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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1984-11-19 Min - Board 141 REGULAR MEETING November 19, 1984 The regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Truckee Donner Public Utility District was called to order by President Maass at 7:00 P.M. in the TDPUD Board room. ROLL CALL: Directors Cooley, Corbett, Duffy, Hamilton and Maass were present. EMPLOYEES PRESENT: Ron Reynolds, Peter Holzmeister and Susan Craig. CONSULTANTS PRESENT: Substitute Counsel James E. Simon. OTHERS PRESENT: Among those present were P. E. Flanagan, Leland Thomas, Brian Iles, Troy Robinson, Sue and Doug Felce, Evy Henkel, Dick VanLandingham, Dave Toussaint, Mo Gardiner, Jacqui Gay and Norm_ Traverso. APPROVAL OF MINUTES With respect to the minutes of October 7-8-9, 1984, President Maass requested that they note the meeting was held in San- Diego. Director Hamilton moved, and Director Duffy seconded, that after correction, the minutes of Oc- tober 7-8-9, 15 and 23, 1984 be approved. All Directors, aye. SO MOVED. The following corrections to the draft minutes of November 5, 1984 were requested: Page 2, that the bills were approved by voice vote rather than by consensus; Page 4, the addition of Director Corbett's statement regarding the budget - that the PUD is changing from a crisis management style to planned management; and President Maass' correction on Page 7 regarding Hirschdale - "until such time as the County has completed condemnation proceedings. . ." is to be changed to "until such time as the Health Department has declared the system unsafe. . ." Thereafter, Director Hamilton moved, and Director Corbett seconded, that the Secretary be directed to prepare the minutes of November 5, 1984 in final form as corrected. SO MOVED by voice vote. BILLS FOR APPROVAL No bills were presented for consideration. MANAGER'S REPORT Cook Associates Mr. Holzmeister noted that the District received invoices in the spring of 1984 from Cook Associates - one in the amount of $480 for time Mr. Cook spent testifying in the Roth vs. Field lawsuit, and one in the amount of $760.51 �! which was listed for work on the downtown Truckee electrical undergrounding pro- ject. The Manager explained that, in the winter of 1983, Mr. Cook was authorized to do preliminary work on undergrounding the downtown electrical system and up- grading the water system in that same area. At a point in time the District decided not to pursue the electrical undergrounding. When Cook billed the Dis- trict in April of 1984, he erroneously charged his work as electrical rather than for water. It was the recommendation of Mr. Holzmeister that the District not pay Mr. Cook's court costs in the Roth vs. Field case, as this should be charged to the Fields, but that payment be made for his work on the downtown water up- grade. The Board was in agreement. 1985 Budget Mr. Holzmeister advised that the Board has received a new budget document which includes the approved expenditures and changes discussed during the work- shop meeting. Electrical Engineer " The District is in the process, the Manager noted, of recruiting an Engineer and will be interviewing for the position towards the end of November; 11/19/84 Pg. 1 149 it's his hope to make a decision prior to the end of the year, and have the Engineer begin work the first of 1985. With respect to the Electrical Engineer job description, Mr. Holzmeister suggested changing the title to Superintendent of Electric Operations, and in- cluding the statement that, under the general supervision of the General Manager, this person would direct the operations of the electric utility. The organizational chart proposed by the Manager (copy attached) was re- viewed and discussed. The Board expressed a concern that the chart clearly show that the Engineer would be second-in-command and in charge of the District in the General Manager's absence. Mr. Holzmeister noted that his proposed chart is slightly different than that proposed by the Rose report, which recommended that the Electric and Water Departments be under the Engineer. He prefers, he stated, that the Engineer be responsible for the Electric Utility and the Engienering Department, but not the Water Department. President Maass and Director Duffy requested that Mr. Holzmeister amend the organizational chart to clearly show the Engineer will be in charge in the Manager's absence, and the President indicated review of the revised job description and the chart will be laced on the� P December 3rd meeting agenda i for review and decision by the Board. r Unit 12 i ; With respect to Director Hamilton's request at the last meeting concern- ing expenses incurred on Unit 12, the Manager advised that the District spent $8,073.88 between the beginning of 1983 and the present time for maintenance. Half this amount was spent last month when the rear end was rebuilt. Up to that point, he reported, repairs were minor except for replacement of the tires in November of 1983 which cost approximately $1,000. It was Mr. Holz- meister's opinion that Unit 12 has not been a big problem. PUBLIC INPUT Lee Thomas, IBEW Business Representative, requested that he be permitted to copy the tapes from the November 5th Board meeting, and President Maass in- dicated his approval