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Monday, September 21, 2020
Board of Directors Special Meeting
Time: 9:00 A.M.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 SPECIAL MEETING
This meeting is being conducted utilizing teleconferencing and electronic means consistent with
State of California Executive Order N-29-20 dated March 17, 2020, regarding the COVID-19
pandemic.
***
The livestream of the meeting can be viewed by clicking the "Video" icon on this page (which will
be made available at the start of the meeting) or by visiting
www.youtube.com/CostaMesaSanitary. In accordance with Executive Order N-29-20, the public
may only view the meeting online and not in the District's Board Room.
***
To participate in the meeting by computer:
1. Copy and past the following into your browser - https://us02web.zoom.us/join
2. Enter the Meeting ID number - 811 8856 6740
3. Click "Join."
***
To join the meeting with a mobile device:
1. Download the Zoom app at the Google Play Store (for Android devices) or the App Store (for
Apple devices)
2. Open the Zoom app. Select "Join a Meeting."
3. Enter Zoom Meeting ID. Select "Join Meeting."
***
To join the meeting by phone:
1. Call 1-669-900-6833.
2. You will be asked to enter the Meeting ID number. Dial 811 8856 6740#
3. Lastly, you will be asked to enter your Participant ID. Press the # symbol again to bypass this
step.
***
Public Comments: Members of the public can submit any comments in writing for the Board of
Directors' consideration by sending them to the District Clerk, Noelani Middenway, at
nmiddenway@cmsdca.gov. Those comments will be made part of the official public record of the
meeting.
***
Obtaining Agenda Materials: The public is entitled to copies of all documents that are made part
of the agenda packet. If any document or other writing pertaining to an agenda item is
distributed to all or a majority of the Board after the packet is prepared, a copy of that writing
may be obtained from the District Clerk's Office.
***
In Compliance with ADA: Contact District Clerk, Noelani Middenway, at (949) 645-8400, 48 hours
prior to meeting if assistance is needed (28 CFR 35.102.35.104 ADA Title II).
A. OPENING ITEMS
Subject 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.)
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A. OPENING ITEMS
Subject 2. Public Comments - This time has been set aside for persons in the audience to
make comments on items within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Costa
Mesa Sanitary District that are not listed on this agenda. Members of the public
will have the opportunity to address the Board of Directors about all other items
on this agenda at the time those items are considered. Under the provisions of
the Brown Act, the Board of Directors is prohibited from taking action on oral
requests but may refer the matter to staff or to a subsequent meeting. The Board
of Directors will respond after public comment has been received. Please state
your name. Each speaker will be limited to four (4) continuous minutes.
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B. DISCUSSION ITEMS
To: Board of Directors
From: Scott Carroll, General Manager
Date: September 21, 2020
Subject: Review and Discuss CMSD's Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP)
Summary
On May 2, 2006, the State Water Regional Control Board (SWRCB) adopted Order No. 2006-0003 (Order), Statewide General Waste
Discharge Requirements (WDR) for Sanitary Sewer Systems. This Order requires that owners of wastewater collection systems with
more than a mile of pipeline have in place a Sewer System Management Program (SSMP) to comply with the terms of this Order,
which is to reduce the number and severity of Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs), to audit the program every two years, and revise
the SSMP every five years.
Recommendation
That the Board of Directors direct staff to bring back the Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) to the September 28, 2020 Board
of Directors regular meeting to consider approving recertification of the SSMP
Analysis
There are required elements that every agency must include in their SSMP because most industry experts agree these elements are
necessary to effectively manage a wastewater collection system.
In summary, the required elements of an SSMP include:
1. Collection system management goals;
2. Organization of personnel;
3. Legal Authority;
4. Operations and Maintenance Program;
5. Design and Performance Provisions;
6. Overflow Emergency Response Plan (OERP);
7. Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) Control Program;
8. System Evaluation and Capacity Assurance Plan (SECAP);
9. Monitoring, Measurement and Program Modification;
10. SSMP Program Auditing;
11. Communications Program;
12. SSMP Change Log.
As mentioned above, the State Order requires SSMPs to be revised every five years. If significant revisions are made than the SSMP
must be re-certified by the governing Board. The last time significant revisions were made that required recertification of the District's
SSMP was in 2015.
