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Home My WebLink About12.a. General Manager Written Announcements Page 1 of 4 Item 12.a. CENTRALSAN SANITARYjdf A- hom CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA , . October 1, 2020 TO: HONORABLE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FROM: ROGER S. BAILEY GENERAL MANAGER SUBJECT: ANNOUNCEMENTS - OCTOBER 1, 2020 Attached are the announcements for the above meeting. ATTACHMENTS: 1. General Manager Written Announcements October 1, 2020 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 81 of 104 Page 2 of 4 ATTACHMENT 1 Board Meeting of October 1 , 2020 General Manager Written Announcements AREA-BASED ELECTIONS 1) Public Hearings to be Held October 14 and November 4, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. to Provide Input on Draft Boundary Maps for Transition to Area-Based Elections Central San is transitioning from an at-large election system to an area-based election system. Under the current at-large election system, all five members of the Board of Directors are chosen by constituents from the District's entire service area. Under area-based elections, the District will be divided into five separate election areas—called "divisions"—and voters residing in each area will select one representative to serve on the Board. Why is Central San making this change? Central San received a certified letter from a Malibu-based law firm on July 13, 2020, asserting that the District's at-large election system violates the California Voting Rights Act. The letter did not provide any evidence of a violation. Still, Central San takes the assertions in the letter very seriously and is taking appropriate action. The letter threatens litigation if the District does not adopt a by-division election system. Central San is not alone; many cities, school districts, and special districts have received similar letters in recent years. Based on similar cases in other jurisdictions, litigation over this issue is usually very expensive, over $1 million and sometimes more. To avoid this significant cost to ratepayers, the Board adopted a resolution on August 20, 2020 declaring an intention to transition to area-based elections. What's been done so far? Central San invited all residents of the District to attend public hearings held September 3 and September 21 to provide public input regarding the composition of potential electoral division boundaries. What's next? Central San again invites all residents of the District to attend two additional public hearings on the following dates to provide input on the draft maps of potential electoral division boundaries and to discuss the election sequence. The maps are being prepared by the demographer based on feedback gathered at the first two public hearings. Draft maps will be published on Central San's website on or before October 7. Wednesday, October 14, 2020, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 4, 2020, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. October 1, 2020 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 82 of 104 Page 3 of 4 Written Announcements October 1, 2020 Page 2 of 3 Both hearings will be held virtually via Zoom and physically in the Central San Multi- Purpose Room at 5019 Imhoff Place, Martinez. The meetings also will be livestreamed on our website at centralsan.org. Please visit our website at centralsan.org/elections to learn how you may participate in these meetings. Questions? If you have questions or desire further information, contact Secretary of the District Katie Young at sod@centralsan.org or (925) 229-7303. NOVEMBER ELECTIONS 2) Central San is Hosting a Secure Drop Box for Ballots for November 3, 2020 Election Drop boxes in which voters may conveniently and securely deposit their ballots for the November 3, 2020 election have been placed around the County by the County Elections Office to facilitate voting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Central San is hosting one of the drop boxes at its Martinez campus located at 5019 Imhoff Place. The box has been installed on the corner of the south side parking lot. Signage will be in place by October 5 directing residents to the drop box. The secure drop box will be available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, beginning October 5 and ending at 8:00 p.m. on November 3, 2020. It will be serviced by two deputized employees of the County Elections Office. INDUSTRY CONFERENCE 3) Staff to Present at California Water Environment Association (CWEA) Annual Conference and Exhibition in October The California Water Environment Association (CWEA) Annual Conference and Exhibition will be held virtually from October 19 — 22, 2020. Wastewater professionals, including Central San staff, will attend technical sessions, listen to keynote speakers, and participate in training that can be viewed live or on-demand. Director of Engineering and Technical Services Jean-Marc Petit will be presenting at the Engineering and Research Lunch on Operation and Management Practices at Central San. Capital Projects Associate Engineer Nancy Molina will be co-presenting with Carollo Engineers on Maintenance Lessons Learned from 66 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) Bypass of Influent Structure. Capital Projects Associate Engineer Chathura Abeyrathna is on the 2020 CWEA Annual Conference Committee, Education Program Team, and will be a Technical Program Moderator. October 1, 2020 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 83 of 104 Page 4 of 4 Written Announcements October 1, 2020 Page 3 of 3 HUMAN RESOURCES 4) Senior Right-of-Way Agent Rick Hernandez Retires Rick Hernandez, Senior Right of Way Agent in the Engineering and Technical Services Department, Planning and Development Services Division, retired effective September 17, 2020. Sincere congratulations to Mr. Hernandez after 28 years of service. October 1, 2020 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 84 of 104