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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-11-2018 Legislative Committee Meeting Agenda06/11/2018 Legislative and Public Affairs Committee Page 1 of 2 Orange County Sanitation District Meeting of the LEGISLATIVE AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Monday, June 11, 2018 12:00 P.M. Administration Building Board Room 10844 Ellis Avenue Fountain Valley, CA (714) 593-7433 AGENDA PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: DECLARATION OF QUORUM: PUBLIC COMMENTS: If you wish to address the Committee on any item, please complete a Speaker’s Form (located at the table at the back of the room) and submit it to the Clerk of the Board or notify the Clerk of the Board the item number on which you wish to speak. Speakers will be recognized by the Chairman and are requested to limit comments to three minutes. REPORTS: The Committee Chair and the General Manager may present verbal reports on miscellaneous matters of general interest to the Committee Members. These reports are for information only and require no action by the Committee. CONSENT CALENDAR: Consent Calendar Items are considered to be routine and will be enacted, by the Committee, after one motion, without discussion. Any items withdrawn from the Consent Calendar for separate discussion will be considered in the regular order of business. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (Clerk of the Board) RECOMMENDATION: Approve minutes for the Committee meeting held on May 14, 2018. INFORMATION ITEMS: 2. PUBLIC AFFAIRS UPDATE (Jennifer Cabral) 3. LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS UPDATE (Rebecca Long) OTHER BUSINESS AND COMMUNICATIONS OR SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA ITEMS, IF ANY: 06/11/2018 Legislative and Public Affairs Committee Page 2 of 2 ADJOURNMENT: The next Legislative and Public Affairs Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 9, 2018 at 3:30 p.m. Accommodations for the Disabled: Meeting Rooms are wheelchair accessible. If you require any special disability related accommodations, please contact the Orange County Sanitation District Clerk of the Board’s office at (714) 593-7433 at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled meeting. Requests must specify the nature of the disability and the type of accommodation requested. Agenda Posting: In accordance with the requirements of California Government Code Section 54954.2, this agenda has been posted outside the main gate of the Sanitation District’s Administration Building located at 10844 Ellis Avenue, Fountain Valley, California, and on the Sanitation District’s website at www.ocsd.com, not less than 72 hours prior to the meeting date and time above. All public records relating to each agenda item, including any public records distributed less than 72 hours prior to the meeting to all, or a majority of the Board of Directors, are available for public inspection in the office of the Clerk of the Board. Agenda Description: The agenda provides a brief general description of each item of business to be considered or discussed. The recommended action does not indicate what action will be taken. The Board of Directors may take any action which is deemed appropriate. NOTICE TO DIRECTORS: To place items on the agenda for the Committee Meeting, items must be submitted to the Clerk of the Board 14 days before the meeting. Kelly A. Lore Clerk of the Board (714) 593-7433 Klore@ocsd.com For any questions on the agenda, Committee members may contact staff at: General Manager James D. Herberg (714) 593-7300 jherberg@ocsd.com Assistant General Manager Bob Ghirelli (714) 593-7400 rghirelli@ocsd.com Assistant General Manager Rob Thompson (714) 593-7310 rthompson@ocsd.com Director of Environmental Services James Colston (714) 593-7450 jcolston@ocsd.com Public Affairs Supervisor Jennifer Cabral (714) 593-7581 jjcabral@ocsd.com Senior Public Affairs Specialist Rebecca Long (714) 593-7444 rlong@ocsd.com 05/14/2018 Legislative and Public Affairs Committee Minutes Page 1 of 4 MINUTES OF THE LEGISLATIVE AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Orange County Sanitation District Monday, May 14, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. A meeting of the Legislative and Public Affairs Committee was called to order by Chair Sebourn on Monday, May 14, 2018 at 12:01 p.m. in the Administration Building of the Orange County Sanitation District. Director Kim led the pledge of allegiance. A quorum was declared present, as follows: COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Greg Sebourn, Board Chair David Shawver, Board Vice-Chair Allan Bernstein, Member-At-Large Peter Kim, Member-At-Large John Withers, Member-At-Large COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT: Donald P. Wagner, Member-At-Large Chad Wanke, Member-At-Large STAFF PRESENT: Bob Ghirelli, Assistant General Manager Rob Thompson, Assistant General Manager Celia Chandler, Director of Human Resources Jim Colston, Director of Environmental Services Lorenzo Tyner, Director of Finance & Administrative Services Tina Knapp, Deputy Clerk of the Board Kathryn Beechinor Jennifer Cabral Tanya Chong Cory Coogan Daisy Covarrubias Mark Kawamoto Rebecca Long Kelly Lore Kelly Newell Tyler Ramirez Roya Sohanaki OTHERS PRESENT: Brad Hogin, General Counsel Eric Sapirstein, ENS Resources (via teleconference) Eric O’Donnell, Townsend Public Affairs Cori Williams, Townsend Public Affairs PUBLIC COMMENTS: None. REPORT OF COMMITTEE CHAIR: Board Chair Sebourn did not provide a report. ITEM NO. 1 05/14/2018 Legislative and Public Affairs Committee Minutes Page 2 of 4 REPORT OF GENERAL MANAGER: Assistant General Manager Bob Ghirelli did not provide a report. CONSENT CALENDAR: 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (Clerk of the Board) MOVED, SECONDED, and DULY CARRIED TO: Approve minutes for the Committee meeting held on April 9, 2018. AYES: Bernstein, Kim, Sebourn, Shawver, and Withers NOES: None ABSTENTIONS: None ABSENT: Wagner and Wanke NON-CONSENT CALENDAR: 2. SUPPORT ASSEMBLY BILL 1933 (Bob Ghirelli) Mr. Ghirelli provided background information pertaining to this item and Chair Sebourn read the letter of support. MOVED, SECONDED, and DULY CARRIED TO: Approve letter of support for Assembly Bill 1933 – Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: recycling infrastructure projects (Maienschein). AYES: Bernstein, Kim, Sebourn, Shawver, and Withers NOES: None ABSTENTIONS: None ABSENT: Wagner and Wanke INFORMATION ITEMS: 3. LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS UPDATE (Rebecca Long) Rebecca Long, Senior Public Affairs Specialist, introduced Eric Sapirstein, ENS Resources, who updated the Committee on the following items: Washington, DC lobby days held in April; WIFIA program; WRDA, including potential support from Congressman Lowenthal for amendments of interest to OCSD; and the current and next year’s budget and infrastructure. The Committee inquired as to the interest rate of WIFIA loans and whether or not these might be of interest to OCSD. Staff indicated that these loan opportunities will be reviewed as to if OCSD will consider pursuing this funding. In response to a question from the Committee, Mr. Sapirstein indicated that at this time no OCSD action is needed in response to the recisions to the budget. 05/14/2018 Legislative and Public Affairs Committee Minutes Page 3 of 4 Eric O’Donnell, Townsend Public Affairs (TPA), provided an informative PowerPoint presentation that began with reviewing the upcoming key dates and deadlines of the 2018 legislative session; an update on California WaterFix plans; long term water conservation regulations; and an update on bill status activity, specifically mentioning that there has not been any recent activity on SB 623 (Monning) and that SB 831 (Wieckowski) has been amended to remove the ban on connection and capacity fees. Cori Williams, TPA, concluded the presentation by providing an update on Assembly Bill (AB) 2003 (Daly), indicating that the legislation was pulled from the Assembly Local Government Committee calendar and outlining the concerns of the Assembly Local Government Committee that included transparency, public participation, legal ramifications, and precedent setting. Ms. Williams also reviewed what next steps might be for the future of this legislation and answered questions from the Committee regarding the next steps and data collected for substantiation of the need for this legislation. Director Withers indicated that he feels that continued efforts pertaining to this legislation exceed the potential cost savings to OCSD. Board Chair Sebourn expressed an interest in transitioning efforts made by OCSD thus far to another organization like the California Special Districts Association (CSDA) or California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA). Board Vice-Chair Shawver indicated the importance of OCSD’s involvement in issues that directly affect the public. Board Chair Sebourn requested that staff reach out to partner agencies, including CSDA and CASA, and evaluate the interest in pursuing this legislation collectively. OCSD would continue to take the lead but the partner agencies would involve all of their member agencies to garner support. Staff indicated this item will be further researched and brought back to the Committee at a future meeting. 4. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON MICROPLASTICS PRESENTATION (Jim Colston) Mr. Ghirelli provided background information pertaining to this item and indicated that this presentation was requested during the Committee’s prior discussion of AB 2379 – Waste management of polyester microfiber (Bloom). Mr. Ghirelli introduced Engineering Supervisor Mark Kawamoto who provided an informative PowerPoint presentation on microplastics that included a definition of microplastics and where they come from, plastics waste management and gyre (large system of rotating ocean currents), why microplastics are of concern, impacts of plastics and microplastics, and how microplastics make their way from clothing to the environment to the food chain. In response to a question from the Committee, Mr. Kawamoto indicated he was unsure as to whether or not microplastics are tested for after treatment through the GWRS; however, Director of Environmental Services Jim Colston indicated staff will follow up on this question and that the Sanitation District is very efficient in removing microplastics. Director Withers indicated it might be of interest to estimate the quantity of microplastics removed from the GWRS through the levels of treatment and market this good news. Board Chair Sebourn expressed an 05/14/2018 Legislative and Public Affairs Committee Minutes Page 4 of 4 interest in the Sanitation District further studying microplastics and the impact of such to not only the Sanitation District’s plants, but to the environment. Mr. Ghirelli indicated that other organizations have studied microplastics and that the Sanitation District could use this research as a foundation for further study. Board Chair Sebourn expressed an interest in specifically understanding the effects of microplastics in and on our service area. Director Kim inquired as to whether or not this discussion affects the Sanitation District’s position on AB 2379 (Bloom) to which Board Chair Sebourn indicated that the position might be modified depending on further study. Public Affairs Supervisor Jennifer Cabral indicated that CASA is researching ocean contamination in response to SB 1263 and that collaboration with CASA may be an additional resource pertaining to this discussion. 5. PUBLIC AFFAIRS UPDATE (Jennifer Cabral) Ms. Cabral gave an overview of the recent tours provided to influential public and future events at which the Sanitation District will have representation. Ms. Cabral also reminded the Committee of the Honor Walk ceremony on May 23 at 4:00 p.m. Ms. Cabral also reported on awards recently received by the Sanitation District. Ms. Cabral also indicated that the Sanitation District will be the largest battery storage facility in the world once implemented, which will mean the Sanitation District will decrease the amount of electricity purchased. Ms. Cabral reported that Mayor Villaraigosa will be touring the GWRS on Thursday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m. and requested direction as to who to invite from the Board Chair/Committee. Board Vice-Chair Shawver indicated he will attend and it was decided that members of this Committee and the Steering Committee should be invited to attend. Ms. Cabral reported that she will be speaking at the CSDA Conference at the General Manager’s Summit in June on transparency as a result of the Little Hoover Commission report and distributed the recent CSDA magazine that included an article co-authored by Ms. Cabral. Ms. Cabral indicated that staff will also send the article electronically to the Committee. OTHER BUSINESS AND COMMUNICATIONS OR SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA ITEMS, IF ANY: None. ADJOURNMENT: Chair Sebourn declared the meeting adjourned at 1:24 p.m. to the next Legislative and Public Affairs Committee meeting, Monday, June 11, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. Submitted by: _____________________ Tina Knapp, CMC Clerk of the Board Page 1 of 2 LEGISLATIVE AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Meeting Date 06/11/18 To Bd. of Dir. -- AGENDA REPORT Item Number 2 Item Number -- Orange County Sanitation District FROM: James D. Herberg, General Manager Originator: Robert P. Ghirelli, Assistant General Manager SUBJECT: PUBLIC AFFAIRS UPDATE GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION Information Only. BACKGROUND Staff will provide an update on recent public affairs activities. RELEVANT STANDARDS • Maintain influential legislative advocacy and a public outreach program • Build brand, trust, and support with policy makers and community leaders • Use all practical and effective means for resource recovery • Maintain collaborative and cooperative relationships with regulators, stakeholders, and neighboring communities • Listen to and seriously consider community input on environmental concerns PROBLEM Many Californians are not aware of the Orange County Sanitation District (Sanitation District) and the important work we do to keep the environment clean by using the wastewater byproducts to create energy, water recycling, and the use of biosolids. Additionally, they are not aware that more than 50 percent of the wastewater is recycled and used to replenish the Orange County Groundwater Basin. In general, the community and businesses do not realize that when they improperly dispose of waste into the sanitation system, it can negatively affect the work we do and the quality of water we supply for the Groundwater Replenishment System. PROPOSED SOLUTION By providing tours, community outreach education, and general communication via the Sanitation District’s website, social media outlets, and mainstream media, we have the ability to educate the community, local agencies, and businesses on the What2Flush program, energy production, water recycling, biosolids, and our source control program. This, in turn, results in a better quality of wastewater. Page 2 of 2 TIMING CONCERNS N/A RAMIFICATIONS OF NOT TAKING ACTION If we do not educate the community, local agencies, and area businesses about the Sanitation District, we lose an opportunity to educate thousands of people about our plants, source control, and the wastewater industry as a whole. PRIOR COMMITTEE/BOARD ACTIONS N/A ADDITIONAL INFORMATION May 2018 Activity # # of Guests OCSD/OCWD Tours 10 221 OCSD Tours 8 164 CEQA N/A FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS N/A ATTACHMENTS The following attachments are attached in hard copy and may also be viewed on-line at the OCSD website (www.ocsd.com) with the complete agenda package: • Outreach Calendar May 2018 • Media Clips May 2018 Date Time Organization/Event Location Purpose Attendee 5/1/2018 900 - 1030 Plant Tour Boardroom CSULB Nursing Tour. 15 guests Gina Tetsch Tour Guide 5/2/2018 900 - 1030 Plant Tour Boardroom CSULB Nursing Tour. Gina Tetsch Tour Guide 5/3/2018 900 - 1030 Plant Tour Boardroom Saddleback College Tour 26 guests Jeff Armstrong Tour Guide 5/4/2018 900 - 1030 Plant Tour Boardroom Costa Mesa Sanitation - Citizens Env. Protection Academy to tour P1. 