Zone 7 Meeting - January 20, 2021
7. Commendation for Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty 8. Delta Conveyance Project - Update and Public Engagement 9. Outreach and Communications Program Update 11. Items for Future Agenda - Directors 12. Finance Committee Meeting Notes of December 14, 2020
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MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ZONE 7 ALAMEDA COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT REGULAR MEETING January 20, 2021 The following were present: DIRECTORS: SANDY FIGUERS DENNIS GAMBS LAURENE GREEN SARAH PALMER ANGELA RAMIREZ HOLMES OLIVIA SANWONG MICHELLE SMITH MCDONALD DIRECTORS ABSENT: NONE ZONE 7 STAFF: VALERIE PRYOR, GENERAL MANAGER OSBORN SOLITEI, TREASURER/ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER, FINANCE COLTER ANDERSEN, PRODUCTION MANAGER JARNAIL CHAHAL, ENGINEERING MANAGER CAROL MAHONEY, INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGER ALEXANDRA BRADLEY, COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST DONNA FABIAN, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT COUNSEL: REBECCA SMITH, DOWNEY BRAND Item 1 - Closed Session a. Conference with Labor Negotiators pursuant to Government Code section 54954.5: Agency Negotiator: Valerie Pryor/Osborn Solitei Employee Organizations: Alameda County Management Employees Association; Alameda County Building and Construction Trades Council, Local 342, AFL-CIO; International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, Local 21, AFL-CIO; Local 1021 of the Service Employees International Union, CTW; Unrepresented Management b. Conference with Legal Counsel - Existing litigation pursuant to Gov't Code section 54956.9(d) (1): (1) City and County of San Francisco v. County of Alameda (Contra Costa County Superior Court Action No. MSN18-0928), (2) County of Butte v. California Department of Water Resources (California Supreme Court No. S258574, (3) State Water Contractors v. California Department of Fish & Wildlife (Fresno County Superior Court, filed April 29, 2020), (4) Thomason v. Morrow (Alameda County Superior Court No. 18918041) c. Conference with Legal Counsel - Potential initiation of litigation pursuant to Gov't Code section 54956.9(d) (4): 3 cases d. Conference with Legal Counsel - Anticipated litigation pursuant to Gov't Code section 54956.9(d) (2): 2 cases The Board went into Closed Session at 6:30 p.m. and came out at 6:40 p.m. Item 2 - Open Session and Report Out of Closed Session President Sanwong stated that the Board discussed a Side Letter Agreement between Zone 7 and the Northern California Public Sector Region, Local 1021, of the Service Employees International Union CTW SEIU. The parties agreed to amend Section 1.8 Water Quality Laboratory Technician, Appendix A, but notes to the Zone 7 salary schedules to allow for a 5% incentive pay and reimbursement of fees associated with certifications at the two or three level. This agreement is an integral part of the Zone 7 salary schedules and shall be effective on January 20, 2021. Director Palmer moved to approve the item and Director Ramirez Holmes seconded the motion. The item passed by a roll call vote of 7-0. Resolution No. 21-02 Amendment to Appendix A, Footnotes to Salary Schedule Section 1.8 Item 3 - President Sanwong called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Roll call was taken, and all Board members were present. Item 4 - 4. Citizens Forum - none Item 5 - Director Smith McDonald moved to approve Item 5a and Director Palmer seconded the motion. Item 5a was approved by a voice vote of 7-0. Director Palmer noted that on Item 5b, Busch Road was misspelled. Director Palmer moved to approve Item 5b with the corrections and Director Figuers seconded the motion. Item 5b was approved by a voice vote of 7-0. Item 6 - Director Ramirez Holmes made a motion to approve Item 6 and Director Smith McDonald seconded the motion. Item 6 was approved by a roll call vote of 7-0. Resolution No. 21-03 Amendment No. 3 to the Recreational Use License Agreement with the City of Livermore (Item No. 6) Item 7 - 7. Commendation for Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty President Sanwong was happy to recognize Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty on behalf of Zone 7. She expressed her gratitude for his mentorship, as he always encouraged her to be involved. President Sanwong read the resolution acknowledging and commending Mr. Haggerty aloud. She invited the Board to share a few words. Director Palmer recalled Mr. Haggerty as being a very cooperative and involved parent when she taught at Dublin High School. She thanked him for his work with transportation in the Valley and the support that he provided to the Agency. Director Ramirez Holmes who has worked with the Supervisor since early on in her political career said, "I appreciate all that you have done for the county, especially the Tri Valley. Public service is a truly noble calling. You have left your mark on this county and this valley and that will not be forgotten.". Director Smith McDonald had the honor to serve at the capacity of being his appointee for District 1 on the Commission for Status of Women. She expressed gratitude for his service and advocacy. She felt that the Tri-Valley was better because of his service. Director Gambs thanked Mr. Haggerty for being a strong advocate for transportation in the Valley, he likely set a record on being part of many committees and commissions. One of them was the Planning and Transportation Committee, where he also advocated or championed in the unincorporated area. Director Gambs expressed that Mr. Haggerty was always approachable in discussing topics and in giving advice. He even