CONTRA COSTA WATER DISTRICT

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

REGULAR MEETING

January 17, 2007

 

MINUTES

 

 

CALL TO ORDER 

 

President Campbell called to order a regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Contra Costa Water District at 6:30 p.m., at 1331 Concord Avenue, Concord, the regular meeting place of the Board.

 

ROLL CALL

 

            Directors Present:                      Joseph L. Campbell, President

                                                            Elizabeth R. Anello, Vice President

                                                            Bette Boatmun

                                                            John A. Burgh

                                                            Karl L. Wandry

            General Manager:                       Walter J. Bishop

            Legal Counsel:                           Robert B. Maddow

            District Secretary:                      Sharon L. Burris

 

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

 

Director of Planning Jerry Brown led the Pledge of Allegiance. 

 

ADOPTION OF AGENDA

 

Mr. Bishop advised that there were no changes to the agenda.  He also advised that there was a memo before the board revising the Minutes from the December 13, 2006 meeting.  The revision was on page one, paragraph one; the first sentence had been revised to replace the word “motion” with the word “nomination.”

 

PUBLIC COMMENT 

 

President Campbell asked if there were any public comments.  There were no public comments.

 

CONSENT

 

1.         Approve Directors’ Services/Business and Travel Expenses

            a.   Future Services – February

 

2.         Approve the following minutes:

a.   December 13, 2006

b.   January 3, 2007

 

3.                   Approve the warrant register dated January 18, 2007.

 

MOTION:  Boatmun/Anello moved to approve the consent calendar.  The motion carried by a unanimous voice vote.

 

ACTION

 

4.         2007 Water Rates, Fees and Charges Adjustment

            a.   Adopt Resolution No. 07-01 amending Title 5 of the District’s Code of Regulations pertaining to untreated and treated water rates, charges and fees; and

b.   Adopt Resolution No. 07-02 amending Title 1 of the District’s Code of Regulations pertaining to Daily Fishing Fees at Los Vaqueros recreation facilities and pertaining to Annexation of Land.

 

President Campbell advised that even though the District closed the public hearing at the meeting of January 3, 2007 the Board was committed to hearing any public comments received from that time to the present. 

 

Mr. Bishop advised that it was the Board’s discretion if they would like to hear a presentation on this item.  He noted that staff did not have any proposed changes since the Board heard the presentation at the January 3, 2007 public hearing.  The three percent increase in treated and untreated water revenue was consistent with the parameters set by the Board in keeping increases at or below projected inflation.  He advised that minor changes had been made to the ten-year rate model related to funding for the Alternative Intake Project.  The District was continuing to seek outside revenue and that the Board’s authorization for funding the Grant Administrator position had allowed the District to meet its goal of approximately $5 million in outside funding for several years now. 

 

President Campbell asked if there were any public comments, or if anyone would like to have a presentation.  There were no public comments. 

 

Director Burgh commented that he studied the materials presented at the previous Board meetings and would like to move forward without a presentation.  It was the consensus of the Board that a presentation was not necessary.

 

President Campbell expressed his thanks to staff for generating additional revenue and for cost containment.

 

MOTION:  Burgh/Wandry to a)Adopt Resolution No. 07-01 amending Title 5 of the District’s Code of Regulations pertaining to untreated and treated water rates, charges and fees; and

b) Adopt Resolution No. 07-02 amending Title 1 of the District’s Code of Regulations pertaining to Daily Fishing Fees at Los Vaqueros recreation facilities and pertaining to Annexation of Land.  The motion carried by a unanimous voice vote. 

 

 

 

 

DISCUSSION & INFORMATION

 

5.         Receive and comment on the Contra Costa Water District’s Major Policy Calendar for calendar year 2007. 

 

Mr. Bishop advised that this Major Policy Calendar (MPC) covered the 2007 calendar year and that it was presented as a planning tool.  He reported that the MPC was last reviewed by the Board at the June 21, 2006 Board meeting.   Board meetings were regularly scheduled for the first and third Wednesdays of each month.  Staff identified two holidays that presented conflicts.  The first was on July 4, 2007.  Staff proposed that this meeting and the annual meeting of the Contra Costa Water Authority both be held on the following Wednesday, July 11.  In addition, the third Wednesday of November falls on the day before Thanksgiving.  Staff also proposed that the meeting which would regularly be held on November 21 be rescheduled to November 14. 

 

Mr. Bishop reported that there would not be a new budget adopted for this calendar year.  However, there would be a mid-cycle budget review of the two-year budget.  He reported that major projects were listed on the MPC and that all of the projects were approved within the Capital Improvement Program and the FY07 and FY08 budgets.  He identified one of the major projects as the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project.  He advised that Executive Assistant to the General Manager Desiree Castello was available to answer questions. 

 

President Campbell reviewed the recommended action and queried the Board for questions or comments.  There were no questions or comments. 

 

6.         Review and comment on the overview of the Governor’s FY08 budget. 

 

Mr. Bishop noted that Director of Public Affairs Patty Friesen would be giving a presentation on the Governor’s FY08 budget.  He reported that he and Ms. Friesen had met earlier in the day with the Chair of the Appropriations Committee Senator Tom Torlakson and commented positively on the meeting.   He also commented on Department of Water Resources (DWR) funding and the District’s interest in the funding. 

