07-19-07
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SOUTH TAHOE PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT
"Basic Services for a Complex World"
" Ri~hard :olbri~, General Mana~er
Eric W. Schafer, President BOARD MEMBERS
Paul Sciuto,Assist~nt~~naier u
James R. Jones, Vice President
Duane Wallace, Director Mary Lou Mosbacher, Director
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Kathleen Farrell, Director
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REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SOUTH TAHOE PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT
JULY 19, 2007
MINUTES
The Board of Directors of the South Tahoe Public Utility District met in a regular session,
July 19, 2007, 2:00 P.M., District Office, 1275 Meadow Crest Drive, South Lake Tahoe, Ca.
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
President Schafer, Directors Wallace, Jones, Farrell,
Mosbacher.
ROLL CALL
ST AFF:
Solbrig, Sciuto, Sharp, McFarlane, Brown, Coyner,
W. Stanley, Ryan, Cocking, Nolan, Curtis, Attorney
Kvistad. Attorney Herrema participated in a portion
of the meeting via teleconference.
GUESTS:
Ernie Claudio, Julie Threewit.
Moved Jones / Second Farrell / Passed Unanimously
to approve the Consent Calendar as submitted:
CONSENT CALENDAR
a. Authorized staff to solicit bids for a new portable air
compressor;
b. Collection System Spot Repairs 2007 - Awarded
bid to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder,
Hydrotech, in the amount of $51,900;
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c. Purchase of Microsoft Office Software Licenses -
(1) Waived bidding procedures as outlined in the
purchasing policy for special circumstances; and
(2) Authorized purchase of budgeted software,
in the amount not to exceed $25,000 (including tax);
REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES - JULY 19, 2007
PAGE - 2
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d. GIS (Geographic Information System) - Approved
Task Order No.1 to Arete Systems, in the amount
of $55,240 to provide consulting and support
services;
CONSENT CALENDAR
(continued)
e. GIS (Geographic Information System) Mapping
Service - Approved Task Order No.2 to Arete
Systems, in the amount not to exceed $5,000
to provide support for grant application and
FEMA request for disaster assistance;
f. Surplus Vehicles and Equipment - Authorized
First Capitol Auction, Inc., to sell District surplus
vehicles and equipment at public auction;
g. Approved Regular Board Meeting Minutes:
June 21, 2007;
h. Approved Regular Board Meeting Minutes:
July 5, 2007
ITEMS FOR BOARD ACTION
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At the July 5 Board meeting, staff was directed to
provide a proposal for service charge relief for those
victims of the Angora Fire. Staff recommended the
following:
SERVICE CHARGE RELIEF FOR
ANGORA FIRE VICTIMS
· Service charge relief as stated below will be given
April 1 up to a maximum of three (3) years subject
to any other condition listed below.
. Water service charges will be waived until water has
been connected at the property line for reconstruction
purposes at the request of the homeowner. The con-
nection must be inspected and approved through the
standard final inspection process by a District inspector.
. Sewer service charges will be waived until a final-final
inspection has been received by a District inspector,
prior to Certificate of Occupancy issuance by the EI
Dorado County Building Services Department.
. Sewer and/or water used prior to complete reconstruct-
tion may cause billing to resume (for example, should
a motor home or mobile home be placed on site and
utilized while house is being rebuilt).
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. Any fire hydrants required by the Lake Valley Fire
Protection District resulting from their review of building
plans, within the affected area, will be installed by the
District at its sole expense.
REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES -JULY 19, 2007
PAGE - 3
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· Property owners of houses not rebuilt within three
years will be given notification of impending deadline
and resuming service charges or giving the option of
relinquishing capacity rights to avoid future service
charges. However, all properties will be reviewed on
a case-by-case basis to determine extenuating cir-
cumstances that allow compliance with additional
service charge waivers.
· Any additional capacity required (i.e., increase in
domestic service size, addition of fire line or additional
sewer units) will require payment of capacity fees in
accordance with standard procedure.
· Penalties for the quarter ending June 30, 2007 will be
waived for all customers.
· Lateral testing for affected customers will be limited to
area between foundation at the point of disconnect
which proximates the property line.
Richard Sol brig pointed out that sewer lateral air testing
requirements will be limited to area between the building
to property line.