and asked Mr. Thomas to coordinate this activity through j the General Manager. CORRESPONDENCE i i F Ponderosa Associates - Jacqui Gay i Note was made of the letter from Jacqui Gay requesting reimbursement of the District's $150 fee for an easement abandonment. Manager Holzmeister summarized the situation, going back to September of 1984 when the District received a letter from the Russells requesting that the PUD abandon an easement on Lot 6, Prosser Lakeview Estates, Unit 5, on which a portion of their house had been constructed. The Russell's are in the pro- cess of selling their home, and the title report indicated the easement upon which the house encroaches. Jacqui Gay of Ponderosa Associates represents the buyers; Bobbie Traverso represents the sellers. A policy calling for a petition to be submitted to the Board along with a fee of $150 to reimburse the PUD for time spent in processing the request was prepared and approved by the Board. Implementation of the new policy be- gan with receipt of the Russell's petition. As the petition was being processed, the District became aware that the requested abandonment was a public utility easement rather than a specific PUD easement. Notice of this fact was entered into the documents and recognized by the Russell's representative. During discussion with the real estate agents and the Board, it was made clear that the PUD could only release its interest in the easement, not the entire easement; other agencies having an interest in the easement would also have to be contacted by the petitioners. I 11/19/84 Pg. 2 X As requested by Ms. Gay and recommended by the Engineering Department, a resolution authorizing that a quit claim deed be prepared as to the Dis- trict's interest in the subject easement was adopted, and the deed was pro- vided to Ms. Gay. Ms. Gay explained that the County is now requiring a letter from the District indicating its agreement to abandon this public utility easement, and a fee for initiating the process. She requested such letter and repay- ment of the $150 fee paid to the District. Norm Traverso, local real estate agent appearing on behalf of Mrs. Traverso, stated he does not feel full pay- ment of $150 to the District in this instance is justified. After some discussion, Director Cooley moved that each case be looked at individually, and that the Board return the fee to Ms. Gay and provide her with the appropriate letter to the County. MOTION FAILED for lack of a second. Director Hamilton moved that the Board direct the Manager to provide a letter to the County, that the $150 remain with the District, and that the transaction be finalized; seconded by Director Corbett. Counsel Simon noted that the legal effect of the letter of approval and quit claim deed are the same in this instance - if the County prefers the letter of approval, it shouldn't be a problem. ROLL CALL: Cooley, no; all other Directors,_ aye. SO MOVED. Director Duffy moved that the Manager be directed to correspond with the County asking them. to justify their $250 fee for releasing a public utility easement in the Truckee area in which there are no County services, and. they perform no service other than collecting letters from other utilities saying that they are not using the easements; and to also advise them that the PUD is charging $150 for easement abandonments. The motion was duly seconded. All Directors, aye, with the exception of Director Cooley, who voted no. SO MOVED. COMMITTEE REPORTS "._ Water Committee Director Corbett reported that a Water Committee meeting was held on Friday, November 16th, at which Mike Prosperi of Harco, Inc. made a presentation on cathodic protection. Mr. Prosperi- pointed out that a solution to the Dis- trict's corrosion problems must address the existing pipes,- the storage tanks, future water line extensions, and backfill material. The program should also be incorporated into future development agreements to make certain that new water lines are properly protected. This is a complex problem and solution may be costly, but could- save money in the long run. It was the recommendation of the Water Committee that the District provide Harco with maps of the water system showing materials and the location of cor- rosion problems; that Harco prepare a letter of proposal for studying the prob- lem; that the District authorize Harco to proceed; that Harco produce a report on the nature of corrosion and recommend a program to solve the problem; that the Board adopt the program; that Harco prepare plans and specifications for im- plementation of the program; and that the District bid the program and implement cathodic protection. Responding to Director Hamilton's question as to whether this should be a bid item, Counsel Simon advised that expert consultants do not require going through the bidding procedure, however the physical work would go out to bid. Mr. Holzmeister said that Cook Associates went to Harco in 1981 to have reports on cathodic protection prepared for the PUD. He noted that in addition to the Harco proposal the District received a proposal from Cook providing for attaching anodes to our system and to draw up plans of where the anodes should be located. After talking to Harco, he feels the program is much more involved than simply placing