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Minutes - Board - 2021-02-09COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION FEBRUARY 09, 2021 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. 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), Kaitlin Tran (Finance Manager), Mark Esquer (District Engineer), Gina Terraneo (Management Analyst II), Nabila Guzman (Management Analyst 1), Edward Roberts (Code Enforcement Officer), Tanisha Tingling (Administrative Assistant) Others present Mike Carey, CR&R Representative Judith Gielow, Citizens Advisory Committee Member Elodie Katz, Citizens Advisory Committee Chair Jim Mosher, District resident Meeting called to order at 9:31 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 9:31 A.M. 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. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 2 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD FEBRUARY 09, 2021 B. PUBLIC COMMENTS Procedural: 1. Public Comments President Ooten opened public comments. Ms. Middenway stated that the District received three written public comments, which have been attached to the agenda and disseminated to the Board for review. Hearing no public comments, President Ooten closed public comments. C. ITEMS OF STUDY Action, Receive and File: 1. January 2021 Code Enforcement Office Report Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receives and files this report. Code Enforcement Officer, Edward Roberts, presented the December 2020 and January 2020 Code Enforcement Officer reports. He stated that he conducted five proactive scavenging investigations in January 2021. He noted that the report includes a map of the investigations. He added that scavenging is more concentrated on the west side of the District's service area. There was no further discussion, and the report was received. Action, Receive and File: 2. 2020 Christmas Tree Collection Recommendation: That the Board of Directors provides direction to staff. Management Analyst 1, Nabila Guzman, presented report details. She stated that the District hosts the Christmas Tree Collection program annually for approximately 12 days after Christmas. She reported that the 2020 Christmas Tree Collection program was scheduled from December 28, 2020 to January 8, 2021. She noted that these dates were advertised in the District's fall newsletter, which described program eligibility and details. She stated that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CR&R Environmental Services notified the District that severe delays would occur due to staffing shortages. She shared that the District posted this update on the District's website and social media platforms. She noted that delays in Christmas Tree collection resulted in confusion and frustration amongst District customers. She addressed how the District could have done a better job of advertising the delay. She added that the City of Costa Mesa did not share any of the District's updates regarding program delays. She reviewed the District's social media updates. She noted that the District extended the program until January 16. She noted that the District should have communicated more frequently on its social media platforms by updating past posts to reflect current information. She reported that incorrect placement of Christmas trees was an issue for CR&R when servicing pickups. She stated that the District received many phone calls from non -District customers to request Christmas tree pickups. She added that the City does not provide a program for Christmas tree collection. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 3 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD FEBRUARY 09, 2021 Secretary Schafer recommended thanking all customers who utilized the program and were understanding of the delays in the District newsletter. Director Perry commented that the City's regulations differ from the District's. He suggested meeting with the City to coordinate Christmas tree pickups. President Ooten stated that the City's website refers to the District's Christmas Tree Collection program. He added that the City posted CR&R's letter regarding delays. He noted that the issue involves residents not understanding that the District is separate from the City. He shared that he researched the program online and found the District's program information. He inquired if customer complaints were significant or similar to previous years. Ms. Guzman confirmed that there were more complaints this year because Christmas trees remained on the streets for more than a week due to delays. She shared that District customers were understanding of the delays after speaking with District staff. President Ooten inquired if any of the complaints listed in the staff report were submitted by residents living in multifamily properties. Ms. Guzman stated that those complaints were not included. She noted that the District referred those callers to their waste providers. President Ooten stated that the District's most recent survey found that not many customers were following the District on social media. He noted that the District's social media following has increased due the efforts by the District's communications consultant, Tripepi Smith. He commented that it was beneficial to notify the City since many residents contact the City before connecting with the District. Director Eckles commended District staff on their effort to communicate program delays. He stated that, when a resident hears about delays, they want to know how long it will last and how it will be rectified. He added that his street was not serviced until the last week of collection. He stressed that no actual answers were provided to the public. He requested for CR&R to provide a plan that ensures that this issue will not repeat and to decrease the number of public complaints and inquiries. He inquired if the District has discussed this issue with CR&R. General Manager, Scott Carroll, confirmed that the District will plan to improve the program for next year. Director Eckles commented that customers reacted negatively because there were no answers provided regarding program delays. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 4 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD FEBRUARY 09, 2021 Vice President Scheafer inquired when the District will be receiving the organics tonnage data for the Christmas trees. Ms. Guzman stated that the District hopes to have that data by next month. Vice President Scheafer suggested contacting local real estate agents about providing a roll off bin at various locations around the District's service area as an alternative disposal site for single-family residences and multifamily properties. Director Perry and Secretary Schafer expressed support for Vice President Scheafer's suggestion. Vice President Scheafer commented that having alternative disposal sites for Christmas trees will increase the District's organics tonnage. President Ooten confirmed that Christmas trees are included in organics tonnage. He commented that the staff report described the Christmas Tree Collection program as a "no -cost" program. He asserted that there is no such thing as a no - cost program by a private vendor and that the cost is likely embedded within other fees paid to the vendor. Ms. Guzman clarified that the District does not get charged for collecting Christmas trees, but that they get charged for disposal and processing services. President Ooten commented that CR&R does not collect Christmas trees for free. Director Eckles commented that he uses social media apps but not Twitter. He stated that there are benefits to using Twitter versus Instagram for program updates. He inquired about whether the District utilizes Twitter for announcements. Management Analyst II, Gina Terraneo, confirmed that all District communications are published on all social media platforms, including Twitter, at the same time. President Ooten shared that Tripepi Smith was hired to assist the District with its social media presence. He requested for Tripepi Smith to share social media data at their next Board presentation. Ms. Guzman confirmed that Tripepi Smith will be including that information in the report. She stated that their presentation is scheduled for next month. There was no further discussion. Action: 3. Artificial Intelligence Manhole Program Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receives and files this report. Ms. Guzman presented report details. She stated that the Artificial Intelligence Manhole Program is a new project designed to detect the condition of manholes COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 5 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD FEBRUARY 09, 2021 through a machine learning model. She added that there are about 5,000 manholes in the District's service area. She noted that, prior to the program, manholes were inspected manually by District staff, which was a labor-intensive and dangerous process. She shared that SpringML used a machine learning model to detect potholes in Memphis, Tennessee. She stated that the District contacted SpringML to create a similar program for detecting manholes in the District's service area. She reported that the program's testing phase is complete and that the first video will be recorded next month. She noted that a GoPro camera is attached to the District's Code Enforcement vehicle to record video footage. She added that the video footage will be uploaded to Google Cloud for the machine learning model to automatically process and provide manhole results that will be available on a website created by SpringML. She stated that the District's Administrative Assistant, Tanisha Tingling, will verify the manhole results and share them with the Wastewater staff. She displayed the machine learning model website to show how the model detects damage and reports this information to District staff. Mr. Carroll stated that the Wastewater staff will not be repairing the manholes. He noted that the District will be hiring contractors for any repairs. Director Perry expressed support for the program. President Ooten inquired about how the District will be able to focus on District manholes only. He commented that many manholes in the District's service area look like storm drain manholes. Ms. Guzman stated that the District provided images of their manholes so that the model is trained to detect only District manholes. She reported that, during program testing, less than 5% of manholes detected did not belong to the District. Mr. Carroll commented that utility manholes have some differences compared to District manholes. He noted that the detection program becomes more accurate as more information is inputted. President Ooten stated that storm drain manholes look exactly like sewer manholes. He inquired about the cost of the 2013 consultant's services for manhole detection. Mr. Carroll stated that he cannot recall that information, but he will research it. Director Eckles stated that the District is currently in its second contract with SpringML. He inquired about the duration of the contract. Mr. Carroll stated that the District's contract with SpringML is complete. He noted that they are available for support services at an hourly rate. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 6 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD FEBRUARY 09, 2021 Director Eckles inquired if the District has an estimate of long-term costs for this program. Mr. Carroll reported that SpringML's services are anticipated to cost less than $5,000 per year. Ms. Guzman shared that the SpringML website is complete and that any technical issues can also be fixed by the District's Information Technology contractor. Director Eckles inquired if a cost analysis regarding financial savings and the safety benefits of this program has been performed. President Ooten shared that, when he worked for the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD), they experienced several incidents of vehicle damage from manholes. He noted that there was a cost associated with these incidents as well as several lawsuits. He added that this OCSD issue made him aware of the District's deteriorating manholes. He stated that the ongoing costs for the program