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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979-04-16 Min - Board REGULAR MEETING APRIL 16, 1979 The Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Truckee Donner Public Utility District was called to order by President Maass in the District office at 7:09 P.M. ROLL CALL: Directors Hatch, Huber, Kuttel , Sutton and Maass were present. EMPLOYEES PRESENT: A. Milton Seymour and Susan Craig. CONSULTANTS PRESENT: District Counsel Grumer; District Engineer Cook arrived at approximately 7:40 P.M. OTHERS PRESENT: Shirley Rosamond, Don Strand, Kevin Dwyer and Mr. and Mrs. Don Cas 1 er were among those present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The Chairman noted that minutes for February 2Oth have been prepared in final form; minutes for March 5, 1979, have not yet been prepared. He there- fore tabled approval of the March 5th minutes until the next regular meeting. Since copies of the February 2Oth minutes were not received by the Direc- tors until this evening, Director Sutton moved that they be approved (as cor- rected) with the stipulation that if any Director discovers a problem they contact the President by Friday (April 20, 1979) , and that the President of the Board not sign them until that time. She noted she had submitted correc- tions to these minutes. The motion was seconded by Director Hatch. ROLL CALL: Hatch, aye; Huber, aye; Kuttel , aye; Sutton, aye; Maass, aye. SO MOVED. powwow Director Sutton advised that she submitted corrections to the March 19th minutes. She moved that they be prepared in final form as corrected. Direc- tor Huber seconded the motion. ROLL CALL: Hatch, aye; Huber, aye; Kuttel , aye; Sutton, aye; Maass, aye. SO MOVED. Director Sutton moved that the minutes of the special meeting of March 2Oth be prepared in final form as drafted Director Kuttel seconded the motion. ROLL CALL: Hatch, aye; Huber, aye; Kuttel , aye; Sutton, aye; Maass, aye. SO MOVED. ,Director Sutton noted the following corrections she felt should be made to the March 29th minutes: Change "Resolution approving specification and calling for bids on pad mounted distribution transformers,'' (appearing after ''Consultants Present") to "Resolution approving specifications and calling for bids on uti 1 ity poles." Under the item entitled Resolution approving specifications and calling for bids on pad mounted distribution transformers, add "for seven transformers" to the end of the first sentence in paragraph one. Under the item entitled Letter of Understanding between TDPUD and Sierra Pacific Power Company, correct spelling of ''referred'' in the first sentence - delete the word "takes'' in the second sentence. Director Sutton thereafter moved that the final copy of the March 29th minutes be prepared as corrected verbally during the meeting. The motion was seconded by Director Hatch. ROLL CALL: Hatch, aye; Huber, aye; Kuttel , aye; Sutton, aye; Maass, aye. SO MOVED. STATEMENT OF GENERAL FUND AND BILLS FOR BOARD APPROVAL President Maass noted that no bills had been presented for Board approval . The Manager clarified for Director Sutton's benefit that Paul Rose's em- ployment with the District had terminated as of April 1 , 1979 - his final check was listed under March 31 , 1979 payroll . 1111179 P9. 1 M r. Seymour explained the refund to Lawrence Sw i ck listed under approved billings. Mr. Seymour advised there was a check in the amount of $900,000 to be signed at this meeting; it represents a transfer of restricted funds and gen- eral funds in LAIF to public time deposits. Director Hatch noted a mistake in the check made out to Roland Whited - the correct spelling of the first name is "Ro 1 i n" - he further noted his address has been changed and can be obtained from the Forest Service. DECEMBER BUDGET REPORT Mr. Seymour requested a correction be made to the Budget Report (a copy of which has been attached) . On the last page, Total Income, %YTD Actual of Budget, the figure should be 105.9. He explained that wherever brackets appear on the Budget, it means the District received more income than was anticipated - no brackets means less income than anticipated. He noted that less income than anticipated was received by the Water Department - more than expected was received by the Electric Department. Considering all the cate- gories, $181 ,266 over income expected was received. He went on to explain the budget report in some detail and answered questions posed by the Directors. n summary, Mr. Seymour stated that some figures on last year 's budget were greatly in error, but overall , the