recalled inviting Mr. Haggerty to speak at the Rotary in the '90s. He had been a constant friend and would be missed. Director Gambs wished him the best in his retirement. Director Green said it was unfortunate that she did not have the opportunity to get to know Mr. Haggerty. She stated that she was always pleased to hear about his initiatives and accomplishments in the Tri-Valley. She thanked him for the work he did for the area and wished him well in his future adventures. President Sanwong recalled how her first introduction to the Supervisor was through his support of the Amador Valley High School marching band, of which she was a member, noting his track record for supporting many local groups and initiatives. She remarked, "Following your career has helped me be where I am today, and I know many like myself in leadership roles and service to the county are going to take a lot of your encouragement and guidance with us." She thanked him for all he has done and was glad that he was able to join them that evening. Mr. Haggerty acknowledged the memories the directors shared and thanked each of them for their kind words. He felt in his heart that it was time for him to retire and stressed the importance of self-reflection to know and believe when it is time. He expressed that it was a pleasure working with the board members and Zone 7 staff. He felt that the Agency had one of the better Boards in Alameda County, as each of them were very dedicated to serving their communities. The public has high expectations of their elected officials and gave the Board and the Agency his best wishes. Director Figuers added that he did not have the opportunity to meet Mr. Haggerty but heard about all his accomplishments and wished him good luck in his retirement. Item 7 was approved by a voice vote of 7-0. Resolution No. 21-04 Commendation for Supervisor Scott Haggerty (Item No. 7) Item 8 - 8. Delta Conveyance Project - Update and Public Engagement Valerie Pryor, General Manager, introduced Carrie Buckman, Environmental Program Manager for the Delta Conveyance Project to present the informational item. Ms. Buckman shared the current project schedule and highlighted that in addition to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), they work on administrative draft documents for the environmental impact report. The goal was to have internal drafts completed in mid-2021, public drafts in mid-2022 and final documents in mid-2023. They also worked on a series of environmental permits. The first was the biological assessment and incidental take permit application, documents prepared as part of the permitting effort for the Endangered Species Act and the California Endangered Species Act. Biological opinions were expected in early to mid-2023, and the incidental take permit would come later, as CEQA needs to be completed before issuance. She touched on water rights and the need to petition the State Board for a change in point of diversion, doing so would certify that this is consistent with the Delta Plan. There would be additional environmental permits, including section 404 and 408, conducted after both CEQA and NEPA are finished. The CEQA process began with outreach and a notice of preparation in January 2020. Scoping meetings took place in February and March. A scoping summary report which documented the process and comments received was completed in June. Agencies would continue to be informed of the permitting process as well as outreach. Ms. Buckman touched on the project definition, technical reports that analyze different alternatives, which would identify potential impacts and mitigation associated with them based on the technical reports. The Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) would be circulated for comments, public hearings would take place to help share information and hear comments on the document. A final report would address comments and include the responses, which will eventually lead to a notice of determination for a decision. She then highlighted the purpose and objectives of the Delta Conveyance Project related to the alternatives. Their goal was to develop new diversion and conveyance facilities in the Delta to restore and protect the reliability of State Water Project (SWP) water deliveries in a cost-effective manner consistent with the state's water resilience portfolio. Specific objectives include addressing sea level rise and climate change, minimizing water supply disruption due to seismic risk, protecting water supply reliability, and providing operational flexibility to improve aquatic conditions. Their fundamental purpose was to continue the operation of the SWP into the future. Ms. Buckman showed a map that outlined where the potential facilities would be located. Two intake facilities on the Sacramento River would bring water into a tunnel that connects from the intake facilities down to the southern part of the Delta. Tunnel shafts would launch and maintain the tunnel boring machine as it bores the tunnels. Those shafts would be available later for maintenance if needed. At the southern end of the tunnel, a pumping plant would pump the water from the tunnel up into a southern forebay. This would be a new facility that would regulate flows between the new pumping plant, the existing Banks Pumping Plant and conveyance facilities connecting it. The figure showed two potential alignments in the proposed projects, however, she emphasized that it was not a two-tunnel project. One tunnel would be selected at 6,000 CFS capacity. The two tunnels reflect a central alignment like the California WaterFix, and an eastern alignment that shifts the facilities a closer to I-5 with the hopes that it might simplify the logistics and potentially