25 guests Randy Kleinman Tour Guide 5/7/2018 1430 - 1600 Plant Tour Boardroom Society of Women Engineers Tour. Lisa Frigo Tour Guide 5/8/2018 900 - 1200 Plant Tours Boardroom Santa Ana Valley HS Tours. 2 tours. 60 students Paula Zeller and Belen Carrillo Tour Guides 5/11/2018 900 - 1030 Plant Tour Boardroom Santa Ana College Tour. 25 guests Sharon Yin Tour Guide 5/15/2018 830 - 1130 Plant Tour Boardroom Jordan HS Tours. 60 students Paula Zeller and Belen Carrillo Tour Guides 5/16/2018 900 - 1030 Plant Tour A & B OCC Tour 25 guests Ann Crafton Tour Guide 5/18/2018 900 - 1200 Plant Tours Boardroom Santa Ana College tours 30 guests Belen Carrillo Tour Guide 5/21/2018 1000 - 1130 Plant Tour Boardroom Estancia HS Special Ed class tour Katherine Beechinor Tour Guide 5/23/2018 1130 - 1230 Plant Tour GM Conf. Room Chair Sebourn and Guests tour Rob Thompson Tour Guide 5/23/2018 1600 - 1700 2018 Honor Walk Ceremony Admin. Building 2018 Honor Walk Celebration Public Affairs 5/29/2018 900 - 1030 Plant Tour Boardroom New Employee/Open to the Public Tour Ann Crafton Tour Guide 6/6/2018 1500 - 1630 Plant Tour A & B Girl Scout Troop Tour. 20 guests Paula Zeller Tour Guide Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott OCSD Outreach Report 5/29/2018 Contact Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott 5/29/2018 12:45:08 PM Date Time Organization/Event Location Purpose Attendee OCSD Outreach Report 5/29/2018 Contact 6/6/2018 1600 - 1700 Plant Tour Boardroom Operations Committee to tour P1- 101, 14 attendees. EMT Tour Guides 6/14/2018 900 - 1030 Plant Tour Boardroom Vanguard Nursing Tour. 16 guests Katherine Beechinor Tour Guide 6/20/2018 1500 - 1630 Plant Tours Room A Webelo Cub Scout tour. 12 guests. Courtney Light Tour Guide 6/21/2018 1500 - 1630 Plant Tour Boardroom Cub Scout Tour. 20 guests Brian Bingman Tour Guide 6/22/2018 900 - 1030 Plant Tour Boardroom USFCA Nursing tour. 25 students Belen Carrillo Tour Guide 6/26/2018 900 - 1030 Plant Tour Boardroom CSUF Nursing Tour. 15 guests Katherine Beechinor Tour Guide 6/26/2018 900 - 1200 Speaking Engagement Tahoe, CA CSDA GM Leadership Summit Speaking Engagement Jennifer Cabral Speaker 6/27/2018 900 - 1030 Plant Tour Boardroom CSUF Nursing tour. Katherine Beechinor Tour Guide 6/29/2018 900 - 1030 Plant Tour Boardroom West Coast Univ. Nursing tour. Belen Carrillo Tour Guide Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott Cheryl Scott 5/29/2018 12:45:08 PM OCSD Public Affairs Office Monthly News Clippings May 2018 Table of Contents GWRS…………………………………………… ................................ PAGE 1 May 26, 2018 Seawater desalination is water independence By: Denis Bilodeau Orange County Register - Opinion HUMAN INTEREST…………………………………………… ................. PAGE 3 May 26, 2018 Costa Mesa drops plan for mobile restrooms for homeless By: Luke Money Los Angeles Times TWITTER POSTINGS …………………………………………… ............. PAGE 5 FACEBOOK POSTINGS ……………………………………………………PAGE 10 1 OPINION Seawater desalination is water independence   By Denis R Bilodeau | PUBLISHED: May 26, 2018 at 6:30 am | UPDATED: May 26, 2018 at 5:45 pm Managing our existing water supplies and planning for future needs requires thoughtful deliberation. Significant fluctuations in the manifestation and intensity of seasonal weather conditions, symptoms of climate change, are becoming the new normal and there is no “one size fits all approach” to dealing with its effects. Consider that, in just this current decade, California has gone from its most severe drought to one of its wettest winters in recorded history, and now back to a below-average winter snowpack this year. This unpredictability requires us to take a closer look at our traditional water resources and how we can diversify to reduce dependence on climate-dependent water supplies. Let’s not be mistaken. We must remain strong in our embrace of conservation, efficiency and wise water-use habits and look for opportunities to do more in these areas. However, adapting to climate change means that we must also put an increased emphasis on developing new local water resources. My goal is water supply independence for Orange County. We should not be beholden to others for the most basic element of life. Clean water is essential to Orange County’s public health and safety and economic stability. This goal is shared regionally. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, in a letter last fall to the California State Lands Commission in support of the Huntington Beach Desalination Project, addressed the issues of drought and climate change and the need for greater water resource diversification as part of its own water reliability efforts. The letter explained how the district’s “long-term Integrated Water Resources Plan (IRP) achieves diversification with an ‘all of the above’ approach [that] includes maintaining Colorado River Aqueduct supplies and restoring the reliability of the State Water Project, while also developing local climate-resilient resources such as seawater desalination.” Even with imported water supplies expected to be secured by the CA Water Fix, Metropolitan Orange County Register  May 26, 2018  2 anticipates a need for the additional 600,000 acre feet per year of new, local supply by the year 2040 to meet future demand and to reduce dependence on imported supplies. I have served on the Orange County Water District (OCWD) Board for 18 years and wholeheartedly support the district’s policies that emphasize the need to development new, local water supplies like our world-renowned Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) as part of a diversification and water independence strategy. OCWD supports Metropolitan’s IRP local supply development goal and believes that Orange County’s interests would best be served if it could meaningfully reduce its dependence on climate- driven, imported water supplies. For this very reason, it has actively been exploring for a decade the proposed Huntington Beach Seawater Desalination Project as a new, local water supply option for Orange County. With an annual production capacity of 56,000 acre-feet, it would be the single largest source of new, high-quality, locally controlled, drought-proof water available to the county. OCWD also believes that the project can provide flexibility in how the district manages the Orange County groundwater basin. Specifically, the desalinated water could be used to augment supplies that we inject into our Talbert Seawater Barrier to help prevent seawater intrusion into the groundwater basin and to buffer against any reductions in base flows from the Santa Ana River. The Pacific Ocean offers an inexhaustible, drought-proof source of supply that can be used with the right environmental protection measures. Desalination opponents point to cost as a reason for their opposition. While we share concerns about cost, our own experience with GWRS confirms that smart capital investment today will save ratepayer dollars tomorrow. At the price of a half-penny per gallon, seawater desalination is cost-competitive with the development of other new water supplies and on par with the household impact from the state’s recent mandatory conservation measures. Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean OCWD is without its concerns or is willing to overpay for desalinated water. We will continue to conduct our due diligence and only commit to purchasing water once state regulators approve a project we determine is economically feasible. Denis R. Bilodeau, P.E., is the Orange County Water District board president. 3 Costa Mesa drops plan for mobile  restrooms for homeless people  based on business survey  By Luke Money MAY 26, 2018 | 11:45 AM  An Orange County agency has dropped a long-discussed proposal to develop new public restrooms aimed at serving the local homeless population. Though Costa Mesa Sanitary District board members didn't take an official action at their meeting Thursday, they appeared in agreement that there isn't enough community support for the idea — a perspective recently reflected in a survey that showed many local businesses opposed the concept. "At this point, I believe the proposition is dead," said district General Manager Scott Carroll. Sanitary district officials have discussed the public restroom proposal for more than a year. Such facilities, they said, would give homeless people a safe and hygienic place to relieve themselves and help improve public health and sanitation by reducing public urination and defecation. They eventually focused on the idea of mobile restrooms — in which portable toilets would be placed on a trailer so they could be stationed wherever they were needed. A paid attendant would be present at all times to make sure the restrooms were clean and used for their intended purpose. That kind of program, the district believed, would keep the restrooms from becoming hotspots for drug use or other illegal activity. Such issues have popped up in other public restrooms in Costa Mesa, including those at Lions and Wilson parks. Los Angeles Times  May 26, 2018  4 In November, the district committed $21,500 to cover half the estimated cost of a six-month mobile restroom pilot program and asked the city of Costa Mesa to devote the remainder. City Councilman John Stephens took the proposal to his colleagues in February, but the full council decided the idea needed additional study and public outreach before moving forward. The sanitary district subsequently commissioned a survey of select local businesses regarding homelessness. Though the vast majority — about 80% — of the roughly 280 businesses that participated in the survey said local homeless people have affected them in some way, 49% said supervised public restrooms would not alleviate the issues. More than half said such facilities would not have a positive effect on their operations. Sanitary district board President Mike Scheafer said he was surprised the survey results were so negative but added he's "proud that we took the humane approach and looked for alternatives." "Even though we were labeled not just 'idiots' but 'freaking idiots' by a council member, I'm really proud of this body," he said, referring to a February comment by Councilman Jim Righeimer about district board members who supported the proposal. Board Vice President Jim Ferryman, who first raised the public restroom idea in January 2017, also seemed taken aback at the unfavorable reaction in the survey. "What do they think, this is going to go away on its own?" he said, referring to the homeless issue. But, he added, "We should just drop it at this point." Stephens said Friday that he thought the survey provided useful information about how homelessness affects local businesses. Respondents cited loitering and littering among their major complaints. Stephens said outreach efforts should continue and that he plans to ask the council to devote additional funding to address issues like those raised in the survey. "The whole survey kind of fired me up to really focus on addressing the impacts of homelessness on our business community, because it's obviously a very serious issue," he said. Money writes for the Daily Pilot. 5 MAY 2018 SUMMARY Tweets 32 Tweet impressions 14.9K Profile visits 384 Mentions 15 New followers 9 May 2018 • 23 days so far... TWEET HIGHLIGHTS Top Tweet earned 634 impressions Check out these super cool #compost infographics by @ILSR! OCSD’s biosolids help create #healthysoils via #composting. #ICAW ilsr.org/compost-impacts pic.twitter.com/WgOWxOpTzA Twitter Posts  April / May 2018    6 Top Follower followed by 5,028 people APWA @APWATWEETS FOLLOWS YOU APWA is an association dedicated to providing high-quality public works training and education to public and private companies and individuals. RT≠endorsement Top mention earned 84 engagements Antonio Villaraigosa@antonio4ca May 17Thank you @OCSewers, @OCWDWaterNews for the tour of the world's largest water use project of its kind! We need more #GRWS projects throughout CA to conserve & recycle our water. pic.twitter.com/ImHM8yQ50N 7 Happy International Compost Awareness Week! Find out how biosolids are helping to fight climate change! #ICAW ocsd.com/educa…/biosolids-program/biosolids- news pic.twitter.com/Q5OsODgT1i APR 2018 SUMMARY Tweets 32 Tweet impressions 18.7K Profile visits 497 Mentions 24 New followers 15 Apr 2018 • 30 days TWEET HIGHLIGHTS Top Tweet earned 4,921 impressions Yesterday, Directors Shawn Dewane, Marice DePasquale and GM Paul Shoenberger from @MesaWater came and took a tour of our #FV facility! Thank you Mesa Water for spending your Monday with us! #WaterReuse pic.twitter.com/Bzn5mwQOPL Top media Tweet earned 603 impressions 8 Top Follower followed by 1,709 people Nobel Systems @NobelSystems FOLLOWS YOU Comprehensive GIS Cloud Solutions for all your online and offline utility asset and infrastructure management. #IoT #workorder #datamanagement #BI #GeoViewer View followers dashboardView profile Top mention earned 44 engagements Orange County Water District@OCWDWaterNews Apr 22The demand for #GWRS advanced purified #recycled #water is high today on #earthday. We also have some awesome prizes to go along w/our pure H20! Stop by & see for yourself. We are here until 3pm. @disneylandtoday @OCSewers pic.twitter.com/cVTjPWTgrF 9 Top media Tweet earned 654 impressions Last night OCSD along with @OCWDWaterNews won the Grand Prize for Environmental Communications for the #GWRS Bottled Water Campaign from the @AAEESdotORG . Click link to view the press release. ocsd.com/home/showdocum… pic.twitter.com/fqFfKfiuLS 10 Facebook Posts for April and May 2018 Published Post Type Reach Engagement 05/24/2018 1:32 pm In honor of Public Works Week 2018, we are showcasing some of our OCSD Sewer Heroes. Meet May Kyi, Senior Engineer. Video 33 Organic 33 Paid 0 4 4 2 2 05/23/2018 4:22 pm Orange County Sanitation District was live. Video 120 Organic 120 Paid 0 27 27 3 3 05/23/2018 4:18 pm Orange County Sanitation District was live. Video 151 Organic 151 Paid 0 31 31 7 7 05/23/2018 4:10 pm Orange County Sanitation District was live. Video 126 Organic 126 Paid 0 35 35 1 1 05/23/2018 4:03 pm Orange County Sanitation District was live. Video 245 Organic 80 80 12 12 Facebook Posts  April / May 2018    11 Published Post Type Reach Engagement 245 Paid 0 05/23/2018 3:38 pm OCSD's Honor Walk Ceremony will begin in about 30 minutes. A ceremony that recognizes former Board Members and Staff for significant contributions to the quality of operations and leadership at OCSD. Stay tuned... Photo 75 Organic 75 Paid 0 3 3 3 3 05/23/2018 1:00 pm Check out this video on Flushable Wipes. They are saying the same things that we are. Do you know #What2Flush? https://www.consumerreports.org/video/view/money/shopping/22783507001/are- flushable-wipes-flushable/ Link 118 Organic 118 Paid 0 16 16 8 8 05/23/2018 11:20 am In honor of Public Works Week 2018, we are showcasing some of our OCSD Sewer Heroes. Meet Sterling Harris, Engineer. Video 111 Organic 111 Paid 0 13 13 1 1 05/23/2018 9:00 am Now is your chance to get out there and learn more about the Santa Ana River watershed with @SAWPAnews Sign Search & Selfies Competition! There are 63 signs spread throughout the watershed, so head on out and take some selfies for a chance to win! Find out more here sawpa.org/signsearch/ Status 77 Organic 77 Paid 0 4 4 2 2 05/22/2018 1:05 pm In honor of Public Works Week 2018, we are showcasing some of our OCSD Sewer Heroes. Meet Ernesto Castro, Lead Plant Operator. Video 117 Organic 117 Paid 17 17 4 4 12 Published Post Type Reach Engagement 0 05/22/2018 10:09 am Tomorrow, OCSD’s Board of Directors meeting is scheduled @ 6 p.m., in #FountainValley. To view the agenda, visit https://www.ocsd.com/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/1577/193?backlist=%2f Photo 96 Organic 96 Paid 0 1 1 0 0 05/22/2018 9:00 am Who's ready for some Trivia Tuesday? 