anodes. The presentation given by Mr. Prosperi demonstrated that there are many factors to be considered before a solution can be found to the District's corrosion problem. By spending a little more time and money now and producing a current report and carefully designing a solution to the problem, the pipe corrosion can be virtually stopped.. Mr. Holzmeister noted that Harco would do a survey of the District's water system and- its condition, then make a recommendation as to solution. At this point, the Board can determine whether to adopt the recommendation or not. Harco would provide the costs involved, also. 11/19/84 Pg. 3 150 Director Duffy noted that most of the staff is not knowledgeable with respect to water line protection, and suggested. that the Manager investigate as to whether a school is available. After some discussion, Director Corbett moved, and Director Hamilton seconded, that the Board provide Harco with maps of its water system showing materials and the location of corrosion problems, and authorizing them to prepare a proposal for studying such problems. All Directors, aye, by voice vote. SO MOVED. In answer to Mr. VanLandingham's question regarding the earlier report --. prepared by Harco at Mr. Cook's request, Director Duffy advised him that it j would be of little or no use as the ground changes rapidly over a short per- iod of time. NEW DISTRICT COMPLEX - STATUS REPORT AND POSSIBLE DIRECTION i Phil Flanagan, resident of the District, stated he was present to express some concerns over the planned $2,000,000 new office complex, and to offer some constructive suggestions.. Mr. Flanagan noted that he has serious reservations about the need for a new office complex. He criticized the recent plans of the Board to build the complex on Meadow Park, only to learn after the fact that the Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District owned a portion of the land, { and the portion owned by the PUD was leased to the Park District under a 99- year lease. He stated he thought that probably a great deal of staff time was spent- on engineering the complex for that parcel of land. He also questioned the plans to rebuild the complex on the existing building site since it is very valuable land. He thought that perhaps the District may own other property that could be used. It was Mr. Flanagan's suggestion that the Board appoint an ad hoc committee to study the feasibility of the new office and warehouse complex, efficiency and space requirements, - land values, etc. Director Corbett advised that the District has not yet determined the amount to be spent on the new building complex, and the Chairman noted that Dale Cox has been hired to prepare preliminary plans and determine space re- quirements. —. President Maass said that the biggest problem involved is the site- { no other PUD land is suitable and, if private land is purchased the District must follow the entire County planning process, which would delay contruction at least until 1986 (when building costs would undoubtedly be higher) . G Director Hamilton noted that he would be in favor of such a committee as long as it was comprised of professional people. Director Duffy also thought the idea was a good one. i After some discussion, Director Cooley moved that the Board direct the Manager and New Complex Committee to select citizens from the community to in- vestigate the new District complex. MOTION FAILED for lack of a second. It was decided that the entire Board should select the ad hoc committee and, thereafter, Director Cooley moved that each Board member submit possible candidates to the Manager by the Wednesday prior to the December 3rd meeting, and that Mr. Holzmeister draft a charter for the committee. The selection will be made at the December 3, 1984 meeting. Mr. Holzmeister noted that he received a proposal from Steven Mahoney for property appraisals. After some discussion, Director Hamilton moved that the Board authorize the Manager to contract with Steven D. Mahoney of Binker Appraisal Service to determine the fair market value of AP18-570-10, the 1.9 acre parcel at the corner of Donner Pass Road and Highway 89, for a cost not to exceed Mahone. Mr.300 $ y is to be provided with a copy of the most recent appraisal on the parcel prepared by Roger Bonnett. The motion was seconded by ! Director- Duffy. All Directors, aye, by voice vote. SO MOVED. I REA ACCOUNTING SYSTEM - STATUS REPORT - POSSIBLE DIRECTION 1 The Manager provided the Board with a memorandum containing his thoughts on streamlining and simplifying the accounting system, and a copy of his letter to Arthur Andersen and Company asking for a proposal for such an evaluation. The Board indicated they would consider taking action after reviewing Ander- sen's analysis. I i I 11/19/84 Pg. 4 L V 1 CATHODIC PROTECTION PROJECT - UPDATE AND POSSIBLE DIRECTION This matter was discussed under Committee Reports. CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION ACCEPTING REMAINDER OF MARTISWOODS WATER SYSTEM Manager Holzmeister noted that two items have delayed the acceptance of Martiswoods Estates - ownership of the parcel of land on which the tank sits, and a one-year maintenance bond from the County. The ownership of the tank parcel has been resolved, and the District has a recorded deed