04-20-2023 00TH TAHoF
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SOUTH TAHOE PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT
David Peterson, President BOARD MEMBERS Kelly Sheehan, Director
Nick Haven, Director Shane Romsos, Vice President Nick Exline, Director
John Thiel, General Manager Paul Hughes, Chief Financial Officer
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SOUTH TAHOE PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT
April 20, 2023
MINUTES
The South Tahoe Public Utility District Board of Directors met in a regular session, 2: p.m., at the District
Office, located at 1275 Meadow Crest Drive, South Lake Tahoe, California.
ROLL CALL: Board of Directors: President Peterson, Directors Romsos, Sheehan
Absent: Directors Haven and Exline
Staff: John Thiel, Gary Kvistad, Paul Hughes, Melonie Guttry, Julie Ryan, Ryan Lee, Liz Kauffman,
Adrian Combes, Stephen Caswell, Trevor Coolidge, Cliff Bartlett, Jessica Mendoza, Brent Goligsoki,
Megan Colvey, Heidi Baugh, Julie Ryan, Shannon Chandler, Greg Dupree, MaryBeth Coburn, Best,
Best & Krieger, Star Glaze
Guests: Lou Perini, Doug Freitas, Mission Livestock, Doug Farr, Farr Construction Corporation, dba
Resource Development Company
1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
2. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE: Lou Perini addressed the Board regarding concerns with his
District water bill.
3. CORRECTIONS TO THE AGENDA OR CONSENT CALENDAR:
4. ADOPTION OF CONSENT CALENDAR:
Moved Romsos/Second Sheehan/Peterson Yes/Haven Absent/Romsos Yes/Sheehan Yes/Exline
Absent to approve the Consent Calendar as presented.
a. RECEIVE AND FILE PAYMENT OF CLAIMS (Greg Dupree, Accounting Manager)
Received and filed Payment of Claims in the amount of $1,672,534.24.
b. REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES: MARCH 16 AND APRIL 06, 2023
(Melonie Guttry, Executive Services Manager/Clerk of the Board)
Approved March 16 and April 06, 2023, Minutes.
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c. CONSENT ITEMS BROUGHT FORWARD FOR SEPARATE DISCUSSION/ACTION: None
6. ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION: 2:08 p.m.
RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION: 2:39 p.m.
a. Pursuant to Section 54956.9(b) of the California Government Code, Conference with Legal
Counsel regarding Potential Litigation (one case).
No reportable Board Action.
7. ITEMS FOR BOARD ACTION:
a. 2023 Flagpole 2/Iroquois 2 Tanks Recoating Project (Megan Colvey, Senior Engineer and Heidi Baugh,
Purchasing Agent) —Megan Colvey provided details regarding the 2023 Flagpole 2/Iroquois 2
Tanks Recoating Project and addressed questions from the Board. Jeff Farr, President of Farr
Construction Corporation, dba, Resource Development Company, spoke with the Board
regarding the importance of completing the bidding process.
Moved Peterson/Second Sheehan/Peterson Yes/Haven Absent/Romsos Yes/Sheehan
Yes/Exline Absent to 1) Find the bids received from Quality Painting & Sandblasting and Toledo
Industrial Coatings to be non-responsive and reject both bids; 2) Reject the bid protest from
Quality Painting & Sandblasting; 3) Find minor irregularities in the bid from Farr Construction
Corporation, dba Resource Development Company to be immaterial and waive immaterial
irregularities; and 4) Award Project to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder, Farr
Construction Corporation, dba Resource Development Company in the amount of $446,900.
b. 2023-2024 Tank Coatings Touchup Project (Megan Colvey,Senior Engineer and Heidi Baugh, Purchasing
Agent) —Megan Colvey provided details regarding the 2023-2024 Tank Coatings Touchup
Project and addressed questions from the Board. Jeff Farr stated that the two lowest bidders
were close in price and that if the project goes to re-bid, the next bid will likely go up in price
as the current bid is based on crews mobilizing on multiple projects.
Moved Peterson/Second Romsos/Peterson Yes/Haven Absent/Romsos Yes/Sheehan
Yes/Exline Absent to reject all bids and authorize staff to rebid the 2023-2024 Tank Coatings
Touchup Project.
c. Winter Storms Emergency Response (John Thiel, General Manager) —John Thiel provided details
regarding the ongoing work being done in response to the Winter Storms Emergency and
addressed questions from the Board. Paul Hughes provided details regarding the expenses
related to this emergency and recommends adding an additional $300,000, knowing that the
District will be reimbursed up to 75% by Federal Emergency Management Agency. Director
Romsos commented that staff has done an excellent job. This item will be continued to the
May 4 Board Meeting when a full Board will be in attendance.
d. Meyers Stream Environment Zone - Erosion Control Project- Waterline Relocation
(Adrian Combes, Senior Engineer) —Adrian Combes provided details regarding the Meyers Stream
Environment Zone - Erosion Control Project-Waterline Relocation and reviewed a map with
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REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES: April 20, 2023 PAGE -3
the Board. Julie Ryan and Paul Hughes provided information regarding the funding aspect of
this project.
Moved Sheehan/Second Peterson/Peterson Yes/Haven Absent/Romsos Yes/Sheehan
Yes/Exline Absent to approve and enter into a Construction and Funding Agreement with the
County of El Dorado to provide for relocation of a waterline in an amount not to exceed
$502,706.
e. 2023 Barton Area Valve Installation Project (Adrian Combes, Senior Engineer) —Adrian Combes
provided details regarding the 2023 Barton Area Valve Installation Project and addressed
questions from the Board.
