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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - Water Services Advisory Commission - Meeting Date: 12/3/2014 !A..% Water Services Advisory GLEINIL/E Commission Oasis Water Campus 7070 W.Northern Avenue December 3,2014 6:00 P.M. FINAL MINUTES I. CALL TO ORDER—6:00 p.m. II. ROLL CALL: Present: Chair Ron Short, Vice-chair Jonathan Liebman, Commissioners Robert Gehl,Ruth Faulls, and John Sipple Absent: Commissioner Roger Schwierjohn Staff: Craig Johnson, John Henny, Dr. Doug Kupel, Javier Setovich, Amanda McKeever, Dan Hatch, Jim Williams, Mark Fortkamp, Larry Brotman, Tom Gill, Anthony Weathersby, Thomas Relucio,Hayme Amaya,and Sally Melling,Recording Secretary III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS Approval of the Final Minutes, November 5, 2014 meeting -Motion for approval made by Comm. Gehl, seconded by Vice-chair Liebman. APPROVED 5-0 IV. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT—Craig Johnson,P.E., Executive Director Mr. Johnson gave department updates to the Commission. He mentioned that the first quarter budget meetings with 28 division supervisors had just completed and that expenses are on track. The FY 15/16 city budget kick-off will be on December 16 when the Budget and Finance director will present information to the Council at a workshop. A listing of all required budget dates will be issued shortly after the first of the year. After first of year, budget information will be shared with the Commission. Mr. Johnson informed the WSAC that the centennial for the municipal water service anniversary is February 25, 2015. Many events are planned by the Branding and Public Outreach Committee, and that once the plans are finalized, information will be presented to the Commission. Mr. Johnson explained to the Commission that the department has now assumed responsibility for the warehouse as of July 1, 2014. Water Services is the largest user of warehouse services along with the Public Works and Facilities groups. A formal audit was requested of the city auditor. More information will be presented to the Commission as it is received. The "Water-Use It Wisely" campaign was featured on the "Rosie on the House"radio show with a five minute segment dealing with water conservation and helpful tips. City of Glendale Water Services Department•7070 West Northern Avenue•Glendale,AZ 85303•(623)930-4100 December 3,2014 Water Services Advisory Commission Final Minutes Page 2 Mr. Johnson explained that a press release was released by the Water Services Pre-treatment division and the city's Marketing Department around the Thanksgiving holiday to warn of fats,oils, and grease being disposed of in drains resulting in clogged drains. Door hangers and other information will be distributed in possible problem areas and at city events. When Comm. Gehl asked if any studies had been done to test the effectiveness of such Marketing campaigns, Mr. Johnson gave detailed information on the preventative measures done to prevent sanitary sewer overflows. He explained that Glendale has very few overflows per year, and has one of the lowest number of overflows in the state due to diligent follow up and special attention paid to problem areas prior to holiday events. Comm. Faulls asked for more information on the door hangers. Dr. Kupel explained the design is ready to go to the printers with plans to distribute in those areas with high blockage complaints, which are surprisingly not restaurants but residential areas. Dr. Kupel explained the troubles are seasonal,around the holidays. Action: No action required,information only V. CONSUMER CONFIDENCE REPORT RULE Doug Kupel, Ph.D., Deputy Director, and James J. Williams, Water Quality Laboratory Manager presented information to the Commission. They explained that the CCR Rule is a federally mandated report established to raise customer awareness of where their drinking water comes from, assure the quality of drinking water, explain what it takes to deliver the water to homes, and explain the importance of protecting drinking water sources. The rule requires every municipal water system to deliver one copy to each customer annually. A major upcoming change deals with the delivery of the report. On-line delivery and/or access are now recognized; customers can now access the information online or request a hard copy be mailed to them. The city will now mail two notifications to bill paying customers, the first to notify of a change being made and the second mailing providing the web address where the CCR can be viewed with an option to request a paper copy. Paper copies will be made available to non-bill paying customers with bulk delivery to such locations as apartment complexes,hospitals,nursing homes,and libraries. Comm. Gehl asked if there was a way to track the number of visitors to the CCR website after July 1. Dr. Kupel informed the Commission that the city has hired a new web manager