Council Chamber  
City of Santa Rosa  
100 Santa Rosa Avenue  
Board of Public Utilities  
Regular Meeting Minutes - Draft  
Thursday, December 5, 2024  
1:30 PM  
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL  
Chair Galvin called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m.  
5 -  
Present  
Chair Daniel Galvin III, Vice Chair William Arnone Jr., Board Member  
Lisa Badenfort, Board Member Robin Bartholow, and Board Member  
Glen Wright  
1 - Board Member Duane De Witt  
Absent  
2 REMOTE PARTICIPATION UNDER AB 2449 (IF NEEDED)  
None.  
3. STATEMENTS OF ABSTENTION BY BOARD MEMBERS  
None.  
4. STUDY SESSION  
4.1  
2024 WATER AND WASTEWATER COST OF SERVICE STUDY AND  
PROPOSED FY25/26 THROUGH FY29/30 RATE SCHEDULE  
It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water that the Board of Public  
Utilities hold a study session to receive information, ask questions,  
discuss and provide feedback to staff regarding the 2024 Water and  
Wastewater Cost of Service Study and the proposed FY 25/26 through  
FY 29/30 Rate Schedule.  
Nick Harvey, Deputy Director - Water Administration, Dan Hennessy,  
Director - Transportation and Public Works, and Mark Hildebrand,  
Consultant - Hildebrand Consulting, presented and answered Board  
Member questions.  
5. MINUTES APPROVAL  
5.1  
November 7, 2024 - Regular Meeting Minutes - DRAFT  
The November 7, 2024 regular meeting minutes were approved as  
submitted.  
6. STAFF BRIEFINGS  
6.1  
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.  
7. CONSENT ITEMS  
None.  
8. REPORT ITEMS  
8.1  
REPORT - APPROPRIATION OF ADDITIONAL CELL TOWER LEASE  
REVENUES FOR THE HELP 2 OTHERS PROGRAM  
BACKGROUND: Telecommunication companies lease space on some  
of Santa Rosa Water’s water storage tanks for their cell towers. The  
revenues from these lease payments fund Santa Rosa Water’s Help 2  
Others (H2O) program, which offers water bill assistance to qualifying  
residential customers in the form of subsidies for the fixed portion of  
both water and sewer bills. The Water Department is seeking a  
recommendation from the Board of Public Utilities that City Council  
approve the appropriation of $406,993.91 of additional cell tower lease  
revenues that are currently in undesignated fund balance. The  
appropriation would go directly to funding water and sewer subsidies for  
qualifying customers in the H2O program.  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water that the  
Board of Public Utilities, by motion, recommend that City Council  
approve the appropriation of additional cell tower lease revenues in the  
amount of $406,993.91 from fund balance for expenditure in the Help 2  
Others (H2O) program.  
Board Member Badenfort left Council Chamber at 2:44 p.m.  
Kevin Buchanan, Financial and Budget Analyst Manger, presented  
and answered Board Member questions.  
A motion was made by Board Member Wright, seconded by Board Member  
Bartholow, to approve the recommendation that City Council approve the  
appropriation of additional cell tower lease revenues in the amount of  
$406,993.91 from fund balance for expenditure in the Help 2 Others (H2O)  
program.  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
4 -  
Yes:  
Chair Galvin III, Vice Chair Arnone Jr., Board Member Bartholow and  
Board Member Wright  
2 - Board Member Badenfort and Board Member De Witt  
Absent:  
8.2  
REPORT - WAIVER OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS AND  
SOLE SOURCE OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH  
ENTHALPY ANALYTICAL FOR ANALYTICAL SERVICES  
BACKGROUND: The Laguna Environmental Laboratory (LEL) may  
need support from third party laboratories to handle increased  
workload, meet tight project deadlines, or access specialized testing  
capabilities that are not available in the LEL. The LEL does not have  
the instruments or the certifications to test for PFAS compounds and  
this contract is necessary to meet the testing requirements in analyzing  
PFAS compounds. Enthalpy is the only local laboratory that has the  
instruments and certifications to analyze samples for PFAS compounds.  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water that the  
Board of Public Utilities, by motion, waive competitive bidding and  
authorize the award of a sole source Professional Services Agreement  
with Enthalpy Analytical for analytical services in an amount not to  
exceed $150,000.  
Board Member Badenfort returned to Council Chamber at 2:48 p.m.  
Robert Wilson, Laboratory Supervisor, presented and answered  
Board Member questions.  