budget was satisfactory. Di rector Sutton noted that i n the proposed 1979 budget there is a reallocation of some expenses between the Water and Electric ,Departments. It would, there- fore, be difficult to compare the two. Mr. Seymour recommended that some of the 1973 expenses be reallocated on the same basis used for the 1979 budget. Some of the Directors agreed that this would be a good idea. COMMITTEE REPORTS President Maass advised that Director Sutton prepared a written report to the Board regarding special district representation on Nevada County LAFCo; Director Sutton made note of several motions made at the meeting of the Independent Special Districts Selection Committee. One motion passed which approved the Nevada County LAFCo Resolution 7901 (which initiated the Inde- pendent Special District Representation process, and approval of which was necessary for the process to continue) ; another motion was made, seconded and passed - that the Selection Committee recommends that the Rules and Reg- ulations contain a proviso that the latent powers of all independent special districts be retained by the districts as the same that were given to them in their enabling legislation. LAFCo may now call a meeting of the Advisory Com- mittee which will have the opportunity to help write the rules and regulations for LAFCo on the Special District Representation. WATER COMMITTEE Director Sutton advised that the Water Committee recommends that the Board authorize the engineering to proceed on several projects - the Souths i de Im- provements and Tonini Springs Improvement. This matter appears on the agenda under New Business. Director Sutton requested that her written report dated April 14, 1979, be attached to the minutes. SO ORDERED by the President. TAHOE DONNER WATER COMMITTEE Director Huber reported that the Tahoe Donner Water Committee met on April 1 1 th with representatives from Dart Industries. At that meeting Dart present- ed drawings of where the pipeline from the Airport Well to the Town Tank should be placed in order to provide water service to Tahoe Donner. The Committee indicated they would propose to the Board that engineering studies, or the environmental analysis process be started on this pipeline project. This item will be discussed further later in the meeting. It was noted that Milt Seymour, Steve Grumer, Dan Cook, Don Strand, Jim Thompson and Keith Sauers of Cranmer Engineering were present at the Committee meeting along with Dir- ectors Huber and Maass. AIRPORT WELL COMMITTEE Director Huber noted she had read an article in the Tahoe World dated April 12, 1979, regarding the purchase of the Airport Well by Dart Industries. L.I I AI-7a �n � She stated she. felt either the reporting of what was said was poor, or it was said wrong. President Maass said. he felt George Edmondson (Manager of the Tahoe Truckee Airport District) had some misunderstandings regarding the way the PUD Board feels about Dart purchasing the Airport Well - some other Direc- tors voiced their agreement. Director Huber stated she thought the article should be corrected and requested that the Manager write to the Tahoe World; he agreed to do so. Also, Director Sutton noted a statement in the article regarding fire insurance was misleading and requested that Mr. Seymour ad- dress that. She moved that the Manager write a letter to the Tahoe World .. requesting clarification be published. Director Sutton was interrupted during the motion and stated she would let Director Huber make the motion. Director Huber moved that the Board direct the Manager to write a letter to the Tahoe World correcting the misleading statements that appeared in their issue of Thursday, April 12, 1979 concerning the purchase and/or lease of the Airport Well and the possible effects of the Airport Well purchase on fire rates on the south side. Director Hatch seconded the motion. ROLL CALL: Hatch, aye; Huber, aye; Kuttel , aye; Sutton, aye; Maass, aye. SO MOVED. ELECTRIC COMMITTEE Mr. Seymour advised that the Telephone Company is going to be installing an underground conduit on the north side of Donner Lake during this summer. He noted that there is a need to put electrical facilities along the north shore of the Lake and felt, he stated, this would be a good opportunity for the District. He requested that the Board consider approving funds to go underground if the Telephone Company project goes through. Further, Mr. Seymour stated that before long he would be recommending to the Electric Committee !and the Board an Ordinance requiring the underground- ing of electrical facilities in new subdivisions with