The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2007-12-05 Min - Board REGULAR MEETING December 5, 2007 In accordance with District Code Section 2.08.010, the TDPUD minutes are action only minutes. All Board meetings are recorded on audio tapes which are preserved perpetually and made available for listening to any interested party upon their request. The regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Truckee Donner Public Utility District was called to order at 6:03 PM in the TDPUD Board room by President Taylor. ROLL CALL: Directors Joe Aguera, Ron Hemig, Patricia Sutton, Tim Taylor and Bill Thomason were present. EMPLOYEES PRESENT: Neil Kaufman, Joe Horvath, Kathy Neus, Alan Harry, Mary Chapman, Jessica Wilson, Mark Thomas, John Ulrich, Nancy Waters, Bob Mescher and Barbara Cahill CONSULTANTS PRESENT: Steve Gross OTHERS PRESENT: Frank and Juanita Schneider, Jill Vacchina, Jacqui Zink, Howard Wright, Dan Warren, Howard Wright, Kappy Mann and three other members of the public. PUBLIC INPUT Dan Warren suggested the Board implement a consent calendar to reduce the length of the meetings by two hours and possibly reduce expense to the utility District by not keeping staff members long into the evening. PUBLIC HEARING At 6:00 PM, or as soon thereafter as possible, a public hearing will be held for receiving written and/or oral comments from members of the public regarding a proposal to increase water rates by six percent as adopted in Ordinance 2006-06, dated July 13, 20069 for the year 2008. The public hearing was opened, there was no public comment and the hearing was closed. Director Sutton wanted the minutes to note that 32 written protests had been received. The Board reaffirmed the adoption of Ordinance 2006-06 dated July 13, 2006 with a 3/2 vote. DIRECTOR UPDATE This item provides time for a Director to suggest/request new or previous items for future agendas. (Each Director will be limited to three(3)minutes). Director Sutton is glad to see the bottling water workshop is on the agenda. She would like to have a policy on the Boards roll in management of personnel of the District as to oversight of the organization chart, creation of departments, tests and the civil service system. 1 Minutes: Dec. 5, 2007 SPECIAL BUSINESS ITEM ELECTION OF OFFICERS OF THE BOARD FOR THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS. Director Hemig moved and Director Aguera seconded the nomination of Director Tim F. Taylor as President of the Board. Director Sutton moved that a unanimous ballot be cast for Tim F. Taylor for President. On a roll call vote: all voted in favor of the motion. Director Aguera moved and Director Taylor seconded the nomination of Director William Thoma- son to serve as Vice-President. Director Sutton moved that a unanimous ballot be cast for Wil- liam Thomason for Vice-President. On a roll call vote: all voted in favor of the motion. ACTION ITEMS CONSIDERATION OF AN APPRAISAL AND SALE OF THE SALE OF PROPERTY LOCATED AT 10297 EAST RIVER STREET. a. This item involves property that was declared surplus and the 60-day period offered to public agencies has expired. Director Hemig moved and Director Aguera seconded, a motion to direct staff to hire an appraiser and negotiate the sale of the parcel located at 10297 East River Street (lots 13 and 14, APN 19- 160-34) to the two property owners: Wally Stevens and Carroll/ Fickle (husband and wife). ROLL CALL: All Directors, aye. SO MOVED. CONSIDERATION OF APPROVING A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND TAKING RELATED ACTION FOR THE REBUILD OF DONNER LAKE AND TAHOE DONNER ELECTRIC SUBSTATIONS a. This item involves approving an Initial Environmental Study and draft Mitigated Negative Declaration for the proposed the rebuild of Donner Lake and Tahoe Donner substations; filing the proposed mitigated negative declaration and environmental initial study with the Office of the Nevada County Clerk, with responsible and interested agencies, and with the State Clearinghouse; and authorizing publication a notice of public review period and public hearing. Director Thomason moved and Director Aguera seconded, a motion to authorize staff to file the proposed mitigated negative declaration and environmental initial study for the rebuild of Donner Lake and Tahoe Donner Electric substations with the Office of the Nevada County Clerk; authorize staff to file the proposed mitigated negative declaration and environmental study with responsible and interested agencies and with the State Clearinghouse; authorize staff to publish a notice of public review period and public hearing on the proposed mitigated negative declara- tion; and authorize staff to set a public hearing date of December 19, 2007. ROLL CALL: All Directors, aye. SO MOVED. CONSIDERATION OF APPROVING A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND TAKING RELATED ACTION FOR PROPOSED DISTRICT PIPELINE REPLACEMENT PROJECTS - 2008. a. This item involves approving an Initial Environmental Study and draft Mitigated Negative Declaration for the proposed Pipeline Replacement Project — 2008; filing the proposed mitigated negative declaration and environmental initial study with the Office of the Nevada County Clerk, with responsible and interested agencies, and with the State Clearinghouse; and authorizing publication a notice of public review period and public hearing. Director Hemig moved and Director Thomason seconded, a motion to authorize staff to file the proposed negative declaration and environmental initial study for the Pipeline Replacement Project-2008 with the Office of the Nevada County Clerk; authorize staff to file