HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOARD MINUTES 03-06-08
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR BOARD MEETING
OF THE DISTRICT BOARD OF THE
CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA SANITARY DISTRICT
HELD ON MARCH 6, 2008
The District Board of the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District convened in a regular
meeting in the Multi Purpose Room, 5019 Imhoff Place, Martinez, County of Contra
Costa, State of California, at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 6, 2008.
President Lucey called the meeting to order and requested that the Secretary call roll.
1. ROLL CALL
PRESENT: Members:
ABSENT: Members:
Hockett, McGill, Menesini, Nejedly, Lucey
None
a. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
Board and staff joined in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
b. INTRODUCTIONS
Board Members congratulated Aaron Cortez on his promotion to Shift Supervisor.
2. PUBLIC COMMENTS
There were no public comments.
3. CONSENT CALENDAR
It was moved by Member Hockett and seconded by Member Nejedly to adopt the
Consent Calendar as recommended. Motion passed by unanimous vote of the Board.
a. Approve expenditures dated March 6, 2008. Reviewed by Budget and Finance
Committee.
b. Receive January 2008 Financial Statements. Reviewed by Budget and Finance
Committee.
c. Approve minutes of February 7,2008 Board Meeting.
d. Adopt Resolution 2008-039 approving real property agreement with Eric A.
Humann and Teresa A. Humann, Job 383, Lafayette, and authorize staff to
record documents with the Contra Costa County Recorder.
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Board Minutes of March 6, 2008
e. Adopt Resolution 2008-040 authorizing execution of a quitclaim deed - easement
to Clint A. Johnson and Mary Y. Canada, District Project 1564, and authorize
staff to record documents with the Contra Costa County Recorder.
f. Establish April 3, 2008 as the date for a public hearing to consider proposed
amendments to Title 6, Chapter 6.20, "Reimbursement Fees," of the District
Code related to Reimbursement Fees for the Alhambra Valley Trunk Sewer,
District Project No. 5919, and other future District-installed facilities.
g. Establish May 1, 2008 as the date for a public hearing to consider proposed
Alhambra Valley Reimbursement Fees for the properties which could connect to
the Alhambra Valley Trunk Sewer, District Project 5919.
4. CALL FOR REQUESTS TO CONSIDER ITEMS OUT OF ORDER
None.
5. REPORTS
a. General Manaoer
1) Future Approach to Allow Discharoes from Charity Car Washes to District
Sewers
General Manager James Kelly reported that, at a previous Board Meeting, the
Board directed staff to develop policy options to enable charity car washes while
protecting public health and safety.
Senior Source Control Inspector Colleen Henry described current standards for
charity car washes and future trends, which include the tightening of storm water
regulations by the State Water Resources Control Board. Cities and counties are
adopting standards prohibiting discharge by car washes to storm drains and
suggesting that an acceptable alternative is discharge to the sanitary sewer. The
Contra Costa Clean Water Program is developing an educational brochure for
charity car washes explaining the requirements and suggested best management
practices, and cities are purchasing kits to loan out to charities to divert
wastewater to the sewer.
If the District elects to allow wastewater discharges from charity car washes, it
has the responsibility to manage the flow to avoid sewer system overflows,
manage the discharge of sediment or rags, and provide oversight for discharge
to manholes through a Special Discharge Permit to protect the public. Past
practice has been to issue a Special Discharge Permit in all cases. A Source
Control Ordinance "Permit by Rule" could be adopted, which would either (a)
require notification with a response from the District and a Special Discharge
Permit for manhole discharge; (b) require notification without a response from
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Board Minutes of March 6, 2008
the District and a Special Discharge Permit for manhole discharge; or (c) require
no notification, no oversight and a Special Discharge Permit for manhole
discharge. She concluded her presentation, stating that staff recommends option
(b) in order to ensure proper oversight of discharges to the sewer.
Member Nejedly stated that he does not want to make it difficult for charity car
washes to occur. He suggested an option might be to provide some kind of soap
that is not harmful to the environment. He agreed that it is necessary to comply
with clean water program requirements, but objected to monitoring and control of
charity car washes.
President Lucey stated that the last time this issue was discussed staff was
advised to present options that did not require any type of permitting for charity
car washes. That has not been done. He confirmed that he does not support
any type of permitting for charity car washes.
Mr. Kelly stated that staff has not recommended a no-permit option because staff
believes some level of oversight is appropriate. Staff is seeking direction from
the Board on how to proceed.
Member McGill stated that he understood the objective to be obtaining legal
compliance to the greatest extent possible, with the minimal oversight.
He expressed a preference for the Permit by Rule option that does not require
notification or oversight.
