Loading...
02-03-00SOUTH TAHOE PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT "Basic Services for a Complex World" Christopher H. Strohm, President BOARD MEMBERS Pembroke Gochnauer, Vice President Duane Wallace, Director REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SOUTH TAHOE PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT FEBRUARY 3, 2000 MINUTES The Board of Directors of the South Tahoe Public Utility District met in a regular session February 3, 2000, 2;00 P.M., City Council Chambers, 1900 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe, California. BOARD OF DIRECTORS: President Strohm, Directors Wallace, Jones, Gochnauer, Mosbacher. ROLL CALL STAFF: Baer, Solbrig, Sharp, McFarlane, Noble, Brown, Hoggatt, Schroeder, Zaninovich, Garcia, Cocking, Swain, Frye, Johnson, Rassmussen, Dolan, Hrbacek, Attorney Kvistad GUESTS: Judy Brown/City of South Lake Tahoe Liaison, Michael Chandler, Brad Bennett/City of South Lake Tahoe Fire Department; Larry Young/Ward Young Architecture & Planning, Andy Bourelle/Tahoe Daily Tribune, Harold Singer/California Regional Water Quality Control Board - Lahontan Region; David Kelly, Joyce Blackstone None. CORRECTIONS TO THE AGENDA OR CONSENT CALENDAR Consent Items b. and c. were brought forward for discussion prior to Board action. CONSENT CALENDAR STllll02 REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES - FEBRUARY 3, 2000 PAGE - 2 Moved Mosbacher/Second Jones/Passed Unanimously to approve the Consent Calendar as amended: a. Authorized implementation of the two-week sewer and/ or water disconnection procedures for delinquent accounts; b. Alpine County Storage Building and Office: Geotechnical Investigation - See Consent Items Brought Forward; c. Alpine County Storage Building and Office: Advertise for Bids - See Consent Items Brought Forward; d. Cedar Avenue Water Service - Authorized staff to advertise for bids; A-Line Phase 3 - Approved easement agreement with the City of South Lake Tahoe across Trout Creek Meadow; f. Vehicle Purchase: Car No. 3 Replacement - Approved purchase of vehicle from the State Bid List in the amount of $33,312.73; B-Line Replacement Phase 3 - Approved final design contract for Carollo Engineers in the amount of $309,200; November 2, 1999 Consolidated Districts Election - Approved payment to El Dorado County in the amount of $12,530.32; i. Approved Special Board Meeting Minutes: January 14, 2000; j. Approved Special Board Meeting Minutes: January 20, 2000. Mike Chandler and Brad Bennett, City of South Lake Fire Department, requested the Board reconsider a previous Board action concerning the waterline route selected as part of the Gardner Mountain Transmission Line project. Chandler stated their request is based on current lack of fire flow protection along the Highway 89 corridor. CONSENT CALENDAR (continued) REQUEST TO APPEAR BEFORE THE BOARD: Mike Chandler, City of South Lake Tahoe Fire Department STllll03 REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES - FEBRUARY 3, 2000 PAGE - 3 The waterline route (Option 3A) that was selected calls for an 8" line, which would only provide a maximum of 1,500 gpm for fire protection flows and would preclude any future installation of a larger line to provide additional fire protec- tion when the area develops. Chandler stated that Option 1 would have used a larger line size which would have accommodated larger flows for future fire protection. Staff reported the project would be modeled based on a 2,500 gpm fire flow, rather than the 1,500 gpm contain- ed in Option 3A, and the lines would be upsized to accom- modate increased fire flows. No Board action. REQUEST TO APPEAR BEFORE THE BOARD (continued) ITEMS FOR BOARD ACTION Larry Young, Ward-Young Architects, reviewed the status of the District Facility Needs Study. The objective of the 1998 study was to serve as a basis for prioritizing and implementing building facility improvements. The study concluded that the current administration building is inadequate for the District staff, and that the District should construct a new building. Since a new building would take years to complete, in 1999 Ward-Young Architects undertook a second study to assist the District in transitioning from the current situation to the ultimate goal of the new facility. After evaluating several options, Young advised against investing money in existing or interim facilities. He recommended that a new facility be constructed on the District's property on Al Tahoe Boule- vard, off site of the treatment plant, with a road connecting the new building to the treatment plant. Rhonda McFarlane, using an overhead slide presentation, reviewed: the financial planning needs, present inefficien- cies of the existing facility, public safety concerns, new headquarters building and connecting road on Al Tahoe Boulevard, construction costs and proposed construction schedule, and funding needs for the project. Board members discussed the various pro's and con's associated with the proposal. 3:30 P.M. DISTRICT FACILITIES PLANNING MEETING BREAK STl11104 REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES - FEBRUARY 3, 2000 PAGE - 4 3:45 P.M. MEETING RESUMED Several staff and public comments were received in favor of the project. DISTRICT FACILITIES PLANNING (continued) Moved Wallace/Second Jones/Mosbacher Voted No/ Passed that the new facility plan, as recommended by staff, be included as placeholder in budget deliberations for the next five years. Director Mosbacher stated while in favor of the new road for safety reasons, she would like other alternatives to the new building and proposed site to be considered. Harold Singer reported he was not appearing before the Board to ask them to take action, but to open a dialogue to understand each others needs since the District and Lahontan have a similar goal: to protect existing and future groundwater supplies by consensus. REQUEST TO APPEAR BEFORE THE BOARD: Harold Singer, California Regional Water Quality Control Board - Lahontan Region Lahontan took over remediation at the Tahoe Tom's gas station last year due to MTBE contamination. The system consists of pumping the polluted fuel out of the ground- water, treating it, and then releasing it into the District's sewer system. Since