BOARD MEETING MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
Saturday, June 17, 2017
A. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
President Nelsen called the Regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Stinson Beach
County Water District to order on Saturday, June 17, 2017, at 9:30 a.m., at the Stinson Beach
County Water District office, located at 3785 Shoreline Highway, Stinson Beach, CA 94970.
Directors present:
Morey Nelsen, President
Lawrence Baskin, Director
Barbara Boucke, Director
Sandra Cross, Director
Directors absent:
Jim Zell, Vice President
General Manager present:
Ed Schmidt
Staff present:
Helma Schwendig - Office Supervisor
B. PUBLIC EXPRESSION
None.
C. SETTING OF AGENDA
The agenda was unanimously adopted as set.
D. PUBLIC HEARING
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Review and adoption of an Operations and Maintenance Budget and Capital
Improvement Program Budget for Fiscal Year 2017/2018. This item is continued from
the last Board meeting on Saturday, May 20, 2017.
Director Baskin made a motion to adopt the Operations and Maintenance Budget and Capital Improvement Program Budget for Fiscal Year 2017/2018. Director Boucke seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously by the four Board members present: President Nelsen and Directors Baskin, Boucke, and Cross. -
Review and adoption of Draft Resolution Establishing an Employee Benefit Program
for the Fiscal Year 2017/2018. This item is continued from the last Board meeting on
Saturday, May 20, 2017.
Director Boucke made a motion to adopt draft Resolution No. GB-2017-02 Establishing an Employee Benefit Program for the Fiscal Year 2017/ 2018. Employee standby pay will increase from $40 per weekday to $65 per weekday and from $45 per weekend day to $75 per weekend day. Director Baskin seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously by President Nelsen and Directors Baskin, Boucke, and Cross.
E. GENERAL BUSINESS
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Discussion of Actuarial Valuation of Postemployment Medical Benefits required by
Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement 75 and possible direction
to staff to enroll the District in the CalPERS IRC Section 115 Trust.
The District currently pays about $100 per month towards the health benefits for each of two retired District employees for their other (than pension) postemployment benefits (OPEB). Under Government Accounting Standards Board ruling 45, the District is required to either prefund this liability on a pay-as-you-go basis or to enroll in a trust.
GASB 45 ruling has been replaced by GASB 75 which encourages enrolling in a trust account rather than "pay-as-you-go." The Finance Committee participated in a teleconference on Wednesday, June 14, 2017 with Gary Cline of Nicolay Consulting. His recommendations and those of the Finance Committee are to: (1) set up a CalPERS IRC Section 115 trust and discontinue the "pay-as-you-go" method; (2) select a mid-level investment strategy; (3) fund the trust with $138,000 before the end of the fiscal year, and (4) deposit a minimum of $34,000/year into the trust. Presently, there is $39,669 in the budget for next year.
Director Baskin made a motion for the General Manager to proceed with recommendations (1) through (4) as stated in his staff report dated June 14, 2017 and summarized above. Director Boucke seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously by President Nelsen and Directors Baskin, Boucke, and Cross. -
Discussion and possible direction to staff re Response to Grand Jury Report
"Overcoming Barriers to Housing Affordability."
On April 12, 2017, the District received an e-mail from Jay Hamilton-Roth, Foreperson of the Marin County Civil Grand Jury, requesting a written response to the Findings and Recommendations contained in the Grand Jury Report. The report's summary offers solutions to improving housing affordability in Marin. The Grand Jury's research revealed that community resistance forms a barrier to nearly any new development in Marin. The high cost of land and construction form a daunting barrier to affordability. The planning process in Marin is a clear barrier to progress when developing low-income affordable housing. However, small, positive changes will overcome some of the barriers. The Grand Jury wrote this report to offer some solutions to housing affordability.
The Grand Jury requested the District to respond to Recommendation R5, which is described as "Each utility district should adopt waivers for hook-up fees for low-income housing projects and accessory dwelling units." The Board members determined that the matter warrants further review and analysis and they could not make a recommendation at the present time. -
Discussion and possible approval of a Billing Rate Increase for Hanson Bridgett
LLP, the District's Legal Counsel.
On May 24, 2017, the General Manager received an e-mail and memo from Patrick Miyaki, the District's General Counsel, requesting an increase in his firm's billing rates and a change to their billing rate structure. Their previous rate increase request was on July 1, 2013. Mr. Miyaki's current rate is $288 per hour. He proposes to increase his firm's billing rate structure for the next three years based on the level of the attorney providing the legal services and the categories of legal services provided. He has proposed a discounted, higher rate structure for attorneys providing litigation and employee benefits and labor services. Mr. Miyaki's rate, however, would be the same general services rate regardless of the type of matter on which he works. His standard rate is $575 per hour, but the District's new discounted rate for his legal services would be $325 per hour. The Year 1 increase would take effect on July 1, 2017, the Year 2 rates would be effective July 1, 2018 and the Year 3 rates would be effective July 1, 2019.
