Council Chamber  
City of Santa Rosa  
100 Santa Rosa Avenue  
Board of Public Utilities  
Regular Meeting Minutes - Draft  
Thursday, March 19, 2026  
1:30 PM  
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL  
Chair Galvin called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m.  
6 -  
Present  
Chair Daniel Galvin III, Vice Chair William Arnone Jr., Board Member  
Robin Bartholow, Board Member Duane De Witt, Board Member J.  
Matthew Mullan, and Board Member Glen Wright  
1 - Board Member Lisa Badenfort  
Absent  
2. REMOTE PARTICIPATION UNDER THE BROWN ACT (Gov. Code § 54953.8)  
None.  
3. STATEMENTS OF ABSTENTION BY BOARD MEMBERS  
None.  
4. PROCLAMATION  
4.1  
PROCLAMATION - ROBIN BARTHOLOW  
Chair Galvin read aloud a proclamation for Board Member  
Bartholow.  
Board Members spoke regarding their time serving with Board  
Member Bartholow.  
Board Member Bartholow spoke regarding her time serving on the  
Board of Public Utilities.  
5. STUDY SESSION  
5.1  
FY 2026-27 WATER, LOCAL WASTEWATER, REGIONAL REUSE  
AND STORMWATER AND CREEKS FUNDS OPERATION,  
MAINTENANCE AND CAPITAL EXPENDITURE REQUESTS  
Santa Rosa Water manages the City of Santa Rosa’s Water, Local  
Wastewater, Regional Reuse, and Stormwater and Creeks enterprise  
funds under the general policy authority and direction of the Board of  
Public Utilities (BPU) pursuant to Section 25 of the City Charter. The  
BPU annually recommends these enterprise’s proposed budgets to the  
City Council to be included in the annual City budget adoption. The  
study session will provide an overview of all FY 2026-27 budgets. The  
Board may discuss this item and provide direction to staff.  
Nick Harvey, Deputy Director - Administration, and Liz Hanley,  
Supervising Engineer, presented and answered Board Member  
questions.  
6. MINUTES APPROVAL  
6.1  
February 5, 2026 - Regular Meeting Minutes - Draft  
The February 5, 2026 regular meeting minutes were approved as  
submitted.  
6.2  
March 5, 2026 - Regular Meeting Minutes - Draft  
The March 5, 2026 regular meeting minutes were approved as  
submitted.  
7. STAFF BRIEFINGS  
7.1  
SENATE BILL 707 - BROWN ACT AMENDMENTS OVERVIEW  
Santa Rosa Water staff will provide an overview of the recent Brown Act  
changes adopted under Senate Bill 707 (2025). The Board may discuss  
this item and provide direction to staff.  
Michelle Montoya, Administrative Analyst, presented and answered  
Board Member questions.  
7.2  
WATER AND RECYCLED WATER SUPPLY UPDATE  
Staff will update the Board on water and recycled water supply issues.  
The Board may discuss this item and give direction to staff.  
Peter Martin, Deputy Director - Water Resources, and Andrew  
Romero, Wastewater Reclamation Superintendent, presented and  
answered Board Member questions.  
8. CONSENT ITEMS  
A motion was made by Vice Chair Arnone, Jr., seconded by Board Member  
Mullan, to approve Consent Items 8.1 to 8.3.  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
6 -  
Yes:  
Chair Galvin III, Vice Chair Arnone Jr., Board Member Bartholow,  
Board Member De Witt, Board Member Mullan and Board Member  
Wright  
1 - Board Member Badenfort  
Absent:  
8.1  
8.2  
8.3  
MOTION - APPROVAL OF A LEASE AGREEMENT TO PG&E OVER A  
PORTION OF CITY OWNED PROPERTY LOCATED AT 0 W  
COLLEGE AVENUE, APN 010-320-031  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water and  
Real Estate Services that the Board of Public Utilities, by motion,  
authorize the Assistant City Manager to negotiate a Lease Agreement  
between the City and Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Inc., on a portion  
of City owned property located at 0 West College Avenue and delegate  
authority to the Assistant City Manager to execute the Lease  
Agreement, subject to approval as to form by the City Attorney.  
This Consent - Motion was approved.  
MOTION - APPROVAL - FOURTH AMENDMENT TO GENERAL  
SERVICES AGREEMENT F002599 - SANTA ROSA WATER  
JANITORIAL SERVICES  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water and the  
Finance Department that the Board of Public Utilities, by motion,  
approve the Fourth Amendment to General Services Agreement  
F002599 with James Furuli Investment Co., Inc., DBA Environmental  
Dynamics, Petaluma, California, for janitorial services to extend for one  
year and increase compensation in the amount of $196,899.89, for a  
cumulative total amount not to exceed $758,889.60.  
This Consent - Motion was approved.  
MOTION - APPROVAL - AMENDMENT TO BLANKET PURCHASE  
ORDER 169602 TO EXTEND ONE YEAR AND ADD COMPENSATION  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water and the  
Finance Department that the Board of Public Utilities, by motion,  
authorize the Chair of the Board to approve an Amendment to Blanket  
Purchase Order (BPO) 169602 to extend one year and add  
compensation in the amount of $30,000 for carbon filter media disposal  
and replacement services to Carbon Supply, Inc., Bell Gardens,  
California, for a cumulative BPO total amount not to exceed $110,000.  
This Consent - Motion was approved.  
