Loading...
Minutes - Board - 2022-06-14COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION JDNE 14, 2022 NOTE: THIS HYBRID IN -PERSON AND TELECONFERENCED MEETING WAS CONDUCTED UTILIZING ELECTRONIC MEANS CONSISTENT wrm 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 Staffpresent 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), Marc Davis (District Treasurer), Gina Terraneo (Management Analyst II), Nabila Guzman (Management Analyst I), Lieu Tran (Accountant), Autumn Alvarez (Accounting Clerk), David Griffin (Interim Code Enforcement Officer), Tanisha Tingling (Administrative Assistant II) Others present Mike Carey, CR&R Jim Mosher, District resident 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.) COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 2 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 President Ooten called the meeting to order at 8:01 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. 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 Participating in California Cooperative Liquid Assets Securities System Recommendation: That the Board of Directors consider participating in California Cooperative Liquid Assts Securities System. President Ooten introduced the report. General Manager, Scott Carroll, stated that this item presents an investment opportunity through the California Special Districts Association (CSDA) and League of California Cities. He shared that he learned about this new investment policy through a presentation at an Independent Special Districts of Orange County (ISDOC) quarterly meeting. He noted that the California Cooperative Liquid Assts Securities System is also known as CLASS. District Treasurer, Marc Davis, provided report details. He stated that CLASS will be administered by public trust advisors who are based in Denver, Colorado. He shared that they currently operate the same type of pool in 10 different states and manage about $54 billion dollars of government agency monies. He reported that the District's current investment policy allows for investment in local government investment pools, but it dictates the specific two pools, which are the Local Agency Investment Fund (LAIF) and CalTrust. He noted that the District is currently only investing in LAIF. He stated that CLASS is offering two different types of investment pools, a short-term pool that operates almost identical to LAIF with no minimum investment and COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 3 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIIIECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 unlimited deposits and withdrawals, and a longer -term enhanced cash pool with next -day liquidity and unlimited deposits and withdrawals. He discussed the net assets of each type of investment pool. He added that the longer -term enhanced cash pool is organized in the form of a joint powers authority (JPA) and offers two levels of participation, which are participant or founding participant. He noted that a resolution is required to join as a founding participant and that Board members would be eligible to sit on the board of the JPA. He stated that, because there is no historical information on these two investment pools, he is unable to compare them to LAIF. He shared that, according to CSDA, their rates may be higher than LAIR He added that the Board will have the option to update the District's investment policy at the June Board meeting. Director Perry asked if Mr. Davis recommends joining these investment pools. Mr. Davis stated that joining the pools does not commit the District until money is actually invested. He noted that if the Board decides to join, then these pools will be added to the District's investment policy. He recommended holding off on investing money until the District is able to compare rates. He stated that CLASS would operate in conjunction with LAIF and allow for diversification. Secretary Schafer expressed support for CLASS and recommended that the District join but not fully invest. Director Eckles inquired about the JPA and how it compares to the District's existing investments. Mr. Davis stated that LAIF is governed by the State Treasurer and elected board members. He noted that LAIF is not a JPA. He added that CalTrust is identical to CLASS in that it is a JPA. He stated that the District signed an agreement to join CalTrust years ago, however funds have not been invested in that pool to date. Director Eckles asked how CLASS's board operates and inquired about the election process. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 4 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 Mr. Davis stated that board members would be elected for set terms. He noted that the board was previously set up while CLASS was in the formation stage. He added that CSDA and the League of California Cities performed due diligence when researching public trust advisors. He stated that he can provide more information about the election process at the June Board meeting. Director Eckles stated that the District has two investment pools for short- term liquidity but is only invested in one pool. He inquired about the need for a third investment pool. Mr. Davis expressed hesitation towards investing in CalTrust, as it is not as liquid as LAIR He stated that a short-term portfolio with CLASS would be similar to LAIF, but rates and performance have yet to be determined. He shared that each state has its own version of CLASS, and rates vary among them. Director Eckles asked if it would be harmful if the District waited to join CLASS. Mr. Davis stated that there is no harm in waiting, as CLASS is brand new. He stated that CSDA is presenting CLASS to all its member agencies as a good alternative to LAW. He noted that there is currently no limit to the number of founding participants. Vice President Scheafer shared that the Special Districts Risk Management Authority (SDRMA) formed a captive JPA for investment purposes. He asked if CLASS will be domiciled in another state like Colorado. Mr. Davis stated that CLASS's public trust advisors are headquartered in Colorado but have also set up an office in California to address the California CLASS. Vice President Scheafer asked if CLASS will have the ability to take advantage of other investment opportunities that are not in California. Mr. Davis stated that CLASS only regards allowable investments that are authorized under the California Government Code. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE S MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 Vice President Scheafer stated that a JPA allows its participants to elect their board members. He expressed support for joining CLASS as a founding participant so that the District can provide input, protect their interests, and better serve their constituents. Director Perry expressed agreement with Vice President Scheafer. He noted that the District can join now but hold off on investing. Secretary Schafer expressed support for proceeding with joining CLASS. Director Eckles expressed hesitation in joining CLASS because it is brand new. He stated that he would prefer to hold off on joining to see how well CLASS performs. Vice President Scheafer stated that he does not disagree with Director Eckles, but that he is confident in CSDA's recommendation to join. President Ooten stated that the District has not invested with CalTrust, which has not brought any harm to the District. He expressed support for proceeding with joining CLASS. He confirmed that the consensus of the Board is to become a founding participant. He expressed faith in Mr. Davis' judgement as to whether the District participates by investing. Mr. Carroll stated that District staff has received direction to report back with a resolution to consider becoming a founding participant of CLASS at the June Board meeting. President Ooten stated that the Board would also like more information about CLASS's board election process. Director Eckles stated that he is currently opposed to joining CLASS, but new information could change his stance. Mr. Davis confirmed that he will present a resolution on this item at the June Board meeting. There was no further discussion. Action: 2. Bilingual Pay COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT' PAGE 6 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 Recommendation: That the Board of Directors direct staff to report back on June 27, 2022 to consider adopting Bilingual Pay Policy. President Ooten introduced the item. Mr. Carroll presented report details. He stated that the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) reviewed this item on May 11, 2022. Administrative Services Manager, Dyana Bojarski, stated that California Government Code requires that local agencies that serve a substantial number of non-English speakers must employ a sufficient number of qualified bilingual persons in public contact positions or as interpreters to ensure that information and services are provided in the language of the non-English speaking person. She shared that this information has been reviewed by the District's employment law firm, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, which confirmed that public agencies must employ a sufficient number of qualified bilingual speakers. She reported that approximately 29% of the District's service area are primarily Spanish speakers. She stated that District staff is recommending that "substantial" be defined with a threshold of 25% of speakers of the same non-English speaking language. She stated that the District does not currently offer bilingual pay and is recommending offering it as special pay for those certified to provide bilingual services. She reported that, according to a bilingual pay survey of 13 local agencies, the average monthly amount for bilingual pay is $135 for speaking and $175 for speaking, reading, and writing. She stated that District staff is recommending a monthly bilingual pay amount of $140 for speaking and $180 for speaking, reading, and writing. She noted that bilingual pay would be reported to Ca1PERS as special compensation. She added that a proficiency test would be required to receive bilingual pay, and that the District is only suggesting bilingual pay for Spanish. She stated that employees who are certified to receive bilingual pay would be designated as District translators. She confirmed that there is sufficient funding in the budget to provide bilingual pay to one employee. She shared that the CAC unanimously approved recommending adoption of the Bilingual Pay Policy. She discussed the alternative option of hiring a private consultant at a rate of $70 per hour. She noted that she is unsure if utilizing a private consultant meets the California Government Code's requirements. President Ooten asked how the District currently interacts with the public. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 7 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 Ms. Bojarski stated that the District interacts with the public via phone calls, emails, and walk-in visits. She clarified that the California Government Code requires that a sufficient number of qualified bilingual persons are employed in public contact positions. Director Perry asked if a public agency is required to provide special payment for those positions. Ms. Bojarski stated that the California Government Code does not state that there must be extra payment. Secretary Schafer inquired about the benchmark amounts. Ms. Bojarski stated that District staff is proposing a threshold of 25% of a people group of a non-English speaking language. Secretary Schafer shared that the Orange County Fairgrounds provides bilingual pay to their employees. Director Eckles asked how the California state legislature defines "substantial." Ms. Bojarski stated that they do not provide a definition for the term. Director Eckles asked how non-English speaking persons are legally defined. Ms. Bojarski stated that a non-English speaking person's first or preferred language differs from English. Director Eckles stated that, according to that definition, it does not necessarily mean that those persons do not speak English. Ms. Bojarski stated that District staff tries to communicate the District's message as effectively as possible to the public. She shared that the District began translating the seasonal newsletter to Spanish in 2018, which has proven to be very beneficial. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 8 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JuNE 14, 2022 Discussion followed regarding how to address Vietnamese speaking customers. Mr. Carroll clarified that the District would try to assist those customers with a staff member that speaks Vietnamese, but that employees will not receive special pay because the Vietnamese speaking population does not meet the 25% threshold. Director Eckles inquired about multiple bilingual employees requesting special pay. Mr. Carroll stated that each employee's level of interaction with the public will be taken into consideration. He noted that some bilingual employees are proficient, but they do not use their skills as part of their job duties. Director Eckles stated that all employees who are public facing can apply for bilingual pay. Mr. Carroll stated that the District will make the determination as to how many staff translators are needed. Director Eckles expressed concerns about the legality of determining which employees receive bilingual pay. He inquired about hiring bilingual employees. Ms. Bojarski stated that the District does not require employees to be bilingual. She clarified that District staff is recommending designating only one staff member to be the District's translator. Director Eckles stated that the District will inevitably hire new staff members, who may have bilingual skills. Secretary Schafer asked if this process would entail hiring a new employee for these services. Ms. Bojarski stated that the District currently has a staff member who is proficient in Spanish. She noted that the District would not be hiring an additional employee. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 9 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JuNE 14, 2022 Director Perry asked how many employees can interact with Spanish- speaking customers. Mr. Carroll stated that the District has more than one employee who are proficient in Spanish. Discussion followed regarding the process for selecting which employees receive bilingual pay. Mr. Carroll reviewed the financial benefits of having translation services in- house rather than contracting with a private consultant. Ms. Bojarski shared that the District already offers special pay categories for Wastewater employees (collections, welding, closed-circuit televising, commercial drivers license). She noted that bilingual pay is similar to those special pay categories, but it would be applicable to the administrative staff that experience a greater level of interaction with the public. Director Perry inquired about the other special pay rates for Wastewater staff. Ms. Bojarski stated that those amounts equate to 1.5% of a Wastewater employee's hourly base rate. Director Eckles stated that the current employee who is already providing translation services does not require additional time to perform such duties. Ms. Bojarski explained that the employee spends a significant amount of time translating outreach and processing customer requests, which reduces the amount of time available for their regular assigned duties. She added that, if bilingual pay is denied, then this employee is not required to translate for the District. Mr. Carroll added that providing translation services does create additional work for this employee. Discussion followed regarding additional work duties for translation services. COSTA MESA SANrrARY DISTRICT PAGE 10 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 Secretary Schafer asked if other local districts offer bilingual pay. Ms. Bojarski stated that the City of Costa Mesa offers bilingual services, while Midway City Sanitary District does not. Mr. Carroll stated that bilingual paywill cost the District about $2,000 dollars per year. He added that the District can contract with a private consultant but at a higher rate. Ms. Bojarski added that private contractors are not fully aware of the District's services and may be unable to effectively assist customers. Vice President Scheafer stated that the District is trying to comply with certain regulations like Senate Bill (SB) 1383. He stated that the District has a duty to ensure that SB 1383 is implemented along with other programs and will need to take extraordinary steps to achieve compliance. He added that translation services produce extra work for employees. He discussed the benefits of special pay and how it can contribute to employee retention. He shared that, for his business, an interpreter costs about $85-95 dollars per hour. He expressed support for offering bilingual pay. Director Eckles asked if the District can limit bilingual pay to one employee. Mr. Carroll stated that he holds the authority to approve which employees will receive bilingual pay, which will be based on their level of interaction with the public. He added that bilingual services are beneficial to the public and bilingual pay is beneficial to District employees. He noted that he is not recommending for the policy to be limited to one employee, but the Board can decide otherwise. President Ooten inquired about Mr. Carroll's recommendation. Mr. Carroll recommended that this item be brought back to the June Board meeting for approval. He added that the Bilingual Pay Policy will include language regarding the General Manager's discretion in selecting how many staff members can receive bilingual pay. Director Perry asked how many staff members he suspects will receive bilingual pay. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 11 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 Mr. Carroll stated that he recommends a minimum of two employees designated for bilingual pay. District resident, Jim Mosher, commented that communication with ratepayers in their native language is an important asset for the District. He stated that District staff is proposing a cost-effective method for providing translation services. He added that, in the future, the District may have bilingual employees who may not be as proficient in writing. He noted that, according to the staff report, this item will be presented at the June Board meeting to approve the written policy. He stated that this discussion would have been facilitated better with a draft policy so that the details could be analyzed. Director Eckles inquired about the approval process for today. Mr. Carroll stated that if the item is approved, then the Board would be directing District staff to present a Bilingual Pay Policy for adoption. The Board of Directors directed staff to bring the policy back to the Board for consideration at the July 27 Board of Directors Meeting. There was no further discussion. Action: 3. Consider Sole Sourcing Consulting Services for Conducting an Elden Forcemain Scoping and Planning Study and Attempting to Secure Federal Funding for the Construction of a Redundancy Elden Forcemain Recommendation: That the Board of Directors direct staff to report back on June 27, 2022 to consider approving an agreement with Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. for conducting an Elden Forcemain Scoping and Planning Study and Attempting to Secure Federal Funding for the Construction of a Redundancy Elden Forcemain. President Ooten introduced the item. District Engineer, Mark Esquer, provided an overview of the Elden Pump Station features. He stated that the existing forcemain is 3,300 feet long, made up of 18-inch ductile iron pipe, and has a flow of 1.4 million gallons per day. He explained that the proposed forcemain would be 6,000 feet long, have 18-inch plastic pipe, and would cross under the 55-freeway. He shared COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 12 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 that District staff has been drafting an agreement with Jacobs Engineering. He noted that a request for proposals for a study was published, but no proposals were received after discussing the project with several companies. He added that he drafted a letter to the Orange County Board of Supervisors regarding federal infrastructure funding for this project. He stated that Trimble has been securing money for agencies to install smart sewer systems. He discussed working with Jacobs Engineering and Trimble to request grant money. He noted that District staff has decided to prioritize the forcemain followed by the smart sewer system. President Ooten inquired about a smart sewer system. Mr. Esquer explained that a smart sewer system refers to many features including smart covers, flow meters, and various devices that utilize artificial intelligence. He stated that if the District's grant proposal is successful, then Jacobs Engineering will be performing the construction work and administering the project. He presented the estimated budget of about $8.5 million dollars and discussed the contract, which includes a $70,000 planning study to review alternative approaches. Director Perry inquired about the amount of the potential grant award. Mr. Esquer stated that he is unsure how much the District may receive. Mr. Carroll stated that a grant typically does not cover the full cost of a project. He noted that it may cover about 80% of the project's total cost. Mr. Esquer stated that federal infrastructure funding may fully cover the cost of this project. Discussion followed regarding the project's budget. Mr. Carroll stressed the importance of this project and recommended borrowing money if the District's grant proposal is not approved. He noted that District Treasurer, Marc Davis, can provide alternative funding sources. President Ooten stated that the wastewater rate increases were structured to fund a project worth $5 million dollars. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 13 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 Mr. Esquer confirmed that a $5 million project fund was built into the wastewater rate structure. Secretary Schafer expressed support for this project. She asked if a letter has been sent to the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Mr. Esquer stated that Mr. Carroll has sent a letter to the Orange County Board of Supervisors and has tentatively scheduled a meeting with them. Mr. Carroll shared that the District is in the process of scheduling a staff meeting with the County Executive Officer of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Frank Kim. Discussion followed regarding the District's representation on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Director Eckles inquired about the project's bidding process. Mr. Esquer stated that engineering companies have not shown interest in submitting proposals. Discussion followed regarding the threshold for paying $15,000 for the grant proposal. The Board directed District staff to bring this item back for approval once the agreement with Jacobs Engineering is prepared. There was no further discussion. President Ooten adjourned to a break at 9:35 a.m. and noted that the Board would like to hear Item C5 prior to C4 upon reconvening from the break. Action: 4. Discuss Alternative Methods for Storing Food Waste Before Discarding into Organic Recycling Carts Recommendation: That the Board of Directors provide feedback to staff. President Ooten reconvened the meeting at 9:41 a.m. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 14 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 Mr. Carroll stated that District customers can collect their food waste in a kitchen pail and then dispose of the waste in their Organics Recycling Cart. He shared that 200 kitchen pails were distributed at the District's Shredding and Compost Event. He noted that these pails are in high demand. He discussed other options for storing food waste including brown paper bags or newspaper liners, reusable containers made of glass, plastic, or metal, or placing it in the freezer until collection day. He stated that District staff is seeking direction from the Board on which methods to promote. Secretary Schafer stated that she has been receiving feedback form District customers regarding an additional trash cart for recycling. Mr. Carroll clarified that the issuance of recycling carts is a separate discussion. Director Eckles asked if the proposed methods listed in the staff report are the only alternatives approved by CalRecycle under Senate Bill (SB)1383. Mr. Carroll stated that the proposed methods are based on District staffs research for storing food waste. Director Eckles expressed support for promoting alternative methods for collecting food waste. Discussion followed regarding items that can be placed in the Organics Recycling Cart. President Ooten shared that he uses food containers to store his food waste. He added that he places his food waste on top of his yard waste in his Organics Recycling Cart. He also expressed support for promoting alternative methods for collecting food waste. He suggested updating the District's public outreach materials to include these alternative methods. Vice President Scheafer stated that the ultimate solution for food waste is to reduce the amount of waste. He recommended for the City of Costa Mesa to encourage every restaurant to have an organic waste bin. Mr. Mosher commented that SB 1383 requires 75% of organic waste to be diverted from landfills. He asked if the goal is to have 75% of the waste COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 15 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DmEcTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 stream diverted. He stated that there are methods for keeping organic waste out of the waste stream, such as home composting. He shared that he buries his vegetable scraps in his yard to create compost. He noted that the vegetable waste breaks down in about two weeks. He inquired if home composting should be promoted as another alternative for collecting food waste. There was no further discussion. Action: S. CalRecycle SB 1383 Local Assistance Grant Spending Plan Recommendation: Staff recommends that this item be brought back on June 27, 2022 for the Board of Directors to approve CalRecycle SB 1383 Local Assistance Grant Spending Plan for FY2022-23 and FY2023-24 and appropriate funds to FY2022-23 to off -set the expenditures. President Ooten introduced the item. Mr. Carroll stated that the District received over $168,000 from CalRecycle through a grant for SB 1383. He added that CalRecycle has requested a spending plan for the grant money, which the District has already submitted, and asked the Board for any comments or suggestions regarding the plan. Director Perry inquired about the $60,000 earmarked for administrative costs and asked if some of that money can be used for educational outreach. Management Analyst I, Nabila Guzman, stated that the $60,000 for administration will fund two consultant contracts. She shared that Tripepi Smith's $40,000 consultant contract includes bilingual outreach materials, designing and printing mailers, educational videos, advertising, branding design, stakeholder workshops, and school outreach. She added that Mike Balliet Consulting's $20,000 contract includes program evaluation, a waste characterization study, and SB 1383 compliance assistance. Director Perry inquired about Mike Balliet Consulting's contract fee. Ms. Guzman stated that Mike Balliet Consulting has a low hourly rate. COSTA MESA SANrrARY DISTRICT PAGE 16 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 President Ooten stated that the District's two-year budget includes $25,000 for Mike Balliet Consulting. He inquired if the new contract is in addition to his previously budgeted services. Ms. Guzman stated that the new contract for Mike Balliet Consulting will offset the previously budgeted amount. Director Perry inquired about Tripepi Smith's school outreach materials. Ms. Guzman stated that the District and Tripepi Smith have not discussed that item in detail but have considered producing educational handouts and presentations. Discussion followed regarding school outreach. Director Perry asked how the $40,000 for Tripepi Smith was determined. Ms. Guzman stated that cost is broken down in the staff report. Director Perry inquired about the timeline of the grant. Ms. Guzman stated that the CalRecycle grant is valid through April 2, 2024. She noted that she anticipates that the education and administration funds will be used within Fiscal Year 2022-23. President Ooten inquired about the spending plan that was submitted to CalRecycle. Mr. Carroll stated that if the Board decides to change the spending plan, then District staff will submit a new plan to CalRecycle for approval. Vice President Scheafer suggested increasing the District's presence on Facebook and creating more Google Ads to increase awareness. Mr. Mosher inquired about the costs listed in the staff report for Tripepi Smith's services and suggested providing a clearer description of their spending plan. Discussion followed regarding the total budget for Tripepi Smith. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 17 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 Ms. Guzman stated that she will provide a clear breakdown of their services at the June Board meeting. President Ooten inquired about bilingual education. Ms. Guzman stated that SB 1383 regulations require that jurisdictions conduct education and outreach on organics recycling to all residents in the language that is mostly spoken in the community. She noted that English and Spanish are the two most prevalent languages in Costa Mesa. President Ooten stated that, based on the District's citizen surveys, the newsletter is the most important source of information for customers. He expressed concerns about educating customers who reside in multi -family properties. He asked how the District distributes their newsletter. Ms. Guzman stated that newsletters are delivered to all addresses within the District's service area and that legal notices and rate information are sent to property owner addresses. President Ooten expressed support for the CalRecycle grant and requested more information on Tripepi Smith's services. He inquired about hiring an intern to assist with SB 1383 outreach. Mr. Carroll stated that the District will pursue hiring an intern in the fall when school is in session. There was no further discussion. Action, Receive and File: 6. Receive and File Quarterly Legislative Report — Quarter 2 Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receive and file this report. President Ooten introduced the item. Mr. Carroll stated that there is no presentation, but District staff is available to answer questions. Director Eckles requested to receive and file this report. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 18 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 Vice President Scheafer inquired about a new law regarding the distribution of straws at food establishments. Management Analyst II, Gina Terraneo, stated that Vice President Scheafer is referring to Assembly Bill (AB) 1276. She noted that this law also includes condiments. There was no further discussion, and the report was received. Action, Receive and File: 7. Receive and File May 2022 Code Enforcement Officer Report Recommendation: That the Board of Directors receive and file this report. President Ooten introduced the item. Interim Code Enforcement Officer, David Griffin, presented report details. He stated that five scavengers were caught and 72 trash containers in public view violations were issued in May 2022. Director Perry commented that less trash carts in public view violations were issued in May compared to previous months. Mr. Griffin stated that he was out on vacation and had a 4-day holiday weekend in May. He continued discussing his report and noted that there was one case of graffiti on Pomona Avenue. He added that the trash cart was reported to CR&R for replacement. Director Perry asked if multi -family customers are allowed to mark their carts for identification purposes. Mr. Griffin confirmed that labeling carts is not considered graffiti. There was no further discussion, and the report was received. Action, Receive and File: 8. Receive and File Citizens Advisory Committee FY 2022-23 Goals and Objective Schedule Recommendation: That the Board of Directors provide direction to staff. COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 19 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 President Ooten introduced the item. Mr. Carroll presented report details. He stated that the Board President and CAC Chair meet every year to discuss CAC goals and objectives. He noted that the list is attached to the staff report for review and that this item will be presented to the CAC at their July meeting. Director Eckles inquired about a Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 2.8% that is included in the list. Mr. Carroll stated that CR&R is requesting a 2.8% CPI increase in their new contract with the District. Director Perry asked if the District has finished negotiations with CR&R. Mr. Carroll stated that the District is waiting to receive the July rate survey data from other agencies to perform a rate comparison. He noted that District staff has about two more meetings with CR&R before presenting the new contract to the Board. Discussion followed regarding the items included in the CAC's list of goals and objectives. Mr. Mosher commented that the CAC's list is a well -developed and ambitious work plan. He stated that the CAC will be monitoring the rollout of a three - cart system in Newport Beach. He noted that Newport Beach residents are very confused about the new three -cart system and recommended drafting a list of items that are most commonly misplaced within the different trash carts. There was no further discussion, and the report was received. D. CLOSING ITEMS Procedural: 1. Oral Communications and Director Comments President Ooten commented on the rollout of the District's three -cart system and requested more information about the process. He also recommended COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT PAGE 20 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 providing a list of items that belong in each cart. He requested discussing this item at the July Study Session. Vice President Scheafer commented that there has been a lot of construction preparation and sewer markings on his street. He requested a social media post regarding the disposal of fireworks before the July 4a' holiday. He shared that today is Flag Day. He congratulated his grandson on making the Temecula Little League 8U All -Star team. Director Perry commented that the City of Costa Mesa is having a storm drain master plan discussion this Thursday at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom. Director Eckels thanked CR&R for their assistance with trash service at the 215t annual Pilot Cup at Costa Mesa High School. He expressed recognition for the District's Shredding and Compost Event and thanked the City of Costa Mesa, Newport -Mesa Unified School, and District staff for their assistance. He requested to budget annually for this event. He also expressed recognition for Mr. Esquer's staff reports. President Ooten inquired about the District's American Flag Drop Box program and how they are being disposed. Mr. Carroll stated that he is working on finding a disposal site. Secretary Schafer commented that she received a brochure about disposing fireworks. She expressed recognition for Ms. Guzman's leadership at the Shredding and Compost Event. She shared that CSDA is having a strategic planning session in San Diego. She congratulated District staff, partners, and the community on their teamwork. President Ooten echoed compliments for the Shredding and Compost Event. He suggested sharing additional information about District programs at public events. There were no additional comments. Procedural: 2. Adjournment COSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS STUDY SESSION HELD JUNE 14, 2022 President Ooten adjourned the meeting at 10:48 A.M. ",,L+Arlene Schafer Secretary B b Ooten President PAGE 21