lot sizes of one acre or less to avoid a forest of wires and poles. He noted this could be done jointly with the Water Department, Telephone Company and Tom's TV (cable TV company) . MANAGER'S REPORT General Status of the District Mr. Seymour reported that the District has had no significant electrical or water outages in the last two weeks. Water production figures for March are attached to his written report which follows these minutes. He noted that the District is observing a very rapid increase in construc- tion- activities. The Electric Department is currentlat the present time. He noted for the record that in Reno there is a six to eight months wait for an electric hookup; in Fernley the waiting period is as long as one year. The TDPUD Water Department is approximately two months behind due to the winter backlog. The District does anticipate hiring several helpers for the Water Department, so there will be two two-man crews. Annual Report - The Manager advised that a draft copy of the Annual- Report should be received by the District soon. The written part of the report will be completed after the draft audit is received from Arthur Andersen & Company (approximately three weeks) . Senior Citizen Housing - Mr. Seymour reported that the High Sierra Senior Citizens have been corresponding with the Farmers Home Administration regarding the borrowing of money for senior citizen housing. In talking with FmHA, Mr. Seymour learned that they are interested and willing to, help with the program. Mrs. Rosamond, .present in the audience, advised that the High Sierra Senior Citizens have been accepting applications for housing rental . She further ad- vised that an aid of Mr. Pannell of FmHA informed the organization that a firm commitment from the PUD regarding the land should be in the offing and submit- ted along with the application. Mr. Seymour noted that a Resolution of Intent had been passed (th.ree ,Directors for, two against.) The pre-application to FmHA wi i 1 be made by the contractor interested in undertaking the project; the High Sierra Senior Citizens will show that there is a need for housing in the area. The Loyal ton,Rocki n, and Colfax senior citizen housing projects were brief- ly discussed. 4/16/79 P97 3 Souths i de Well #1- Mr. Seymour reported that the District has pulled the pump from Souths i de Well #1 and taken it to the Byron Jackson Company in Chico for an analysis of problems. Mr. Cook advised that it appears a serious short circuit occurred either in the cable or motor windings of the pump and that major repair will be necessary. He further noted that a replacement motor has been located and wi 1 l be delivered this week. In addition to the motor problem, the bearings for the individual bowls are out of tolerance. New bearings w i-1 1 be put on the bowls and the guides will be remounted - the en- tire assembly wi 1 l be reinstalled sometime during the early part. of next week. Mr. Cook estimated the repair cost to be $1 ,500. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF TDPUD - SPPCo AGREEMENT - MARTIS VALLEY SUBSTATION It was the President ' s intention to table this item since Martin McDonough's opinion letter had not yet been received, but Mr. Seymour requested that ac- tion be taken. He advised that Mr. McDonough presently has a letter in the ma i 1 ; Mr. McDonough has no objections to the agreement - his letter states one concern, that being about conjunctive b i 1 1 i ng. Mr. Seymour suggested that the Board accept the agreement with the condition that there be con- junctive b i 1 l i ng for four delivery points. The Letter of Intent addresses engineering matters - conjunctive billing is a commercial matter. Director Huber expressed concern regarding the statement in the letter specifying that the Manager would review the plans. She stated she felt the plans should be reviewed by the District 's electrical engineer as well as the Manager. Director Sutton stated she thought the Letter of Understanding should in- clude who has responsibility for the environmental assessments and process for the substation. Director Sutton suggested the Board hold a special meeting with representa- tives of Sierra Pacific Power Company and perhaps Martin McDonough. Director Huber agreed that this would be a good idea when modifications and the ser- vice agreement were being written. Director Huber moved that the Board direct the Manager to sign the Letter of Understanding with the explicit understanding between the Board and the Manager that this does not commit the Board or the District to any change in conjunctive billing. Director