reduce the impacts to local communities associated with accessing those sites. Alternatives, technical feedback, and other past documents were heard through the scoping process and were put through a screening. The process had two filters that were developed based on CEQA requirements for a range of reasonable alternatives. The first filter considers if an alternative meets most of the basic project objectives, and the second reviews whether an alternative avoids or substantially lessens unexpected significant environmental effects of the proposed project. The alternative formulation process would be fully documented in the draft EIR. This had been discussed publicly at the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority (DCA) stakeholder engagement committee and posted as a blog online. Ms. Buckman presented the preliminary alternatives that were being considered; the Bethany Reservoir would be 6,000 CFS and a sizable new pump station that connects the tunnel directly to it, the Eastern and Central corridors (in addition to the 6,000 CFS) that is part of the proposed project, along with different capacities of 3,000 CFS, 4,500 CFS or 7,500 CFS. She then provided an overview of the public outreach and community engagement plan. Their goal was to provide tools for the public to meaningfully navigate and participate in the environmental review and planning process, continue to advance planning activities for the successful completion of the permitting/project approvals, refine the proposed project with regards to community benefits, and impact the minimization based on public and stakeholder input. She outlined different elements of the plan which included Public Information, Public Participation and Notification, Tribal Consultation and Outreach based on AB-52 and DWR's tribal engagement policy, informational webinars, the Community Benefits Program, Design-Focused Stakeholder Engagement (DCA SEC) and Agency Coordination. Tribal engagement is tremendously important. Formal consultation takes place under AB-52, the Tribal Engagement Policy, and additional informal outreach and discussions. They assist the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) with the tribal outreach associated with the federal Section 106 process. Their goal was to ensure tribal input is reflected in all facets of project planning, through appropriate engagement opportunities including annual update meetings through virtual workshops designed to facilitate inclusion. One-on-one meetings with tribes take place, and technical discussions between specialists and tribal experts to help identify resources, potential impacts, and mitigation. Environmental justice and disadvantaged community outreach takes place to further understand the potential project related impacts and benefits. They compiled information from a community survey conducted in 2020 to better understand how members of environmental justice and disadvantaged communities use resources within the Delta. Key tactics include virtual participation, exploring innovative solutions to enable participation through all processes, and engaging with community leaders and members through a variety of workshops and other formats to enhance and increase participation to understand and address their specific concerns and needs. The Community Benefits Program will identify commitments made by the project proponents to help enhance community benefits that help protect the cultural, recreational, natural resource and agricultural values of the Delta. The goal is to work with the community to understand potential benefits they would like to see as part of the program. Some of the components could include creating a fund to identify and implement projects to protect and preserve the Delta, identifying economic development opportunities such as job training, integrating benefits into Delta Conveyance Project implementation, and including potential multi-purpose projects related to logistics and infrastructure. Key tactics include preliminary outreach and input from community leaders about the conceptual approach early in 2021, focusing and more extensive outreach, including public workshops through 2021, 2022 and implementation the framework in 2022 and beyond. Additional outreach activities also included public information to better understand the projects, online virtual briefings, additional electronic updates, virtual interviews with technical experts on various topics, frequently asked questions, infographics, and updating our social media with print digital options. Public participation and public notification are a formal process that includes the official public review and comment on the draft EIR. They looked at field work activities to collect traffic information and soil investigations, so there is a public notification process as part of these activities, in addition to extensively coordinating with local and state elected officials. Informational webinars were planned for later this summer, which would provide information about different topics to help understand the technical and regulatory issues and approaches. Director Smith McDonald inquired about how language requirements were being met as information is provided in the community. She also asked if there was a need for direct translation with stakeholders and groups. Ms. Buckman stated that they were focused on documents in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Language surveys were also reviewed for those frequently used in the area. The next language would have been Tagalog, but the community leaders did not recommend including it since there are several different dialects. Oral translation was not needed at this time, but they were certainly open