BOARD MEETING MINUTES

REGULAR MEETING
Saturday, December 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, December 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
Sandra Cross, Director
Morey Nelsen, Director

Directors absent:
Lawrence Baskin, Director

Treasurer present:
Judy Stemen

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.    GENERAL BUSINESS

1. Election of Stinson Beach County Water District Board President and Vice President for Calendar Year 2019.
   President Zell made a motion to elect Vice President Boucke as the new Board President for 2019. Director Cross seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously. Outgoing President Zell then turned the meeting over to newly elected President Boucke, who made a motion to elect Director Baskin as Vice President. Director Nelsen seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously.
2. Oath of Office for two Full term Vacancies on the Board of Directors, Stinson Beach County Water District, Lawrence A. Baskin and Jim Zell.
   President Boucke administered the Oath of Office to Director Zell. Director Baskin had previously taken his Oath of Office on November 26, 2018.

E.    PUBLIC HEARING

1. Discussion and possible direction to staff re: a Variance Application for a new alternative wastewater system at 11 Marine Way, Ramsay B. Bell Breslin Trust, Owner, Account No. 3870.
   The project is a voluntary repair which will allow the owner to do extensive landscaping. There is no proposed increase of habitable space or change in the maximum daily flow rate of 150 gallons. There is a variance request under Section 4.19.010 Use of Alternative Wastewater Systems Designs to utilize a recirculating textile filter. The property consists of approximately 2,400 square feet and the existing residence's living space is approximately 700 square feet.
   
   The new septic system consists of a 1,500 gallon septic/process tank, a 500 gallon sump tank, recirculating textile filter, and dual drip dispersal fields. It requires installation of a water system backflow prevention device. Since the project is a voluntary repair/replacement, it does not require neighbor notification or review by the RWQCB. The project was reviewed by the Wastewater Committee who recommended approval at its November 13, 2018 meeting
   
   Director Nelsen moved to adopt Resolution No. WW 2018-06 Granting a Variance to the Requirements of the Stinson Beach County Water District Wastewater Treatment Regulations Ordinance No. 2014-04 to Utilize an Alternative Wastewater System for Property Located at 11 Marine Way, Stinson Beach. Director Cross seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously by President Boucke and Directors Cross, Nelsen and Zell.
2. Discussion and possible direction to staff re: a Variance Application for a new alternative wastewater system at 348 Seadrift Road, Ann W. Skjei Trust, Owner, Account No. 7110.
   This project is to replace a failed system which failed a routine inspection on July 12, 2018 and the Discharge Permit was revoked. Director Cross stated that the District must adhere to normal procedure, which is to have all projects be initially reviewed and discussed at an agendized Wastewater Committee meeting before it is heard at a Board meeting. Since the project had not been agendized for the December 10, 2018 Wastewater Committee meeting, it was not reviewed at this Committee meeting.
   
   Director Nelsen moved that the project be continued to the Wastewater Committee meeting in January and be heard at the January 19, 2019 Board meeting. In the meantime, have the owner either turn off the water or cap the septic tank and install an alarm in the next ten days. Director Cross seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously by President Boucke and Directors Cross, Nelsen and Zell.
   
   The designer of the new system, Noadiah Eckman, of Eckman Environmental, was present and stated she would telephone the owner on Monday to determine their preference. [Note: Ms. Eckman subsequently notified the District on December 19, 2018 that the owner will cap the septic tank and install a battery powered alarm.]
3. Abatement Hearing re: the septic system at 49 Lincoln Avenue, Robert Lehe et al, Owners, Account No. 4220.
   A Failed System Citation was issued by the District and filed with the County on October 25, 2018, as one of the two leach fields failed to accept hydraulic loading and was unable to be repaired via maintenance. The Failure Timeline actually began three months earlier on July 11, 2018 when the system failed a routine inspection due to the pump basin being flooded. Subsequent repairs and retests failed to remedy the problem. The situation was discussed during the Failed Systems Report at both the November 13, 2018 and the December 10, 2018 Wastewater Committee meetings.
   
   A Notice to Abate a Nuisance and to Appear Before the Board of Directors at its December 15, 2018 meeting was issued on November 27, 2018.
   
   Gary Fischer, one of the property's six owners, attended the hearing and stated he had gotten proposals to install a new system from Paul Pospisil of Questa Engineering and Noadiah Eckman of Eckman Environmental.
   
   Director Cross stated that the system's one working leach field cannot be overburdened, and that a new system which meets today's updated Wastewater Code must be installed.
   
   Director Cross made a motion to order abatement of a nuisance that must be repaired by February 2019 and in the meantime be capped and an alarm installed within the next two weeks. Director Nelsen seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously by President Boucke and Directors Cross, Nelsen and Zell.

F.    GENERAL BUSINESS

1. Request by Recology for Garbage Rate Increase effective February 1, 2019. Fred Stemmler, General Manager for Recology Sonoma Marin, gave a brief presentation regarding their requested rate increase of 5.72% effective February 1, 2019. Per the Amendment to Contract dated January 18, 2014, garbage rates for Stinson Beach customers can increase by 5% plus the Consumer Price Index of .72%. The current contract will terminate on February 1, 2021.
   
