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Home My WebLink About2001-01 DRAFT FILED MINUTES OF STEERING COMMITTEE MIsF,cr OF THE SECRETARY 'T'l %`a:TAT10N DISTRICT Wednesday, January 24, 2001 FEB 28x2r001 A meeting of the Steering Committee of the Orange County Sanitation District was `•- held on Wednesday, January 24,2001 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: OTHERS PRESENT: Directors Present: Thomas L. Woodruff, General Counsel Norm Eckenrode, Chair Don Hughes Peter Green,Vice Chair Pat McGuigan, Chairman, OMTS Committee STAFF PRESENT: Steve Anderson, Chairman, PDC Committee Blake Anderson, General Manager Shirley McCracken, Chairman, FAHR Committee Bob Ghirelli, Director of Technical Services Jim Silva, County Supervisor Greg Mathews,Assistant to the General Manager Directors Absent: Gary Streed, Director of Finance None Lisa Lawson, Communications Manager Mike Moore, ECM Manager Sonja Wassgren, Public Information Coordinator Jean Tappan, Committee Secretary (2) APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR PRO TEM No appointment was necessary. (3) PUBLIC COMMENTS There were no comments by any member of the public. (4) RECEIVE, FILE AND APPROVE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The minutes of the December 20, 2000 Steering Committee meeting were approved as drafted. (5) REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE CHAIR Committee Chair Norm Eckenrode Introduced Director Shirley McCracken as the newly-appointed FAHR Committee Chair. He also reported on the CASA meeting held last January 18-20, 2001 in Palm Springs. Directors Steve Anderson, Joy Neugebauer and Peer Swan also attended the Minutes of the Steering Committee Page 2 January 24, 2001 conference. A meeting is being scheduled between Jim Stahl,general manager of the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, Blake Anderson and Chair Eckenrode to discuss working together on San Gabriel River issues that impact Seal Beach. Chair Eckenrode announced that there will be a new Directors Workshop on February 10, 2001, beginning at 8 a.m. New directors on the Orange County Water District Board will also be invited. (6) REPORT OF THE GENERAL MANAGER General Manager Blake Anderson reported that Bill Mills, general manager of the Orange County Water District, has invited Sanitation District directors to attend their series of noon-time briefings. A. OMTS Committee Changes: The Staff Report was summarized by Bob Ghirelli,director of Technical Services. Three options were discussed and the Committee members moved, seconded and approved continuing the existing schedule for the time being (10 meetings per year with January and August dark). If staff believes that there are insufficient items for the Committee to review,the meeting will be canceled after discussion with the Committee Chair and the general manager. The members indicated that this same guideline should apply to all committees. B. Update on Kem and Kings County Biosolids Activities: Mike Moore updated the members on recent activities in Kings County. It appears that the Board of Supervisors has changed directions and is now recommending changing the ordinance to ban the land application of Class B biosolids in 2003, allow Class A-Exceptional Quality material for three additional years and in 2006 all biosolids must be Class A-EQ compost. These changes are under review at this time and it appears that several lawsuits are being considered. Staff is discussing options with General Counsel. It appears that CEQA requirements were not followed. The Districts property in Kings County is in production and Mr. Moore thinks that the property values have increased, in spite of the proposed changes to the ordinance. One-half of our biosolids are being trucked to Riverside County. The county's Environmental Health department has issued an opinion paper on the operation of the facility and the impacts of continuing development in that area. There will be a 30-day review of the paper before the Supervisors act on it. Staff is talking with the City of Colton about a new proposed composting facility located within their city. The city's staff is very supportive of our agency taking part in this endeavor. All public outreach efforts have been done with the community and the Board of Supervisors has expressed support for the project, as has the Inland Empire Utilities Agency. This issue will be discussed with the OMTS Committee in March. C. Power Update: Blake Anderson reported on how the District is managing its power requirements during the energy crisis. A decision was made last week that we will pay the spot-market price for natural gas to supplement the digester gas used in the central power generation system during Stage 3 alerts. Conservation efforts have resulted in savings of about 2 megawatts of power(equivalent to 2000 homes). Minutes of the Steering Committee Page 3 January 24, 2001 D. Update on the Five-year Staffing Plan: Greg Mathews provided a preview of the report that