Bolinas Community Public Utility District
A Regular Meeting Of
The Board Of Directors
August 15, 2012 270 Elm Road, Bolinas
MINUTES
1. Call to Order.
7:32 p.m.
2. Roll.
Directors Amoroso, Bender, Kimball, and Siedman; director
Smith absent. Director Siedman presiding.
3. Manager’s Report.
-- Update on the Terrace Avenue Bluff Stabilization Project
Staff noted that the Board approved a new contract with SAGE at its August
7, 2012 Special Meeting and the geotechnical investigation work currently
is scheduled for September 24 -25, 2012. If need be, the work will
be coordinated with the Terrace Avenue Water Main Relocation Project if,
in fact, the latter project is installed this Fall.
-- Update on Terrace Avenue Water Main Relocation Project
Staff said that at the August 7th Special Meeting the Board considered and
rejected all bids received for the Terrace Avenue Water Main Relocation project
and directed staff to rebid the project. Staff was successful in obtaining
more time from the state (the California Department of Public Health or “CDPH”)
to complete the project, which otherwise had an installation deadline of
December 31, 2012. In addition, the County’s Department of Public
Works recently offered to remove the micro-surfacing paving requirement from
the encroachment permit for this project and instead include the micro-surfacing
of the project area in the County’s Summer 2013 road rehabilitation plan
in exchange for a fee to be paid by the BCPUD. The fee proposed
by the County is $3 per square yard and, based on the square footage
of the project area, the total amount of the fee would be $8,300. Staff
noted that this is a tremendous cost-savings for the district as contactors
are estimating the micro-surfacing portion of the project at more than $30,000.
After a brief discussion, staff recommended that the BCPUD pay the fee directly
to the County as part of the encroachment permit costs, as long as CDPH agrees
that this cost is reimburseable from loan funds (just as it would be if paid
by the contractor as part of the construction costs). There was
no objection from the Board. Finally, staff reported that the Mesa
Park Board approved the parking of construction vehicles and staging of equipment
at its parking lot during the course of the project installation.
-- Update on the Wastewater Treatment Plant Pump Station and Electrical Upgrade
Project.
Staff met with the district’s electrical engineer, Dave Thomas, in late July
for the purpose of finalizing the bid documents for this project. One
issue has arisen to complicate things: the electrical control panels
are located on a slab of cement adjacent to treatment pond 2, underneath
which is an overflow pipe that needs to be replaced. The cement slab
on which the panels are sited will be demolished and replaced with expansion
joints as a part of the project, so staff feels it makes sense to replace
the overflow pipe, as well. However, the overflow pipe is located inside
the engineered pond perimeter and the district’s electrical engineer has
advised that a civil or geotechnical engineer should evaluate and design
the pipe replacement. Staff met with Brelje & Race’s wastewater
engineers and they will submit a proposal for the work soon. Staff’s
goal is to bid the project in September and have the work completed during
the Winter.
Staff reported that the Wharf Road Service Saddle Replacement Project was
completed prior to July 4th by Piazza Construction. Piazza did a very
good job and the construction crew interacted very well with the local community.
Staff complimented and thanked the downtown businesses for their incredible
cooperation and understanding of the water outages that were necessary to
install the project.
The district’s computer upgrade project is underway and one snafu has been
the migration of the old billing system over to the new hardware. Staff
noted that former General Manager Phil Buchanan graciously has assisted the
district in its efforts to save and improve the old billing software.
If the software cannot be workable restored on the new hardware, staff will
be forced to purchase new billing software, but that is an expense the district
is hoping to avoid.
The Board reviewed the most recent water consumption statistics, which show
a spike up consumption in the downtown area last month and on the mid-Mesa
this month as compared to the same time last year, likely due to the dry
spring and summer months. A preliminary evaluation of the billing data
indicates that this is an overall increase in consumption across the district,
not an increase of specific users. The district continues to be drawing
from its preferred water source (the Arroyo Hondo creek) and staff does not
expect to turn to the reservoirs until later in the Fall.
Staff reported that the district’s annual water license reports were submitted
to the State Water Resources Control Board in July. The license reporting
has become more complicated in recent years as the state transitioned from
a triennial to an annual reporting system and from a paper to an on-line
reporting system. As such, the district’s outside counsel has prepared and
submitted the reports (six in total) on the district’s behalf.
The Board reviewed a letter from Cal-EMA relating to the 2006 Spring storm
disaster assistance application made by the district in the wake of storms
that year -- an application the district subsequently withdrew. The
letter notes that due to the application withdrawal, some funds are due to
be repaid by the district to Cal-EMA for a small advance that was made.
Staff said the district will repay the requested funds in the near future.
Staff inquired whether it would still be timely for the district to submit
a letter of support for the Bolinas Rod & Boat Club’s letter expressing
concern about the newly constituted Bolinas Lagoon Advisory Council
and the proposed reduction of the number of annual meetings and the imposition
of term limits for Council members. Director Amoroso said he thought
the County already has acted to approve the new Council and the reduced number
of annual meetings, but he does not believe term limits were included.
After a brief discussion, staff agreed to inquire with Ralph Camiccia and
Rudi Ferris as to whether a letter of support from the district would still
be helpful.
On the wastewater side of operations, staff reported that spray season is
on-going. The district is experiencing record low flows from downtown
into the treatment ponds and the pond levels therefore are quite low for
this time of year. The staff has completed extensive mowing to maintain
and improve disposal field treatment area. As previously noted, staff
is endeavoring to get the electrical control panel upgrade project out to
bid and, later on the agenda, the Board will consider a staff audit of the
district’s Sewer System Management Plan. Finally, staff reported that
the State Water Resources control Board just issued proposed amendments to
the Sewer System Overflow Order (the order that established the requirement
that district’s adopt sewer system management plans); staff will report on
the proposed amendments at the next meeting.
