the end of the road off the main
on Mistle, and shut-off valves were installed on Mistle and Rosewood. This project was necessary to ensure the reliability
of water supply in the area. In
addition, the drainage culvert running under Rosewood was replaced as part of
this project.
Staff reported that the State Water Resources
Control Board (“SWRCB”) has approved the district’s updated Emergency
Notification Plan and Bacteriological Sampling Plan. The SWRCB has assigned a new engineer, Waldon
Wong, to the district; he replaces Zach Rounds, who has been the district’s
engineer for many years. Staff is now
working on the district’s 2014 Annual Report (which is due April 24th)
and the district’s 2014 Consumer Confidence Report (which is due on or before
June 30th).
Staff noted that several Notices of
Noncompliance with Expanded Water Use Permits were sent out to customers for
the quarters ending November, December and January. The district was delayed in sending out these
notices due to the implementation of the new billing system, so staff has
provided these customers additional time to comply with the terms of their
permits.
As for the wastewater side of operations, staff
continues to evaluate options for the installation of new pumps to replace the
pumps that failed in early February at the Wharf Road lift station. Flows into the collection system currently are
quite low due to the dry weather and on-going water conservation; the districts
is averaging about 15,000 gallons per day.
The Board reviewed correspondence sent and
received since the last regular meeting, including a Public Records Act request
from Matt Lewis, and a notice of public hearing at the County of Marin concerning
a proposed building project at 555 Dogwood Road.
--
Drainage Project Manager’s Report.
The Board received a written report from
Drainage Project Manager Lewie Likover.
4.
Community Expression.
None.
5.
Request for Financial Relief from Quarterly Water Bill
pursuant to BCPUD Resolution 553 – 295 Grove Road (J. Molyneux).
Judy Molyneax submitted a
letter explaining a leak that was discovered and repaired on her property; Dale
Polissar explained that a blackberry bush root had grown into the water line at
a connection point and the root system essentially broke apart the water
line. He said they were unable to locate
the leak due to the rainy weather saturating their property. Director Smith noted that the leak appears to
have started in the previous quarter and the bill was quite high; indeed, water
use averaged 600 gallons per day
at the property. He asked why they did
not investigate for a leak at that time and suggested it would have been
observable given the dry weather conditions at that time. Dale said he did not know and did not recall
receiving the higher bill. Director Smith
suggested that the Board forgive only the amount of water lost due to the leak
during the most recent quarter (i.e., the quarter ending in January 2015) as
reasonable diligence should have enabled the discovery of the leak during the
prior quarter.
D. Smith/L. Comstock all in favor to grant relief for the quarter ending
January 2015 only and reduce the bill by the amount of water attributable to
the leak, using the historical average water use at the property during the
same quarter for the prior three years.
6. Tax Assessment Proposed by Marin/Sonoma
Mosquito & Vector Control District.
Director Amoroso explained that he requested
this item on the meeting agenda; he said that he feels the district should not
cast a vote on this assessment because it is a tax-exempt entity, but that in
light of the district’s constructive working relationship with the Marin/Sonoma
Mosquito & Vector Control District (“M&VCD”), it should pass on public
comment, if any, on the proposed assessment.
Eleanor Lyman said that she has read Frank
Egger’s statements about the proposed asssessement and, while she personally does
not object to M&VCD employees receiving their pension benefits, there is
information under discussion that makes her wonder about the need for the
assessment, or at least wonder whether the M&VCD has done all it can to
reduce its expenses. She noted that the
public hearing is taking place on the same day that the voting closes, which
makes it difficult to decide what to do.
Director Amoroso commented that voters also are obligated to identify
themselves by name and sign their ballot, which may discourage some from
submitting a ballot. He further
suggested that if the M&VCD were to implement the non-toxic protocol
throughout its jurisidiction, that might reduce its expenses considerably. Director Godino said that homeowners planning
to submit a ballot may wish to include a statement of their opinion on the
non-toxic protocol with their completed ballot; Eleanor Lyman concurred.
