MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING
OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE
IRONHOUSE SANITARY DISTRICT
February 5, 2013
The Ironhouse Sanitary
District (ISD) Board of Directors met in regular session on Tuesday, February 5,
2013.
The place of meeting was the
Ironhouse Sanitary District Office at 450 Walnut Meadows Drive, Oakley,
California.
1.
Call to
Order
The
meeting was called to order by President Lauritzen at 7:00 p.m.
2. Pledge of Allegiance led by Roni Gehlke
Roll Call:
Directors present: David Contreras, David Huerta, Chris
Lauritzen, Michael Painter and Doug Scheer
Members
absent: None
Staff/Consultants present: Tom Williams, General Manager
Jennifer Skrel, District
Engineer
Joe Mueller,
Environmental Compliance Officer
Susan Walde, District
Secretary
Fred Etzel, District
Counsel
Michael Welty,
Financial Officer
Interested
Parties: Randy Pope - City
of Oakley
Susan
Morgan – Citizen of Oakley
3. Approval of Agenda
M/S D. Huerta and D. Contreras and the Board voted to
approve the agenda
4. Approval of the minutes of the January 8,
2013 Regular Meeting
M/S D. Contreras, D. Huerta and the Board voted
approve the minutes of the January 8, 2013 Regular Meeting of the Board.
5. Public Comments – Communications from the public on subjects not on
the agenda.
Ms. Roni Gehlke of the Delta Science Center spoke to
the Board stating the Delta Science Center in conjunction with the USDA, UC
Berkeley and UC Davis is working on a grant to help educate Freedom High School
students about the importance of reducing carbon emissions, working on levee
control and producing new future crops along the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The full outline of the program is to work
with all science, agriculture and economic students at the high school and the
program will include 2,400 students each year. She is here tonight to ask for ISD’s help with
the program. At the onset of this grant two years ago, the recipients had the
ability to work on Twitchell Island, which is owned by DWR. Recently DWR
announced that they have finished their studies on the island and are closing
use for all the other studies. That included the program the Delta Science
Center is working on.
Ms. Gehlke stated “while the other parts of the
program have found other suitable substitute rice farms, our part of the
program is looking to find something closer to the students we are working
with. It was always the Delta Science Center’s hope to add a learning lab to
the program for our students, but now it is essential to make the program work. The Lab will be a site approximately 5,000
square feet that can accommodate a rice paddy. We are asking for the use of the
site either on Jersey Island or on the ISD Main Land property. The objective is to grow rice once during
rice growing season for three years.”
The Delta Science Center is asking for use of ISD land
for the production of the rice field and will be the responsibility of the
Delta Science Center and the AFRI Grant team with the help of the Freedom High
School students. Ms. Gehlke thanked the Board
for their time and asked the Board to consider this request and asked to bring
it to the Board at the March meeting.
Director Lauritzen directed staff to do due diligence and have an item
on the March agenda.
6. Consent Calendar
A. Approval of
Payment Order, Report on Financial Position & Operating
Performance.
B. Renewal of License Agreement with M&G Park
Marina, and The Last Resort and Marina LLC, Licensee
Director Huerta requested an explanation of the RD830
accounting items. Michael Welty stated
the levee maintenance will be calculated twice a year. Staff is working on a
management reimbursement agreement with District Council between ISD and RD830. Director Contreras asked staff when the lab
will be up and running and did the certification require the lab certification
for all testing or could we at least do day-to-day in-house testing. Staff is anticipating the lab to be up and
running in April and for it to be fully certified at the beginning of the new
fiscal year but that the day to day testing aren’t that expensive to have done.
M/S D. Huerta, D. Scheer and the Board voted
unanimously to approve the consent calendar.
7. Business Before the Board
7A. Public Hearing for Consideration of Adopting
a Mitigated negative Declaration and A Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting
Program, and Approving the Implementation of The Proposed Solar Photovoltaic
Project. Adopting Resolution No. 13-02.
Ms. Skrel addressed the Board regarding the Solar
Photovoltaic project and initiated a conference call with council Ms. Sophie
Adkins to answer any questions regarding the PPA. Ms. Skrel noted that since March of 2012, the
District has been evaluating construction of a solar photovoltaic project. The District complied with CEQA by issuing a
Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND). A
Notice of Intent to adopt the MND was noticed.
No comments were received and upon approval a Notice of Determination
will be issued. She reported that Real Good Solar visited the District to
review the relocation of the panels to the east side of the parking lot with no
concerns.
Director Huerta asked Council about the Force Majeure
clause in the contract. Director Huerta
also inquired about the Obligation of Power Provider and rent. He suggested we add the clause of hold
harmless of hazardous material. He also asked about the determination of fair
market value, which was determined that it will be determined by an expert at
that time. Extensive discussion and
interaction of the legalities of the PPA was held between the Board and Council
Ms. Sophie Adkins. Director Scheer asked
about the liability of protection of the solar panels. It was stated that the power provider is
responsible for the security of the solar panels and equipment.
District Council Fred Etzel stated he feels the
questions stated are good questions to review, however, he feels that the PPA
is a very well written agreement and recommends the Board approve the PPA and
go forward with the project.
8:10p.m. President Lauritzen opened a Continuation of
the Public Hearing from the January 8, 2013 Board meeting.
Ms. Susan Morgan addressed the Board and council and
commented on adding language to the PPA to satisfy the District and the
provider. Ms. Sophie Adkins explained
that time is of essence for time restrictions due to funding available to the
power provider.
