City Council Chamber  
City of Santa Rosa  
100 Santa Rosa Avenue  
Board of Public Utilities  
Meeting Minutes - Final  
Thursday, November 5, 2020  
1:30 PM  
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL  
Chairman Galvin called the meeting to order at approximately 1:30  
p.m.  
7 -  
Present  
Chair Daniel Galvin III, Vice Chair William Arnone Jr., Board Member  
Lisa Badenfort, Board Member Christopher Grabill, Board Member  
Mary Watts, Board Member Glen Wright, and Board Member Matt  
Mullan  
2. STATEMENTS OF ABSTENTION BY BOARD MEMBERS  
There were no Statements of Abstention by Board Members.  
3. STUDY SESSION  
3.1  
KELLY FARM MITIGATION BANK OPPORTUNITIES  
The Laguna Treatment Plant (LTP) and many of the city-owned farms are located  
within the Santa Rosa Plain which is home to endangered species, including the  
California tiger salamander (CTS), and rare plants, including Sebastopol  
meadowfoam, Burke’s goldfields, and Sonoma sunshine. When the City  
undertakes a project located at these facilities, the project needs to be designed to  
avoid impacts to these sensitive species, or the City needs to purchase mitigation  
credits from a privately held mitigation bank to offset the impacts. Over the last ten  
years, the cost of CTS credits has increased. The City has planned projects that  
may require significant mitigation credits, like the flood wall at LTP. The purchase  
of mitigation credits can add a large cost to the project and extend the time that it  
takes to obtain regulatory permits, thus delaying the start of the project. The  
alternative to purchasing mitigation credits from privately-owned mitigation banks is  
for the City to establish a mitigation bank for City projects on city-owned property.  
The City has worked with a consultant, GHD, to explore the opportunity to establish  
a mitigation bank on Kelly Farm. Staff will provide the preliminary results of this  
analysis. The Board may discuss this item and provide direction to staff.  
Presentation  
Attachments:  
Presenter: Sean McNeil, Deputy Director - Environmental Services  
Board Member Grabill left the meeting at 1:59 p.m.  
4. MINUTES APPROVAL  
The minutes for October 15, 2020 were received and accepted as  
submitted.  
October 15, 2020 - Regular Meeting Minutes  
4.1  
October 15, 2020 - Regular Meeting Minutes  
Attachments:  
5. STAFF BRIEFINGS - NONE.  
6. CONSENT ITEMS  
6.1  
MOTION - CONTRACT AWARD - NORTH TRUNK SEWER  
REPLACEMENT-MENDOCINO AVE TO TERRA LINDA DR  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Transportation and Public Works  
Department and the Water Department that the Board of Public Utilities, by motion,  
award Construction Contract No. C00158 in the amount of $8,947,141.70 to the  
lowest responsible bidder, Team Ghilotti, Inc., of Petaluma, California for North  
Trunk Sewer Replacement-Mendocino Ave to Terra Linda Dr, approve a 20%  
contingency, and authorize a total contract amount of $10,736,570.04.  
Staff Report  
Attachments:  
Attachment 1_Summary of Bids  
Attachment 2_Location Map  
Taylor_Public Comment  
Board Member Watts asked for and received information from  
Gregory Dwyer, Associate Civil Engineer, addressing a letter from  
Sonia Taylor regarding project concerns.  
