Water Subcommittee Meeting Minutes
February 23, 2022
Via Zoom
Mayor Robertson called meeting to order: 10:05 am
Subcommittee Members / City Staff:
Mayor Deborah Robertson
Mayor Pro Tem Ed Scott
Marcus Fuller, City Manager
Robert Messinger, Assistant City Attorney
Tom Crowley, Utilities Manager
Angela Perry, Council & City Manager’s Executive Assistant
Other Attendees
Steve Dopudja, Consultant
Rolf Ohlemutz, RWS
Sonia Axter, Ullico
Evan Kominsky, Ullico
Megan Matson, Table Rock
Public Comments: None
Minutes: January 26, 2021, minutes – Accepted for the record.
1. WS-22-162 Present Master Schedule for Grant Applications and Final Design for the Lake Rialto Project
Tom began presentation going through the schedule.
Committee Comments/Recommendations
Mayor Robertson said she took the concept to the Bureau of Reclamation a few years ago. She is concerned about the infrastructure funds availability; she hopes to go back and look when there is a timeframe to look at anything that can be submitted to the Bureau of Reclamation. She has requested information and other activities regarding the Bureau of Reclamation to Jamie Jones.
Mayor Robertson asked, have we come up with a total estimated cost to deliver the Lake Rialto project? Tom responded, $8,000,000. What about the septic to sewer? Tom said he met with Supervisor Baca’s staff yesterday. Tom mentioned the preliminary study and its phasing approach, like the first phase being about $2.5 m. The County was willing to use some of their ARPA funds, $1,000,000, to help us on the project. Tom said that we have to make a decision when submitting the grant, either submit for the full $8 m illion project or we can go for the phase approach. If we decide to submit full cost of the project, we will have to be competing for the $14 million SAWPA funds with everybody else. For
the phase approach, Tom said, we can use some of the County ARPA funds and maybe identify some additional funds on our end to help meet the costs along with the grant funds.
Mayor remembers about some residential parcels on septic in the IEUA territory. Should we also be partnering with IEUA? Tom said, we should start recognizing where those septic systems are in the IEUA service area. More specifically, that service area located on our western edge had many disadvantage community areas. Mayor Robertson agreed with Tom.
MPT Scott said why is he having meetings with the County Supervisor without an Elected Official with them ? He told City Manager that protocol is elected to elected. Mr. Baca shouldn’t do that.
Mayor said she is excited about the IEUA and they should be able to come to the table.
Mayor said she wou ld hope that we get together with Stephen, Tom, Mayor/MPT and Marcus. Mayor said there are better coordination that needs to be had.
2. WS-22-163 Final Construction Work Authorization to Rialto Water Services in the amount of $270,907 for Rialto Biosolids Upgrade Study, Plant 1&2 Demolition Design and GMP Preparation, and Additional Electrical Design for the Microgrid Project.
Tom gave the presentation. Megan added information to his presentation.
Committee Comments/Recommendations
Mayor Robertson said, I want to make sure that as we do this, know that we also are going to be able to handle different types of other solids and wastes. She was not aware we can use it in the process of a microgrid project. She wants to understand more regarding the biosolids. She said MPT Scott brought up to her organic waste can be used in our process in the digester. She said with the organic waste must extract from the landfill and it can be used in the microgrid to cover/add to our operation.
MPT Scott said it’s clear that Burrtec doesn’t have a plan. He doesn’t know how they are going to handle the material. He said, we should sit down with Anaergia and have a discussion about whether or not we want to put a processing equipment on the City’s site.
However, the bigger question becomes who’s going to process it. Is there an opportunity to bring that material to us? He wonders how Burrtec is going to succeed. The grocery store bags for produce are what’s being used. These skimpy thin bags rip easily when they are put into a green waste container. When it gets to the other end, how are they going to sort it. MPT mentioned that he already asked Burrtec about these issues , and he still not getting a straight answer.
Anaergia is out buying this material from other places or looking for it from other places that don’t have a solid contract with Burrtec or Athens. He feels that it’s an opportunity to focus on Rialto to get that material. MPT wants to have a conversation about the location of the processing equipment down on our site.
The quality of fog is sketchy, and the better solution is the organic waste. MPT suggested for next meeting to have a discussion with Anaergia or have a separate meeting outside of this forum. Mayor Robertson said when we had Anaergia in those meetings, they were still working out bugs. They have the equipment and operat e fully now. She mentioned on one of her visits to Anaergia with IEUA, they were very clear that they were operating on these sites. They were also planned to replicate that to almost 200 sites throughout California. She said, state mandates that the waste has to go to a specific destination not to the landfill. Moreover, we can’t let it flow down in the ocean.
MPT added when this material is ground up there has to be water used in it. Maybe another opportunity for us to use some of the affluent that isn’t going to be sold the IEUA to help process this material. He thinks that there is an advantage for us there. He said the company that we permitted to grind up the bottles has a plant that does that in San Bernardino. It might be worth talking to them, the plan t has been operating for a while.
They are buying material from Athens and trying to buy material from Burrtec. Mayor said she would like to sit down with Anaergia and find out if they would have a processor that can handle our organic waste. Also, reaching out to our neighbors to secure their organic waste. Megan said talked about their visit to Anaergia site, back in 2012.
Mayor Robertson said, the City Manager and staff need to give them an assessment of what is happening around the region. Mayor said that this is not on SCAG’s radar. MPT Scott asked if it ha d been discussed at SBCTA. She said absolutely not. He said that the county should be taking the lead on this. He said, the real problem with this is that it has to be done by hand. It will require high wages to be able to attract people to perform that kind of work. Mayor said when the meeting with Anaergia is setup to include Megan and Peter. MPT believes that Waste Management is ahead of Burrtec. He mentioned that Montclair is already doing it, they work with Waste Management. He said we need to educate residents to learn how to separate this material. He said other countries, such Korea, have been doing this for a long time. We need to follow their example. He added, we should be supplying bins or bag to facilitate the work for recycling to our residents.