Director Smith said that he received a
questionnaire from the M&VCD several months ago, but he was put off by it
as it did not seek input from residents about the district’s services and how
it might improve; rather, it seemed designed to prepare people for a tax
assessment increase. He said there may
be ways for the M&VCD to work more closely with local agenices and thereby
operate more efficiently. Staff was
asked to convey the comments made to the M&VCD via a letter to manager Phil
Smith.
7. Proposed
Signage for the Entrances to Brighton Beach (County of Marin).
Director Siedman stated that the County of Marin’s
Stormwater Pollution Prevention department is proposing to install signs at the
entrances to Brighton Beach as follows:
Help protect this beach
and the ocean:
Do
not litter
Pick
up after your pet
Prevent
water pollution
Keep
paint and paint chips out of the water*
*Spraypaint
on seawalls degrades and flakes off over time negatively impacting the marine
environment.
Eleanor Lyman said that a couple of months ago she was
knocked over and injured by a dog running off-leash on Brighton Beach and asked
whether something could be added to the sign to require people to contain their
dogs. Bruce Bowser said that the former
Beach Committee evaluated this issue and concluded that pets must be under
voice control. Matt Lewis noted that a
County ordinance currently provides that if a dog is not under voice
command/control, it must be on a leash.
Elia Haworth said that the paint chips flaking off the
seawalls and onto the beach/into the water have concerned her for a long
time. She said she is glad someone is
addressing it and that the County is aware of it. Elia noted that when she walks at the beach
and people are spraypainting on the walls, the fumes are very strong. Director Amoroso said that he would rather
have the sign read: ‘Do Not Use Toxic Paint on the Beach” and commented that
the proposed wording seems too cumbersome.
Director Smith said the proposed signage does not make
clear what a person can and cannot do at the beach. He also questioned which agency has jurisdiction
and who will enforce the prohibitions articulated on the sign. He recalled that a chemist who attended a
prior Board meeting on this topic made it clear that it is very expensive and
timeconsuming to determine the toxicity of the paint chips.
Judy Molyneux said that all pigment paints are toxic
at one level or another. As for the
sign, she thinks it should be much more strongly worded; it should cite the
Penal Code provision and clearly state that spraypainting is illegal on public
beaches. Remick Hart said when he
initially made a presentation on this issue at a Board meeting last year, director
Amoroso correctly asked: how do we know this product is toxic? Remick said the spraypaint cans expressly
state that the paint it toxic and he knows this is true when he smells it
because it makes him nauseous. He
recently walked the beach with Rob Carson from the County’s Stormwater
Pollution Prevention department and explained the situation and community
concerns. As they walked, they found a
large paint chip by the groin; this demonstrates that paint is coming off the walls,
going into the ocean water and on to the clam patch. Remick said that Rob worked with management at
the County and created a proposed sign for the beach entrance; the original
version expressly cited the Penal Code provision, but that version was revised
and the revised one is the one before the Board right now.
Arline Mathieu said that she does not want pollution
at the beach, but there is a culture around this topic in the community and she
would not feel good about penalizing graffiti art. Director Comstock said that there are lots of
laws on the books that people don’t follow; if people really want the spraypainting
at the beach to stop, more needs to be done than posting signs that say it’s
illegal to do so (the spraypainters already know this). In this case, it may help to explain why the spraypainting is objectionable:
it isn’t the art form, it’s the fact that
people are spraypainting on a seawall next to a protected marine
environment. He said that pointing out
the impact of spraypainting on the protected marine environment likely is the
best way to persuade people to stop and he would like to see such a reference
on the sign. Director Godino agreed that
the less said about the penal code the better in this community; “this is about
hearts and minds”.
Syd Bass said she walks her dog on Brighton Beach at
least twice a week (and has done so for more than 8 years) and she has tried
talking to the spraypainters about where the paint goes (into the water, etc.),
but they just turn around and keep painting.
Her impression is that they do not care about the impact of their
actions. She said the penal code
provision needs to be included on the sign so that the deputy sheriff can
enforce it.