will be presented to the standing committees in February. He reviewed the changes in staffing over the next three years and the reasons for those changes. E. Outreach to Cities: Blake Anderson reported that staff has met with 16 of the cities in Orange County in an effort to provide information on common issues regarding sewer infrastructure. Eight additional meetings have been scheduled and four remain to be set. F. Freeze on Federal Rule Making: President Bush has placed on hold all proposed rules left over from the previous administration. This Includes the regulations on CMOM and TMDLs, as well as other major pieces of regulatory reform. When there is movement,staff will notify the directors. G. State of the District Report: Blake Anderson will be presenting a 'State of the District report at the Board meeting. He will be discussing in detail the Huntington Beach and energy issues, as well as listing some of the other major projects impacting the District. H. GWRS Financial Study: PRAG, the firm preparing the financial report on the project, still has not presented a final draft, but will by the end of the week. The Water District staff is still considering some of the findings. The final draft will be reviewed by the Joint Coordinating Committee at its next meeting. Director Steve Anderson questioned the practice of receiving IRWD flows during its voluntary black- out periods, as well as the associated increase in costs to the District to treat the Increased flows. Mr. Anderson said that IRWD is charged for the amount of flow we treat and that we can refuse it if there is insufficient capacity available. Director Anderson asked that this policy to be reviewed and reconsidered. (7) REPORT OF GENERAL COUNSEL General Counsel Tom Woodruff reported on discussions at the CASA Legislative Committee meetings. An author is being sought to sponsor a statute in the state legislature that would authorize land application of biosolids as a state-wide interest. The Polanco bill that did not make it out of committee last year prohibited counties from banning land application of biosolids. Mr.Woodruff also mentioned that he prepared a memo for the directors addressing the issue of e- mails and Brown Act restrictions. While this forth of communication between directors Is allowed, e- mails can not be used to develop a consensus. There has been no movement on the Crow Winthrop case. The District was served with a lawsuit filed in federal court by an employee claiming racial discrimination. A claim was filed with the EEOC, which ruled that there was no basis for the lawsuit and it was denied. Counsel continues to work with The Irvine Company on an agreement to handle urban runoff flows from new development in Crystal Cove. Because this agreement is precedent setting, particular attention has been paid to issues of liability and indemnification, and future capital charges for `Minutes of the Steering Committee Page 4 January 24,2001 discharges in excess of the 4 mgd currently authorized. (8) DISCUSSION ITEMS (Items A-C) A. Huntington Beach Activities Update Bob Ghirelli reported that staff is developing a strawman proposal that will address the 2001 summer activities in an attempt to answer the question: is our plume hitting the shore as submitted by UCI Professor Stanley Grant. The estimated costs of these activities is between $1 million and $1.2 million plus staff time of about$400,000. One of the items that will be reviewed is the proposed operational changes at the AES plant. It was announced that all meetings will be open to everyone. B. Public Information Update Lisa Lawson, Communications Manager, introduced Sonja Wassgren, our new Public Information Coordinator. The public outreach on the various Huntington Beach activities were described. Ms. Lawson also listed the items that are on the horizon that has interested the media. Blake Anderson stated that a "Letter to the Citizens of Orange County' has been sent to both the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times editors about our plans through the summer. We've been told that the letters would be published. C. The Agenda Items scheduled to be reviewed by the Board's working committees in February were reviewed. (9) OTHER BUSINESS. COMMUNICATIONS OR SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA ITEMS, IF ANY The CASA Spring Conference is being held at the Tanaya Lodge in Fish Camp near Yosemite. Directors are to inform Jean Tappan if they plan to attend as rooms will be limited. (10) MATTERS WHICH A DIRECTOR WOULD LIKE STAFF TO REPORT ON AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING There were none. (11) MATTERS WHICH A DIRECTOR MAY WISH TO PLACE ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR ACTION AND/OR STAFF REPORT There were none. Minutes of the Steering Committee Page 5 January 24, 2001 (12) CONSIDERATION OF UPCOMING MEETINGS The next Steering Committee meeting is scheduled for February 28, 2001 at 5 p.m. The next Board Meeting is scheduled for February 28, 2001 