Loading...
Minutes - Board - 2020-05-12COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION MAY 12, 2020 NOTE: THIS MEETING WAS CONDUCTED UTILIZING TELECONFERENCING PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54952.2 AND THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDERS IN EFFECT WAIVING SOME OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THAT SECTION. Members present Arlene Schafer, Art Perry, Bob Ooten, Jim Ferryman, Mike Scheafer Members absent None Staff present Scott Carroll (General Manager), Noelani Middenway (District Clerk and Public Information Officer), Kaitlin Tran (Finance Manager), Dyana Bojarski (Administrative Services Manager), Michael Benesh (Interim District Engineer), Gina Terraneo (Management Analyst 11), Nabila Guzman (Management Analyst 1), Lieu Tran (Accountant), David Griffin (Facilities Maintenance Worker), Bao Vong (Engineering Technician), Tanisha Tingling (Administrative Assistant), Angela Colunga (Office Specialist) Others present None Meeting called to order at 9:30 A.M. A. OPENING ITEMS Procedural: 1. Roll Call - (If absences occur, consider whether to deem those absences excused based on facts presented for the absence — such determination shall be the permission required by law.) President Ferryman called the meeting to order at 9:30 A.M. District Clerk and Public Information Officer, Noelani Middenway, noted that President Ferryman, Vice President Ooten, Secretary Schafer, Director Scheafer, and Director Perry were present at this time. B. PUBLIC COMMENTS COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 2 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 12, 2020 Procedural: 1. Public Comments President Ferryman opened public comments. Ms. Middenway stated that the District received written public comments from District resident, Jim Mosher. She noted that a copy of his comments was circulated to the Board for review. Hearing no one wishing to address the Board, President Ferryman closed public comments. C. ITEMS OF STUDY Action, Receive and File: 1. April 2020 Code Enforcement Officer Report Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receive and file this report. General Manager, Scott Carroll, stated that there is no April 2020 Code Enforcement Officer report. He noted that the District's Code Enforcement Officer has been furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Director Scheafer inquired when the Code Enforcement Officer will resume his position. Mr. Carroll stated that when the State of California reaches Stage 3 of Governor Newsom's Executive Order regarding COVID-19, the District will reinstate the Code Enforcement Officer position. There was no further discussion. Action: 2. April 2020 Organics Tonnage Report Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receives and file this report. Mr. Carroll stated that there is no April 2020 Organics Tonnage Report to present. He noted that the District did not receive the necessary data from CR&R Environmental Services. He shared that the April and May 2020 Organics Tonnage Report will be presented at the June Study Session. There was no further discussion. Action, Receive and File: 3. April 2020 Solid Waste Diversion Report Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receives and file this report. Mr. Carroll stated that the Board approved placing a reprieve on presenting the Solid Waste Diversion Report until the District can ensure that the data from CR&R is accurate. There was no further discussion. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 3 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 12, 2020 Action, Receive and File: 4. Alkaline Battery Recycling Program — Final Report Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receive and file this report. Management Analyst I, Nabila Guzman, provided report details. She stated that the 2020 Battery Recycling Program contest was held from September 2019 through April 2020. She noted that the program had 23 schools register for the contest, but only 18 schools participated. She shared that the 18 schools collected a total of 10,162 pounds of batteries. She stated that Sonora Elementary won first place in the contest and received an award of $1,200. She mentioned that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the District was unable to provide award presentations at the schools. She shared that District staff posted a congratulatory message on its social media platforms. She noted that a total of $7,400 was awarded to the 18 schools for their collection efforts. She stated that $7,723.12 was the total cost for collection and disposal. She shared that the collection and disposal costs will be refunded by the Household Hazardous Waste grant that the District has received from CalRecycle. She noted that the District will receive the refund after June 2020. Secretary Schafer inquired if the District sent award certificates to each school. Ms. Guzman stated that the District sent out an email to all the schools after the final collection. She noted that the award checks have been mailed. Director Perry mentioned that schools may not be receiving mail due to the COVID- 19 pandemic. He suggested that the United States Postal Service (USPS) is most likely holding on to the mail since the schools are closed. President Ferryman inquired about how this year's results compared to last year's collection. Ms. Guzman stated that last year's program collected a total of 12,000 pounds of batteries. She noted that, due to COVID-19, the schools closed earlier than scheduled. She shared that most of the schools collect the bulk of their batteries in the final months of the program. Vice President Ooten inquired about the program's reward system. Ms. Guzman provided clarification for the program's reward system. Secretary Schafer expressed her support for all the schools that participated. There was no further discussion, and the report was received. Action: 5. Sewer Master Plan Update Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receive and file this report. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 4 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 12, 2020 Mr. Carroll stated that the 2020 Sewer Master Plan Update was initially presented to the Board in March 2020. He noted that District staff decided to review the Sewer Master Plan Update to address questions and concerns of the Board. Interim District Engineer, Michael Benesh, provided report details. He stated that the last Sewer Master Plan Update was completed in 2005. He noted that the current Sewer Master Plan includes the following assessments: sewer main and pump capacity, pump station capacity, the impact of accessory dwelling unit related density increases, sewer main calcium buildup, and ductile iron pipe (DIP) rehabilitation. He discussed the steps required to evaluate the District's sewer system's ability to process the expected ultimate flows. He reviewed the City of Costa Mesa's Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance, which took effect January 1, 2020, and the City of Newport Beach's Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance, which took effect April 20, 2020. He noted that the increase in density could result in over 21,300 additional dwelling units. He discussed the impact of the ordinances on the District's sewer system. He reviewed the progression and the causes of calcium buildup on the District's sewer system. He stated that special high-pressure nozzles have been used to successfully remove calcium deposits. He discussed the use of DIP sewer mains and their rehabilitation process. He noted that the District has less than one mile of DIP sewer main in the gravity system. He added that closed circuit televising (CCTV) of the District's sewer system identified 20 full length manhole to manhole segments, and 105 short partial segments of DIP. He stated that the estimated costs to increase the capacity of the District's sewer system are currently being evaluated. Secretary Schafer inquired about the lifetime of the District's sewer system's pipelines. Vice President Ooten discussed the issue of a developer building a project with an insufficient and undersized sewer capacity. He noted that such a project will require extra fees by the developer. He inquired about the effect rainfall has on producing calcium deposits on sewer laterals and segments that appear to be above the groundwater. Mr. Benesh stated that he has not made a determination on the calcium buildup on sewer segments that are exposed to rainfall. He noted that the sewer segments located under the groundwater table have a higher amount of calcium deposits. Vice President Ooten inquired about the State of California's regulations that prohibit chemical cleaning of a sewer system. Mr. Benesh stated that State and Federal regulations prohibit chemical cleaning. Director Scheafer inquired if the Cities of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach notify the District when they issue a permit for an additional dwelling unit. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 5 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 12, 2020 Mr. Benesh confirmed that both cities notify the District if a building permit that requires improvements to the District's sewer system has been processed. Director Scheafer stated that construction of additional dwelling units will most likely be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that he suspects additional dwelling units will primarily be developed in Eastside Costa Mesa. He inquired if the District requires CCTV footage of a resident's sewer lateral before issuing a sewer permit. Mr. Benesh stated that the District requires CCTV footage of a resident's sewer lateral for all on -site construction. Director Scheafer inquired about the calcium buildup located north of the 405 freeway on the western boundary of the City of Costa Mesa. He noted that a large residential project is being developed in that area. He asked how the calcium buildup in the District's sewer system will affect the new development. Mr. Benesh stated that any sewer built in that area has the potential to develop calcium buildup due to the groundwater inflow. He noted that, for that residential development, the previous District Engineer, Rob Hamers, issued a will -serve letter in 2016, which requires the development to build a 12-inch sewer main that connects to the Orange County Sanitation District's (OCSD) system. Mr. Carroll inquired about when the Sewer Master Plan will be finalized. Mr. Benesh stated that all the data has been collected. He noted that it will probably take two months to complete the final report. Vice President Ooten and Secretary Schafer expressed support for the Sewer Master Plan Update. Ms. Middenway read aloud Mr. Mosher's comments regarding the potential impact of accessory dwelling units. Vice President Ooten, Director Scheafer, and Secretary Schafer expressed disagreement with Mr. Mosher's comments. Director Scheafer stated that the Regional Housing Needs Assessment reports an increase in affordable housing for land use. There was no further discussion, and the report was received. Action: 6. Review and Discuss Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan Recommendation: That the Board of Directors provide feedback and suggestions to District staff. Mr. Carroll provided report details. He stated that District staff reviewed the recommendations from the Board regarding the Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 6 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 12, 2020 He discussed the revisions that have been incorporated. He reviewed the fourth element of the plan, which is Community Outreach and Communications. He read aloud the objective statement and discussed the associated strategies and action plans. Vice President Ooten suggested revising the completion time for the "Highlight Residents Promoting Sustainability" strategy. Management Analyst II, Gina Terraneo, provided an explanation for a style guide and how it will be used. Vice President Ooten inquired if the District's public outreach consultant, Tripepi Smith, will be creating the style guide for the District. Ms. Terraneo commented that it can be created by District staff and/or Tripepi Smith. Secretary Schafer inquired about the District's logo being added to the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce's publications. Ms. Terraneo stated that the District will send the Chamber of Commerce the District logo. She discussed the "Enhance Communications Platforms" strategy and the process of email marketing. Mr. Carroll continued discussing the action plans associated with each strategy for Community Outreach and Communications. Director Scheafer suggested a program which enables customers to send text messages to a landline phone number and converts the text message into an email message. Secretary Schafer asked when the District completed its most recent resident survey. Mr. Carroll stated that a District survey was completed at the beginning of the year. He noted that based on the results of the survey, the District hired Tripepi Smith to assist with public outreach. Vice President Ooten recommended revising the completion time for the "Conduct Community Outreach Survey" action plan in order to accurately evaluate the effect of Tripepi Smith's outreach efforts. Secretary Schafer recommended providing an information guide and tour of District facilities for local officials and legislators. Mr. Carroll proposed implementing an action to coordinate facility tours for elected officials. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 7 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 12, 2020 Vice President Ooten recommended promoting District programs through local officials and legislators. He suggested implementing a strategy for shared services and a strategy for acquiring new services. He recommended researching services that cause the City of Costa Mesa to lose money like multi -family trash service, storm drains maintenance, or street sweeping. Mr. Carroll recommended adding Vice President Ooten's suggested strategies to the Partnership element of the plan. Director Scheafer suggested including more strategies that focus on youth education. He recommended implementing a program that recognizes a student for their recycling efforts. President Ferryman recommended encouraging Orange Coast College to offer classes on wastewater and solid waste. Mr. Carroll shared that the District partners with Santiago Canyon College and participates in their job fairs. He noted that the District had an internship program with Santiago Canyon College in the past. He discussed the fifth element of the plan, which is Administrative Management. He read aloud the objective statement and reviewed the associated strategies and action plans. Administrative Services Manager, Dyana Bojarski, provided details for the "Plan Periodic Reviews and Updating of District Policies and Procedures" strategy. She noted that the District will be utilizing a new performance management software to assist with employee evaluations. Vice President Ooten recommended revising District personnel policies on an annual basis or as necessary. Mr. Carroll stated that District staff recommended revising such policies on an on- going basis in case the state or federal government issue new regulations. He discussed the sixth element of the plan, which is Human Resources Management. He read aloud the objective statement and reviewed the associated strategies and action plans. Vice President Ooten recommended revising the completion time for the "Succession Strategies" strategy to annually. He added that having employee surveys conducted every month might be too frequent. Ms. Bojarksi clarified that the monthly employee surveys will gather simple feedback on the District's work environment, events, and policies. She stated that an in-depth employee survey is conducted annually. Secretary Schafer inquired if the District has an employee suggestion box. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 8 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 12, 2020 Ms. Bojarski stated that the District has a safety -related suggestion box for employee recommendations and concerns. She reviewed the action plans associated with the "Employee Engagement" strategy and the "Provide Competitive Compensation, Benefits Package and Incentives" strategy. Vice President Ooten inquired if the "Special District Risk Management Authority (SDRMA) Performs On -Site Loss Control Visit and Risk Analysis" action plan includes office safety. Director Scheafer noted that SDRMA has an ergonomic program that is beneficial to office safety. He inquired about including SDRMA's $1,000 incentive for safety equipment to the "Provide a Safe Work Environment" strategy. Ms. Bojarski stated that the District submits paid invoices for safety -related items to SDRMA for reimbursement once a year. She noted that she will include it as an action plan. Secretary Schafer inquired about District staff mentorships with Orange Coast College employees in relation to the "Mentorships" strategy. Mr. Carroll clarified that the District's mentorship program focuses on District - related professions. He noted that the program is not for college students; it is for District employees. Ms. Bojarski provided details for the "Utilize Technology to Streamline Processes" strategy. Mr. Carroll discussed the seventh. element of the plan, which is Finance. He read aloud the objective statement and reviewed the associated strategies and action plans. Vice President Ooten recommended setting a specific completion time for the "Seek Alternative Revenue Sources" action plan within the "Adopt a Balanced Budget" strategy. Finance Manager, Kaitlin Tran, recommended setting the completion time as on- going since new grants and revenue sources can be established and explored at any time. Vice President Ooten recommended moving the "Asset Management" strategy in Finance to the Sewer Infrastructure element. Mr. Carroll discussed the eighth element of the plan, which is Emergency Preparedness. He read aloud the objective statement and reviewed the associated strategies and action plans. He provided additional explanation for the "Conduct a Feasibility Study to Install Batteries for the Photovoltaic Solar System at HQ" action plan. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 9 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 12, 2020 Director Scheafer recommended including an additional strategy for maintaining an emergency contact list for local agencies. Mr. Carroll shared that the District performs that task on a continual basis for their Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Ms. Middenway read aloud Mr. Mosherris comments regarding the Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan revisions. Mr. Carroll shared that the Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan will be presented to the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) for their suggestions. He stated that the final version of the plan will be presented at the June Regular Board meeting. There was no further discussion. D. CLOSING ITEMS Procedural: 1. Oral Communications and Director Comments There was no further discussion. Procedural: 2. Adjournment President Ferryman adjourned the meeting at 11:10 A.M. f �,/ 10, 1 James Ferryman