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Minutes - CAC - 2021-01-13COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING JANUARY 13, 2021 (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, Adam Ereth, Dickie Fernandez, Monte Fields, Judy Gielow, Seth Greiner, Elodie Katz, Sue Lester, Phil Marsh, Andrew Nielson, Judy Takaya CAC Members absent None Board Members present President Bob Ooten Vice President Mike Scheafer Director Art Perry Staff present Scott Carroll (General Manager), Noelani Middenway (District Clerk & Public Information Officer), Gina Terraneo (Management Analyst II), Nabila Guzman (Management Analyst 1) Others present Joe Jenkins, EEC Environmental Meeting called to order at 6:01 P.M. A. OPENING ITEMS Procedural: 1. Call to Order CAC Chair Katz called the meeting to order at 6:01 P.M. Procedural: 2. Roll Call District Clerk & Public Information Officer, Noelani Middenway, conducted roll call. She noted that Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) Members Baume, Ereth, COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 2 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD JANUARY 13, 2021 Fernandez, Gielow, Greiner, Katz, Lester, Marsh, Neilson, and Takaya were present, while CAC Member Fields was not present at this time. CAC Member Fields joined the meeting at 6:30 P.M. 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. CAC Chair Katz opened public comments. Ms. Middenway stated that no written communications were received for the CAC to review. Hearing no members of the public wishing to speak, CAC Chair Katz closed public comments. B. ITEMS Action, Receive and File: 1. Appoint Vice Chair Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee appoint a Vice Chair. CAC Chair Katz introduced the item and thanked former CAC Chair Carey for his service. She noted that she is taking over his duties as CAC Chair and welcomed nominations for CAC Vice Chair. CAC Member Lester offered to fill the role if no one else was interested. CAC Member Marsh nominated CAC Member Lester as CAC Vice Chair. Motion: To appoint Sue Lester as CAC Vice Chair. Motion by Phil Marsh, second by Judy Gielow. Final Resolution: Motion carries 10-0-0-1 Ayes: Daniel Baume, Adam Ereth, Dickie Fernandez, Judy Gielow, Seth Greiner, Elodie Katz, Sue Lester, Phil Marsh, Andrew Neilson, Judy Takaya No: None Abstain: None Not Present: Monte Fields There was no further discussion. Action, Discussion: 2. Approve the Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of November 18, 2020 Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee approves the meeting minutes as presented. CAC Chair Katz presented the meeting minutes of November 18, 2020. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 3 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD JANUARY 13, 2021 CAC Vice Chair Lester discussed a correction to the minutes. She stated that in Section C of Closing Items, in paragraph six after sentence three, the phrase "just because you can do something, does not mean you should" was omitted from her statement. She requested for that phrase to be included in that paragraph. She provided context for the request and noted that it was stated in reference to former CAC Chair Carey recusing himself from his position on the CAC due to his employment with CR&R Environmental Services, even though he was not legally required to do so. Ms. Middenway noted that the meeting minutes will be amended to include this addition. Motion: To approve the Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of November 18, 2020 with CAC Vice Chair Lester's requested edit. Motion by Sue Lester, second by Judy Gielow. Final Resolution: Motion carries 9-0-1-1 Ayes: Daniel Baume, Adam Ereth, Dickie Fernandez, Judy Gielow, Seth Greiner, Elodie Katz, Sue Lester, Phil Marsh, Judy Takaya No: None Abstain: Andrew Nielson Not Present: Monte Fields CAC Member Nielson noted that he abstained from the vote because he was not present at the November 18, 2020 meeting. There was no further discussion. Action, Receive and File: 3. Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) Self Audit Recommendation: That the Citizen Advisory Committee makes receive and file this report. General Manager, Scott Carroll, introduced the item. Joe Jenkins of EEC Environmental presented report details. He provided an introduction of EEC's staff who were involved in the audit: Joe Jenkins, Jim Kolk, and Keith Silva. He stated that EEC has done multiple SSMP audits for the District in the past (2011, 2013, 2018) and for other cities. He reviewed the audit requirements. He described the SSMP audit process. He noted that the report identifies major and minor nonconformances, corrective actions, and recommendations for program enhancements. He discussed EEC's findings of the SSMP audit, which include an increasing trend in public sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). He stated that the District's increase in SSOs remains below the State average for similar sized agencies. He reviewed the District's preventative maintenance program, which is based on an 18-month cleaning frequency. He discussed the District's SSO response. He stated that the SSMP development is complete as of December 2020. He reported that the District currently has no COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 4 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD .JANUARY 13, 2021 known Grade 5 structural defects and capacity issues. He noted that the number of hot spots reduced from 95 in 2010 to 18 in 2020. He shared that there is available funding for the District's planned capital improvement projects (CIP). He added that the breakdown of funding for each CIP is