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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - Citizens Utility Advisory Commission - Meeting Date: 10/6/2021Cslendale A R I Z O N A MINUTES CITIZENS UTILITY ADVISORY COMMISSION OASIS WATER CAMPUS 7070 WEST NORTHERN AVENUE GLENDALE, ARIZONA 85303 OCTOBER 6, 2021 6:00 P.M. 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Berryhill called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Commissioner Amber Ford (arrived during agenda item #3) Present: Robin Berryhill, Chair David McGrew, Vice Chair Larry Flatau, Commissioner Amber Ford, Commissioner Jon Froke, Commissioner Ronald Short, Commissioner Attendees: Craig Johnson, P.E.,, Director, Water Services Michelle Woytenko, Director, Field Operations Megan Sheldon, Deputy Director, Environmental Resources - Water Services Drew Swieczkowski, Environmental Program Manager Joanne Toms, Environmental Program Administrator Candace Schulte, Management Assistant, Water Services Stacy Mawhiney, Account Specialist, Field Operations Kerry Sheward, Water Services Administrator Ron Serio, Deputy Director, Water Services John Henny, Deputy Director, Water Services 3. CITIZEN COMMENTS [Commissioner Ford arrived during the agenda item.] Ms. Jane Short made the following comments to the Commission regarding dirty garbage cans in the neighborhood. I have to wear a mask walking around my neighborhood. About three or four years ago, Ms. Woytenko had a fellow who used to come around and cite people for not bagging their garbage. There has been un -bagged fish and barbeque ribs. Just this last week, I lifted someone's garbage lid and there wasn't one thing in a bag, with everything out of the refrigerator and frozen foods. I can hardly walk through my neighborhood anymore on Mondays. I've been wearing my mask. This past week, there's this rental home and people have been living in here. I think they are moving out. The garbage can is just filthy. This is just one in the neighborhood. The same people, the recycle bin was just as bad, some of that was not even recycle. The bulk trash, the same people, it happens more than once. There are van loads, u -haul trucks, I kid you not, cars three or four at a time, filling up the backyard for more than a year. Then comes bulk trash on Thursday, they put it up this high and its furniture, freezers, refrigerators, camping equipment. I can't even tell you, chairs, baby stuff and it's their back yard. It's stuff they bring in from another place. Is there some place to complain to have somebody come out to check them? Thank you. Ms. Woytenko will follow up with the citizen. 4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES a. Motion by Vice Chair McGrew, second by Commissioner Short, to approve the minutes of the September 1, 2021 Citizens Utility Advisory Commission Meeting as written. Motion carried 6 — 0. 5. DIRECTOR'S REPORT a. Solid Waste/Landfill Update Ms. Michele Woytenko, Director of Field Operations, provided a report. • Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event: Residents are encouraged to call to make an appointment for pick up of hazardous waste materials. If a resident attempts to transport hazardous waste, it could be spilled, causing a public health issue. Pick-up appointments are being taken now through October 15. Collection will be conducted through October 29. 340 appointments are currently scheduled for the event. • Last Saturday, the Touch -A -Truck event was held. Over 300 families attended the event, at which there were various trucks on display, including garbage trucks. • The Recycling Wizard is the single most popular page on the City's website, with 18,000 visits in the month of September. • Street sweeping will be conducted monthly for residential customers and will follow the bulk trash pickup schedule. • New recycling bins for the City will now include an embedded QR code on the top of the bin lid that can be scanned for the most up-to-date information on items that can or cannot be recycled. Because recyclable items can change, the stickers currently used can be outdated and a QR code will link to current information on the City's website. Councilmember Tolmachoff made this suggestion. Vice Chair McGrew inquired as to the number of appointments available for the Hazardous Waste Collection Event. Ms. Woytenko relayed that there are typically 600 appointments for each event, spring and fall, however, 750 appointments could be accommodated. Chair Berryhill asked for clarification on the items that are too hazardous to put in a collection bin. Ms. Woytenko stated that all of the information is on the City's website and she will bring the full list to the Commission meeting next month to ensure the Commission has the complete list. b. Water Services Update Mr. Craig Johnson, Director of Water Services, provided a report. • On October 26, the water and sewer rates will go to a Public Hearing. The increased rates are proposed to take effect on January 1, 2022. • In upcoming Council meetings, staff will provide Council with information on the implementation of