🙋♂🙋♀ Question: How much energy does OCSD generate from burning natural gas and methane gas (biogas)? Status 103 Organic 103 Paid 0 1 1 0 0 05/21/2018 4:42 pm In honor of Public Works Week 2018, we will be showcasing some of our OCSD Sewer Heroes. Meet Leyla Perez, Principle Environmental Specialist. Video 756 Organic 756 Paid 0 134 134 85 85 05/21/2018 12:35 pm It's National Public Works Week! Thank you to our public works heroes who keep our sewer systems running every day! #NPWW Photo 132 Organic 132 Paid 0 12 12 12 12 05/21/2018 9:00 am “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.” – John Wooden #MotivationMonday Status 120 Organic 120 Paid 0 3 3 5 5 13 Published Post Type Reach Engagement 05/19/2018 10:16 am Have any plans today? If not, come visit us at the OC Public Works Day event! We're here until 2 p.m. and have lots of goodies to give away! Photo 338 Organic 338 Paid 0 52 52 16 16 05/18/2018 9:00 am #FunFactFriday Did you know that both treatment plants produces an average of 7.5 million kWh per month. That’s enough power for about 12,500 homes. Photo 340 Organic 340 Paid 0 26 26 28 28 05/17/2018 4:18 pm We had the pleasure of visiting with Antonio R. Villaraigosa on a tour of the world's largest #waterreuse project of its kind. More #GWRS type projects are needed to increase local #water reliability throughout #CA. #OCWaterDistrict #InfrastructureWeek Photo 157 Organic 157 Paid 0 28 28 7 7 05/17/2018 12:00 pm CONSTRUCTION ALERT City of Newport Beach - City Hall - Hospital Rd between Newport Blvd and Old Newport will be closed starting Friday night, 8 p.m. to Saturday approximately 3 p.m. for grinding & paving and restoration of traffic signal loops. NB Newport lanes and the Newport/Old Newport ramp will also be closed to accommodate the work. www.ocsd.com/newport #OCSDConstruction Photo 147 Organic 147 Paid 0 8 8 3 3 05/16/2018 12:50 pm If repairing, servicing, and troubleshooting equipment and machinery is your passion, then check out our listing for a Senior Mechanic for Collections at https://www.ocsd.com/about-us/jobs. Link 333 Organic 333 Paid 0 24 24 14 14 05/15/2018 9:30 am We dropped off posters at the City of Los Alamitos highlighting the upcoming construction of the Western Regional Sewer Program. We want to make sure the local residents and businesses are aware of what is coming up. Thank you, Los Alamitos, for helping us keep the community aware of our future infrastructure Photo 119 Organic 4 4 0 14 Published Post Type Reach Engagement improvements. For more information on the program please visit www.ocsd.com/western. #OCSDConstruction 119 Paid 0 0 05/14/2018 4:05 pm CONSTRUCTION ALERT City of Newport Beach - City Hall - Night work on WB PCH by the Newport Blvd. Bridge takes place tonight and tomorrow night, 8:30 p.m. - 5 a.m. Nearby residents and businesses may experience some construction noise. WB PCH hook ramp to SB Newport Blvd will be closed. SB Old Newport to WB PCH will be closed. https://www.ocsd.com/residents/current- construction. We apologize for the impacts and appreciate the patience. #OCSDConstruction Photo 119 Organic 119 Paid 0 8 8 4 4 05/14/2018 9:00 am “Do what you can with all you have, wherever you are.” -Theodore Roosevelt #MotivationMonday Status 100 Organic 100 Paid 0 5 5 1 1 05/14/2018 7:26 am OCSD's Legislative and Public Affairs Committee meeting will be meeting today, May 14 at 12 p.m. in #FountainValley. To view the agenda click on the link below. https://www.ocsd.com/Home/ShowDocument?id=24732 Photo 111 Organic 111 Paid 0 7 7 4 4 05/11/2018 12:00 pm Flashback Friday: Last year’s most excellent video, The Compost Story. Saving the Planet with composted biosolids! #ICAW https://www.ocsd.com/Home/Components/News/News/1841/354 Link 262 Organic 262 Paid 0 9 9 10 10 05/10/2018 9:00 am Part 2: Big unveil of OCSD’s NEW Biosolids Program video! How we safely recycle our biosolids and how biosolids help the environment. #ICAW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kof9LL1Tj2M Link 114 Organic 114 Paid 3 3 2 2 15 Published Post Type Reach Engagement 0 05/09/2018 3:00 pm Did you know? The Babylonians introduced the world to clay sewer pipes around 4000 BCE, with the earliest examples found in the Temple of Bel at Nippur and at Eshnunna, Babylonia. #WisdomWednesday Photo 176 Organic 176 Paid 0 19 19 9 9 05/09/2018 12:00 pm Part 1: Big unveil of OCSD’s NEW Biosolids Program video! What are they and how are they made? #ICAW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AOAaDWPTiQ Link 212 Organic 212 Paid 0 47 47 22 22 05/09/2018 9:00 am Tonight OCSD's Administration Committee will be meeting at 5 p.m. in #FountainValley. To view the agenda click on the link below. https://www.ocsd.com/Home/ShowDocument?id=24714 Link 98 Organic 98 Paid 0 5 5 0 0 05/08/2018 1:00 pm Who's ready for some Trivia Tuesday?? True or False; We participate in ocean monitoring regional studies from Santa Barbara to the U.S./Mexico border. Status 174 Organic 174 Paid 0 14 14 7 7 05/08/2018 10:00 am On Wednesday, OCSD will be conducting a planned power shutdown to test our third level generation system. This exercise will take place from 6 – 10 a.m. and is to identify any vulnerabilities to OCSD’s third level power reliability and provide an opportunity to gain field experience, and activate the Emergency Operations Center. During this exercise, OCSD’s phone system may experience interruptions. If you are unable to contact us through our main numbers, please call us at: •Emergencies such as a spill or odor, please contact us at (714) 477-4316 •General inquires, (714) 887-9179 We can also be reached on social media @ocsewers. Photo 140 Organic 140 Paid 0 25 25 4 4 16 Published Post Type Reach Engagement 05/08/2018 9:00 am Check out these super cool #compost infographics by @ILSR! OCSD’s biosolids help create #healthysoils via #composting. #ICAW https://ilsr.org/compost- impacts/ Link 101 Organic 101 Paid 0 7 7 5 5 05/07/2018 12:00 pm Happy International Compost Awareness Week! Find out how biosolids are helping to fight climate change! #ICAW https://www.ocsd.com/education/biosolids-program/biosolids-news Link 326 Organic 326 Paid 0 33 33 31 31 05/07/2018 9:00 am “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt #MotivationMonday Status 90 Organic 90 Paid 0 1 1 1 1 05/05/2018 9:00 am Happy Cinco de Mayo from the Orange County Sanitation District! Photo 105 Organic 105 Paid 0 1 1 2 2 05/04/2018 9:20 am We are proud to partner with the Orange County Water District on the #GWRS. Link 43 Organic 43 Paid 0 2 2 1 1 05/02/2018 11:32 am #DidYouKnow The first recorded use of underground clay pipes for #sanitation and water supply was in the ancient city of Knossos on the Greek island of Crete. Knossos (shown below) had a sophisticated system for transporting both freshwater and wastewater. #WednesdayWisdom Photo 390 Organic 25 25 13 17 Published Post Type Reach Engagement 390 Paid 0 13 05/01/2018 10:07 am Who's ready for some Trivia Tuesday?? 🙋♀🙋♂ Question: How much water does #OCSD supply to the Orange County Water District every single day? Status 166 Organic 166 Paid 0 30 30 4 4 04/30/2018 3:20 pm OCSD's Operations Committee meeting will be taking place on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Fountain Valley. To view the agenda click on the link below. https://www.ocsd.com/Home/ShowDocument?id=24675 Photo 126 Organic 126 Paid 0 8 8 1 1 04/30/2018 9:00 am “Security Is Mostly A Superstition. Life Is Either A Daring Adventure Or Nothing.” -Helen Keller #MotivationMonday Status 95 Organic 95 Paid 0 3 3 1 1 04/28/2018 7:00 am Pills DON'T belong in the sewers! The only 3 P’s that should go down the drain are Pee, Poo and Paper; NOT PILLS!!! There are many ways to properly dispose of prescription medication. In honor of National Take Back Day, our friends at the County of Orange Health Care Agency are taking all of your expired, unused or unwanted prescription medications. Stop by any of the OC Health Agency collection sites today, April 28, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to drop off your unwanted prescriptions for free! #What2Flush To locate a collection site near you visit: https://takebackday.dea.gov/ Link 465 Organic 465 Paid 0 15 15 10 10 04/27/2018 12:00 pm Calling all #college students: OCSD is on the lookout for a Human Resources Intern! Head over to ocsd.com/about-us/jobs for more information about this position. Link 227 Organic 227 Paid 15 15 6 6 18 Published Post Type Reach Engagement 0 04/27/2018 9:51 am Congratulation to OCSD’s 2017-18 PSA Contest Winners! Mana Javida, from Canyon High School, received 1st place with her PSA best showcasing the transformation that OCSD does with wastewater every single day. 2nd place winner in the PSA Contest is Carter Marrero from Canyon High School, for teaching others What2Flush and the YouTube viewer’s choice goes to Alexa Valladares, Alexis Marin, Genesis Suazo and Ernesto and Samantha Calderon from Nova Academy. Out of 25 submissions from high schools all over Orange County, these students showed their knowledge and video editing skills all while educating the public on the work OCSD does and What 2 Flush. To view the winning videos and learn more about OCSD visit: OCSD.com and YouTube.com/2OCSD Photo 413 Organic 413 Paid 0 31 31 17 17 04/27/2018 9:00 am Happy #FlashBackFriday! This photo was taken by our plant water pump station during the eclipse last year! The grating above acted like an array of pinhole viewers. #prettycool Photo 169 Organic 169 Paid 0 17 17 14 14 04/26/2018 12:48 pm CONSTRUCTION ALERT: Work is currently taking place on PCH at Superior Blvd. in Newport Beach until next week, M-F 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. #OCSDConstruction Photo 153 Organic 153 Paid 0 7 7 7 7 04/26/2018 12:00 pm If you have passion for the #environment then OCSD has a place for you! We currently have an opening for an Environmental Specialist, check it out at ocsd.com/about-us/jobs Link 196 Organic 196 Paid 0 13 13 7 7 04/24/2018 11:08 am Yesterday, Directors Shawn Dewane, Marice DePasquale and GM Paul Shoenberger from Mesa Water District came and took a tour of our Fountain Valley facility! Thank you Mesa Water for spending your Monday with us! #WaterReuse Photo 303 Organic 303 Paid 0 23 23 23 23 19 Published Post Type Reach Engagement 04/24/2018 9:00 am Back in February, OCSD along w/ Guinness World Records & Orange County Water District set out for an epic water recycling record in California. #wedidit #worldrecord #gwrs #waterreuse http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/commercial/2018/4/epic-water- recycling-record-set-in-california-in-bid-to-highlight-extreme-weather-518335 Link 298 Organic 298 Paid 0 21 21 20 20 04/23/2018 4:00 pm This Wednesday, OCSD’s Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for @ 6 p.m., in #FountainValley. To view the agenda, visit: https://www.ocsd.com/Home/ShowDocument?id=24655 Link 85 Organic 85 Paid 0 1 1 0 0 04/23/2018 3:00 pm OCSD’s Steering Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 25 @ 5 p.m., in #FountainValley. To view the agenda, visit: https://www.ocsd.com/Home/ShowDocument?id=24651 Link 94 Organic 94 Paid 0 2 2 1 1 04/23/2018 10:30 am Our interns went out last week and informed residents of Newport Beach about some local maintenance on a nearby pump station. For more information call our office at (714) 962-2411 or visit our website www.ocsd.com. Photo 120 Organic 120 Paid 0 10 10 6 6 04/23/2018 9:00 am "We generate fears while we sit. We overcome them by action." - Dr. Henry Link #MotivationMonday Status 90 Organic 90 Paid 0 3 3 6 6 Page 1 of 2 LEGISLATIVE AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Meeting Date 06/11/18 To Bd. of Dir. -- AGENDA REPORT Item Number 3 Item Number -- Orange County Sanitation District FROM: James D. Herberg, General Manager Originator: Robert P. Ghirelli, Assistant General Manager SUBJECT: LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS UPDATE GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION Information Only. BACKGROUND The Orange County Sanitation District’s (Sanitation District) legislative affairs program includes advocating the Sanitation District’s legislative interests, sponsoring legislation (where appropriate), and seeking Federal/State funding for projects. Staff will provide an update on recent legislative activities. RELEVANT STANDARDS • Maintain influential legislative advocacy and a public outreach program • Build brand, trust, and support with policy makers and community leaders • Maintain collaborative and cooperative relationships with regulators, stakeholders, and neighboring communities • Listen to and seriously consider community input on environmental concerns • Use all practical and effective means for resource recovery PROBLEM Without a strong advocacy program, elected officials may not be aware that the Sanitation District is more than a wastewater treatment plant – treating and sending water to the ocean. The Sanitation District is an environmentally engaged organization which recycles more than 50 percent of its wastewater. Additionally, to help meet the goal of 100 percent recycling, the Sanitation District uses the byproducts from the wastewater treatment process to produce biosolids and energy used to help run the two plants in Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach. Page 2 of 2 PROPOSED SOLUTION Work with Local, State, and Federal officials to advocate the Sanitation District’s legislative interests. Help to create/monitor legislation and grants that would benefit the Sanitation District, the wastewater industry, and the community as a whole. To assist in our relationship building activities, we will continue to reach out to our elected officials providing facility tours, one-on-one meetings, and trips to D.C. and Sacramento. RAMIFICATIONS OF NOT TAKING ACTION If we do not work with Local, State, and Federal elected officials, legislation could be passed that negatively affects the Sanitation District and the wastewater industry as a whole. Additionally, this could affect our chances of receiving grant funding. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The Senate Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) bill S. 2800 would create a new program providing $100 million over fiscal years 2019 and 2020 to allow for a State Revolving Fund to secure loans at U.S. Treasury rates. The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works unanimously approved S. 2800 which contains a number of provisions that would increase funding opportunities for water infrastructure projects. The next steps will be a Senate floor debate and a vote later this summer. ATTACHMENT The following attachment(s) are included in hard copy and may also be viewed on-line at the OCSD website (www.ocsd.com) with the complete agenda package: • Federal Update & Legislative Matrix - ENS Resources • State Update & Legislative Matrix - Townsend Public Affairs • Grant Matrix M E M O R A N D U M TO: Rebecca Long FROM: Eric Sapirstein DATE: May 21, 2018 SUBJECT: Washington Update With the fast approaching summer recess and the looming mid-term elections, congressional committees began to make significant progress on a number issues with the hope that the legislative proposals could be approved by the House and Senate to allow for the finalization of proposals during the anticipated Lame Duck Session following the congressional elections. With this outlook in mind, the following summarizes the status of issues of interest to Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) as Congress prepares to recess for Memorial Day. Fiscal Year 2019 Budgets Begin to Receive Congressional Consideration The decision to approve a two-year budget dictating overall spending levels for the federal government has made development of the twelve fiscal year 2019 spending bills comparatively straightforward. The prospect that both the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations will finalize versions of agency program spending levels in the coming weeks is strong. The expectation is that the twelve spending bills will be moved out of the Committees on Appropriations to the respective chambers for floor debate and votes by July 4th. While it is unclear if the Senate would be able to complete action by the end of July, we assume that the House will secure passage of its spending bills. Should this unfold, it is possible that for the first time in decades, final spending agreements could be in place by October 1 when the new fiscal year begins. For OCSD, the congressional spending decisions to date have addressed key areas of interest. The House Committee on Appropriations has, as is the routine, developed its spending bills before the Senate. However, the Senate Committee on Appropriations will complete action on a number of agency budgets by May 24. 