A motion was made by Vice Chair Arnone, Jr., seconded by Board Member  
Mullan, to award Construction Contract No. C00158 in the amount of  
$8,947,141.70 to the lowest responsible bidder, Team Ghilotti, Inc., of  
Petaluma, California for North Trunk Sewer Replacement-Mendocino Ave to  
Terra Linda Dr, approve a 20% contingency, and authorize a total contract  
amount of $10,736,570.04. The motion carried by the following vote:  
6 -  
Yes:  
Chair Galvin III, Vice Chair Arnone Jr., Board Member Badenfort,  
Board Member Watts, Board Member Wright and Board Member  
Mullan  
1 - Board Member Grabill  
Absent:  
7. REPORT ITEMS  
7.1  
REPORT - REFUND OF WATER DEMAND FEE TO IDENTIFIED MULTI-FAMILY  
PROPERTIES THAT PAID AN ADDITIONAL IRRIGATION DEMAND FEE  
BACKGROUND: Santa Rosa Water (SRW) discovered additional water demand  
fees (also referred to as capacity fees) have been charged to some multi-family  
residential developments since the new demand fee structure was approved in  
August 2014 by Santa Rosa City Council. Some multi-family residential customers  
were charged irrigation demand for a dedicated irrigation meter as well as an  
incorporated irrigation demand by unit as defined in the Demand Fee Final Report.  
SRW staff has identified all multi-family properties that paid dedicated irrigation  
water demand and irrigation water demand incorporated in the per unit fee, and  
calculated the correct demand requirement and corresponding dollar amount, and  
is requesting approval to refund the per unit incorporated irrigation water demand  
fee charges.  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water (SRW) that the  
Board of Public Utilities, by resolution, recommend that the City Council approve a  
refund in the total amount of $545,674.80 for water demand fees collected from  
multi-family units for which an additional demand fee was paid for separate  
irrigation demand, and authorize the Chief Financial Officer to pay these refunds to  
individual properties from Fund 1615-4643.  
Staff Report  
Attachments:  
Attachment 1_Demand Fee Final Report  
Attachment 2_Calculated Refunds  
Attachment 3_CC Resolution 28547  
Resolution No. 1240  
Exhibit A_Calculated Refunds  
Presentation  
Presenter: Kimberly Zunino, Deputy Director - Administration  
A motion was made by Board Member Wright, seconded by Board Member  
Watts, to approve Item 7.1 - RESOLUTION NO. 1240 ENTITLED  
"RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES RECOMMENDING  
THAT THE SANTA ROSA CITY COUNCIL APPROVE A REFUND FOR  
WATER DEMAND FEES FOR MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES THAT PAID A  
SEPARATE IRRIGATION WATER DEMAND FEE." The motion carried by the  
following vote:  
6 -  
Yes:  
Chair Galvin III, Vice Chair Arnone Jr., Board Member Badenfort,  
Board Member Watts, Board Member Wright and Board Member  
Mullan  
1 - Board Member Grabill  
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 Watts reported the Budget Review Subcommittee  
met on October 29, 2020. Staff and consultants provided additional  
information on the current rate setting process including an overview  
of the methodology and cost of service study. In addition,  
information was presented on the community outreach that will  
accompany the process in 2021.  
Chairman Galvin reported the Contract Review Subcommittee met  
on October 20, 2020. Two professional services contracts, an  
amendment to a contract with Carollo Engineers and a contract with  
Psomas, both for the UV Disinfection Project, were unanimously  
supported by the subcommittee. Both contracts are scheduled to  
come before the Board on November 19.  
12. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS  
None.  
13. DIRECTORS REPORTS  
Director Burke reported that recent negotiations by the Real Estate  
Manager for a purchase and sale agreement for 1,400 acres in  
south county for use of biosolids application ended with the family  
accepting another offer. She shared that the U.S. EPA recently  
recognized the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership with two of  
the 29 awards given out nationally under their WaterSense  
Partnership Program: the "Sustained Excellence Award" and the  
"Excellence Award." Director Burke reported the City Council  
approved the 2020A Bond Series for the UV Project funding and the  
2012 Bond Series refunding at the October 27 meeting. Both bond  
issuances will be a significant reduction of expected debt service for  
our ratepayers.  
14. ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING  
Chairman Galvin adjourned the meeting at 2:36 p.m. The next  
regular meeting of the Board of Public Utilities is scheduled for  
November 19, 2020.  
Approved on: November 19, 2020  
_______/S/_______________  
Roberta Atha, Recording Secretary