Pam Dake said she appreciates the discussion and
agrees that this is an opportunity for education; she offered some specific
verbage for the sign and noted that in her experience, when she talks with young
people who are spraypainting at the beach, they stop painting and say they are
sorry. Dale Polissar agreed with Pam’s suggested
revisions to the signage and said that when he talks with spraypainters at the
beach, they say “we thought it was legal here” or “we thought Bolinas likes
it”. Dale said the town has a reputation
as a place where you can spraypaint and we need to let people know there is a
strong faction in town that does not condone spraypainting on the seawalls. He said most people would be horrified if
someone started spraypainting the granite walls in Yosemite; the walls at this
protected location should be treated just as protectively.
Eleanor Lyman said she attended the first meeting at
the BCPUD on this topic and most people in attendance at the time were in favor
of the graffiti, whereas the people here tonight are not. She said it is clearly a big subject that is very
divisive. She noted that it is very challenging
when so many people come to the beach and she does not want to see policemen on
the beach to deal with this; she is very concerned about the young people getting
in trouble. Eleanor said she has lived
next to Smiley’s Saloon for 42 years and has never called the police because
she does not want to get the young people in trouble. The fact that spraypainting is illegal is
what makes it exciting for the young people; she suggested that if one simply
walks far enough down the beach to sit down, it is quite easy to be far away
from where the spraypainting occurs.
Matt Lewis suggested that the signs include the words
“please “ and “thank you”, and ask that vistors leave the beach in better shape
than they found it. He thinks such an
approach will be more effective than citing the Penal Code. He referenced his attempts to discourage
parking in specific areas on July 4th and the signs asking politely
for cooperative behavior were much more effective.
Director Amoroso noted that the BCPUD has no jurisdiction
over this topic and the walls themselves are owned by private parties; he
further observed that Bolinas has a rather notorious history with signs. If signs are going to be posted, he said they
should be as non-threatening as possible, or the signs likely will simply
disappear. Bruce Bowser said that Bolinas
is suffering from its own popularity and it will only get worse over time. He lives at the beach and there is a lot more
spraypainting going on than there used to be; he, too, has found dozens of paint
chips on the beach. “If we don’t let
people know it isn’t welcome, it will only get worse.” Bruce suggested that the County consult with
the Golden Gate National Recreation Area or National Park Service to find out
how they deal with graffiti at their facilities.
Remick Hart assured Eleanor that no one wants to
arrest the young people involved in the spraypainting; rather, they want the
young people to change their behavior based on an understanding of how the
spraypaint pollutes the environment. Arline
Mathews suggested that there may be more effective ways to communicate with the
young people than via signage at the beach entrances; for example, perhaps the
Surf Shop can be enlisted to help and/or post information on its website.
Director Siedman said this was a good discussion with
lots of ideas expressed, but he is not sure there is consensus about what the
County’s sign should say. Discussion
ensued with support expressed for the language Pam Dake proposed earlier. Pam read from her notes: “Please help protect this beach and ocean
sanctuary. Control your pet. Prevent water pollution. Do not use spraypaint; it is toxic and this
is a protected marine environment.” She
also included a citation to the Penal Code provision. The Board directed staff to send a letter to
Rob Carson expressing the comments expressed and Pam’s suggested language.
8. Local Agency Formation Commission of Marin
County (“LAFCO”) Countywide Water Municipal Service Review: BCPUD Comments on
Revised Draft of Agency Profile.
Staff presented the district’s comments on the more
recent revised draft agency profile prepared by the LAFCO about the BCPUD as
part of its municipal service review.
D. Smith/L. Comstock all in favor to approve the BCPUD comments on the
revised draft agency profile prepared by LAFCO as part of its municipal service
review.
Matt Lewis said that he read through the document but
did not see any mention of the irrigation well at the Resource Recovery Center
as one of the BCPUD’s water sources.
Director Smith assured him that the district included information about
the irrigation well and the district’s water supply study in its comments on
the revised draft of the agency profile.
9. Update on Proposed Sale of College of Marin
Properties in Bolinas.
