HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-01-25; Water Commission Ad Hoc; MinutesMINUTES
MEmNG OF: WATER COMMISSION
DATE OF MEETING: January 25,1995 (Regular Meeting)
TIME OF MEETING: 2:OO p.m.
PLACE OF MEmNG: 5950 El Camino Real
CALL TO ORDER:
Chairman Louis called the Meeting to order at 2:OO p.m.
ROLL CALL:
Present: Commissioners Louis, Henley,Kubota, Maerkle and Melideo.
Absent: None.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was led by Commissioner Melideo.
COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE:
There were no requests to address the Commission on a non-agenda item.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. AB #0125-01 - UPDATE ON 2ND AQUEDUCT SHUTDOWN BY METROPOLITAN.
Bob Greaney gave the report, stating this is the same report he made before the Board of
Directors last night. The 2nd aqueduct will be shut down from January 30 to February 8, which
means that Carlsbad will be without a water supply for ten days. He stated that generally
Carlsbad would not be affected, but because the Maerkle Reservoir is not in service at this time
and will have to be put into service during those ten days, certain steps must be taken. At the
present time, the lining and covering of the Reservoir is going through the environmental review.
The Water District is asking customers to conserve water indoors and are prohibiting the use of
outdoor water. Irrigation meters will be turned off and there will be a patrol to enforce the
restrictions. Agriculture users will be urged to conserve water. The District has already started
notifying the customers about the use of the Maerkle Reservoir and the fact that it does not meet
EPA regulations; however, the water is safe to drink and meets or exceeds the health
requirements.
Commissioner Kubota inquired why the other agencies with open reservoirs are able to use that
water without this notification and this District can’t.
Mr. Greaney stated he met with the Health Department two weeks ago and tried to get out of the
notification procedure, but was not successful. He stated that the Commission had a copy of the
letter he wrote about this some months ago and the reply stating that the District would have to
go to full notification if the Maerkle Reservoir were to be used. Mr. Greaney stated that a postcard
mailer is being sent to 17,000 customers; press release; newspaper advertisements;
announcement on Cablevision; with personal letters to the irrigation and agriculture customers.
January 25, 1995 WATER COMMISSION Page 2
NEW BUSINESS: (Continued)
Mr. Greaney said that if the aqueduct had only been shut down for six or seven days, Carlsbad
may have been able to supply water to their customers without using the Maerkle Reservoir.
When he found out the aqueduct would be shut down for the full ten days, it then became
necessary to start full notification, rather than wait until in the middle of the shutoff to notify the
customers.
Chairman Louis declared a short recess at 2:14 p.m., and the Water Commission re-convened at 2:16
Pam., with all five Commissioners present.
NEW BUSINESS: (Continued)
Bob Greaney referred to a letter from the Health Department dated February 1, 1994, which was
a response to a letter from Mr. Greaney to the Health Department dated January 26, 1994. The
District appealed the decision and the Health Department still called for full notification.
Commissioner Kubota urged the Commission to revisit this issue, stating he was appalled by
where the District is heading. He said since he has been here, the customers in this community
have never been told that the District was not doing everything necessary to ensure a safe supply
of water. Mr. Kubota said that a lot of money has been spent at Squires Dam on new facilities,
and he expressed concern that now the water users have to be told that this water does not meet
EPA standards. This is counter-productive and could destroy the confidence the customers have
in this District.
Commissioner Kubota further stated that ties with our neighbors should exist so that if we had a
crisis we could call on our neighbors. We have connections with Oceanside, and he said he
believed we had some with Olivenhain. He expressed surprise that we have our backs to the wall
over this issue and that we don’t have facilities in the master plan to bring these emergency
preparedness plans into fruition. There is an eight million gallon reservoir under construction--and
the District has taken out of service a million gallon tank and are using it for reclaimed water when
we could have used that tank for a reserve water supply.
Chairman Louis commented that Commissioner Kubota and he both have Health Department
backgrounds, and he stated that it was a different day when they were in that field--and added
that it is counter-productive to have to do this.
Bob Greaney stated that the District has started sending out the notices to have the customers
notified before the aqueduct is shut down.
Commissioner Kubota inquired whether there is not an appeal process for this Health Department
decision, and Mr. Greaney said they have not appealed the decision of two weeks ago. They did
file an appeal last year, and it was referred back to the original decision.
2. AB #0125-02 - RECOMMENDATION ON EL CAMINO REAL WATER LINE PROJECT.
Bob Greaney showed the specs and plans for the last phase of the water line improvement on
El Camino Real, and stated the project went from Faraday Avenue to Marron Road, with the last
section between Tamarack Avenue and Chestnut Avenue.
January 25, 1995 WATER COMMISSION Page 3
NEW BUSINESS: (Continued)
Mr. Greaney stated that about two years ago the line was finished from Chestnut to Marron. The
proposed line is about 10 feet off of the curb on the east side of the street--43 feet from the center
line.
