The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About04-27-2005 Steering Committee MinutesMINUTES OF STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING Wednesday, April 27, 2005 A meeting of the Steering Committee of the Orange County Sanitation District was held on Wednesday, April27, 2005 at 5 p.m., in the District's Administrative Office. (1) The roll was called and a quorum declared present, as follows: STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Directors Present: Steve Anderson, Chair Jim Ferryman, Vice Chair Carolyn Cavecche, Chair, OMTS Committee Roy Moore, Chairman , FAHR Committee Tod Ridgeway, Chairman, PDC Committee Directors Absent: Jim Silva, County Supervisor (2) APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR PROTEM No appointment was necessary. (3) PUBLIC COMMENTS OTHERS PRESENT: Bradley R. Hogin, General Counsel Joe Forbath, Counsel Randy Fuhrman Allen Shiroma, Jazz Semiconductors STAFF PRESENT: Bob Ghirelli, Director of Technical Services David Ludwin, Director of Engineering Bob Ooten, Director of Operations and Maintenance Carol Beekman, Director of Communications and Administrative Services Gail Garrett, Committee Secretary Jim Herberg, Manager, Engineering Planning Group Mike Moore, Environmental Compliance & Manager Sonja Wassgren, Principal Public Info Specialist FIL ED tN THE OFF IC E OF THE SE CR ETARY ORANGE COUNT Y () ~ MITftTI()I\1 nt STR ICT . . MAY 2 5 2005 ~v j ;( g ---~~--~------- Randy Fuhrman requested the Steering Committee and Board approve raising user fees as requested in item 14(g) of the Board agenda. (4) RECEIVE, FILE AND APPROVE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The minutes of the March 23, 2005 Steering Committee meeting were approved as drafted. Minutes of the Steering Committee Page 2 April 27, 2005 (5) REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE CHAIR Committee Chair Steve Anderson and Director Jim Ferryman attended the April 4 CASA meeting in Washington DC and participated in panel discussions with key counsels and staff to the House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over the Clean Water Act. General Manager Anderson, Chair Anderson, and Supervisor Silva will attend the CASA Spring Conference in Napa on April 28-30. General Manager Anderson is currently in Sacramento for the Orange County Business Council's Leadership meeting to address Workforce Development, Infrastructure and Housing issues. Blake will also be involved in group meetings with legislative leaders working on issues concerning the wastewater industry. Chair Anderson and General Manager Anderson have been selected to receive the 2005 Annual Leadership Award by the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) and Santa Ana Watershed Coalition (SAWC). (6) REPORT OF THE GENERAL MANAGER Executive Management Positions Director of Technical Services, Dr. Robert Ghirelli, announced Jim Herberg will be Director of Operations and Maintenance when Bob Ooten retires on July 7, 2005 . Applications for the Director of Finance position will be received until May 181 h. Carbon Canyon Sewer Replacement Project Jim Herberg stated that there will be an informational item on certification of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Carbon Canyon Sewer Replacement Project, Contract No. 2-24-1 at the May 5, 2005 PDC Committee meeting, and that certification of the EIR would on the May 25, 2005 Board Agenda. Jim invited Director Moore and Chair Anderson to attend the May 5, 2005 PDC Committee meeting because the project could potentially serve the proposed Aera Planned Community located in Brea and north of Brea in Los Angeles County. Helix Electric. Inc. Orange County Sanitation District staff and the Board of Directors have been made aware of allegations against Helix Electric, Inc., a subcontractor named by the low bidder, J. F. Shea, for project P2-66, Headwork replacement at Treatment Plant 2. Director of Engineering, David Ludwin, informed that staff is investigating and evaluating information provided by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers {IBEW), the Orange County Labor Management Cooperative Trust, and Legal and Safety Employer Research (LASER). District staff will provide a recommendation for consideration by the Board regarding this issue at the regular Board meeting in May. Minutes of the Steering Committee Page 3 April 27, 2005 GWRS Construction Status Dr. Ghirelli gave a brief report on the resolution of the tunneling problem under 1-5 Freeway where it crosses the Santa Ana River and the impact to the project budget. Director Cavecche requested clarification on District's role in reviewing and approving sewering plans and connection to the