to the parcel. With respect to the maintenance bond, Mr. Holzmeister advised that Placer County accepted the water system as complete in September of 1983 and the-de- veloper, at-that time, provided the County with a one-year maintenance bond (which expired in September of 1984) . The problem is that the bond covered the period of the County acceptance, not the period of the PUD acceptance. The County and PUD acceptance should have been coordinated. The Manager stated, and Counsel_ agreed,_ that the District could fight it out with Placer County and probably obtain a maintenance bond. However., it would cost time and money, and they did not feel it was worth the effort. Mr. Holzmeister felt it was more im- portant to clarif"y the status of ownership of the water system and begin collect- ing the revenues that are due the District from customers already hooked up and being served. He recommended that the Board accept the Martiswoods water system; President Maass said he tends to agree with this recommendation. After some discussion, it was generally agreed that the risk of something going wrong with the system is relatively minor and, if necessary, in-house per- sonnel would make the repairs. Coordination of the PUD's efforts in matters such as this with other agencies was discussed. Director Hamilton moved, and Director Corbett seconded, that Resolution No. 8470 accepting the remainder of the Martiswoods water system improvements be adopted. ROLL CALL: all Directors, aye. SO RESOLVED. CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION APPROVING SPECIFICATIONS AND ISSUING A CALL FOR BIDS ON PCB RETROFILL PROJECT The Board reviewed the proposed specifications and contract documents for the PCB retrofill project. Counsel Simon noted that, because of the dangerous risk involved in_ handling, transporting and disposing of PCBs, perhaps a special insurance clause should be drafted for inclusion in the contract. Director Hamilton advised that the District should make sure that the suc- cessful bidder has the proper equipment so as not to have a spill and the re- lated risk to the Distirct. By consensus, the matter was referred to Counsel. CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION APPROVING SPECIFICATIONS AND ISSUING A CALL FOR BIDS ON TWO CABS AND CHASSIS AND ONE AERIAL_ DEVICE Line Foreman Reynolds noted that the aerial device had been demonstrated to staff, and specifications were written to include those features they found desirable. It is a diesel, four-wheel drive vehicle. After some discussion, Director Corbett moved, and Director Hamilton seconded, that the Board adopt Resolution No. 8471 approving specifications and calling for bids on two cabs and chassis and one aerial device for the Electric Department. ROLL CALL: all Directors, aye. SO RESOLVED. CONSIDERATION OF RESCINDING RESOLUTION NO. 7945 (AUTHORIZING THE DISTRICT TO ISSUE THE FINAL PAYCHECK OF THE YEAR ON THE LAST WORKING DAY OF EACH YEAR) The Chairman voiced his agreement with Mr. Holzmeister's recommendation to rescind the resolution authorizing the District to issue the final paycheck of the year on the last working day of each year. It was determined by the Board that issuing a final paycheck for the year on the last working day is unnecessary and, thereafter, Director Hamilton moved that Resolution No. 7945 be rescinded.; seconded by Director Cooley. ROLL CALL: all Directors, aye. SO MOVED. 11/19/84 Pg. 4 i 152 CLOSED SESSION The meeting was adjourned to closed session at 9:25 P.M. RETURN TO PUBLIC SESSION The meeting was returned to public session at 9:45 P.M. and the Chairman noted that the grievances of Evelyn Henkel and Susan Felce were discussed dur- ing closed session. Director Hamilton moved that the Board deny the grievances of Mrs. Henkel and Mrs. Felce; seconded by Director Duffy. All Directors, aye, by voice vote. SO MOVED. CHRISTMAS PARTY I It was noted that Director Cooley was working on a Christmas party for the employees. Manager Holzmeister advised that Director Cooley had talked to Debi Waller, Chairman of the Activities Committee, about the possibility of an employee party, and asked the Board's feelings regarding this expenditure of funds. He noted that, last year, the party plus tax and gratuity, cost between $800 and $900. Director Cooley noted that OB's Board would provide an entire sit-down dinner for the amount of $15 per person, or approximately $900 altogether, which is within $100 of the party last year. i Manager Holzmeister advised that the date of Wednesday, December 19th had been tentatively set for the party. Director Duffy suggested that the Board adopt a resolution setting forth its position on expenditures of this nature - that the PUD may offer benefits similar to those provided by private firms so as to be competitive. President Maass moved and Director Hamilton seconded, that the Board authorize an expenditure of about $900 for an employee Christmas party. All Directors, aye, by voice vote. SO MOVED. i ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, Director Corbett moved that the meeting be adjourned; seconded by Director Duffy. SO MOVED at 9:52 P.M. TRUCKEE DONNER PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT By in Duf y, si I Susan M. Craig, Deputy Dis ict Clerk E I i 11/19/84 Pg. 5 I