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The Board of Directors of Brooktrails Township Community Services District met in regular session on June 27, 2006 at 7:05 p.m. at the Brooktrails Community Center.
A. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
B. ROLL CALL
Roll call showed the following directors present: Williams, Ziady, and Horrick. Director Orth and President Skezas were absent with notice. As Vice-President, Director Horrick presided. Also present were General Manager Chapman and District Counsel Neary.
REPORT ON CLOSED SESSION
None.
C. ADDITIONS/ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA
General Manager Chapman advised that Item 7, the Gerardo Nieto appeal, needed to be tabled until the next meeting.
D. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS
1. June 12, 2006. Director Ziady moved to approve the minutes as presented; Director Williams seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
E. SPECIAL PRESENTATION
None.
F. PUBLIC HEARING.
2. Second Public Hearing on Proposed Rates & Fees for Fiscal Year 2006-2007. General Manager Chapman reviewed the previous activity regarding the proposed rates and fees and highlighted a number of the changes. Vice-President Horrick opened the public hearing at 7:11 p.m. Maria Bates of Spring Creek said that this year water customers have been asked to cut usage 10% in anticipation of a drought. General Manager Chapman confirmed it as a dry year, not a drought year. She said about the tier rate increases that it was unfair to be charged for tiers when we are already conserving. Director Ziady responded that were adding two additional tiers because we have users who don't conserve and use massive amounts of water, and these tiers will cause them to contribute more to funding the infrastructure. General Manager Chapman said the top three users consume in excess of 30 normal SFRs. This is why the District added tiers 5 and 6. He invited Ms. Bates to come to his office to discuss these issues with her at length. Ms. Bates said a decision should be made on how much water each household can use depending on household size. There being no further public comment, Vice-President Horrick closed the public hearing at 7:18 p.m.
3. Hearing on Protests to Water Availability Charges. General Manager Chapman explained this hearing was to receive and consider individual protests to application of the charge of $30.00 for undeveloped properties and $5.00 for developed properties to specific parcels. The Board would uphold or deny protests received, typically based on hardship, not policy. Vice-President Horrick opened the public hearing at 7:20 p.m. There being no protests, and no written protests having been received, the public hearing was closed at 7:21 p.m.
4. Hearing on Protests to Sewer Standby Charges. General Manager Chapman explained this hearing was to receive and consider individual protests to application of the charge to specific parcels. The total sewer standby charges were about $256,000.00. Vice-President Horrick opened the public hearing at 7:21 p.m. There being no protests, and no written protests having been received, the public hearing was closed at 7:22 p.m.
G. PUBLIC COMMENTS.
Maria Bates said she felt the lack of attendance at the meeting did not reflect the public's true interest in the subjects and she suggested a more public meeting.
H. CONSENT CALENDAR
5. Review of Accounts Payable report and authorization to issue checks. Director Williams moved to approve payment of the June 27, 2006 outstanding invoice report; Director Ziady seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
6. Review of Clearwell Accounts Payable and authorization to issue checks. Director Williams moved to approve payment of the Clearwell/Backwash Project Construction account accounts payable report; Director Ziady seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