at 7 p.m. (13) CLOSED SESSION There was no closed session. (14) ADJOURNMENT The Chair declared the meeting adjourned at 6:47 p.m. ubmitted by: V' J a Tappan to ring Committee Secretary G LpmlilNWfUm1WQQI$CaYFga . ORANGE COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT phone: (714)962-2411 .allies add..: P.O. Box 8127 Fountain valley.CA 9272e-8127 NOTICE OF MEETING any nt."reea` OF THE 10944 Ellis Avenue Po rwuivalley,CA STEERING COMMITTEE 927oe-701e ORANGE COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT Member Agencies WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2000 - 5 P.M. • cities Anaheim DISTRICT'S ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE Brea Buena Park 10844 ELLIS AVENUE acre.. FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA 92708 Fountain lrallsy Follarmn Berrien Grove Huntington Beach Irvine Le Habra e Palma A regular meeting of the Steering Committee of the Board of Directors of Lae Alamita. Orange County Sanitation District, will be held at the above location, date and Newport Beech 0..0. time. Placentia Bents Ans Bee)Beech Sochi Tustin Villa Part Mbrba Linde County of Orange eenicery Districts Costa Me$. Midway City Walter Districts Irvine Ranch 'Maintaining Wcmd-Class Leadership in Westeweter and Water Resource Management' STEERING COMMITTEE AND BOARD MEETING DATES FOR THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS Wednesday, January 24, 2001 Wednesday, February 28, 2001 Wednesday, March 28, 2001 Wednesday, April 25, 2001 Wednesday, May 23, 2001 Wednesday, June 27, 2001 Wednesday, July 25, 2001 Wednesday, August 22, 2001 Wednesday, September 26, 2001 Wednesday, October 24, 2001 Wednesday, November 28, 2001 Wednesday, December 19, 2001' 'Tentatively rescheduled from regular fourth Wednesday. STEERING COMMITTEE (1) Roll Call: Meeting Date: January 24 2001 Meeting Time: 5 p.m. Meeting Adjourned: Committee Members Norm Eckenrode, Chair Peter Green, Vice Chair Steve Anderson,Chair, PDC Committee Pat McGuigan, Chair, OMTS Committee Shirley McCracken, Chair, FAHR Committee Jim Silva, Supervisor Others Paul Walker, Director Thomas L. Woodruff, General Counsel _ Don Hughes Staff Present Blake P.Anderson, General Manager................................. Greg Mathews, Assistant to the General Manager............. JeanTappan, Secretary....................................................... Bob Ghirelli, Director of Technical Services........................ Gary Streed, Director of Finance......................................... Lisa Lawson, Communications Manager............................. c: Lenora Crane AGENDA REGULAR MEETING OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE ORANGE COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2001 AT 5 P.M. ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE 10844 Ellis Avenue Fountain Valley, California In accordance with the requirements of California Government Code Section 54954.2, this agenda has been posted in the main lobby of the Districts Administrative Office not less than 72 hours prior to the meeting date and time above. All written materials relating to each agenda item are available for public inspection in the office of the Board Secretary. In the event any matter not listed on this agenda is proposed to be submitted to the Steering Committee for discussion and/or action, it will be done in compliance with Section 54954.2(b)as an emergency item or that there is a need to take immediate action which need came to the attention of the District subsequent to the posting of the agenda,or as set forth on a supplemental agenda posted not less than 72 hours prior to the meeting date. All current agendas and meeting minutes are also available via OCSD's Internet site located at www.ocsd.com. Upon entering OCSD's web site, please navigate to the Board of Directors section. (1) ROLL CALL (2) APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR PRO TEM. IF NECESSARY (3) PUBLIC COMMENTS All persons wishing to address the Steering Committee on specific agenda items or matters of general interest should do so at this time. As determined by the Chairman, speakers may be deferred until the specific item is taken for discussion and remarks may be limited to five minutes. Matters of interest addressed by a member of the public and not listed on this agenda cannot action taken by the Committee except as authorized by Section 54954.2(b). (4) APPROVE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING -2- January 24, 2001 Agenda Approve draft minutes of the December 20, 2000 Steering Committee meeting. (5) REPORT OF COMMITTEE CHAIR A. Report on CASA Conference (6) REPORT OF GENERAL MANAGER A. OMTS Committee Changes (Bob Ghirelli/Blake Anderson) B. Update on Kern and Kings County Biosolids Activities (Bob Ghirelli) C. Power Update (Blake Anderson) (7) REPORT OF GENERAL COUNSEL (8) DISCUSSION ITEMS (Items A-C) A. Huntington Beach Activities Update B. Public Information Update (Lisa Lawson) C. Review Agenda Items scheduled to be presented