redundant water flow in Zone 3. This includes the use of IGAs with the City of Peoria and the City of Phoenix regarding the Pyramid Peak Plant. Once the IGAs are signed, design and testing of the connections with Peoria and Phoenix can begin. A brief explanation of the connections and redundancy was provided. • Pyramid Peak was turned off this past Tuesday for testing of the large transmission main along 67 Avenue from Beardsley to the south. The main was installed in the 1970s and needs to be assessed. The recent testing was flawless and staff did a wonderful job. The phased -in testing process along the main was described. • Mr. Swieczkowski gave a presentation to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission regarding the re -drilling of a well in Sierra Verde Park, which is currently located on a lot inside an HOA within 660 feet of the park. The Commissioner agreed with the recommendation to move the well to the park. • The Touch -A -Truck event was very successful and the kids enjoyed the back -hoes and dump trucks. • The expansion project at Pyramid Peak for the City of Peoria, fully paid by the City of Peoria, is basically complete. There are some punch list items to complete. • The improvements at the Cholla Water Treatment Plant are approximately 50% completed. Vice Chair McGrew inquired as to the driving factor for the redundancy projects. Mr. Johnson stated that the redundancy will ensure water services for citizens every minute of every day. Mr. Johnson relayed that if Pyramid Peak went out for some reason, there would not be water services for residents and the redundancy projects ensure there is a back-up system for water to the residents in Zone 3. Vice Chair McGrew asked about the window for the testing of the transmission main on 67 Avenue. Mr. Johnson provided a briefing of the locations, phases, and testing process. Commissioner Flatau noted that well water comes from aquifers and asked how staff assessed and determined the quality of the water in the aquifer. Mr. Swieczkowski explained the process of determining the water quality of the aquifer. Commissioner Flatau inquired if water can be recharged within Glendale. Mr. Swieczkowski replied in the positive and explained that there is a west area recharging facility and a New River recharging facility. Mr. Swieczkowski added that staff is also looking at recharging within wells. 6. CHAIR AND VICE -CHAIR RECOMMENDATIONS a. Ms. Sheward provided information on the requirement, process, and timeline for the Chair and Vice Chair recommendations for the Commission. Ms. Sheward announced the term for Chair and Vice Chair would begin on February 1, 2022 and was a one-year term. Motion by Commissioner Flatau, second by Commissioner Short, to recommend Vice Chair McGrew for Vice Chair of the Citizens Utility Advisory Commission for a one-year term beginning February 1, 2022. Vice Chair McGrew declined the nomination and indicated that he would not be on the Commission after January 2022. Motion died. Motion by Vice Chair McGrew, second by Commissioner Short, to recommend Commissioner Ford for Vice Chair of the Citizens Utility Advisory Commission for a one-year term beginning February 1, 2022. Commissioner Ford accepted the nomination. Motion carried 6 — 0. Motion by Commissioner Flatau, second by Commissioner Short, to recommend Commissioner Berryhill for Chair of the Citizens Utility Advisory Commission for a one-year term beginning February 1, 2022. Commissioner Berryhill accepted the nomination. Motion carried 6 — 0. 7. BALANCED SCORECARD REVIEW a. Ms. Sheward gave an update on the City's Balanced Scorecard, which included a briefing on the following: HH istory • City-wide initiative developed in 2017 by a cross -departmental team • Reviewed and approved by City Council Scorecard Levels • Tier 1: Organization • Tier 2: Departments and Support Units • Tier 3: Employees Scorecard Level Proaress • Tier 1: Organization: Completed at the City-wide level • Tier 2: Departments: Has recently begun. The goal of Tier 2 is to connect our departments to the City-wide Tier 1 Scorecard. This section shows the value of how and what our departments bring to the City. • Tier 2: Business Units and Support Units: Next phase. R -►= • Organizational Performance Review • Presentation and Final Approval • Dashboard Development Commissioner Short inquired about the timeframe for overall completion of the Balanced Scorecard. Ms. Sheward relayed that full completion will take a few more years. She clarified that Tier 2 would take approximately 1.5 years due to the complexity and Tier 3 would take less time than Tier 2 for completion. 