Moved Romsos/Second Peterson/Peterson Yes/Haven Absent/Romsos Yes/Sheehan
Yes/Exline Absent to 1) Find bid received from LeFleur Excavating, Inc. to be non-responsive
and reject their bid 2) Find minor irregularities in the bid from Haen Constructors to be
immeaterial and waive immaterial irregulariries; and 3) Award the project to the lowest
responsive, responsible bidder, Haen Constructors, in the amount of $440,973.
f. Five-Year Diamond Valley Ranch Grazing Permit (Trevor Coolidge, Senior Engineer and
John Thiel, General Manager) —Trevor Coolidge provided details regarding the Five-Year Diamond
Valley Ranch Grazing Permit and addressed questions from the Board. Attorney Kvistad
provided guidance on the general nature of this permit. Doug Freitas of Mission Livestock
provided details regarding the livestock operations.
Moved Peterson/Second Romsos/Peterson Yes/Haven Absent/Romsos Yes/Sheehan
Yes/Exline Absent to renew the five-year Diamond Valley Ranch Grazing Permit Contract with
Mission Livestock Management, in the total amount of $965,274.38 subject to final non-
substantive revisions by management and legal counsel.
g. Liability Claim Against South Tahoe Public Utility District Received from Donna Donald (Ryan Lee,
Manager of customer Service) — Ryan Lee provided details regarding a Liability Claim against South
Tahoe Public Utility District received from Donna Donald and addressed questions from the
Board.
Moved Peterson/Second Sheehan/Peterson Yes/Haven Absent/Romsos Yes/Sheehan
Yes/Exline Absent to reject the Claim against South Tahoe Public Utility District for losses
allegedly sustained by Donna Donald and request the Joint Powers Insurance Authority (JPIA)
to resolve the Claim.
h. Water Service Call Charges (Ryan Lee, customer Service Manager) — Ryan Lee provided details
regarding Water Service Call Charges and addressed questions from the Board.
Moved Sheehan/Second Romsos/Peterson Yes/Haven Absent/Romsos Yes/Sheehan
Yes/Exline Absent to adopt Ordinance No. 586-23, an Ordinance of the South Tahoe Public
Utility District, Amending Administrative Code Appendix Fee Schedule Sections 3.1 .52 and
3.1 .53 and Superseding Ordinance No. 528-11 Regarding Water Service Call Charges.
i. General Manager Recruitment (Liz Kauffman, Human Resources Director) — Liz Kauffman and President
Peterson provided details regarding the General Manager upcoming Recruitment due to John
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Thiel's recent resignation and reported the recommendations from the Executive Committee
meeting held at 1 p.m. today. The Board directed staff to reach out to Koff & Associates for a
recruitment proposal. President Peterson appointed an Ad-Hoc Committee of himself and
Director Romsos for the General Manager recruitment and to negotiate the terms of the
General Manager's exit plan. Human Resources will research compensation and candidate
questions to be brought back to the committee. Paul Hughes has agreed to serve as the
Interim General Manager. He will be appointed to that position at a subsequent meeting.
8. STANDING AND AD-HOC COMMITTEES AND LIAISON REPORTS:
Director Romsos reported that the Ad-Hoc committee met with Alpine County yesterday.
9. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS:
President Peterson reported he represented the Board at the Employee Communications
Committee on April 19. He further reported regarding the El Dorado Water Agency (EDWA)
meeting on April 18, stating that their General Manager recently tendered his resignation,
therefore EDWA will also be in the process of recruiting a General Manager. He also attended the
County Plenary for Water on April 19, 2023.
10. STAFF/ATTORNEY REPORTS:
a. Stephen Caswell provided the 2021 and 2022 Water Audit Results and addressed questions
from the Board.
b. The Grants Update is postponed to the May 4, 2023 Board Meeting.
11. GENERAL MANAGER REPORT:
John Thiel reported on several items:
• Provided a staffing update
• Provided a federal community project funding update and Congressman Kiley has identified
the Pioneer Waterline Project as one of15 projects he supports.
• Advocacy in Washington, DC is happening this week with District staff and ENS.
President Peterson recused himself at 4:19 p.m.
• Provided a Tahoe Keys Water Update to include that the Tahoe Keys is now being managed
by First Services Residential.
President Peterson rejoined the meeting at 4:23 p.m.
12. NOTICE OF PAST AND FUTURE MEETINGS/EVENTS
13. BREAK AND ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION: 4:23 p.m.
RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION: 5:43 p.m.
a. Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957(a)Conference with Labor
Negotiators re: Memorandum of Understanding with Stationary Engineers, Local 39.
Present at this Closed Session will be Agency Negotiators: John Thiel, General
Manager; Paul Hughes, Chief Financial Officer; Liz Kauffman, Human Resources Director.
No reportable Board Action
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REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES: April 20, 2023 PAGE -5
b. Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1), Closed Session may be held for
conference with legal counsel regarding existing litigation: Yolo County Superior Court
Case CV 2021-1686, Alpine County vs. South Tahoe Public Utility District; et al.
No reportable Board Action
ADJOURNMENT: 5:44 p.m.
D vid Peterson, Board President
South Tahoe Public Utility District
Oidiritt;
Melanie Gurtrv, Clerk of the Board
South Tahoe Public Utility District
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