Director Siedman said there has been a lot of
discussion in town about the ownership and use of the boat dock, as well as the
potential use of the lab buildings for affordable senior housing; he does not
think there is community interest at this point in trying to acquire the
private home currently under long-term lease to a local resident. The College of Marin will give priority to
potential acquirers who will use the facilities for park and/or affordable
housing purposes. As such, perhaps the BCPUD
could take title to the dock, and maybe also the lab buildings, but then delegate
responsibility for the lab buildings to the Bolinas Community Land Trust
(“BCLT”). Given the amount of clean-up
effort that will be necessary to rehabilitate the lab buildings, the fair
market value of the property may be negative.
He noted there are many seniors in town on fixed incomes who need
housing. As for the dock, it is the only
public access to the lagoon in town.
Arline Mathiey said that there is
considerable enthusiasm in town about the idea of the lab building as a site
for a new library. While she agrees
there is a need for affordable senior housing, Bolinas also has a very high per
capita use of its library. She said she
would love for the idea of a new library to be on the table for discussion.
Director Amoroso reported that he spoke
briefly with Steve Kinsey about this topic recently and Steve said the County
is very interested in participating in any acquisition of the dock that might
be under consideration. Director Smith
expressed concern about the prospect of BCPUD taking on the lab building given
the potential clean-up cost. Director
Amoroso concurred, noting that a group of local fishermen recently met with representatives
from the College of Marin who said the clean up cost is estimated at $3.5
million. Director Godino noted that the
BCLT has a lot of very good, smart people and if they endorse the concept of
acquiring the lab building for affordable housing for seniors, that is
important.
Director Siedman asked if the Board agrees he
should continue to meet with local people to work on options for acquiring the
property and there was no objection. Director Comstock said that he very much
appreciates director Siedman’s efforts and agrees that the BCPUD is an obvious
forum for the conversation; however, it is not ultimately within the district’s
core mission of water, sewer and related services. Director Siedman said he was glad to hear
that Steve Kinsey is supportive of a County role in the boat dock; he said he
would report further at upcoming meetings.
10. Fiscal Year 2015-2016 Memorandum of Understanding
re Compensation and Benefits between the BCPUD Board of Directors and BCPUD
Employees.
Staff
reported that the terms and conditions of the fiscal year 2015-16 MOU are
largely the same as the existing MOU, but includes a 3% cost-of-living increase
in the hourly wages paid to BCPUD employees.
L. Comstock/G. Godino all
in favor to approve the fiscal
year 2015-16 Memorandum of Understanding re Compensation and Benefits between
the BCPUD Board of Directors and BCPUD Employees.
11. Update on Cross-Connection Control Survey.
Staff reported that the district has received
responses from 72% of its customers to the district’s cross-connection control
survey and staff is evaluating the responses in order to formulate recommendations
as to next steps for the Board’s consideration.
12. Water Supply
Update: Cost Proposal to Install Monitoring Wells.
Director
Smith said that he has given a lot of thought about the best next steps for the
district with regard to its water supply study.
He spoke with the district’s consulting hydrogeologist, Rob Gailey, at
some length recently, which deepened his appreciation for the complexities
involved. A significant issue for the
Board to consider is how much money it is worth spending to better understand
the hydrology of its irrigation well and the surrounding territory given the
likely limited supply of water in the aquifer.
Director
Smith noted that Rob prepared cost information for the Board’s consideration
about the proposed installation of monitoring wells near the existing well (two
shallow and two deep) along with three shallow wells closer to the beach
entrances; these sets of wells would enable the district to monitor the
potential for seawater intrusion, as well as to evaluate the recharge of the
well from the groundwater basin surrounding the well. Director Smith directed the Board’s attention
to diagrams he has prepared to depict the hydrologic concepts and discussion
ensued among the Board members about the depth of the potential monitoring
wells, the location of those wells, the purpose of the wells, the potential
cost of their installation and the value of the information likely to be
developed. Director Smith noted that the
Board has agreed to hold a special meeting next week to receive a presentation
from Rob Gailey, so his goal tonight is to help orient the Board and prompt
some consideration of the district’s next steps.