MPT mentioned another issue during the process of this material is the high amount of nitrate that has to be extracted. Mayor is also concerned about the transportation of nitrate. Tom said Anaergia does its discharges to the brine line . The material that they can’t process or return to the front of the plant, is discharge to the brine line. Mayor asked about Niagara . Tom said that Niagara truck s its brine to the City of San Bernardino connection point. Mayor wants to know if we truck off our solid waste from the plant. He said, yes, that goes out to AZ to be reused in agriculture.
MPT mentioned that Anaergia only wants to buy processed material. He said that these companies buy from multiple places, they can’t get a long -term contract. He said that Waste Management may be one of them. Megan said that one of the issues from these models with no long-term contracts is that you can’t long -term finance. Marcus said we should look back at the FOG method. It may be a more practical approach for the organic waste.
Mayor wants to know where Burrtec is disposing their waste. Somehow, we get an annual refund from CalRecycle. She asked if someone could chart what those dollars have been over that last 10 years, based on the products and materials that we used to recycle.
Subcommittee said to prepare and take to Council.
3. WS-22-164 Update on the Payment Trends during the City’s Local Emergency due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Tom gave presentation – used graphs from Council staff report – delinquent accounts
Committee Comments/Recommendations
MPT commented on Tom’s presentation, he told him that the council instructed him to look at Edison’s model and use their payment plan. He said that Edison does not turn off customers’ electricity, they put them on a payment plan without asking. They give two options to their users, either pay the full amount or stay on the payment plan. Mayor asked, have we been shutting off water – no. She wants to know how people know that we are in a moratorium. Mayor wants to know if customers have received any type of communication regarding their past due bills. She asked if there was a report done on what Rolf chose to do after council asked to implement Edison’s plan? MPT thought that we were going to just roll the plan out. Rolf said that they are coming back now to get direction. MPT said unless other utilities like Edison start shutting off, we shouldn’t do that.
MPT said to just roll -in customers into the payment plan and avoid waiting time. MPT said to send a letter or bill to users to inform them that they are in a payment plan and offer them options. Mayor said go back and see how many people have been using the CARES Act funds. Marcus said it will be a good time to add the QR Code. He said we also talked about waiving the penalty fees. What would be do with those. MPT said that the answer is to roll out the payment plan . Tom said there has not been any penalties and late fees assessed to any customers . MPT said that another question for Edison.
Marcus asked, a re they expecting anything for the nex t Council meeting? MPT asked Robert, do we have to get approval from the Council for Veolia to just automatically roll out a payment plan or can we do it and just inform the council? He believes that it should go to Council for ratification.
Side note
MPT said Council members need to get a summary of the subcommittee meetings, so they know what projects are being worked on.
4. WS-22-165 List of Capital Improvement Projects for Water and Wastewater Systems.
Tom gave presentation - Hydrant replacements.
Committee Comments/Recommendations
Mayor wants the exact number of replace versus repaired. He said the chart does not show new. MPT asked about 99 Cents Store leak. Tom said the issue is on the store’s end, and they will get back with them. Why is there no procedure in place to deal with a leak? He said there is a draft and when finalized will be implemented immediately. MPT asked Marcus – we have employees (PW, Fire, PD) driving down Cedar watching that leak for two years. You would think they would see the leak and report it. Marcus asked Tom to put a SOP together. Marcus said that all our staff should be reporting issues.
MPT said that’s probably part of our Landscape District.
Mayor asked how we assist the community when these leaks are reported, because of the leak. She suggested to coordinate with the sweeping group to eliminate carrying the debris and trash all the way down to Foothill. How long does it take to do the repairs and how long is the wa ter off? Tom said if it’s service line an hour or so. If it’s a mainline repair, it could affect multiple residents, when that happens, Veolia delivers water to them.
Mayor asked Rolf to have a mainline chart/list. She’s asked, have we finished with anything that was brought up in the beginning?
Mayor said, we need to have a conversation with two elected members from West Valley and our staff and make it very clear about the major investment on Riverside Ave.
Tom went to the Valves repair/replace chart.
UPDATES:
Tom said that he has been working with West Valley staff regarding the paving project north of baseline. Service laterals need to relocate down to below the elevation we need to the paving product. Tom said, t hey do have a 6’ water line on the west side of the street that runs underneath the curb and sidewalk between Baseline to Walnut, it is an old line. He added, it only serves 6 parcels, they are going to disconnect it from the system and moving those 6 connecting points over to the 10’ line. Tom said that the y presented this to the paving contractors . They have 25 service laterals that they have to lower or reconnect to the 10’ line and 6’ line. All the fire hydrants are all well below grade. Mayor said to put it in writing.
Mayor said the liability falls with the board not with the staff. She doesn’t think th at the information is not getting to the board. MPT talked about the condition of patch paving on Riverside, they are not good. MPT asked Marcus where is our standard Public Works signage that we post regarding the projects. Mayor suggested to install camaras to keep track of the progress for construction projects.
Tom talked about the maintenance report on Riverside by the entrance into where Cork’s restaurant is. West Valley closed the line and when they did, it damaged the line. Our guys went out turned the line off and water stopped. West Valley will pay the cost of the damaged line. Mayor asked how mu ch water was lost. He said it ran for about 6 hours before we were contacted. Tom will find out what that quantity was. She asked if we have an incident report and wants it shared with the rest of the Council.
Mayor would like to get alerts, what they are going to be doing that day.
Next Water Subcommittee Meetings
March 23, 2022
April 27, 2022
Adjournment: 12:08 pm.