Commissioner Kubota inquired whether there was any stipulation in the contract with regard to
replacing one lane of the pavement. He said the reason he was asking was that on other places
where the line has been replaced there is a settlement, making a ridge in the roadway. Mr.
Kubota stated that he noted in the financial statement that the allocation of cost of this project
assigned a greater cost for the added capacity as opposed to the replacement. He said he was
curious--if they had a 20-inch line and had to replace it with a 24-inch line--the added capacity
would be the incremental cost if going from 20 to 24 inches.
Mr. Greaney said he did not know the capacity of the existing 20-inch line. There was a
bottleneck in the line north of Chestnut that was replaced two years ago. Possibly the capacity
of the 20-inch pipe was more than what was needed for the existing customers, and that,
combined with the additional four inches serves for future capacity.
ACTION: On motion by Commissioner Melideo, the Water Commission recommended
approval by the Board of the plans and specifications and authorization to
advertise for an invitation to bid for Water Transmission Main Replacement El
Camino Real from Tamarack Avenue to Chestnut Avenue, CMWD 90-101,
Contract No. 3378.
AYES: Louis, Henley, Kubota, Maerkle and Melideo
WATER COMMISSION:
WARAC Meetinn ReDort
Commissioner Kubota reported on a recent meeting, stating there was a report on reverse osmosis, and
he noted that San Diego is the capital of that process, with a great deal of the early research taking place
there. Another milestone at that meeting was the action to recommend approval to the full board the City
of Escondido’s reclamation plan. Ultimately, they may treat water from the San Pasqual Valley flow and
into Lake Hodges. Also, WARAC
recommended approval of six water reclamation financial assistance projects.
Then, like San Diego, they will have a re-purification project.
President and Mananers’ Meetinn Report
Commissioner Maerkle reported that Ron Packard was at the recent meeting, and he predicted a great
many changes, with EPA having to ease off and not be so strict.
GENERAL MANAGER REPORTS:
General Managers’ Meetina Report
Bob Greaney reported on the recent meeting where Metropolitan’s new rate structure was discussed.
The 1995-96 rate structure was approved by Metropolitan’s Board in December 1993; to be effective July
1, 1995.
January 25, 1995 WATER COMMISSION Page 4
GENERAL MANAGER REPORTS: (Continued)
There are four new components: Readiness to Serve Charge; New Demand Charge; Connection
Maintenance; Treated Water Peaking Charge and $14 AF increase in the treated water rate. Mr. Greaney
explained these new charges and stated there will be workshops with the General Managers of the
agencies on the New Demand Charge. He said that Carlsbad will not be affected by the Treated Water
Peaking Charge at all.
Mr. Greaney said that in the agriculture districts there will be the feeling that they are being treated unfairly
because with the Readiness to Serve Charge, they will probably pay two to three times what they pay now
relative to the stand by charge on the tax bill. There are two alternatives; each agency contributes their
standby charge and then be billed for the difference. Carlsbad would pay $500,000 on the Readiness
to Serve charge and $350,000 in the standby charge, with $150,000 as the difference. The alternate
proposal is to do this through the County Water Authority, collect the $12 million stand-by charge, use
the $12 million to pay the $14 million Readiness to Serve Charge from Metropolitan, with the remaining
two million dollars to be spread out among the agencies, pro-rated on standby charges rather than flows.
Manhole Problem on Jefferson Street ReDort
Bob Greaney said the Buena Vista pump station off of Jefferson Street pumps into the manhole just west
of 1-5 bridge on Jefferson Street. The drawings did not show that actually the line comes off of the street
to a driveway where there is another manhole covered by blacktop. Water was coming out of a hole in
the driveway and it was determined that this hole was what used to be a manhole, but over the years
sewer gases had eaten away the concrete in the manhole. Mr. Greaney said the road was closed off and
the manhole was replaced by 8:OO a.m. the next morning and flow was back to normal. He said the
manhole was completely gone, and the crew waited until late in the evening when the flow subsided; they
cleaned out the manhole and with a backhoe put in a new manhole. The cost will be approximately
$25,000 to $30,000
Commissioner Kubota inquired whether in the preventive maintenance program there are annual
inspections and monitoring of the entire sewer system. Mr. Greaney replied that since the first manhole
situation that occurred at Garfield, they have instituted a program to check all downtown area manholes.
They have identified nine that needed repair, upgrading or replacing. Mr. Greaney said they have a TV
inspection program, but it is not in that area at this time.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
On motion by Commissioner Maerkle, the Minutes of the Regular Meeting held December 14,
1994, were approved as amended.
AYES Louis, Henley, Kubota, Maerkle and Melideo
NEXT MEmNG DATE:
Mr. Greaney stated the next meeting would be February 8, 1995.
Commissioners requested agenda items in February on the following:
Rate Study
Election of New Officers for 1995
Oceanside Water Plan
January 25, 1995 WATER COMMISSION Page 5
ADJOURNMENT:
By proper motion, the Regular Meeting of January 25, 1995, was adjourned at 3:22 p.m.
I Respectfully su
Minutes Clerk