BOARD MEETING MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
Saturday, September 15, 2018
A. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
President Zell called the Regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Stinson Beach County
Water District to order on Saturday,September 15, 2018, at 9:30 a.m., at the Stinson Beach
County Water District office, located at 3785 Shoreline Highway, Stinson Beach, CA 94970.
Directors present:
Jim Zell, President
Barbara Boucke, Vice President
Lawrence Baskin, Director
Sandra Cross, Director
Morey Nelsen, Director
Treasurer present:
Judy Stemen
General Manager present:
Ed Schmidt
Staff present:
Rich Souza - District Engineer
B. PUBLIC EXPRESSION
None.
C. SETTING OF AGENDA
The agenda was unanimously adopted as set.
D. GENERAL BUSINESS
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Financials as of June 30, 2018
The Board reviewed the financial statements as of June 30, 2018 which consist of the Balance Sheet, Profit & Loss Budget vs. Actual - All Funds, Profit & Loss Budget vs. Actual - Water Fund, Profit & Loss Budget vs. Actual - Wastewater Fund, Profit & Loss Budget vs. Actual - Loans, Bonds, Debts, Apportionment/Property Tax Revenue, and Quarterly Schedule of Cash and Investments. Although the bottom line shows a surplus for this last fiscal year of over $400,000, it is not the final end number. The District's auditors still need to determine deferred outflows of resources and deferred inflows of resources to arrive at the exact surplus amount.
A number of water connections, at $17,500 each, increased water sales and increased property taxes all contributed to the surplus. Director Boucke, who is a member of the Finance Committee, noted that although the District's budget is conservative, the Balance Sheet shows the impressive activity and investments that the District has embarked on over the years, and the District should take pride in these accomplishments and in its staff. The General Manager responded to several questions from Board members regarding Construction in Progress: $5,000 for replacing old, worn hydrants; $54,000 for tree removal from the District's facilities for fire defense; $83,000 for utility accounts receivable (water payments owed by customers). The Board noted that the District is a very well run organization and congratulated the General Manager for a job well done.
E. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Director Cross stated that the wording of variance condition number (3) on page 2, line 10 of the
Minutes of August 18, 2018: "Connecting all building sewer laterals to the septic system" should
be made clearer to read: "Connecting all gray water/sewer laterals to the septic system." This
is to address a complaint that had been made of soapy suds surfacing on the property at 9 Jose
Patio. The District's Title IV regulations address graywater systems.
With this correction, Director Baskin made a motion to approve the minutes of August 18, 2018.
Vice President Boucke seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously by Vice
President Boucke and Directors Baskin and Cross. President Zell and Director Nelsen were
absent at the August 18, 2018 meeting.
F. APPROVAL OF DISBURSEMENTS
Director Baskin moved to approve the disbursements of August 15 and August 23, 2018.
Director Cross seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously by President Zell,
Vice President Boucke and Directors Baskin and Cross.
G. MANAGER'S REPORT
The General Manager discussed his monthly report. The District's financial audit is again being
handled by John Cropper and Katy Perry. They are going to be coming Monday, October 22,
and Tuesday, October 23, to perform their field audit. The Finance Committee will probably
receive the draft audit report in another month. After review and possible modification, it will be
presented to the Board.
The Board reviewed the Tiered Usage Report of the highest 10 water users for the month of
August 2018 and noted that Christopher Bently of 170 Seadrift Road appears on the report just
about every month.
The General Manager transferred another $100,000 from the District's LAIF account in
Sacramento into the District's operating/checking account at Westamerica Bank, to help pay for
the annual loan payment of $165,689.14 to Western Alliance Bank
On Thursday, October 18, 2018, from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., there will be a meeting at the
Community Center, concerning the use of microgrids for the Stinson Beach community in the
event that PG&E shuts off electricity during emergencies. Peter Asmus will lead the discussion.
The District has started advertising for its vacant position of Utility Worker and has received
several qualifying resumes.
Rich Souza prepared a Draft report titled "Climatic Change Adaptation Study." The Wastewater
Committee had reviewed it and asked that it go to the full Board for review. The report is a good
foundation for answering the three questions posed by Steve Ortega of the Golden Gate
National Recreation Area at the November 2017 Board meeting to discuss a program to
relocate wastewater treatment from the lowland areas of Stinson Beach to the hills: (1) What is
the public benefit ?; (2) What is the problem? (3) Why should they do it?
Rich summarized the report, which is a combination of old reports and new reports. He
explained that the biggest threat is storm events because they affect the elevation of the water
surge and heavy rainfall in the large watershed above the town increases groundwater
elevations. Out of a total of 717 wastewater systems in Stinson Beach, there are approximately
523 properties located on Shoreline Highway and below it which would be impacted by sea level
rise and storm events, necessitating the acquisition of land for wastewater treatment and
dispersal to replace individual on-site wastewater systems located in these areas.
Using Marin Maps, Rich calculated and designated an area of approximately 13 acres located
south of the Highlands Water Tanks at an elevation of 350 feet which could be used for a
dispersal field. There are little streams and drainage swales that need to be taken into
consideration. This area had previously been explored with soil profile holes by the GGNRA to
replace the leach fields in the Stinson Beach Park. Individual Septic Tank Effluent Pumping
(STEP) systems could be utilized to pump the effluent up to the field. Additional soil profiling
and percolation testing would be required to determine the suitability of the soils. Rich stated he
does not want to rule out the option of using ponds. However, they have issues in the
wintertime in collecting water.
The GGNRA cannot sell or donate land. A land exchange, however, may be possible with a
nonprofit organization. A copy of the report will be sent to Steve, requesting a list of properties
that the GGNRA would like to acquire and inquiring if they would be open to a lease or rental of
land. The Board and the General Manager complimented Rich on his good work in preparing
the report.
Director Baskin expressed amazement that only 255 customers out of a total of 740 have
registered their on-line water meter user portals, since the topic was discussed in the District's
monthly newsletter numerous times, as well as at the Village Association meetings.
The General Manager is expecting instructions from Dan Miller, Department of Elections,
regarding the process by which the Board of Supervisors will solicit a nominee to fill the vacant
seat of an SBCWD Director. Incumbent Director Baskin, due to inadvertence of being out of
town, missed the deadline for filing the candidate paperwork. The matter will be placed on the
Saturday, October 20, 2018 Board agenda.
H. COMMITTEE REPORTS
None.
I. CORRESPONDENCE
The Board reviewed an e-mail dated September 7, 2018 from the
State Water Resources Control Board, reminding the District that Assembly Bill 746 requires all
water systems to sample all public K-12 schools in their service area for lead by July 1, 2019.
J. CLOSED DOOR SESSION
The meeting was adjourned to Closed Door Session at 10:20 a.m.
K. OPEN DOOR SESSION
Out of Closed Door Session at 11:05 a.m. The Board convened in closed session to confer with
legal counsel for anticipated litigation, significant exposure to litigation, pursuant to
California Government
Code Section 54956.9(d)(2) for one case. In the closed session, the Board took
action by unanimous vote. Pursuant to
California Government
Code section 54957.1, that action need not be reported at this time. That concludes the open session report.
L. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned. The next regular meeting will be on Saturday, October 20, 2018,
at 9:30 a.m.