and she is versed in the use of Google Analytics which provides tracking information. Comm. Gehl then asked if there were different methods of notifying residents if a water quality issue ever arises. Mr. Williams responded there are three tiers of notifications: 24-hour notification, one month notification, and an annual notification. It depends on the severity of the issue. Mr. Williams replied there has been no change in the methods of notification for this issue when Comm. Gehl asked about it. Mr. Williams clarified that only 22,000 copies this year would be printed when Chairman Short asked if 83,000 copies would be printed again this year. Dr. Kupel responded that the department has not made any estimates on how many citizens might call for a paper copy when asked by Chairman Short. Chairman Short asked if copies could be provided at malls and shopping centers for greater distribution. Dr.Kupel added that copies are provided at city events such as the Touch a Truck event. Comm. Sipple asked who is defined as a non-bill paying customer. Mr. Williams replied they might be an apartment resident who does not pay an individual water bill but pays as part of their December 3, 2014 Water Services Advisory Commission Final Minutes Page 3 monthly rent, residents of nursing homes, retirement centers, or anyone who doesn't get a metered bill but are consumers of water. Action: No action required,information only VI. URBAN IRRIGATION INQUIRY FOLLOW-UP FROM NOVEMBER 5,2014 MEETING Craig Johnson, P.E., Director and Doug Kupel, Ph.D., Deputy Director, updated the Commission on items. Mr. Johnson provided information on the Email Master List. A total of 6 email addresses have been registered to date. Only meeting notices for November and December have been sent to those residents. In response to Comm. Schwierjohn's question at November meeting on a capital expenditure cost for some upgrades to the current system, city staff met with Salt River Irrigation staff to prioritize three areas for extra attention to address recurring issues. No costs have been determined yet due to an unforeseen personal problem with SRI's representative. Estimates will be determined as soon as possible. Mr.Johnson anticipates bringing the information to the Commission at the next meeting. Mr. Johnson addressed Chairman Short's request to meet in informal workshop-type meetings and feels the most appropriate way to conduct the meeting is through Council district meeting process. As soon as the new Council is in place and have gotten settled into their new responsibilities, the department will approach one or more Council members to host district meetings with urban irrigation as a topic. Salt River Project has also expressed a willingness to attend the meetings and explain their role in providing irrigation services. Mr. Johnson anticipates the earliest possible date to meet with council members would be in January. Dr. Kupel researched and provided information to Comm. Faulls inquiry about possibly finding grants to assist with urban irrigation repairs and upgrades. Dr. Kupel worked through the city's grants administrator and reported there are no federal or state grants available for infrastructure improvements any longer. The Water Services Conservation and Sustainable Living division found some grants available for trees and to combat the urban heat island. Jo Miller, Environmental Program Manager, found several options: the Sustainable Cities Network, Green Infrastructure Work Group which have partnered with some state urban forestry grants. One program these groups administer is TREE-Tree Resource Enhancement & Engagement which provides grants for tree inventories, tree ordinance review, and training for municipal workers and volunteers on tree care. Also found were some Bureau of Reclamation grants: Water Smart grants which public outreach&education to save on water and energy use. This appears to be the most promising since it can address trees and climate related impacts such as urban heat islands. The city of Phoenix has a Tree and Shade Master Plan, and ASU has also done work in this area. Chairman Short asked if Community Development Block Grants had been looked at. Dr. Kupel stated that would be investigated. Mr. Johnson provided information on the request to put the meeting audio recording on the WSAC web site. Voice recordings can be put on the web page per the web content manager; it will require regular maintenance and might require special software. Mr. Johnson asked the Commission for direction on further research. Direction was provided to proceed with further research; Commission consensus was four in favor,with one person abstaining. II�__ December 3,2014 Water Services Advisory Commission Final Minutes Page 4 VII. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN OVERVIEW Dan Hatch, Water Services Administrator/Budget & Finance, presented information on the FY 2015/16 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan. He explained that this is an annual review and will be submitted for Council approval. Changes are expected as the plan is reviewed by the Finance/Budget and Engineering Departments, and the City Manager's office. Projects include rehabilitation and replacement of water and sewer lines, process and redundancy improvements, expansions to infrastructure, and updates to the information support systems. The total amount originally planned was $25.6 million but has now been reduced to $17.3 million. One key item noted was $6.7 million allocated for water rights when the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification agreement is finalized. This is anticipated to possibly be completed by the end of this fiscal year. Mr. Hatch explained that amounts not needed will not be carried over into the FY 2016 budget when determinations are completed next April. The final CIP budget will go before Council in June. Mr. Johnson told the Commission that this is the first draft of the plan and information will be presented to the Commission on an on-going basis. He stated there is a close relationship between Water Services and the Engineering Department to ensure projects can be completed on a timely basis. Chairman Short questioned what Mr. Johnson thought was the biggest capital improvement project coming up. Mr. Johnson answered they will be plants and pipes. Upgrades and replacements will be reviewed for all the plants and facilities but of priority importance are improvements to the Arrowhead Water Reclamation Facility due to its age. The second project is water line replacements with the third as the sewer line rehabilitation project. Chairman Short asked if he recalled correctly that most of the pipes are 1950 or older. John Henny,Water Services Deputy Director, replied that the median age of water lines is 35 years. Water delivery pipes are evaluated based on an in-house study done in early 2000 with consideration taken of operational risk assessments performed by in-house staff. Sewer lines are classified differently and are assessed through the CCTV inspection program. Mr.Johnson acknowledged there was a great deal of information presented to the Commission and asked them to send questions to Ms. Amanda McKeever, Water Services Administrator. Replies would be sent to all the commissioners and the information would be posted on the WSAC web site. VIII.CALL TO THE AUDIENCE Chair Ron Short reviewed the opportunity for audience members to address the Water Services Advisory Commission. One person spoke: Robin Berryhill, N. 59th Lane, stated she does not like the generic outline of the agenda. She feels each topic should be listed with details so citizens can decide if they wish to attend the meeting. Ms. Berryhill asked if the CCR is available in Spanish and Mr. Williams confirmed it is. She likes the idea of a district meeting for the council districts served by urban irrigation. Ms. Berryhill also mentioned she has been questioned by people who have access to irrigation but do not receive it. She discussed the difference in water bills between her water bill with irrigation compared to those people who water their landscaping with potable water. Her average bill is $100; other people she has contacted have water bills of$250-300 per month because they don't use irrigation. District meetings for local topics such as irrigation are fine but for larger issues such as water rates, the meetings need to be held at city hall. Capital improvement projects should include urban irrigation December 3, 2014 Water Services Advisory Commission Final Minutes Page 5 since she feels irrigation and Arrowhead (Facility) serve the same function in dealing with reclaiming water. Arrowhead (Facility) was started in the 1980s and serves the Arrowhead Ranch area; that facility is continually being improved as a capital improvement project. There are no grants for irrigation which the city started and committed to in 1912. The city should designate and budget for urban irrigation as a capital improvement project. IX. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Comm. Gehl would like Irrigation brought forward as a possible action item for a motion. Comm. Sipple seconded. MOTION PASSED 5-0 Vice-chair Liebman would like further discussion on the CCR information contained in the pamphlet such as analysis, exceptions to federal limits, and future federal regulations that will impact the city's financial picture. Mr. Williams stated there are expected future regulations from additional contaminants standards. Vice-chair Liebman clarified with a motion to place the item on the February agenda, seconded by Comm. Gehl. MOTION PASSED 5-0 X. NEXT MEETING: January 7,2015, 6 p.m. XI. ADJOURNMENT—Motion to adjourn was made by Comm. Faulls, seconded by Comm. Sipple. MOTION APPROVED 5-0. The meeting adjourned at 7:22 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Sally elling, Recordin_ ecretary