Member Hockett concurred with Member McGill's comments and agreed that
option 2.c. contained in the white paper is a good compromise.
Member Menesini stated that it is important to protect the users and not inhibit
charity car washes. He agreed that the Board Member recommended option
would appear to do that.
General Manager James Kelly stated that staff will come back with a modified
recommendation for Board consideration.
2) 2006 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Certification
General Manager James Kelly reported that, in 2006, the California Legislature
adopted Assembly Bill 32, also know as liThe California Global Warming
Solutions Act of 2006." AB 32 requires the California Air Resources Board to
develop and implement regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990
levels by 2020. This is a statewide decrease of approximately 25 percent. He
described greenhouse gases and emission sources. CCCSD has conducted
voluntary reporting in 2006 and 2007 and estimated 1990 emissions. Mandatory
emissions reporting is required in 2008. Based on work done to date, CCCSD
could have to reduce its current emissions by up to 50 percent.
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Board Minutes of March 6, 2008
Options for emission reduction include purchasing carbon credits, sequestering
carbon dioxide, reducing electrical demand, installing high-efficiency
cogeneration, eliminating existing cogeneration and purchasing clean or green
power, and installing or purchasing solar power.
In response to a question from President Lucey, Mr. Kelly confirmed that, so far,
no money has been budgeted for projects to address this issue other than funds
for planning studies.
3) Treatment Plant Site Improvements, DP 7251
General Manager James Kelly reported that bids were opened on March 4,2008,
for District Project 7251, Treatment Plant Site Improvements. The Engineer's
estimate was $2.2 million, and bids ranged from $1,584,000 to $2,105,000.
The project will rehabilitate and improve 20 areas of the Treatment Plant,
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, and the Martinez Pumping
Station.
Associate Engineer Craig Mizutani provided an overview of the project. He
stated that the project will include addressing drainage, pavement sealing and
repair, striping, fences and gates, and Americans with Disability Act (ADA)
modifications. He described the project highlights and the use of permeable
pavement. A new fiber-optic cable will be installed to support an AT&T high-
speed data line.
Thirteen bids were received, and the contract is anticipated to be awarded by the
Board on March 20, 2008. Construction will occur through October 2008.
In response to questions from Board Members, Mr. Mizutani explained how the
drainage problem on the Garden Level will be addressed, and the type of
permeable paving to be used in the project.
4) Report on WaterlWastewater Operator Trainina Courses
This report was deferred to a future meeting.
5) General Manager James Kelly announced that Senior Engineer Alex
Rozul will attend an American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) seminar
"How to Successfully Use Value Engineering on Capital Projects." The
seminar is in Las Vegas, Nevada from March 27-28, 2008.
6) General Manager James Kelly announced that the District recently joined
the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC), a non-profit agency,
as an associate member. The CPSC was created in response to the
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Board Minutes of March 6, 2008
unfunded disposal ban of universal waste on mercury-containing items
such as fluorescent light bulbs, thermometers, and household batteries.
The CPSC worked closely with the California Integrated Waste
Management Board while it adopted the Extended Producer Responsibility
(EPR) policy. The policy makes manufacturers and distributors entirely
responsible for their products. In addition to alleviating local governments,
including wastewater agencies, EPR places the burden of disposal costs
for such wastes on each agency. EPR promises to pressure
manufacturers to modify their products to decrease toxic content, which
will ultimately make disposal less challenging. EPR policies in other
countries prevent pollution at its source.
7) General Manager James Kelly announced that, on February 22,2008,
staff reported the estimated quantity of secondary-treated, disinfected
effluent discharged and the corrective activities of an outfall discharge.
The report is a requirement of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System Permit and must be submitted within five days of discovery of an
incident. The Regional Water Quality Control Board has not responded to
the report to date. The Contra Costa County Health Services Department
acknowledged their receipt of the report. Mr. Kelly added that the outfall
discharge is less than was originally estimated.
Based on the information available, staff estimates the total discharge to
be between 100,000 and 200,000 gallons. After a thorough inspection of
the area, there were no observable environmental impacts. Staff has
taken the following steps to ensure that similar events do not occur:
1. Manholes will be clearly labeled for identification.
2. Some bolts securing the manhole covers will be tac-welded to
make removal difficult.
3. Inspection frequency will be increased for early identification of
problems.
Based on recent concerns regarding early, thorough reporting of
overflows, staff took extraordinary precautions and also reported the
outfall discharge to the State Water Resources Control Board's (SWRCB)
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Database System. Staff has subsequently sent
an e-mail to the SWRCB requesting the report be removed from the
database.
