Hybrid - See Agenda for

Participation Information

City Council Chamber

100 Santa Rosa Avenue

City of Santa Rosa

Board of Public Utilities

Meeting Minutes - Final

Thursday, November 4, 2021

1:30 PM

1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

Chair Galvin called the meeting to order at approximately 1:30 p.m.

5 -

Present

Chair Daniel Galvin III, Board Member Lisa Badenfort, Board Member

Christopher Grabill, Board Member Mary Watts, and Board Member

Glen Wright

2 - Vice Chair William Arnone Jr., and Board Member Mark Walsh

Absent

Chair Galvin announced that agenda items 7.1 and 7.2 were being pulled from

the agenda and will be moved to the November 18, 2021 agenda.

2. STATEMENTS OF ABSTENTION BY BOARD MEMBERS

There were no Statements of Abstention from Board Members.

3. STUDY SESSION - NONE.

4. MINUTES APPROVAL

October 21, 2021 - Regular Meeting Minutes.

4.1

October 21, 2021 - Regular Meeting Minutes

Attachments:

The minutes for October 21, 2021 were received and accepted 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.

Presentation (added 11/2/21)

Attachments:

Presenter: Claire Nordlie, Sustainability Coordinator

6. CONSENT ITEMS

6.1

RESOLUTION - SECOND AMENDMENT TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

AGREEMENT WITH TIV, FOR CREATIVE SERVICES, TO INCREASE

COMPENSATION BY $100,000

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Water Department that the Board

of Public Utilities, by resolution, approve a second amendment to Professional

Services Agreement F001931 with TIV to provide creative services for $100,000,

with a total not to exceed amount of $199,000.

Staff Report

Attachments:

Attachment 1_Second Amendment to PSA F001931

BPU Resolution No. 1275

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

Watts, to approve Item 6.1 - RESOLUTION NO. 1275 ENTITLED

"RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES AUTHORIZING

APPROVAL OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT TO PROFESSIONAL

SERVICES AGREEMENT F001931 TO INCREASE COMPENSATION BY

$100,000 FOR CREATIVE SERVICES WITH TIV." The motion carried by the

following vote:

5 -

Yes:

Chair Galvin III, Board Member Badenfort, Board Member Grabill,

Board Member Watts and Board Member Wright

2 - Vice Chair Arnone Jr. and Board Member Walsh

Absent:

7. REPORT ITEMS

7.1

REPORT - AMENDED 2020 WATER SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN

BACKGROUND: In conformance with the Urban Water Management Planning Act

(Act), the City of Santa Rosa prepared its 2020 Urban Water Management Plan

(UWMP) and its 2020 Water Shortage Contingency Plan (Shortage Plan). Both

documents were adopted by City Council on June 8, 2021 and submitted to the

State Department of Water Resources on June 30, 2021. State law allows each

water supplier to amend its Shortage Plan independent of the UWMP. The City

wishes to amend the 2020 Shortage Plan to revise the Excess Use Penalty

structure that applies in severe stages of shortage and change the water demand

offset requirements that apply to new construction when water is being allocated for

existing customers. The Board will be considering a recommendation to Council to

adopt the Amended 2020 Water Shortage Contingency Plan.

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water that the Board of

Public Utilities, by resolution, recommend that the City Council adopt the Amended

2020 Water Shortage Contingency Plan and introduce an ordinance approving

revisions to the Excess Use Penalty structure set forth in Section 14-04.015 of the

City Code.

Staff Report

Attachments:

Attachment 1_Amended 2020 WSCP (redline)

Attachment 2_Draft Ordinance

Attachment 3_Draft Ordinance (redline)

Resolution

Presentation (added 11/2/21)

(continued to November 18, 2021 Board meeting)

7.2

REPORT - WATER DEMAND OFFSET POLICY, FEE STUDY, AND FEES

BACKGROUND: The City of Santa Rosa is required by California State Law to

prepare an Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) and Water Shortage

Contingency Plan (Shortage Plan) every five years to assess the adequacy and

reliability of water supplies for current and future needs as well as plan for and

detail how the City will respond to various levels of water supply shortage. Staff will

present the Water Demand Offset (WDO) Policy, 2021 WDO Fee Study, and WDO

Fees which have been developed to implement the City’s Shortage Plan

requirement that new construction must offset water demand during water shortage

emergencies that require very restrictive water allocations (water rationing) by the

City’s existing customers.

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water that the Board of

Public Utilities, by resolution, recommend that the City Council adopt the Water

Demand Offset (WDO) Policy, the 2021 WDO Fee Study, and the WDO Fees and

authorize the WDO Fees to be adjusted on an annual basis to account for inflation

at the beginning of the calendar year (January 1) starting in 2023, using the

Engineering News Record’s 20-Cities CCI (20-cities CCI).