This item was originally scheduled to be reviewed and discussed by the Board on September 8, 2020, but the Board approved pulling
this item from the agenda to schedule a special meeting on the topic. Scheduling a special meeting will give staff an opportunity to
answer Vice President Ooten questions to the SSMP and address public comment regarding the document. The following are the
questions and/or comments from Vice President Ooten along with the answers from staff.
Subject 1. Review and Discuss CMSD's Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP)
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Recommended Action That the Board of Directors direct staff to bring back the Sewer System Management Plan
(SSMP) to the September 28, 2020 Board of Directors regular meeting to consider
approving recertification of the SSMP
Goals 1.1 Prevent Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs)
1.4 Audit and update the Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP)
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Q1. Page 9 of the 2020 Draft Revisions. In the table what does SECAP mean?
A1. System Evaluation and Capacity Assurance Plan (SECAP). It is the 8 Element of the SSMP
Q2. Page 13 of the 2020 Draft Revisions. I do not think the HQ should be used for grease collection. The District should focus on
addressing how to mitigate grease in multifamily homes, cleaning methods, structural collection points etc.
A2. The District's current practice is focusing on public education, establishing a cleaning schedule for sewer sections
subject to FOG blockage, and source control measures. The OCC Recycling Center typically receives several hundred
gallons of cooking grease after the holiday months of November and December. Staff believes the large quantity of grease
is from people frying their turkeys. A typical fryer uses about 5 gallons of grease, which is too much for the curbside
organics recycling program.
The proposed grease collection at HQ would only be temporary until OCC Recycling Center is back open to the public.
Also, the temporary collection at HQ would be available during regular business hours of HQ and the drop off site will be
closed during the weekend. When Recycling Center is open to the public again and the Center begins collecting grease,
staff will revise the SSMP by removing the temporary grease collection point from the document and log the revision in the
Change Log. If the Board does not approve a temporary grease collection point at HQ, then the alternative is referring
people to drop-off their cooking grease at the permanent HHW drop-off location in Huntington Beach.
Q3. Page 15 of the 2020 Draft Revisions. Why is the District adjusting the goal to clean sewers down from 200 to 150-miles per
year? Is this a correction or an adjustment to present practices?
A3. This is an adjustment to the current practice. CMSD goal is to clean the entire system within 18 months. There are 224-
miles of pipeline. 67% is 12 out of 18 months. 67% is also 150 out 224-miles, which is why the goal in the SSMP was
adjusted.
Q4. Page 20/21 of the 2020 Draft Revisions. The SSMP note there are 6 Generators permanently installed at pump stations and one
pump station that overflows to another pump station. Staff should review whether the District need to install more permanent
generators at the hardest to service station or stations.
A4. Most of the remaining pump stations that do not have generators on site are unable to install permanent generators
because there is not enough space or land for such equipment. Staff did explore a permanent generator for the Harbor
Pump Station, but that would require installing the unit on a private parking lot. Staff reached out to the property owner on
multiple occasions, but the owner never responded to staff inquiries. Gisler and City of Costa Mesa Corp Yard Pump
Stations are the only remaining stations that could possibly accept a permanent generator. Staff will explore further and
report back to the Board at a later time.
Q5. Page 30 of the 2020 Draft Revisions. Why are composite manhole covers listed as emergency equipment?
A5. Staff will restructure this sentence. This section, E. Equipment & Replacement Parts Inventory, describe having
adequate replacement parts and inventory on hand at the Yard. Composite manhole covers are part of the District’s
inventory.
Q6. Page 43 of the 2020 Draft Revision. How come the District did not develop emergency response plans for all the pump
stations? It is probably time to revisit those emergency response plans for all pump stations and create ones for those that do not
have them.
A6. Rob Hamers submitted a proposal to complete an Emergency Response Plan for the pump stations that were originally
planned for abandonment after Orange County Sanitation District withdrew from this project due to sharply increasing
project costs and because the abandonment project will divert wastewater away from reclamation plant #1 in Fountain
Valley where wastewater recycling occurs. The proposal was approved on February 26, 2019 and since then Mr.
Hamers completed a Plan for West Bluff and Aviemore Pump Stations. Interim District Engineer and RBH President, Mike
Benesh, will finish completing an Emergency Response Plan for Canyon, President, 19 and Sea Bluff stations. The SSMP
has been revised to reflect this information.