Kuttel seconded the motion. ROLL CALL: Hatch, aye; Huber, aye; Kuttel , aye; Sutton, no; Maass, aye. SO MOVED. Director Sutton stated she is concerned that because there is no provision in the Letter of Understanding for the conjunctive billing, which apparently Mr. McDonough has called to the attention of the Board and because there is no provision for the environmental process to be followed, and further, since Mr. McDonough' s letter is not in hand, she has voted ''no'' on this motion. RESOLUTION ADOPTING 1979 WATER AND ELECTRIC CASH FLOW BUDGET It was noted that a formal copy of the budget and a copy of the narrative had not been received by the Directors. The C�'ha i rman tabled the item. REQUEST BY GEBHARDT FOR ABANDONMENT OF RIGHT-OF-WAY ON MC FARLAND PROPERTY LOCATED AT HIGHWAY 267 AND INTERSTATE 80; REVIEW OF RECOMMENDATIONS President Maass made note of a letter prepared by District Counsel Grumer. Mr. Grumer advised that his letter was a brief condensation of a proposal made by Mr. Cook, Mr. Seymour and .himself. He noted that, if the water and electric lines and costs are reimbursed in addition to allowing the l20kV line to have a greater easement for Sierra Pacific, the matter would be sat- isfactory from the engineering and management standpoint. Mr. Cook stated that he had received the record of survey in today's mail - one map, set up to be a record of survey but never recorded, shows the 50 foot Sierra Pacific easement and a 10 foot water line easement. Boundaries of the McFarland property and the property belonging to the Cemetery District, which adjoins the McFarland property, were discussed as well as locations of power and water lines. The Board was in agreement that no action should be taken until a search is made for a recorded easement. Mr. Grumer noted that he is in possession of a preliminary title report on the subject property and indicated he would review the document. ? I r !-7n l President Maass advised the matter would be put over. REPORT ON MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES District Counsel Grumer advised he and Director Sutton would begin work on this project shortly and would provide a status report at the next regular meeting. REPORT ON LEAVE OF ABSENCE POLICY FOR MANAGERIAL EMPLOYEES ` "` Director Sutton noted she would like to refer the draft leave of absence policy for managerial employees to Jim Lloyd, personnel consultant (of Pub- lic Employer Personnel Consultants) . She felt, she stated, his input and recommendations would be beneficial . Mr. Grumer suggested the opinion on the policy prepared by Ma rron' s firm be included with the package forwarded to Mr. Lloyd. Mr. Seymour suggested obtaining a quotation from Mr. Lloyd prior to direct- ing him to go forward with the review. Director Kuttel moved that the Manager request an estimate for review and recommendations from M r. Lloyd on the leave of absence policy for managerial employees. Director Huber seconded the motion. ROLL CALL: Hatch, aye; Huber, aye; Kuttel , aye; Sutton, aye; Maass, aye. SO MOVED. RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING STANDBY BILLING AND REQUESTS FOR EXEMPTION Upon the Manager's request, the Chairman tabled the item. WELL STANDARD PROPOSALS - CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS - WELL PRODUCTION RATING STANDARDS - PUD WATER QUALITY STANDARDS - ACCEPTANCE Director Kuttel requested that the matter be tabled. Director Sutton noted that the Committee is presently working on the well standard proposals and wishes more time. Upon request made by Director Sutton, District Engineer Cook briefly re- viewed the possible additions of well standards to the Guidelines and Standards that the District has been utilizing. A copy of -his draft, which would be in- cluded in the Guidelines as Section 14, has been attached to these minutes for reference. Mr. Cook noted that the Committee has some editorial work to do - some areas require expansion; there was some discussion on the water quality aspects - this area requires additional work prior to consideration by the Board. Director Sutton read a portion of a commentary from the State Water Re- sources Control Board relating to the EIR on Ponderosa Estates, which is the 125-lot subdivision close to Prosser Well ; it urged Nevada County to develop specific and adequate standards for private wells as recommended in their Basin Plan - it further noted that the question of water supply should be settled before approval is granted for the subject project. The President noted that the Water Committee would be continuing to work on the well standards. STANDARDIZED