8) General Manager James Kelly announced that, on February 27,2008,
Inspector Steven Boggs from the Environmental Laboratory Accreditation
Program (ELAP) conducted an unannounced inspection of the District's
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Board Minutes of March 6, 2008
bioassay facility. The inspection lasted approximately one hour and
included a tour of the District's bioassay facility and a review of bioassay
records. He did not identify any deficiencies with the bioassay facility or
procedures. Staff will inform the Board of formal inspection findings when
they are received.
9) General Manager James Kelly announced that the Solids Handling
Facilities Plan identified the need to upgrade the polymer addition system
for the dissolved air flotation thickeners so that the units perform
adequately under present and future peak loading conditions. District
Project 7258 consists of installing modifications to convert the existing dry
polymer system to a permanent liquid polymer addition.
The project was originally bid last year and rejected by the Board because
the bid was higher than staff believed warranted. The project was
redesigned to reduce the scope and cost, and will advertise this month.
The project bid will open in April 2008. Staff estimates the Notice of
Award and Notice to Proceed will be issued in May. The construction cost
is currently estimated at $540,000. This is $231,500 less than the original
bid.
10) General Manager James Kelly announced that, on February 26, 2008,
staff held a public meeting to inform businesses of the impacts associated
with the A-Line Relief Interceptor Project (Phase 2A). Over 100 letters
were sent to businesses in the construction area. Staff from one business
within the project area attended. Prior to this meeting, staff held separate
meetings with the business managers of the Buchanan Fields Golf
Course, the Crowne Plaza Hotel, and the Home Depot.
The attendees were interested in Concord's future plans to abandon a 39-
inch diameter sewer line crossing their property. City of Concord
Infrastructure Manager Bruce Good answered their questions. The
attendees expressed disappointment that the reclaimed water service
connections would not be included in the scope of the project. The
reasons that the connections would not be included were provided.
Staff will continue to update the Board on this project.
11) General Manager James Kelly announced that, as part of the A-Line
Relief Interceptor Project (Phase 2A), a 96-inch diameter pipe that is to be
installed will be the largest diameter sewer installed using a tunneling
method. The only pipe larger in the District is the 102-inch diameter sewer
installed in 1994 using the open trench method. Due to expected high
ground water and soil conditions, the tunneling machine to be used is an
earth pressure balance machine (EPBM). This type of machine has been
used in large diameter pipe tunnels around the world, and this will be the
first time an EPBM will be used in a District project.
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Board Minutes of March 6, 2008
The Board is invited to visit the construction site where the pipe will be
installed. Based on the current schedule, installation is expected to begin
in late April. Board Members interested in a site visit may contact the
Secretary of the District, who will arrange the site visit and coordinate the
tour date.
12) General Manager James Kelly announced that, on February 20, 2008, the
State Water Resources Control Board revised the Monitoring and
Reporting Program requirements for Sewer System Overflows. The new
requirements mandate that the County Health Department and the Office
of Emergency Services be notified within two hours of an overflow. The
Regional Board needs to be notified within 24 hours. These new
requirements were most likely enacted because of the sewer service
overflows in Marin County.
13) General Manager James Kelly announced that staff received comments
last week from the City of Walnut Creek on the Conditional Use Permit
(CUP) Application for the Collection Systems Operations Facility. It will
take about three to four weeks for staff to generate a response to their
comments.
14) General Manager James Kelly announced that, as part of the Walnut
Creek Sewer Renovation Project (Phase 6), the District will replace
approximately 1,300 linear feet of deficient sewer located on the Buena
Vista Elementary School site. This pipeline serves the school, two
churches, and twelve single-family homes. The existing easement, 5-foot
wide, does not protect the District from future encroachment.
Consequently, staff is pursuing a 1 O-foot wide easement on the Walnut
Creek Unified School District property. The estimated acquisition cost is
$85,800. Negotiations have been started in anticipation of a settlement
being reached by the end of March.
15) General Manager James Kelly announced that staff will advertise the
Standby Power Facility Improvements Project (DP #7248) on March 13,
2008 and March 19, 2008. The bid opening is April 18, 2008. The
position paper for award is planned for May 1, 2008. The work will replace
two existing engine generators with two megawatt-engine generators that
meet current and future California Air Resources Board emissions
requirements. The standby power system will be modified to produce and
distribute electricity at twelve kilovolts, and the load shedding system will
be expanded to add more facilities.
16) General Manager James Kelly announced that Director of Engineering
Ann Farrell will attend the Washington D.C. California Association of
Sanitation Agencies (CASA) Conference from March 10 through March
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Board Minutes of March 6, 2008
12, 2008. Some of the key topics to be covered at the conference are
funding for water quality, the clean water act, climate change legislation,
and operating wastewater treatment facilities in an era of terrorism.