8. WATER SUPPLY UPDATE a. Water Resources Update, Including Tier 1 Colorado River Shortage Mr. Swieczkowski gave a presentation, which included the following information: We're Prepared • Glendale has a strong water portfolio, has planned for a shortage on the Colorado River System, and is continually planning for its water future. The Citv's Water Service Area • Serves residents and businesses east of 115 Avenue. Private water companies, such as EPCOR, serve west of 115 Avenue. • 100 -year Designation of Assured Water Supply from the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR). This was last proved in 2010 and will come up again in 2025. Glendale Water Use for 2020 • Total Water Used: 47,393 acre-feet • 1 acre-foot can supply a Glendale family of four for one year with some left over. • SRP Used: 45% • CAP Used: 45% • EfFluent Used: 6% • Groundwater Used: 4% City's Supply versus 2020 Use • Total Supply: 117,496 acre-feet/year • Chart with supply versus usage for SRP, CAP, Effluent, and Groundwater was displayed and explained. • CAP water comes from the Colorado River • SRP water comes from the Salt River and Verde River SRP Supply Overview • Salt River reservoirs are currently 73% full. • Verde River reservoirs are currently 52% full. • Total system is 73% fully compared to 81 % same time last year. • The monsoon season helped, but winter runoff is needed to fill the reservoirs. • For 2022, more SRP groundwater will be used for delivery. Colorado River Shortage *Arizona will be in a Tier 1 shortage in 2022 oAs projected by the Bureau of Reclamation's August 24 -month study o Based on water level elevation in Lake Mead on December 31, 2021 *Tier 1 Reductions take place starting on January 1, 2022 o Reduction to Arizona's Colorado River Supply o Reductions taken from CAP Visuals Displayed: • Supply Reductions to Arizona: A chart was displayed indicated the reduction amounts for Tier 0 through Tier 3. • Lake Mead Water Level Declines: Graphics of the water level and the shoreline in 1984 versus 2021. Tier 1 Shortage • Tier 1: Lake Mead's elevation has dropped below 1,075 feet. • Currently, there is a high probably that a Tier 2 shortage will occur in 2023. • The 24 -month study predicts Lake Mead's elevation drop to 1,030 feet. Therefore, the Lower Basin states (California, Arizona, and Nevada) must meet with the Secretary of the Interior. • The goal is to prevent the lake from dropping below an elevation of 1,020 feet. CAP Priority System • 97% of Glendale's CAP water supply is high priority. Tier 1 Shortage Impact to Glendale • No cut to Glendale's Colorado River supplies for 2022. • What happens if the shortage continues after 2022? oArizona's Drought Contingency Plan covers most losses through 2025. o Only a small loss to Glendale's lower priority water. Less than 3% of the water portfolio. oThe impacts after 2025 are to be determined. b. Drought Management and Water Conservation Programs Ms. Toms gave a presentation, which included information on the following: Drouaht Manaaement Plan (DMP) • The DMP is a plan to prepare and respond to water shortages and to keep the community informed. • Included are water reduction measures. • The Plan is in the City Code — Chapter 33 and was updated in 2016. • The Plan is currently being reviewed and updated. It needs to be flexible as the conditions on the Colorado River are dynamic. • There are no immediate plans to implement the City's DMP as there is zero impact to the City for 2022. Drought Stages in the Plan • Drought stages are based on water supply reductions. • Water supply and demand may change, so there is flexibility in the triggers for the drought stages. • Stages 1 and 2: Voluntary for customers. o Increased conservation education. The City will lead by example. • Stages 3 and 4: Mandatory for customers. o Declared by City Council due to the enforcement component. Water Demand and Population: Graph for 2000 through 2018 displayed Water Conservation Proarams: Maintain Best Management Practices provided by the City: • Public Awareness • Education (Youth and Adult) • Landscape Rebate Program • Landscape Consultations and Water Budgets • Water Efficiency Assessments • Water Waste Investigations • Xeriscape Demonstration Garden Landscape Rebate Program • Single family homes: Up to $750.00 • New single family homes: Up to $200.00 • Non-residential customers: Up to $3,000.00 • Since 1985, 5,500 Glendale residents converted 116 acres of grass to xeriscape. This equates to 116 football fields. Glendale Water Efficiency Program: Number of participants and potential water savings: • 17 City facilities: 2.1 million gallons of water • 22 businesses: 8.2 million gallons of water • The program includes checking water efficiencies at the sites, such as indoor flow rates and outdoor leaks. New Federal WaterSmart Grant • The purpose of the grant is to encourage municipal and non-residential customers to create water -efficient landscapes and meet the City's water conservation goals. • The City received a $50,000 grant from the Federal Bureau of Reclamation for up to 10 applicants. A number of HOAs have expressed interest in applying for these grant funds. Commissioner Flatau inquired about any City of Glendale access to the desalinization plant in Yuma. Mr. Commissioner Flatau replied that this plant was started up in exchange with Mexico. He did not see the City going in that direction any time soon due to the high cost. Commissioner Flatau asked for clarification on the IGAs with Phoenix and Peoria, as those cities would be impacted similarly by the