METHOD OF COMPUTING WATER DEMAND OF DIVERSE DOMESTIC, COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL POPULATIONS IN THE TRUCKEE AREA Mr. Cook made reference to the Annual Demand Variation chart (copy attached) presented at the last meeting which shows the relationships as they existed in 1976. He noted those relationships will change with time. With records the District is presently keeping, Mr. Cook noted, it won' t be a difficult matter to expand the Annual Demand Variation for any given development. Mr. Seymour noted that the reason for this item is to inform developers how the District views demand. Although in different form, i't is a portion of the Guidelines and Standards, Mr. Cook advised. The President requested that Mr. Cook's equation be made a part of the Standards also. Director Sutton advised that there is a subcommittee working on the Guide- lines and Standards, which have not yet been adopted. 4/16/79 pg. 5 �4 N CHP COMMUNICATIONS SITE - RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT The Manager reported that he and District Counsel met with Mr. Haywood and Mr. Johnson of the California Highway Patrol , Facility Section; they discussed the proposal. , which originated last fa 1 1 , regarding movement of the CHP trans- mitter site from private property to PUD property in the vicinity of the Pond- erosa Palisades Tank. A resolution offering to lease this property to the State of Cal i forn i a for a nominal, sum in return for f ree maintenance for the District base station was adopted last fall . CHP representatives advise they are now ready to move; however, they request the PUD issue a permit (10-year permit, non-revocable for 5 years) rather than entering into a lease, and they want to pay $50 per month for this permit. It is their intent to erect on the property a 30 foot long by 12 foot wide by 10 foot high fiberglass prefabricated building, which they will paint to suit the District' s require- ments. They also want to erect a GO foot, self-supporting steel tower painted as requested by the District, and two 50 foot wood poles. President Maass clarified that it would be the CHP' s responsibility to deal with the FAA. The CHP wishes to sublet space within the building to other communication users, Mr. Seymour advised; they are willing to provide to the PUD two equipment spaces at no charge, and also wi 1 l provide power to the equipment at no charge. Mr. Seymour suggested the District offer one of the spaces to the Truckee Fire Pro- tection District at no charge inasmuch as the ,PUD requires only one bay. The California Highway Patrol has requested that the permit become effective May 1 , 1979. In response to a question posed by Director Sutton, Mr. Seymour advised that it would be the CHP's responsibility to obtain any necessary County per- mits for construction. Mr. Seymour noted the CHP desires a security fence around the building; they will arrange for snow plowing and back-up power. Also, they will pay electrical hook-up fees. The District will have control over placement of the building on the site so. as to be sure it does not interfere with access to the tank; it wi 1 1 not be particularly noticeable by surrounding property owners. Director Kuttel moved that the Board adopt Resolution No. 7914 (Director Kuttel noted the Resolution number to be 7913; it was later discovered this was incorrect and changed) authorizing a permit with the California Highway Patrol . Director Huber seconded the motion. Don Casler, present in the audience, noted that in Ponderosa Palisades there are some fairly tight CC&R's that Butch Beavers put into effect, the most important of these being that there would be no shiny metal on any struc- ture going into the subdivision. Mr. Grumer assured Mr. Casler that the build- ing would be totally fiberglass and there would be no shiny metal . He further noted that the CHP was interested in meeting every environmental and architec- tural concern. Mr. Casler asked if there were any restrictions imposed by Mr. Beavers when the tank was dedicated by him to the District. Mr. Seymour noted he was not aware of any restrictions. District Engineer Cook advised that there are no deed restrictions on the subject parcel . Director Huber moved the question. Director Kuttel seconded the motion. ROLL CALL: Hatch, aye; Huber, aye; Kuttel , aye; Sutton, aye; P4aass, aye. SO MOVED. The Chairman called for a ROLL CALL vote on the motion to adopt Resolution m 7914 authorizing a permit with the California Highway Patrol : Hatch, aye; Huber, aye; Kuttel , aye; Sutton, no; Maass, aye. SO MOVED. Director Sutton requested that the minutes indicate concerns and questions that have been raised during discussion of this item; her ''n0" vote is because she feels there are some unanswered questions regarding the matter. