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Minutes - Board - 2022-05-10COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION MAY 1% 2022 NOTE: THIS HYBRID IN -PERSON AND TELECONFERENCED MEETING WAS CONDUCTED UTILIZING ELECTRONIC MEANS CONSISTENT WITH STATE OF CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY BILL 361(Gov. CODE 54953(B)(3)). 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), Dyana Bojarski (Administrative Services Manager), Mark Esquer (District Engineer), Gina Terraneo (Management Analyst II), Angela Colunga (Administrative Assistant), Nabila Guzman (Management Analyst I), Lieu Tran (Accountant), Autumn Alvarez (Accounting Clerk), David Griffin (Interim Code Enforcement Officer) Others present Mike Carey, CR&R Michael Tou, District resident & Citizens Advisory Committee Member Meeting called to order at 8:01 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 8:01 A.M. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 2 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 10, 2022 ..........._ District Clerk and Public Information Officer, Noelani Middenway, noted that President Ooten, Vice President Scheafer, Secretary Schafer, Director Perry, and Director Eckles were present. B. PUBLIC COMMENTS Procedural: 1. Public Comments President Ooten opened public comments. Hearing none, he closed public comments. C. ITEMS OF STUDY Action 1. Consider Approving Five Percent (5.0%) Cost of Living Adjustment for CMSD Employees Recommendation: That the Board of Directors direct staff to bring this item back for approval consideration at the May 23, 2022 regular Board of Directors meeting. President Ooten introduced the report. General Manager, Scott Carroll, presented report details. He noted that District staff is recommending approval of a 5% cost -of -living adjustment (COLA). He presented the alternative COLA options. Director Perry suggested approving a 3% COLA. He commented that a 5% COLA is too extreme. Discussion followed regarding the District's budget for COLAs. Director Eckles inquired about merit -based raises. Mr. Carroll stated that merit -based raises vary depending on staffs performance evaluations. He added that the average merit -based raise is close to 5%. Director Eckles stated that, if employees receive a 5% merit -based raise and a 3% COLA, then they will be receiving an overall 8% raise, which is above the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of 7.4%. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 3 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 1% 2022 ........_._. Mr. Carroll shared that the District has three employees who have reached their maximum salary range and are ineligible for merit -based raises. He noted that another two employees may potentially reach their maximum salary range by the end of the year. Director Eckles inquired about District salaries in comparison to other local public agencies. Mr. Carroll stated that the District performs a compensation study once every five years. He added that District salaries are competitive compared to other agencies. Director Eckles requested a compensation comparison of all local agencies prior to the next Board meeting. He inquired about the CPI rate of 7.4%. Mr. Carroll stated that the figure is determined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. He clarified that the CPI rate of 7.4% is the benchmark for the Los Angeles, Anaheim, and Long Beach area. Secretary Schafer inquired about Director Perry's suggestion of a 3% COLA. Director Perry stated that the COLA is an annual adjustment. He expressed concern for the District's ratepayers, who are also impacted by inflation prices. Discussion followed regarding salary ranges. Director Eckles commented on the District's previous COLAs. He requested more information regarding previous periods of inflation and COLA percentages. Vice President Scheafer stated that a COLA of 7.4% is close to current inflation. He noted that the increases in the price of gas have been much higher than 7.4%. He clarified that COLA and merit -based raises should not be combined since COLA is unrelated to an employee's performance. He recommended for District staff to review the federal government's measures to combat inflation. He stated that, although the District may not be able to afford a 7.4% COLA, District employees deserve it. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 4 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 1% 2022 President Ooten requested more information from comparable agencies, such as the City of Costa Mesa and Mesa Water District. Vice President Scheafer shared that the Special District Risk Management Authority recently approved a COLA for Sacramento. Mr. Carroll stated that some agencies may have negotiated a CPI in their union contracts, which are usually around 3 to 4%. The Board directed District staff to present more information on this item at the May Board meeting. There was no further discussion. Action: 2. Consider Approving New job Classification and Hiring Two New Employees in the Wastewater Collections Department, and Ordering One New Combination Sewer Cleaning Unit and One Pickup Truck Recommendation: That the Board of Directors direct staff to bring this item back on May 23, 2022 to consider approving the following: 1. job description and salary range for the proposed Electrical Instrumentation Technician position. 