Council Chamber  
City of Santa Rosa  
100 Santa Rosa Avenue  
Board of Public Utilities  
Regular Meeting Minutes - Final  
Thursday, August 1, 2019  
1:30 PM  
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL  
Chair Galvin called the meeting of the Board of Public Utilities to  
order at approximately 1:30 p.m.  
6 -  
Present  
Chair Daniel Galvin III, Vice Chair William Arnone Jr., Board Member  
Lisa Badenfort, Board Member Richard Dowd, Board Member  
Christopher Grabill, and Board Member David Bannister  
1 - Board Member Mary Watts  
Absent  
2. STATEMENTS OF ABSTENTION BY BOARD MEMBERS  
No statements of abstention were made by Board members.  
3. STUDY SESSION  
3.1  
ENERGY OPTIMIZATION PLANS AND OVERVIEW OF EVERGREEN  
ANALYSIS  
Water Department staff have completed Energy Optimization Plans  
(EOPs) for Subregional and Water Operations Systems. The EOPs  
serve as roadmaps for strategically and systematically optimizing  
energy use in Santa Rosa's water systems. Staff will provide an  
overview of EOP findings and recommendations. In addition, staff will  
provide an overview of the analysis that was presented to the City  
Council Climate Action Subcommittee regarding the cost and benefits of  
moving Water Department electrical accounts from Sonoma Clean  
Power’s Clean Start rate to EverGreen rates. The Board may discuss  
this item and give direction to staff.  
Attachment 1  
Attachments:  
Attachment 2  
Presentation (added 8/1/19)  
Presenter(s): Claire Myers, Sustainability Representative.  
Board member Dowd announced that he is the Chair of the Sonoma  
Clean Power (SCP) Community Advisory Committee. After  
discussion with legal counsel for the City and SCP, he has  
determined that he does not need to recuse himself from the study  
session discussion. Molly Maclean, Assistant City Attorney further  
reported that there is no financial conflict, and concurs with Board  
member Dowd's determination.  
3.2 ADJOURN STUDY SESSION AND RECONVENE TO THE CITY COUNCIL  
CHAMBER  
The Board adjourned the Study Session at approximately 2:25  
p.m. and reconvened to open session in the Council Chamber at  
2:35 p.m.  
4. MINUTES APPROVAL  
4.1  
May 23, 2019 - Special Meeting Minutes.  
May 23, 2019 Special Meeting Minutes (added 8/1/19)  
Attachments:  
The minutes were accepted as submitted.  
June 20, 2019 - Regular Meeting Minutes.  
4.2  
June 20, 2019 Regular Meeting Minutes (added 8/1/19)  
Attachments:  
5. STAFF BRIEFINGS  
5.1  
FREEWAY WELL PLANNING PROJECT  
Santa Rosa Water is conducting a study of the City’s “Freeway Well” on  
Cleveland Avenue in Santa Rosa. For almost 30 years, the City used  
the Freeway Well to sustainably provide approximately one million  
gallons of water per day to its customers. However, in the 1980s staff  
discovered during routine water quality testing that groundwater below  
the Freeway Well site had become contaminated with volatile organic  
compounds (VOCs) from chemicals and solvents used at other  
properties in the area. The Freeway Well has not been used since that  
time. The City is interested in seeing if it’s feasible to rehabilitate the  
well or replace it. This project is funded in part by a Proposition 1 grant  
for groundwater protection and/or cleanup from the State Water  
Resources Control Board. The grant requires the City to hold a publicly  
noticed meeting to inform the general public about the project and  
receive their comments. This staff briefing meets that requirement and  
also serves as an update the Board on the status of this project. The  
Board may discuss this item and give direction to staff.  
Presentation (added 8/1/19)  
Attachments:  
PRESENTER(S): Colin Close, Sr. Water Resources Planner.  
Public Comment:  
Thomas Ellis asked for clarification on what contaminants are at the  
site.  
5.2  
SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM SMOKE TESTING  
Water Department - Local Operations staff will provide a staff report on  
the routine, preventative maintenance activity of smoke testing the  
wastewater collection system. Smoke testing is a method in which staff  
can locate and correct sources of inflow and infiltration, find leaks and  
illegal connections and to find abandoned sewer lines not previously  
identified. The Board may discuss this item and give direction to staff.  
Presentation (added 8/1/19)  
Attachments:  
PRESENTER(S): Dave Ward, Utilities System Supervisor.  
6. CONSENT ITEMS - NONE.  
7. REPORT ITEMS - NONE.  
8. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA MATTERS  
NONE.  
9. REFERRALS  
NONE.  
10. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (AND POSSIBLE BOARD DISCUSSION)  
NONE.  
11. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS  
Board member Badenfort reported that the Contract Review  
Subcommittee met and reviewed a contract with Carollo Engineers  
for the Laguna Treatment Plant disinfection improvement project  
and an item on sole source specifications for Capital Improvement  
Projects. Both items will be coming to the full board at the next  
meeting.  
12. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS  
NONE.  
13. DIRECTORS REPORTS  
Jennifer Burke, Director provided an update on the pond repairs at  
the Laguna Treatment Plant, introduced the new Streets to Creeks  
campaign, discussed the Russian River TMDL, the City's comment  
letter and noted that the Public Hearing is scheduled for August 14  
and 15. She concluded by reporting on the Mike Hauser STEM  
Academy that the Water Department participated in this past  
summer and highlighted that the Sewer Squad would be at this  
year's Sonoma County Fair.  
14. ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING  
Chair Galvin adjourned the meeting at 3:19 p.m. The next regularly  
scheduled meeting of the Board of Public Utilities will be held on  
September 5, 2019.  
Approved on: September 5, 2019  
_________/S/_____________  
Gina Perez, Recording Secretary