presented in a pie chart in the audit. He discussed the District's Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) Control Program, which is operated and managed by EEC. He stated that program success depends on the rate of FOG -related SSOs. He noted that there has been a slight increase in the last two years in FOG -related SSOs, but that most of them have been residential spills. He reviewed the identified nonconformances. He discussed EEC's recommended program enhancements. CAC Member Fields entered the meeting at 6:30 p.m. CAC Vice Chair Lester inquired about the four lift stations that were not addressed in the 2018 SSMP audit. She asked if any of those are high -risk stations. Mr. Jenkins stated that at least one of the four stations might be high -risk. He noted that he will have to check the information and their locations. He added that the stations were originally planned to be decommissioned, but they have been changed to be refurbished. He stated that a high -risk status depends on the location. He continued his presentation and discussion of recommended program enhancements. President Ooten asked if any of the residential SSO locations should be added to the hot spot list. Mr. Jenkins stated that, to his knowledge, none of the locations need to be added to that list. He noted that each location should be reassessed after cleaning. President Ooten stated that the District has had a long history with the development of the SSMP. He shared that, when he worked for the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD), they wanted to create waste discharge requirements (WDR). He noted that the SSMP is a result of creating such requirements. He added that the first draft of the SSMP was produced by the District's long-time District Engineer, Rob Hamers. He stated that the Regional Water Quality Control Board enacted the WDR and the SSMP. He shared that the State recognized the benefit of the SSMP and included it as part of the State regulations. He noted that the State regulations are comprised of the same tenants of Mr. Hamers' draft for local regulation. He stressed that Mr. Hamers deserves a lot of credit for the SSMP document and his nationwide research. CAC Member Baume stated that FOG -related SSOs have been increasing over the last two years in private residences. He inquired about multifamily units and how they are reflected as SSOs. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 5 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD JANUARY 13, 2021 Mr. Jenkins stated that most multifamily complexes have one shared sewer main while some larger complexes have multiple sewer mains. He added that these high -density residential areas are considered high -risk for SSOs. He noted that FOG -related education is usually focused on these types of residences. He stated that EEC will connect with a property's management company to discuss any FOG -related issues. CAC Member Greiner inquired about residents being notified of FOG -related issues in their area. Mr. Jenkins stated that residents will be notified and recent SSO information will be provided as educational material. CAC Member Greiner inquired about the residential education process. Mr. Jenkins stated that it could be presented in a combination of ways, such as, a newsletter article or as an informational mailer or door hanger. Mr. Carroll stated that if a certain neighborhood is contributing to FOG -related issues, then the District will send out a letter and educational brochure to those specific addresses. He shared that the District just completed a FOG awareness campaign with an educational video disseminated on the District's social media platforms. He added that the District typically has a FOG -related article in every other quarterly newsletter, especially during the holiday season. He stated that the District had a FOG recycling program at the Orange Coast College (OCC) Recycling Center, but they are currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He shared that a temporary FOG collection site was set up at District Headquarters (HQ) for residential disposal. He reported that the temporary site collected about 30 gallons. He noted that FOG education is one of the District's ongoing public outreach efforts. CAC Chair Katz inquired if FOG is processed as organic waste. Mr. Carroll stated that FOG collected at the OCC Recycling Center is transported to a rendering facility and recycled into other products, such as, soaps, candles, and pet food. He added that residents may place their FOG waste in their Organics Recycling Cart to be processed as organic waste. CAC Member Baume inquired if the temporary collection site at District HQ will be available for the remainder of the year. Mr. Carroll stated that the site was only available for one month during the holiday season. He shared that the District had some concerns about grease being spilled on District property. He noted that most FOG is disposed after the Thanksgiving holiday. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 6 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD JANUARY 13, 2021 CAC Member Ereth inquired about the methodology used to assess high and low risk status for lift stations. Mr. Jenkins stated that a lift station's status is determined by their location and proximity to State waters. He added that the size and the amount of flow the lift station receives contribute to its status. He noted that a lift station with a central location has a better opportunity to block off entry into storm drain channels to waterways. He stated that their status also depends on the ability to set up traffic control or a bypass. CAC Member Ereth inquired if geographic information systems (GIS) are used in the methodology. Mr. Jenkins confirmed that GIS and real -world issues were applied. CAC Chair Katz inquired if any of the recent SSOs entered the Newport Back Bay. Mr. Carroll stated that the District had one spill in 2018 from the air release valve located in the Elden force main inside the Mesa Drive bridge. He noted that the spill entered the Newport Back Bay, and that local healthcare agencies closed the beaches. CAC Chair Katz inquired if the District was cited for that spill. Mr. Carroll stated that the District met with regulators and provided the necessary information. He noted that the District never received a response from the regulators and were never issued a fine. CAC Chair Katz commented on EEC's transparency as they mentioned in the audit that they are also the administrator of the District's FOG Control Program. She inquired about EEC's efforts to ensure objectivity for the audit. Mr. Jenkins shared that, since he is directly involved in the FOG Control Program, EEC had other staff members review the program metrics. He noted that EEC is comprised of two main sects: engineering and environmental. He added that the environmental sect is comprised of staff with regulatory experience. CAC Vice Chair Lester discussed the four lifts stations listed in the 2018 audit that did not receive emergency contingency plans. She asked what constitutes as a reason to decommission a lift station and to revert a lift station's decommissioned status. Mr. Carroll stated that there were originally six lift stations that were planned for abandonment. He shared that OCSD planned on creating new pipes to replace the lift stations, but they decided not to proceed with that project because they were required to run a large pipe under the Santa Ana River. He noted that OCSD COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 7 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD .JANUARY 13, 2021 considered the project too costly and risky, and therefore the District was unable to proceed with abandoning its stations. He added that Mr. Hamers created two of the six emergency response plans and passed away unexpectedly before completing the remaining four plans. He shared that Interim District Engineer, Michael Benesh, is currently in the process of completing the other four plans. CAC Vice Chair Lester thanked Mr. Carroll for his explanation. Mr. Carroll stated that the District would prefer to have fewer pump stations to maintain due to their challenging nature, but they were unable to reduce the number of stations in this case. CAC Chair Katz thanked EEC for their hard work. There was no further discussion, and the report was received. Action, Receive and File: 4. Amendments to the Sewer System Management Plan Recommendation: That the Citizen Advisory Committee recommends the Board of Directors approve the amendments and recertification of the Sewer System Management Plan. CAC Chair Katz introduced the item. Mr. Carroll stated that District staff presented draft amendments to the SSMP on September 9, 2020. He added that if significant changes are made to the SSMP, then the District is required to recertify the document. He noted that the District made additional changes to the SSMP after the audit. He shared that the Board of Directors will be reviewing the final SSMP and the CAC's comments at their January Board meeting. CAC Chair Katz expressed support for the SSMP and stated that the SSMP amendments include EEC's audit recommendations. She reviewed page three of the document and recommended updating the District's award section. She discussed the National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO) Pipeline Condition Program and inquired if the listed assessments take into consideration a pipeline's ability to withstand seismic events. Mr. Carroll stated that a seismic study was performed on all lift stations about eight years ago. He noted that he will have to research the matter to better answer her inquiry about pipelines. President Ooten commented that, during major earthquakes, vitrified clay pipes might be sheared but not enough for water to be unable to flow through. He discussed the status of Napa Sanitation District's pipes after experiencing an earthquake. He stated that water lines often break during earthquakes. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 8 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD JANUARY 13, 2021 Mr. Carroll stated that the Napa Sanitation District reported no issues in their sewer system after that earthquake. He noted that, in contrast, Napa's Water Division experienced multiple pipe breaks. Motion: To recommend that the Board of Directors approve the amendments and recertification of the Sewer System Management Plan. Motion by Andrew Nielson, second by Sue Lester. Final Resolution: Motion carries 11-0-0-0 Ayes: Daniel Baume, Adam Ereth, Dickie Fernandez, Monte Fields, Judy Gielow, Seth Greiner, Elodie Katz, Sue Lester, Phil Marsh, Andrew Nielson, Judy Takaya No: None Abstain: None Not Present: None There was no further discussion. Action, Discussion: 5. CMSD Sustainability Checklist for Businesses Recommendation: That the Citizens Advisory Committee receives and files this report. Management Analyst I, Nabila Guzman, stated that she was scheduled to present this report for tonight's meeting, but the program has been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She added that the sustainability checklist was included in the District's 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. She shared that businesses are currently dealing with a lot of restrictions due to the pandemic. She noted that the creation of this program has been placed on hold