to Committees in February (Information item only) (9) OTHER BUSINESS, COMMUNICATIONS OR SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA ITEMS, IF ANY (10) MATTERS WHICH A DIRECTOR WOULD LIKE STAFF TO REPORT ON AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING (11) MATTERS WHICH A DIRECTOR MAY WISH TO PLACE ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR ACTION AND STAFF REPORT (12) FUTURE MEETING DATES The next Steering Committee Meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m.,Wednesday. February 28, 2001. The next Board Meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m.,Wednesday, February 28, 2001. l -3- January 24, 2001 Agenda (13) CLOSED SESSION During the course of conducting the business set forth on this agenda as a regular meeting of the Steering Committee, the Chair may convene the Committee in closed session to consider matters of pending real estate negotiations, pending or potential litigation, or personnel matters, pursuant to Government Code Sections 54956.8, 54956.9, 54957 or 54957.6, as noted. Reports relating to (a) purchase and sale of real property; (b) matters of pending or potential litigation; (c) employment actions or negotiations with employee representatives; or which are exempt from public disclosure under the California Public Records Act, may be reviewed by the Directors during a permitted closed session and are not available for public inspection. At such time as final actions are taken by the Board on any of these subjects, the minutes will reflect all required disclosures of information. A. Convene in closed session, if necessary B. Reconvene in regular session C. Consideration of action, if any, on matters considered in closed session. (14) ADJOURNMENT jt H>WPDTAU3ENMISTEEa1NG COMMITTEEWI W 12401 AGENDA.M MG CALENDARANO ROLL MLSHEET.DOC Notice to Committee Members: For any questions on the agenda or to place items on the agenda,Committee members should contact the Committee Chair or the Secretary ten days in advance of the Committee meeting. Committee Chair: Norm Eckenrode (714)993-6261 (Placentia City Hall) Secretary: Jean Tappan (714)593-7101 (714)962-0356(Fax) E-mail: Ita ppan(fl)ocsd.com �m DRAFT MINUTES OF STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING Wednesday, December 20, 2000 A meeting of the Steering Committee of the Orange County Sanitation District was held on Wednesday, December 20, 2000 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: OTHERS PRESENT: Directors Present: Thomas L. Woodruff, General Counsel Norm Eckenrode, Chair Ryal Wheeler Peter Green, Vice Chair _ Peer Swan Pat McGuigan, Chairman, OMITS Committee Steve Anderson, PDC Committee STAFF PRESENT: Blake Anderson, General Manager Directors Absent: Bob Ghirelli, Director of Technical Services Jim Silva, County Supervisor Greg Mathews,Assistant to the General Manager Gary Streed, Director of Finance Lisa Lawson, Communications Manager Jim Herberg, Engineering Supervisor Jean Tappan, Committee Secretary (2) APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR PRO TEM No appointment was necessary. (3) PUBLIC COMMENTS There were no comments by any member of the public. (4) RECEIVE. FILE AND APPROVE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The minutes of the November 15, 2000 Steering Committee meeting were approved as drafted. (5) REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE CHAIR Committee Chair Norm Eckenrode announced that CASA's mid-year conference will be held in Palm Springs January 18-20, 2001. He also mentioned that the go/no-go decision on the GWRS Project has been delayed until March to provide stakeholders with sufficient time to review and comment on the financial report. The report had been expected to be finalized in eariy November but is now b Minutes of the Steering Committee Page 2 December 20, 2000 expected to be released in January. Additional discussion follows under the General Managers Report. The appointment of a chairman for the FAHR Committee will be made before the next meeting. There will be a workshop for new directors on Saturday, January 13,from 8 to 11:30 a.m. All seated directors will also be invited to attend. (6) REPORT OF THE GENERAL MANAGER A. Next Step re SARI Relocation Project. General Manager Blake Anderson reported that staff will continue to work with SAW PA's staff, general manager and Board to urge them to finance their fair share of the SARI Line relocation project and to look for outside funding grants. Blake will be meeting with the SAWPA Board at a workshop on January 9 to answer questions and make our case. Staff continues to move forward with all permitting and engineering efforts that will lead to a fall 2001 construction start date, unless other events or the direction of the Board changes. B. GWRS—FinancialPicture. An announcement was made today by MWD that they would not be providing replenishment water to the Water District in January and maybe into February. Blake Anderson and Gary Streed presented an overview of the