Council Chamber

City of Santa Rosa

100 Santa Rosa Avenue

Board of Public Utilities

Regular Meeting Minutes - Final

Thursday, October 5, 2023

1:30 PM

1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

Vice Chair Arnone called the meeting to order at 1:32 p.m.

4 -

Present

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

Absent

2. PROCLAMATION

2.1

PROCLAMATION - MARY WATTS

Vice Chair Arnone read and presented Board Member Watts with a

proclamation for her service to the Santa Rosa community. Board

Members expressed their appreciation for her service and her time

on the Board of Public Utilities.

Board Member Watts spoke on her time with the Board of Public

Utilities, expressed her appreciation, and accepted the

proclamation.

3. STATEMENTS OF ABSTENTION BY BOARD MEMBERS

None.

4. STUDY SESSION

None.

5. MINUTES APPROVAL

5.1

September 21, 2023 - Regular Meeting Minutes - DRAFT

The September 21, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes were approved

as submitted.

6. STAFF BRIEFINGS

6.1

MAUI 2023 FIRE RESPONSE FROM SANTA ROSA

Santa Rosa Water will provide a brief description on the assistance

from City staff to Maui County. Information will be provided on the

assistance to their Water, Wastewater and Debris teams, as they start

the recovery from the August 2023 wildfire that impacted the Lahaina

and Up-Country areas of the county. The Board may discuss this item

and give direction to staff.

Joe Schiavone, Deputy Director - Water Operations, presented,

answered Board Members questions, and received Board Member

comments.

6.2

WATER PROFESSIONALS’ APPRECIATION WEEK 2023

Staff will share this year's plan for celebrating California's Water

Professionals Appreciation Week: October 7-15, 2023. The mostly

digital outreach campaign utilizes video and engaging imagery to

educate residents about the 278 water professionals that work

around-the-clock to provide water and sewer service, water recycling

and reuse, watershed protection, and storm water management for

Santa Rosa. The Board may discuss this item and give direction to

staff.

Elise Miller, Communications Coordinator, presented and received

Board Member comments.

7. CONSENT ITEMS

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

Bartholow, to approve the Consent Calendar.

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:

7.1

MOTION - APPROVAL OF SECOND AMENDMENT TO BLANKET

PURCHASE ORDER 165392 - ONE-YEAR EXTENSION, PRICE

INCREASE, AND INCREASE COMPENSATION FOR ULTRAVIOLET

DISINFECTION SYSTEM PARTS WITH TROJAN TECHNOLOGIES,

INC.

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water and the

Finance Department that the Board of Public Utilities, by motion,

approve the Second Amendment to Blanket Purchase Order (BPO)

165392 to extend the term one year, increase unit cost, and increase

compensation for ultraviolet disinfection system parts to Trojan

Technologies, Inc., London, Ontario, Canada, in the amount of

$600,000, for a total cumulative amount not to exceed $3,100,000.

This Consent - Motion was approved.

7.2

MOTION - APPROVAL OF FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE

AGREEMENT WITH GOLD RIDGE RESOURCE CONSERVATION

DISTRICT FOR EXPANSION OF EXISTING RAINWATER

HARVESTING REBATE PROGRAM

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water that the

Board of Public Utilities, by motion, approve the First Amendment to the

Agreement for Rainwater Catchment Rebate Program Support between

Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District and the City of Santa Rosa.

This Consent - Motion was approved.

8. REPORT ITEMS

8.1

REPORT - WATER SUPPLY ALTERNATIVES PLAN

BACKGROUND: The City of Santa Rosa wishes to diversify and

increase its potable urban water supply portfolio to enhance its

resiliency to climate change, droughts, or Sonoma Water service

interruptions that could occur during catastrophic events. As a result,

Santa Rosa Water launched the Our Water Future project and

undertook development of a Water Supply Alternatives Plan (WSAP) to

identify an adaptive approach to diversifying Santa Rosa’s water supply

portfolio and production capacity over time. Because water supply

reliability is essential to our community, this project engaged a wide

range of stakeholders throughout the effort, including an

interdisciplinary team of Water staff, an external group of leaders from

local organizations and agencies, the community at large, and the

Board of Public Utilities (BPU). With expertise and assistance from

Woodard & Curran, Inc., and with significant stakeholder input, the

project team established the study objectives, assessed 18 water

supply options, produced a feasibility report, and proposed four

portfolios (mixes) of the most feasible water supply options. Based on

comments from the various stakeholders and BPU, the feasibility

analysis report and portfolios were refined and presented to City

Council in a study session to seek input from City Council and the

public. The project team developed an early review draft of the Water

Supply Alternatives Plan (WSAP) to provide an adaptive approach to

achieving water supply resiliency goals and targets. After receiving City

Council, BPU and stakeholder input, the WSAP was revised and

prepared for presentation to the BPU.

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water that the

Board of Public Utilities, by motion, recommend that the City Council

accept the Water Supply Alternatives Plan.

Colin Close, Senior Water Resources Planner, and Katie Cole,

Project Manger consultant from Woodard Curran presented and

received Board Member comments.

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

Member Walsh, to approve the motion to recommend that the City Council

accept the Water Supply Alternatives Plan.

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:

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

Vice Chair Arnone shared he is looking forward to celebrating Water

Professionals Week.

14. DIRECTORS REPORTS

Director Burke reported: The State Water Resources Control Board

is preparing to release a second round of funding for overdue water

and sewer bills. The application should be open sometime in

October.The original funding only covered charges incurred from

March through June of 2021, the new funding parameters extend the

dates from July 2021 to December 31, 2022. The funding will be

available for residential and some commercial customers but

excludes, irrigation only, industrial uses, process water, fire lines and

delinquent fees.Santa Rosa Water has close to $2 million dollars in

unpaid charges through December of 2022 on a little more than

2,000 customer accounts so staff have begun reviewing all 2,000

customer accounts to determine any charges that are eligible for the

funding.

During a successful Creek Week, 233 people participated in the

various Creek Week activities including 33 staff members who

participated in the Dash for Trash employee event, collecting 418

lbs of trash, and 53 people who participated in the Creek to Coast

Cleanup, collecting 275 lbs of trash.

The Sonoma Marin Water Saving Partnership, which includes 13

utilities throughout Sonoma and Marin counties that focus on

regional water conservation activities, won the EPA Water Sense

Partner of the Year as well as the Sustained Excellence Award for

the qualified water efficient landscaper program. The qualified water

efficient landscaper program was originally started by the Santa

Rosa Water team. The Water Sense Partner of the Year award has

a big focus on the drought outreach, which also originated with the

Santa Rosa Water team.

In relation to the Potter Valley Project, Sonoma Water, the Round

Valley Indian Tribes, and Mendocino County Inland Water and

Power had submitted a project proposal named The New Eel

Russian Facility to PG&E asking that this proposal be considered as

part of their license surrender application. PG&E has made a

non-binding acceptance in concept and agreed to include the

proposal in their initial draft surrender application and

decommissioning plan.

Director Burke answered Board Member questions.

15. ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING

Vice Chair Arnone adjourned the meeting at 2:41 p.m. The next

Board of Public Utilities meeting is scheduled for October 19, 2023.