-- Drainage Project Manager’s Report.
The Board reviewed a written report submitted by Drainage
Project Manager Lewie Likover.
4. Community Expression.
None.
5. Request for Financial Relief from Quarterly Metered
Water Delivery Bill pursuant to BCPUD Resolution 553 – 34 Terrace (A. Thompson).
Staff reported that Audrey Thompson
is unable to be present at the meeting, but staff spoke with her and learned
that when friends were staying at the house one weekend, water started to
gush out of the ceiling. A pipe had burst in the attic and it flooded
the master bedroom below. The friends called Charles Whitefield, who
repaired the broken pipe immediately. Director Kimball said that
this appears to be a blind leak and based on other comparable circumstances,
the Board has forgiven the amount of the bill attributable to the leak, based
on the historical three year average use of water at the property during
the same billing quarter in which the leak occurred.
B. Kimball/V. Amoroso four in favor,
director Smith absent to forgive the amount of the bill
attributable to the leak, based on the historical water use at the property
over the last three years during the same billing quarter.
6. BCPUD Sewer System Management Plan - 2012 Audit; Amendments
to BCPUD’s Sewer System Management Plan.
Staff reported that the entire Sewer System Management Plan (“SSMP”) was
evaluated by staff by implementing the audit procedures adopted by the Board.
As a result of the evaluation, staff is recommending small revisions to the
SSMP and the Board reviewed the proposed revisions.
B. Kimball/K. Bender four in favor,
director Smith absent to approve the 2012 audit of and
the proposed amendments to the district’s SSMP.
7. Update on Water Supply Augmentation Project.
Staff stated that there is no update on the project this month. The
district’s consulting hydro-geologist Rob Gailey is next scheduled for a
site visit in September to download and analyze data from the irrigation
well.
8. Resolution 616: Cites Board of Directors’ Choices for
Determining Fiscal Year 2012-13 Appropriations Limits.
K. Bender/V. Amoroso four in favor,
director Smith absent to approve Resolution 616.
9. Resolution 617: States District’s Appropriation
Limits for Fiscal Year 2012-13.
K. Bender/B. Kimball four in favor,
director Smith absent to approve Resolution 617.
10. Volunteer Committee Reports.
-- Alternative Energy: Nothing to report.
-- Bolinas Lagoon Technical Advisory Committee: Nothing further
to report.
-- Community Path Update: Director Kimball reported than on August
9, 2012, Cary Cherney supervised the installation of irrigation tubing (he
donated his time and secured the materials from donated funds) in the planted
bike path median along Olema-Bolinas Road. John Bryant, Walter Hoffman
and Bruce Bowser also volunteered their time to help with the installation.
Two sections of the planted median were then watered for approximately one
hour. Janine Aroyan and director Kimball watered two other sections
of the planted median the following week; the water moisture was measured
and it was determined that two hours of watering are necessary per section
(there are five sections of tubing now installed in the median).
Director Kimball further reported that a vegetation management plan has been
signed with PG&E to, among other things, replant the plants destroyed
by PG&E’s clearing last Fall. In addition, the median will
be planted with California wildflowers this Fall.
-- Downtown Parking & Traffic Committee: Nothing to report.
-- Resource Recovery: The Board reviewed a contract with Living Systems
Management Inc. to bring in goats to clear out vegetation on the hillside
behind the Resource Recovery Center.
-- West Marin Mosquito Control Coordinating Council: Director Kimball
noted that aerial spraying is occurring in Texas to combat an epidemic of
West Nile Virus there.
11. Other Business.
a. Board Committee Reports
-- Finance: Staff directed the Board’s attention to a revised
fixed asset schedule, revised and updated by staff and the district’s outside
bookkeeper in response to comments last year by the district’s auditors that
the district should conduct an annual review of the its fixed assets.
Staff reported that the field work for this year’s audit is scheduled for
October 4, 2012.
-- Legal: Nothing to report.
-- Mesa Septic, Flood Control and Roads: Nothing to report.
-- Operations: Nothing to report.
-- Park and Recreation: Director Siedman inquired
about the status of the state grant to fund the installation of a public
bathroom and irrigate the ballfields at Mesa Park. Staff
reported that the district has not heard back from the state in response
to the district’s submission of its request to amend the grant contract.
Director Siedman suggested it might be time to ask the local Assemblymember,
Jared Huffman, for assistance. Staff said it would be preferable
to continue to e-mail the project officer and/or have a Mesa Park representative
visit the project officer in Sacramento (which was very effective in the
past) before resorting to seeking help from Assemblymember Huffman.
-- Personnel: Director Siedman and director Kimball are continuing
to work on revisions to the district’s health care coverage and associated
changes to the Memorandum of Understanding. Director Kimball reported
that they have met with staff and also have filed an application with the
ACWA/JPIA Health Benefits Authority to move the district’s coverage there.
The open enrollment period takes place over the Fall, so the issues are timely.
The district also is working with a broker to help it set up a cafeteria
plan as part of the changeover of the health care plan.
-- Sewer: Nothing to report.
b. Minutes of the July 25, 2012 Regular Meeting.
Directors Amoroso and Kimball offered
small clarifying revisions to the draft minutes.
V. Amoroso/K. Bender four in favor, director Smith absent
to approve the minutes of the July 25, 2012 regular meeting, as amended.
c. Warrants
V. Amoroso/B. Kimball four in favor, director Smith absent
to approve the warrant list.
d. Scheduling of Next Meeting(s)
September 19, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
Jennie Pfieffer requested that the Board include an item
on the September meeting agenda to discuss third –party inspections of homeowner
photovoltaic arrays; there was no objection from the Board.
12. Adjournment.
8:30 p.m.