2 | Page ENS Resources, Inc. 1901 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Suite 1005 Washington, D.C. 20006 Phone 202.466.3755/Telefax 202.466.3787 The House Committee on Appropriations has acted upon the FY 19 United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) budgets, addressing federal water infrastructure programs. At USEPA, congressional support for the core water infrastructure program, the State Revolving Fund (SRF), means the continuation of higher spending levels compared to prior years. If the House USEPA spending bill prevails in final negotiations with the Senate version, the Clean Water SRF would receive $1.7 billion. The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) low interest loan program would win a record $75 million in funding assistance. If enacted this leveraged assistance could result in the funding of at least $6 billion in new infrastructure projects; above and beyond the projects funded with SRF assistance. The legislation is also notable for two policy rider provisions. The first rider would reinforce the ongoing rewrite of the Waters of the U.S. It states that until the rule is issued, the existing definition of such waters is repealed, making the Obama era rulemaking moot. The second rider would prohibit any challenges under federal or state laws to the CA Water Fix environmental impact statement and related findings. The rider in theory would expedited planning, design and construction of the Delta Tunnel Project that the Governor would like to see permitted before leaving office in January. Within the Department of the Interior, the House bill would support USBR’s water recycling programs with robust support. The bill provides $20 million to support the WIIN Program that funds the OCSD Headworks project. An additional $40 million is provided to the general water recycling assistance program, Title XVI. USBR has indicated this program could support Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) projects deemed to be appropriate, including the Headworks project. USBR has also indicated that WIIN assistance might be available to support ongoing projects such as the Headworks project. Water Infrastructure Legislation Advances as Part of Senate WRDA Bill; House Bill Silent The effort to pass a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) picked up momentum as draft bills in the House and Senate were released with the priority to complete markups of both bills by May 24. The Senate WRDA bill, entitled America’s Water Infrastructure Act (S. 2800) is notable for provisions to address the funding needs documented in the USEPA Clean Water Needs Survey and the commonly accepted clean water infrastructure funding gap currently estimated at close to one trillion dollars over the next two decades. 3 | Page ENS Resources, Inc. 1901 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Suite 1005 Washington, D.C. 20006 Phone 202.466.3755/Telefax 202.466.3787 S. 2800 would create a new WIFIA-like program, providing $100 million over FY 2019 and 2020 to allow a State SRF to secure loans at U.S. Treasury rates. These loans could then be provided to local agency projects. Unlike the WIFIA program, a project could receive 100% funding, not be required to pay application fees, and no additional environmental reviews would be mandated. Similar to WIFIA, loan terms could extend to 35 years and payments would be deferred until five years after substantial completion of the project. The authors of the legislation indicate that a state SRF could leverage any assistance to the maximum extent practicable. This suggests that project funding opportunities could be in the range of billions of dollars for construction activities. S. 2800 is also notable for provisions to address the climate resiliency needs of local agencies. A limited grants assistance program of $25 million annually for two years would be authorized to support local agencies develop strategies to address climate impacts, including the relocation of facilities that are impacted by sea level rise, stormwater overflows, and sanitary sewer overflows (SSO). The bill also seeks to renew the WaterSense Program at USEPA. This program would encourage the use of water and energy efficient treatment technologies. The legislation may require additional modifications to ensure that any USEPA standards issued to incentivize the use of water efficiency technologies does not result in the use of water softener technologies that increase salt loadings to wastewater treatment facilities and thereby boost treatment costs for ratepayers. Lastly, the measure will contain language to permit integrated plans and permits that would provide for extended terms under enforceable compliance schedules. The language is of limited value to the District because it is envisioned for use by cities that have competing water quality requirements such as traditional treatment and stormwater treatment. Unlike the Senate measure, the House WRDA, entitled the Water Resources Development Act of 2018 (H.R. 8), focuses on traditional U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) projects such as flood protection and navigation. According to the committee staff, a separate bill might be developed to address non-USACE needs. Staff indicate that such an approach would allow the committee to identify clean water legislative priorities for the purposes of preparing for a conference negotiation with the Senate later this summer or fall. Among the issues that might be considered is an extension of NPDES permit terms as the District discussed when it visited the congressional delegation in April. OCSD Federal Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION OTHER POSITIONS H.R.1071 Paul Tonko (D-NY)Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2017. Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to increase assistance for States, water systems, and disadvantaged communities; to encourage good financial and environmental management of water systems; to strengthen the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to enforce the requirements of the Act; and for other purposes. Introduced 2/13/17 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce 2/15/17 Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 465 Bob Gibbs (R-OH)Water Quality Improvement Act. Amends the Clean Water Act to allow for integreated plan permits for CSO's and related wet weather compliance needs in association with traditional discharge mandates to allow for priority setting Introduced 1/12/2017 Referred to House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure Mark- up likely in July Watch NACWA Supports/Could become vehicle for permit term extensions to ten years from five years H.R.1068 Frank Pallone (D-NJ)Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 2017. To enable needed drinking water standards, reduce lead in drinking water, plan for and address threats from climate change, terrorism, and source water contamination, invest in drinking water infrastructure, increase compliance with drinking water standards, foster greater community right to know about drinking water quality, and promote technological solutions for drinking water challenges. Introduced in House 2/15/17, Referred to Subcommittee on Environment 2/17/17 Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 1663 Robert Wittman (R-VA)Water Resources Research Amendments Act. Amends the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 to reauthorize grants for and require applied water supply research regarding the water resources research and technology institutes established under that Act. Introduced 3/21/17 Referred to Committee on Natural Resources - 3/21/17 Watch No supporters of note for OCSD Proposed Federal Legislation 2017-2018 Priority OCSD Federal Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION OTHER POSITIONS H.R. 1579 Scott H. Peters (D-CA)Secure and Resilient Water Systems Act. To require drinking water systems to assess and address their vulnerabilities to climate change, source water degradation, and intentional acts to ensure secuity and resiliency. Introduced in House 3/16/17, referred to Committee on Energy and Commerce Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 434 Jeff Denham (R-CA)New WATER Act. Authorizes the Department of the Interior, for 15 years after this bill's enactment, to provide financial assistance, such as secured loans or loan guarantees, to entities that contract under federal reclamation law to carry out water projects within the 17 western states served by the Bureau of Reclamation, other states where the Bureau is authorized to provide project assistance, Alaska, and Hawaii. Introduced 1/11/17 Referred to Subcommittee on Water, Power, and Oceans - 2/7/17 Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 448 Jared Huffman (D-CA)Water Conservation Rebate Tax Parity Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the tax exclusion for energy conservation subsidies provided by public utilities to exclude from gross income subsidies provided: (1) by a public utility to a customer, or by a state or local government to a resident of such state or locality, for the purchase or installation of any water conservation or efficiency measure; and (2) by a storm water management provider to a customer, or by a state or local government to a resident of such state or locality, for the purchase or installation of any storm water management measure. Introduced 1/11/2017 Referred to Committee on Ways and Means - 1/11/17 Support ACWA and CASA Support OCSD Federal Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION OTHER POSITIONS S. 692 Deb Fischer (R-NE)Water infrastructure Flexibility Act. Provides for integrated plan permits, to establish an Office of the Municipal Ombudsman, to promote green infrastructure, and to require the revision of financial capability guidance. Approved by Senate without objection on Unanimous Consent on 10/10/17 and referred to House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure Support NACWA Supports H.R. 1654 Tom McClintock (R-CA)Water Supply Permitting Coordination Act. To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to coordinate Federal and permitting processes related to the construction of new surface water storage projects on lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture and to designate the Bureau of Reclamation as the lead agency for permit processing, and for other purposes. Introduced 3/21/17 Referred to Committee on Natural Resources,ePassed House and referred to Senate 6/26/17 Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R.998 Jason Smith (R-MO)SCRUB Act. SCRUB would institutionalize a process to identify those regulations that are eligible to be repealed. Under the measure, a bipartisan review commission would examine rules fifteen years or older that are determined to be not necessary and should be repealed immediately, or given to the appropriate agency for the purposes of prioritizing the rule for repeal. Passed House 3/1/17 240-185, Received in Senate - referred to Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Support No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 1653 Robert E. Latta (R-OH)Drinking Water Affordability Act. Amends certain provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act, and for other purposes. Introduced 3/21/2017 Referred to Subcommittee on Environment Watch No supporters of note for OCSD OCSD Federal Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION OTHER POSITIONS H.R. 1807 Louie Gohmert (R-TX) Public Water Supply Invasive Species Compliance Act of 2017. Amends the Lacey Act and the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 by exempting certain water transfers between public water supplies located on, along, or across the boundaries of Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana from prohibitions on illegal trade of plants and wildlife. Specifically, the prohibitions do not apply to covered water transfers containing a prohibited species if: (1) the species are present in both public water supplies before the transfer and the water is transferred directly between them; or (2) the water is transferred in a closed conveyance system (a closed system that collects, contains, and transports the flow of water, such as pipe systems) and sent directly to treatment facilities where the species will be destroyed. Introduced 3/30/2017 Ordered to be Reported (Amended) 4/27/2017 Watch No supporters of note for OCSD S. 896 Richard Burr (R-NC)A bill to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This bill amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to make permanent the authorization for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The greater of 1.5% of the annual authorized funding amount or $10 million shall be used for projects that secure recreational public access to existing federal public land for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes. Introduced and referred to Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 4/07/2017 Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 1971 Lloyd Smucker (R-PA)Water Infrastructure Flexibility Act. To provide for integrated plan permits, to establish an Office of the Municipal Ombudsman, to promote green infrastructure, and to require the revision of financial capability guidance. Introduced and referred to Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment- 4/07/2017 Support NACWA Supports OCSD Federal Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION OTHER POSITIONS S. 880 Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)Made In America Water Infrastructure Act. To ensure the use of American iron and steel in public water systems, and for other purposes Introduced and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 4/07/2017 Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 2116 Stephen Knight (R-CA) Perchlorate Reclamation and Water Replenishment Act. Amends the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in a series of water reclamation projects to provide a new water supply to communities previously impacted by perchlorate contamination plumes. Introduced 4/25/2017 Referred to Committee on Natural Resources Watch NACWA Supports H.R. 1647 Earl Blumenauer (D- OR)Water Infrastructure Trust Fund Act of 2017. To establish a Water Infrastructure Trust Fund, and for other purposes Introduced 3/21/2017 Referred to Subcommittee on Environment Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 2510 Peter DeFazio (D-OR)Clean Water and Jobs Creation Act of 2017. To renew the Clean Water SRF Program and to provide grants to support resiliency needs Introduced 5/19/2017 Support CASA Supports S. 1137 Ben Cardin (D-MD)Clean Safe Reliable Water Infrastructure Act. Provides for a robust funding of SRF programs and to establish a WaterSense Program to promote water efficiency Introduced 5/16/2017 Referred to Committee on Environment and Public Works Watch No supporters of note for OCSD S. 21 Paul Rand (R-KY)Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2017. This bill will provide for congressional approval of regulations with impacts of $100 million or greater Reported to Senate from Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Watch No supporters of note for OCSD OCSD Federal Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION OTHER POSITIONS H.R. 3266 Michael Simpson (R-ID) Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018. This bill provides FY2018 appropriations for: the civil works projects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation and Central Utah Project; the Department of Energy (DOE); and several independent agencies, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Reported to House without amendment 07/17/2017. Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 163 Watch No supporters of note for OCSD S. 1696 Tom Udall (D-NM)Smart Energy and Water Efficiency Act. Provides for language protecting against certification of technologies that migh impair water treatment or increase costs. Introduced 8/1/17 and referred to Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Watch No supporters of note for OCSD but anticipate CASA and WateReuse will support H.R. 3275 Jerry McNerney (D-CA)Water and Energy Sustainability through Technology Act. Provides for assistance to support innovation in water treatment and water use efficiency. Introduced and referred to Committees on Energy and Commerce, Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure, Science Space and Technology, Agriculture 8/8/17 Watch No supporters of note for OCSD OCSD Federal Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION OTHER POSITIONS H.R. 3354 Kenneth Calvert (R-CA) Department of the Interior, Envirnment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018. This bill provides FY2018 appropriations for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and related agencies. The bill provides annual appropriations for most of the Department of the Interior, including: the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Program (PILT), the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Indian Education. The House Committee on Appropriations reported an original measure on 7/21/17. Passed/agreed to in House on 9/14/17 Pending FY 18 Budget negotiations Watch No supporters of note for OCSD Clean Water SRF is funded at $1.3 billion (current level) S. 1609 Lamar Alexander (R- TN) Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018. This bill provides FY2018 appropriations for: the civil works projects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation and Central Utah Introduced in the Senate on 7/20/17. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. Pending Budget Negotiations Watch No supporters of note for OCSD Strong funding for water recycling project assistance under Title XVI and WIIN S. 1622 Bob Menendez (D-NJ) Beach Act of 2017. This bill amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to revise and reauthorize through FY2021 a grant program for monitoring, and notifying the public of, any pathogens in coastal recreation waters bordering public beaches. Senate - 07/24/2017 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. Watch No supporters of note for OCSD OCSD Federal Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION OTHER POSITIONS H.R. 2755 Frank Pallone (D-NJ)Beach Act of 2017. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to revise and reauthorize through FY2021 a grant program for monitoring, and notifying the public of, any pathogens in coastal recreation waters bordering public beaches. House - 05/26/2017 Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 2510 Peter DeFazio (D-OR)Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2017. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize appropriations for State water pollution control revolving funds, and for other purposes. House - 05/18/2017 Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Watch No supporters of note for OCSD S. 1464 Dianne Feinstein (D- CA) Water Conservation Tax Parity Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the tax exclusion for energy conservation subsidies provided by public utilities to exclude from gross income subsidies provided (directly or indirectly): (1) by a public utility to a customer, or by a state or local government to a resident of such state or locality, for the purchase or installation of any water conservation or efficiency measure; and (2) by a storm water management provider to a customer, or by a state or local government to a resident of such state or locality, for the purchase or installation of any storm water management measure. Senate - 6/28/2017 Referred to the Committee on Finance Watch WateReuse Supports S. 1700 Tom Udall (D-NM)Water Efficiency Improvement Act of 2017. Amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to establish a WaterSense program within the Enivronmental Protection Agency, and for other purposes. Senate - 8/2/2017 Referred to Committee on Environment and Public Works Watch No supporters of note for OCSD OCSD Federal Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION OTHER POSITIONS H.R. 2799 Jerry McNerney (D-CA)Western Water Recycling and Drought Relief Act. Amends the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Department of the Interior to participate in the design, planning, and construction of recycled water system facilities in California. House - 6/7/2017 Referred to Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 3533 Salud Carbajal (D-CA)Coastal State Climate Preparedness Act of 2017. Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a coastal climate change adaptation preparedness and response program, and for other purposes. House - 7/28/2017 Referred to Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 3906 Denny Heck (D-WA)Innovative Stormwater Infrastructure Act of 2017. Establishes centers of excellence for innovative stormwater control infrastructure, and for other purposes. House - 10/2/2017 Referred to Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 4177 Matt Cartwright (D-PA)PREPARE Act of 2017. Enhances the Federal Government’s planning and preparation for extreme weather and the Federal Government’s dissemination of best practices to respond to extreme weather, thereby increasing resilience, improving regional coordination, and mitigating the financial risk to the Federal Government from such extreme weather, and for other purposes. Hosue - 10/31/2017 Referred to Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Watch No supporters of note for OCSD OCSD Federal Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION OTHER POSITIONS H.R. 4492 Brian Mast (R-FL)Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2017. Reauthorizes and amends the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014. House -11/30/2017 Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Committee on Energy and Commerce Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 2917 Bob Gibbs (R-OH)Regulatory Certainty Act of 2017. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify when the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to prohibit the specification of a defined area, or deny or restrict the use of a defined area for specification, as a disposal site under section 404 of such Act, and for other purposes. House - 6/15/2017 Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Watch No supporters of note for OCSD S. 1996 Cory Booker (D-NJ)Environmental Justice Act of 2017. Requires Federal agencies to address environmental justice, to require consideration of cumulative impacts in certain permitting decisions, and for other purposes. Senate - 10/24/2017 Referred to Committee on Environment and Public Works Watch No supporters of note for OCSD OCSD Federal Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION OTHER POSITIONS H.R. 4114 Raul Ruiz (D-CA)Environmental Justice Act of 2017. Requires Federal agencies to address environmental justice, to require consideration of cumulative impacts in certain permitting decisions, and for other purposes. House - 10/24/2017 Referred to Committee on Energy and Commerce, Committee on Natural Resources, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Committee on Judiciary Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 1 Kevin Brady (R-TX) Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses. House - 11/2/2017 Passed House, Became law 12/22/2017 Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 4397 Mimi Walters (R-CA)California Wildfire Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2017. Provides tax relief with respect to California wildfires. House - 11/15/2017 Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 3131 Bill Hiuzenga (R-MI)Endangered Species Litigation Reasonableness Act. Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to replace the current standard for awarding court costs, including attorney fees, in citizen suits with the federal judicial code standard for awarding costs to a prevailing party. House - 6/29/2017 Referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Committee on Judiciary Watch No supporters of note for OCSD OCSD Federal Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION OTHER POSITIONS H.R. 4460 Lou Barletta (R-PA)Disaster Recovery Reform Act. Improves the provision of disaster and mitigation assistance to eligible individuals and households and to eligible State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments and certain private nonprofit organizations, and for other purposes. House - 11/28/2017 Referred to Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Committee on Financial Services Watch No supporters of note for OCSD S. 2364 John Boozman (R-AR)SRF WIN Act. Amends the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014 to provide to State infrastructure financing authorities additional opportunities to receive loans under that Act to support drinking water and clean water State revolving funds to deliver water infrastructure to communities across the United States, and for other purposes. Senate -1/30/18 Referred to Committee on Environment and Public Works Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 4902 John Katko (R-NY)SRF WIN Act. Amends the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014 to provide to State infrastructure financing authorities additional opportunities to receive loans under that Act to support drinking water and clean water State revolving funds to deliver water infrastructure to communities across the United States, and for other purposes. House - 1/30/18 Referred to Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Committee on Energy and Commerce Watch No supporters of note for OCSD H.R. 5127 Grace Napolitano (D- CA)Water Recycling Investment and Improvement Act. To establish a grant program for the funding of water recycling and reuse projects, and for other purposes. House - 2/27/18 Referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Support No supporters of note for OCSD OCSD Federal Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION OTHER POSITIONS S. 2563 Jeff Flake (R-AZ)A bill to improve the water supply and drought resilience of the United States, and for other purposes. Senate - 3/15/18 Referred to Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Watch No supporters of note for OCSD S. 2727 Kirsten Gillibrand (D- NY) PIPE Act. A bill to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a discretionary grant program for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects, and for other purposes. Senate - 4/23/18 Introduced and referred to Committee on Environment and Public Works H.R. 5596 Salud Carbajal (D-CA) Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Act of 2018. Authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a program of awarding grants to owners or operators of water systems to increase resiliency or adaptability of the systems to any ongoing or forecasted changes to the hydrologic conditions of a region of the United States. House - 4/24/18 Referred to Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Committee on Natural Resources *Encorporated into S. 2800 NACWA, CASA, & ACWA Support S. 2800 John Barrasso (R-WY) America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. Provides for the conservation and development of water and related resources, to authorize the Secretary of the Army to construct various projects for improvements to rivers and harbors of the United States, and for other purposes. Senate - 5/8/18 Committee on Environment and Public Works Hearing held. CASA, ACWA, & NACWA Support H.R. 8 Bill Shuster (R-PA) Water Resources Development Act of 2018. Provides for improvements to the rivers and harbors of the United States, to provide for the conservation and development of water and related resources, and for other purposes. House - 5/18/18 Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure OCSD Federal Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION OTHER POSITIONS H.R. XXXX Ken Calvert (R-CA)Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies FY19 Appropriations Bill. House - 5/14/18 Committee on Appropriations. Approved by Subcommittee 5/15/18 H.R. XXXX Mike Simpson (R-ID) Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies FY19 Appropriations Bill. Makes appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes. House - 5/6/18 Committee on Appropriations. Approved by Full Committee 5/16/18 Legend: ACC-OC- Association of California Cities, Orange County LOCC- League of California Cities NYC- Not Yet Considered CASA- California Association of Sanitation Agencies NACWA - National Association of Clean Water Agencies ACWA- Association of California Water Agencies CSDA- California Special Districts Association To: Orange County Sanitation District From: Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. Date: May 18, 2018 Subject: Legislative and Public Affairs Agenda Report State Political Update In the month of April, the Legislature continued to ensure that all fiscal related bills made it out of policy committees before the April 27th deadline. Additionally, bills that faced significant opposition have since taken amendments in order to pass out of their policy committees. The Legislature now has one month to pass bills out of their respective houses. Topics of particular interest in policy committees included affordable housing development, the revival of redevelopment, healthcare, tax reform, and pension reform. Below is a list of upcoming dates in the Legislature: • May 25 – Last day for fiscal committees to hear and report to the Floor • June 1 – Last day for each house to pass bills introduced in that house • June 15 – Budget bill must be passed by midnight Department of Finance State Economic Update In April, the Department of Finance reported that unemployment in California reached a new historical low of 4.3 percent. The professional and business services industry was the largest contributor to these new numbers, as these industries added 8,300 new jobs, followed next by construction (6,800), manufacturing (3,500), educational health services (2,800), and leisure and hospitality (2,000). Job losses occurred in trade, transportation and utilities (3,100), government (2,500), and information (1,000). Additionally, California’s general fund revenue for the month of March was roughly $706 million above what was forecasted in the Governor’s January Budget. Corporate tax receipts primarily drove these gains and were bolstered by a change in final tax payment dates. The State has so far collected $3.3 billion above the forecast in the Governor’s January Budget. Governor’s May Budget Revise On Friday, May 11, Governor Brown Governor released his May Revise of the FY 2018-19 State Budget. The revised budget issued by the Governor calls for $137.6 billion in General Fund spending, which represents a $3 billion increase over the Governor’s January budget proposal. As has been the case for the last several budgets, the Governor has focused the increased revenue to the State to building up the State’s reserves, paying down debt, and investing in one-time funding. The May Revise does not propose any new major on-going programs but does maintain the Governor’s January proposal to fully fund the State’s rainy-day fund, as well as invest nearly $4 billion in one-time spending. May 2018 Report 2 Among the new items that are included in the May Revise, is $359 million in General Fund spending in order to address issues related to homelessness. The Governor indicated that he views these one-time funds as a bridge in funding until additional funding becomes available through SB 2, the proposed Housing Bond on the November 2018 ballot, and No Place Like Home Funding. In addition to the