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Minutes - CAC - 2025-05-21COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF THE CmzENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING MAY 212 2025 CAC Members present Jeff Arbour, Cindy Brenneman, Xerxez Calilung, Rosemarie Chora, Dickie Fernandez, Craig Holmes, Brooke Natzke, Paul Lancaster, Sue Lester, Michael Tou, Shayanne Wright CAC Members absent None Board Members present Michael Scheafer, Nicole Wiltshire Staff present Scott Carroll (General Manager), Gina Terraneo (Senior Management Analyst), Angela Fatino (Management Analyst I), Marissa Pereyda (Senior Management Analyst), Kaitlin Tran (Finance Manager), Mark Esquer (District Engineer) Others present Mike Balliet, City Green Consulting Meeting called to order at 6:00 P.M. A. OPENING ITEMS Procedural: 1. Call to Order Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) Chair Lester called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 2 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 21, 2025 Procedural: 2. Roll Call CAC Chair Lester stated that CAC Member Chora has notified the District and CAC of her possible absence from tonight's meeting. Senior Management Analyst, Gina Terraneo, conducted roll call. She noted that CAC Members Arbour, Brenneman, Holmes, Natzke, Lester, Lancaster, Tou, and Wright were present, while CAC Member Calilung, Chora, and Fernandez were not present at this time. 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. None. Action: 1. Approve the Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of March 12, 2025 Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee approve the meeting minutes as presented. CAC Chair Lester introduced the item. She noted that the minutes state that the next CAC meeting was scheduled for May 14, 2025 but that the meeting date was moved to May 21, 2025. She requested an addendum to be added to the minutes indicating this meeting change. Motion: To approve the meeting minutes with an addendum to be added indicating the next meeting date as May 21, 2025. Motion by Sue Lester, second by Michael Tou. Final Resolution: Motion carries 8-0-3 Ayes: Jeff Arbour, Cindy Brenneman, Craig Holmes, Brooke Natzke, Paul Lancaster, Sue Lester, Michael Tou, Shayanne Wright No: None Not Present: Xerxez Calilung, Rosemarie Chora, Dickie Fernandez COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 21, 2025 There was no further discussion. PAGE 3 Action, Receive and File: 2. Recycling and Landfill Waste Composition Studies #1- #8 Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee receives and files this report. Senior Management Analyst, Marissa Pereyda, introduced the report and Mike Balliet of City Green Consulting. Mr. Balliet discussed each of the landfill and recycling waste composition studies and highlighted key findings. CAC Chair Lester asked how long it will take for sorting habits to improve. CAC Member Fernandez entered the meeting at 6:08 p.m. Mr. Balliet stated that most other jurisdictions have had a three -cart system in place since the early 1990s yet still have an average contamination rate of 20%. Discussion followed regarding the District's target contamination rate and prohibited container contaminants. CAC Member Brenneman inquired about targeted outreach efforts for areas with high contamination rates. Mr. Balliet discussed door-to-door outreach methods, such as cart lid flipping. He noted that items placed in the Recycling Cart have a better chance of being recycled than items placed in the Landfill Cart. CAC Member Wright inquired about additional trash carts. Mr. Balliet suggested reviewing trash cart data prior to the rollout of the Three -Cart System. He stated that, due to higher costs of living, there may be more residents in one property than in prior years. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 4 MINtTTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 21, 2025 CAC Member Chora entered the meeting at 6:15 p.m. CAC Member Wright expressed support for kitchen pails and suggested delivering them to customers to encourage organics recycling. Discussion followed regarding contamination education. CAC Chair Lester stated that some customers may have had additional carts that were removed during the rollout. CAC Member Holmes commented on recycling behaviors. He recommended proving a guideline for household recycling. CAC Member Chora expressed appreciation for the District's outreach on three -cart sorting and recycling. She noted that it will take several years for people to develop proper recycling habits. CAC Vice Chair Tou inquired about recycling education opportunities at the District's upcoming Compost Giveaway and Shredding Event. Ms. Pereyda stated that staff will be distributing kitchen pails and the What Goes Where sorting flyer. CAC Member Arbour inquired about the District's landfill and recycling diversion rates. Mr. Balliet stated that, all across the state, there is a decrease in recycling diversion due to source separated systems capturing less recyclables than Mixed Waste trash systems. President Scheafer thanked CAC Member Chora for her comments. He commented on non -recyclable packaging materials and incorrect recycling education from outside sources. There was no further discussion, and the report was received. Action, Receive and File 3.2024-25 Alkaline Battery Recycling Program COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 212 2025 PAGE 5 Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee receives and files this report. Management Analyst I, Angela Fatino, provided report details. She shared program details and noted that Sonora Elementary won the contest by collecting the most batteries. CAC Chair Lester expressed support for the Alkaline Battery Recycling Program. CAC Member Arbour asked why some schools do not participate in the program. Ms. Fatino stated that the District never receives a response as to why a school chooses not to participate. She noted that each school receives about three notifications encouraging program participation. There was no further discussion, and the report was received. Action 4. Proposed FY 2025-30 Strategic Plan Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee provides feedback and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors on the proposed FY 2025-30 Strategic Plan. General Manager, Scott Carroll, presented report details. He reviewed the timeline of developing the 2025-30 Strategic Plan and the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis method. He discussed the changes and updates to the District's Core Values and Strategic Elements. CAC Member Fernandez asked Mr. Carroll to discuss the three goals that he is most proud of achieving in 2020-2025. Mr. Carroll discussed the District's goal of cleaning the sewer system in an 18-month period. He noted that staff are trying to clean the sewer system within a 12-month period. He added that he is proud of staffs education and COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 