possible financial impacts on user rates on both the Sanitation District and the Orange County Water District with and without the GWRS project. The numbers presented were draft only, provided as late as yesterday to the Water District and Sanitation District staff by PRAG. The report is being finalized and should be available by the end of January. Director Swan asked for a copy of the initial draft report and was told by the Water District that it was not being distributed. A copy of the final report will be provided to him. C. Additional Discussion on the Five-year Staffing Plan. Feedback was requested on the presentations made to the committees. The Steering Committee's early opinion is that it appears that the projected increases are justifiable, though there were some directors who commented that the numbers appeared high. Staff will present the final plan to the directors in February at the committee and Board meetings. D. Update on Huntington Beach Issues. Blake Anderson and Bob Ghirelli provided an update on Huntington Beach issues. Director Green and several city staff members attended a meeting with District staff on Tuesday. One of the issues discussed was the infrastructure problems in the city and the recent articles in the newspapers. The city,county, Sanitation District, UC Irvine and a large number of others will design a research and response plan for the summer of 2001. Staffs policy of directing questions pertaining to the District to the most knowledgeable person on specific issues will continue. Questions on other agencies or entities will be directed to the agency/entity being questioned. r Minutes of the Steering Committee Page 3 December 20, 2000 Bob Ghirelli discussed the November test results on the ouffall plume. Additional water samples will be taken in January. The results will help with the major study that is planned for next spring. That study will include sediment samples and hourly shore- line samples for a 24-hour period. A preliminary cost estimate on the worst-case scenario (disinfect the effluent to achieve beach standards)was presented by Jim Herberg. Four alternatives to reduce pathogens were identified. (7) REPORT OF GENERAL COUNSEL General Counsel Tom Woodruff reported that the Montrose consent decree has been lodged and it will be heard by the court mid-February. Most of the District's share was paid through insurance coverage. (8) DISCUSSION ITEMS (Item A) A. Biosolids: Is the Future Class B or Class A, Exceptional Quality and Composted? Staff reported on the increased pressures by the Central Valley fanners to eliminate the use of Class B biosolids. Staff also reported that Class A composted biosolids may be required in the future and they are putting together a game plan on how to accomplish this change, including cost estimates. The Kings County Board of Supervisors has apparently reversed itself and is prepared to enact an ordinance in January that will ban Class B biosolids in two years. (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 January 24, 2000 at 5 p.m. The next Board Meeting is scheduled for January 24,2000 at 7 p.m. 1 Minutes of the Steering Committee Page 4 December 20, 2000 (13) CLOSED SESSION There was no closed session. (14) ADJOURNMENT The Chair declared the meeting adjourned at 6:54 p.m. Submitted by: Jean Tappan Steering Committee Secretary n wr.m.aonaawe.,m¢cw�re.emneoom+tz000 amwn.a« Bgends I tern b.6. OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE, AND TECHNICAL SERVICES (OMTS) COMMITTEE DISCUSSION PAPER PREPARED By BOB GHIRELLI, OMTS COMMITTEE COORDINATOR (REVISED JANUARY 18, 2001) Background Over the past two years there has been a tendency to cancel OMTS Committee meetings because of a lack of sufficient action items to justify the meeting. As coordinator of the OMTS Committee this year, I was asked by the General Manager to take a look at the situation and suggest ways to better manage the agenda report process and Improve the Flow of work through the committee. The following suggestions are based on discussions with department heads and division managers that report to the OMTS Committee and the Executive Management Team. 1. Reduce the number ofineetinus. In the 14 months from Nov '99 to Dec'00 the OMTS Committee met nine times. During this period the Committee was dark twice (January and August)and cancelled three times. On the agenda for those nine meetings were a cumulative total of 25 action items and 27 information items. That is equivalent to an average of 3 action and 3 Information items on each committee agenda. Four of the meetings listed 3,4, 5, or 6 action items on the agenda; five of the meetings had 1 or 2 action items. We conclude that there are not enough action items going to the committee to justify a monthly meeting, or the current schedule of ten meetings per year. Suggestions: • Reduce the number of OMTS Committee meetings to six per year according to the following schedule: January DARK July DARK February Meeting August Meeting March DARK September DARK April Meeting October Meeting May DARK November DARK June Meeting December Meeting Certainly, other schedule options are possible. For example, it may be desirable to have more meetings in the April to June period,when the budget development and review process is in full swing, and fewer meetings during the July to September summer vacation period. 