above funding to help address homelessness, the Governor’s May Revise calls for the Legislature to approve legislation that will place the No Place Like Home Program, which was created by the Legislature in 2016, on the November 2018 ballot. The State has approved the program and established the guidelines for dispersing the $2 billion in funding; however, the program has been held up in the courts due to questions over the legality of the program. By placing the program on the November ballot, the Governor seeks to remove any questions regarding the legality of the program and get the funding out to counties as soon as possible. Another major proposed use of funding in the May Revise is to address infrastructure needs in the State. The May Revise proposes $2 billion in General Fund spending related to infrastructure and deferred maintenance needs for colleges and universities, courts, flood control, and state facilities. The investment in infrastructure is consistent with the Governor’s desire to commit money to one-time uses and not saddle the State with ongoing obligations to fund programs. Now that the May Revise has been released, the Legislature will conduct Budget Subcommittee hearings to gather detailed information on the Governor’s proposals, as well as to incorporate legislative priorities in the budget. The subcommittees will meet frequently over the course of the next several weeks in order to finalize their respective portions of the budget. Once the subcommittee work has concluded, a Budget Conference Committee will be convened to reconcile the differences between the budgets approved by the Senate and the Assembly. The Budget Conference Committee will also work with the Assembly Speaker, the Pro Tem of the Senate, and the Governor to reach an agreement on the final provisions of the budget. The final budget, and related trailer bills, will need to be in print by June 12th so the Legislature can vote on them by the constitutional deadline of June 15th. California WaterFix Update A major milestone for the California WaterFix project was reached in April when the Metropolitan Water District voted to invest nearly $10.8 billion to fund roughly 65 percent of a two-tunnel project. The WaterFix project will construct two tunnels under the San Joaquin Delta with the goal of providing long term water stability to Southern California communities. The State is currently performing environmental reviews and will finalize plans for the project within the next year. May 2018 Report 3 Long Term Water Conservation Update On May 17, the Legislature passed the long-term water conservation framework as a package of two bills, AB 1668 (Friedman) and SB 606 (Hertzberg). The bills achieve two major goals: they establish guidelines that emphasize efficient water use, while making a number of clarifications for the various types of water usage throughout the state; and they establish a framework for the implementation and oversight of the efficiency standards. Both AB 1668 and SB 606 were developed with the input from a diverse range of stakeholders, including water agencies, agricultural industries, and environmental advocates. There was significant discussion over the recycled water incentive bonus that was included in the Framework. Ultimately, the bill language includes a 15 percent bonus incentive for existing potable reuse projects and 10 percent for projects going forward. Existing facilities are defined as facilities that have a certified environmental impact report on or before January 1, 2019, begin producing and delivering potable reuse water on or before January 1, 2022 and use microfiltration and reverse osmosis technologies to produce the potable reuse water. The bills are now on the Governor’s desk for signature. Sponsored Legislation Update – AB 2003 (Daly) Throughout the month of May, in anticipation of the bill being heard in the Assembly Local Government Committee on May 9, TPA met with all Members of the Assembly Local Government Committee as well as the Democrat and Republican Caucus Committee Consultants to discuss the bill. There was both support and opposition to AB 2003. Opposition was concerned about transparency for the contractors as well as for members of the public, the digital divide, and precedent setting legislation that could impact numerous sections of public agency law. TPA worked closely with Committee staff and the Author to address these concerns through proposed amendments. Ultimately, on May 8, Assemblymember Daly decided to pull the bill and regroup with the opposition to discuss a future path forward to achieve our policy goals. Additional Priority Legislation AB 1933 (Maienschein) – Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: recycling infrastructure projects AB 1933 would authorize the appropriation of $200 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to CalRecycle for organic waste diversion and recycling projects. Specifically, $100 million will be used for organic waste recycling infrastructure projects that reduces GHG emissions, including, but not limited to, water treatment facilities, composting facilities, and facilities for the diversion of food waste. Another $100 million will be allocated toward solid waste recycling infrastructure projects that reduce GHG emissions. AB 1933 passed the Assembly Natural Resources Committee and is currently in the Assembly Appropriations Committee Suspense File. May 2018 Report 4 AB 2411 (McCarty) - Solid waste: use of compost: planning AB 2411 would require CalRecycle to develop and implement a plan to maximize the use of compost for slope stabilization and establishing vegetation. This bill also requires that CalRecycle work in partnership with the 12 Caltrans districts regarding the cost-effective use of compost along roadways and develop a plan to extend the identified best practices. AB 2411 passed out of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee and Assembly Appropriations Committee and is now pending committee assignment in the Senate. SB 831 (Wieckowski) - Land use: accessory dwelling units. SB 831 has been amended to allow local agencies, special districts of water corporations to require a new or separate utility connection between the accessory dwelling unit and the utility and may charge a connection fee, capacity charge, or equivalent charge for serve that is proportionate to the burden of the accessory dwelling unit. SB 831 passed the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee on April 17, is currently in the Senate Governance and Finance Committee, and will be heard on April 25. SB 929 (McGuire) – Special districts: Internet Web sites SB 929 requires all independent special districts, with certain exceptions, to maintain a web site by January 1, 2020. SB 929 also requires that the web site conform to all existing requirements that local agency web sites are obligated to follow and gives exemptions to special districts that can prove significant hardship. SB 929 passed out of the Senate and will be heard in Assembly Local Government on June 13. OCSD State Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION LEGISLATIVE PLAN OTHER POSITIONS AB 869 Rubio [D]Sustainable water use and demand reduction: recycled water. Current law imposes various water use reduction requirements that apply to urban retail water suppliers, including a requirement that the state achieve a 20% reduction in urban per capita water use by December 31, 2020. This bill would require long-term standards for urban water conservation and water use to include a credit for recycled water, as specified. Currently in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee Watch Legislative and Regulatory Policies: Support measures that promote and provide for the use of reclaimed water ACC-OC - Support LOCC - Watch CASA - Support NACWA - NYC CSDA - Watch AB 1250 Jones-Sawyer [D]Counties: contracts for personal services Would establish specific standards for the use of personal services contracts by counties. The bill would allow a county or county agency to contract for personal services currently or customarily performed by employees, as applicable, when specified conditions are met. The bill would exempt certain types of contracts from its provisions, and would exempt a city and county from its provisions. By placing new duties on local government agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill also would provide that its provisions are severable. This bill was amended to exclude cities, and does NOT apply to special districts. Held in the Senate Rules Committee Oppose - Recommend Remove Opposition Legislative and Regulatory Policies: Support legislation and regulation that allow public agencies to procure goods and services in manners similar to private industry, thereby reducing overall costs of delivery ACC-OC - Removed Opposition LOCC - Removed Opposition CASA - Refer to Leg Committee NACWA - NYC CSDA - Watch AB 1933 Maienschein [R]Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: appropriations: recycling infrastructure projects. Would appropriate $200,000,000 from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery for organic waste recycling infrastructure projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and solid waste recycling infrastructure projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Currently in the Assembly Appropriations Committee's Suspense File Support State Priorities: Support funding through grants and legislation for a Food Waste/Organic Co- Digestion facility at OCSD ACC-OC - NYC LOCC - Watch CASA - NYC NACWA - NYC CSDA - Watch Proposed Legislation 2017-2018 High Priority OCSD State Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION LEGISLATIVE PLAN OTHER POSITIONS AB 2003 Daly [D]Public contracts: sanitation districts: notice Current law authorizes a sanitation district to make and perform any agreement with a public or private corporation of any kind or a person for the joint construction, acquisition, disposition, or operation of any property or works of a kind that might be constructed, acquired, disposed of, or operated by the district. Current law requires a district, when an expenditure for work exceeds $35,000, to contract with the lowest responsible bidder after notice. Current law requires the notice to be published, as specified. This bill would instead require the notice to be published in a manner that the district board determines to be reasonable, which may include, but is not limited to, newspapers, Internet Web sites, radio, television, or other means of mass communication. Dead Sponsor Legislative and Regulatory Policies: Support legislation and regulation that allow public agencies to procure goods and services in manners similar to private industry, thereby reducing overall costs of delivery ACC-OC - NYC LOCC - NYC CASA -Support NACWA - NYC CSDA - Support AB 2379 Bloom [D]Waste management: polyester microfiber. Would require that clothing made from fabric that is more than 50% polyester bear a conspicuous label stating that the garment sheds plastic microfibers when washed and recommending hand washing. The bill would prohibit a person, on and after January 1, 2020, from selling or offering for sale clothing made from fabric that is more than 50% polyester that does not bear that label. Currently on the Assembly Floor. Ordered to third reading Watch State Priorities: Support legislation or regulations that restrict the use of microplastics in any product that is disposed of through the sewer system ACC-OC - NYC LOCC - Watch CASA - Support if Amended NACWA - NYC CSDA - NYC SB 1263 Portantino [D]Ocean Protection Council Statewide Microplastics Strategy: SB 1263 directs the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) to develop, adopt and implement a Statewide Microplastics Strategy. The goal of the Microplastics Strategy is to increase the understanding of the scale and risks of microplastic materials on the marine environment, and identify potential solutions for dealing with microplastic pollution. Currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee Watch/Rec Support State Priorities: Support legislation or regulations that restrict the use of microplastics in any product that is disposed of through the sewer system ACC-OC - NYC LOCC - Watch CASA - Support NACWA - NYC CSDA - NYC AB 2411 McCarthy [D]Solid waste: use of compost: planning. Would require the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, on or before December 31, 2019, to develop and implement a plan to maximize the use of compost for slope stabilization and establishing vegetation in the course of providing debris removal services following a fire and, in coordination with the Department of Transportation, to identify best practices of each of the Department of Transportation’s 12 districts regarding the cost-effective use of compost along roadways and develop a plan to expand the identified best practices to the other districts. Ordered to Senate Watch/Rec Support if Amended to include biosolids compost State Tactics: Development and implementation of a statewide biosolids land application management policy ACC-OC - NYC LOCC - Support CASA - Watch NACWA - NYC CSDA - NYC OCSD State Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION LEGISLATIVE PLAN OTHER POSITIONS SB 623 Monning [D]Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund Would establish the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund in the State Treasury and would provide that moneys in the fund are continuously appropriated to the State Water Resources Control Board. The bill would require the board to administer the fund to secure access to safe drinking water for all Californians, while also ensuring the long-term sustainability of drinking water service and infrastructure. The bill would authorize the state board to provide for the deposit into the fund of federal contributions, voluntary contributions, gifts, grants, bequests, and settlements from parties responsible for contamination of drinking water supplies. The bill was amended on August 21 to include a public goods charge on water, identified as $0.95 per month fee for customers with water meters up to one inch or customers without water meters. The feees increase depending on the size of the water meter, up to $10 per month for customers with water meters greater than four inches. The policy and fees set forth by this bill have been included in the Governor's January Budget proposal. Held in the Assembly Rules Committee Watch State and Federal Tactics: Work with CASA in support of continued use of tax-exempt financing and feasibile innocating financing approaches ACC-OC - NYC LOCC - Oppose unless mended CASA - Watch Closely NACWA - NYC CSDA - Oppose unless amended SB 831 Wieckowski [D]Land use: accessory dwelling units. Current law authorizes a local agency, special district, or water corporation to require a new or separate utility connection between the accessory dwelling unit and the utility and authorizes a fee to be charged, except as specified. Current law requires a local agency to submit an ordinance adopted for the creation of accessory dwelling units to the Department of Housing and Community Development and authorizes the department to review and comment on the ordinance. This bill would delete the requirement that the area be zoned to allow single-family or multifamily use. Currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Bill has been amended to remove the fee restrictions on capacity and connection fees Oppose Legislative and Regulatory Policies: Oppose measures that shift existing local revenue sources back to the state, including the special district share of property tax, sales tax, vehicle license fees, and rate payer fees ACC-OC -NYC LOCC - Oppose CASA - Oppose NACWA - NYC CSDA - Oppose SCA 4 Hertzberg [D]Water conservation. The California Constitution requires that the water resources of the state be put to beneficial use to the fullest extent of which they are capable and that the waste or unreasonable use or unreasonable method of use of water be prevented.This measure would declare the intent of the Legislature to amend the California Constitution to provide a program that