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This proposal was not put in the form of a Resolution
since it will continually be adjusted as situations pan out.
The entire proposal will be revisited in two years to
further define and revise as warranted.
There may be instances where insurance recovery is
possible for items in this proposal. The issue of insurance
reimbursements will be discussed in the future.
Moved Jones / Second Wallace / Passed Unanimously
to approve proposed plan as discussed.
SERVICE CHARGE RELIEF FOR
ANGORA FIRE VICTIMS
(continued)
President Schafer presented Rhonda McFarlane, Chief
Financial Officer, with a plaque for the 12th annual CAFR
report. District staff were also recognized for their
contributions to the report.
PRESENTATION: Government
Finance Officers Certificate of
Achievement for Excellence in
Financial Reportinq
PUBLIC HEARING liTEM FOR BOARD ACTION
President Schafer opened the public hearing at 2:30 p.m.
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The District is a partner in the Integrated Regional Water
Management Plan (IRWMP) Prop. 50 Round 2 grant
with one pending project - waterline replacement and
fire hydrant installation, a MOU adopting the revised
IRWMP by each partner is a requirement to receive
grant funds.
PROPOSITION 50 INTEGRATED
REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT
PLAN GRANT MEMORANDUM OF
UNDERST ANDING
REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES - JULY 19, 2007
PAGE - 4
PROPOSITION 50 INTEGRATED
REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT
PLAN GRANT MEMORANDUM OF
Moved Mosbacher / Second Farrell / Passed Unanimously UNDERSTANDING
to authorize entering into a MOU adopting plan. (continued)
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The public hearing was closed at 2:35 p.m. No public
comments were received.
ITEMS FOR BOARD ACTION
California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) has awarded
$200,000 in planning funds to be used to hire con-
sultants and/or pay for staff costs to evaluate 1 7
District facilities and design BMPs. Eleven proposals
were received from engineering consulting firms, and
four were invited for interviews. The interview panel
recommended the team lead by Northwest Hydraulic
Consultants.
Moved Farrell / Second Mosbacher / Passed
Unanimously to approve proposal from selected con-
sultant, Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, to provide
design services in an amount not to exceed $150,000.
(Attorney Herrema participated via teleconference
for this item.)
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Under the proposed Ordinance, the District would
provide requested water service through its water
distribution system to persons who are currently
utilizing a groundwater well on their property for
domestic uses in identified areas of potential decline-
ing groundwater levels and who are experiencing, or
have experienced, a loss of production and/or
deterioration in water quality in their wells at any
time during the period from the date of the Ordinance
through 2015 and who make a showing that: 1) Their
existing wells which have been in operation on or after
date of the Ordinance, are located within the radius
of influence of the District's municipal wells; and
2) The loss of production or deterioration in water
quality was caused or contributed to by the ground-
water extraction activities of the District.
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Additionally, the District will provide water service
to these private well owners' subject property at no
cost to the owner of the subject property for a period
of 50 years less the age of existing well on property,
following the date of connection to the District's
water distribution system or, at the election of the
well owner, the District will establish a $5,000 credit
for water service to the subject property . Thereafter,
the District shall charge the owner of the subject
property the then prevailing rate for District water
service.
CTC GRANT FUNDS FOR WATER
QUALITY BMP UPGRADES AT
DISTRICT FACILITIES
DECLINING GROUNDWATER
LEVELS ORDINANCE OF 2007
REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES - JULY 19, 2007
PAGE - 5
Lisa Coyner reported only one request has been DECLINING GROUNDWATER
received to date. LEVELS ORDINANCE OF 2007
(continued)
Moved Jones / Second Mosbacher / Passed Unanimously
to enact Ordinance No. 500-07 authorizing District
water service to domestic water well users as a result
of declining groundwater levels.
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The City requested the District approve their request
to subordinate AB 1290 payments to their repayment
obligations for a new loan for approximately
$20,285,000. California state law requires the District
to approve the Redevelopment Agency's (RDA) request
unless there is substantial evidence that the RDA will
not be able to pay the debt payments as well as the
amount required to be paid by the District. (This is for
the redevelopment project at Heavenly Village.)