the proposed 2 Minutes: Dec. 5, 2007 negative declaration and environmental study with responsible and interested agencies and with the State Clearinghouse; authorize staff to publish a notice of public review period and public hearing on the proposed negative declaration; and authorize staff to set a public hearing date of December 19, 2007. ROLL CALL: All Directors, aye. SO MOVED. CONSIDERATION OF APPOINTMENT OF A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE TRUCKEE DONNER PUD TO NEGOTIATE AND APPROVE THE TRANSMISSION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH SIERRA PACIFIC POWER CORPORATION. a. This relates to the Districts intervention at FERC of Sierra Pacific Power Company's transmission rate case. FERC has appointed a Settlement Judge to assist the parties in pursuing settlement negotiations and directed participants to have persons present at the settlement negotiations with authority to negotiate and accept or approve settlement terms. Settlement negotiations have historically been in Washington DC in a FERC hearing room. Director Hemig moved and Director Aguera seconded, a motion to assign the Board President the authority to negotiate and accept or approve settlement terms or assign the Assistant General Manager or the new General Manager if the Board President is unable to attend the Sierra Transmission Rate Case settlement negotiations. ROLL CALL: All Directors, aye. SO MOVED. CONSIDERATION APPROVAL OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES BASED ON THE 2008 BUDGET. a. This items includes the review and approval of the proposed organization chart revisions based on the 2008 Approved Budget. Director Hemig moved and Director Aguera seconded, a motion to approve the organization chart revisions based on the 2008 Approved Budget and confirm the Delegations to the General Manager per the District Code Chapter 2.40. ROLL CALL: Director Sutton, abstain (not comfortable with how a new department was created and designation of the department head); All other Directors, aye. SO MOVED. WORKSHOP DISCUSSION OF THE POTENTIAL TO PURSUE THE BOTTLING OF WATER a. This item relates to the feasibility and intent to pursue this activity. John Ulrich presented information about bottling water: • Spring water is from an underground formation that comes to the surface • There are very small margins of profit in bottling water. • Each case needs to make a profit of 50 cents to $1 to make the venture profitable • Need to determine our water source • It takes panache to sell water • Need to do a business plan at a cost of approximately$10,000 to $15,000 • Could offer the bottled water as a service to customers and community, give to schools and other government agencies. • Encourage use of reusable containers to fill with water • Two locations: Tonini and McGlashan Springs • Could look at developing ourselves or a company to purchase the rights and build a water bottling facility. • Look at the legal aspect, does this fit with the District goals and objectives 3 Minutes: Dec. 5, 2007 Public input: • Where is Tonini springs? • Drinking from reused plastic bottles is discouraged • Environmental issues • There was a plant at Coldstream that was shut down by TROA- cannot transport water outside the basin • Someone sells water on the Summit at Rainbow/Crystal Springs Board discussion: • Idea is to provide increased revenue to the water department. • Overcome landfill waste by having a deposit return • District has water rights • Confine sales to North Tahoe or Reno or Sparks • Bottling water is too much to begin now • Maybe do something local with the unique access to good water • Hard to grasp business side- does not make sense • How would the District promote and market what we want to do? • Want a more specific proposal • There is a company in Hirschdale that bottles water • Cannot see the PUD doing this ourselves- unless sell from the pipe to a water tanker • Don't see as a profitable arena • Could see the District doing for the local community and promote by getting local °- government agencies to use our bottled water. • Want more investigation before the Board makes a final decision • Is there a beneficial use? • Only do locally- not beyond. • Get on with Broadband before we do anything else. The board agreed to have another workshop on this topic. ROUTINE BUSINESS CONSIDERATION OF SETTING DATES FOR BOARD MEETINGS IN JANUARY: JANUARY 2- RESCHEDULE FOR JANUARY 9 AND JANUARY 16- RESCHEDULE FOR JANUARY 23, 2008. Director Hemig moved and Director Aguera seconded, a motion to set the dates for the January board meetings: January 2- rescheduled to January 9, and January 16- rescheduled to January 23, 2008. ROLL CALL: All Directors, aye. SO MOVED. CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FOR OCTOBER 23, NOVEMBER 6, 79 8 AND 139 2007 Director Hemig moved, and Director Aguera seconded, that the Board approve the minutes of October 23, November 6, 7, 8 and 13, 2007 as amended for special meetings. ROLL CALL: All Directors aye, by voice vote. SO MOVED. CLOSED SESSION CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATOR PURSUANT TO SECTION 54956.8 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE. PROPERTY: 14630 GLENSHIRE DRIVE. 4 Minutes: Dec. 5, 2007 RETURN TO OPEN SESSION The Board voted unanimously to approve the extension of the listing agreement for six months with Coldwell Banker. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 9:35 PM. TRUCKEE DONNER PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT Tim F. Taylor, P e ides Prepared by C,.('6iAd Barbara Cahill, Deputy District Clerk bhc 5 Minutes: Dec. 5, 2007