to it if needed. Director Smith McDonald suggested the concept of trusted messengers and recruiting individuals within the communities to assist with speaking with stakeholder groups. Ms. Buckman stated that it is something that could be considered; however, they were careful about public engagement with the public that is not often a proponent of this project. It was important for them to maintain a balance while being respectful of people's boundaries. Director Gambs inquired about the 6,000 CFS capacity in terms of either Table A or Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant. Ms. Buckman explained that 6,000 CFS was identified as the potential size of the proposed project based on the information for what was needed at the time. In comparison, the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant has a permitted capacity for water entering the Clifton Court Forebay of 6,680. The physical capacity is closer to 10,000 CFS, which may not pump at a constant rate over the course of the day, but the daily average amount that fluctuates based on power. This facility would not be diverting a full 6,000 CFS year-round, since it is dependent on the amount of water coming through the system. Limitations are expected on when water is diverted to ensure fish and water quality are not affected in the Delta. It will be a supplemental system that is not capable of taking the place of the banks. The range of capacities will provide the ability to assess actual deliveries and to compare it to the identified need. Director Gambs asked if the infrastructure could provide some water or inflow to the Delta. Ms. Buckman said it was not part of the proposed project, but they would continue to review it as a potential community benefits option. He added that he would like to see DWR provide outreach to the State Water Contractors in informing the public of the CEQA prior to the local agencies approving it. DWR staff has expertise in explaining these details since this has been a contentious project for over 40 years. Director Green asked how alternatives and ideas, especially ones that help decrease impact, are generated and whether they were generated internally or from stakeholder discussions. Ms. Buckman explained that many of their alternatives are generated externally through scoping, comments received, technical experts or other documents. President Sanwong questioned if the single tunnel's actual dimensions and location would be determined during this process. She also asked Ms. Buckman to comment on the existing concerns about not having the same levels of snow forecasted over the next 100 to 200 years, and whether there would be enough volume of water flows to support the single tunnel project. In addition to what would happen to the investment if there were no snow in the Sierra snowpack or no water to bring through the Delta. Ms. Buckman explained that there is only conceptual information available at this time, and these aspects would continue to be refined as they move forward. The proposed project for a 6,000 CFS single tunnel will have an inner diameter of the tunnel of 37 feet. The depth below ground is estimated to be roughly 125 to 150 feet, but it does change from the start at the intakes to the bottom end. She then stated that they planned to look at future conditions with or without a Delta Conveyance Project to help clarify the benefits and whether the impacts of the project might change under those conditions by using climate change scenarios to examine different inflow and sea level rise. Many of these scenarios expect more Delta inflow during the winter and less during the spring and early summer, which is part of the driving need for the Delta Conveyance Project. Having an additional point of diversion would allow that water to be captured in the winter due to increased rainfall, and it would provide more sustainable water supply in the face of those precipitation changes. President Sanwong concurred with Director Gambs' comments about outreach. And stated that she would like to see more information become available to the public as studies are conducted to show how these are being incorporated in the planning process. Director Palmer stated that the tunnel would prevent large flooding scenarios and enable the capture of water from having runoff, as opposed to a slow release from snowpack. President Sanwong thanked Ms. Buckman for her informational presentation. Item 9 - 9. Outreach and Communications Program Update Ms. Pryor introduced Alexandra Bradley, Communications Specialist, who provided updates on the outreach and communications program. Ms. Bradley gave an update on the progress of the last six months, which included the alignment with the Strategic Plan, the new website, the Zone 7 schools' program, performance metrics and campaign updates. She also covered the achievements of the communications strategic plan, service delivery, focus areas, reinforced branding, COVID-19 digital outreach and water conservation. The Agency's five-year Strategic Plan Goal F seeks to engage stakeholders to foster mutual understanding through a multifaceted outreach communications program. Effective communication builds confidence, trust and awareness among constituents, increases participation to help with effective decision-making and helps strengthen Zone 7's commitment to its mission and vision. Ms. Bradley reported great progress on the website redesign and stated that the goal was to launch this upcoming spring. The new platform would provide many benefits to both internal and external users. Visitors can expect increased responsiveness across all devices, improved search functionality, redesigned site mapping, and provide a much better experience. The