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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09. (Handout) Letter from Diablo Country Club rec. 12-14-21 Item 9. (Handout) RECEIVED DEC 14 2021 CCCSD-Swmtmy of the District Central Contra Costa Sanitary District 7051 Imhoff Place Martinez,CA 94553 Attention: Mr.Tad J.Pilecki,Board President Subject: Diablo Country Club Comments on"Proposed Guiding Principles for Satellite Water Recycling Facility Projects";December 16,2021,Board Meeting;Agenda Item 9 Dear President Plledd and Members of the Board of Directors, The Diablo Country Club(Diablo)has been working with the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San)for several years to plan a satellite recycled water project that would provide recycled water for irrigation of Diablo's golf course.Diablo and Central San have entered Into a series of planning agreements related to the project. Recently,Diablo participated in a discussion at the August 5,2021, Central San Board meeting related to your Recycled Water Policy.We were not aware of your October 25,2021,Real Estate, Environmental and Planning Committee meeting and so did not participate and offer comments at that time. Diablo is pleased to see that Central San Is considering standard Guiding Principles for your participation in projects such as that being planned by Diablo. Diablo supports the adoption of such workable Guiding Principles.The Guiding Principles will create clarity and policy certainty that can be relied on by Diablo and others contemplating satellite recycled water treatment projects. Diablo has reviewed the proposed Guiding Principles recognizing that those have been drafted in a general way that will be applied not only to Diablo but to other satellite recycled water projects.As such Diablo,concurs that they are appropriate and workable at a policy level with the understanding that implementation details will have to be worked out on a project-by-project basis. Diablo would like to bring one element of the Guiding Principles to your attention believing that that element would benefit from further refinement.Guiding Principle 2:Community Consent addresses stakeholder support for satellite recycled water projects.Diablo concurs that community consent is essential for any project's success.To that end.Diablo has been working and plans to continue to work with stakeholders for our project to ensure their support. However,as written that element of the Guiding Principles could be clarified In one regard.Guiding Principle 2 states In part that"Community consent..is essential...(and)..includes consent by Central San customers and any jurisdhdon having authority over all or portions of the SWRF Project including the applicable water purveyor,a city,town, and/or Contra Costa County."(Emphasis added). i7madjunef odasmoQ000 M7-471 drahl=99 While we understand and agree that consent by your customers Is a critical element of community support we believe that additional clarity should be included in the Guiding Principles identifying exactly how and when that customer consent would be determined.Specifically,we believe that the Guiding Principles would be more workable if they went on to state that the customer consent would be • Determined by the Central San Board after opportunity is given for the public to provide comments and offer testimony on the project. • Assessed at the completion of the feasibility study mentioned in Guiding Principle S. The reason for bringing this to your attention Is that at the end of the feasibility study, Diablo(or any other entity planning a satellite recycled water facility)will be making a significant financial commitment related to the project.Lenders,or other funding parties,will not be willing to move forward with the uncertainty that would come with a later determination of community support. Thank you for continuing to support and assist with the planning and development of satellite recycled water projects which we believe have tremendous potential to benefit the State of California and the local community by preserving potable water resources. Sincerely Bruce Pruitt Chief Operating Officer Diablo Country Club Cc: Roger S.Bailey;General Manager Katie Young,Secretary of the District Melody Labella,Resource Recovery Program Manager Jean-Marc Petit,Director of Engineering and Technical Services 17rD Q Rm d Dado(A949B X1831.4721 di0iomag