If approved, the District is allowing the RDA's new
debt to have seniority over the RDA's AB 1290 ob-
ligation to the District. This is helpful to RDA because
it allows the new debt to have parity with their
existing debt which should provide them with a better
interest rate.
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Staff has no reason to bel ieve the RDA will not be
able to pay both the debt payments and their ob-
ligation to the District. As such, by law this approval
should be given.
Moved Farrell / Second Schafer / Passed Unanimously
to approve the request from the City of South Lake
Tahoe Redevelopment Agency to subordinate AB 1290
payments to a new loan being issued by RDA.
Moved Jones / Second Farrell / Passed Unanimously
to approve payment in the amount of $1,457,166.83.
Water and Wastewater Operations Committee: The
committee met July 16. Minutes of the meeting are
available upon request.
REQUEST FOR SUBORDINATION
OF AB 1290 PAYMENTS FROM
THE SOUTH TAHOE
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
PAYMENT OF CLAIMS
STANDING COMMITTEE
REPORTS
EL DORADO COUNTY WATER
AGENCY PURVEYOR
REPRESENTATIVE REPORT
Their August 8 board meeting will be held at the District.
Director Jones reported he attended the July 11 Water
Agency board meeting.
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Director Wallace reported he has received several calls
from elected officials since the Angora Fire. A Blue
Ribbon panel will be developed to review results of
the fire.
BOARD MEMBER REPORTS
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REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES - JULY 19, 2007
PAGE - 6
Richard Solbriq reported on three items:
1) The salary survey for union positions is underway.
Fourteen similar size agencies were selected to use
as comparables. Directors Schafer and Farrell were
appointed as the Board's salary survey ad hoc
committee.
2) Staff met with representatives from Heavenly
Valley re: water sources for snowmaking.
3) The flows to the plant over the 4th of July holiday
were much lower than average. Water use during
that week was the highest in six years.
GENERAL MANAGER REPORTS
Assistant General Manager/Engineer: Paul Sciuto STAFF REPORTS
reported on the Angora Fire emergency situation that
was declared on July 5, 2007: Two contractors
(Thomas Haen and White Rock Construction) are
capping off sewer laterals from north to south. They
have finished in area one and are moving into area two.
Water has been shut off. Staff is moving well ahead of
the pace of the county and state cleanup crews, and
hope to be done by the end of August. The Inspections
dept. did a great job with USA markings on the sites.
Chief Financial Officer / Grant Coordinator: Rhonda
McFarlane and Lynn Nolan reported on a meeting held
by the Office of Emergency Services regarding the
status of the Angora Fire. A tandem grant program
was developed - the FMAG (Fire Management Assis-
tance Grant) and another state-run disaster assistance
grant. Each will operate under their own rules. FMAG
pertains to emergency work performed between June 24
and July 1. After that time period, the second state-run
grant program will be in place for the next 18 months.
Chief Financial Officer: Rhonda McFarlane reported
the District's reserve policy requires a report be made
if any event impacts the reserve levels. Response to
the fire made a significant impact until reimbursements
are received. Waiving of fees and penalties impacted
reserves too, as did the self-insured medical plan
funding levels.
4:00 - 4: 15 P.M.
MEETING BREAK AND ADJOURN-
MENT TO CLOSED SESSION
RECONVENED TO REGULAR
SESSION
5:10 P.M.
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REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES - JULY 19, 2007
PAGE - 7
ACTION I REPORT ON ITEMS DISCUSSED DURING CLOSED SESSION
No reportable Board action.
Pursuant to Government Code
Section 54956.9(b)/Conference
with Legal Counsel - Anticipated
Litigation (Two Cases)
No reportable Board action.
Pursuant to Government Code
Section 54956.9(a)/Conference
with Legal Counsel - Existing
Litigation re: Meyers Landfill Site:
United States of America vs. EI
Dorado County and City of South
Lake Tahoe and Third Party
Defendants, Civil Action No.
S-01-1520 LKK GGH, U.S. District
Court for the Eastern District of Ca.
No reportable Board action.
Pursuant to Government Code
Section 54956. 9(a)/Conference
with Legal Counsel - Existing
Litigation re: Action Filed by
Advanced Companies against
Nicholas Construction, Inc.,
EI Dorado County Superior Court
Case No. SC-2007-0042
5:10p.M.
ADJOURNMENT
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