Mr. Miyaki attended the Board meeting and gave the Board a brief history of his career and his firm.
Director Baskin made a motion to approve the requested rate increases of Hanson Bridgett as set forth in Mr. Miyaki's memo of May 24, 2017. Director Cross seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously by President Nelsen and Directors Baskin, Boucke, and Cross. -
Discussion and possible direction to staff regarding: Approval to File a Notice of
Exemption with the County of Marin for the District's Highlands #1 Water Tank Coating
and Repairs Project, and Authorization to Issue Notices of Award to the Tank Coating
Contractor and the Tank Coating Inspector.
The Highlands #1 Water Tank, a welded steel potable water tank, consisting of 320,000 gallons, was erected in 1979 and is in need of minor repairs and re-coating of all interior and exterior steel surfaces. The Project has been determined to be categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it only involves rehabilitating an existing facility.
Director Baskin made a motion to approve the filing of a Notice of Exemption for the project with the County of Marin. Director Boucke seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously by President Nelsen and Directors Baskin, Boucke, and Cross.
The District received 4 bids from coating contractors, ranging from $277,000 - $309,000. The Engineer's estimate for the project was $293,000. The low bid was from Euro Style Management Incorporated, North Highlands, CA, for $277,000. The bid package, references, and licensure for Euro Style Management were checked out and determined to be in order.
The District received 6 bids from specialty coating inspectors ranging from $16,522 - $63,040. The Engineer's estimate for the project was $20,000. Based on an evaluation process which evaluated experience of the firm, qualifications and personnel experience, fees for services, comprehensiveness and quality of the work plan, and other factors, the bid of $20,100 by DB Gaya Consulting, Sebastopol, CA ranked highest overall. DB Gaya's references and licensure have been checked and are determined to be in order.
Director Baskin made a motion to authorize the General Manager to issue Notices of Contract Award to the Coating Contractor, Euro Style Management Incorporated, and to the Coating Inspector, DB Gaya Consulting. Director Cross seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously by President Nelsen and Directors Baskin, Boucke, and Cross. -
Consideration of a request to allow parking of private vehicles on the District's
office parking area on weekends and holidays.
President Nelsen reported that a request was made at the Saturday, June 3, 2017, Village Association meeting to keep the District's parking lot open for public parking on the weekends and holidays. Some of the negative aspects of leaving the gate open relate to individuals camping overnight, leaving trash, beer cans, toilet paper and other items scattered around. Last month, someone left their barbeque and ashes on the District's front steps, which could have easily burned the deck and office. The consensus of the Board is to continue to lock the District's parking lot on weekends and holidays. Director Baskin recommended placing metal signs stating "No Public Parking."
Scott Tye, who has served as a Board member in the past, voiced his support of keeping the District parking lot closed on weekends and holidays. He noted that the District office serves as the Auxiliary Emergency Operations Center for disaster emergency.
F. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Director Baskin moved to approve the minutes of the meeting of May 20, 2017. Director
Cross seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously by Directors Baskin,
Boucke and Cross. President Nelsen was absent at the May 20, 2017 meeting.
G. APPROVAL OF DISBURSEMENTS
Director Boucke moved to approve the disbursements of May 18 and May 24, 2017.
Director Cross seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously by President
Nelsen and Directors Baskin, Boucke, and Cross.
H. MANAGER'S REPORT
The General Manager discussed his monthly report. On Wednesday evening, June 14, 2017,
a public meeting at the Community Center was hosted by the County of Marin Collaboration:
Sea-level Marin Adaptation Response Team (C-SMART) to review its recently released C-
SMART Draft Adaptation Report on sea level rise in West Marin. Projected impacts in the
Stinson area, such as increased flooding on Highway 1 and on county roads such as Calle del
Arroyo, and proposed short and long-term countermeasures were discussed. The public can
complete a survey which covers different category options which can be ranked as either
high, medium or low, based on their view of the option's importance as a next step for the
county to pursue. The Board requested that the General Manager send a follow up letter to
the GGNRA re: possible use of their land for a septic leach field.
Each Director and the Treasurer received a District office key and alarm code for use in
emergencies. The General Manager will e-mail possible dates for Ethics Training.
I. COMMITTEE REPORTS
The Finance Committee has reviewed the April 30, 2016 financial reports.
J. CORRESPONDENCE
The Board reviewed the correspondence, a notice concerning the
Marin Sea Level Rise Adaptation meeting on June 14, 2017 at the Community Center.
K. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 a.m. The next regular meeting will be on Saturday, July
15, 2017, at 9:30 a.m.