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING INTERDEPARTMENTAL TRANSFER OF FUNDS District Counsel Grumer noted that the intended purpose of this resolution is to earmark a transfer of money used for the Water Department' s purchase of the "Ral phs ' property." Inasmuch as a refund in the amount of $61 .07. was received from the Title Company, Mr. Grumer suggested the resolution be changed to add a whereas clause indicating that the refund was received representing the prorat ions to the close of escrow, and having the interdepartmental transfer for the net sum of $50,412.44 rather than the amount of the check. This would provide an accurate accounting, he stated. President Maass stated he felt there should be some sort of pay-back, agree- ment, including interest, between the Water and Electric Department. Director Sutton agreed. It was decided that the loan should be repaid over a five-year period; an interest rate was not decided upon. t was noted that in 1973, acreage was sold to Dart Industries at less than the established price - Director Kuttel asked that the money received be credit- ed to the Water Department. The money was used to ''ba i 1 the District out'' since it was losing so much money constructing the electrical lines. The District accounting system was discussed. Director Sutton noted she would like a reference in the resolution' s title as to where the real property is located (surrounding Ton i n i Springs) , and the reason for the purchase of the land embodied in the resolution. It was decided that principal and interest would be payable on or before the last accounting day of the year. Seven percent was thought to be a fair rate of interest, but no decision was reached. It was indicated that the Manager should determine the rate earned on certificates of deposit. DON CASLER'S REQUEST FOR QUITCLAIM DEED TO BLANKET EASEMENTS ON PROPERTY LOCATED BETWEEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND GAS STATION Mr. Cook advised that he and Director Kuttel walked the site with Slim Hintz. Slim recalled that there were two wells, one which was filled in, the other, being the more southerly of the two, was used by Lewis as a water sup- ply for the service station located close to the Hintz place. The well was apparently abandoned when the District extended the community water supply. Although this well was not found when Mssrs. Cook and Kuttel toured the site,. Director Kuttel believes he has since located the well site. District Engineer Cook noted that, in his opinion, the well that was at least partially filled is of no value and does not fall within the conditions remaining on the floating easement. Mr. Cook was not sure of the condition of the most southerly well although, obviously, he stated, it is not a pub- lic water supply. He thought if the easement is to be waived per Mr. Casler's request, the District should require a hold-harmless abandonment procedure that would not be dissimilar to those in the proposed well standards, and be a condition of the approvals that would subsequently be adopted for the project. District Counsel advised a copy of the title policy would be necessary to show the owner of record. Mr. Cook noted that there would have to be an agreement between the Dis- trict and the property owner stating that there are two wells on the prop- erty, location unknown. It would be specified in the hold harmless abandonment procedure that the owner would destroy both wells in compliance with the pro- posed standards. A copy of the agreement can be sent to the County as a condi- tion to be included in the grading permit. Hopefully, the Building Department would be aware of the agreement. It was decided a time limitation should be -- placed on the abandonment. Mr. Casler presented to Mr. Grumer a copy of the grant deed. He noted the owners of record at this time are the Truckee Investors, a partnership. Mr. Grumer requested a copy of either the partnership papers or a fictituous business name statement. DISCUSSION OF WILL-SERVE LETTERS Director Hatch stated he felt the District has experienced the situation where individuals have come to the District with will-serve letters. . .what ends up being constructed is not what the will-serve letter indicated. He proposed that all will-serve type situations should come from the property owner, it should be by way of written communication, it should specify