minutes

Regular Meeting

Governing Board of Sweetwater Authority

April 13, 2005

The Governing Board of Sweetwater Authority held a regular meeting on Wednesday, April 13, 2005, at the Sweetwater Authority Administrative Office, 505 Garrett Avenue, Chula Vista, California. Vice Chair Beauchamp called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

· ROLL CALL

Directors Present: Alkire, Beauchamp, Doud, Inzunza, Salas and Welsh.

Directors Absent: Pocklington.

Others Present: General Manager Bostad, Operations Manager Rogers, Legal Counsel Cowett, Treasurer Avery, and Board Secretary Farpón. Staff members, Hank Gaus, Mike Gravitt, Kevin Kasner, Scott McClelland, Mark Molsberry, and Jim Smyth.

· PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
Director Beauchamp 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

General Manager Bostad introduced Kenneth Emerson to the Board. Kenneth is the winner of the Sweetwater Authority $1,000 scholarship award. Kenneth is a senior at Hilltop and he has earned academic honors in Biology. Kenneth plans to attend UC Santa Barbara or Cal Poly San Luis Obispo majoring in Biology. Vice Chair Beauchamp noted that Kenneth's application would be forwarded to participate in the CSDA's scholarship awards program where he might win another scholarship.

ACTION CALENDAR ITEMS

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 ITEMS TO BE ADDED, WITHDRAWN, OR REORDERED IN THE AGENDA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

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Director Doud made a motion, seconded by Director Salas, that the Board approve the minutes of March 23, 2005. The motion carried.
3. APPROVAL OF DEMANDS AND WARRANTS

Director Doud made a motion, seconded by Director Alkire, that the Governing Board approve Warrants 99300 through 999630 including all voided checks. The motion carried.

4. FINANCE AND PERSONNEL COMMITTEE (Meeting of April 4, 2005)

A. Schedule for 2005-06 Budget preparation: The Board agreed on the date of June 10th at 3:00 p.m., to conduct the Budget Workshop. This was an information item and no action was required by the Governing Board.

B. Director Doud made a motion, seconded by Director Welsh, that the Governing Board award a contract in the amount of $19,597 to Ninyo and Moore to conduct the geotechnical consulting services on the Robert A. Perdue Water Treatment Plant modifications. The motion carried.

C. The Governing Board approved Management's recommendations for personnel requests as follows:

1) Director Alkire made a motion, seconded by Director Welsh, to approve the addition of two temporary Water Quality positions. The motion carried.

2) Director Alkire made a motion, seconded by Director Welsh, to approve the reclassification and increase in salary of the Safety & Health Coordinator position to Safety, Security & Risk Administrator due to a change in responsibilities, the addition of a new Safety position. The addition of a Safety and Health Specialist will be reconsidered in six months. The motion carried.

3) Director Alkire made a motion, seconded by Director Doud, to approve a three-month overlap for the training of a new Director of Finance. The motion carried.

4) Director Alkire made a motion, seconded by Director Doud, to approve the continuation of existing intern programs and post-retirement consulting services of the Business Systems Coordinator and Director of Finance, and to change the title of the Pump Operator position to Distribution Systems Operator/ Pump Technician. The motion carried.

5. OPERATIONS COMMITTEE (Meeting of April 6, 2005)

A. Status report on construction of test well on KOA Property. This was an information item and no action was required by the Governing Board.

B. Director Doud made a motion, seconded by Director Welsh, that the Governing Board approve funding in the amount of $43,000 from the Repair and Replacement Reserve Fund to proceed with the necessary relocation of water services required to complete the City of Chula Vista's Dixon Drive sidewalk improvements project. The City will reimburse the Authority one-half of the actual final cost upon completion of the Authority's work. The motion carried.

C. Director Doud made a motion, seconded by Director Alkire, that the Governing Board approve funding in the amount of $25,000 from the Repair and Replacement Reserve Fund to proceed with the necessary work required to complete the City of Chula Vista's First Avenue storm drain project. The City will reimburse the Authority at least one-half of the actual final cost upon completion of the Authority's work. The motion carried.

D. Director Doud made a motion, seconded by Director Salas, that the Governing Board approve funding in the amount of $11,000 from the Repair and Replacement Reserve Fund to proceed with the replacement of the fire hydrant lateral at 851 First Avenue, Chula Vista. The motion carried.

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

A. Council of Water Utilities, San Diego County Meeting at StoneRidge Country Club - Tuesday, April 19, 2005, at 7:15 - 8:45 p.m. Directors Alkire, Beauchamp, Pocklington, Salas and Welsh will attend this pre-approved meeting. No action was required by the Governing Board.

B. Groundwater Management in California - A workshop presented by the Association of California Water Agencies and the Groundwater Resources Association of California - Tuesday, May 3, 2005 at the Fairmont San Jose, San Jose, California. Directors Welsh and Doud will be attending this pre-approved event. No action was required by the Governing Board.

C. Dinner Hosted by Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, Sidley Austin Brown & Wood, LLP, and Sutter Securities Incorporated, in conjunction with the ACWA Spring Conference in San Jose - Wednesday, May 4, 2005, 6:30 p.m. Directors will Alkire, Beauchamp, Doud, Pocklington, Salas and Welsh will attend the dinner. No action was required by the Governing Board.

7. REPORT OF TREASURER - WANDA AVERY

Ms. Avery reported that the interest rate at the Local Agency Investment Fund is at 2.73 percent today.

8. MANAGEMENT REPORT

A. Report of Operations Manager Rogers: Operations Manager Rogers displayed some pictures of the Loveland Reservoir, one taken at the end of March showing a full reservoir, a second one taken the first part of April, and the third one taken last Sunday at 12:20 p.m., when it started spilling. Twenty-three cubic feet per second is spilling over the top, which is about 2.5 acre feet per day. He noted that there would be an event on the 23rd of this month for employees and their families, as well as Board members, to go to the reservoir. Approximately one cubic foot per second per day is lost, and with the evaporation factor and the fact that only a small amount of water is going into Loveland Reservoir, he does not think that the reservoir would be spilling by that date. None of the spilled water is going into Sweetwater Reservoir.

B. Report of General Manager Bostad: Mr. Bostad did not have a report.

9. DIRECTORS' COMMENTS

Director Welsh said that for her it is always one of the highlights of the year to see the scholarship recipients, and she enjoyed meeting this young man.

Director Doud said he attended the ACWA Legislative Symposium in Sacramento on March 29th. The big topic was CALFED. They are anticipating user fees for future efforts to fund government programs through user fees. The folks from north of the Bay Delta spoke up and said that they should not pay any fees; only the south should pay. CALFED is out of money and the feds will not support it because California is not adding any new dollars. The panel stated, "no more bonds for CALFED." Assembly member Lois Walk, Chair of Assembly Committee on Water Parks & Wildlife, states that she supports CALFED and will hold hearings to obtain more dollars. He had lunch with Assemblyman Doug La Malfa, 2nd Assembly District, who sent him a note last week saying that anything he can do for Sweetwater, to let him know. He has a note from him and we will take advantage of it and perhaps he can get the Assembly Bill 1234 instead of the other Ortiz bill. He thinks we ought to support AB 1234, the Salinas Bill.

10. CLOSED SESSION

There was no need for one.

11. ADJOURNMENT

With no further business before the Board, Vice Chair Beauchamp adjourned the meeting at 6:49 p.m., to the hour of 3:30 p.m., on April 27, 2005.