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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-22-2005 Steering Committee MinutesMINUTES OF STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING Wednesday, June 22, 2005 A meeting of the Steering Committee of the Orange County Sanitation District was held on Wednesday, June 22, 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 Roy Moore, Chairman , FAHR Committee Tod Ridgeway, Chairman, PDC Committee Jim Silva, County Supervisor Directors Absent: Carolyn Cavecche, Chair, OMTS Committee (2) APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR PROTEM No appointment was necessary. (3) PUBLIC COMMENTS OTHERS PRESENT: Bradley R. Hogin, General Counsel Don Hughes STAFF PRESENT: Blake Anderson, General Manager Bob Ghirelli, Director of Technical Services David Ludwin, Director of Engineering Gary Streed, Director of Finance/Treasurer Carol Beekman, Director of Communications and Administrative Services Penny Kyle, Committee Secretary Nick A r hontes, Regional Assets & Services Manager Jim Burror Ingrid Hellebrand There were no comments by any member of the public. (4) RECEIVE, FILE AND APPROVE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The minutes of the May 25, 2005 Steering Committee meeting were approved as drafted. Minutes of the Steering Committee Page 2 June 22 , 2005 (5) REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE CHAIR Committee Chair Steve Anderson reported that information packets were distributed to Steering Committee Directors for the 2005 CASA Annual Conference at the Mission Bay Hilton in San Diego, August 17 through 20. Directors who plan to attend were directed to contact Gail Garrett as soon as possible. Chair Anderson reported the Legislative Advocacy group continues to confer by phone with staff and OCSD's Sacramento and Washington, DC, consultants . The General Manager would provide additional detail under his report . The standing committees meeting schedule for the month of July was reviewed. Chair Anderson announced that the monthly board meeting would be held on July 20 due to a conflict with the League of Cities conference . He noted the Urban Runoff Ad Hoc Committee will be setting a date dependent upon on what the County is planning to do to brief the cities and special districts about managing urban runoff. Chair Anderson announced, assuming he was elected to serve a second one-year term that evening, he would be taking a look at the membership of the standing committees and rebalance them. He announced that, as a start, Darryl Miller was appointed to the PDC. (6) REPORT OF THE GENERAL MANAGER General Manager Blake Anderson reported SB 926 (Florez) had been pulled off calendar by Senator Florez because the bill would not survive the Local Government Committee . The City of Los Angeles has considerable opposition to the bill in the way it is currently drafted. The bill would give Kern County's Board of Supervisors the discretionary authority to regulate or ban biosolids. He reported that a meeting held earlier that week between the City of Los Angeles and Senator Florez also included representatives of the press, local TV station, several members of the Kern Board of Supervisors, Kern County Water Agency, and others. After 1 Y2 hours of discussion, it was clear to all that an agreement would not be reached . He feels this is the beginning of a misinformation campaign. Mr. Anderson provided an update on the Director of Finance recruitment. The final interviews will be taking place in the next few weeks , and it is hopeful that the position would be filled by the end of July. Carol Beekman, Director of Communications & Administrative Services, provided a report on the Groundwater Replenishment Program PIE (Public Information & Education) Committee with regard to a request for proposals (RFP) to acquire a new public information consultant. After reviewing the process of evaluating the RFP's and selecting a vendor, the Orange County Water District (OCWD) directors advised they wanted to be involved in the interviews, ratings, and final selection. They also wanted to be able to select a different candidate if they didn't agree with staff's recommendation. Ms. Beekman stated that OCSD added a clause a few years prior to its delegation of authority resolution that would not allow board members to participate in the RFP selection. The option to change the clause in the resolution could be amended only by action of the Board of Directors. After lengthy discussion among the Steering Committee members , it was clarified that a majority of OCSD and OCWD board members of the GWRS committee would have to approve the contract, as well as Minutes of the Steering Committee Page 3 June 22, 2005 both general managers. Staff was directed to not interfere with the established