would ensure that affordable water is available to all Californians and to ensure that water conservation is given a permanent role in California’s future. Currently in the Senate Rules Committee Watch Legislative and Regulatory Policies: Support legislation and regulation that necessitate the responsible use of water in residential, commercial, and industrial areas ACC-OC -NYC LOCC - Watch CASA - Work with Author NACWA - NYC CSDA - Watch OCSD State Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION LEGISLATIVE PLAN OTHER POSITIONS AB 1654 Rubio [D]Water shortage: urban water management planning. AB 1654 would have required each urban retail water supplier to report annually by June 15 to the Department of Water Resources the status of its water supplies for that year and whether the supplies will be adequate to meet projected customer demand. The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee amended all language out of this bill all other related bills. The Committee and stakeholders negotiated a new urban water management plan (AB 1668), however they were unable to pass the bill. Currently on Senate Rules Committee Watch Legislative and Regulatory Policies: Support legislation and regulation that promote improved water use efficiency through state and federal assistance ACC-OC - Support LOCC - Support CASA - Watch NACWA - NYC CSDA - Support AB 1668 Friedman [D]Water management planning. Current law requires the state to achieve a 20% reduction in urban per capita water use in California by December 31, 2020. Current law requires each urban retail water supplier to develop urban water use targets and an interim urban water use target, as specified. This bill would require the State Water Resources Control Board, in coordination with the Department of Water Resources, to adopt long-term standards for the efficient use of water, as provided, and performance measures for commercial, industrial, and institutional water use on or before June 30, 2021. Draft amendments to this bill are available now. Companion bill with SB 606 (Skinner) Amendments have been included in the bill. To Governor's Desk for signature Watch Legislative and Regulatory Policies: Support legislation and regulation that promote improved water use efficiency through state and federal assistance ACC-OC - Oppose LOCC - Watch CASA - NYC NACWA - NYC CSDA - Oppose unless amended AB 1884 Calderon [D]Solid waste: single-use plastic straws. Would prohibit a food facility, as specified, where food may be consumed on the premises, from providing single-use plastic straws to consumers unless requested by the consumer. The bill would specify that the first and 2nd violations of these provisions would result in a warning and any subsequent violation would be an infraction punishable by a fine of $25 for each day the food facility is in violation. Currently in the Assembly Appropriations Committee Watch State Priorities: Support legislation or regulations that restrict the use of microplastics in any product that is disposed of through the sewer system ACC-OC -NYC LOCC - Watch CASA - NYC NACWA - NYC CSDA - NYC AB 1981 Limon [D]Organic waste: composting. Current law requires the California Environmental Protection Agency, in coordination with the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, the State Water Resources Control Board, the State Air Resources Board, and the Department of Food and Agriculture, to develop and implement policies to aid in diverting organic waste from landfills by promoting the composting of specified organic waste and by promoting the appropriate use of that compost throughout the state. This bill would additionally include the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in the state agencies in coordination with which the California Environmental Protection Agency is required to develop and implement those policies. Currently in the Assembly Appropriations Committee Watch State Priorities: Support funding through grants and legislation for a Food Waste/Organic Co- Digestion facility at OCSD ACC-OC -NYC LOCC - Watch CASA - Work w/ author NACWA - NYC CSDA - NYC Additional Legislation OCSD State Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION LEGISLATIVE PLAN OTHER POSITIONS AB 1933 Maienschein [R]Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: Recycling Infrastructure. AB 1933 authorizes the Legislature to appropriate up to $200 million from the Greehouse Gas Reduction Fund in the annual Budget Act to the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). This money will be used on organic waste and solid waste infrastructure projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions Currently in the Assembly Appropriations Committee's Suspense File Support State Priorities: Support funding through grants and legislation for a Food Waste/Organic Co- Digestion facility at OCSD CASA - Support CSDA - Watch AB 1989 Mathis [R]Water and Wastewater Loan and Grant Program.Current law authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board to establish the Water and Wastewater Loan and Grant Program, to the extent funding is made available, to provide funding to eligible applicants for specified purposes relating to drinking water and wastewater treatment.This bill would appropriate $50,000,000 from the General Fund to the board for the program. Currently in the Assembly Appropriations Committee's Suspense File Watch State Priorities: Where appropriate, pursue State funding for critical aging infrastructure, through funding sources made available through any agency including but not limited to the State Water Resources Control Board and the Department of Water Resources ACC-OC -NYC LOCC - Watch CASA - Watch NACWA - NYC CSDA - Watch AB 2065 Ting [D]Local agencies: surplus land. For purposes of the Surplus Land Act, AB 2065 expands the definition of “local agency” to additionally include a sewer, water, utility, and local and regional park district, joint powers authorities, successor agency to a former redevelopment agency, housing authority, or other political subdivision of the state and any instrumentality thereof that is empowered to acquire and hold real property, thereby expanding the entities required to comply with the Surplus Land Act. Expands the definition of “surplus land” to mean land owned by any local agency that is not necessary for the agency’s governmental operations, except property being held by the agency expressly for the purpose of exchange for another property necessary for its governmental operations. Currently in the Assembly Approopriations Committee's Suspense File Watch Legislative and Regulatory Policies: Oppose further state regulations that adversely impact special district financing and operations ACC-OC -NYC LOCC - Watch CASA - Oppose unless amended NACWA - NYC CSDA - Oppose unless amended OCSD State Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION LEGISLATIVE PLAN OTHER POSITIONS AB 2249 Cooley [D]Public contracts: local agencies: alternative procedure. Would authorize public projects of $60,000 or less to be performed by the employees of a public agency, authorize public projects of $200,000 or less to be let to contract by informal procedures, and require public projects of more than $200,000 to be let to contract by formal bidding procedures. These measures only apply to the public agency if their Board elects to participate in the Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act. Currently in the Senate Govrnment and Finance Committee Watch Legislative and Regulatory Policies: Support legislation and regulation that allow public agencies to procure goods and services in manners similar to private industry, thereby reducing overall costs of delivery ACC-OC -NYC LOCC - Support CASA - NYC NACWA - NYC CSDA - Support AB 2447 Reyes [D]California Environmental Quality Act: land use: environmental justice CEQA requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA prohibits a lead agency from approving or carrying out a project for which a certified EIR identifies one or more significant effects on the environmental unless the lead agency makes certain findings. This bill would require the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, by June 30, 2019, to publish a list of subject land uses, as specified, and a map that identifies disadvantaged communities and areas within a 1/2 mile radius of the disadvantaged communities. Currently in the Assembly Approopriations Committee's Suspense File Watch Legislative and Regulatory Policies: Support (generally) measures that provide for improved public health through regulation. ACC-OC -NYC LOCC - NYC CASA - NYC NACWA - NYC CSDA - Oppose AB 3062 Harper [R]Recycled water: recycling criteria. Spot bill regarding recycled water. More information to follow. Dead Watch State Priorities: Support the inclusion of recycled water credits during the development of long-term water conservation legislation and regulations ACC-OC -NYC LOCC - NYC CASA - Watch NACWA - NYC CSDA - NYC OCSD State Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION LEGISLATIVE PLAN OTHER POSITIONS SB 212 Jackson [D]Medical waste. Current law, the Medical Waste Management Act, administered by the State Department of Public Health, regulates the management and handling of medical waste, as defined.This bill add to the act a definition of “home-generated pharmaceutical waste” as a prescription or over-the-counter human or veterinary home-generated pharmaceutical that is waste and is derived from a household, including, but not limited to, a multifamily residence or household. This bill is a follow-up/cleanup bill for Senator Jackson's SB 1229 (2016), which provides that certain collectors who are authorized under federal law to engage in drug take-back collection with limited protection from civil and criminal liability. Currently in the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee Support State Priorities: Support legislation or regulations that would prevent the disposing of drugs down the drain ACC-OC -NYC LOCC - Watch CASA - Watch NACWA - NYC CSDA - Support SB 606 Skinner [D]Water management planning Current law requires the state to achieve a 20% reduction in urban per capita water use in California by December 31, 2020. Current law requires each urban retail water supplier to develop urban water use targets and an interim urban water use target, as specified. The bill would require an urban retail water supplier to calculate an urban water use objective no later than July 1, 2022, and by July 1 every year thereafter, and its actual urban water use by those same dates. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling Watch Legislative and Regulatory Policies: Support legislation and regulation that promote improved water use efficiency through state and federal assistance ACC-OC - NYC LOCC - Watch CASA - NYC NACWA - NYC CSDA - Oppose unless Amended SB 929 McGuire [D] Special districts: Internet Web sites. The California Public Records Act requires a local agency to make public records available for inspection and allows a local agency to comply by posting the record on its Internet Web site and directing a member of the public to the Web site, as specified. This bill would, beginning on January 1, 2020, require every independent special district to maintain an Internet Web site that clearly lists contact information for the special district, except as provided. Because this bill would require local agencies to provide a new service, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Currently in the Assembly Local Government Watch State Priorities: Actively monitor the Little Hoover Commission hearings and reports related to climate change adaptation, special districts and other topics as it relates to OCSD ACC-OC -NYC LOCC - Watch CASA - Support NACWA - NYC CSDA - Support/Sponsor SB 966 Wiener [D]Onsite treated nonpotable water systems Would, on or before December 1, 2022, require the State Water Resources Control Board, in consultation with the California Building Standards Commission, to adopt regulations for risk-based water quality standards for the onsite treatment and reuse of nonpotable water, as provided. The bill would authorize the state board to contract with public or private entities regarding the content of the standards and would exempt those contracts from, among other provisions, review and approval of the Department of General Services. Currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee's Suspense File. Watch Legislative and Regulatory Policies: Support measures that promote and provide for the use of reclaimed water ACC-OC -NYC LOCC - Support CASA - Work w/ author NACWA - NYC CSDA - Watch OCSD State Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION LEGISLATIVE PLAN OTHER POSITIONS SB 1215 Hertzberg [D]Drinking water systems and sewer systems: consolidation and extension of service. This bill would authorize the state board to set timeline and performance measures to facilitate completion of extension of service of drinking water. This bill would authorize the state board to order consolidation with a receiving sewer system for, or extension of sewer service to, a disadvantaged community under specified circumstances. The bill would require the state board to take certain actions before ordering consolidation or extension of service that are similar to those required for the consolidation or extension of water systems and would additionally require the state board to find that at least 75% of the households in the community potentially subject to extension or consolidation of service have agreed to receive sewage service from the receiving sewer system. Currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee's Suspense File Watch Legislative and Regulatory Policies: Oppose legislation consolidating special districts that fail to address the concerns of cities affected by the proposed consolidation ACC-OC -NYC LOCC - Watch CASA - Work w/ author NACWA - NYC CSDA - Concerns SB 1263 Portantino [D]Ocean Protection Council: Statewide Microplastics Stategy. This bill would require the Ocean Protection Council (in connection with the SWRCB, and the Office of Environmental Hazard) to adopt and implement a Statewide Microplastics Strategy. The study is to be conducted by the University of California. The goal of the strategy is to increase the understanding of the scale and risks of microplastic materials and microfibers. Currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee Watch/Rec Support State Priorities: Support legislation or regulations that restrict the use of microplastics in any product that is disposed of through the sewer system ACC-OC -NYC LOCC - Watch CASA - Sponser/Support NACWA - NYC CSDA - NYC OCSD State Bills of Interest BILL AUTHOR SUMMARY LATEST ACTION OCSD POSITION LEGISLATIVE PLAN OTHER POSITIONS SB 1440 Hueso [D]Energy: biomethane: biogas and biomethane procurement program. Current law defines biomass conversion for the purposes of the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, which requires each city, county, and regional agency, if any, to develop a source reduction and recycling element of an integrated waste management plan. This bill would revise the definitions of biogas and biomass conversion for these purposes. Currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee's Suspense File Watch State Priorities: Support renewable energy initiatives that are reasonable and fair ACC-OC -NYC LOCC - Watch CASA - Watch NACWA - NYC CSDA - NYC SB 1422 Portantino [D]California Safe Drinking Water Act: microplastics. Would require the State Water Resources Control Board to adopt regulations requiring annual testing for, and reporting of, the amount of microplastics in drinking water, including public disclosure of those results. Currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee Watch State Priorities: Support legislation or regulations that restrict the use of microplastics in any product that is disposed of through the sewer system ACC-OC -NYC LOCC - Watch CASA - Watch NACWA - NYC CSDA - Watch Legend:ACC-OC - Association of California Cities, Orange County LOCC - League of California Cities NYC - Not Yet Considered CASA - California