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Minutes - Board - 2020-05-06COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS SPECIAL MEETING MAY 6, 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 & Public Information Officer), Steve Cano (Wastewater Maintenance Superintendent), Dyana Bojarski (Administrative Services Manager), Kaitlin Tran (Finance Manager), Gina Terraneo (Management Analyst II), 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 9:02 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 9:02 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 Procedural: 1. Public Comments COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 2 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SPECIAL MEETING HELD MAY 612020 President Ferryman opened public comments. Hearing no one wishing to speak, he closed public comments. C. ITEMS OF DISCUSSION Procedural: 1. Authorize a Regular Voting Member and Alternative Voting Member for the Appointment Process and Nomination Period for the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) Regular Special District Member Seat and Consider Nominating a Candidate for the Regular Special District Member Seat Recommendation: That the Board of Directors authorize a regular voting member and alternative voting member for the appointment process and nomination period for the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) Regular Special District Member Seat and consider nominating a candidate for the Regular Special District Member Seat. General Manager, Scott Carroll, stated that the Board typically nominates the Board President as the Regular Voting Member and the Vice President as the Alternate Voting Member. He noted that the District must submit their appointees to LAFCO by the end of the current week. President Ferryman entertained a motion. Secretary Schafer and Director Perry stated that they move the motion for approval. Secretary Schafer stated that she nominates President Ferryman as the Regular Voting Member and Director Perry as the Alternate Voting Member. Director Perry stated that Vice President Ooten should be the Alternate Voting Member. Motion: To authorize President Ferryman as the Regular Voting Member and Vice President Ooten as the Alternative Voting Member for the appointment process and nomination period for the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) Regular Special District Member Seat. Motion: Arlene Schafer, second by Bob Ooten Final Resolution: Motion carries 5-0 Ayes: Arlene Schafer, Art Perry, Bob Ooten, Jim Ferryman, Mike Scheafer There was no further discussion. Procedural: 2. Review and Discuss Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan Recommendation: That the Board of Directors provide feedback and suggestions to staff. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 3 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SPECIAL MEETING HELD MAY 612020 Mr. Carroll presented the Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. He discussed the purpose of a strategic plan. He noted that the District's first strategic plan was developed for 2010-2015 and was titled, "Meeting and Exceeding the Public's Expectations." He added that the District's second strategic plan was developed for 2015-2020 and was titled, "Planning for A Better Tomorrow." He shared that the District received written comments from District resident, Jim Mosher, which will be read aloud throughout the meeting. He mentioned that District staff will not be covering the entire draft document at the current meeting. He added that District staff will continue the discussion at the May Study Session. He noted that the Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan will be shared with the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) at their May meeting. He stated that District staff will present the finalized version at the June Regular Board Meeting for approval. President Ferryman expressed support for presenting the document to the CAC for input. Mr. Carroll reviewed the Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan's vision statement. He described a vision statement to be inspirational and memorable. He discussed the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan's vision statement. He discussed Mr. Mosher's comments regarding the vision statement. He stated that District staffs interpretation of the word "contamination" refers to the act of polluting the environment with raw sewage and trash. Ms. Middenway read aloud Mr. Mosher 's comments regarding the vision statement. Mr. Carroll expressed that a vision statement should provide an outlook for a community's future. Director Perry stated that the word "contamination" should not be included in the vision statement. He requested that District staff discusses a word to replace it. Director Scheafer stated that the general public understands the meaning of contamination. Secretary Schafer recommended condensing the vision statement. She recommended revising it to reflect the District's communication efforts within the community. Vice President Ooten stated that "contamination" is not the proper word. He discussed the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan's mission statement. He added that the word "sustainable" is unnecessary. He recommended including words such as "community" and "safety." Secretary Schafer recommended that the vision statement should be "Protect the Health and Safety of the Community." COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 4 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SPECIAL MEETING HELD MAY 692020 Mr. Carroll emphasized that the statement needs to be a visualization. He noted that District staff will discuss revising the statement to replace the word "contamination." He reviewed the Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan's mission statement. He discussed the differences