the purpose of the service, and a request for capacities. At this time it should 4/16/79 p2* 7 k s be presented to the Manager for review of the electrical portion and to the Engineer for the water portion to determine if the capacities are reasonable. The letters should plainly state that if anything other than the originally proposed project is constructed, the letter is i nva-1 i d. Director Hatch fur- t-her stated he felt the Board should investigate a penalty rate for those exceeding capacity. Mr. Seymour agreed with Director Hatch's ideas, and stated he liked an application type form. Director Hatch suggested copying the Planning Department with responses to requests for will-serve letters. By Board consensus , the Manager, Engineer, and Counsel were directed to prepare a sample application for review. COMMITTEE REPORT RE DART'S PROPOSAL TO START ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER PRO- CEEDINGS IN PREPARATION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A PIPELINE FROM THE NORTH- SIDE WELL TO THE TRUCKEE RIVER BRIDGE The President noted that this agenda item was worded incorrectly; the pipe- line would be from the Airport Well to the Town Tank. District Engineer Cook requested authorization to proceed with selection of a route for construction of a pipeline from the Town Tank to the Airport Well . This would be a cooperative 'effort between the District and C ranmer Engineering (Dart Industries ' engineering firm) . C ranmer wi l l actually do the design and construction plans, but the environmental statement that ad- dresses all the conditions will be prepared by Cook Associates (and billed to Dart through the District) . The construction contract will be let by Dart. Upon completion, the pipeline will be dedicated to the District for operation and maintenance. Director Huber moved that the Board direct the Engineer to proceed with the preliminary steps necessary for the environmental impact assessment for - - the construction of a pipeline from the Airport Well to the Town Tank. The motion was seconded by Director Hatch. n response to Director Sutton's question, Mr. Cook noted that it is re- quired that all the alternatives be addressed including the "no alternative;" the most favorable alternative is addressed in greater depth. ROLL CALL: Hatch, aye; Huber, aye; Ku-tel , abstain; Sutton, aye; Maass, aye. SO MOVED. Director Kuttei noted his abstention is due to the fact that he is a property owner likely to be involved in the easements for this proposed con- struction. WATER COMMITTEE REPORT AND POSSIBLE AUTHORIZATION TO PROCEED WITH ENGINEERING ON THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS : SOUTH SIDE BOOSTER CAPACITY INCREASE, PONDEROSA PALISADES BOOSTER CAPACITY INCREASE, EVERGREEN LOOP, TONINI SPRING REWORK, REPAIR OF RIVER CROSSING, INLET-OUTLET REWORK - SOMA SIERRA TANK Director Sutton advised that the Water Committee recommends the Board authorize the engineering to proceed on Tonini Springs Improvements and South- side improvements. The Committee discussed the possibility of a loan from the Electric Department or FmHA to finance the construction costs of these pro- jects; no final decision was made, however, and the matter will be taken up at a future Committee meeting. The Committee recommended that the Engineer go ahead with the plans and specifications so that, whatever means of finan- cing is decided upon, construction may be started this summer. The estimated total construction costs are $94,500; Mr. Cook approximated his firm' s costs for engineering to be $8,000 maximum. The cable-supported River corssing was discussed. The District Engineer stated he would l i ke to address the crossing as part of the design considera- tion and show the District why he feels it is necessary. Director Sutton requested confirmation that, if these projects are eventually financed by an FmHA loan or some other outside loan, the engineering costs would be 1 reimbursable. Mr. Cook assured her they would be reimbursable. Mr. Cook advised that obtaining a loan from FmHA would be less difficult this time - the District will need Bond Counsel - an election will have to be held or a non-prof it corporation formed. Relating to Farmers Home Administration projects, Mr. Seymour advised that there is presently a bill before the Assembly that may change the law with regards to funding FmHA projects to enable special districts to borrow UP to $500,000 without a vote of the people and with terms of up to twenty years. Director Sutton moved that the Board authorize the Engineer to proceed on the following projects: 1) Southside