program still managed to reach 14,000 students despite the pandemic stopping all in-class instruction and in-person outreach last year. The summer was spent researching options and building a new website from the ground up in the fall. Beta testing was then completed, and the new virtual schools' program was launched. At the end of 2020, evaluations were completed, and adjustments were made accordingly. Surveys indicated that teachers were utilizing the platform to suit classroom needs, with only minor technical issues that were resolved by support staff. About 50% of users and students enjoyed the program, and especially enjoyed the interactive games. The next steps included increasing the marketing campaign to get classrooms engaged with the virtual platform, as it can always be referenced even when students return to the classroom. Ms. Bradley then presented the December dashboard reports for performance metrics to improve outreach and engagement on the website and social media. Each report displayed data on how users are currently engaging, utilizing, and maneuvering through each page, in addition to providing valuable information to improve marketing on social media. She then gave a report on the water quality camp education campaign Wondrous World of Water. The campaign was designed to provide key information about water quality that Zone provides. It featured a complete revamp of the consumer confidence report, a series of educational videos about the water treatment process and animated graphics. In addition, it also included a campaign for the virtual grand opening of the Del Val Water Treatment Plant Ozonation Project in lieu of an in-person event due to the pandemic. The virtual campaign reached a much larger audience than an in-person event which generated over 35,000 impressions. The Wondrous World of Water consisted of 11 posts throughout the campaign with 17,000 impressions and 466 engaged users. More videos would be added on water treatment, as well as outreach materials to further educate the community. Flood Ready Freddy was the Agency's award-winning flood preparedness outreach campaign. This campaign launched in alignment with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Flood Preparedness Week in October. It featured 10 short flood preparedness videos of on flood risks while underscoring the value that Zone 7 provides through its flood protection system. Each video was supported by a more in-depth handout on the webpage. The videos were well received on social media and the campaign was successful in driving traffic to the website. The Agency received the 2020 International MarCom Gold Award for the Flood Ready Freddy videos which honors excellence in marketing and communication while recognizing the creativity hard work and generosity of industry professionals. She thanked the consulting team at JPW Communications, and the staff involved in making it a success. The campaign produced over 30,000 impressions, and the metrics showed that users utilized it as a resource. Key performance indicators for social media on the campaign showcased over 24,000 impressions with almost 500 views on YouTube. The goal of the communications plan is to build a solid platform of messaging to build trust and recognition for the services and value that the Agency provides. The strategic communications plan is used as the guiding document for building a strong communication foundation. The messaging is highly focused on Water Quality, Water Reliability and Flood Protection. Branding consistency is also important, so style guides have been updated and the Agency continues to work towards consistency in all facets of its communications. Lastly, a new water conservation campaign was underway with ongoing water conservation messaging and tips for the public. The new campaign will seek to educate the community on ways to conserve with calls to action, workshops, 'how to' videos, and a more informative and user-friendly redesigned webpage. President Sanwong thanked Ms. Bradley for the excellent presentation and led the Board in applauding staff on the MarCom Gold Award. She received positive feedback on the Flood Ready Freddy campaign and was pleased that it was designed to be evergreen, something that can be reused for years to come. She asked if the Board could get a preview or an overview prior to the new website being launched, as it would also be a great opportunity to showcase its new features to the public. Ms. Pryor explained that once the website is up and running, it will certainly be publicized to the Board and the community. Zoom and high graphic presentations have its limitations, so she was unsure of how conducive it would be to showcase at a Board Meeting. She stated that the right outreach would take place once it was launched. President Sanwong suggested a YouTube video or a short video with a brief introduction. She felt that it could be helpful for individuals with different skill sets and levels of comfort on websites. Director Palmer agreed that an introduction would be very helpful. Ms. Pryor said that staff would consider it. Director Smith McDonald asked who had access to the backend content management on the website and whether there would be a backup to manage the content. She also inquired about ADA compliance. Ms. Bradley explained that the new content management system (CMS) is much more user-friendly than the existing one that was extremely cumbersome. The entire admin staff have gone through initial training and will continue to circle through them. Specific roles will be assigned as appropriate. ADA compliance one of the specs required in the RFP when this project went out to bid. Items are entered appropriately into the CMS and