Lahontan has taken over remediation of the site, there have been two instances where MTBE had "broken through" the treatment system, and MTBE- tainted water was released into the sewer system. Singer stated there were two portions of the District's Special Discharge Permit that were problematic for his agency. One is that the site owners are required to sign the permit - Singer felt it should be signed by the parties who are performing the cleanup. The other relates to signing the indemnification clause protecting the District from possible litigation resulting from third parties. Singer stated, except in rare instances, he did not think the State would agree to indemnify the District. He will submit the contract to the State for a decision regarding signing the permit, but does not know how long it will take - possibly as long as two months. The cleanup at the site would have to cease while the permit is being considered, and in the meantime, the plume could spread. It was the consensus of the Board, in order to remain consistent with requirements imposed on all other permit holders who discharge treated water from their remediation STllll05 REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES - FEBRUARY 3, 2000 PAGE - 5 sites to the sewer system, and to protect the District from liability associated with shipping contaminated recycled water to Alpine County, that the permit requirements be adhered to, including that the indemnification be signed by Lahontan and the site owner. Singer will look into trucking the treated water out of the basin until the indemnification issue can be resolved by the State. No Board action. (5:30 p.m. - Director Wallace left the meeting at this point.) Baer updated the Board on the progress towards obtaining a Special Use Permit. No Board action. This item was tabled to the next Regular Board Meeting. No Board action. Moved Jones/Second Strohm/Wallace Absent/Passed to approve payment in the amount of $667,750.49. REQUEST TO APPEAR BEFORE THE BOARD (continued) U.S. FOREST SERVICE SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR GARDNER MOUNTAIN WELL GARDNER MOUNTAIN WELL PUMP AND CONTROL BUILDING PAYMENT OF CLAIMS CONSENT ITEMS BROUGHT FORWARD (Consent Items b. and c. were combined for the purpose of this discussion.) Jim Hoggatt received and clarified questions from Director Mosbacher regarding various aspects of the project. Moved Mosbacher/Second GochnauerNVallace Absent/ Passed to approve proposal for geotechnical investigation. Moved Gochnauer/Second Mosbacher/Wallace Absent/ Passed to authorize staff to advertise for bids. Finance Committee: The committee met February 3 to discuss Lakeside Park Water Company duplication of water services. Operations Committee: The committee met January 31. Minutes of the meeting are available upon request. ALPINE COUNTY STORAGE BUILDING AND OFFICE (GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATION) (Consent Item b.) ALPINE COUNTY STORAGE BUILDING AND OFFICE (Consent Item c.) BOARD MEMBER STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS STllll06 REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES - FEBRUARY 3, 2000 PAGE - 6 Federal Legislative Ad Hoc Committee: Director Wallace will travel to Washington D. C. next week to testify at the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act hearing. President Strohm reported the proposed structure for governance of the County Water Agency consists of two water purveyors and three supervisors. Senator Leslie may carry a bill supporting the change in governance. Director Mosbacher reported on the Alpine County monitoring contract DRI (Desert Research Institute) will present to the Alpine County Board of Supervisors for approval at their next regular meeting. A copy of the contract will be sent to the District's laboratory director for review prior to the meeting. Director Jones will attend the ACWA MTBE committee meeting on February 9. He will also travel to Washington D. C. as part of the ACWA delegation. Director Gochnauer will attend the National Groundwater Association conference beginning February 17. General Manaqer: Bob Baer reported on two items: 1 ) The County Water Agency will send the District $94,000, which is a portion of the tax rate area revenues generated. The remainder will be paid by June 30. 2) Dave Antonucci, General Manager of Tahoe City PUD, was dismissed from his position by their Board of Directors. BOARD MEMBER AD HOC COMMITTEE STAFF REPORTS 6:00 P.M. 6:55 P.M. ADJOURNMENT TO CLOSED SESSION RECONVENE TO REGULAR SESSION ACTION / REPORT ON ITEMS DISCUSSED DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION This item was not discussed. No Board action. Pursuant to Section 54956.9(a) of California Government Code/Con- ference with Legal Counsel Existing Litigation: Schwake v. STPUD, Federal Case No. CV-N.93-851-DWH STllll07 REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES - FEBRUARY 3, 2000 PAGE - 7 Legal counsel and staff updated the Board regarding this item. No Board action. The Board directed negotiators regarding this item. No Board action. This item was not discussed. No Board action. 6:55 P.M. Pursuant to Section 54956.9(a) of California Government Code/Con- ference with Legal Counsel Existing Litigation - STPUD v. ARCO, et al, San Francisco County Superior Court, Case No. 999128 Pursuant to Section 54956.8 of the California Government Code/Confer- ence re: Real Property Negotiations: Negotiating Parties: District Staff (Bob Baer, Richard Solbrig, General Counsel), District Board of Directors. Under Negotiation - Property Terms Property ID: APN 19-081-09 Pursuant to Section 54957.6 of the California Government Code/Confer- ence with Labor Negotiatiors: Agency Negotiators: Robert Baer Unrepresented Employee Position: Human Resources Director ADJOURNMENT Christopher H. Strohm, Board President South Tahoe Public Utility District ATTEST: ,:....-,x I~'a~thy Shar~C~rl~ of-the/i~ard South Taho~ Public Utility District STllll08 DATE :-~:'-~J-~..*~. REGULAR BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING GUEST SIGN-IN SHEET IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BROWN ACT: COMPLETION OF THIS INFORMATION IS VOLUNTARY, NOT MANDATORY, AND IS NOT A PRECONDITION FOR ATTENDANCE. STl11109