Staff Report

Attachments:

Attachment 1_WDO Policy

Attachment 2_2021 WDO Fee Study

Resolution

Exhibit A_2021 WDO Fee Study

Presentation (added 11/2/21)

(continued to November 18, 2021 Board meeting)

7.3

REPORT - RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL TO MODIFY CITY CODE

TITLE 14 (POTABLE WATER AND RECYCLED WATER), BY MODIFYING

SUBSECTION (B) AND DELETING SUBSECTION (G) OF SECTION 14-04.010

(DEFINITIONS) AND MODIFYING SECTION 14-04.140 (BILLS GENERALLY)

BACKGROUND: With the implementation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure

(AMI), Water Billing is able to create more consistent billing periods for water and

sewer customers. Billing periods are currently between 28 to 35 days. In order to

modify the meter read schedules to transition from billing periods of 28 to 35 days

to billing periods of 28 to 32 days, some customers will require a 13th bill in 2021.

City Code Section 14-04.140 currently states that the City shall render bills 12

times per calendar year and the City Code sections must be modified to

accomplish the modification to the City billing. Affected customers will still have a

full billing period of no less than 28 days, but they will receive a bill in the last week

of 2021 creating 13 bills for the calendar year.

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Finance Department and Santa

Rosa Water that the Board of Public Utilities, by resolution, recommend that the

City Council introduce an ordinance modifying Title 14 (Potable and Recycled

Water) of the City Code to modify the definition of “Billing Period” in Section

14-04.010(B), delete the definition of “Monthly” in Section 14-04.010(G) and modify

Section 14-04.140 to delete the wording “12 times per year” and replace it with a

requirement that the City render bills “monthly”.

Staff Report

Attachments:

BPU Resolution No. 1274

Presentation (added 11/2/21)

Presenter: Alan Alton, Acting Chief Financial Officer

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

Grabill, to approve Item 7.3 - RESOLUTION NO. 1274 ENTITLED

"RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES RECOMMENDING

THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA INTRODUCE AN

ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS 14-04.010 AND 14-04.140 OF TITLE 14

OF THE SANTA ROSA CITY CODE TO MODIFY PROVISIONS RELATED TO

MONTHLY WATER AND SEWER BILLS." The motion carried by the

following vote:

5 -

Yes:

Chair Galvin III, Board Member Badenfort, Board Member Grabill,

Board Member Watts and Board Member Wright

2 - Vice Chair Arnone Jr. and Board Member Walsh

Absent:

8. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA MATTERS

NONE.

9. REFERRALS - NONE.

10. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (AND POSSIBLE BOARD DISCUSSION) - NONE.

11. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

Chair Galvin reported the Contract Review Subcommittee met on

October 28, 2021. Three agreements were reviewed and

unanimously recommended by the subcommittee. The first was a

Second Amendment to a Professional Services Agreement with

E&M Electric dba Wonderware for professional technology services

for the Laguna Treatment Plant SCADA unit. The item will come

before the Board at a future meeting. The second was a Second

Amendment to a Professional Services Agreement with TIV, which

was on today's Consent calendar, to increase compensation by

$100,000 to support the City's ongoing outreach efforts, including

the multi-media drought campaign. The third was a proposed

Professional Services Agreement with Montrose Air Quality, LLC for

air emission monitoring at the Laguna Treatment Plant. The

subcommittee recommended approval with the caveat that staff

provide additional information to the Board regarding proposed

changes to the insurance requirements in the contract. This item is

scheduled to come before the Board on November 18.

12. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS

NONE.

13. DIRECTORS REPORTS

Jennifer Burke, Director, shared that Local Operations responded to

an early-morning report of a water main break at Highway 12 and

Middle Rincon Road. Crews worked quickly to isolate the area of the

water main and worked closely with Caltrans, the Police Department

and Public Works crews to initiate a road closure that included both

eastbound lanes and one westbound lane of Highway 12.

Information was provided to the public via radio, television, social

media and e-mail regarding the closures and detours. Local

Operations crews made a repair by mid-morning, removing and

replacing a 12-foot portion of the 10" cast iron water main, and five

customers who were impacted were returned to service. Road

repairs are scheduled to begin Friday evening.

Production at the Farmers Lane wells was shut down on November

1. This will allow recharge of the aquifer over the winter months and

an opportunity for Local Operations crews to perform annual

maintenance on the wells and the water treatment plant. Production

is planned to resume in mid to late Spring of 2022, though staff is

coordinating with Sonoma Water regarding regional water supply

and will start up the wells sooner, if needed. Both wells produced

431 million gallons this season.

Director Burke provided an update on customer arrearages which

now total roughly $1.7 million. The State has provided an opportunity

for water agencies to apply for a grant to obtain funding for these

arrearages. Staff has identified approximately 830 customer

accounts that will require manual review to identify arrearages that

would qualify for reimbursement. The State grant currently applies

only to the water portion of the bill and qualifying arrearages that

occurred between March 20, 2020 and June 30, 2021. In response

to questions from Board Member Grabill, Director Burke stated that

staff is providing information on other assistance/funding

opportunities to customers. The Water Department is not able to

provide forgiveness on arrearages with ratepayer funds. The State

funding will allow the department to relieve the customer debt that

qualifies under the program.