   Mr. Stemmler relayed some of the trials and tribulations he encountered after the sale of Redwood Empire Disposal to Recology Sonoma Marin. Thirty-five vehicles were taken out of service. Staffing posed a challenge in a hard labor market. He confirmed that Recology will continue the existing practice to provide certain current single family dwelling customers with one month free can service upon advance payment of eleven months of service. Next year, however, he will negotiate for a new contract. If the District so desired, it would not be too early to send out an RFP to other disposal companies.
   
   Director Zell made a motion to approve Recology's requested rate increase of 5.72%. Director Cross seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously by President Boucke and Directors Cross, Nelsen and Zell.
2. Discussion and possible direction to staff re: (1) Approval of the District's Laurel Water Tank Coating and Repairs Project; (2) Approval to File a Notice of Exemption for the Project with the County of Marin; (3) Approval to File a Notice of Exemption for the Project with the State Clearinghouse, a Division of the Governor's Office of Planning and Research; and (4) Authorization to Issue Notices of Award to the Tank Coating Contractor and the Tank Coating Inspector.
   The Laurel Water Tank, a 320,000 gallon, welded steel potable water tank erected in 1979, is in need of minor repairs and recoating of all interior and exterior surfaces. It has been determined that the Project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it involves only the rehabilitation of an existing facility. The low Bid was received from Euro Style Management Inc. of North Highlands for $417,250. References and licensure were determined to be in order. A sole bid from DB Gaya Consulting of Sebastopol for Coating Inspector was $10,500. References and licensure were also in order.
   
   Director Nelsen made the following motion: (1) approve the Laurel Water Tank Coating and Repairs Project (the Project); (2) approve a Notice of Exemption for the Project with the County of Marin; (3) approve filing a Notice of Exemption for the Project with the State Clearinghouse; (4) authorize the General Manager to Issue Notices of Contract Award to the Coating Contractor, Euro Style Management Inc., and to the Coating Inspector, DB Gaya Consulting.
   
   Director Zell seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously by President Boucke and Directors Cross, Nelsen and Zell. [Note: It was subsequently determined that a Notice of Exemption need not be filed with the State Clearinghouse.]
3. Discussion re: District Committee Membership changes by the Board President.
   Newly elected President Boucke made a few changes to the committee list as follows:
   
   FINANCE COMMITTEE - President Boucke, Director Zell
   
   LEGAL COMMITTEE - Vice President Baskin, Director Cross
   
   PERSONNEL COMMITTEE - Director Zell, Director Nelsen
   
   WASTEWATER COMMITTEE - Director Nelsen, Director Cross
   
   WATER OPERATIONS COMMITTEE - President Boucke, Vice President Baskin
   
   AD HOC DESALINATION COMMITTEE - Director Zell, Director Cross

G.    APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Director Nelsen made a motion to approve the minutes of November 17, 2018. Director Zell seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously by President Boucke and Directors Cross, Nelsen and Zell.

H.    APPROVAL OF DISBURSEMENTS

Director Nelsen moved to approve the disbursements of November 19 and December 3, 2018. Director Cross seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously by President Boucke and Directors Cross, Nelsen and Zell.

Director Nelsen is concerned about the monthly PG&E invoices. Most of the District's electricity costs are due to the electric pumps at the Laurel Avenue Water Treatment Plant. Unfortunately, the site is too steep and lacks space for a solar system.

I.    MANAGER'S REPORT

The General Manager discussed his monthly report. The Notice of Award of Contract to Euro Style Management for the Laurel Tank Project would be given by December 19, 2018, and the work must be completed by them sixty days after the Notice to Proceed is issued, by March 25, 2019. The Finance Committee is expected to meet on January 16, 2019 to discuss the District's draft financial audit as of June 30, 2018, as prepared by Cropper Accountancy Corporation.

The General Manager recounted his telephone conference on December 11, 2018 with Molley Lowry, an owner of the property at 110 Seadrift Road, and her decision to not cap her septic tank and not install an alarm as the home would not be used during the months of December 2018 or January 2019. He had explained to her that her failure to comply with the Board's direction placed both her and the District at a very real legal and environmental risk.

Director Cross made a motion for the General Manager to inform the Lowrys that they can choose to do one of the following: cap their tank and install an alarm within two weeks, agree to temporarily disconnect their water service, or request the District to have their tank capped and install an alarm. The latter cost would be added to the Lowrys' water bill. Director Nelsen seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously by President Boucke and Directors Cross, Nelsen and Zell.

President Boucke noted that the General Manager's monthly Newsletter is of tremendous value to the community. Jim Hanretty is a good addition to the District's workforce.

Next Edge Networks is continuing to provide answers to the Board's questions concerning a sensor that Next Edge proposes to install at the Highlands Tanks site.

J.    COMMITTEE REPORTS

None.

K.    CORRESPONDENCE

L.    CLOSED DOOR SESSION

The meeting was adjourned to Closed Door Session at 11:15 a.m.

M.    OPEN DOOR SESSION

Out of Closed Door Session at 11:41 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. No action was taken.

N.    ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned. The next regular meeting will be on Saturday, January 19, 2019, at 9:30 a.m.