Q7. Page 53 of the 2020 Draft Revisions. President Pump Station Replacement Project is listed at $840,000. Isn't the estimated
construction cost for this project closer to two million dollars?
A7. Correct. The Engineer’s Estimate for this project is $1.6 million. Staff made the change in the SSMP.
Q8. Page 17 and Page 64 of the 2020 Draft Revisions. On Page 17 the SSMP indicates there are 14 Hot spot locations left and on
the chart on Page 64 it indicates 18 hot spots remaining.
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A8. The strategic goal is to have 30 or less hot spot locations. Current number of hotspots is 18, so the District is achieving
its goal. After performing improvements on ductile iron pipes, which is described in more details on Page 53 of the 2020
Draft Revisions, two hot spots will be removed from the list. In addition, staff is experiencing light grit and grease
accumulation after nine months cleaning frequency at two different hot spot locations. Staff believes by the end of 2021
four hot spot locations will be removed from the list bringing the total number of hotspots to 14.
Q9. Pages 61-68 of the 2020 Draft Revisions. The performance data for the 2020 year is confusing. Is this data quarterly or yearly?
A9. January to March is the first quarter of the 2020 calendar year. This column was revised to clearly identify the data is
quarterly.
On September 8, 2020 staff received public comments regarding the draft SSMP. After receiving public comments, staff made the
following changes to the SSMP since it was first presented to the Board on September 8.
The full dates of adoption and recertification of the SSMP were retained on the cover page.
Header with the revision date now appears on all pages of the document.
Page 70 of the 2020 Draft Revisions - Section XI, Communications Program, was revised to mention the District newsletter is
written in both English and Spanish and amendments to the SSMP are presented at CMSD's Citizens Advisory Committee
(CAC) meetings and at Board of Directors study session and/or special meetings. Past CMSD newsletter did not highlight the
SSMP; however, staff will make sure the document is highlighted in future newsletters.
Additional public comments were a compare and contrast between the City of Newport Beach and CMSD SSMP. The Statewide
General WDR require the adoption of an SSMP that consist of the 12 Elements mentioned above. How each agency addresses
each element is at their discretion. Both the City of Newport Beach and CMSD SSMP describe the 12 Elements in their Plan and
while both agencies have different methods and/or philosphies for addressing each Element, both Plans have their virtues for
preventing sanitary sewer overflows.
On September 9, 2020, the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) reviewed the 2020 draft revisions and the final draft document. The
CAC did not have any comments on the Draft SSMP.
Staff is currently soliciting proposals from private consulting firms to conduct an audit of the 2020 recertified SSMP. The audit is
required by the State Order to be performed every two years. The purpose of the audit is to evaluate the effectiveness of the SSMP
as well as the District’s compliance with the SSMP elements. The last audit of the District's SSMP was in 2018.
Legal Review
Not applicable
Environmental Review
Preparing revisions of the District’s Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) is an administrative matter, and administrative matters
are exempt under CEQA and the District’s CEQA Guidelines. The SSMP assists the District in providing comprehensive sewer
system management, including protection of the environment by eliminating sanitary sewer overflows.
Financial Review
The District did not incur any cost for revising the SSMP because all revisions were performed internally by staff. There is $15,000 in
the budget to perform the SSMP audit.
Public Notice Process
Copies of this report are on file and will be included with the entire agenda packet for the September 21, 2020 special meeting at
District Headquarters and on District website at www.cmsdca.gov
Alternative Actions
1. Direct staff to report back with more information.
File Attachments
cmsd_ssmp_draftrevisions_2020.pdf (1,336 KB)
cmsd_ssmp_final_2020.pdf (1,238 KB)
SSMP Appendix 1.pdf (2,494 KB)
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C. CLOSED SESSION
Subject 1. Confer with Legal Counsel- Litigation - Significant exposure to litigation
pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Government Code Section
54956.9 (1 Case) The facts and circumstances that justify the closed session are
set forth in the Notice of Violation and Intent to Sue Under the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act) dated May 6, 2020 sent by Attorney Jack
Silver on behalf of California River Watch, which is available for public
inspection. (See Gov C §54956.9(e)(3).)
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D. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION
Subject 1. Report out of Closed Session
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E. CLOSING ITEMS
Subject 1. Oral Communications and Director Comments
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E. CLOSING ITEMS
Subject 2. Adjournment
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