improvements which include the South- side Booster Station replacement and relocation and new tie-in, Evergreen Circle Loop, Ponderosa Palisades Booster (increasing pump capacity) , Cable- supported River Crossing replacement, Inlet/outlet at Sierra Meadows Tank, and 2) the Toni ni Springs improvement for an estimated cost of approximately $8,000 for Engineering services. The motion was seconded by Director Huber. ROLL CALL: Hatch, aye; Huber, aye; Kuttel , aye; Sutton, aye; Maass, aye. SO MOVED. ENGINEER'S REPORT Report on water deficiency in Southside area - Mr. Cook reported this item relates to the status of repair of the Southside pump #1 . He advised it will be back on-line next week, which wi 1 l provide the District with a 250 gpm sup- ply. The District Engineer stated he would be meeting with the Water Service- men tomorrow to discuss some of the concerns he has regarding how to get the water where it will be needed most this coming summer. DISTRICT COUNSEL'S REPORT Mr. Grumer had nothing to report at this time. CORRESPONDENCE Mr. Seymour advised that the District received correspondence from Ta 1 1 ant and Mayhew, counsel for the District's insurance company, with regard to the Atkinson case. The trial starts May 1 , 1979; six or seven employees of the Dis- trict were requested to appear and testify (they will not have to appear at the same time) . Director Sutton referred to a letter from Sierra Pacific Power Company dated March 21 , 1979 having to do with the Donner Lake contract. She request- ed this become an agenda item for review by the Board. Director Sutton made note of correspondence received from CMUA in March having to do with the development of municipal solar power; she requested this be discussed by the Board at some future meeting. Also, she requested a copy of the notice be attached to these minutes. Director Sutton asked that a copy of the letter dated April 3, 1979 from Tudor Engineering having to do with the feasibility study statement of work be attached to these minutes. Also, she requested a copy of the letter from Roen Construction dated April 2nd having to do with the problem on the motor and their intent become attached to the minutes . Further, Director Sutton requested a copy of Mr. Cook's letter dated April 2nd to Mr. Strand regarding the water demand at Tahoe Donner be attached to the minutes. SO ORDERED by the President. Director Sutton asked if the Directors had seen an article in the Sierra Sun regarding what happened to the District's letter on the groundwater ques- tion to TTSA. She further asked the Directors if they felt Mr. Butterf i eld 's answering the letter was what was intended. She asked if it was the Board' s intent that the groundwater question be addressed in the EIR. The Board was in agreement that this was their intent. The President noted that, as yet, he had not received a response to the letter. Mr. Seymour said that Mr. Butter- field had reported to him verbally that the question would be addressed in the EIR. 4/16/79 P9. 9 1, PLANNING DEPARTMENT NOTICES Mr., Seymour advised that he provided response to Dale Creighton (Nevada County Planning Department) regarding the proposed Romano project. Director Sutton requested that the Manager investigate the water and electrical ar- rangements that the building has; she stated she thought there were some prob- lems. Relating to the Safeway Store and development on Highway 89, Director Sutton asked whether or not the District had responded to an inquiry (the tape was unclear as to who made the inquiry) . The Manager stated response has been made. Director Huber made reference to a will-serve letter provided by the General Foreman for a nine unit apartment complex on the south side which was not the usual letter used for that area. Mr. Seymour stated the letter was vague and should have informed the developer that certain basic improvements to the south side water system are needed, and further, that the developer will be expected to contribute to them. The Manager is planning to write a subsequent letter to the developer. EXECUTIVE SESSION The President adjourned the meeting to Executive Session at 10:53 P.M. to discuss legal and personnel matters. RETURN TO PUBLIC SESSION President Maass reconvened the meeting to Public Session at 11 :30 P.M. He noted that Director Huber left the meeting at 1 1 : 10 P.M. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, the Chair adjourned the meeting at 11 :30 P.M. TRUCKEE DGNNER PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT Ja s A. Maass, President an M. Craig, Deputy District61/r k 4/1 b/79 Pg. 10.