process. Gary Streed, Director of Finance, provided a brief report on the articles that appeared in the Register and the Los Angeles Times regarding the projected funding shortfall of the OCERS retirement fund. OCERS has recently changed actuaries which use different assumptions. The retirement board has hired a third party to review the plan and the actuarial assumptions and will not be taking any action until they receive the final report. Blake Anderson then discussed Measure M, which would probably appear on the 2006 ballot. OCTA is working to get the measure passed during 2006. One of the questions that has emerged is whether clean water should be part of the funding. He advised this issue is a policy matter the Directors need to consider. The Committee requested Art Leahy and Monty Ward of OCTA give a presentation on the need for the extension to the Board of Directors, and requested additional education on the issue to the Directors and the public. Mr. Anderson addressed the issue of discomfort expressed by some of the Directors recently regarding the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Their concerns were primarily how the board knows whether the CIP project list and associated costs is too much and could any of the projects be delayed. He reviewed the process of how the projects are scrutinized by staff before coming before the Board of Directors for approval. Following discussion, the Steering Committee requested staff provide a more detailed and in-depth presentation of the CIP at a board meeting in the Fall. Jim Burror, Engineering Supervisor, reported OCSD has received a letter from the City of Fountain Valley requesting road impact fees in connection to two projects that will be taking place in Fountain Valley regarding secondary treatment facilities and the Ellis Avenue Pump Station. He noted that the California vehicle code, Section 9400.8, prohibits the collection of roadway impact fees for legal loads even if legal loads cause damage. The EIRs on these two projects does state that if roads are damaged because of the projects, OCSD will make the repairs as part of the mitigation measures. (7) REPORT OF GENERAL COUNSEL General Counsel Brad Hagin reported that AB 528, which would have extended private enforcement of most of the major environmental laws in California, did not have enough votes to move the bill off the assembly floor. Two bills that were part of the governor's reform package relating to public agency retirement packages also died in committee. These bills would have established certain defined contribution plans and place a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would prohibit new employees after a certain date from enrolling into a defined benefit plan. (8) DISCUSSION ITEMS (Items A-D) A. Consider GWRS Proposal by National Water Research Institute (NWRI) and Discovery Science Center. Bob Ghirelli and Carol Beekman reviewed the proposals submitted by both organizations requesting funding for a visitor's center for NWRI at an estimated cost of $300,000 for three years and/or a water exhibit for the Discovery Science Center for a $100,000 donation. The Steering Committee directed staff to proceed with the Discovery Science Center project. B . Report on Mountain Park Development. This item was pulled for discussion for the following month. Minutes of the Steering Committee Page4 June 22, 2005 C. The Agenda Items scheduled to be reviewed by the Board's working committees in July were reviewed. D. 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 Legal Services Ad Hoc Committee Update-Vice Chair Jim Ferryman reported the Ad Hoc Committee was prepared to send out requests for qualifications for legal services. It was noted that bids have not been requested for more than 25 years. Director Ferryman also stated Directors were very satisfied with the services provided by the current legal counsel, Woodruff, Spradlin & Smart. The Ad Hoc Committee would review and evaluate the RFQ's that would be submitted by August 1, and then request RFP's for consideration. (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, July 20, 2005 at 5 p.m. The next Board Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at 7 p.m. (13) CLOSED SESSION The Committee convened at 6:41 p.m. in Closed Session, pursuant to Sections 54957, 54956.8 and 54956.9(b) to discuss Items 13(A)(1 ), (3), (4) and (5). 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. The Steering Committee did not discuss Item 13(A)(2). At 7:00p.m., the Committee reconvened in regular session. (14) ADJOURNMENT The Chair declared the meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m. .. Minutes of the Steering Committee Page 5 June 22, 2005 Submitted by: Penny Kyl Steering Com mitt . Secretary (Acting) H:\dept\agenda\Steering Committee\04\SC Minutes Form.5.doc