MAINTENANCE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Transcription

1 MAINTENANCE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Minutes of the regular meeting held on Committee Member Present: Staff Members Present: John Drew, Division II Scott Miller, Division III Remleh Scherzinger, General Manager Tim Crough, Assistant General Manager Brian Powell, Maintenance Manager Peggy Davidson, Recreation Manager Kristi Kelly, Management Assistant MINUTES MARCH 26, 2013 The minutes of the regular meeting held on March 26, 2013 were approved as submitted. MAINTENANCE REPORT Director Drew inquired about several items in the reports: Mount Olive Road the treated water does go out to the school, turns 90 degrees and stops shortly after that. The double check valve is necessary due to the alternate water supply. Mr. Scherzinger requested that an address be included. Amphibian Habitat Assessment Survey: This is for vegetation control regarding the chemicals that are being used. The assessments must be done ahead of time to get the permits CAT 308D Excavator: Director Drew s concern was hauling it back and forth to Placer Yard when repairs could be done onsite. Staff informed the Committee that it is also being used on different projects and hauling is a common event. Repairs are routinely done onsite. Combie Reservoir Relocate Fish Release Pipe at Dam: Staff reported that it is scouring where the fish release lets in. Shotcrete and rebar will be put in and the fish release will have to be relocated the downstream to let the area dry up. The water is discharged to meet the minimum flow requirements. This will meet the DSOD and FERC requirements. Mr. Brian Powell, Maintenance Manager, reported on the following highlights from the Maintenance Activities Report: Cascade Shores: Pipe installation is halfway completed (6,300 feet for 2013). No issues with neighbors or traffic. Mr. Powell shared pictures of the work. Asphalt is ground up onsite and for other projects.

2 Page 2 of 12 Shale Ridge Check Valve: Valve is stuck in place and has failed after 12 years. Chip Close, Operations Manager, reported that it was installed for future flows and was oversized. The flapper valve works in a small range and hardly moves at all and wears out. The constraints of the vault being built so tightly around it, nothing else could fit in there. It is very light flows because of the way the system is designed. The Auburn plant pushes water into that tank. When it s pushing water into the tank, the valve is supposed to slam shut and shove the water into the top of the tank. The difference between water going into the tank and water being used for the distribution system is slim, and most of the time the valve is hardly moving at all. Mr. Scherzinger inquired as to how the residuals are being made in the tank. Mr. Close responded that the technicians are cycling the tank heavy because the valve is not in operation. The tank is drawn down halfway every two to three days. USA Locations: The economy is recovering, construction is increasing, and USA location requests are increasing as well. USA notifies the utilities (PG&E, AT&T, and NID) and the area is marked in white paint. Maben Canal: The berm has been heightened and widened where it comes out at Hwy 49 which adds more freeboard to the canal. There will be more work done further down the canal to increase capacity. Service Line Replacements: Line replacements strategically being done in Alta Sierra, Lake of the Pines, and Lake Wildwood. Business Center: Security Gate being installed in the driveway before the Maintenance Building. It is a drop down gate and a card key or bar code will be needed to access. Visitors will use an intercom keypad to communicate for access. This will eliminate unnecessary traffic and lesson safety issues. Staff is looking into having a camera in position to see vehicles entering. Director Drew inquired if the police have developed a pattern for the thieves stealing gas from the Maintenance Yard. Mr. Powell responded in the negative. District vehicles are being parked in areas that are lit and in camera range. Crews are repairing a drip system located at the Banner Cascade project site. The District is in the 5 year program now and the system is activated and running. There was an extra installation at the top of Red Dog. Carolyn Singer is out there inspecting the trees and vegetation. Mr. Close inquired if the drip is on the treated or raw water side, and if there are meters installed. Mr. Powell responded that this is on the treated and raw water system. It was hooked into the raw water at the top of Red Dog and the pipeline. He will check if meters were installed.

3 Page 3 of 12 Rex Reservoir: Access road was blocked off with rocks. Vegetation Control: Active during irrigation season. Schedule coordination being done with Operations staff. Welders have been putting together irrigation boxes for the new services. Director Drew commented that Bruce Early s picture was not taken at the Board Meeting. Mr. Early has 30 years invested in the District and Director Drew would like to have him come in and have his picture taken. Mr. Powell agreed to coordinate the effort. Placer County Combie Ophir IV: Pipe is in and berm is being built up. Hemphill: Annual diversion dam has been installed and is operational. Fruitvale: Siphon has been replaced. Bingaman Property: Work was completed in two hours and the water is free flowing again. CLAIM FOR DAMAGES ACAT, LLC Chip Close, Operations Manager, introduced Mr. George Aguaiar, a longtime customer of NID, and stated that his claim relates to a past due bill from 2011 that relates to the Bear River Canal outage. More specifically, Mr. Aguaiar feels that the constraints that the Bear River Canal outage limited him on how he used his land. For that reason, he did not pay his 2011 bill. In 2012, the District went out and shut down the water for lack of payment. Mr. Aguaiar stated that in 2011 is when the Bear River Canal collapsed and the water went out. His water was shut off for lack of payment. He called Larry Markey and told him his concerns at that time and offered to pay $10,000 to turn the water back on. He also told him that the finances would be straightened out at the end of the year. Mr. Markey told Mr. Aguaiar to write a letter. He wrote a letter, but it was lost. Mr. Markey told him that since he is one of the largest raw water customers, the District will want to work this out. He also leased the Coon Creek Ranch purchasing 100 inches of raw water. He explained the issue with Mr. McFarlan who wanted to bring cattle onto his property. Time passed and he finally spoke to Monica Reyes and explained that he will need water for She requested that he make back payments. To add to the confusion, in 2007, the operation was switched from his name to ACAT,LLC. Director Drew commented that this issue still needs some unwinding so that everyone can understand. In the meantime, it gives the Committee a chance to find out more information.