SARI. Mr. Ludwin will provide a report at May meeting on the Irvine Company Mountain Park development. Mike Markus, Orange County Water District (OCWD) Assistant General Manager, will provide a GWRS Construction status report to the Board at tonight's meeting. Jazz Semiconductor. Inc. Following last year's decision by the Board to change user fee calculations for industrial permittees, Jazz Semiconductor requested that they be "grandfathered" and not pay the supplemental capacity charge. New information has been received concerning majority ownership of Jazz by Conexant. Staff is reviewing this information and a recommendation will be presented to the FAHR Committee in May at the direction of the Steering Committee for consideration and recommendation to full board. GWRS-NWRI Research Center Dr. Ghirelli updated the committee on the proposed GWRS-NWRI Research Center, which will house the membrane research and GWRS education programs . NWRI, which was asked to develop an approach for funding the center using private financing, has presented a proposition for start-up funding where NWRI, OCSD, and OCWD would provide $100,000 each for 3 years as seed money for a capital funding outreach campaign to approach private companies and foundations w ithin Orange County. General Manager Anderson has asked Dr. Ghirelli to be the District's point of contact for this endeavor. OC Board of Supervisors Water Quality Strategic Plan The Orange County Board of Supervisors met last week to consider recommendations submitted by the Water Quality Strategic Plan steering committee. The Board approved the creation of three watershed committees covering North, Central and South County areas, to develop specific projects to manage urban runoff and seek funding alternatives for these projects. The committees would include elected officials from Orange County and each city in the WMA, as well as elected officials from each water or sewer special district. County staff would coordinate WMA activities and convene the meetings. Dr. Ghirelli noted that the Sanitation District will need to reconvene the Urban Runoff Ad Hoc committee to determine our participation in this effort. Biosolids Update Dr. Ghirelli reported that the Sanitation District has taken an oppose position on the SB 926 bill, which would prohibit importation of biosolids into Kern County. Only 1% of Kern County's agricultural land is cultivated with biosolids and SB 926 ignores the inter-reliance of counties on one another. CASA and OCSD lobbyists are working to defeat the bill which will be heard on May 2. General Manager Anderson may be asked to testify at the hearing. District staff has scheduled a Biosolids tour for Directors and key staff on Friday, May 6, 2005 to visit three biosolids processing sites located in the Chino Basin area. Minutes of the Steering Committee Page4 April 27, 2005 (7) REPORT OF GENERAL COUNSEL General Counsel Brad Hogin did not make a report. (8) DISCUSSION ITEMS (Items A-B) A. The Agenda Items scheduled to be reviewed by the Board's working committees in May were reviewed. B. The agenda items scheduled to be presented to the Board at tonight's meeting were reviewed. (9) OTHER BUSINESS, COMMUNICATIONS OR SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA ITEMS, IF ANY There was no other business discussed. (10) MATTERS WHICH A DIRECTOR WOULD LIKE STAFF TO REPORT ON AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING There were none. (11) MATTERS WHICH A DIRECTOR MAY WISH TO PLACE ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR ACTION AND/OR STAFF REPORT There were none. (12) CONSIDERATION OF UPCOMING MEETINGS The next Steering Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 25, 2005 at 5 p.m. The next Board Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 25, 2005 at 7 p.m. (13) CLOSED SESSION The Committee convened at 6:00p.m. in Closed Session, pursuant to Section 54956.9(b) to discuss two items, and Section 54956 .9 to discuss three items. Minutes of the Closed Session are on file with the Board Secretary. Confidential Minutes of the Closed Session held by the Steering Committee have been prepared in accordance with Government Code Section 54957.2, and are maintained by the Board Secretary in the Official Book of Confidential Minutes of Board and Committee Closed Meetings. A report of the recommended actions will be publicly reported at the time the approved actions become final. At 6:50p.m., the Committee reconvened in regular session. Minutes of the Steering Committee Page 5 April 27 , 2005 (14) ADJOURNMENT The Chair declared the meeting adjourned at 6:50 p.m . Submitted by: ~G~ Gail Garrett Steering Committee Secretary H :\dept\agenda\Steering Committee\04\SC Minutes Form.S.doc