Council Chamber

City of Santa Rosa

100 Santa Rosa Avenue

Board of Public Utilities

Regular Meeting Minutes - Final

Thursday, September 21, 2023

1:30 PM

1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

Vice Chair Arnone called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m.

4 -

Present

Absent

Vice Chair William Arnone Jr., Board Member Robin Bartholow,

Board Member Mark Walsh, and Board Member Glen Wright

2 - Chair Daniel Galvin III, and Board Member Lisa Badenfort

Vice Chair Arnone announced that Item 5.2, Update on Russian

River Water Forum and Potter Valley Project, is being continued

to a future meeting date.

2. STATEMENTS OF ABSTENTION BY BOARD MEMBERS

None.

3. STUDY SESSION

None.

4. MINUTES APPROVAL

4.1

August 17, 2023 - Regular Meeting Minutes - DRAFT

The August 17, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes were approved as

submitted.

5. STAFF BRIEFINGS

5.1

WATER SUPPLY UPDATE

Staff will update the Board on water supply issues. The Board may

discuss this item and give direction to staff.

Claire Nordlie, Water Use Efficiency Coordinator, presented and

answered Board Member questions.

5.2

UPDATE ON RUSSIAN RIVER WATER FORUM AND POTTER

VALLEY PROJECT

Staff will provide an update on the Russian River Water Forum, which is

a grant funded collaborative effort to identify water supply resiliency

solutions in response to the planned license surrender and

decommissioning of Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E’s) Potter Valley

Hydroelectric Project, as well as the recent proposal to PG&E from the

Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission, the Round

Valley Indian Tribes, and the Sonoma County Water Agency, to create a

regional entity that would advance a regional solution for preserving

flows in the Russian River and improving Eel River fisheries. The Board

may discuss this item and give direction to staff. This item was

continued from the August 17, 2023 Board of Public Utilities meeting

and will be continued to a future meeting date.

Vice Chair Arnone announced that Item 5.2, Update on Russian

River Water Forum and Potter Valley Project, is being continued to a

future meeting date.

6. CONSENT ITEMS

A motion was made by Board Member Wright, seconded by Board Member

Walsh, to approve Consent Item 6.1.

The motion carried by the following vote:

4 -

Yes:

Vice Chair Arnone Jr., Board Member Bartholow, Board Member

Walsh and Board Member Wright

2 - Chair Galvin III and Board Member Badenfort

Absent:

6.1

RESOLUTION - SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT SPECIFICATION FOR

HENRY PRATT COMPANY VALVES AND K-TORK VALVE

ACTUATORS FOR THE LAGUNA TREATMENT PLANT FILTER

CELLS 9-14 VALVE AND ACTUATOR REPLACEMENT PROJECT

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Transportation and

Public Works Department and Santa Rosa Water that the Board of

Public Utilities, by resolution, approve a sole source contract

specification for Henry Pratt Company (XR-70, 2FII) filter valves and

K-Tork (KT-50, KT-40) valve actuators for the Laguna Treatment Plant

Filter Cells 9-14 Valve and Actuator Replacement Project.

This Consent - Resolution was approved.

7. REPORT ITEMS

7.1

REPORT - RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT PROPOSED

ORDINANCE AMENDING SANTA ROSA CITY CODE CHAPTER 14-21

WATER WASTE REGULATIONS

BACKGROUND: Santa Rosa City Code Chapter 14-21 Water Waste

Regulations, first adopted in 1999 and last revised in 2007, defines

water waste and authorizes customer notification and potential water

service disconnection in cases of unaddressed violations. Since

Chapter 14-21 was last revised, best practices and technology have

changed necessitating an update. Staff are proposing changes to

Chapter 14-21 that include refinement of the definition of water waste,

allowance of administrative fines for violations, providing an exception

and an appeals process, and other clarifying changes.

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Water Conservation

Subcommittee and Santa Rosa Water that the Board of Public Utilities,

by resolution, recommend the City Council adopt the proposed

ordinance amending Santa Rosa City Code Chapter 14-21 Water

Waste Regulations to include administrative fines, provide an exception

and an appeals process, and make other clarifying changes.

Deb Lane, Water Resources Analyst, presented and answered

Board Member questions.

A motion was made by Board Member Wright, seconded by Board Member

Bartholow, to approve:

RESOLUTION 1328 ENTITLED: RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC

UTILITIES RECOMMENDING THE SANTA ROSA CITY COUNCIL ADOPT

THE ATTACHED PROPOSED ORDINANCE THEREBY AMENDING SANTA

ROSA CITY CODE CHAPTER 14-21 WATER WASTE REGULATIONS TO

INCLUDE ADMINISTRATIVE FINES AND CLARIFY ENFORCEMENT AND

APPEALS PROCESS

The motion carried by the following vote:

4 -

Yes:

Vice Chair Arnone Jr., Board Member Bartholow, Board Member

Walsh and Board Member Wright

2 - Chair Galvin III and Board Member Badenfort

Absent:

8. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA MATTERS

None.

9. REFERRALS

None.

10. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (AND POSSIBLE BOARD DISCUSSION)

None.

11. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

Board Member Wright reported on the September 12, 2023 Water

Conservation Subcommittee meeting.

12. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS

None.

13. DIRECTORS REPORTS

Acting Director McNeil reported: the City of Santa Rosa and the

Sonoma Marin Saving Water Partnership has been awarded two

awards through participation in the Institute of Local Government’s

Beacon Program. The City of Santa Rosa has been actively

participating in the Beacon Program since 2013, reporting on the

adoption of voluntary policies that promote sustainability, and

tracking activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save

energy. The City of Santa Rosa will be recognized with the Platinum

Level 2023 Beacon Spotlight Award for achieving a 21% natural gas

savings compared to the baseline year in 2013. In addition to the

Spotlight Award, Santa Rosa Water has been awarded the 2023

Beacon Leadership and Innovation Award for cross-agency

collaboration with the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership

during the recent 2021-2023 drought. The Partnership’s “Drought is

Here. Save Water” campaign was heavily augmented by Santa Rosa

Water and the campaign was recognized for providing a unique, yet

simple and cohesive drought message throughout the Russian

River watershed that resulted in measurable water savings.

Santa Rosa Water's current water and sewer rate schedule was

approved by City Council on May 25, 2021. The current rate

schedule began July 1, 2021 and concludes on July 1, 2024. The

process of developing the next multi-year rate schedule for Fiscal

Year 25/26 through 29/30 is beginning now. The first step requires

hiring a consultant to compile and complete a full rate study to

assure rates are designed to meet all regulatory requirements of

Proposition 218. A Request For Proposals was issued on August

17th and it closed on September 14th. Over the next several weeks

staff will be evaluating the submitted proposals, and anticipate

making a recommendation for a contract award to the Board, likely in

November, and beginning work with the selected consultant

sometime in December. The development of the report and draft

rate schedule is estimated to take one year to complete. Staff will

review the proposed final report and new rate schedule with the

Board of Public Utilities' Budget Review Subcommittee, and with the

full Board, in detail prior to the BPU’s recommendation on the rate

study and new rate schedule to the City Council. The Council will

review and provide direction in study session prior to the Proposition

218 notice being sent to all water and sewer customers. Staff is

planning to hold a public hearing at City Council to consider adoption

of the new rate schedule in March 2025, with the new rate schedule

being implemented on July 1, 2025.

14. ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING

Vice Chair Arnone adjourned the meeting at 2:17 p.m. The next

regularly scheduled Board of Public Utilities Meeting is October 5,

2023.

Approved on: October 5, 2023

______/S/_____________________

Michelle Montoya

Recording Secretary