*UPDATED LOCATION*
City of St. Helena
Special City Council Meeting
Tuesday, June 25, 2024 @ 4:00 PM
*City Hall Main Conference Room, 1088
College Avenue, St. Helena
465 Main Street
PLEASE NOTE: Any person who wishes to speak regarding an item on the agenda or make a comment under the "Oral Communication" portion of the agenda may do so, but please observe the time limit of four minutes.
The City Council meeting will be live-streamed on Comcast Channel 28 and on the City’s website.
Public comment for City Council meetings will be accepted via email to [email protected]. All public comments must be received three hours prior to the meeting. All other public comments received after the deadline will be attached to the item the next business day or soon thereafter. Public comments will not be read out loud but will be publicly available and attached to the on-line City Council agenda.
Simultaneous Spanish interpretation services during meetings can be scheduled upon request. To ensure interpreters are available, requests must be made at least 72 hours in advance by calling the Office of the City Clerk at (707) 968-2640 or emailing [email protected].
The schedule of upcoming meetings and published meeting agendas can be found on the City of St. Helena website at https://sthelena.civicweb.net/portal/.
Servicios de interpretación en español durante la reunión pueden ser solicitados por el público. Para asegurar que los intérpretes estén disponibles, los servicios tienen que ser solicitados al menos 72 horas antes de la reunión llamando a la oficina de la Secretaria de la Ciudad al (707) 968-2640 o por correo electrónico a [email protected] .
El horario de las reuniones publicadas y próximas puede ser localizado en el sitio de web de la Ciudad en https://sthelena.civicweb.net/portal/ .
Page
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ROLL CALL
Mayor: Paul Dohring, Vice Mayor Eric Hall:, City Council Members: Anna Chouteau, Patrick Kenealy, Billy Summers
3. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
4. PUBLIC COMMENT:
Under California law, public comments at special meetings are limited to subjects on the agenda only. Therefore public comment will take place during
consideration of the item. Each person’s comments shall be limited to 4 minutes.
5. NEW BUSINESS:
5.1. Wastewater Treatment Plant Spray Field Uses Study Session City Presentation
Presentation
3 - 24
6. ADJOURNMENT
The next Regular City Council meeting is scheduled for June 26, at 6:00 p.m.
This agenda was posted at City Hall, 1088 College Avenue, and at Vintage Hall, 465 Main Street, St. Helena, California on June 20, 2024. Republished 06-24-2024 at 11:35 am
Cindy Tzafopoulos, City Clerk
In Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please call the City Clerk’s Office (707) 967-2792. Notification 72 hours prior to the meeting as required by Section 202 of the Americans with Disabilities Act will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
Any supplemental writings or documents distributed to a majority of the City Council regarding any item on this Agenda, after the posting of the Agenda, will be available for public review in the City Clerk’s Office located at 1088 College Avenue, St. Helena, California, during normal business hours and by appointment. In addition, such writings or documents will be made available on the City’s web site at https://sthelena.civicweb.net and will be available for public review at the respective meeting.
SPRAY FIELDS,
FOREST,
BEES, &
TRAILS….
OH MY
CITY COUNCIL
STUDY SESSION
JUNE 25, 2024
Joe Leach, PE
Director of Public Works/
City Engineer
Agenda Item #5.1.
AGENDA
Agenda
• Review stakeholder interests
• Wastewater Treatment Plant Spray Fields
• Community Forest
• Bees & AC Grindings
• Community Trails/Open Space
• Constraints/Opportunities
• Regulatory environment
• Access
• Improvements/maintenance
• Goal
• Receive direction for short, medium & long term
uses
Agenda Item #5.1.