2. Reduce the number of Board Committees by combining OMTS Committee with one of the other committees. Because the OMTS Committee does not appear to have as many action Items on its agendas as PDC or FAHR, it may be wise to consider folding the responsibilities of the OMTS committee into one or both of these other committees. Some of the reports presented to OMTS are duplicated at each committee (e.g., General Manager's report, General Counsel's report); time could be saved by giving these reports only once. For example, if a combined PDC/OMTS or FAHRfOMTS were to meet ten times a year,the number of additional action items would amount to 2 or 3 per agenda. Some time could be saved during the meeting by using a "consent calendar"for noncontroversial or routine items. More discussion should occur about the possibility of combining OMTS Committee with another committee to see if it is something the Board wants to move toward. Some items now on the OMITS Committee meeting agenda re financially or administratively related. Other items are related to facilities or field practices. Items could be assigned to the other committees depending upon the nature of the issue. 2. Maintain Status Quo. We could maintain the OMITS Committee with its scheduled dark months of January and August, and continue the practice of canceling meetings when insufficient action items are present to justify a meeting. H:\wp.dta\agenda\Stsenng CommitteeWlUMV2401 OMB Meeting Changes Repo dw STEERING COMMITTEE "�inaror� 7Br2Naor. AGENDA REPORT ITnNumber Item WOW E.A Orange County Sanitation District FROM: Robert Ghirelli, Director of Technical Services Originator: Deirdre Hunter, Senior Environmental Specialist Charles McGee, Laboratory Supervisor SUBJECT: HUNTINGTON BEACH ACTIVITIES UPDATE GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION Informational Item only SUMMARY Beginning in late fall, staff began planning the response to the hypothesis that an interaction between the AES power plant in Huntington Beach and the offshore waters could entrain and transport bacteria to the beach from our ocean outfall discharge plume. During the summer of 2001, the Sanitation District will conduct a comprehensive and extensive study of the waters, currents and sediments off Huntington Beach to test the hypothesis. This work will add to the existing body of information we have compiled during the last 25 years on marine monitoring off the coast of Huntington Beach. In preparation and anticipation of the summer work, we have already completed a number of tasks. Sediment collection methods and bacteriological analytical methods were tested in October 2000. A one-day water quality survey combined with beach bacteria monitoring was performed in November 2000. A list of individuals considered experts in oceanography, environmental regulations, interested environmental groups, and the general public has been compiled. Staff has begun to enlist the assistance of these people in developing the experiments for testing the hypothesis. We intend to take a very open approach in how we design, conduct, and interpret the results of this summers work. The public, the press, the regulatory community and interested elected public officials will remain fully informed about what we are doing. We are doing this for two reasons. First, R is the right thing to do. We are a public agency in the public arena with the potential of impacting the health and welfare of the citizens of Orange County. We owe them strict accountability. Second, it is the smart thing to do. We must insure that our community will believe we have done our work competently and honestly. We can demonstrate this only if we do our work in plain view DEH:wh \YtlmtlY�lMy.OlL�155p0l910YA HB Plowh51w+y 1D1 HB H(4 0P Arv. BQB9B Page 1 of the community. Assuming our work confines that our plume does not reach the shore, members of the community that are currently pointing fingers at us and insisting we provide additional treatment and disinfection to our discharge must trust our results. Assuming our work confirms that our plume does reach the shore, then the Sanitation District Board and the rate-paying public must be convinced that any additional operational and capital facilities spending is well justified. We have learned much from the preliminary surveys performed in October and November. Laboratory methods for sediment testing still need to be adequately refined. We have time to do so. During the single-day testing that occurred in late November, our wastewater plume did not reach the shore, but a finger of it did get within about 1.5 miles from the shore. Although this discovery does not prove