Association of Sanitation Agencies NACWA - National Association of Clean Water Agencies ACWA - Association of California Water Agencies CSDA - California Special Districts Association Name of Grant/Loan Synopsis of Grant/Loan Amount of Grant/Loan Amount Applying for Applying Y/N Project/Program Reason Match Deadline Category Rcvd Grant/ Financing Y/N California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank CA0272 Infrastructure State Revolving Fund (ISRF) Program The purpose of this program is to provide accessible low-cost financing to eligible borrowers for a wide range of infrastructure and economic expansion projects. Eligible activities generally include designing, acquiring, planning, permitting, entitling, constructing, improving, extending, restoring, financing, and generally developing eligible facilities within the state of California. Program funding is available in amounts ranging from $50,000 to $25 million, with loan terms for the useful life of the project up to a maximum of 30 years. TBD Evaluating Multiple (possible projects). Evaluating the program.Might be for smaller projects.N/A, loan program Rolling Water/Energy/ Infrastructure TBD Cap and Trade Funding $1.25 billion from the Cap and Trade program (Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund) was proposed to be appropriated in the Governor's January Budget $20 million - Waste Diversion Projects. Specifics TBD TBD TBD TBD The Cap and Trade Expenditure Plan will need to go through the legislative process. It is uncertain how much funding will be available for the District's projets, or what the funding will be used for. TBD Unknown at this time Energy/Recycling TBD 2018 Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Grant Program The Proposition 1 IRWM Grant Program, administered by DWR, provides funding for projects that help meet the long term water needs of the state, including: Assisting water infrastructure systems adapt to climate change;Providing incentives throughout each watershed to collaborate in managing the region's water resources and setting regional priorities for water infrastructure TBD TBD TBD TBD TPA and OCSD are monitoring the grant program development from the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA). Once the solicitation for bids is available, we can determine if an application is warranted. Yes. Details TBD Unknown at this time Water TBD 2018 Proposed Park Bond (Proposition 68) SB 5 (De Leon) included $290 million for Drought, Groundwater, and Water Recycling programs TBD TBD SB 5 passed the Legislature and will be on the ballot in June 2018 as Proposition 68 N/A If Proposition 68 is passed, TPA and OCSD will advocate for the inclusion of relevant funding in the final version of the Budget in June. If funding becomes available, TPA and staff will evaluate the opportunity. TBD TBD Water No The Water Infrastructure Improvements Act (S. 612/Public Law #114-322/WIIN) The enactment of the Water Infrastructure Improvements Act (S. 612/Public Law #114-322/WIIN) contained important assistance for water recycling and desalination. Senator Feinstein included $50 million to support construction of projects that have a final and deemed feasible study of a recycling project. In securing this new competitive grants program at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Senator Feinstein highlighted the identification of several water and wastewater agencies that would benefit from the assistance. OCSD is one of these agencies. $1.5 Million Yes Final Expansion of GWRS (planning, design and construction) Headworks The Sanitation District is applying for Headworks Segregation project that will help to bring more water to the GWRS. Title 16 will pay up to 25 percent of the available money 8/15/2017 Water/ Infrastructure Received notification of award on 11/27/17 for $1,325,000.00 The USEPA Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Trust Fund The fund addresses petroleum releases from regulated underground storage tanks. The LUST program receives approximately $100 million annually to prevent, detect, and clean up releases. Assistance is provided through grants. Eligible activities include removal of tanks and cleanup of contaminated areas. TBD Evaluating Cleanup of contaminated soils at Plant No. 1 We will review the grant to determine if it is a fit for the project. TBD Infrastructure TBD US Department of Agriculture The U.S. Department of Agriculture through its health watersheds program offers public-owned wastewater agencies funding through collaboration with agricultural interests where funding would be provided to the agricultural entity that would contribute to efforts to protect the watershed and minimize regulatory burdens on the point source. A total of $100 million is funded annually and the opportunity to design a watershed program might offer OCSD with the chance to advance its priority to reduce regulatory burdens. TBD TBD Reviewing the funding opportunity to see if there is a fit for OCSD. (Restoration of beaches and estuaries) We will review the possible funding opportunity to determine if it is a fit for the Sanitation District. TBD Water TBD OCSD's Grant and Loan Funding Tracker 2017-2018 STATE FEDERAL Updated 5/24/2018 Name of Grant/Loan Synopsis of Grant/Loan Amount of Grant/Loan Amount Applying for Applying Y/N Project/Program Reason Match Deadline Category Rcvd Grant/ Financing Y/N OCSD's Grant and Loan Funding Tracker 2017-2018 The Department of Energy (DOE), USBR and USEPA The DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency is likely to continue to be funded by Congress to support such efforts as biogas, biosolids and green energy. A minimum of $20 million to as much as $100 million based upon prior years’ budgets. USBR could receive as much as $130 million in support of the WaterSmart (due to increased funding under WIIN) during the next several years. USBR will issue solicitations for innovative approaches to managing water and water treatment through technology and processes. TBD TBD. We will monitor for possible funding opportunities Project Funding Opportunity: Energy production to reduce costs of recycled water through innovative technologies like Aquacritox, Innovative water monitoring technology that can produce efficient real time monitoring and data analysis, Biogas Management and Use Improvements. We will review the possible funding opportunity to determine if it is a fit for the Sanitation District. TBD Energy TBD Smart Cities and Security It is unclear how the incoming administration may revise existing programs that address energy and water efficiency needs. However, the effort to support communities develop approaches that improve the quality of life in communities might continue to receive funding. OCSD might be able to leverage such program assistance to support innovative approaches to security. Funding may also be available through Department of Homeland Security to assist communities to protect against cyber-threats. TBD TBD TBD. Based on the funding opportunities and OCSD's projects/needs. Project Funding Opportunity: SCADA System and Network Upgrades, Seismic Hazard Evaluation (FEMA Mitigation Assistance) If funding becomes available we will evaluate the opportunity.Unknown at this time Energy/Water TBD WIFIA The WIFIA program accelerates investment in our nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant projects. To qualify for funding assistance a project must cost at least $20 million. The USEPA has expressed an interest in projects that deliver multiple benefits that might capture water recycling as well as projects that address stormwater and other “large project” needs. $2 billion N/A No Possible projects: GWRS Final Expansion, District 6 Trunk Sewer Relief Project, Headworks Rehabilitation/Expansion Headquarters Complex, Site and Security/Entrance Realignment, Western Regional Sewers—Planning and design and construction The Sanitation District does not plan to borrow funds to complete projects. The Water District might qualify for these loans and OCSD will support them if they choose to do so. 4/10/2017 Water/ Infrastructure N/A Updated 5/24/2018 ORANGE COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT COMMON ACRONYMS ACWA Association of California Water Agencies LAFCO Local Agency Formation Commission RWQCB Regional Water Quality Control Board APWA American Public Works Association LOS Level Of Service SARFPA Santa Ana River Flood Protection Agency AQMD Air Quality Management District MGD Million Gallons Per Day SARI Santa Ana River Interceptor ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers MOU Memorandum of Understanding SARWQCB Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board BOD Biochemical Oxygen Demand NACWA National Association of Clean Water Agencies SAWPA Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority CARB California Air Resources Board NEPA National Environmental Policy Act SCADA Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition CASA California Association of Sanitation Agencies NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations SCAP Southern California Alliance of Publicly Owned Treatment Works CCTV Closed Circuit Television NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System SCAQMD South Coast Air Quality Management District CEQA California Environmental Quality Act NWRI National Water Research Institute SOCWA South Orange County Wastewater Authority CIP Capital Improvement Program O & M Operations & Maintenance SRF Clean Water State Revolving Fund CRWQCB California Regional Water Quality Control Board OCCOG Orange County Council of Governments SSMP Sewer System Management Plan CWA Clean Water Act OCHCA Orange County Health Care Agency SSO Sanitary Sewer Overflow CWEA California Water Environment Association OCSD Orange County Sanitation District SWRCB State Water Resources Control Board EIR Environmental Impact Report OCWD Orange County Water District TDS Total Dissolved Solids EMT Executive Management Team OOBS Ocean Outfall Booster Station TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load EPA US Environmental Protection Agency OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration TSS Total Suspended Solids FOG Fats, Oils, and Grease PCSA Professional Consultant/Construction Services Agreement WDR Waste Discharge Requirements gpd gallons per day PDSA Professional Design Services Agreement WEF Water Environment Federation GWRS Groundwater Replenishment System POTW Publicly Owned Treatment Works WERF Water Environment & Reuse Foundation ICS Incident Command System ppm parts per million WIFIA Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act IERP Integrated Emergency Response Plan PSA Professional Services Agreement WIIN Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act JPA Joint Powers Authority RFP Request For Proposal WRDA Water Resources Development Act ORANGE COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT GLOSSARY OF TERMS ACTIVATED SLUDGE PROCESS – A secondary biological wastewater treatment process where bacteria reproduce at a high rate with the introduction of excess air or oxygen and consume dissolved nutrients in the wastewater. BENTHOS – The community of organisms, such as sea stars, worms, and shrimp, which live on, in, or near the seabed, also known as the benthic zone. BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD) – The amount of oxygen used when organic matter undergoes decomposition by microorganisms. Testing for BOD is done to assess the amount of organic matter in water. BIOGAS – A gas that is produced by the action of anaerobic bacteria on organic waste matter in a digester tank that can be used as a fuel. BIOSOLIDS – Biosolids are nutrient rich organic and highly treated solid materials produced by the wastewater treatment process. This high-quality product can be recycled as a soil amendment on farmland or further processed as an earth-like product for commercial and home gardens to improve and maintain fertile soil and stimulate plant growth. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (CIP) – Projects for repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of assets. Also includes treatment improvements, additional capacity, and projects for the support facilities. COLIFORM BACTERIA – A group of bacteria found in the intestines of humans and other animals, but also occasionally found elsewhere, used as indicators of sewage pollution. E. coli are the most common bacteria in wastewater. COLLECTIONS SYSTEM – In wastewater, it is the system of typically underground pipes that receive and convey sanitary wastewater or storm water. CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION (COP) – A type of financing where an investor purchases a share of the lease revenues of a program rather than the bond being secured by those revenues. CONTAMINANTS OF POTENTIAL CONCERN (CPC) – Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants. DILUTION TO THRESHOLD (D/T) – The dilution at which the majority of people detect the odor becomes the D/T for that air sample. GREENHOUSE GASES (GHG) – In the order of relative abundance water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone gases that are considered the cause of global warming (“greenhouse effect”). GROUNDWATER REPLENISHMENT SYSTEM (GWRS) – A joint water reclamation project that proactively responds to Southern California’s current and future water needs. This joint project between the Orange County Water District and the Orange County Sanitation District provides 70 million gallons per day of drinking quality water to replenish the local groundwater supply. LEVEL OF SERVICE (LOS) – Goals to support environmental and public expectations for performance. N-NITROSODIMETHYLAMINE (NDMA) – A N-nitrosamine suspected cancer-causing agent. It has been found in the Groundwater Replenishment System process and is eliminated using hydrogen peroxide with extra ultra-violet treatment. NATIONAL BIOSOLIDS PARTNERSHIP (NBP) – An alliance of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies and Water Environment Federation, with advisory support from the US Environmental Protection Agency. NBP is committed to developing and advancing environmentally sound and sustainable biosolids management practices that go beyond regulatory compliance and promote public participation to enhance the credibility of local agency biosolids programs and improved communications that lead to public acceptance. PLUME – A visible or measurable concentration of discharge from a stationary source or fixed facility. PUBLICLY OWNED TREATMENT WORKS (POTW) – A municipal wastewater treatment plant. SANTA ANA RIVER INTERCEPTOR (SARI) LINE – A regional brine line designed to convey 30 million gallons per day of non-reclaimable wastewater from the upper Santa Ana River basin to the ocean for disposal, after treatment. SANITARY SEWER – Separate sewer systems specifically for the carrying of domestic and industrial wastewater. Combined sewers carry both wastewater and urban runoff. SOUTH COAST AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (SCAQMD) – Regional regulatory agency that develops plans and regulations designed to achieve public health standards by reducing emissions from business and industry. SECONDARY TREATMENT – Biological wastewater treatment, particularly the activated sludge process, where bacteria and other microorganisms consume dissolved nutrients in wastewater. SLUDGE – Untreated solid material created by the treatment of wastewater. TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS (TSS) – The amount of solids floating and in suspension in wastewater. TRICKLING FILTER – A biological secondary treatment process in which bacteria and other microorganisms, growing as slime on the surface of rocks or plastic media, consume nutrients in wastewater as it trickles over them. URBAN RUNOFF – Water from city streets and domestic properties that carry pollutants into the storm drains, rivers, lakes, and oceans. WASTEWATER – Any water that enters the sanitary sewer. WATERSHED – A land area from which water drains to a particular water body. The Orange County Sanitation District’s service area is in the Santa Ana River Watershed.