Loading...
Minutes - Board - 2019-09-10COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 Members present Arlene Schafer, Art Perry, Bob Ooten, Jim Ferryman Members absent Mike Scheafer Staff present Scott Carroll (General Manager), Noelani Middenway (District Clerk and Public Information Officer), Kaitlin Tran (Finance Manager), Gina Terraneo (Management Analyst II), Nabila Guzman (Management Analyst 1), Ed Roberts (Code Enforcement Officer) Others present Pars Parikh (CR&R), Jim Mosher (District resident), Adam Probolsky (Probolsky Research), Faith Pinho (Daily Pilot) Meeting called to order at 9:28 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 9:28 A.M. Secretary Schafer led the Pledge of Allegiance. District Clerk and Public Information Officer, Noelani Middenway, conducted roll call and noted that President Ferryman, Vice President Ooten, Secretary Schafer, and Director Perry were present. She added that Director Scheafer was absent and excused from the meeting. B. PUBLIC COMMENTS Procedural: 1. Public Comments COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 2 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 President Ferryman opened public comments. Seeing no one wishing to speak, he closed public comments. C. ITEMS OF STUDY Action, Receive and File: 1. August 2019 Code Enforcement Officer report Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receive and file this report. Code Enforcement Officer, Ed Roberts, reported that he conducted 7 proactive scavenging investigations during the month of August. He referenced a map within the staff report and noted that there was a fairly equal geographical distribution of these scavenging incidents on the North, South, and West areas of Costa Mesa. He welcomed questions. Director Perry asked if Mr. Roberts encountered any recurring scavengers. Mr. Roberts confirmed that he does encounter the same scavengers repeatedly, particularly on Royal Palm Drive. He explained that they are usually transient in nature. Additionally, Mr. Roberts reported that he issued 121 notices of violation for trash carts in public view throughout the service area during the month of August. Secretary Schafer commented that she received numerous calls regarding missed collection of the organics recycling carts last week. She noted that this issue can be discussed under Item C3. Mr. Roberts noted that he has observed abandoned organics carts in roadways and alleyways. He explained that they are abandoned when residents move out of their homes, and he addresses this issue by requesting that CR&R collect these carts if they remain unclaimed. He encouraged the Board to report any concerns related to trash carts to District staff. There was no further discussion and the report was received. Action, Receive and File: 2. August 2019 Solid Waste Diversion Report Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receive and file this report. General Manager, Scott Carroll, noted that Item C2 is a standard monthly report. He welcomed questions. Director Perry confirmed that the reported diversion rate of 62.3% does not include the Orange Coast College Recycling Center's August recycling data. Mr. Carroll commented that the diversion rate will likely decrease next year due to legislation that prohibits jurisdictions from getting diversion credit for alternative daily cover (ADC). COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 3 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 There was no further discussion and the report was received. Action, Receive and File: 3. August 2019 Organics Tonnage Report Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receives and file this report. Mr. Carroll asked that CR&R representative, Pars Parikh, address Secretary Schafer's concerns regarding missed organics collections last week. Mr. Parikh apologized for the missed collections and confirmed that the locations included The Masters Circle and the College Park neighborhood. He indicated uncertainty of the reasons for the missed collections, and he noted that he will contact CR&R's route manager to gather information. Secretary Schafer confirmed that CR&R's phone number is listed on the District's website and in the quarterly newsletters. She commented that the organics carts were not collected for several days. Mr. Parikh noted that there was a one -day delay in trash service due to the Labor Day holiday; however, he noted that this is not an excuse for several days of missed collections. He added that the collection truck may have had mechanical issues. He noted that he did not receive any calls regarding this issue, so he was not aware of the missed collections. Director Perry asked how mechanical issues are addressed by CR&R Mr. Parikh explained that depending on the issue, a helper truck or other trucks in the area may be asked to take over the route. Director Perry asked if the driver would take the truck back to the facility for repair, or if the driver would take over the helper truck to complete the route. Mr. Parikh noted that the driver would likely take the truck back to the facility and another driver would complete the route. Director Perry confirmed that residents should be directed to report missed pickups to CR&R to ensure that their carts are collected in a timely manner. Mr. Parikh offered to give the Board his direct phone number in case there are any similar future incidents. Director Perry confirmed that lockable carts are still available. Vice President Ooten commented that CR&R drivers sometimes modify their routes, which can result in residents taking their carts in prematurely. He recommended that CR&R make minimal modifications to their routes. Discussion followed regarding route schedules and modifications. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 4 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 Director Perry noted that the contract indicates that CR&R collects between 6:00 A.M.-6:00 P.M. President Ferryman welcomed Jim Mosher, a District resident, to comment. Mr. Mosher commented that the Organics Recycling Program faces 2 problems: getting residents to place waste in the organics cart and getting residents to place the correct waste in the organics cart. He shared that he observed multiple organics carts filled with cardboard and regular (non -organic) waste on Cabrillo Street in Costa Mesa. Additionally, he asked how District staff determined the "Recycled" and "Landfilled" tonnages included in the staff report. He commented that the "Total Tonnage" is multiplied by fixed percentages (95.4% recycled and 4.6% landfilled), and he asked how these percentages are determined. Mr. Mosher commented that these percentages may be derived from sample locations, in which case the locations' waste habits may vary significantly. He added that it is unclear whether the "Recycled" tonnage refers only to organic waste or if it also includes other recyclable waste types (such as cardboard). There was no further discussion and the report was received. Action, Receive and File: 4.2019 Citizen Survey Questions Recommendation: That the Board of Directors provide feedback in developing the survey questionnaire. Mr. Carroll introduced the report and noted that the District conducts a citizen survey every few years to gage citizen approval ratings, knowledge of District programs, and areas that require improvement. He noted that surveys were conducted in 2012 and 2016. Mr. Carroll requested that the Board provide feedback regarding the proposed survey questions. Management Analyst I, Nabila Guzman, shared that the District received 3 proposals for the citizen survey, and the project was awarded to Probolsky Research. She explained that the survey will be limited to 20 minutes in length and will include responses from 500 residents via phone and online methods. She added that Probolsky Research's proposal included an online focus group with 12 participants. Secretary Schafer asked how the 500 participants are selected. Adam Probolsky of Probolsky Research commented that the survey will be statistically valid and stratified throughout the service area, taking into account demographics such as age, gender, and geography. He commented that the participants will be representative of the District's service area. Director Perry asked why the focus group is limited to 12 participants. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 PAGE 5 Mr. Probolsky noted that there will be 500 participants in the survey, which is a robust pool for an agency of the District's size. He explained that the focus group will be done online (prior to the survey) over the course of several days. He noted that focus groups result in more in-depth feedback, and participants can utilize videos and photos to help communicate their responses. Mr. Probolsky added that the focus group can also provide an idea of the vernacular that citizens use in order to aid District staff in matching this vernacular with its outreach efforts. Director Perry inquired about the participant recruitment process. Mr. Probolsky explained that participants are recruited randomly through phone calls, emails, and texts. He noted that the goal is to be statistically valid and stratified. Secretary Schafer verified that the survey is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. She suggested that the survey be mentioned in the next quarterly newsletter. Mr. Probolsky noted that phone surveys are done by live humans (not computers) and they can provide the surveys in Spanish or Vietnamese. Mr. Carroll asked if the Board has any feedback regarding the survey questions. Vice President Ooten noted that he would like to see Question #34 shortened. He suggested adding a question to address resource conservation (particularly water conservation). He noted that he will work on developing a question. Director Perry confirmed that the Board can submit their feedback to District staff by next Wednesday, prior to the next Citizens Advisory Committee meeting. President Ferryman welcomed comments from Mr. Mosher. Mr. Mosher suggested a modification to the opening of the phone survey script to explain the purpose of the survey and to omit the mention of Probolsky Research. He commented that he would hang up on the surveyor if he thought that they were attempting'to sell him something. Director Perry indicated agreement. Mr. Probolsky noted that he is open to changing the script language, but he added that they want to provide accurate information to the participants. He explained that if the participant hangs up, the caller will simply move on to another participant with similar demographic information. The report was received and there was no further discussion. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 6 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 Action: 5. Consider Creating a Solid Waste Ad Hoc Committee Recommendation: That the Board of Directors appoint two Board members to serve on the Solid Waste Ad Hoc Committee. Mr. Carroll shared that this item stemmed from a recommendation from the Board to establish a Solid Waste Ad Hoc Committee. He noted that the committee would discuss topics such as the reduction of organic waste contamination, increased participation in the organics recycling program, and solid waste program data collection. He explained that the committee will meet Brown Act requirements and it will be composed of 2 Board Members, 2 Citizens Advisory Committee Members, and 2 District staff members. Lastly, he added that Director Scheafer indicated a strong interest in serving on the committee. Vice President Ooten indicated an interest in serving on the committee. Director Perry commented that his schedule is busy. The Board of Directors recommended nominating Vice President Ooten and Director Scheafer for appointment on the committee. Mr. Carroll noted that he will bring this item to the upcoming Board Meeting for formal appointment. There was no further discussion. Action, Receive and File: 6. 75th Anniversary Open House & State of the District Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receive and file the report. Management Analyst II, Gina Terraneo, shared that the District will be hosting its 75th Anniversary Open House and State of the District on Saturday, October 12th from 9:00-11:00 A.M. at District headquarters. She explained that the event will begin with a brief presentation of the District's upcoming projects and an award honoring President Ferryman's 30 years of service on the Board of Directors, followed by an outdoor fair with informational booths, a bounce house, and music. Ms. Terraneo noted that various methods of advertisement have been used to promote the event, including Mesa Water District bill inserts, flyers at Costa Mesa and Newport Beach City Halls, Peachjar flyer distribution, the Chamber of Commerce website and app, social media, and the District's GoGov app. Director Perry asked where District staff and the Board should park for the event. Ms. Terraneo noted that half of the District's parking lot will be available, along with the Spectrum parking lot (next door), the business complex parking lot across the street, and street parking on Pullman Street. She added that there will be 2 District staff members assisting with directing parking. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 7 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 Vice President Ooten suggested that there be signage to help direct parking. Ms. Terraneo shared that the District has received several RSVPs for the event on Facebook and through email invitations. President Ferryman confirmed that the event will take place from 9:00-11:00 A.M. Director Perry confirmed that the event will begin with a presentation in the Boardroom and then continue outside in the parking lot. He verified that the District has enough chairs for the event and that there is a Study Session prior to the event in October. He requested that the Board be given an update on the event at the Study Session. There was no further discussion and the report was received. D. CLOSING ITEMS Procedural: 1. Oral Communications and Director Comments Director Perry confirmed that the 75th Anniversary movie theater advertisements are concluding in October. Secretary Schafer encouraged the Board to attend the upcoming California Special Districts Association's Annual Conference. Discussion followed regarding the conference schedule. Procedural: 2. Adjournment President Ferryman adjourned the meeting at 10:15 A.M. Arlene Schafer Secretary Jaes Ferryman Pr' ident