a power plant interaction, it is the closest to the shore that we have observed our plume. Beach bacteria levels rose in the afternoon which corresponded to the low tide of the day, and the signal from the three indicator bacteria was different than that of our offshore samples. This probably, but not conclusively, points to some other source. These data do not clearly answer any questions, but helps to focus future studies. District staff has organized an internal team that meets weekly to review the status of the ongoing Phase III efforts. The team's objectives include: ➢ Planning short- and long-term water quality studies to investigate the power plant and Sanitation District plume interaction hypothesis. ➢ Creating and meeting with a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to review and comment on District staffs proposal for monitoring activities in the Spring and Summer 2001. The TAC will also review survey results and conclusions. Staff is inviting a broad spectrum of stakeholders representing regulatory agencies, local agencies, environmental groups, academia, the public, and consultants. • Developing a communication plan that assures comprehensive, open and timely access to our work by the public, the press, the regulators, and elected public officials. The first TAC meeting is tentatively scheduled for January 29, 2001. Staff will present the offshore sampling proposal for the Spring and Summer 2001 and incorporate the TAC's feedback. Based on the final scope of the sampling proposal, an agenda report will be brought to the Board detailing the project scope, schedule and costs. In October 2000, the District received a reimbursement check for $64,000 from the State Parks and Recreation for our efforts during the Huntington Beach investigation during the summer of 1999. PROJECT/CONTRACT COST SUMMARY N/A DEH:wh \YESW1afW.y AW\\lSWPNO]56HB GnOW]151Mn,q',-01 NB UNYe 6x R—.e MW Page 2 BUDGETIMPACT ❑ This item has been budgeted. (Line item: ) ❑ This item has been budgeted, but there are insufficient funds. ❑ This item has not been budgeted. ® Not applicable (information item) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION N/A ALTERNATIVES N/A CEQA FINDINGS N/A ATTACHMENTS N/A DEH:wh rvaacn,mlelwpmeunlssmo991msnNa rne.e TSleenrp tnt Ne UWMn dm R,„,,,, a Page 3 STEERING COMMITTEE Meeting de To ad.or ob. 1124/01 AGENDA REPORT It Number Item Number Orange County Sanitation District FROM: Blake P. Anderson, General Manager Originator: Jean Tappan, Committee Secretary SUBJECT: February Agenda Items for Consideration by Working Committees GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION Review with staff the tentative agenda items scheduled for review by the Working Committees in February. SUMMARY Staff routinely prepares for the Steering Committee a list of items scheduled for presentation to the Working Committees and the Board at their next monthly meetings. This allows the Steering Committee the opportunity to review these items early enough to make reassignments in the review or approval process. The following items are scheduled to be considered by the Committees in February: OMTS Committee: 1. Report on Source Control Performance Indicators and Industry Outreach Program 2. Report on Environmental Management System for Biosolids 3. Five-year Staffing Report PDC Committee: 1. Ratify Change Order No. 4, Job No. P146-2, Chemical Facility Modifications 2. Ratify Change Order No. 7, Job No. P2-39, Rehabilitation of Digesters I, J, K, L, M, N and O at Plant No. 2 3. Approve Close Out Agreement for SP2000-20, Extension of Reclaimed Water Line at Plant No. 2 4. Approve plans and specifications and award construction contract for SP2000-29, Junction Structure Repair 5. Approve Addendum No. 1 to the Professional Services Agreement for Contract 6-13, Airbase Trunk Sewer Abandonment 6. Receive and file bids and award construction contract for Job No. J-80, HVAC Equipment Replacement at Plants Nos. 1 and 2 7. Approve Professional Services Agreement for Job No. J-25-6, Interim Facility Record and Engineering Data System 8. Approve Professional Services Agreement for Value Engineering Study for Contract No. 2-41, SARI Realignment and Protection 9. Proceed with the original project definition for Phase 1 for Job No. J-36, GAR System FAHR Committee: 1. Consider Annexation Fee Policy 2. Consider 2000-01 Mid-year Financial and Operational Report 3. Consider Quarterly Investment Program Report 4. Update Human Resources Policies 5. Consider Compensation and Classification Study Report 6. Update on LEAD Program 7. Five-year Staffing Report PROJECT/CONTRACT COST SUMMARY N/A BUDGETIMPACT ❑ This item has been budgeted. (Line item: ❑ This item has been budgeted, but there are insufficient funds. ❑ This item has not been budgeted. ® Not applicable (information item) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NA ALTERNATIVES NA CEQA FINDINGS Not a project. ATTACHMENTS NA jt NMy.ElatpeMalSlennq CbrmOnblWnbt]<01 LMq NOIa FWuvya,.M[ w„Y,: Page 2