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HomeMy WebLinkAboutReal Estate, Environmental & Planning MINUTES 11-15-21 (Special)Page 2 of 5 LCENTRAL SAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS: TAD J PILECKI SPECIAL MEETING OF THE President CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA DA PresiID R.dent tPro MS President Pro Tent SANITARY DISTRICT BARBARA D. HOCKETT EN REAL ESTATE, ENVIRONMENTAL MARIAHNLMICHAEL R. CGILL R.MCGHL & PLANNING COMMITTEE PHONE: (925) 228-9500 MINUTES FAX.- (925) 372-0192 www.centralsan.org Monday, November 15, 2021 8:00 a.m. (All attendees participated via video conference) Committee: Chair Mike McGill Member Barbara Hockett Staff. Katie Young, Secretary of the District Kent Alm, District Counsel Steve McDonald, Director of Operations Jean -Marc Petit, Director of Engineering and Technical Services Danea Gemmell, Planning and Development Services Division Manager Melody LaBella, Resource Recovery Program Manager Lori Schectel, Environmental and Regularoty Compliance Division Manager Mary Lou Esparza, Laboratory Program Administrator Dana Lawson, Senior Engineer (joined during and left after Item 4.a.) Blake Brown, Supervising Chemist Kim Stahl, Development Services Supervisor (left after Item 4.a.) Amelia Berumen, Assistant to the Secretary of the District Dee Dee Barrett, Administrative Services Assistant Notice This meeting was held virtually in accordance with the Brown Act provisions stipulated in Assembly Bill (AB) 361 and adopted by the Central San Board of Directors on October 21, 2021, via Resolution 2021-076, effective for the month of November 2021. The agenda included instructions for options in which the public could participate in the meeting. December 2, 2021 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet - Page 152 of 176 Page 3 of 5 Real Estate, Environmental & Planning Committee Minutes November 15, 2021 Page 2 2. Call Meetina to Order Chair McGill called the meeting to order at 8:02 a.m. 3. Public Comments I17=0 4. Other Aaenda Items a. Receive Quarterly Permit Counter Activity Report Ms. Gemmell reviewed the report included in the agenda materials and elaborated on the various activities listed. Ms. Stahl responded to Member Hockett regarding the increase seen for Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) permits. The report combined residential applications for sewer connections which also includes ADUs. She stated that ADUs are also tracked separately, should that information be desired in the future. Ms. Gemmell further explained the purpose and use of encroachment verifications and illustrated how a verification may evolve into something further in the permit process, noting that it can be a time-consuming review. She stated that with the number of home projects that have come about during the pandemic, encroachment verifications have also increased substantially. Mr. Alm stated the historical reason fees are not charged on encroachment verification was to provide Central San a means to review whether a permit process needs to begin. Ms. Gemmell indicated that the amount of encroachment verifications has increased significantly. Currently, approximately two-thirds of staff time has been towards verification reviews. Ms. Gemmell mentioned that these verifications are conducted at no charge; however, staff is considering a change at the next fees review. Mr. Alm opined that it may be to the District's benefit to continue the practice of not charging for encroachment verifications and lessen any resistance to coming in for a plan check. Staff discussed a new strategy to assist with the high volume of plans received. They have been using a temporary Administrative Assistant to help with precursory reviews before going to a reviewer to assist with initial checks to catch general items the applicant may need that may otherwise be delayed. Member Hockett mentioned a constituent call she received regarding sewer connection fees. Ms. Gemmell responded with information regarding septic to sewer requirements and that Contra Costa County may require the new connection based on the project. Ms. Stahl added that any significant work will December 2, 2021 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet - Page 153 of 176 Page 4 of 5 Real Estate, Environmental & Planning Committee Minutes November 15, 2021 Page 3 require the property owner to abandon septic and connect to sewer. For example, if a person pulls a building permit for an accessory structure, this action could trigger this additional requirement. Ms. Gemmell responded to a question from Chair McGill regarding public response to fees and that providing a proper explanation to the customer mitigates most negative reactions. Chair McGill opined that a periodic update with other agencies might address potential issues and ensure necessary Central San plan review and approvals are received early in the construction process. Ms. Gemmell replied that coordination meetings were done annually before the pandemic. However, she and Ms. Stahl have been in discussion of restarting agency coordination efforts and staff is in the process of creating an ADU frequently asked questions (FAQ) sheet for contractors and homeowners to clarify the process and requirements. Ms. Gemmell reviewed a new report on a five-year trend of Permit Counter/Development Services activity in response to a prior Committee request. Chair McGill responded that this report was exactly the information he wanted to see and appreciated staffs efforts. The trend showed that each year the application -to -permit totals have increased to about 11-12 plan reviews per day/per person. Ms. Lawson responded to a question posed by Chair McGill and defined the "New Residential and Permits" category. Ms. Gemmell provided an explanation of the "Revision by Outside Agency" category. Ms. Gemmell stated staff has been working diligently on efficient use of team resources and possible technological implementation to keep the public apprised of their status in the permit process. Ms. Stahl added that there is a permit email address that is used to acknowledge electronic receipt and advise when plans are ready for pickup. COMMITTEE ACTION: Received the update. b. Receive update on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Ms. LaBella and Ms. Brown jointly reviewed an updated presentation in detail. It was noted the order of the material and not the content had changed. An in- depth conversation regarding methods of testing, possible mitigations as more understanding is gained, and issues in need of further examination ensued. Ms. Brown detailed the reason for higher Effluent PFAS v. Influent PFAS in response to a question from Chair McGill. Total Oxidizable Precursors (TOP) analysis, which is lab based, shows the potential for PFAS (risk -based analysis), and the targeted analysis shows what is present. December 2, 2021 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet - Page 154 of 176 Page 5 of 5 Real Estate, Environmental & Planning Committee Minutes November 15, 2021 Page 4 In response to a question by Chair McGill, Ms. LaBella articulated that hazards vary between the type of PFAS, or which combinations are being encountered. Ms. LaBella responded to Mr. Alm regarding groundwater lawsuits and provided an example from Yorba Linda Water Agency in Southern California. Yorba Linda's groundwater was contaminated, and the agency could not use the well water. They built a PFAS water treatment plant, which is currently the largest in the country at 19 million gallons per day, that utilizes ion exchange resins to remove PFAS. She posited that the method of treatment will still not achieve PFAS destruction, as the ion exchange resins will contain the PFAS that was in the well water. Chair McGill suggested that this presentation be presented to the Board at a future meeting. Ms. Brown responded to the question about plant uptake of PFAS. She stated that Dr. Ian Pepper of University of Arizona is working on a long-term land application study on fate transport and the scope of work is in discussion. COMMITTEE ACTION: Received the update. 5. Announcements Ms. LaBella informed the Committee that staff continues to push forward on the Solar Array Project on the Lagiss Property, mitigation work is still underway, and the current goal is to return to the Board before the end of the calendar year. 6. Suggestions for future agenda items a. Receive list of upcoming agenda items and provide suggestions for any other future agenda items COMMITTEE ACTION: Received the list. 7. Future scheduled meeti Monday, December 6, 2021 at 9.00 a.m. 8. Adjournment — at 9.55 a.m. December 2, 2021 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet - Page 155 of 176