drought. Mr. Swieczkowski explained that the interconnects in the IGAs were for a pipeline break or a plant emergency, not for the drought. Commissioner Short asked if the private water companies west of 115 Avenue had enough water supply for any drought reductions. Commissioner Short noted the explosive growth in the area, expressed concern for the citizens, and asked if the City of Glendale would have to supply water to the area if the private companies could not. Mr. Swieczkowski explained that EPCOR was a large company with a lot of financial backing. He indicated that there was a lot of groundwater being pumped out by those private companies and agreed with the concern. He stated that the companies were looking at Direct Potable Reuse and stated that the best thing the City can do was to keep communicating with the private water companies through the West Valley Water Association Committees. Mr. Swieczkowski stated that groundwater was a very limited resource. He relayed that some entities were required to replenish groundwater when it was pumped, however, some entities were not required to do so. Mr. Swieczkowski commented that there were many sharp people working for EPCOR. Commissioner Short inquired if the City of Glendale would be pressured to take over the water system west of 115 Avenue. Mr. Johnson explained the history of the development west of Highway 303 and stated that the private suppliers, EPCOR, Liberty, and Adaman, had to ensure adequate water supply. He stated that the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) regulated the private providers. Mr. Johnson relayed that most of the development near the 303 was commercial, specifically at the direction of Council, as residential development would require libraries, parks, and more. He stated that the ACC was doing its job of monitoring the regulatory requirements of the private water companies. Mr. Johnson noted that it was City policy that no City of Glendale water services would go west of 115 Avenue. He said that it would be tremendously expensive for the City to purchase all of the infrastructure in that area. Chair Berryhill inquired about the status of using more effluent water. Mr. Swieczkowski reported that the City was using effluent water in creative ways, including utilizing it, recharging some of it, and exchanging it for CAP water. Chair Berryhill asked if there are any private wells in northern Glendale. Mr. Swieczkowski replied in the positive and stated that there were some exempt, scattered wells. Commissioner Ford asked if the City was always checking water quality in line with EPA standards. Mr. Swieczkowski replied in the positive. Commissioner Ford asked if there was an increase in water use due to people staying home from COVID. Mr. Swieczkowski stated that there was no real increase, as use has remained fairly constant. Commissioner Ford commented that it seemed that the City was not planning far enough in advance, as 2025 will be here soon. She asked if a 5 -year plan was sufficient. Mr. Swieczkowski stated that ground water is finite and needs to be managed, however, surface water is just as challenging as it is dictated by nature. Mr. Swieczkowski added that water planning is difficult as the states and politicians are in the mix as well. He said that for the last twenty years, Glendale has been working to increase its water portfolio. Mr. Johnson said that a new Integrated Water Master Plan covers 30 years and the CIP goes out for every 10 years. He noted that the General Plan was the guiding document. Ms. Sheldon said that the state of Arizona requires a 100 -year Assured Water Supply Designation every 15 years, that some states may not require. 9. RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE UPDATE a. Agenda Item tabled. 10. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS Commissioner Flatau appreciated the good presentations and information. Commissioner Ford stated that she was always learning something at the meetings, which was the reason she enjoys this Commission. Commissioner Short expressed appreciation of staffs efforts. Vice Chair McGrew thanked staff for its clear and purposeful path for providing water the City in the coming years. Chair Berryhill thanked staff for the information and appreciated staffs knowledge. Mr. Johnson complimented the work of his staff and team. 11. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Chair Berryhill announced the following: • November 3. 2021: Water Services and Field Operations Financial Updates • December 1. 2021: No meeting 12. NEXT MEETING The next regular meeting of the Citizens Utility Advisory Commission will be held on November 3, 2021 at 6:00 p.m., at the Oasis Water Campus, 7070 W. Northern Ave., Glendale, Arizona, 85303. 13. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Commissioner Flatau, second by Vice Chair McGrew, to adjourn the meeting at 7:46 p.m. Motion carried 6 — 0. The Citizens Utility Advisory Commission meeting minutes of October 6, 2021 were submitted and approved this 3rd day of November, 2021. Denise Kazmierczak Recording Secretary