minutes

Regular Meeting

Governing Board of Sweetwater Authority

January 14, 2004

The Governing Board of Sweetwater Authority held a regular meeting on Wednesday, January 14, 2004, at the Sweetwater Authority Administrative Office, 505 Garrett Avenue, Chula Vista, California. Chair Doud called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

· ROLL CALL

Directors Present: Alkire, Beauchamp, Doud, Inzunza, Pocklington, Reynolds, and Welsh.

Directors Absent: None.

Others Present: General Manager Bostad, Operations Manager Rogers, Legal Counsel Cowett, Treasurer Avery, and Board Secretary Farpón-Friedman. Staff members, Hank Gaus, Mike Gravitt, Mary Ann Mann, Paula Roberts, George Silva, Jim Smyth, and Tom Woodrum.

· PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
Director Welsh conducted the pledge of allegiance to the flag.

· OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT (Government Code Section (54954.3)
There were no members of the public present for comment.

· CHAIR 'S PRESENTATION
Chair Doud reminded the Board that the van would be leaving the Administrative Office tomorrow night at 5:15 p.m. to attend the Water Agencies Association dinner meeting in San Marcos.

· ITEMS TO BE ADDED, WITHDRAWN, OR REORDERED IN THE AGENDA
There were none.

1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Director Pocklington made a motion, seconded by Director Beauchamp, that the Board approve the minutes of December 22, 2003. The motion carried.

2. APPROVAL OF DEMANDS AND WARRANTS

Director Beauchamp made a motion, seconded by Director Welsh, that the Board approve Warrants 92237 through 92548 including all voided checks. The motion carried.

CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS

3. OPERATIONS COMMITTEE (Meeting of January 7, 2004)

Director Beauchamp made a motion, seconded by Director Welsh, that the Governing Board approve items A and B. Items C and D are for information only. The motion carried

A. Direct staff to continue with discussions regarding the request by the County of San Diego to acquire Sweetwater Authority Reservoir lands based on the conditions stated by staff, and that periodic updates on the discussions with the County be brought back to the Operations Committee.

B. Approve funding for the Emerson Street and Hilltop Drive drainage improvements from the Repair and Replacement Fund in the amount of $24,000 for the Emerson Street project and $10,000 for the Hilltop Drive project, for a total amount of $34,000.

C. Controlled burns in watershed. This was an information item and no action was required by the Governing Board.

D. Lion's Property Purchase. This was an information item and no action was required by the Governing Board.

ACTION CALENDAR ITEMS

4. FINANCE AND PERSONNEL COMMITTEE (Meeting of January 9, 2004)

A. Video conferencing pilot project and demonstration. Director Reynolds made a motion, seconded by Director Inzunza, that the Governing Board approve the concept of teleconferencing to improve communication capabilities and that any significant system improvements be addressed in the next year's annual budget. The motion carried.

B. Consideration of 2004 membership renewal in Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce. Director Welsh made a motion, seconded by Director Pocklington, that the Governing Board approve membership renewal in the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce and the payment of 2004 dues in the amount of $150. The motion carried.

C. Consideration of 2004 membership renewal in California Special Districts Association. Director Welsh made a motion, seconded by Director Reynolds, that the Governing Board approve membership renewal in the California Special Districts Association and the payment of 2004 dues in the amount of $357. The motion carried.

D. Consideration of 2004 membership renewal in Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research. Director Welsh made a motion, seconded by Director Reynolds, that the Governing Board approve membership renewal in the Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research and the payment of 2004 dues in the amount of $1,000. The motion carried.

E. Review of fiscal impact of Resolution 03-22. This was an information item and no action was required by the Governing Board.

F. San Vicente/El Capitan/Loveland Reservoirs Pipeline Intertie Project - Joint Agency Project to update U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Reconnaissance Report. Director Welsh made a motion, seconded by Director Pocklington, that the Governing Board approve proceeding with the San Diego County Water Authority, the City of San Diego, Helix Water District, Otay Water District, and Padre Dam Municipal Water District to have the reservoir pipeline intertie project report updated, based on the USACE report, with the costs shared equally among the six water agencies. Also, that Montgomery Watson Harza be awarded a sole-source contract to complete this work with funding in the amount of $65,190 from the Unallocated Reserve Fund. The motion carried.