212 2025 PAGE 6 outreach efforts to increase community engagement and the rollout of the Three -Cart System. CAC Member Calilung entered the meeting at 6:42 p.m. CAC Member Fernandez asked if the District is seeing a decrease in the volume of sewer spills. Mr. Carroll stated that there is a decrease in the volume of spills and that the District's annual goal remains at zero spills. CAC Chair Lester discussed the SWOT analysis and inquired about job descriptions for each position. Mr. Carroll stated that each staff member has a formal job description, which is reviewed every five years. CAC Chair Lester stated that each job description should have measurable items rather than subjective. She also expressed support for prioritizing emergency preparedness and trainings. She inquired about the District having a designated customer service representative. Mr. Carroll stated that all staff members are considered customer service representatives. He shared that staff have recommended hiring a full-time Administrative Assistant for the Solid Waste Department. CAC Chair Lester recommended adding the word "consistent" to the core value of dedication and "accountability" to the strategic element of human resources. CAC Vice Chair recommended adding the words "stewardship" and "sustainability" to the proposed core values. CAC Member Wright recommended adding customer service analytics to the strategic element of communication. She asked why the District prioritizes the deterrence of scavenging. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 7 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 21, 2025 Mr. Carroll stated that recyclables are a commodity that help offset the District's trash expenses. He shared that the District has a full-time Code Enforcement Officer to address scavengers with warnings and citations. Discussion followed regarding residential and commercial scavenging. There was no further discussion. Action S. Proposed Preliminary Biennial Budget Review for Fiscal Years 2025-26 and 2026-27 Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee reviews, discusses, and provides comments and feedback on the proposed preliminary biennial budget for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27. Finance Manager, Kaitlin Tran, presented report details. She discussed the proposed revenue projections for Fiscal Years 2025-26 and 2026-27 and other non -operating revenue streams. CAC Member Wright inquired about the projected increases in housing. Ms. Tran stated that the District reviews housing data from the County of Orange. She discussed charges for services and how properties are placed on the tax assessment roll. She noted that the District's revenue projections are usually very strong. CAC Vice Chair Tou inquired about the revenue from fixture fees. Ms. Tran stated that fixture fee revenue is placed under the Sewer Permits and Inspection Fees revenue accounts. Mr. Carroll stated that fixture and capacity fees are restricted funds that can only be applied to projects that benefit the entire District. Ms. Tran continued her presentation and discussed the proposed operations and maintenance (O&M) and personnel budgets for Fiscal Years 2025-26 and 2026-27. She explained the proposed longevity pay benefit. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 8 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 21, 2025 CAC Member Chora asked how expenses are divided between the various personnel. Ms. Tran stated that, for salaries and benefits, some employees are split 80/20, with 80% coming from the Wastewater Fund and 20% from the Solid Waste Fund. She confirmed that each position is funded by its level of activity within each fund. Discussion followed regarding the proposed 5% cost -of -living adjustment (COLA) in each budget year and a tiered rate structure for trash services. CAC Chair Lester inquired about CR&R's Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate request. Ms. Pereyda stated that CR&R has requested a CPI rate adjustment of 3.1% for Fiscal Year 2025-26. Mr. Carroll confirmed that CR&R's CPI rate request cannot exceed 5%. CAC Chair Lester inquired about election costs. Mr. Carroll stated that election costs are included in the budget every two years and are administered by the County of Orange. CAC Chair Lester inquired about the District's cafeteria plan for single employees. Mr. Carroll stated that the Board's determines the cafeteria allotment amounts for the various employee and dependent categories. CAC Chair Lester suggested considering increasing the percentage of the premium for single employees to ensure that there is a fair financial benefit to all employees. Discussion followed regarding the District's workers' compensation rate and experience modification (EMOD) rate. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 21, 2025 CAC Member Natzke inquired about funding for employee benefits. PAGE 9 Ms. Tran explained that the proposed personnel budgets are based on all staff members earning their 5% merit pay increase. She stated that, based on the quarterly budget reports, the District typically has savings in overtime and incentive pay projections. CAC Chair Lester stated that the money invested in retaining the current employees saves the District more money than having to recruit new employees. There was no further discussion. C. CLOSING ITEMS Procedural: 1. Committee Member Comments CAC Chair Lester shared that the District's Compost Giveaway and Shredding Event takes place Saturday, May 31St at Orange Coast College from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. She encouraged the CAC members to volunteer at the event. She welcomed the CAC members that were reappointed and newly appointed to the committee. Mr. Carroll shared that the District has a television commercial on Spectrum streaming platforms. He shared the recent analytics from the commercial. Ms. Terraneo stated that the commercial is also on the District's YouTube channel and Facebook page. Mr. Carroll briefed the CAC on the District's recent sewer spill of 4,000 gallons on Golf Course Drive. District Engineer, Mark Esquer, provided more details on the sewer spill's location. CAC Member Wright introduced herself to the CAC and shared her interest in public and environmental affairs. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 10 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD MAY 21, 2025 CAC Member Natzke introduced herself to the CAC and shared her background in education. CAC Chair Lester stated that the committee will select the new chair and vice chair positions for the 2025-2027 CAC term at their next meeting. CAC Member Brennaman welcomed the new CAC members and expressed support for the District and its staff. There was no further discussion. Procedural: 2. Board/Staff Comments None. Procedural: 3. Adjournment CAC Chair Lester adjourned the meeting at 7:49 p.m. and stated that the next CAC meeting is scheduled for July 9, 2025. Sue Lester Citizens Advisory Committee Chair