8:15p.m. President Lauritzen closed the Public Hearing
and asked for any comments and questions.
Director Contreras stated he is in support of the
project. That the wastewater industry
has the potential to bring this technology forward and can provide up to 12% of
the nation’s energy needs and 19% of wastewater agencies have done so.
M/S D. Contreras, M. Painter and the Board voted to
adopt Resolution No. 13-02 which approves the Mitigated Negative Declaration,
adopts a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program; makes certain findings
under the CEQA; finds that the cost of the proposed solar photovoltaic projects
to be installed by Contractor under the proposed Agreement at the Sites, will
be offset and will be less than the anticipated marginal cost to District of
electrical or other energy that would have been consumed by District if such
Solar Projects were not completed; authorizes and delegates the authority to
the General Manager to execute the proposed Solar Power Services Agreement with
SEC UBBOE Solar One, LLC for the construction of solar photovoltaic projects at
District sites; and directs staff to file a Notice of Determination with the Contra
Costa County Clerk.
8. Staff Reports
Joe Mueller
– Mr. Mueller reported to the Board that staff is working on the lab
guidelines. Staff plans to have the lab
certified in April and fully running by July for the next fiscal year. Staff has been working with Trojan on the
communication issues with the ultra violet light disinfection system and are
still working to resolve the intermittent problem. They are currently working
to put trackers in the program to help locate the issue. Staff is also working with contractor to
change out the defuser rings in aeration basins 3A and 3B.
Jenny Skrel
– Ms. Skrel reported to the Board that the Waste Discharge Permit for the
District’s land application process was adopted by the Regional Water Quality
Control Board on Friday February 1st.
Director Lauritzen asked staff to set a date for the
annual staff luncheon in December and hold a combined safety meeting and
luncheon. Discussion was held and
decided by the general manager that Wednesday is the best day for staff
attendance and suggested December 11th.
Fred Etzel – Mr. Etzel reported that he is working on a
procurement policy between Reclamation District 830 and Ironhouse Sanitary
District.
Tom Williams
– Mr. Williams reported that the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District will be
visiting ISD tomorrow. They are bringing
parties that are interested in sustainable farming at their district and are
interested in our operation here on the mainland and on Jersey Island to view
our process of growing hay and irrigating.
Mr. Williams stated that an equestrian group through
the city Council is interested in locating some land in the Oakley area for
their operations. They are having a meeting
on Thursday evening and Dave Dal Porto and Director Scheer will be attending to
represent the District.
Mr. Williams reported he kicked off the performance management
systems update meeting with the management staff to start the process.
He also reported he attended an EC Square meeting and
will be bringing in marketing people to review the recycled water facility and
plans to meet with Radback regarding their future needs.
Mr. Williams reported he met with Mike Yeraka of Delta
Diablo to discuss the future availability of recycled water. He reported he reviewed the master plan for
the City of Lincoln for analysis for future planning for recycled water. He reported that CASA is very focused on the
future of recycled water. At the
conference it was a major topic of discussion.
Mr. Williams reported on RD830 – The levee improvement
project has placed 10,000 tons of riprap on Taylor Slough and Dutch Slough
levees. He was contacted by BIMID and
they will be meeting with staff and Directors to help review their challenges
with funding levee maintenance through Department of Water Resources (DWR).
The proposed RD 830 Marsh Creek enhancement agreement with
DWR is getting close. Mr. Williams
reported he will be planning a future workshop and ask DWR to attend to review
with the Board.
9. Board
Members Advisory Reports
Director Contreras – Director Contreras
reported that he attended the CASA conference and it was an excellent
conference. The focus was on the CASA Strategic
Plan, the Water Resources Utility of the Future, Partnering to Expand Recycled
Water and Indirect Potable Water Reuse Development. CASA provided a survey and
will eliminate one of the three conferences in 2014. They are considering having a workshop to
replace the spring conference. He stated
it is the 48th anniversary of the Clean Water Act and reported that
Congress is very aware of global warming.
Director Contreras reported it was a very uplifting conference put on by
the association. He asked Mrs. Walde to
provide presentation literature from the conference through the ISD library.
Director Huerta – Director Huerta reported he attended the
local chapter of CSDA and the focus was the changes to CalPers. He provided information for the Board in his
staff report included in the packets.
Director Painter – Director Painter reported that he attended
two meetings at Bethel Island. The
Citizens committee has been assigned to review the finances. He was asked by BIMID to ask the Board of
Directors and staff to help advice their staff on possible ways to obtain
funding through DWR.
Director Scheer – Director Scheer reported he attended the
City Council meeting regarding the Equestrian project and feels they have a
good program and will follow up. The
County library won a large award this year and is looking for input to prepare
a celebration. He reported that Carol
Rios stepped down as the Vice Mayor and the Council elected Randy Pope to serve
as Vice Mayor for 2013.
Director Lauritzen – Director Lauritzen reported
that there is a very important water meeting at the Town of Discovery Bay on
February 13th at 6:30. They
will be reviewing the BEDCAP plan and recommended everyone attend the
meeting.
10. Future Agenda Items for Consideration
There were no future agenda items suggested for
consideration.
11. Adjournment
President Lauritzen
adjourned the regular meeting at 8:49 p.m. until Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at 7:00
p.m. for the next regular meeting in the Ironhouse Sanitary District offices at
450 Walnut Meadows Drive, Oakley, California.
No comments:
Post a Comment