2. Hiring two new employees that include one Electrical Instrumentation Technician and one Wastewater Maintenance Worker II; and 3. Direct staff to place the order for one new sewer combination cleaning unit and one pickup truck. President Ooten introduced the item. Mr. Carroll presented report details. He reviewed the report's recommendations. He discussed the current staffing levels of the Wastewater Department. He noted that the staff report includes copies of the job descriptions. He recommended hiring a fourth Wastewater Maintenance Worker to establish three cleaning crews. He noted that three cleaning crews will ensure that the District's sewer system is cleaned within 12 months and help reduce the likelihood of sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). He added that they will allow for the Wastewater Department to transition from 9/80 schedules to 4/10 schedules and increase their cleaning hours. He stated that the District will be required to purchase additional equipment, including a combination sewer cleaning unit. He noted that it COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 5 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 10, 2022 may take 11 to 15 months for the vehicle to be delivered. He recommended purchasing a pickup truck to provide additional visibility and safety for motorists and to transport additional resources like generators and other emergency equipment. He shared that the District recently acquired a hybrid pickup truck for the Engineering Department. He added that, although it may take a year to receive an additional cleaning unit, he recommends proceeding with hiring two additional employees to perform other work duties. He noted that these additional employees will provide additional coverage for after-hours call -out assignments and standby duties. He stated that the District has contracted with C&R Drains for the past 10 years for after-hours services, but their contract will be terminated beginning July 1, 2022. He reported that C&R Drains receives an average of 26 calls per year with 27% of calls regarding non -sewer -related issues and responds to about 8 private SSOs per year with most calls taking place between 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. He shared that the District currently has five employees assigned to standby duties on a rotational basis and that two additional employees will help with improving morale and avoiding staff burnout. He stated that the total cost is about $920,000 and that funding will need to be appropriated for the 2022-2023 budget. Director Perry asked about C&R Drains' reasoning for terminating their contract. Mr. Carroll stated that they did not provide a specific reason. Director Perry asked if the District can require the new employees to reside locally. Mr. Carroll stated that Wastewater staff members are required to live within one hour from the District's service area. He noted that the District is not allowed to require staff members to live in Costa Mesa but can place limitations on how far away they can live. Discussion followed regarding on -call staffs residency. Director Perry asked if this item has been included in the District's budget. Mr. Carroll stated that these costs were approved within the Wastewater rate study. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 6 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 1% 2022 Discussion followed regarding the Wastewater Maintenance Worker II position. Secretary Schafer asked if David Griffin has been approved as the District's full-time Code Enforcement Officer. Mr. Carroll stated that the Code Enforcement Officer position is a solid waste position, and that Mr. Griffin is currently the Interim Code Enforcement Officer. He noted that this issue will be revisited in August 2022. President Ooten discussed the District's rental equipment expenses. Mr. Carroll commented that, in 2018, the District experienced multiple issues with their cleaning units. He noted that the District will rent a cleaning unit or hire a contractor if they are experiencing malfunctions with their equipment or if staffing levels are low. President Ooten asked if the District will have to pay for a combination sewer cleaning unit prior to receiving it. Mr. Carroll stated that payment will be issued once it is delivered. President Ooten inquired about the compensation rate for on -call employees. Mr. Carroll stated that on -call employees receive $50 per day for standby duties. He added that they will receive overtime pay if they respond to an emergency. He noted that these costs are included in the total. Director Eckles requested a breakdown of overtime costs associated with on - call employees. Mr. Carroll stated that a breakdown of overtime costs is included in the financial review section of the staff report. He added that overtime costs are based on the information provided by C&R Drains, and that they vary depending on the number of calls and sewer spills. Discussion followed regarding estimated costs related to new employees. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 7 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 10, 2022 Director Eckles asked how the District would proceed if they did not hire two additional employees. Mr. Carroll stated that the current Wastewater employees would be required to perform more on -call duties. Finance Manager, Kaitlin Tran, clarified that the budget of $23,370 for overtime includes the $50 rate for standby duties, staff cell phones, and emergency calls. Mr. Carroll stated that the total employment cost of hiring two additional employees is about $244,000. Director Eckles inquired about only hiring one additional employee. Mr. Carroll discussed the breakdown of current and proposed staffing levels. President Ooten commented that the District has historically had difficulty hiring Wastewater workers. He inquired about the District's procedures for when a Wastewater staff member calls out. Mr. Carroll stated that a Wastewater employee that is assigned to pump station maintenance will fill in for other positions when staffing is low. President Ooten stated that the District has substantially reduced pump station overflows. He suggested implementing new technology to assist with pump station maintenance. Vice President Scheafer stated that, if the District does not hire additional employees, then they will have to enter into a new contract for after-hours sewer service. Mr. Carroll commented that it will be very difficult to find another contractor because the District requires special equipment for sewer services. He noted that most wastewater agencies have additional staff to perform after -hour duties. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 8 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 10, 2022 Vice President Scheafer suggested researching a fully electric truck for purchase. Mr. Carroll stated that, due to their high demand, it might take longer to acquire an all -electric truck. Discussion followed regarding R.ivian and hybrid trucks. District Engineer, Mark Esquer, stated that the estimated cost of a Rivian truck is $70,000, while a hybrid truck costs about $27,000. Director Perry asked if the District's pump stations are inspected daily. Mr. Carroll confirmed that the pump stations are inspected every day of the workweek. Director Eckles asked if this item will be presented as an amendment to the 2022-2023 budget. Mr. Carroll confirmed that District staff will be requesting a budget amendment for this item. Discussion followed regarding how this item will impact the budget. Director Perry asked if the Wastewater rate increases will cover the proposed items. Mr. Carroll confirmed that these items were included in the Wastewater rate study. He stated that the Board has directed staff to provide more information on this item at the May Board meeting for approval consideration. There was no further discussion. Action, Receive and File: 3. Receive and File April 2022 Code Enforcement Officer Report Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receive and file this report. President Ooten introduced the item. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 9 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 10, 2022 Interim Code Enforcement Officer, David Griffin, presented report details. Vice President Scheafer inquired about scavenging of large items. Mr. Carroll stated that it is technically illegal to scavenge large items that are placed outside for a special pickup. Director Eckles asked Mr. Griffin to issue a citation to the repeated scavenger on Elden Avenue. Mr. Griffin noted that most offenders do not provide proper identification for the citation process. Director Eckles suggested issuing a citation to this particular offender as he appears capable of paying the fine. Mr. Griffin shared that the District is drafting informational notices for distribution. Director Perry requested a copy of the informational notice. Mr. Griffin continued sharing report details and stated that 115 notices of trash carts in public view were issued in April 2022. He discussed the locations of concentration and noted that some concentrations are within multi -family residential areas. There was no further discussion, and the report was received. D. CLOSING ITEMS Procedural: 1.Oral Communications and Director Comments Director Perry shared that the City of Costa Mesa will be performing resurfacing work on Adams Avenue. He asked if the District has any sewer lines in the area. He added that the City is putting electrical lines underground on the north side of the street. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 10 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD MAY 1% 2022 Mr. Carroll stated that he will communicate with the City regarding that matter. Director Perry noted that the City's project is expected to occur over the next 5 years. Vice President Scheafer discussed grease flies and requested for the District's Wastewater staff to assist with the issue. He commented that his neighbor received a yellow tag on her trash cart for being placed too close to a vehicle. He commended the CR&R driver for issuing the tag and still servicing the trash cart despite the incorrect cart placement. Secretary Schafer expressed recognition for the District's spring newsletter issue. Director Eckles commended the CR&R driver that services his neighborhood for his performance. Director Perry expressed recognition to CR&R for picking up trash that is left behind in the street. Vice President Scheafer asked CR&R representative, Mike Carey, to take note of the Board's comments. There were no additional comments. Procedural: 2. Adjournment President Ooten adjourned the meeting at 9:00 A.M. L ,. Arlene Schafer Secretary !LQ ! &L Bob Ooten President