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Minutes - CAC - 2020-05-13 COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING MAY 13, 2020 (TELECONFERENCE MEETING VIA ZOOM) 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. CAC Members present Daniel Baume, Mike Carey, Dickie Fernández, Monte Fields, Judy Gielow, Seth Greiner, Elodie Katz, Phil Marsh, Andrew Nielson, Judy Takaya CAC Members absent Sue Lester Board Members present Arlene Schafer Staff present Scott Carroll (General Manager), Noelani Middenway (District Clerk and Public Information Officer), Gina Terraneo (Management Analyst II), Nabila Guzman (Management Analyst I) Others present None Meeting called to order at 6:06 P.M. A. OPENING ITEMS Procedural: 1. Call to Order CAC Chair Carey called the meeting to order at 6:06 P.M. Procedural: 2. Roll Call District Clerk and Public Information Officer, Noelani Middenway, conducted roll call. She noted that Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) Members Baume, Carey, Fernández, Fields, Gielow, Greiner, Katz, Marsh, Nielson and Takaya were present, while CAC Member Lester was not present. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 2 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 13, 2020 _____________________________________________________________________ Procedural: 3. Public Comments - Speakers will be limited to three minutes. The three minutes per speaker time allotted may be extended for good cause by a majority vote of the committee. Chair Carey welcomed the new CAC members. He opened public comments. He noted that the CAC received written comments from District resident, Jim Mosher. Seeing no members of the public present and wishing to speak, he closed public comments. B. ITEMS Action, Minutes: 1. Appointment of Chair and Vice Chair Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee appoint a Chair and Vice Chair. Ms. Middenway introduced new CAC Members Baume, Fernández, and Greiner. She stated that a CAC Chair and Vice Chair are appointed every two years. CAC Member Gielow inquired if a member can nominate someone who is currently serving as the CAC Chair or Vice Chair. She stated that she nominates Chair Carey to remain as the CAC Chair. Ms. Middenway confirmed CAC Member Gielow’s statement. CAC Chair Carey encouraged other members to consider serving as CAC Chair. He noted that he has served as the CAC Chair for two years. Motion: To appoint Mike Carey as Chair. Motion by Judy Gielow, second by Phil Marsh. Final Resolution: Motion carries 9-0-1-1 Ayes: Daniel Baume, Dickie Fernández, Monte Fields, Judy Gielow, Seth Greiner, Elodie Katz, Phil Marsh, Andrew Nielson, Judy Takaya No: None Abstain: Mike Carey Not Present: Sue Lester CAC Member Nielson nominated CAC Member Katz for Vice Chair and opened his nomination for discussion. CAC Member Katz stated that the Board appointed her to serve a one-year term. She inquired if her term would affect her appointment as CAC Vice Chair. General Manager, Mr. Carroll, stated that she can serve as CAC Vice Chair during her one-year term. He noted that the Board may re-appoint her to serve another term at the end of her current term. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 3 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 13, 2020 _____________________________________________________________________ Motion: To appoint Elodie Katz as Vice Chair. Motion by Andrew Nielson, second by Mike Carey. Final Resolution: Motion carries 9-0-1-1 Ayes: Daniel Baume, Mike Carey, Dickie Fernández, Monte Fields, Judy Gielow, Seth Greiner, Elodie Katz, Andrew Nielson, Judy Takaya No: None Abstain: Phil Marsh Not Present: Sue Lester CAC Chair Carey stated that he encourages all CAC Members to review the CAC guidelines and handbook. There was no further discussion. Minutes, Receive and File: 2. Approved Board of Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of March 11, 2020 Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee approves the meeting minutes as presented. CAC Chair Carey presented the CAC meeting minutes of March 11, 2020 and welcomed discussion or a motion. Motion: To approve the Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of March 11, 2020. Motion by Elodie Katz, second by Andrew Nielson. Final Resolution: Motion carries 6-0-4-1 Ayes: Daniel Baume, Mike Carey, Monte Fields, Elodie Katz, Andrew Nielson, Judy Takaya No: None Abstain: Dickie Fernández, Judy Gielow, Phil Marsh, Seth Greiner Not Present: Sue Lester There was no further discussion. Minutes, Receive and File: 3. Alkaline Battery Recycling Program – Final Report Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee receives and files the report. Management Analyst I, Nabila Guzman, presented 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 a total of 10,162 pounds of batteries were collected. 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 COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 4 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 13, 2020 _____________________________________________________________________ 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. CAC Chair Carey expressed his congratulations to Sonora Elementary and thanked District staff for posting an online congratulatory message. He thanked Mercury Disposal for their involvement in the Alkaline Battery Recycling Program. CAC Member Nielson stated that the District received positive feedback from Killybrooke Elementary for the program. He noted that the District’s program inspired Killybrooke Elementary to establish an Environmental Council. He expressed recognition for District staff. Secretary Schafer stated that District staff and Board members were not able to present the awards this year. Ms. Guzman commented that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and distance learning, the District was unable to visit each participating school. She noted that