between a vision and mission statement. Director Perry and Secretary Schafer expressed their support for the mission statement. Vice President Ooten recommended for the vision statement to follow the mission statement rather than precede it. Mr. Carroll stated that the vision statement reflects the District's overall goal, while the mission statement describes how the District will achieve its goal. Director Scheafer stated that the mission statement is too broad and suggested that it be more directed at the District's community. Director Perry inquired about combining the mission and vision statements. Mr. Carroll clarified that it is necessary to keep both statements separate since the vision statement defines the District's overall goal. He discussed the District's core values which he described as distinct characteristics that define how the District operates. He noted that compared to the 2015-2020 core values, the 2020-2025 core values replaced "Technology" with "Professional Development." Vice President Ooten suggested that the core value of "Balance" should include a community aspect. Mr. Carroll stated that the core values are statements that hold District staff accountable to achieving the District's vision. He described how the District promotes a healthy work -life balance. He discussed the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan's eight elements. He noted that compared to the 2015-2020 elements, District staff replaced "Personnel Organizational Management" with "Human Resources Management and Development" and has added "Emergency Preparedness" to the 2020-2025 list of elements. Director Perry suggested reordering the list of elements based on importance. Mr. Carroll stated that all elements contain the same level of importance. He noted that all eight elements must be performed for the District to achieve its overall vision. Director Perry suggested listing "Emergency Preparedness" as the first element and "Finance" as the second element. Secretary Schafer expressed agreement with Director Perry's suggestion. She stated that "Emergency Preparedness" is the most important element. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 5 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SPECIAL MEETING HELD MAY 692020 Director Perry recommended discussing the order of the list with District staff. Mr. Carroll discussed the element of "Sewer Infrastructure" and its associated objective statement. Ms. Middenway read aloud Mr. Mosher's comments regarding the mission statement and the objective statement for Sewer Infrastructure. Vice President Ooten recommended condensing the objective statement. Director Scheafer commented that the objective statement indicates that the District is solely trying to prevent sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). Mr. Carroll stated that achieving zero SSOs is the biggest goal for Sewer Infrastructure. Vice President Ooten commented that there are about ten reasons that highlight the District's objective of maintaining an optimal wastewater collection system and that preventing SSOs is just one of the ten reasons. Mr. Carroll and Vice President Ooten discussed the strategies relating to Sewer Infrastructure. Vice President Ooten shared his comments regarding the District's Asset Management System. President Ferryman inquired about the finances necessary to perform certain Sewer Infrastructure strategies. Director Perry expressed his support for Vice President Ooten's revision of the objective statement. Mr. Carroll discussed the action plans associated with each strategy for Sewer Infrastructure. Director Perry inquired about the number of wastewater staff members per cleaning crew. Wastewater Maintenance Superintendent, Steve Cano, stated that there are two wastewater staff members per cleaning crew. Director Perry inquired if a cleaning crew consists of one closed circuit television (CCTV) operator and one wastewater maintenance worker. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 6 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SPECIAL MEETING HELD MAY 612020 Mr. Cano stated that the wastewater staff only performs a CCTV if it is necessary. He recommended having a full-time CCTV operator on staff to increase the efficiency of wastewater maintenance. Director Perry inquired about the wastewater staff's work schedule. Mr. Cano confirmed that the wastewater staff is currently on a 9/80 work schedule. Mr. Carroll stated that District staff would discuss budgeting for an additional wastewater truck and cleaning crew during the next budget cycle for fiscal year 2021-2022. Vice President Ooten stated that the decision to purchase an additional wastewater truck and hiring another cleaning crew would have to be approved by the Board. President Ferryman inquired about the number of wastewater trucks the District currently owns. Mr. Cano noted that the District has two wastewater cleaning trucks. Mr. Carroll confirmed that District staff will present these matters to the Board for approval. Vice President Ooten suggested reformatting the "Maintain the Asset Management System" strategy to include more action plans. He commented that the action plans for the "Replace Infrastructure Before Reaching the End of Its Life Cycle" strategy should be included under the "Maintain the Asset Management System" strategy. He discussed the action plan regarding the replacement of ductile iron pipes in the sewer system. He suggested replacing the word "sets" with "covers" when referring to iron manholes and revising the "Clean Lift Station Wet Wells to Control Odor" strategy to include the phrase "collection system" to define the type of odor. Ms. Middenway read aloud Mr. Mosher 's comments regarding the District's Fats Oils and Grease (FOG) Program. Mr. Carroll continued discussing the action plans associated with each strategy for Sewer Infrastructure. Mr. Cano explained that Granite XP is a software system that records video footage and reports. Ms. Middenway read aloud Mr. Mosher's comments regarding the "Closed Circuit Televise (CCTV) Pipeline" strategy, the "Audit and Update the Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP)" strategy and the "Inventory Equipment and Replacement Parts" strategy. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 7 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SPECIAL MEETING HELD MAY 612020 Mr. Cano provided clarification for the action plan regarding the Environmental Engineering Consulting (EEC) work orders necessary to plug manholes. Director Perry inquired if the District can plug manholes located at the Fairgrounds property and Newport Mesa Unified School District properties. Mr. Carroll stated that the District needs to locate the sewer connections before plugging manholes. Directory Perry suggested seeking permission to plug all manholes at the properties. Secretary Schafer inquired about the completion time regarding the plugging of manholes. Mr. Carroll suggested removing the "Make Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Data Remotely Accessible" strategy since it has already been completed. Ms. Middenway read aloud Mr. Mosher's comments regarding CCTV, the "Provide Education and Training to Staff' strategy, and the "Inventory Equipment and Replacement Parts" strategy. Director Perry asked how often the District's Engineering Technician will be performing inspections. Mr. Carroll stated that he will perform all required inspections. He added that the District is implementing an online booking system for contractors to schedule their inspections. Engineering Technician, Bao Vong, stated that he will be coordinating inspections with Bob Martinez of Robin B. Hamers & Associates. Director Perry inquired if Mr. Vong is equipped to perform inspections. Mr. Vong confirmed that he is prepared to perform inspections and that he is working with Mr. Martinez to better understand critical projects. Vice President Ooten inquired if Mr. Vong is still working with Robin B. Hamers & Associates and if he is pursuing the necessary certification. Mr. Vong stated that he is completing his final course for his Public Works Certificate at Santiago Canyon College. He noted that he plans on continuing to work with Mr. Martinez. Director Scheafer recommended that the District purchases an electric work vehicle for Mr. Vong to perform inspections. He inquired about Mr. Vong utilizing the Code Enforcement vehicle. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 8 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SPECIAL MEETING HELD MAY 612020 Mr. Carroll recommended having a separate vehicle for each position. He noted that the District has budgeted for the purchase of an electric vehicle for inspections. President Ferryman issued a ten-minute break. The meeting resumed at 10:20 A.M. Mr. Carroll discussed the second element of the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan which is Solid Waste. He read aloud the objective statement for Solid Waste. Director Perry, President Ferryman, and Secretary Schafer expressed support for the objective statement. Director Scheafer suggested revising the statement to reflect the District's effort to provide solid waste services at an affordable rate. Mr. Carroll reviewed the strategies to achieve the District's objective for Solid Waste. Vice President Ooten inquired about the strategy regarding the District's Large Item Collection Program. Mr. Carroll stated that District staff listed the program as a strategy to focus on increasing participation. Secretary Schafer inquired about the District's American Flag Drop Box. Mr. Carroll discussed the action plans associated with each strategy for Solid Waste. Management Analyst 1, Nabila Guzman, commented on the "Collect Sharps and Pharmaceuticals" strategy. She stated that pharmaceuticals can only be collected at public agencies, thus, preventing the District from establishing a drop box at local pharmacies. She noted that the District can expand their collection of sharps by placing drop boxes at Costa Mesa City Hall and local fire stations. Director Scheafer inquired about placing a drop box at the Costa Mesa Senior Center. Ms. Guzman shared that the District currently has a drop box at that location. She added that the Senior Center requested to not advertise the drop box to the public. She noted that its purpose is to serve the guests of the Senior Center. Director Perry recommended that District staff place a drop box at the new Mesa Verde Pharmacy. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 9 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SPECIAL MEETING HELD MAY 612020 Mr. Carroll continued reviewing the actions plans associated each Solid Waste strategy. Ms. Guzman provided details for the "Biomass Conversion of Solid Waste Material" strategy. President Ferryman and Director Scheafer discussed the South Coast Air Quality Management District's (AQMD) knowledge of biomass conversion of solid waste materials. Mr. Carroll recommended discussing the "Biomass Conversion of Solid Waste Material" strategy at a future Study Session. Director Scheafer stated that biomass conversion will increase the District's diversion rate. Ms. Guzman shared the specific types of solid waste materials that are eligible for biomass conversion. Director Scheafer and Vice President Ooten discussed the matter of CalRecycle recognizing biomass conversion as means of waste diversion. Director Perry inquired about other agencies that are utilizing biomass conversion. Mr. Carroll stated that there are currently no agencies using this method. He continued reviewing the action plans associated with each Solid Waste strategy. Secretary Schafer asked about how residents submit their requests for Code Enforcement. Mr. Carroll stated that most requests are submitted online through GovOutreach rather than submitted over the phone. Ms. Middenway noted that District staff inputs all phone call requests into GovOutreach to track their status. Mr. Carroll discussed the third element of the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, which is Partnerships. He read aloud the objective statement for Partnerships. He reviewed the strategies to achieve the District's objective for Partnerships. Secretary Schafer inquired about the District's Alkaline Battery Recycling Program. Mr. Carroll noted that the program is listed in the Community Outreach & Communications element. He discussed the action plans associated with each strategy for Partnerships. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 10 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SPECIAL MEETING HELD MAY 612020 ........._.._ Ms. Guzman provided clarification for the action plans associated with the "Build Relationships with Local Agencies, Small Businesses, and Non -Profit Agencies to Promote Sustainable Practices" strategy. Director Perry inquired about the Large Item Collection Program. He asked how local furniture stores dispose of used furniture. Ms. Guzman stated that the Large Item Collection Program is included in the District's contract with CR&R Environmental Services. President Ferryman stated that furniture stores typically hire private companies to collect unwanted furniture. Director Perry recommended reviewing the Large Item Collection Program with CR&R before advertising it at local furniture stores. Mr. Carroll continued discussing the action plans associated with each strategy for Partnerships. Vice President Ooten expressed support for establishing a partnership with local realtors. Secretary Schafer suggested providing the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce with the District's seal so it can be added to their publications. She noted that the District is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce. She inquired about the District posting announcements on the City of Costa Mesa's public television channel. Mr. Carroll stated that he will look into sharing District announcements on the City's television channel. Director Scheafer recommended implementing a strategy that focuses on the District's partnership with the Orange Coast College (OCC) Recycling Center. He discussed the City of Costa Mesa's COVID-19 task force and asked why the District is not on the task force. Mr. Carroll suggested that the Board discuss the matter with the Costa Mesa City Council and other elected officials. Mr. Vong provided clarification for the action plan associated with the "Work with The Cities of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach to Enhance Services" strategy. Vice President Ooten recommended appointing a Board member and a District staff member to serve as a liaison for LAFCO. Mr. Carroll stated that Peter Whittingham of Faubel Public Affairs attends LAFCO meetings on behalf of the District. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 11 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SPECIAL MEETING HELD MAY 612020 Director Perry inquired if the District requires Robin B. Hamers & Associates to coordinate with the City of Costa Mesa's permit process. Mr. Carroll stated that the District's Engineering Technician attends the City of Costa Mesa's Development Review Committee meetings. He noted that he will discuss the matter with the District's Engineer. Director Perry recommended that a representative of Robin B. Hamers & Associates attends the City of Costa Mesa's Development Review Committee meetings on the District's behalf. Secretary Schafer inquired about the City of Costa Mesa's Development Services department. Mr. Vong stated that, unlike the City of Newport Beach, the City of Cosa Mesa does not require its customers to pull a sewer permit from the District before they issue a building permit. Vice President Ooten recommended that the District discuss the "Work with The Cities of Costa Mesa and Newport beach to Enhance Services" strategy with the Liaison Committee. Director Scheafer inquired about the unincorporated areas of Orange County in the District's service area. Mr. Vong stated that the County of Orange informs its customers to contact the District to pull their sewer permits. Mr. Carroll continued discussing the action plans associated with each strategy for Partnerships. Secretary Schafer commented on the "Educate Students Enrolled in Learning Institutions" strategy and recommended providing a video that promotes District services. Mr. Carroll and Vice President Ooten stated that students' engagement would be increased if the District's wastewater trucks and staff visited the schools. Director Scheafer recommended coordinating with CR&R to attend elementary school visits with a trash truck. Mr. Carroll completed the review of the Partnerships element and inquired if the Board would prefer to continue their discussion of the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan at a future meeting. The Board expressed agreement with Mr. Carroll's suggestion. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 12 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SPECIAL MEETING HELD MAY 612020 Mr. Carroll noted that the discussion will continue at the Study Session scheduled for Tuesday, May 12, 2020. Director Perry recommended that Vice President Ooten review the Board's revisions and suggestions for the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan with District staff. Mr. Carroll stated that Vice President Ooten can submit written edits for District staff to review and incorporate. There was no further discussion. D. CLOSING ITEMS Procedural: 1. Oral Communications and Director Comments There was no discussion. Procedural: 2. Adjournment President Ferryman adjourned the meeting at 11:01 A.M. Arlene Schafer Secretary James Ferryman President