will be for SpringML's cloud storage. Mr. Carroll stated that the District has not performed a cost -benefit analysis, but that they will after a year or two of implementation to ensure that they have enough data. President Ooten suggested asking the City of Costa Mesa if they would like to participate in this program. He shared that he has submitted requests related to City storm drains that need repair. He recommended assisting other utilities that have manholes in the District's service area. Mr. Carroll stated that the program may detect damage to other agency's manholes. He added that the District will alert the City or OCSD if their manholes are deteriorating. Secretary Schafer recommended adding this item to the Liaison Committee meeting agenda. Mr. Carroll confirmed that he will add it to that agenda. President Ooten commented that the City, Mesa Water, and OCSD will be interested in this program. Vice President Scheafer inquired if the District needs to expand the Code Enforcement Officer's patrol area. Mr. Carroll stated that his patrol area does not need to be expanded at this time. He reported that the Code Enforcement Officer will cover the entirety of the District's service area within his normal working hours. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 7 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD FEBRUARY 09, 2021 District resident, Jim Mosher, commented that the Code Enforcement Officer will cover all the District's service area every quarter. He inquired if the Code Enforcement vehicle will have to travel slowly to take good quality images. He inquired about hosting the program software on a computer rather than Google Cloud. He noted that the District is paying $300 to utilize Google Cloud. Ms. Guzman stated that the Code Enforcement vehicle can travel at normal speed to gather images. She noted that the camera takes three to four frames per second. She added that the District was advised to record manholes early in the morning to avoid clouds and shadows. She stated that the machine learning model exists on Google Cloud. She reported that the cost varies each time a video is uploaded and processed. She clarified that the District did not explore hosting the software on a computer because it would require a lot of storage. She noted that the District does not have the capacity to host it on their servers at District Headquarters and that it is cheaper to use Google Cloud for video storage and processing. There was no further discussion, and the report was received. Action: 4. Community Shredding Event Recommendation: That the Board of Directors provides direction to staff. Ms. Guzman presented report details. She reported that the District researched the feasibility of hosting a community shredding event for the District's solid waste customers. She stated that Southern CA Shredding would charge approximately $2,400 for this type of event and she noted that it costs $100 per hour per shredding truck. She added that the District will have to provide staffing for the event, which they recommend lasting at least four hours. She stated that there would be an additional cost for a dumpster rental to dispose of cardboard. She shared that similar events have been held previously at the Orange Coast College (OCC) Recycling Center. She reported that this event would require 20 additional staff members besides herself and Mike Cary of CR&R Environmental Services. She stated that the District does not have enough staff to host the event, but that CR&R may be able to provide additional staffing. She noted that it will be difficult to find a location in the near future due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She recommended budgeting for this event over the next two years if the Board wishes to pursue it. Director Perry suggested Estancia High School as an event site. Director Eckles expressed support for Director Perry's suggestion. He commented that he has hosted a lot of similar types of events for various organizations. He recommended Newport Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) schools as possible event sites. He suggested partnering with local realtors, certified public accountants (CPAs), and businesses, as well as applying for a grant to offset the costs. He commented that it is not recommended to host the event during the pandemic, but he suggested that it be budgeted within the next year. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 8 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD FEBRUARY 09, 2021 Vice President Scheafer commented that people will congregate at this type of event. He expressed support for hosting it after Tax Day in April. He recommended placing the event on hold to avoid violating any COVID-19 protocols. President Ooten stated that this event relates to the City's organics recycling program mandated by Senate Bill (SB) 1383. He recommended coordinating with the City for the event. He noted that the City will have the support staff necessary for it. He added that these types of events should be included in the City's organics recycling plan because it is their responsibility to fulfill the SB 1383 requirements. Secretary Schafer recommended planning the event for 2022 and suggested contacting the City and Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce for a grant. Director Perry shared that a local Target in Huntington Beach recently held two electronics recycling events. He recommended hosting a similar type of event. The Board discussed Target's electronics recycling event. Mr. Carroll confirmed that the District will budget for the shredding event for Fiscal Year 2021-2022. President Ooten recommended including an evaluation of event costs and potential hosting sites. Mr. Mosher commented that the City of Newport Beach's shredding event was part of their contract with CR&R. He noted that the staff report mentions that the District is verifying its eligibility for the event. He shared that the Newport Beach shredding event was available only to CR&R residential customers living in Newport Beach. He added that the event did not accept business waste, but that he is unaware as to how that rule was enforced. Mr. Carroll noted that the District will add the event to the budget and include cost, potential sites, and partnerships. President Ooten suggested contacting local realtors for support. He inquired if the event would include the shredding of cardboard. Mr. Carroll stated that cardboard will not be accepted at the event. Director Eckles requested a line item for this event in the next budget including a rough cost estimate. He stated that there will be many high school students with community service requirements that could provide support. There was no further discussion. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 9 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD FEBRUARY 09, 2021 Action: 5. Cardboard Recycling Event Recommendation: That the Board of Directors provides direction to staff. Mr. Carroll presented report details. He stated that this event was suggested to address the increase in carboard waste because of people ordering more items online due to COVID-19. He noted that the market for cardboard recycling has increased, which has resulted in more local scavenging. He shared that the District's solid waste customers are instructed to place broken down cardboard in their Mixed Waste Carts. He mentioned that the District issued a short video post on its social media platforms about cardboard recycling. He added that the OCC Recycling Center accepts cardboard, but they do not issue California Redemption Value (CRV) for it. He noted that the OCC Recycling Center is currently closed. He inquired if the Board would like to plan for a drop-off cardboard recycling event or if they would like to direct staff to continue promoting regular curbside collection. He shared that the District received a public comment encouraging the District to work with Amazon to pick-up used packaging. He asked if the Board is interested in this suggestion. Director Eckles suggested for this event to be like the community shredding event. He noted that the event cannot take place right now, but that he requests for it to be added to the budget. He commented that he does not see customers breaking down their cardboard before placing it in their cart. Vice President Scheafer expressed support for Director Eckles' suggestion. He recommended scheduling the event for January 2022 to have the most impact. He noted that he has a few concerns regarding Amazon visiting homes to pick up packaging. He inquired if the District has contacted Amazon regarding this request. He stated that the District receives credit for its cardboard disposal. He added that the District will lose recycling credit if Amazon collects cardboard waste and will potentially lose a certain degree of accountability. He requested more information on the item. President Ooten commented that a lot of outreach education would be necessary to inform the public that Amazon collects packaging waste. Secretary Schafer recommended adding the event to the budget. She stated that the event will provide great visibility for the District. Director Perry stated that the District has an obligation to CR&R to get credit for this commodity. He recommended discussing this topic with CR&R. President Ooten commented that the District's Code Enforcement Officer manages scavenging reduction. He recommended for District staff to contact CR&R. He stated that this event should be a part of the City of Costa Mesa's plan for organics recycling. He requested a future presentation on the City's plan for SB 1383 compliance. He expressed support for budgeting this event in the future. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 10 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD FEBRUARY 09, 2021 Vice President Scheafer inquired if the District has any information indicating that Amazon would support collecting packaging waste. He inquired if the City of Newport Beach supports this suggestion. Mr. Carroll stated that the suggestion to coordinate with Amazon was a public comment. He noted that he will conduct more research on the topic. The Board discussed the phrase "packaging materials" and other delivery services. Mr. Carroll asked the Board if they would like this event included in the budget. President Ooten confirmed that the Board requests for this event to be budgeted as well as alternative options. Secretary Schafer requested for this item to be placed on the upcoming Board meeting agenda. Mr. Carroll stated that District staff will include it in the budget proposal and present it to the Board. Director Eckles suggested including it as a line item for a preliminary budget review. Director Perry requested for Mike Carey, CR&R Representative, to discuss this event with CR&R staff. Mr. Carey confirmed that he will discuss the event. There was no further discussion. Procedural: 1. Oral Communications and Director Comments Vice President Scheafer shared that he sent a picture of an Organics Recycling Cart to Mr. Carroll. He stated that the Seiwa Market on Harbor Boulevard is utilizing an Organics Recycling Cart that is located behind their store. He commented that CR&R probably did not issue them that cart and recommended looking into this issue. President Ooten shared that he walks by that area often and that he will look for it next time he is nearby. Mr. Carey stated that he is not certain of that specific container, but that CR&R offers food waste recovery containers to food vendors and businesses. Director Perry inquired if the District receives credit for their disposal. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 11 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD FEBRUARY 09, 2021 Mr. Carroll clarified that the City of Costa Mesa receives the credit for business waste. Director Perry asked Mr. Carey to find out how many food waste recovery containers are given to businesses in the City. Mr. Carey confirmed that he will research that information. Secretary Schafer thanked District staff for the Mixed Waste Awareness Campaign fact sheet. There were no additional comments by the Board. Procedural: 2. Adjournment President Ooten adjourned the meeting at 10:45 A.M.