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Minutes - CAC - 2019-09-18COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 CAC Members present Mike Carey, Andrew Nielson, Elodie Katz, Judith Takaya, Mike Mcllroy, Monte Fields, Phil Marsh CAC Members absent Albert M. Graham Jr., Judith Gielow, Sue Lester, Steven Takahashi Board Members present Arlene Schafer, Mike Scheafer Staff present Scott Carroll (General Manager), Noelani Middenway (District Clerk and Public Information Officer), Gina Terraneo (Management Analyst II), Nabila Guzman (Management Analyst 1) Others present Adam Probolsky (Probolsky Research) Meeting called to order at 6:02 P.M. A. OPENING ITEMS Procedural: 1. Call to Order Chair Carey called the meeting to order at 6:02 P.M. Procedural: 2. Roll Call District Clerk and Public Information Officer, Noelani Middenway, conducted roll call and noted that Chair Carey and Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) Members Nielson, Katz, Takaya, Mcllroy, Fields, and Marsh were present at this time. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 2 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 Procedural: 3. Public Comments Chair Carey opened public comments. Seeing no members of the public present and wishing to speak, he closed public comments. B. ITEM Action, Minutes: 1. Approve the Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of July 17, 2019 Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee approves the meeting minutes as presented. Chair Carey presented the minutes of the July 17, 2019 CAC Meeting and welcomed discussion. Motion: To approve the meeting minutes as presented. Motion by Andrew Nielson, second by Elodie Katz. Final Resolution: Motion Carries 7-0-4 Aye: Mike Carey, Andrew Nielson, Elodie Katz, Judith Takaya, Mike Mcliroy, Monte Fields, Phil Marsh Nay: None Not Present: Albert M. Graham Jr., Judith Gielow, Sue Lester, Steven Takahashi There was no discussion. Minutes: 2. Approved Board of Directors Regular Meeting Minutes of July 25, 2019 Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee receives and files the report. Chair Carey presented the approved minutes of the July 25, 2019 Board of Directors meeting and welcomed discussion. CAC Member Nielson asked if anything notable took place during this meeting. General Manager, Scott Carroll, shared that the Board of Directors approved a $500 contribution to Second Chance Orange County's Gala. He noted that District staff provided the Board of Directors with an update regarding the emergency siphon work on Bristol Street. He commented that the project has been challenging, and he reported that the work is not yet complete. Mr. Carroll also noted that the October Board Meeting was rescheduled to October 29th, because he will be out of town the previous week for an International City/County Management Association (ICMA) conference. Lastly, he shared that the Board was given a report about the smoke testing that will begin on October 14th. He added that notices are being distributed now and District staff will share the results of the smoke testing when it is complete. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 3 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 There was no further discussion and the report was received. Minutes: 3. Draft Board of Directors Regular Meeting Minutes of August 22, 2019 Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee receives and files the report. Chair Carey presented the draft minutes of the August 22, 2019 Board of Directors meeting and welcomed discussion. CAC Member Nielson asked if anything notable took place during this meeting. Mr. Carroll shared that the Board of Directors approved the rental of District generators by the Costa Mesa Newport Harbor Lions Club for their upcoming Fish Fry event. He noted that the Board also approved an agreement with the City of Newport Beach to address properties that are outside of the District's boundaries but are tied into the District's wastewater collection system. He added that this item will be brought back to the Board of Directors early next year to move forward with the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) process. There was no further discussion and the report was received. Action: 4.2019 Citizen Survey Questions Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee receives and files the report. Mr. Carroll shared that the District is conducting a Citizen Survey to engage with residents and find out if there are areas that they believe need to be improved. He noted that the District conducted similar surveys in 2012 and 2016. Mr. Carroll asked that the CAC review the proposed survey questions and provide feedback. Management Analyst I, Nabila Guzman, shared that the District went out to bid for the survey services and received 3 proposals. She noted that the winning bid came from Probolsky Research, and they will be conducting a 20-minute survey with 500 District residents in English, Spanish, or Vietnamese. She added that services will also include an online focus group with 11 participants who will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the District's outreach efforts. Ms. Guzman noted that the proposed list of questions is too extensive for the 20- minute survey, and District staff is looking for feedback and recommendations from the CAC. Adam Probolsky of Probolsky Research noted that the draft survey was created based upon past surveys that the District has done, along with the inclusion of questions related to the District's current priorities. He welcomed questions, feedback, and ideas. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 4 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 CAC Member Nielson asked what the focuses of the 2012 and 2016 surveys were. Mr. Carroll noted that the 2012 survey was the catalyst for the Organics Recycling Program, and it sought to gage whether residents were willing to participate in such a program and whether they would be willing to pay higher rates for such a program. He explained that the 2016 survey focused on residents' satisfaction level and whether they believed that the District should remain independent or be consolidated with another agency. Mr. Probolsky commented that it is common for agencies to conduct regular surveys as a management tool. CAC Member Nielson asked how many residents Probolsky Research will have to contact in order to get 500 survey respondents. Mr. Probolsky noted that Probolsky Research has an incidence rate of about 20- 37%. He explained that they email and call people (via land line and cell phone). He added that they can choose their language preference. CAC Member Marsh asked how the respondents are distributed throughout the community. Mr. Probolsky explained that Probolsky Research uses a stratified methodology to ensure that respondents vary by age, gender, geography, and customer type. Chair Carey asked if the respondents will be residential and business (commercial) customers. Mr. Probolsky noted that residents will be included in the survey, but he noted that it is possible for the residents to be business owners within the District. CAC Member Fields asked how Probolsky Research considers contacting a respondent online as opposed to by phone. Mr. Probolsky noted that an email is sent out first, then Probolsky Research contacts respondents by phone to make up the difference between the number of surveys completed online and the total number of surveys needed. CAC Member Katz asked how Probolsky Research obtains residents' contact information. Mr. Probolsky noted that they obtain contact information through consumer databases. CAC Member Katz asked how Probolsky Research selects respondents. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 5 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 Mr. Probolsky noted that a random stratification is taken from the total list of possible respondents, and then quotas are met for age, gender, and geography. CAC Member Katz verified that the respondents will be representative of the District's service area. CAC Member Marsh asked if multi -family solid waste customers will be contacted. Mr. Probolsky responded that he has yet to have that conversation with District staff. He noted that if multi -family customers are contacted, the survey questions may have to be altered to be applicable to them. CAC Member Fields asked why the District chose to have 500 respondents instead of 1,000. Mr. Carroll explained that 500 respondents can provide an accurate sample. He noted that the cost goes up as you add more respondents. He added that in 2012, the District decided to increase the number of respondents in order to strengthen the survey findings. Mr. Probolsky confirmed that 500 respondents is a good sample size for the District's service area size. Chair Carey asked what the timeline of the survey will be Mr. Probolsky noted that the District is looking to have the survey complete before the end of the year, and he noted that the focus group will be conducted prior to the survey. Chair Carey confirmed that the CAC can send feedback directly to District staff. Mr. Carroll noted that the District will need to receive the feedback soon. Mr. Probolsky explained that the focus group will take place online, and participants will be given the opportunity to see videos and brochures. He noted that the participants can also submit pictures or videos to help answer questions. He shared that District staff can add ideas and questions throughout the focus group process, and this allows the District to obtain qualitative information. Additionally, he noted that focus groups can often provide insight into the language that residents use when discussing the District, so that the District can match that language when producing public outreach materials. CAC Member Katz asked how participants are chosen for the focus group. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 6 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 Mr. Probolsky noted that they are chosen randomly. He added that the focus group will be conducted in English. CAC Member Nielson commented that questions 32 and 33 seem to carry selective bias. He noted that the questions do not address the costs of in-house staff as opposed to private contractors, and he suggested that this information be added. CAC Member Katz commented that the script introduction does not specify that the survey is being conducted for the District. Mr. Probolsky noted that their goal is to make the respondent more comfortable by emphasizing that the caller is from a private research company and the respondent's individual answers are confidential. CAC Member Katz commented that her initial reaction was that respondents might assume that the call is a scam and hang up. CAC Member Marsh indicated agreement. Mr. Probolsky noted that if they hung up, then the caller can move on to the next individual on the list of respondents. CAC Member Katz confirmed that the online (email) survey does not initially specify that the survey is being conducted for the District. Mr. Probolsky provided an overview of the online survey process. He explained that he wants to make the respondents feel comfortable and prevent bias by letting the respondent know that the survey is being done by a 3rd party rather than by District representatives. He noted that Probolsky Research is not being asked to disseminate information on the District's behalf, but rather to gather information about what residents think. CAC Member Katz confirmed that respondents are not told how long the survey will take. CAC Member Nielson verified that District staff welcomes feedback regarding the prioritization of questions. He asked if Probolsky Research plans to use decision trees to guide the surveys. Mr. Probolsky noted that they do not. He explained that each respondent will be asked all the questions to maintain consistency. CAC Member Nielson suggested that the District prioritize questions about the Large Item Collection Program and the Door-to-door Household Hazardous COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 7 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 Waste Collection Program, since these are programs that are beneficial to residents. CAC Member, Fields confirmed that there is no instance in which the survey cost would increase. Director Scheafer commented