A motion was made by Board Member Bartholow, seconded by Vice Chair  
Arnone, Jr., to approve to waive competitive bidding and authorize the  
award of a sole source Professional Services Agreement with Enthalpy  
Analytical for analytical services in an amount not to exceed $150,000.  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
5 -  
Yes:  
Chair Galvin III, Vice Chair Arnone Jr., Board Member Badenfort,  
Board Member Bartholow and Board Member Wright  
1 - Board Member De Witt  
Absent:  
8.3  
REPORT - WAIVER OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS AND  
SOLE SOURCE OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH  
VITISYSTEMS, INC. DBA CALTEST ANALYTICAL LABORATORY  
FOR ANALYTICAL SERVICES  
BACKGROUND: The Laguna Environmental Laboratory (LEL) may  
need support from third party laboratories to handle increased  
workload, meet tight project deadlines, or access specialized testing  
capabilities that are not available in the LEL. This contract can be  
crucial when the LEL faces capacity limitations due to staff shortages,  
equipment constraints, or an unexpected surge in sample volume.  
Additionally, contracting with outside labs provide expertise in niche or  
highly technical analyses that require advanced instrumentation or  
methodologies not available at the Laguna Environmental Laboratory,  
ensuring that the LEL can maintain high standards of quality and  
compliance without delays.  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water that the  
Board of Public Utilities, by motion, waive competitive bidding and  
authorize the award of a sole source Professional Services Agreement  
with Vitisystems, Inc. DBA Caltest Analytical Laboratory for analytical  
services in an amount not to exceed $250,000.  
Robert Wilson, Laboratory Supervisor, presented.  
A motion was made by Vice Chair Arnone, Jr., seconded by Board Member  
Wright, to approve to waive competitive bidding and authorize the award of  
a sole source Professional Services Agreement with Vitisystems, Inc. DBA  
Caltest Analytical Laboratory for analytical services in an amount not to  
exceed $250,000.  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
5 -  
Yes:  
Chair Galvin III, Vice Chair Arnone Jr., Board Member Badenfort,  
Board Member Bartholow and Board Member Wright  
1 - Board Member De Witt  
Absent:  
8.4  
REPORT - WAIVER OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS AND  
SOLE SOURCE OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH  
ALPHA ANALYTICAL LABORATORY INC. FOR ANALYTICAL  
SERVICES  
BACKGROUND: The Laguna Environmental Laboratory (LEL) may  
need support from third party laboratories to handle increased  
workload, meet tight project deadlines, or access specialized testing  
capabilities that are not available in the LEL. This contract can be  
crucial when the LEL faces capacity limitations due to staff shortages,  
equipment constraints, or an unexpected surge in sample volume.  
Additionally, contracting with outside labs provide expertise in niche or  
highly technical analyses that require advanced instrumentation or  
methodologies not available at the Laguna Environmental Laboratory,  
ensuring that the LEL can maintain high standards of quality and  
compliance without delays.  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water that the  
Board of Public Utilities, by motion, waive competitive bidding and  
authorize the award of a sole source Professional Services Agreement  
with Alpha Analytical Laboratories for analytical services in an amount  
not to exceed $250,000.  
Robert Wilson, Laboratory Supervisor, presented.  
A motion was made by Board Member Wright, seconded by Board Member  
Badenfort, to approve to waive competitive bidding and authorize the  
award of a sole source Professional Services Agreement with Alpha  
Analytical Laboratories for analytical services in an amount not to exceed  
$250,000.  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
5 -  
Yes:  
Chair Galvin III, Vice Chair Arnone Jr., Board Member Badenfort,  
Board Member Bartholow and Board Member Wright  
1 - Board Member De Witt  
Absent:  
9. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA MATTERS  
None.  
10. REFERRALS  
None.  
11. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (AND POSSIBLE BOARD DISCUSSION)  
None.  
12. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS  
None.  
13. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS  
None.  
14. DIRECTORS REPORTS  
Acting Director McNeil reported: There was a magnitude 7.0  
earthquake off the coast of Northern California earlier today. Staff  
from Local, Regional, and the Geysers have performed  
infrastructure checks, and no damage has been found. Sonoma  
Water reported that they also surveyed their infrastructure and found  
no damage.  
15. ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING  
Chair Galvin adjourned the meeting at 3:03 p.m. The next Board of  
Public Utilities meeting is scheduled for December 19, 2024 at 1:30  
p.m.