17) General Manager James Kelly announced that Oro Lomo Sanitary District
General Manager Mike Cameron is retiring after fifteen years of service.
At the Tuesday, April 15, 2008 Board Meeting, he will be recognized for
his outstanding career. The meeting will take place at 3 p.m. at 2655
Grant Avenue in San Lorenzo. Reservations can be made by email at
info@oroloma.ora or by phone at (510) 276-4700. Reservations need to
be made by Monday, April 7,2008. Refreshments will be served.
Announcements 5-17 were provided as written announcements.
b. COUNSEL FOR THE DISTRICT
General Manager James Kelly stated that he recommends that staff return to the Board
with a summary of significant changes being proposed to Titles 1, 2 and 5 of the District
Code. These will be brought back to the Board at the next Board meeting.
President Lucey stated that he concurred with the recommendation, and that the
summary should contain only major policy decisions within those Titles.
District Counsel Kent Aim stated that he has placed strikeouts of the proposed changes
to Titles 6 and 11 at the Board Members' places.
c. SECRETARY OF THE DISTRICT
Secretary of the District Elaine Boehme announced the mailing of the annual Form 700
Statements of Economic Interest.
d. BOARD MEMBERS
1) Member McGill reported on the March 3, 2008 Budget and Finance
Committee meeting and summarized the Action Summary. There were no
comments from Board Members.
2) Reports on miscellaneous business meetings attended by Board
Members.
Member McGill reported on recent meetings with officials from the City of
Walnut Creek and with the Mayor of Pleasant Hill.
Member McGill announced that he will be requesting authorization to
attend the CWEA conference at the next Board meeting.
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Board Minutes of March 6, 2008
3) Board Members unanimously directed Member Menesini, the District's
representative and voting delegate for the Contra Costa Special Districts
Association, to vote for incumbent David Piepho at the upcoming Local
Area Formation Commission (LAFCO) Election on April 21 ,2008.
6. TREATMENT PLANT
a. ACCEPTANCE OF THE 2007 RECYCLED WATER QUALITY AND
DISTRIBUTION ANNUAL REPORT
General Manager James Kelly reported that the District has prepared its Annual
Recycled Water Quality and Distribution Report for the Regional Water Quality Control
Board. This report is due to the Regional Board each year by March 15.
Associate Engineer Don Berger provided an overview of the report, and described the
District's accomplishments and activities for the 2007 Recycled Water Program. He
stated that 208 million gallons of water were provided to customers, and 400 million
gallons were used in our Treatment Plant. New customers include CONCO Truck
Washing Facility, College Park High School, Pleasant Hill Instructional Garden, and
Blum View Estates.
It was moved by Member Hockett and seconded by Member Lucey to accept the 2007
Recycled Water Quality and Distribution Annual Report. Motion passed by unanimous
vote of the Board.
7. EMERGENCY SITUATIONS REQUIRING BOARD ACTION
None.
8. ANNOUNCEMENTS/SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Member Nejedly requested a report on the amount of financial support the District
provides to the Delta Discovery program and the cost to run the program. He would like
to look at possibly offering additional support. President Lucey suggested that the
matter be reviewed by the Outreach Committee.
9. CLOSED SESSION
The Board recessed at 3:26 p.m. to reconvene in the Plant Operations Department
Conference Room in Closed Session:
a. To confer with Legal Counsel pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(a):
CCCSD, Plaintiff; vs. Gus Kramer, et aI., Defendants; Case No. C07-02402.
b. To confer with Legal Counsel- anticipated litigation pursuant to Government
Code Section 54956.9(b) - significant exposure to litigation - one potential matter.
Book 57 - Page 122
Board Minutes of March 6, 2008
c. To confer with labor negotiators pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6.
District Negotiators: Director of Administration Randall Musgraves, Human
Resources Manager Cathryn Freitas
Employee Organization: Public Employees Union Local One
Following the Closed Session, the Board reconvened in the Board Room in open
session at 3:33 p.m.
10. REPORT OUT OF CLOSED SESSION
No reports.
11. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Board, President Lucey adjourned
the meeting at 3:34 p.m.
4A(}t~
Gerald R. Lu . Y .
President of the Board of Directors,
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District,
County of Contra Costa, State of California
COUNTERSIGNED:
.......'"' () i2
_~~j:-~.,^-.--e/
Elaine R. Boehme
Secretary of the Central Contra Costa
Sanitary District, County of Contra Costa,
State of California
Book 57 - Page 123