HomeMy WebLinkAboutGM Monthly - March 2024
March 20, 2024 TO: Chair and Members of the Board of Directors
FROM: Robert C. Thompson General Manager SUBJECT: March Status Report
The following status report is submitted for your review and consideration. 1. Public and Environmental Health
SCCWRP Commission Meeting OC San is a Joint Powers Authority member of the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP). OC San is working collaboratively with SCCWRP’s 14 members which include other wastewater treatment agencies, stormwater
management agencies and various state regulators and environmental agencies to execute scientific research to guide future discharge regulation. OC San is particularly active in studying the linkage between nutrient discharges to the ocean (nitrogen and phosphorous compounds) and their impacts on algal blooms and oxygen depletion. This is an area with potentially large implications to the required level of treatment for
large wastewater receivers like OC San, so it is critical to get the science right. 2. Sound Finances and Increasing Efficiency
Headquarters Educational Display Update The educational display for the headquarters building is now installed in the main entry lobby area. The display consists of three pillars illustrating OC San’s reuse and recycling efforts in support of the environment and public health through informational, illustrative, and interactive components. Work is ongoing on the exterior of the building
with the parking lot, sidewalks, light poles, and bioretention stormwater basins. Installation of audio/visual equipment and furniture continues inside the building. Two-Year Budget Preparation The two-year budget preparation for Fiscal Years 2024-25 and 2025-26 is well
underway. Staff will present the proposed Operating Expenditures to both the Operations and Administration Committees at the April meetings. Presentations on the Capital Improvement Program in May and a budget summary in June will be given to the Committees leading up to the June adoption of the budgets.
Chair and Members of the Board of Directors March 20, 2024 Page 2 of 4
3. Recovering Valuable Resources IRWD Agreements Coordination
Consistent with an item on the General Manager’s Work Plan, OC San is working with
the Orange County Water District (OCWD) and the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) to identify opportunities for increased cooperation and to more fully utilize existing infrastructure for the benefit of those we mutually serve. There is an existing agreement between the parties called the Green Acres Project II Agreement which is
set to expire in early 2027. This agreement allows IRWD to access OC San’s ocean
outfall through OCWD’s reclaimed water pipeline system. Staff are discussing various alternatives to maximize resource recovery and utilization of existing infrastructure while minimizing costs and risk.
4. Community Outreach and Transparency Engaging with our Public OC San held 14 tours reaching students from schools that include Segerstrom High
School, Anaheim Hills Elementary, Santiago Canyon College, Huntington Beach High
School, University of California, Irvine and more. Staff also gave tours to a group from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, new employees, local residents, Yucaipa Valley Water District, and LA County Sanitation District. Several staff served as judges at the Orange County Science and Engineering Fair earlier this month.
OC San Video Contest
OC San launched a Video Contest for high school and college students focused on the theme “Find Yourself at OC San.” The intent of this contest is to highlight careers in wastewater in a short 59-second video. OC San is awarding three $500 prizes to the students with the winning videos. The deadline to submit a video for the contest is
March 31, 2024. Full details are posted at www.ocsan.gov/video.
Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach Magazine Publication Earlier this month, I was interviewed for the Fountain Valley Living and Huntington Beach Living magazines’ April issue. We discussed items such as operations, and
upcoming projects. The issues are distributed to every household in both Fountain
Valley and Huntington Beach. The published issues will be shared with you once available. Children’s Water Festival
At the end of March, OC San will participate in the Orange County Water District's
Children's Water Festival where thousands of students from across Orange County learn about water and the environment. OC San will host an educational booth for students to learn about our What 2 Flush program and participate in a relay game. This two-day event is always a highlight of our year.
Chair and Members of the Board of Directors March 20, 2024 Page 3 of 4
70th Anniversary Open House – Save the Date OC San is hosting a Community Open House on Saturday, June 8, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. to celebrate our 70th anniversary. We are opening our doors to the community
to show them about the essential service we provide and give them an opportunity to
interact with our dedicated team, provide free guided tour of our facility. Our member agencies and sister agencies are invited to participate in the event by hosting a booth. Full event details are available at www.ocsan.gov.
Construction Project Completed in Los Alamitos & Seal Beach
The Los Alamitos Sewer Project which took place along Katella Avenue and Los
Alamitos Blvd./Seal Beach Blvd is now complete. The project focused on rehabilitating manholes and grouting the sewer pipe to extend its useful life. As part of our outreach efforts a survey was conducted to assess the value of the information shared with the community. The results unanimously indicated that the community felt informed of the
project activity, schedule, and purpose. They were also familiar with how to contact
OC San staff for any issues or questions that arose during the project. 5. Legislative and Industry Affairs
Legislative Update
• State Update The Legislature’s bill introduction deadline was February 16. There was an introduction of over 1,500 new bill vehicles which provided an insight into
legislative trends for the 2024 Legislative Session. In the next couple of weeks, hundreds of bills will begin to be heard in their respective policy and fiscal committees.
• Federal Update
Congress is expected to pass the final Fiscal Year 2024 spending bills before mid-March. This is consistent with the extended Continuing Resolution deadline of March 8 and 22 resulting in federal agencies having final spending priorities for the remainder of the fiscal year that concludes September 30,
2024. Generally, all key water programs remain funded at current year levels.
OC San Receives Awards
OC San and the Orange County Water District (OCWD) were given the 2024 WateReuse Awards for Excellence - Community Water Champion award for the Final Expansion of the Groundwater Replenishment System. This award recognizes utilities and/or local government entities that ensure a safe, reliable, locally-controlled water
supply through the development of water recycling treatment facilities, infrastructure
and/or other water reuse projects. OCWD received the award on behalf of both agencies on March 12 in Denver, Colorado.
Chair and Members of the Board of Directors March 20, 2024 Page 4 of 4
6. Workforce and Administration OC San Retirements and Recruitment
Retirement season is upon us at OC San. Since July 1, 2023 to date, a total of 13
employees have retired from OC San, representing 277 years of service. Some of the vacancies resulting from these retirements include management positions in Engineering and Operations, for which recruitments are currently underway. Talent gaps that occur by natural attrition are addressed through strategic workforce planning
and employee development efforts. OC San conducts over 100 recruitments a year
on average and maintains a low turnover rate. Payments of Warrants and Demands Following this report, you will find the payments of warrants and demands for the
month of February 2024. Each month, this report is provided in accordance with
Resolution No. OCSD 14-13. RCT:clr
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