9. REPORT ITEMS  
9.1  
REPORT - ADOPTION OF MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION  
AND MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM FOR  
THE KELLY FARM MITIGATION BANK  
BACKGROUND: The Kelly Farm Mitigation Bank proposes to develop  
100 acres of Kelly Farm into a California tiger salamander (CTS) and  
wetland mitigation bank. This Mitigation Bank would be used to offset  
wetland or CTS impacts from construction projects for Santa Rosa  
Water projects, resulting in credit availability in the most cost-effective  
manner possible. This proposed resolution will adopt the Mitigated  
Negative Declaration (MND), adopt the Mitigation Monitoring and  
Reporting Program (MMRP), and approve the Kelly Farm Mitigation  
Bank (Project). It will also direct City staff to file a Notice of  
Determination for the Project pursuant to the California Environmental  
Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water and the  
Transportation and Public Works Department that the Board of Public  
Utilities, by resolution: 1) adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration for  
the Kelly Farm Mitigation Bank Project; 2) adopt the Mitigation  
Monitoring and Reporting Program; 3) approve the Kelly Farm  
Mitigation Bank Project; and 4) direct staff to file the Notice of  
Determination.  
Sean McNeil, Deputy Director - Environmental Services, and Kristine  
Gaspar, Senior Planner, GHD presented and answered Board  
Member questions.  
Kent Gartmann shared his concerns regarding the project and the  
spread of manure.  
A motion was made by Board Member Wright, seconded by Board Member  
Bartholow, to adopt:  
RESOLUTION NO. RES-2026-002 ENTITLED: RESOLUTION OF THE  
BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES ADOPTING THE MITIGATED NEGATIVE  
DECLARATION AND MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING  
PROGRAM FOR THE KELLY FARM MITIGATION BANK AND APPROVAL OF  
THE PROJECT.  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
6 -  
Yes:  
Chair Galvin III, Vice Chair Arnone Jr., Board Member Bartholow,  
Board Member De Witt, Board Member Mullan and Board Member  
Wright  
1 - Board Member Badenfort  
Absent:  
10. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA MATTERS  
None.  
11. REFERRALS  
None.  
12. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (AND POSSIBLE BOARD DISCUSSION)  
None.  
13. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS  
Board Member Wright reported that the Budget Subcommittee met  
yesterday to do a final review of Water’s proposed Fiscal Year  
2026-27 Water, Wastewater, Regional, and Storm water and Creeks  
operations and maintenance, capital improvement and debt service  
budgets and voted to recommend the budget to the full Board.  
14. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS  
Board Member DeWitt reported on the Roseland Earth Day event  
which will be held on April 18, 2026.  
15. DIRECTORS REPORTS  
Director Burke reported: The Santa Rosa Water team is working to  
apply for a WIFIA (Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act)  
loan to relocate and rebuild our sewer lift station at Fulton Rd and  
West College. The project will rebuild the station to current  
standards, upgrade the SCADA system, increase cybersecurity,  
improve system robustness and reduce vulnerability to service  
distributions that can occur during emergency conditions. The total  
project cost is estimated to be $38 million and we are requesting the  
max loan amount of $18,600,000. WIFIA is a federal credit program  
administered by the EPA that provides long-term, low cost  
supplemental loans for regional and national water infrastructure  
projects. If awarded, the loan can be paid back for up to 35 years  
after the Notice of Completion is filed on the project, with flexible  
terms that would allow us to strategically plan cash flows. The  
interest rate on any potential loans is not known at this time, but  
Federal funding programs are typically a low-cost option as  
compared to revenue bonds or other outside debt. We’ll be sure to  
update the Board as we work through the application process with  
the EPA.  
The Llano trunk project is looking at next steps.The board may recall  
a few years ago, that the City had received a Water Resources  
Development Act authorization for $19.4 million.That is available to  
the Water Department for water and sewer infrastructure  
improvements.We recently also received a $2.29 million  
appropriation.In this, federal work plan, this coming fiscal year  
federal work plan, to work with the Army Corps through their  
environmental infrastructure program, which would provide for the  
design and environmental, work for the next segment of Phase 2 of  
our Llano Trunk lining project. So we are very excited to be starting  
work with the Army Corps, and we have also put forward another  
earmark funding request, which was supported by the City Manager  
and City Council to ask for an additional $3.56 million in funding,  
which would allow us to continue working with the Corps to start  
construction on two of the five segments of Phase 2 of the project.  
So again, we're continuing to explore all options and opportunities to  
look at other funding mechanisms that can supplement our ratepayer  
dollars.  
On March 5, 2026 the Northern California Chapter of the American  
Public Works Association (APWA) awarded the City’s Lower Colgan  
Creek Restoration Phase 3 Project the Best Public Works Project in  
the category of public works projects in the five-to-ten-million-dollar  
range. The Lower Colgan Creek Phase 3 Project tied together both  
Phase 1 and Phase 2 which all combined restored 1.3 miles of  
creek encompassing 15 acres of land of newly restored riparian  
habitat. There is a Class 1 ADA accessible pedestrian and bike  
pathway with a pedestrian bridge connecting the project area to  
Bellevue Avenue that is popular with the community helping to  
connect neighborhoods to local schools and commercial areas. We  
are working with members of the APWA to schedule a time to  
present the award at an upcoming BPU meeting. If you want to get  
more involved in this project the third volunteer planting day will  
occur this Saturday on March 21, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. until noon.  
We meet at the restoration site near the corner of Mojave Avenue  
and Monument drive. Tools, gloves, and snacks will be provided.  
16. ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING  
Chair Galvin adjourned the meeting at 3:53 p.m. in honor of  
resigning Board Member Bartholow. The next meeting of the Board  
of Public Utilities is scheduled for April 2, 2026 at 1:30 p.m.