SPRAY FIELDS
• Yellow: City-owned WWTP Boundary
• Blue: Documented access rights for
WWTP/operations
• Red: “Historic” access; to be confirmed
• Current maximum discharge: 0.4mgd
• Limited to max. standing water in area so
rotate irrigation zones
• Limited to irrigation during operator shift
hours only
• Expand irrigation areas to cover dry areas
• Maximize up to 0.5mgd with plant upgrades
(i.e. irrigation outflow = max. plant
processing)
• NOTE: Recycled Water Facilities Plan developing
alternatives for best, most beneficial reuse of
effluent
• Up Valley groundwater recharge
• Replace historic private well use
Agenda Item #5.1.
COMMUNITY FOREST & INTERESTS
• Prior Council Action
• 2011 Initial authorization for
1.5-acre planting
• 01/26/21 expansion of forest
approved by Council, subject
to Water Board coordination
on updated discharge permit
• Formal agreement not
developed/executed
• Irrigated via connection to Spray
Field system + filter
• Community Plantings
• Long term vision
• Access via Zinfandel
(undetermined formal access rights)
• NapaRCD Willow Farm
• Napa Co Fish Farm (“access
challenges”)
• Detour: Community Forest
Presentation
Agenda Item #5.1.
BEES & ASPHALT GRINDINGS
• Bees: Authorized Encroachment
Permit w/ Tauzer Apiaries in 2023
& renewed for 2024
• Provides service to north
valley vineyards &
agriculture community
• Need “hard pack” ag road
access to off-load hives from
trucks
• On site “seasonally”
• Consider long term
agreement similar to Las
Gallinas Valley Sanitation
District WWTP in San Rafael
• Grindings: approx. 2.5 miles of
ag/levee roads to maintain
• 2200 tons (= 15’w x 2”)
Agenda Item #5.1.
TRAILS/OPEN SPACE
• Preliminary plan
• Trailhead at Dowdell Lane (TBD)
• Alignment along Napa River
• Bird-watching opportunity near ponds
• Additional vetting
• Avoid spray fields
• Determine appropriate functional & legal
access to area (e.g. eliminate access to
WWTP operations)
• Incorporate into Community Forest plan
• Incorporate into Parks/Recreation Master Plan
process
Agenda Item #5.1.
GOALS
• Short Term (0-5 years)
• Maximize irrigation of fields post-WWTP
upgrades
• Execute agreement for Community
Forest/NapaRCD (i.e. Redwoods/Willows),
Napa Co (fish), etc.
• Resolve disposition of Bees (agreement?)
• Utilize AC grindings for maintenance
• Resolve disposition of RW reuse
• Resolve access agreements
• Medium Term (6-10 years)
• Develop harvest plan for Community Forest
• Process decommissioning, if any, of treatment
ponds
• Long Term (> 11 years)
• Develop/implement Nature/Wetlands preserve?
(review Community Forest Presentation)
Agenda Item #5.1.
QUESTIONS,
DISCUSSION &
DIRECTION
Agenda Item #5.1.
CITY OF ST. HELENA
COMMUNITY FOREST
AND WETLANDS
PROPOSAL
Agenda Item #5.1.
CITY OF ST. HELENA
COMMUNITY FOREST AND WETLANDS
Primary Goals
Repurpose existing 20 acres of treatment ponds for wildlife habitat and wetlands
Recreate prior existing wetlands in this area using tertiary treated water for wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, and aquafer and Napa River recharge
Expand existing community forest area for wildlife habitat, environmental benefits, recreation, selective timber harvest, and aesthetic beauty Establish open meadows with native plant species and grasses Increase educational and community opportunities
Establish link to indigenous cultural values and uses Agenda Item #5.1.
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Agenda Item #5.1.
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Agenda Item #5.1.
Agenda Item #5.1.
Agenda Item #5.1.
San Rafael, CA
Agenda Item #5.1.
MOORHEN MARSH
MARTINEZ, CA
Agenda Item #5.1.
Gainesville, FL Agenda Item #5.1.
Conclusion
Unique Opportunity
Long-term community asset
Enhances and protects
environment and Napa River
Provides educational and
community benefits
Agenda Item #5.1.