5. NEW BUSINESS

A. Director Doud made a motion, seconded by Director Welsh, that the Governing Board approve the appointments of Director Alkire to the Operations Committee, Consultant Selection Committee, and Recreation Committee, and Director Reynolds as Chair of the Recreation Committee. The motion carried.

B. ACWA-JPIA - Executive Committee Election Notice. None of the directors were interested in running for the Executive Committee. No action was required by the Governing Board.

6. APPROVAL OF DIRECTORS' ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS AND FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

A. Director Pocklington made a motion, seconded by Director Alkire, that the Governing Board approve per diem for Directors who attended the Public Meeting for the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan on Monday, January 12, 2004. The motion carried.

B. Council of Water Utilities breakfast meeting - StoneRidge Country Club - Tuesday, January 20, 2004, 7:15 a.m. All directors will attend this pre-approved meeting. No action was required by the Governing Board.

C. WESTCAS' Winter Legislative Conference - February 18-20, 2004 at the Golden Nugget Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. Director Doud will attend this pre-approved meeting. No action was required by the Governing Board.
D. CLE California Water Law & Policy Super Conference - April 1-2, 2004 at the Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco. Director Pocklington made a motion, seconded by Director Beauchamp, that the Governing Board approve per diem for directors who wish to attend this event. Directors Inzunza, Reynolds and Welsh will attend. The motion carried.

7. REPORT OF TREASURER - WANDA AVERY

Ms. Avery reported that we could get a 15-month Certificate of Deposit at two percent interest. The interest at the Local Agency Investment Fund (LAIF) is 1.55 percent today.

8. DIRECTORS' COMMENTS

Director Pocklington said that the public meeting on the Bayfront that he attended was one of the more productive meetings on this issue. They had a list of items to be discussed and considered by the twenty-man commission. He thought the power plant would be voted off the bayfront, but it looks like it will stay there. A desalination item that was in the agenda did not get any points. The organization that is running this project is from New York, and comments had been made on the fact that this southern end is a wild life habitat. It was also mentioned that this is no fast item and it will take probably twenty years to develop this area. He was pleasantly surprised as to how the meeting came out. He had concerns that with so many environmentalists the project would be voted off. He noted that Directors Reynolds and Doud also attended the meeting.

He commented that there would be a board meeting at the CWA tomorrow from 1:30 - 4:00 p.m. primarily on the certification of the San Vicente 2nd aqueduct pipeline project. This is a $50 million project with many environmental issues; he said that staff has done a good job but he thinks that there will be more environmentalists wanting this project delayed.

He brought up a Union Tribune letter to the editor from Peter Watry. Mr. Watry talked about his friend Cary Wright and how he did the right thing by resigning. He then came down very hard on South Bay about once you get on the board you can never get defeated. Mr. Watry helped Cary stay on the board for all 23 years and supported him the whole time. At the same time, he did not like Director Pocklington or Director Wolniewicz being on the board and he found people to run against them and lost both times. He does not know where he is coming from. When Mr. Watry talked about Cary's public service, he missed the opportunity to comment on the fact that Cary also was in the navy for 30 years. Director Pocklington thought an explanation of why he came out with this letter might be appropriate.

Director Beachamp said he wondered if Sweetwater Authority, through staff with the signature of the Chair, might think about responding to the UT's position on water reclamation. He thinks we need to respond and use it as an opportunity to speak up but he does not know what to say in light of the political position that we have put ourselves in. Instead of looking at cleaning up reclaimed water, we are now looking at desalination. He thinks there is a lot of misinformation from the Union Tribune's comment on the city's review of the reclaimed water situation. We need to step forward and respond in a professional way.

Director Doud said that about five years ago when President Clinton was in office he went to Washington, D.C. to meet with one of the ladies on Clinton's budget staff. When she found out that he was from San Diego, she raked him over the coals because we built this big treatment plant and ninety percent of it was being discharged into the ocean, and we were only using ten percent. He reminded her that we did this because a Federal Judge ordered us to build this plant and we are looking for new customers in San Diego County to use this recycled water.

With regard to the Bayfront Master Plan, he said that the consultants that are doing the jobs are supposed to have all of their reports back by the end of February, so we should have a little more information to work with at the next meeting.

9. CLOSED SESSION

There was no need for one.

10. ADJOURNMENT

With no further business before the Board, Chair Doud adjourned the meeting at 6:30 p.m., to the hour of 3:30 p.m. on January 28, 2004.