VALLEY CENTER MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT
Regular Board Meeting
Monday, May 21, 2007
Time: 2:00 P.M.
Place: Board Room
29300 Valley Center Road
Valley Center, CA 92082
The Valley Center Municipal Water District Board of Directors’ meeting was called to order by President Broomell at 2:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Board members present were: Directors Broomell, Polito, Aleshire and Stone. Director Haskell was absent. Staff members present were: General Manager Arant, General Counsel Cowett, Director of Finance Jeffrey, District Engineer Grabbe, Director of Operations Hoyle, Board Secretary Stetson, IT Specialist Rivard, and Administrative Assistant Johnson. Spectators present were: Wendy Heredia, Principal of the Valley Center Elementary Lower School, Shannon Hargrave, Principal of the Valley Center Lilac School and the Valley Center Fourth Grade poster contest winners and family members, and Dave Ross, Valley Roadrunner Newspaper.
CONSENT CALENDAR
1. Upon motion by Stone, seconded by Aleshire and unanimously carried, the following consent calendar items were approved:
• Minutes of the Board meeting held May 7, 2007
• Audit demand check numbers 113331 through 113525
• Board of Director’s request for per diem compensation and reimbursement of expenses
AUDIENCE COMMENTS/QUESTIONS
Mrs. Ghopeh presented to the Board a framed poem written by world renowned Persian Poet Hafez Shirazi of the 14th Century. Mrs. Ghopeh’s daughter, Sara, is the recipient of an Honorable Mention Award in the District’s 2007 Water Awareness Poster Contest. Mrs. Ghopeh stated that her daughter’s poster will be illustrated in the Persian newsletter.
ACTION AGENDA
2. Fourth Grade Water Awareness Poster Contest:
As part of the District’s Water Education/Water Conservation Program and in conjunction with Water Awareness Month, a poster contest with the theme “Water Is Life” was organized. Fourth grade students of the Valley Center Elementary Lower and Lilac Schools were encouraged to submit posters using their imagination to illustrate the importance of water conservation practices and how water plays an important role in their lives.
Executive Assistant Stetson stated that over 225 posters were received from the fourth grade students. From these entries, 3 were selected for top awards and 7 received Honorable Mention awards, as follows:
1st Place Alyssa Glorioso
2nd Place Annika Odeen
3rd Place Grant Whitehead
Honorable Mentions: Maria Gonzalez
Daniel McMullen
Samantha Vosefski
Andrew Curt
Sara Ghopeh
Nina Montejano
Dani Thomas
April Aragon
Award certificates, ribbons and conservation material were presented to the winners in the poster contest and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners received U.S. Savings Bonds. Other participants in the poster contest were given a Certificate of Recognition from the District and various water conservation booklets and material. The District’s top 3 posters will be included in the North County Water Agencies’ 2008 calendar in which it was announced that the District’s 1st Place poster was selected to be featured on the calendar’s cover. The students, teachers and parents were thanked for their support of the District’s water conservation programs.
3. Proposed Revisions to Article 180 Addressing Special Project Requirements:
District Engineer Grabbe stated that the District’s Administrative Code Article 180 addresses regulations for installation of fire hydrants, detector check valve assemblies and residential fire service meters. Proposed revisions to the District’s Code set forth policy and procedures for Special Projects. Special projects are defined in the Code as “minor projects consisting of the installation or relocation of appurtenant facilities such as fire hydrants, detector check valve assemblies, blow off valves, water and sewer services, etc. or the review of private improvement plans where District signatory approval is required by the County of San Diego or other neighboring agencies.” Typically, the installation or relocation of appurtenant facilities for special projects are constructed from district standard drawings and require minimal preparation of engineered drawings. The Administrative Code revisions establish policies and procedures for the review, approval, construction, inspection and acceptance of special projects. The applicant for a special project will be responsible for all District costs and expenses associated with the District’s administration, review, approval and inspection of said project. Fee and deposit charges proposed are: $500 minimum fee required with submittal of planning material for review and an additional $1,000 minimum deposit required to cover inspection expenses for an appurtenant facility that is to be installed or relocated. Upon acceptance of the project by the District or its termination, the deposit balance, if any, will be refunded.
Currently included in Article 180 of the Administrative Code and proposed to be relocated to Article 160, Water Service, Rules and Regulations, are the sections addressing charges for water used for fire protection services, application and installation requirements and charges for detector check valve assemblies and meters for residential fire sprinkler systems.
Upon motion by Aleshire, seconded by Polito and unanimously carried, the following ordinance, entitled:
ORDINANCE NO. 2007-07
ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
VALLEY CENTER MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT AMENDING
ADMINISTRATIVE CODE ARTICLE 180 – SPECIAL
PROJECT REQUIREMENTS AND ARTICLE 160- WATER
SERVICE RULES AND REGULATIONS
was adopted by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: Directors Broomell, Polito, Aleshire and Stone
NOES: None
ABSENT: Director Haskell
4. Termination of License Agreement with New Cingular Wireless for Use of a Portion of the Rincon Reservoir Site:
In October of 2003, the District entered into a communications site license agreement with AT&T Wireless for use of a portion of the District’s Rincon Reservoir site. New Cingular Wireless became the successor in interest in the agreement as a result of the merger with AT&T Wireless. No construction of facilities at the reservoir site was undertaken and, upon further evaluation, New Cingular has elected to terminate the license agreement with the District as of May 15, 2007. The termination clause requires payment through to the end of the contract year. A total of $54,000 in fees has been received for this license agreement which includes payment of the fee through to October 31, 2007, the end of the contract year.