that he believes the overwhelming majority of residents interact with the District primarily in relation to solid waste (as opposed to wastewater). He indicated that his preference is to prioritize questions about solid waste collection in order to get feedback about residents' satisfaction with CR&R's service. CAC Member Marsh indicated agreement and suggested adding a question such as, "Do you know all the services that CMSD provides?" Chair Carey indicated agreement as well. He commented that residents are asking more questions about solid waste, recycling, and special programs. Secretary Schafer commented that some residents are not aware of the Large Item Collection Program. CAC Member Takaya indicated agreement. CAC Member Katz confirmed that residents cannot volunteer to take the survey. Chair Carey confirmed that CAC members are not exempt from the survey, if they are randomly selected. CAC Member Fields asked if Probolsky Research will be using the District's customer database for the survey. Mr. Probolsky noted that it is not likely that they will need to use this data, but this will be discussed with District staff. CAC Member Katz suggested that the word "requires" be replaced in question #30, since the District does not require residents to separate food scraps. CAC Member Nielson suggested that the word "encourages" replace "requires." There was no further discussion. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 8 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 Action: 5. Consider Appointing two Citizens Advisory Committee members to serve on the Solid Waste Ad Hoc Committee Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee appoint two members to serve on the Solid Waste Ad Hoc Committee. Mr. Carroll shared that the Board of Directors directed staff to create a Solid Waste Ad Hoc Committee at their September 10th Study Session. He noted that the Board is considering appointing Vice President Ooten and Director Scheafer to the Committee, and they are requesting that the CAC appoint 2 members also. He added that the Committee will determine how frequently they would like to meet, and their meetings will be open to the public and subject to the Brown Act. CAC Member Katz asked if the Committee has any goals. Mr. Carroll noted that no goals have been set yet; however, the Committee will set their goals once formed. Chair Carey asked how long the Committee is expected to meet. Mr. Carroll noted that he is unsure, but that District Ad Hoc Committees typically convene for between 6 months to a year. CAC Members Katz and Fields indicated interest in being appointed to the Committee. Motion: To appoint Citizens Advisory Committee Members Elodie Katz and Monte Fields to the Solid Waste Ad Hoc Committee. Motion by Andrew Nielson, second by Mike Mcllroy. Final Resolution: Motion Carries 7-0-4 Aye: Mike Carey, Andrew Nielson, Elodie Katz, Judith Takaya, Mike Mcllroy, Monte Fields, Phil Marsh Nay: None Not Present: Albert M. Graham Jr., Judith Gielow, Sue Lester, Steven Takahashi There was no further discussion. Action, Receive and File: 6. 75th Anniversary Open House & State of the District Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee receives and files the report. Mr. Carroll shared that the District is hosting a 75th Anniversary Open House and State of the District event on Saturday, October 12th from 9:00 to 11:00 A.M. He noted that the event will feature department booths, wastewater equipment demonstrations, a bounce house, and a presentation about District accomplishments and future projects. Mr. Carroll added that Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie -Norris and Senator Moorlach will be attending the event, and he explained event parking options. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 9 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 CAC Member Fields asked if the District has hosted an open house within the last 5 years. Mr. Carroll noted that the District has hosted an Open House and State of the District annually since 2016. He noted that this year's event will likely have higher attendance since it is the first to be held on a Saturday. Chair Carey requested copies of the event flyer to display. There was no further discussion and the report was received. Action: 7. Special Districts Week Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee recommend the Board of Directors adopt Resolution No. 2019-924 proclaiming the week of September 22-28, 2019 to be Special Districts Week. Mr. Carroll shared that the State Legislature passed Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 89, which recognizes September 22nd to 28th as Special Districts Week. He noted that this week corresponds with the California Special Districts Association's 50th Anniversary and their Annual Conference. Mr. Carroll shared that the District will be creating a press release, disseminating information about Special Districts Week on social media, and District staff is recommending the adoption of Resolution No. 2019-924. CAC Member Nielson inquired about the significance of the resolution. Mr. Carroll explained that the resolution is a ceremonial matter, and the District will use its platform to spread awareness about Special Districts Week. Motion: To recommend that the Board of Directors adopt Resolution No. 2019- 924 proclaiming the week of September 22-28, 2019 to be Special Districts Week. Motion by Monte Fields, second by Elodie Katz. Final Resolution: Motion Carries 7-0-4 Aye: Mike Carey, Andrew Nielson, Elodie Katz, Judith Takaya, Mike Mcllroy, Monte Fields, Phil Marsh Nay: None Not Present: Albert M. Graham Jr., Judith Gielow, Sue Lester, Steven Takahashi There was no further discussion. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 10 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 C. CLOSING ITEMS Procedural: 1. Committee Member & Staff Comments Chair Carey congratulated the District on the award they received from the California Resource Recovery Association for their Door-to-door Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program. Procedural: 2. Adjournment Chair Carey adjourned the meeting at 6:54 P.M. Mike Carey Citizens Advisory Committee Ctir