BOARD MEETING MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
Saturday, October 18, 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, October 18, 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
B. SETTING OF AGENDA
The order of the agenda items was unanimously reset to discuss Public Hearing D.1. as the last item.
C. PUBLIC EXPRESSION
Director Nelsen requested that the General Manager write a
letter of appreciation to Toby, Donny and Buck, with a copy in their personnel files, regarding
their commendable efforts in promptly repairing a major water main pipe break on the
afternoon of October 16, 2014 at the Seadrift gate. Director Nelsen will inquire if the Seadrift
Association is able to alert property owners in case of future emergency water shutoffs.
D. PUBLIC HEARING [heard last]
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Introduction and possible direction to staff to continue the process to amend
Ordinance 2012-01, revising and updating Regulations related to the protection of
ground and surface water and the discharge of waste and wastewater within the
District, and revisions to the standards of design, construction, replacement, and
repair of individual sewage disposal systems and graywater systems and the
administration of said regulations and standards, (Title IV).
The District's Wastewater Committee started reviewing and drafting changes to the District's Onsite Wastewater Management Code (Title IV) at the March 18, 2013 Committee meeting. A draft of the changes was forwarded to Blair Allen, Regional Water Quality Control Board on March 4, 2014; however, no response has been received to date from Mr. Allen.
A major change is that variance approval shall expire three years from the date of the Design Approval Permit and that no extensions shall be granted. Also, repair or replacement shall be done in conformance with the design standards in effect at the date of the application for repair or replacement. New sections have been added to design standards: holding tanks and graywater systems.
The Board directed the General Manager to place ads in the West Marin Citizen, Point Reyes Light and Marin IJ, notifying the public that the modified Title IV will be discussed and possibly adopted by Ordinance at the District's regular meeting on November 15, 2014. If approved, the Ordinance would take effect 30 days later.
The Board thanked Director Cross for her efforts in finalizing the Title IV changes.
E. GENERAL BUSINESS
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Discussion on the status of a Compliance Program for a Change of Use Request;
necessary for modifications being made at the Bolinas-Stinson Beach School in
Stinson Beach.
Neither the School District nor the Pre-School has provided the General Manager with an evaluation of the School's existing septic system. The evaluation by an approved designer is needed to determine if the School's existing septic system is sufficient to handle the additional load if the Pre-School were connected to the School's septic tank. If certain criteria is not met, a new wastewater system which meets current Title IV regulations is required.
The Board agreed unanimously to begin the abatement process by sending the School District a Revocation of Discharge Permit, with copies to the School's Board of Trustees. This will allow the School sufficient time in which to appeal before the November 15 Board meeting. -
Discussion and possible direction to staff to grant a Water Use Charge Reduction
Request for Jim & Daisy Patrick, 70 Laurel Avenue, Stinson Beach, Account #03190.
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick appealed the General Manager's decision to deny their Water Use Charge Reduction Request of $300 for the billing period of July 30, 2014 to August 28, 2014, amounting to $530.14 for 30,668 gallons of water. The District's policy did not allow him to grant the Patricks' request of a 50% water use reduction. The General Manager, however, was able to calculate the excess over 29,920 gallons at the District's cost of delivering a gallon of water (2.5 cents). He also had offered them a 6 month payment plan without penalty charges.
A Board member noted that under the District's Water System Regulations, Title 3, Section 3.13.300, Landscape Irrigation Systems, "Failed irrigation systems are not eligible for financial relief under the District Water Use Charge Reduction Policy." Another Board member stated that the Board spent a great amount of time and effort into crafting Resolution No. GB-2013-04, the District's water use reduction policy. It has been emphasized repeatedly that occupants turn off their irrigation systems when they leave the house. Irrigation system leaks are under the homeowners' control and they must take responsibility in the same manner as if a toilet was left running. The Board was sympathetic and appreciated that the Patricks replaced the broken irrigation pipe promptly. Director Zell made a motion to deny their Water Use Charge Reduction Request of $300. Director Cross seconded the motion. The vote to deny was 3-2. President Boucke and Directors Cross and Zell voted to deny the request; Vice President Baskin and Director Nelsen voted to approve the request.
F. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Director Nelsen moved to approve the minutes of September 20, 2014. Director Cross
seconded the motion. The motion was approved by President Boucke and Directors Cross,
Nelsen and Zell. Vice President Baskin had been absent at the September 20 meeting.
Director Zell moved to approve the minutes of the Special Board meeting of October 1, 2014.
President Boucke seconded the motion. The motion was approved by President Boucke and
Directors Nelsen and Zell. Vice President Baskin and Director Cross had been absent at the
October 1 meeting.
G. APPROVAL OF DISBURSEMENTS
Vice President Baskin moved to approve the disbursements of September 25, September 26,
and September 30, 2014. Director Nelsen seconded the motion. The motion was approved
by President Boucke, Vice President Baskin and Directors Cross, Nelsen and Zell.
H. MANAGER'S REPORT
The General Manager discussed his monthly report. He attended a C-SMART meeting with
Chris on October 15 in Point Reyes concerning a sea level rise program for Marin's ocean
coast, initiated by the County of Marin. Both he and Chris have joined the Technical
Advisory Committee. County staff will provide the District with copies of draft sea level rise
projection maps of Stinson Beach, Seadrift and Bolinas/Seadrift, enlarged to 2' x 3'. These
maps show each house and lot with different scenarios of the projected effects of storm
events in the years 2030, 2070, and 2100. A community meeting of C-SMART will be held
on October 29, 2014 at the Stinson Beach Community Center.
The District's Application for Approval of Labor Compliance Program has been approved by
the Department of Industrial Relations. This is a requirement for public works projects
funded by Proposition 84. There are a number of grant requirements that are due the
Department of Water Resources by the end of November. Grant funds are anticipated to be
received by the end of January 2015.
The General Manager and Chris will meet with Leon Lee of Septic Troubleshooters next
week to discuss the failure of a customer's electrical component which caused an Ultraviolet
Disinfection Unit to catch on fire.
The State has required the District to initiate quarterly monitoring for antimony, a natural
occurring chemical element, in the Steep Ravine Well. Additional sampling of the well water
will determine if the test sample result was an aberration or if treatment is required. If
treatment options are not feasible, the well will not be connected to the District's water
supply.
The Board requested the General Manager to send a reminder letter to owners of properties
bordering a creek to be mindful of the amount of water they divert from a creek for irrigation
and other outdoor uses.
President Boucke gave the oaths of office to Directors Baskin and Zell who were each
appointed to 4 year terms expiring in 2018 by the Marin County Board of Supervisors in lieu
of election.
I. COMMITTEE REPORTS
The Employee Recognition Dinner will be held on December 9th or 10th.
J. CORRESPONDENCE
None.
K. ADJOURNMENT
The motion to adjourn the meeting was approved by unanimous vote. The meeting was
adjourned at 11:05 a.m.