Director
Comstock thanked director Smith for his presentation, particularly since he
likely cannot attend the special meeting with Rob Gailey next week due to
family commitments. He agreed that the
hydrology involved is exceedingly complex and very expensive to study; he said
that it will be important for the district to proceed carefully in order to
responsibly manage this resource and its financial resources. Director Siedman concurred, especially since
one of the district’s goals is to understand whether the irrigation well has
the potential to serve as a supplemental drinking water source.
Director
Smith said he asked Rob about the possibilty of using seismic refraction technology
and Rob said it could be used to figure out the bedrock topography near the
well at a likely cost of about $15,000.
Director Smith said that it seems that the district would need to invest
at least $100,000 to obtain a complete picure of the hydrogeology at issue; as
such, perhaps there are additional, smaller-scale steps the district can take
now to enhance it’s understanding.
Diector Amoroso suggested that there may be grant money available to
study the well given the current drought conditions in the state.
13. Volunteer
Committee Reports.
--
Bolinas Lagoon Advisory Committee: Director Amoroso reported that
two meetings of the committee have been scheduled and then subsequently
cancelled; he said there might be a meeting in April.
--
Downtown Parking & Traffic Committee: Nothing to report.
--
Resource Recovery: Nothing to report.
--
West Marin Mosquito Control Coordinating Council: Nothing
to report.
--
Land Stewardship Committee: Recommendation
to Approve M. Murch Proposed Use of Water Tank for Rain Catchment. Director Siedman reported that the committee
met and discussed Mickey Murch’s request to relocate a water tank on to “Parcel
B”, which is the parcel next to the steep path down to Resource Recovery. Mickey proposed to partially bury the tank to
render it less visible and use it to catch rainwater; a small solar-powered
pump will be used to direct the water to a gravity-fed irrigation system. No diverson of any surface water will occur;
the tank is solely for rainwater catchment.
Director Siedman said the committee voted 8 – 1 (Jody Angel voting no)
to approve Mickey’s proposed use of the water tank; this approval applies to
this tank only and the proposed installation of any additional tanks would need
to be presented first to the committee for consideration.
V. Amoroso/G. Godino all in favor to
approve Mickey Murch’s proposed use of a water tank for rain catchment on
Parcel B.
13. Other
Business.
a.
Board Committee Reports.
--
Finance: Minutes of the February 10, 2015 Finance Committee meeting; Minutes of
the March 3, 2015 Finance Committee Meeting; Minutes of the March 10, 2015
Finance Committee Meeting.
L. Comstock/V. Amoroso all
in favor to approve the minutes of
the February 10, 2015, March 3, 2015 and March 10, 2015 meetings of the Finance
Committee.
-- Legal: Nothing to report.
-- Mesa Septic, Flood Control and Roads: Nothing
to report.
-- Operations: Director
Smith reported that one of the invertors at the Woodrat Water Treatment Plant burnt
out a couple of weeks ago and the district is waiting for a cost estimate to
fix it vs. purchase a replacement invertor.
-- Park and Recreation: Staff
reported that the newly renovated soccer and baseball fields at Mesa Park were
opened on March 15, 2015. The Notice of
Completion was recorded with the County of Marin and the project close-out and
final submittal for cost reimbursements are underway.
-- Personnel: Nothing
further to report.
-- Sewer: Nothing to report.
b. Minutes of the February 18, 2015 regular
meeting.
Directors Amoroso, Comstock and Godino
offered clarifying revisions to the minutes of the February 18, 2015 regular meeting.
L. Comstock/D. Smith all in favor to
approve the minutes of the February 18, 2015 regular meeting, as corrected.
c. Warrants.
L. Comstock/D. Smith all in favor to
approve the warrant list.
d. Scheduling of Next Meeting(s):
Special Meeting of the BCPUD Board: March 25th at 7:30 p.m.
Regular Meeting of the BCPUD Board: April 22nd at 7:30 p.m.
14.
Adjournment.
10:55
p.m.