 

Ms. Friesen reported that the presentation would be an overview of the Governor’s FY08 budget.  She commented positively that the District’s Canal Lining Project had a specific line item for $2,824,000.  This was due to the efforts of a successful meeting between District staff and DWR staff which resulted in a budget change request.   Ms. Friesen advised that the amount was originally $3.2 million.  Discussion took place on the original amount of money set aside and the amount received in the line item.  Mr. Bishop also advised that Senator Torlakson would be chairing the Oversight and Financial Disclosure Committee to track how bond money was being spent. 

 

Ms. Friesen reported that DWR had allocated approximately $25 million for the Delta Water Quality Program and $3,760,000 was allocated for the CALFED Storage Program with no specific projects designated.  She advised that Proposition 1E and Proposition 84 had approximately $257,850,000 for the Integrated Regional Water Management Program.  She noted that the District had several project eligible for funding through this source. 

 

Discussion took place on placeholders, the amount of money being requested from Proposition 84, the Delta Water Quality Program, DWR, funding for surface water storage and administrative costs.  

 

Ms. Friesen reported that SB 50 (Cogdill) – Reliable Water Supply Bond of 2008 would move through the legislature and be placed on the November 2008 ballot for voter approval.  She noted that the total for the Bond would be $3.95 billion with $2 billion for water storage.  Discussion took place on the language in the bond.  Ms. Friesen reported that if the two identified dams were not feasible that the money could be allocated to another site project. 

 

Responding to a question from Director Boatmun concerning the time it would take to identify feasibility, Mr. Bishop responded approximately five years.  Discussion took place on the requirements placed on obtaining the money. 

 

Ms. Friesen advised that the bill included $1 billion for Delta sustainability.  She noted that $500 million would be for the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and $300 million would be for the Governor’s Strategic Plan, which she identified as the Delta Vision.  She reported that $200 million was to implement the water quality component of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program.  The bill also included $200 million for the Water Use Efficiency Program and $250 million for the Resource Stewardship and Environmental Restoration Program.  She advised that there were no earmarks and that the bill would need to pass the legislature and ultimately be put before the voters. 

 

President Campbell questioned if it would make sense for the District to send Senator Torlakson a letter recognizing him for the concern he expressed during today’s meeting and thanking him for his support.  Director Boatmun seconded and stated that it was an excellent idea.  Mr. Bishop commented that the District also plans to send a letter to Lester Snow regarding funding allocations and would include that letter as an attachment.   President Campbell wanted the letter to Senator Torlakson to say that the Board was aware and appreciative of his efforts on behalf of the District.  Director Wandry suggested that the letter be from the President of the Board.  President Campbell indicated that he would be speaking on behalf of the Board.  Vice President Anello agreed.  Mr. Bishop indicated that a letter would be drafted for the President’s signature. 

 

Mr. Bishop added that based on the advice of the District’s new State Lobbyist Julee Malinowski-Ball, the annual Board Legislative trip to Sacramento would be taking place in March this year rather than in May.   

 

President Campbell thanked Ms. Friesen for her presentation. 

 

REPORTS FOR DISCUSSION

 

7.         Schedule Future Meeting Dates and Times

 

There were no future meeting dates and times to schedule. 

 

 

 

REPORTS

 

8.         General Manager

 

Mr. Bishop reported that he would be out of the office January 18-23 attending the mid-year Awwa Research Foundation Board meeting and that Assistant General Manager of Engineering Tom Linville would be Acting General Manager during that time. 

 

9.         Legal Counsel

 

Mr. Maddow did not have a report. 

 

10.               Board Members

 

Director Boatmun commented positively on the Principal Engineer Samantha Salvia’s presentation on the Alternative Intake Project to the Contra Costa Council Water Task Force on January 16.  President Campbell commented that the Contra Costa Council Board of Directors had advertised the presentation very aggressively. 

 

Vice President Anello reported that she presented at the Martinez Lion’s Club on January 16.  She acknowledged Public Information Specialist Marianne Hook for her assistance with the presentation. 

 

Director Wandry did not have a report

 

Director Burgh noted that the California Section of the WateReuse Association would be holding its annual conference March 4-6 in Palm Springs and indicated that he would like to attend.   Responding to a question from President Campbell concerning if the District was a member of the WateReuse Association, Mr. Bishop replied, yes.  Director Burgh advised that he was now a member of the Association of California Water Association’s Emissary Award Committee.  He also commented on a recent article in the newspaper where San Ramon City Attorney Byron Athan commented on the success rate of litigation.   

 

President Campbell did not have a report.

 

CLOSED SESSION

 

11.               Public Employee Performance Evaluation as allowed under Government Code 54957:  General Manager.

 

At 7:10 p.m., President Campbell announced that Board would move into closed session.  The matter concerned a public employee performance evaluation and that there would be no additional attendees. 

 

RECONVENE FROM CLOSED SESSION

 

12.               Report on closed session. 

 

At 7:32 p.m., President Campbell reconvened the meeting and announced that the Board took no action on the matters before it. 

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

At 7:33 p.m., President Campbell adjourned the meeting to an adjourned regular meeting (Board Study Session) on January 25, 2007, in the Delta Conference Room, 2411 Bisso Lane, Concord.  The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors was scheduled for February 7, 2007 commencing at 6:30 p.m.

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                    Joseph L. Campbell, President

 

 

 

ATTEST:

 

                                               

Sharon L. Burris

District Secretary