I. ACTION AGENDA
7. Appeal for relief of water charges – Gerardo Nieto. Tabled for the next meeting.
8. Consideration of draft resolutions establishing Water/Sewer Rates, Golf Course Fees. General Manager Chapman explained that Resolution 2006-17 was to establish the proposed rates and charges for water/sewer utility connections and services. Director Ziady moved to adopt the resolution. Director Williams seconded. Roll call vote was as follows:
AYES: Directors: Williams, Ziady, Horrick
NOES: Directors: None
ABSENT: Directors: Orth, Skezas
General Manager Chapman introduced the next resolution, 2006-18, to establish the revised fees and charges for the Golf Course. Director Williams moved to adopt the resolution; Director Ziady seconded. General Manager Chapman explained for Director Williams that Mr. Runberg can suggest rates but cannot set them unless the District adopts them, because the Golf Course is still owned by the District. Roll call vote was as follows:
AYES: Directors: Williams, Ziady, Horrick
NOES: Directors: None
ABSENT: Directors: Orth, Skezas
9. Approval of report to Mendocino County Tax Assessor on water availability charges and sewer standby charges. General Manager Chapman said that had individuals made a protest at the public hearings, the report book might have been amended. This is sent back to the County by August 10th of each year. Director Williams moved to approve the report to the County; Director Ziady seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
10. Consideration of resolution adopting FY 2006-2007 Budget. General Manager Chapman informed the Board that a last-minute revision was made that day to include the employee COLA for the new year. The draft resolution, 2006-19, would adopt this revised budget for Fiscal Year 2006-2007. Director Ziady moved to adopt the resolution. Director Williams seconded. Director Horrick commented that we did not have much left for contingencies this year. Director Williams noted that the changes made that day had not changed the bottom line, but had reduced the contingency amount from $26,000.00 down to about $18,000.00. General Manager Chapman pointed out that a budget was a target, not an absolute. The most difficult item to predict was engineering fees once a project started. Director Williams asked why the resolution didn't break the budget down into income and expenses. Mr. Chapman explained this was a form required by the state controller’s office and our auditor. Director Horrick referred Director Williams to a particular statement that provided the desired data. Director Williams said he now understood the format and had no other comments. Roll call vote was as follows:
AYES: Directors: Williams, Ziady, Horrick
NOES: Directors: None
ABSENT: Directors: Orth, Skezas
11. Approval of resolution establishing salary, wage, fringe benefit plan and fee schedule for all employees and officers of the District, effective July 1, 2006, and approved Revised Employee Agreement reflecting COLA. General Manager Chapman stressed that the only change to the three-year employee contract was the COLA for FY 2006-07 (3.5%) and the date of the COLA's applicability. Resolution 2006-20 would approve this amended contract. Director Williams moved to adopt the resolution; Director Ziady seconded. Roll call vote was as follows:
AYES: Directors: Williams, Ziady, Horrick
NOES: Directors: None
ABSENT: Directors: Orth, Skezas
12. Consideration of fund transfers from General Fund for FY 2005-06. General Manager Chapman said this process will wrap up the transfers as discussed in April budget meeting. These transfers were designed to help pay off former debts from the Golf Course and Fire Department to the Water Department. Director Ziady moved to adopt Resolution 2006-21 approving the proposed transfers; Director Williams seconded. Roll call vote was as follows:
AYES: Directors: Williams, Ziady, Horrick
NOES: Directors: None
ABSENT: Directors: Orth, Skezas
J. ADDITIONS TO FUTURE AGENDAS
None.
K. SPECIAL REPORTS
From Directors: Director Ziady said that Fire Chief Schoeppner had obtained permission from the property owners in the closed section of Ridge Road for access for the Fire Safe Council's survey of work needed for fire truck access.
From District Counsel: District Counsel Neary reminded the Board he would be absent for the first July meeting. The potential "will serve" letter for the Gitlin subdivision would be provided for the second July meeting.
From General Manager: General Manager Chapman reported another FEMA check arrived. A weeper ditch had also been installed next to the water plant. He continued that he had just received a letter from the State Department of Housing and Community Development (June 26) which stated that water/sewer providers will have to give priority for connections to affordable housing developments, and said that local Planning Departments must immediately deliver the housing elements of their general plans to the state. District Counsel Neary added that this law will require water providers to provide a plan every five years to facilitate state policy regarding affordable housing; he said he did not know how this proposal was going to work. Mr. Chapman noted that there was an exemption listed for those under moratorium. He said he would send an administrative letter noting that the deadline of July 1, 2006 could not be met, given that the letter was received June 26, 2006.
Director Williams asked if the state could impose any burden on the District regarding housing; District Counsel Neary said yes. Mr. Neary believed that local water purveyors were required to process applications for water service for affordable housing in an expedited manner, and that this may affect our process of architectural plan review. Mr. Neary continued that a new law provided that if you have a 30% component of affordable housing, the County had to process that application on an expedited basis. This went into effect January 1, 2006, and its effect will be that every housing development will include affordable housing. He said almost every housing project will have a mix of high-end and affordable housing for first-time buyers such as zero-lot-line condos.
L. PUBLIC COMMENTS
None.
M. ADJOURNMENT
A motion was made to adjourn, and Vice-President Horrick declared the meeting of June 27, 2006 closed at 7:56 p.m.
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GEORGE SKEZAS, President
ATTEST:
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MICHAEL V. CHAPMAN
Secretary to the Board of Directors
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