5. Approval of Communications Site License Agreement with TMO CA/NV, LLC, for Use of the Meadows Reservoir Property:
Director of Finance Jeffrey reviewed that in March of 1996, the District entered into a communications site license agreement with Pacific Bell Mobile Services for the use of 280 square feet of the Meadows Reservoir site. Through mergers and acquisitions, the agreement is currently with TMO CA/NV, LLC or T-Mobile.
The agreement expired in 1996, and has continued on a month-to-month basis while new terms of the agreement were being negotiated. Adoption of Resolution No. 2007-22 was requested to approve the revised communications site license agreement with TMO CA/NV, LLC, which provides for a fee the first year of $28,700 with an annual increase of 5% for five years. The agreement provides for renewal with the same terms for five additional terms of two years each.
Upon motion by Polito, seconded by Stone and unanimously carried, the following resolution, entitled:
RESOLUTION NO. 2007-22
RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF VALLEY
CENTER MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT APPROVING A
COMMUNICATIONS SITE LICENSE AGREEMENT
BETWEEN VALLEY CENTER MUNICIPAL WATER
DISTRICT AND TMO CA/NV, LLC, AND AUTHORIZING
THE GENERAL MANAGER TO SIGN
was adopted by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: Directors Broomell, Polito, Aleshire and Stone
NOES: None
ABSENT: Director Haskell
GENERAL MANAGER’S AGENDA
6. Review of Miscellaneous Information Items:
~ The District’s Status Report for April 2007 was reviewed in which it was reported that the projected water sales for Fiscal Year 2006-07 are 47,236 ac. ft. (Budgeted water sales had been 44,500.) Reclaimed water deliveries at the Woods Valley Ranch Wastewater Reclamation Facility are 33.31 ac. ft. thus far in FY 2006-07. Agricultural customers’ rebates under the Interim Agricultural Water Program since its inception in 1994 total $69.4 million.
~ Poseidon Resources Desalination Project – General Manager Arant reported that a coalition of San Diego County water agency representatives, including lobbyists from Metropolitan Water District and the San Diego County Water Authority, met with elected officials in Sacramento to communicate the importance of the Carlsbad Desalination Project for our region and to request their support. The San Diego County Water Authority has amended its Urban Water Management Plan to include specific language supporting the Carlsbad/Poseidon Desal. Project. Also, pertaining to language for the 2008 Water Bond, the San Diego County Water Authority included that it will support funds to assist local agencies in constructing facilities to accept and distribute desalted seawater. At the June San Diego County Water Authority Board meeting, a letter and resolution of support of the Carlsbad/Poseidon Resources desal. project will be considered for adoption. These documents will be forwarded to the California Coastal Commission and the Lands Commission.
~ Solar Power Purchase Program – There is renewed activity on the solar energy agreement with WorldWater & Power (WW&P) after a dormant period as WW&P has a new investor. Retention of the renewable energy credits from this solar project will be sought.
~ Delta Pumps Shutdown – Department of Water Resources has filed an appeal of the court ruling ordering the Delta pumps near Tracy to shut down if the proper permit for the killing of fish is not obtained. The order has been stayed by agreement of the plantiffs. Federal Fish and Wildlife’s report on the biology of the Delta will be released soon that will affect flows from the Delta.
~ Tour of the District’s Facilities – A tour of the District’s facilities to be arranged for Board members will include viewing some of the large properties in the San Luis Rey M.W.D. It is planned that Jack Hoagland, consultant for the San Luis Rey M.W.D., will participate in this portion of the tour. A tentative tour date of July 9th beginning at 9:30 a.m. was set.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ AGENDA
7. Report on the ACWA/JPIA Meetings and ACWA Conference:
Director Aleshire noted that he was re-elected to the ACWA/JPIA Executive Committee at the ACWA Spring Conference. At the Executive Committee’s June 22nd meeting, the compensation/expense policy proposal of the Ad Hoc Committee he chaired to review this policy will be considered, as well as an alternate proposal developed in response to Executive Committee Chair Bannister’s request. The alternate proposal is in contrast to the Ad Hoc Committee’s policy proposal in several areas such as there is no exclusion for spousal/guest expenses and alcohol consumption and contains a $500.00 maximum reimbursement per day for lodging and food. The compensation/expense proposed policies were widely discussed at the ACWA/JPIA session.
At the ACWA Spring Conference in Sacramento held May 8-11, topics discussed included the formation pf a coalition comprised of the Chamber of Commerce, Farm Bureau and other agencies to support Proposition 59, which is the initiative to fund new surface storage facilities and water infrastructure improvements. A survey completed by the coalition concluded that California residents’ priorities pertaining to water service are: 1) clean water; 2) water supply; 3) peripheral canal; 4) conservation/recycling; and 5) environment and wildlife protection. The survey also reported that surface storage and conveyance facilities combined have the highest support.
Director Aleshire reported on a session at the ACWA Conference with Lester Snow, Director of the Department of Water Resources and Peter Glick of the Pacific Institute. Lester Snow expressed that the investments made in California’s water infrastructure years ago have been very beneficial, but with the state’s rapid growth, investments in improvements cannot be deferred any longer. Mr. Glick’s position is that a comprehensive approach is needed and that the capital projects proposed under Proposition 59 are too costly and the surface storage proposal is premature.
Director Aleshire noted that he has been requested to submit his application for Chair of ACWA Region 10. He currently serves as Vice Chair. Director Aleshire clarified that there would be expenses to the District serving as Chair for attendance at meetings and workshops. The Board unanimously supported the nomination of Director Aleshire for the position of Chair of ACWA Region 10.
ADJOURNMENT
8. Upon motion by Aleshire, seconded by Stone and unanimously carried, the meeting was adjourned at 3:27 p.m.
ATTEST: ATTEST:
____________________________ _______________________________
President Secretary