City Council Chamber  
City of Santa Rosa  
100 Santa Rosa Avenue  
Board of Public Utilities  
Meeting Minutes - Final  
Thursday, December 3, 2020  
1:30 PM  
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL  
Vice Chair Arnone called the meeting to order at approximately 1:30  
p.m.  
5 -  
Present  
Vice Chair William Arnone Jr., Board Member Lisa Badenfort, Board  
Member Mary Watts, Board Member Glen Wright, and Board Member  
Matt Mullan  
2 - Chair Daniel Galvin III, and Board Member Christopher Grabill  
Absent  
2. STATEMENTS OF ABSTENTION BY BOARD MEMBERS  
There were no Statements of Abstention by Board Members.  
3. STUDY SESSION - NONE.  
4. MINUTES APPROVAL  
The minutes for November 19, 2020 were received and accepted  
as submitted.  
November 19, 2020 - Regular Meeting Minutes  
4.1  
November 19, 2020 - Regular Meeting Minutes  
Attachments:  
5. STAFF BRIEFINGS - NONE.  
6. CONSENT ITEMS  
6.1  
RESOLUTION - BILLING ADJUSTMENT POLICY FOR WATER USED FOR FIRE  
PROTECTION DURING THE SEPTEMBER 2020 GLASS FIRE  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Finance and Water Departments  
that the Board of Public Utilities, by resolution, adopt a policy for adjusting  
customers’ usage charges for water or recycled used to protect properties during  
the September 2020 Glass Fire and adjust any associated sewer usage charges.  
Staff Report  
Attachments:  
Attachment 1_BPU Resolution 01233  
Attachment 2_Draft Billing Adjustment Policy  
Resolution No. 01243  
A motion was made by Board Member Mullan, seconded by Board Member  
Badenfort, to approve Item 6.1 - RESOLUTION NO. 1243 ENTITLED  
"RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES ADOPTING THE  
BILLING ADJUSTMENTS FOR FIRE PROTECTION WATER USE DURING  
THE SEPTEMBER 2020 GLASS FIRE POLICY." The motion carried by the  
following vote:  
5 -  
Yes:  
Vice Chair Arnone Jr., Board Member Badenfort, Board Member  
Watts, Board Member Wright and Board Member Mullan  
2 - Chair Galvin III and Board Member Grabill  
Absent:  
7. REPORT ITEMS  
7.1  
REPORT - SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT SPECIFICATION FOR TESCO  
PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLERS AND SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC  
RADIO TELEMETRY SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLER AND RADIO UPGRADES AT  
WATER PUMP STATIONS AND SEWER LIFT STATIONS, CONTRACT NO.  
C02052  
BACKGROUND: The City of Santa Rosa (City) Water and Wastewater (Local)  
Operation Division supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and radio  
telemetry system provides means for remote monitoring, collection and storage of  
operational data, and control of its water pump stations and sewer lift stations. In  
August of 2019, a predesign report by Kennedy Jenks identified both the existing  
SCADA and existing radio telemetry system as being vulnerable to obsoletion.  
The system is comprised of existing solid-state equipment manufactured in the  
1980’s and 1990’s, and integrated hardware and software from different  
manufacturers. Non-uniform hardware and software has resulted in an increased  
frequency of communications errors between various facilities.  
Local Operations has standardized its SCADA system with Tesco Controls, Inc.  
(Tesco) programmable logic controller (PLC) equipment and technology to provide  
remote management of various processes involved with water and wastewater  
operations. To support the system, the Water Department is staffed with factory  
trained instrumentation technicians that control, maintain, monitor and respond to  
system failure. Local Operations is also proposing to standardize its radio  
telemetry system with Schneider Electric equipment and technology in an effort to  
match the Water Reuse Division. The existing telemetry system is subject to  
obsolete equipment and discontinued manufacturer technical support. Upgraded  
radios will minimize operational impacts, provide higher data rates, reduce  
interference, and provide more efficient use of the overly dense existing wireless  
spectrum. It is for these reasons that Local Operations requires Tesco series PLC  
equipment and Schneider Electric radio telemetry equipment for the Controller and  
Radio Upgrades at Water Pump Stations and Sewer Lift Stations (Project).  
Approving such a proprietary specification will maintain reliability and uniform  
compatibility with existing equipment and minimize operational impacts to the  
division.  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Transportation and Public Works  
Department and the Water Department that the Board of Public Utilities, by  
resolution, approve the sole source contract specifications for Tesco Controls, Inc.  
programmable logic controllers and Schneider Electric radio telemetry system for  
the Controller and Radio Upgrades at Water Pump Stations and Sewer Lift  
Stations, Contract No. C02052.  
Staff Report  
Attachments:  
Attachment 1_Site Map  
Resolution No. 01244  
Presentation  
Presenter: Tracy Duenas, Supervising Engineer - TPW  
Supervising Engineer Duenas informed the Board the Resolution  
incorrrectly identified the number of Local Operations sites as 22  
when it should be 19.  
A motion was made by Board Member Wright, seconded by Board Member  
Mullan, to approve, as amended, Item 7.1 - RESOLUTION NO. 1244  
ENTITLED "RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES  
APPROVING THE SOLE SOURCE SPECIFICATION FOR TESCO  
PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLERS AND SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC  
RADIO TELEMETRY SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLER AND RADIO UPGRADES  
AT WATER PUMP STATIONS AND SEWER LIFT STATIONS, CONTRACT  
NO. C02052." The motion carried by the following vote:  
5 -  
Yes:  
Vice Chair Arnone Jr., Board Member Badenfort, Board Member  
Watts, Board Member Wright and Board Member Mullan  
2 - Chair Galvin III and 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 - NONE.  
12. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS - NONE.  
13. DIRECTORS REPORTS  
Jennifer Burke, Director, updated the Board on the AMI (Automated  
Meter Infrastructure) project which should be completed by  
mid-Spring 2021. Of the 53,500 meters owned by the City, only 672  
still need to be replaced or upgraded to AMI.  
14. ANNOUNCEMENT OF CLOSED SESSION ITEM(S) AND ADJOURNMENT TO  
CLOSED SESSION  
At 2:13 p.m., Legal Counsel Maddow announced the Closed  
Session item.  
14.1  
CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - EXISTING LITIGATION  
(Paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Government Code Section 54956.9)  
Name of case: Bush v. Brown Farms, et al.  
Meeting went into Recess  
Meeting Reconvened  
15. ADJOURN TO OPEN SESSION AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF CLOSED SESSION  
ACTION, IF ANY  
At 2:20 p.m., Legal Counsel Maddow stated there were no  
reportable items from the Closed Session.  
16. ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING  
Vice Chair Arnone adjourned the meeting at 2:21 p.m. The next  
regular meeting of the Board of Public Utilities is scheduled for  
December 17, 2020.  
Approved on: December 17, 2020  
________/S/______________  
Roberta Atha, Recording Secretary