text can be added to images. Director Ramirez Holmes asked if an outside vendor was handling the overlay for ADA compliance, or if it was done internally. She stressed the importance of the website being accessible and user-friendly, and not just meeting minimum requirements. Ms. Bradley stated that it was done internally, and the site is custom designed on the backend by the website developer. She would follow up with the developer to provide the Board with more detailed information. Director Green asked of the Kids' Zone modules were available online or if it was only accessible through the schools' program. Ms. Bradley indicated that there is no login for the site and no requirement to sign up. Teachers are encouraged to sign up as there are some technical issues in the virtual programs on the various platforms that everyone is using. However, it was available online, free, and open to the public. President Sanwong reiterated the importance of communications and looked forward to the next update. Item 10 - President Sanwong attended the California Water Commission Water Conveyance Workshop and saw that Director Gambs was also in attendance. She thought it was interesting to hear from different stakeholders' perspectives throughout Northern California. She stated that the session was recorded and that PowerPoint slides were available. Director Gambs added that it was nice to get a broad perspective. President Sanwong encouraged the other board members to attend these meetings. Director Palmer attended an ACWA SB 200 Workgroup and discussed the following items: . January 4th - Human Right to Water and Safe Drinking Water where the workgroup went over the third draft of an ACWA letter to the SWB regarding the draft white paper discussion on recommendations for risk assessment 2.0, threshold scores and weights from public water systems, dated December 14th, 2020. The final comment period for the white paper was January 6th. https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/safer/docs/draft_white_paper.pdf . The group also went over hexavalent chromium maximum contaminant level (MCL) costs. A letter from ACWA was sent by the December 31st deadline. The ACWA Water Quality Committee Chromium 6 Workgroup met several times to provide feedback on the comment letter for economic feasibility of proposed MCL for Chromium 6. The letter addressed the process and assumptions made by the State Water Board (SWB). The Operation and Maintenance costs for treatment at 80% of the MCL was not linear as assumed by SWB. There is a need to consider individual agency or sites in the determination of cost analysis. The current MCL is set at 50 ug/L. SWB is considering setting a new MCL when the economic feasibility is appropriately addressed. Information is available at: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/Chro... Background information: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/Regu... Whitepaper information: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/programs/documents/cr6econ... Director Palmer also met with the ACWA Water System Planning Workgroup on January 19, 2021 where they brainstormed on a statewide applicable factsheet that could be used as a general guide or reference point for local groups or supervisors in potentially setting up a new small water agency i.e., new development or outlying areas. Director Gambs attended the Alameda County Special Districts Association Zoom meeting hosted by the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District (LARPD). Where their General Manager, Matthew Fuzie, gave an overview of the park district's history. Due to COVID-19, the services that the park district were cut back, revenues decreased, and significant staff layoffs had to take place. Tim Dupuis from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters spoke and gave an overview of their activities. He explained that a standalone election to fill a vacancy costs about $20 per vote, however, if consolidated in a general election, it costs only $5 per vote. Elections are either consolidated or an individual is appointed for a period due to these costs. He also touched on why votes take time to tally. Mail in votes are accepted eight days after the election date and signatures must be verified so it is a very detailed and lengthy process. Director Ramirez Holmes stated that the Agency is due for a Liaison Committee meeting with LARPD. She shared that the district also has Camp Shelly at Lake Tahoe for residents to use. Item 11 - 11. Items for Future Agenda - Directors - none Item 12 - 12. Finance Committee Meeting Notes of December 14, 2020 Item 13 - Ms. Pryor gave an overview of the General Manager's Report. DWR conducted their first snow survey on December 30th and the snowpack was at 52% of its average indicating another dry year. As a result, the Agency would be working on a conservation campaign for 2021. She reassured everyone that Zone 7 is taking early action to access dry year water supplies and would also like to work with customers to conserve the precious resource. The process for the updated 2020 Urban Water Management Plan is underway with the retailers. There are plans for several presentations to the Water Resources Committee this spring, and Board approval by May or June. Director Figuers stated that the Livermore area rainfall rates for the season was missing in the staff reports. Ms. Pryor assured him that rainfall would be reported, but the area only received such a small amount. Staff would still reevaluate the report ensure it was reflected accurately. Item 20 - President Sanwong reminded the Board of upcoming meetings and adjourned the meeting at 8:44 p.m.
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