the award checks have been mailed. CAC Member Baume inquired about the number of participating schools. Ms. Guzman stated that any school within the District’s service area can participate and that she contacts all schools before the program starts. She stated that she does not know the exact amount of schools located within the District’s service area. She noted that the staff report includes details regarding the participating schools. CAC Chair Carey 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 because the schools closed earlier than scheduled, this year’s collection decreased slightly. There was no further discussion, and the report was received. Action: 4. Sewer Master Plan Update Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee receives and files this report. Mr. Carroll requested to place this agenda item on hold. He recommended that the CAC discusses the Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan since the District hopes to adopt the new plan by the end of June 2020. He noted that the Sewer Master COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 5 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 13, 2020 _____________________________________________________________________ Plan Update was presented to the Board at their Study Session on May 12, 2020 and that the meeting was recorded for the public to review. CAC Chair Carey accepted Mr. Carroll’s request and stated that the CAC will discuss the Sewer Master Plan Update at a future meeting. There was no further discussion. Action: 5. Review and Discuss Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee provide feedback and suggestions to staff. Mr. Carroll provided report details. He shared 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 stated that District staff provided input for the new proposed plan and presented it to the Board at their Special Meeting on May 6, 2020 and Study Session on May 12, 2020. He mentioned that District staff will not be covering the entire draft document at the current meeting. He mentioned that the CAC has a policy that committee meetings are not to exceed 7:30 p.m. He recommended scheduling a second meeting to cover the entirety of the Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan in May 2020 or early June 2020. He reviewed the plan’s discussion points. He discussed the Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan’s vision statement and the Board’s recommended revisions. He noted that a vision statement should provide an outlook for a community’s future. CAC Chair Carey expressed support for the vision statement. CAC Member Gielow inquired if the vision statement refers to saltwater or all waterways. Mr. Carroll confirmed that it refers to all waterways. He discussed the Draft 2020- 2025 Strategic Plan’s mission statement. He stated that a mission statement is more concrete and action-oriented than a vision statement. He noted that the mission statement describes the purpose of the vision statement. CAC Member Gielow expressed support for the mission statement. CAC Member Baume discussed the word “preserve” in the mission statement and noted that the public may have different interpretations for its meaning. CAC Member Fernández inquired about the District’s methods for achieving its vision and mission statement. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 6 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 13, 2020 _____________________________________________________________________ Mr. Carroll stated that the strategies are explained in the Core Values section of the plan. CAC Member Fernández recommended eliminating the word “preserve” from the mission statement. CAC Member Gielow expressed support for the mission statement as it was presented. Mr. Carroll discussed the Core Values of the Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. CAC Chair Carey expressed support for the Core Values. Mr. Carroll review the eight elements of the Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. He noted that “Emergency Preparedness” is the newest element. CAC Member Baume recommended formatting the elements as strategy building blocks. CAC Member Fields expressed support for strategy building blocks. He suggested formatting the list of elements as a lettered list rather than a numbered list. Mr. Carroll discussed the objective statement and strategies of the Sewer Infrastructure element. CAC Member Katz inquired if the Sewer Master Plan is included in the list of strategies. Mr. Carroll stated that the Sewer Master Plan is listed as an action plan within a specific strategy. CAC Member Fernández suggested revising the “Closed Circuit Televise (CCTV) pipeline” to include manholes. Mr. Carroll reviewed the action plans associated with each Sewer Infrastructure strategy. CAC Member Fernández stated that the District can synchronize its Asset Management Plan to optimize pipeline cleaning. He noted that not all pipes need to be cleaned on the same frequency. Mr. Carroll stated that the District utilizes wireless tablets to download digital sewer maps for work orders, videos and work history as part of its Asset Management System. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 7 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 13, 2020 _____________________________________________________________________ CAC Member Greiner inquired if the District maintains a record of what is found during routine cleanings of the sewer system. Mr. Carroll confirmed that the District maintains such records. He noted that District staff takes detailed notes during cleanings. CAC Member Greiner inquired about the District’s process for managing grease spots in the sewer system. Mr. Carroll shared the District’s response based on the location of the grease spot. He mentioned that the District operates a residential Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) collection program with the Orange Coast College (OCC) Recycling Center. He continued reviewing the actions plans associated with each strategy for Sewer Infrastructure. CAC Member Fields discussed the semantics of “rehabilitate” and “replace.” CAC Member Greiner inquired about sewer pump replacement and other methods the District utilizes to monitor sewer pump performance. Mr. Carroll discussed the District’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) program. CAC Member Baume inquired about the District’s process for removing calcium deposits in the sewer mains. Mr. Carroll stated that the process involves using a high-speed chain-link to break up the calcium. CAC Member Gielow noted that the District has an advantage to complete more smoke tests at the Fairgrounds property this year since the Orange County Fair has been cancelled. CAC Chair Carey inquired if the District’s action plan for smoke testing is limited to the Mesa Del Mar and Fairgrounds property area. Mr. Carroll stated that the most recent rainfalls determined that the Mendoza Pump Station was processing more inflow than all other District pump stations. He noted that the District smoke tested a portion of the Mendoza Pump Station’s tributary area and did not find any illegal connections. He shared that since the Fairgrounds are located near the Mendoza Pump Station, the District decided to test the property and they found five manhole covers and illegal connections. CAC Member Greiner inquired if the discovered illegal connections are supposed to be connected to a different sanitation district. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 8 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 13, 2020 _____________________________________________________________________ Mr. Carroll stated that these illegal connections do not belong to a different sanitation district. He noted that he will confirm if the illegal connections are connected to the Orange County Sanitation District’s (OCSD) lines. CAC Member Fernández shared that OCSD has a trunk line located on Fairview Road. Mr. Carroll continued reviewing the actions plans associated with each strategy for Sewer Infrastructure. CAC Member Katz inquired if the Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) is different from the Sewer Master Plan. Mr. Carroll confirmed that the plans are different and stated that the SSMP identifies the District’s day-to-day operations. He shared that the Sewer Master Plan is a guide for new development within the District. CAC Member Fernandez inquired if District residents are responsible for their sewer lateral connection to their property line or to the District’s main sewer line. Mr. Carroll confirmed that District residents are responsible for their sewer lateral connection to the District’s main sewer line. CAC Member Baume inquired about the District’s advertising effort for the “Incentivize Residential Property Owners to Maintain Private Sewer Laterals” strategy. Mr. Carroll shared that the District publicizes this information in its quarterly newsletter, through social media posts, and on its website. He noted that the District has contracted with a public relations firm to assist with community outreach. CAC Member Baume inquired if the City of Costa Mesa can advertise on the District’s behalf. Mr. Carroll stated that the City of Costa Mesa has discretion over whether they choose to help advertise District programs. He shared that the District has previously paid the City of Costa Mesa for advertisements in its recreational newsletter. Secretary Schafer mentioned the Liaison Committee. Mr. Carroll stated that the District participates in the Liaison Committee, which consists of City of Costa Mesa officials and senior staff members, Mesa Water District, and Newport-Mesa Unified School District. He noted that they meet on a quarterly basis. He discussed the second element of the Draft 2020-2025 COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 9 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 13, 2020 _____________________________________________________________________ Strategic Plan, which is Solid Waste. He reviewed the objective statement and associated strategies. CAC Member Katz inquired if the strategy of “Recycle White Goods” is associated with the District’s Large Item Collection Program. Mr. Carroll confirmed that white goods are included in the Large Item Collection Program. CAC Member Greiner inquired if the District has a strategy for recycling cardboard. Mr. Carroll stated that recycling cardboard is not a specific strategy, but it is included in the District’s recycling program. He reviewed the actions plans associated with each strategy for Solid Waste. CAC Chair Carey inquired if the District’s Sharps Disposal and Medication Drop Box programs have been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Carroll stated that the programs are not suspended and noted that a District staff member can assist a member of public who wishes to dispose of their medications and sharps. He continued reviewing the actions plans for Solid Waste. The CAC decided to continue their discussion of the Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. There was no further discussion. C. CLOSING ITEMS Procedural: 1. Committee Member & Staff Comments CAC Member Baume commented on the District’s American Flag Drop Box program. Mr. Carroll provided details of the program and noted that he will continue discussing it at the next meeting. Secretary Schafer expressed support for the CAC. CAC Chair Carey expressed recognition for Secretary Schafer and District staff. There was no further discussion. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 10 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 13, 2020 _____________________________________________________________________ Procedural: 2. Adjournment CAC Chair Carey adjourned the meeting at 7:36 P.M Mike Carey Citizens Advisory Committee Chair