Loading...
Minutes - Board - 2021-10-12COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION OCTOBER 12, 2021 NOTE: THIS HYBRID IN -PERSON AND TELECONFERENCED MEETING WAS CONDUCTED UTILIZING ELECTRONIC MEANS CONSISTENT WITH STATE OF CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY BILL 361(Gov. CODE 54953(B)(3)). Members present Arlene Schafer, Art Perry, Bob Ooten, Brett Eckles, Mike Scheafer Members absent None Staff present Scott Carroll (General Manager), Noelani Middenway (District Clerk and Public Information Officer), Dyana Bojarski (Administrative Services Manager), Steve Cano (Wastewater Maintenance Superintendent), Mark Esquer (District Engineer), Gina Terraneo (Management Analyst II), Nabila Guzman (Management Analyst I), David Griffin (Facilities Maintenance Worker & Interim Code Enforcement Officer) Others present Mike Carey, CR&R Meeting called to order at 8:03 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 Ooten called the meeting to order at 8:03 A.M. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 2 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD OCTOBER 12, 2021 District Clerk and Public Information Officer, Noelani Middenway, noted that President Ooten, Vice President Scheafer, Secretary Schafer, Director Perry, and Director Eckles were present at this time. Vice President Scheafer presided over the meeting in lieu of President Ooten since President Ooten was not present for the meeting in person. B. PUBLIC COMMENTS Procedural: 1. Public Comments Vice President Scheafer opened public comments and noted that the District received one written comment, which has been shared with the Board. Seeing no one wishing to speak, he closed public comments. C. ITEMS OF STUDY Action, Receive and File: 1. September 2021 Code Enforcement Officer Report Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receives and files this report. Interim Code Enforcement Officer, David Griffin, provided report details. He stated that three scavengers were identified and provided their scavenging locations. He shared that he has been working on the District's Artificial Intelligence Manhole Management Program. He noted that the District received a few customer complaints regarding trash carts in public view. He reported 37 carts in public view and provided their locations. He stated that there were no cases of graffiti. Secretary Schafer asked if he has seen trash carts with open lids after collection service. She stated that, in the College Park neighborhood, the trash cart lids are not closed after being serviced. Mr. Griffin stated that he has not been observing trash cart lids. He reported that he has noticed more trash carts that are knocked over after being serviced. Secretary Schafer stated that she commented on this issue last month. She asked for CR&R to ensure that trash cart lids are closed after service. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 3 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD OCTOBER 12, 2021 Mr. Griffin stated that he is unsure of who is responsible for knocking over carts. He reported that there is one case of a damaged cart that CR&R will be replacing. Secretary Schafer expressed recognition for Mr. Griffin's performance. Director Perry asked if the customers on Westminster Avenue are able to store their carts out of public view. Mr. Griffin stated that these customers used to store their trash carts behind a fenced area, but the area is now being used as a yard space for the residents' pets. He reported that there are eight carts on this property. He shared that he will be meeting with the property owners to discuss building a trash enclosure. President Ooten asked about Mr. Griffin's job title. Mr. Griffin confirmed that he is the Interim Code Enforcement Officer. President Ooten expressed concern regarding the use of citations for enforcement. He inquired about the citation process. Mr. Griffin stated that a citation is a written notice indicating that a person has violated the District's Operations Code. He added that citations will be issued after an offender has received multiple warnings. He noted that he uses citations as leverage to urge compliance. Vice President Scheafer stated that he has noticed an uptick in scavengers visiting the alleyway of Royal Palm Drive. He noted that most of the properties have trash carts that are stored in enclosures. He reported that scavengers will open the enclosures to sift through trash carts. Mr. Griffin stated that he regularly patrols that area to check for scavenging. Discussion followed regarding the area of Baker Street. Vice President Scheafer requested for the District to further investigate the portable restroom on a property located on Labrador Drive and Gibraltar Avenue. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 4 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD OCTOBER 12, 2021 Mr. Griffin stated that he will investigate that issue. Director Eckles expressed recognition for Mr. Griffin's performance. He stated that it is difficult to ensure voluntary compliance and that, for repeated scavenging issues, citations are necessary. Mr. Griffin reported that customers are typically more concerned with identity or information theft than they are with recyclable theft. Vice President Scheafer commented that Thursdays have the highest rate of trash violations being issued. There was no further discussion, and the report was received. Action, Receive and File: 2. Tripepi Smith Communications Engagement Update —July through September 2021 Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receives and files this report. Ms. Middenway introduced the item. She stated that Tripepi Smith has been working with the District on five public outreach campaigns. She shared that Tripepi Smith has recently completed their Large Item Collection Program campaign and is currently working on a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) campaign. She shared the metrics on reach and impressions for the Large Item Collection Program campaign. She noted that the District posted bus shelter ads to promote the HHW program on October 4, 2021 in four different locations within the District's service area. She stated that Tripepi Smith has updated their engagement metrics and provided the most recent data for email subscribers and website visits. She shared that the District achieved its second highest reach of 96,816 for social media in September 2021. She introduced Jennifer Nentwig of Tripepi Smith. Ms. Nentwig introduced herself and shared her presentation agenda. She reviewed Tripepi Smith's scope, which includes program/service campaigns, planning meetings, graphic design/communication support, and project management. She highlighted the Large Item Collection Program campaign. President Ooten asked about the definition of "reach." COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 5 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD OCTOBER 12, 2021 Ms. Nentwig stated that reach refers to the number of people who saw the post. She reported that the Large Item Collection Program campaign performed better than past campaigns, such as the Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) campaign. She highlighted the bus shelter ads, which have been drafted to target paint and batteries as specific HHW items. Secretary Schafer asked how they determined where to place the bus shelter ads. Ms. Nentwig stated that they received a list of locations and estimated the reach for each location. She noted that District staff chose areas that are within the District's service area and would have the greatest reach. Director Perry inquired about the cost for the bus shelter ads. Ms. Nentwig reported that they cost around $3,000 dollars in total. Vice President Scheafer asked about the four locations for the bus shelter ads. Ms. Nentwig stated that the bus shelter ads are located on Harbor Boulevard/Adams Avenue, Harbor Boulevard/Nutmeg Place, Harbor Boulevard/Wilson Street, and the Bristol Street/Town Center Drive. She presented social media metrics. President Ooten asked if the District has established a goal for followers and subscribers. Ms. Nentwig stated that they are focused on getting an organic growth for followers and subscribers. She noted that the District focuses on process goals for increasing its content production and fostering meaningful engagements rather than specific number goals. She added that the District has an established and credible presence on social media. Director Perry asked if the District receives negative responses on Twitter and Instagram. Ms. Nentwig stated that District staff handles questions very well by providing consistent messaging and website references. She added that COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 6 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD OCTOBER 12, 2021 Tripepi Smith strategizes with District staff if there are consistent comments or questions. She presented the District's website metrics. Director Eckles asked about the average length of stay for website visitors. Ms. Nentwig stated that she can gather that information and provide it to Director Eckles. Director Eckles suggested to send an email with that information. Ms. Nentwig discussed email metrics and the District's method for disseminating email notifications. Director Perry asked about the District's email list. Ms. Nentwig shared that the District's email list has 3,138 subscribers. She stated that they have worked with District staff to implement processes in which people can choose to subscribe organically. She noted that it would cost about $10,000 dollars to purchase an email list of 40,000 emails. She added that there is a chance that people will unsubscribe from emails if they do not know the sender, or they will tune out the email notifications if they never agreed to subscribe. President Ooten asked if having a new website was beneficial during this engagement with Tripepi Smith. Ms. Nentwig stated that the new website is a benefit as it helps the District in keeping its branding consistent throughout all platforms. She added that the website is easier to navigate and helps the District engage with more customers. She described upcoming public outreach campaigns. President Ooten inquired about purchasing an email list and the rate of people unsubscribing. Ms. Nentwig shared that Tripepi Smith has worked with other organizations to implement email lists. She stated that it is common to see people unsubscribe. She suggested researching a small email list for purchase and noting the unsubscribe rate. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 7 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD OCTOBER 12, 2021 Vice President Scheafer expressed recognition for Tripepi Smith and District staff s partnership and performance. There was no further discussion, and the report was received. Action, Receive and File: 3. Receive and File Report from Steve Cano, Wastewater Maintenance Superintendent and Joel Ortiz, Wastewater Maintenance Worker III for Attending the Tri-State Seminar in Las Vegas from August 9-12, 2021 Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receives and file this report. Wastewater Maintenance Superintendent, Steve Cano, shared his experience at the Tri-State Seminar and the history of the seminar. He reported that there were about 2,000 people in attendance. He stated that the seminar included sessions, workshops, and classes all covering different water industry topics. He shared that he learned about a force main issue faced by Liberty Utilities in Arizona. He added that he attended classes on artificial intelligence and its ability to assess sewers and manholes, new camera equipment and technology for closed-circuit televising (CCTV), and shared information on debris caps that can be used to keep dirt out of valves. Director Perry asked about the cost of debris caps. Mr. Cano stated that they cost about $25 for each cap. President Ooten shared that he used to help develop programs for sewage treatment plants for the Tri-State Seminar. He discussed technology used to assess the wall thickness of pipes. He expressed appreciation for District staff attending the seminar. Director Eckles inquired if the new camera technology is readily available. Mr. Cano stated that there are at least 20 vendors that have the new camera technology. He stated that these cameras can cost up to $100,000 dollars. Discussion followed regarding camera technology and CCTV work. There was no further discussion, and the report was received. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE S MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD OCTOBER 12, 2021 Discussion, Receive and File: 4. Receive and File CR&R's Benchmark Measures Progress Report Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receives and files this report. Mr. Carroll stated that the District has nothing to report today since the necessary data was not available for the staff report. He noted that the data will be presented at the October Board meeting. Vice President Scheafer commented that phone calls from concerned customers about missed trash pickups have decreased. Secretary Schafer commented about trash cart lids being open after collection service. Discussion followed regarding holiday trash collections. There was no further discussion. Procedural: 1. Oral Communications and Director Comments Director Perry inquired about CR&R's staffing levels. CR&R representative, Mike Carey, reported that CR&R has hired 12 new drivers. He shared that CR&R has also hired new vendors to help with large item pickups. Director Perry asked if the District receives diversion credit for large item pickups. General Manager, Scott Carroll, stated that the District only receives credit for white goods, such as dishwashers and refrigerators. Vice President Scheafer asked for a tonnage report for large item pickups. Mr. Carroll stated that an annual report with that information is provided to the Board. Vice President Scheafer requested for the report to show a breakdown of the materials collected. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 9 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD OCTOBER 12, 2021 Mr. Carey stated that CR&R will provide that information. President Ooten commented on Mr. Cano's presentation and discussion regarding sewer force mains. He inquired about the results of the District's Artificial Intelligence Manhole Management Program. Director Perry asked if the City of Costa Mesa repairs the manhole covers for the District. Mr. Carroll stated the City will only repair the manhole covers if they are redoing the streets. He noted that if the District detects a defective manhole, then they are responsible for repairing it. Vice President Scheafer commented that the City is doing a lot of slurry coats and asked if this work is affecting the District. Mr. Cano stated that the slurry coats are not affecting the District. He noted that the City informs the District of any impacts beforehand. Secretary Schafer commented that she has received some phone calls from people who are happy with the City's bicycle lanes and the District's trash services. There were no additional comments by the Board. Procedural: 2. Adjournment Vice President Scheafer adjourned the meeting at 9:09 A.M. Arlene Schafer Secretary r BobOoten President