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BOARD MEETING MINUTES

REGULAR MEETING
Saturday, July 19, 2014

A.    CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL

President Boucke called the Regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Stinson Beach County Water District to order on Saturday, July 19, 2014, at 9:30 a.m., at the Stinson Beach County Water District office, located at 3785 Shoreline Highway, Stinson Beach, CA 94970.

Directors present:
Barbara Boucke, President
Lawrence Baskin, Vice President
Sandra Cross, Director
Morey Nelsen, Director
Jim Zell, Director

Treasurer present:
Judy Stemen

General Manager present:
Ed Schmidt

Staff present:
Helma Schwendig - Office Supervisor
Rich Souza - District Engineer

B.    SETTING OF AGENDA

The Agenda was adopted as presented.

C.    PUBLIC EXPRESSION

Director Cross noted that Hanson Bridgett, the District's attorney firm, is holding a Public Agency Roundtable regarding the State Water Resources Control Board Emergency Regulations for Water Suppliers on Thursday, July 24, 2014. The General Manager will attend the session in San Francisco. Pamela Lichtenwalner, a local resident, reported that she attended a meeting on Marin Sea Level Rise sponsored by the Community Development Agency on July 10, 2014 at the Red Barn on Bear Valley Road, Point Reyes National Seashore. Another meeting has been scheduled for October.

D.    PUBLIC HEARING

  1. Discussion and possible direction to staff re: a Waiver Request for replacing a failed septic system at 215 Buena Vista Avenue, Theresa and Sean Greene, Owners, Acct. #04640.
    This new proposed alternative type wastewater system will replace the failed single field gravity system. It will have a maximum and average daily flow rate of 150 and 100 gallons, respectively, serving a single family residence and second unit located on a 8,060 square foot lot. Habitable space is approximately 1,025 square feet. The alternative system design, which had been previously reviewed by the Wastewater Committee, includes installation of a RetroFAST aerobic treatment unit within the existing 1,200 gallon septic tank, a new 30" diameter pump vault with an Ultra Violet (UV) disinfection unit, and a single field subsurface drip dispersal field.

    Waivers are required to the following Title IV Onsite Wastewater Management Code Sections: 4.15.100 Site Criteria - Setbacks, Building to Dispersal Field, Downslope Property Line to Dispersal Field, Side Property Line to Dispersal Field, Paved Areas to Dispersal Field, due to the limited available area on the property; Section 4.15.111 Depth to Groundwater, as there is less than 36 inches of vertical separation from groundwater to the bottom of the dispersal field; Section 4.15.310 Septic and Sump Tank Design Standards for possible reuse of the existing 1,200 gallon concrete tank; Section 4.19.010 Use of Alternative Wastewater System Designs; and Section 4.19.150 Drip Irrigation/Drip Dispersal Field Design Standards for use of a single (100%) drip field. To mitigate for insufficient depth, a pretreatment and UV disinfection unit are proposed to reduce wastewater strength prior to dispersal in the drip field.

    Several minor changes were made to the findings enumerated in Draft Resolution No. WW- 2014-03, including the revision of the first bullet point under finding No. 4 so that it will state: "The alternative aerobic pretreatment unit is designed to treat wastewater effluent with BOD5 concentrations less than or equal to 30 mg/L." With these changes, Vice President Baskin made a motion to approve draft Resolution No. WW-2014-03, Granting a Waiver to the Requirements of the Stinson Beach County Water District Wastewater Treatment Regulations Ordinance No. 2012-01 to Reduce Site Criteria and Groundwater Setback Requirements, to Utilize an Existing Septic Tank, to Utilize an Alternative Wastewater System Design with a Single Dispersal Field for Property Located at 215 Buena Vista Avenue, Stinson Beach. Director Nelsen seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously by President Boucke, Vice President Baskin and Directors Cross, Nelsen and Zell.

E.    APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Vice President Baskin moved to approve the minutes of June 21, 2014. Director Zell seconded the motion. The motion was approved by President Boucke, Vice President Baskin and Directors Cross, Nelsen and Zell.

F.    APPROVAL OF DISBURSEMENTS

Vice President Baskin moved to approve the disbursements of June 16, 2014. Director Cross seconded the motion. The motion was approved by President Boucke, Vice President Baskin and Directors Cross, Nelsen and Zell.

G.    MANAGER'S REPORT

The General Manager discussed his monthly report. The State Water Resources Control Board approved emergency regulations on July 15, 2014 that allow local law enforcement and water agencies to impose a maximum $500 a day fine on water wasters effective August 1. Urban water agencies may be fined $10,000 a day if they fail to implement water conservation plans.

Vice President Baskin stated that the General Manager's Drought Update dated June 25, 2014 was well written, informative and appreciated. He will issue another drought update with the July billings concerning the "triggering point" for water rationing.

The Board directed the General Manager to prepare a water conservation notice, signed by each Board member, addressed to the Seadrift Homeowners' Association. The Association will be requested to urge homeowners to post the notice in their homes so that renters and visitors are aware of the seriousness of the drought and the conservation measures everyone needs to follow now to make sure Stinson Beach does not run out of water in the next few months.

The Board requested that the General Manager contact Maxine Gilbert, an owner of the Parkside Restaurant, regarding the restaurant's consistent high water usage and discuss practices for water use reduction.

While trenching the new ditch for the District's Calle del Embarcadero Pipeline Replacement project, the District's outside contractor, AshLin Pacific, discovered a leak about five feet deep, which was estimated to be leaking at 5 gallons per minute, and which may reduce the District's lost water from 19% to 15%. The District has received only one complaint about the work being done on Calle del Embarcadero. Although District employees posted notices door-to-door, one property owner stated that she rents out her residence and did not receive a notification of the impending construction work. The Board requested that the District also notify property owners individually by mail of construction dates and times for pipeline replacement work on the Patios and Calles.

Interviews will be held on July 29 for the District's independent contractor bookkeeping position. One of the five candidates is the staff bookkeeper of Maze & Associates, who is currently the District's financial auditor. The District financial audit as of June 30, 2014 will take place on November 24 - 26.

The General Manager, Board members and Treasurer congratulated Helma on her appointment and promotion to Office Supervisor.

Vice President Baskin and Director Zell are up for reelection this November. Declaration of Candidacy forms must be filed with the Marin County Elections Department by August 8.

H.    COMMITTEE REPORTS

None.

I.    ADJOURNMENT

The motion to adjourn the meeting was approved by unanimous vote. The meeting was adjourned at 10:57 a.m.

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