until January 2022. She stated that District staff is requesting for the CAC to discuss a sustainability checklist for businesses and to recommend at least three checklist items. CAC Chair Katz inquired if the District is requesting for the CAC to provide their recommendations tonight. Mr. Carroll stated that the CAC has discretion over having the discussion tonight or saving it as a future agenda item. CAC Chair Katz expressed support for having a CAC brainstorm session on the sustainability checklist. At this time, she stated that she forgot to call for a vote on Item B4. The CAC revisited Item B4 to vote. CAC Chair Katz inquired about working with the City of Costa Mesa's Sustainability Coordinator on this item. Ms. Guzman stated that this item does not require the District to work with the City's Sustainability Coordinator. She added that the sustainability checklist is an effort to highlight businesses that strive to reduce waste and make better choices COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 9 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD .JANUARY 13, 2021 environmentally. She noted that the District is requesting recommendations on how to highlight sustainable businesses. CAC Chair Katz discussed the City of Portland's tiered system for sustainable businesses. She stated that the system is intensive and might require cooperation from the City of Costa Mesa for the District to implement. She noted that it might be difficult for businesses to invest in costly sustainability measures due to the pandemic. She recommended that businesses could implement small changes, such as setting their printers to double -sided printing and installing energy saving light bulbs. Mr. Carroll thanked CAC Chair Katz for her recommendations. CAC Chair Katz discussed the City of Portland's program in further detail. She highlighted the District's sustainability efforts at their Headquarters. CAC Member Baume inquired about working with local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops to collect recyclables. Mr. Carroll stated that their local Boy Scout troop has stopped collecting the District's retired American flags. He added that the District is researching new organizations that will collect them. CAC Member Gielow stated that it was Troop 337 that was based out of a local church. Mr. Carroll inquired if CAC Member Gielow has a contact for Troop 337. Ms. Guzman stated that the District's point of contact for the troop has been unresponsive. CAC Member Gielow stated that she will reach out to the troop on the District's behalf. CAC Member Fields stated that a lot of businesses enjoy posting plaques and awards. He recommended creating an award other than a paper certificate for businesses to showcase their sustainability efforts. Mr. Carroll expressed support for CAC Member Fields' recommendation. CAC Chair Katz suggested maintaining a directory on sustainable businesses on the City and the District's websites. CAC Member Baume suggested that the City's Sustainability Coordinator might have some ideas for this program. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 10 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD .JANUARY 13, 2021 Mr. Carroll confirmed that the District will need the City's cooperation and collaboration on this item. Ms. Guzman expressed support for CAC Member Baume's suggestion. CAC Member Ereth stated that he is surprised that the District does not seem to have more of a stake in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) award that the City recently received. He noted that other cities tend to include their sanitary district's efforts in receiving the award. Ms. Guzman stated that the District shared their program data with City for that award. She added that the City thanked the District for participating on Linkedln. She noted that the District is aware that their various programs contributed to the City's LEED award. Mr. Carroll shared that District staff met with City staff last Monday to discuss Senate Bill 1383 and the District's Organics Recycling Program, and that both agencies agreed to meet and collaborate more frequently. There was no further discussion, and the report was received. C. CLOSING ITEMS Procedural: 1. Committee Member & Staff Comments CAC Chair Katz stated that Director Eckles has replaced former President Ferryman on the Board of Directors. She thanked former President Ferryman for this 30+ years of service. She noted that the CAC is looking forward to working with Director Eckles. She discussed the recent changes to Board positions and shared that Director Ooten is now Board President and Director Scheafer is now Board Vice President. She stated that it has been about a year since the unexpected passing of the District's long-time District Engineer, Rob Harriers. She noted that the District has finally filled that position by selecting Mark Esquer as the in-house District Engineer. Mr. Carroll thanked CAC Chair Katz for providing those updates. He shared that Mr. Esquer's first day will be February 1, 2021. President Ooten commented that he hired Mr. Esquer at OCSD and worked with him for about 15 years. He expressed support for the District selecting Mr. Esquer as District Engineer. CAC Member Fernandez commented that he works for OCSD and that he was hired by Mr. Esquer. He shared that he worked with Mr. Esquer for three years before switching to another OCSD department. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 11 MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD JANUARY 13,2021 There was no further discussion. Procedural: 2. Adjournment CAC Chair Katz adjourned the meeting at 7:23 P.M. b�- Elodie Katz Citizens Advisory Committee Chair