4 Page 4 of 12 Mr. Close commented that this has gone on for several years now. This year it was brought to his attention and he sent out several correspondence letters to get the issue past this point. In the interim, the District policy is to put past due bills on the property tax roll. If the issue is not resolved today, it will go to the property tax bill for collection. A resolution is needed before it gets to that point. In Mr. Aguaiar s most recent correspondence, he is willing to pay the amount due; however, he feels that there should be a kickback due to him for the hardship he experienced caused by the Bear River outage. Mr. Aguaiar has two accounts with the District. Mr. Crough inquired if there were any penalty fees on Account # for 2012 due to the outstanding balance on the extra water purchased in the amount of $3, Mr. Close responded that there is and he can get that amount from Ms. Reyes in Customer Service.

5 Page 5 of 12 Mr. Aguaiar commented that he thought the amount for the extra water he requested in 2012 was included in the bill that he had paid. He did not realize that there was an outstanding balance which he will gladly pay. Mr. Close stated that the focus is to clear up the 2011 fees and penalties. Mr. Aguaiar stated that he spoke with someone at the District in April of 2013 and offered to pay $10,000 if the District was willing to waive the interest and penalties. It is not going to cover the money he lost in 2011 by not allowing the other rancher to graze 500 head of cattle on his property for $150,000. He was concerned with the required water conservation caused by the Bear River outage that he would not be able to provide enough feed. He has to keep the grass wet at all times for it to grow and he runs the full amount of cattle on his property. Mr. Close responded that after receiving the $10,000 toward the 2011 account and ignoring the interest and penalties that there would be a balance of $6, Mr. Close explained that when the Bear River incident first happened, the District sent out a letter dated May 2, 2011, that spelled out what had happened and that water could not be guaranteed, and it may have to be allotted on a rotation schedule for deliveries. Irrigation water could not be guaranteed. As it turned out, the District did not have to curtail water sales and everyone was kept whole. That is what was stated in the letter. On May 26, 2011, a letter was sent out that was an update stating that due to cooler weather and conservation efforts by others, water did not have to be curtailed and full water deliveries were made. A second letter was sent on June 6, 2011, stating that the Bear River repairs had been completed. From May 2, 2011 to June 6, 2011, was the timeframe that water deliveries were in question. After June 6, 2011, the District was completely whole again. Director Miller inquired if PG&E had a fund that would assist property owners that were affected by the outage. Mr. Close responded in the affirmative. The fund was utilized by the District and has since expired. Director Miller referred to the Non-beneficial Use Adjustment offered to Treated Water users, and feels that a settlement could be made along these lines. Mr. Close explained that irrigation customers are allowed to break down their payments into three installments. If the full amount is paid upfront, a discount is received. Mr. Aguaiar made his first payment for 2013, and all three installments were made for 2012 for both accounts except for the additional requested water. In 2011 no payments were made initially until his water was shut off and he came into the District and made a $10,000 payment which $4,000 was credited to Account # and $6,000 to Account # No further payments were made for 2011.

6 Page 6 of 12 Mr. Scherzinger stated that Mr. Aguaiar s business decision was made in the first payment period. After May 6 th, a letter was sent by the District stating water deliveries would be made. Take the total amount, divide it by three, and two-thirds would be Mr. Aguaiar s responsibility to pay and then Staff would negotiate over the merits of that first third. He made a significant business decision during the first period, but the District should not take on that entire burden. Director Drew expressed concern about the outstanding bill being placed on the tax roll and asked if there is a deadline for that. He asked if the Committee can defer action so that there will be time to to resolve the few remaining issues. There is no question that the canal outage had an impact on Mr. Aguaiar s operation, and decisions had to be made. Consideration has to be given and he asked how much authority the Committee has to defer the action from putting this on the tax roll until the issue is resolved. Mr. Crough responded that the Committee has authority to settle claims up to $15,000. Mr. Close stated that if this is viewed as three installments, it comes to nearly $10,000 per installment for Mr. Aguaiar has already made a $10,000 installment and he is offering to make another $10,000 installment that would leave a balance of approximately $8,000. That relieves him of that period where he had to make the business decision. Mr. Aguaiar explained that in regards to the penalty and interest charges, he thought that the 2011 amount would remain untouched until it was resolved. He is currently being charged penalties for payments that were made in 2012 and Mr. Close explained that the system automatically applies payments received onto the latest payment due - the account that has been in arrears the longest. Mr. Crough commented that it seems that the Committee members are in agreement with doing away with the penalties and interest charges due to the circumstances, and even the charges that are included on the extra water charge for If Mr. Aguaiar is willing to pay $10,000 and $3,220 leaving a difference of $6,000 once the interest and penalty fees are dismissed. That is within the Committee s authority to settle the claim. Director Miller stated that he is entirely sympathetic to the rancher. In a private business, you have to make a decision early. He has always been a good customer and feels that the rule for Non-Beneficial Use for Treated Customers should apply in this case. Mr. Aguaiar stated that he took over the ranch from his father in He has only experienced a couple of issues with the District. However, he turned away the opportunity to graze 500 cattle for the amount of $150,000 because he feared that the water would be rationed and full water delivery would not be available until mid-july. Mr. Scherzinger commented that the business decision is being discounted in the discussion. The water was delivered and it was used and the choice to water the fields

7 Page 7 of 12 was made whether there were cattle there or not. Water was used and there needs to be payment. Mr. Aguaiar replied that there has to be income received to be able to pay. Mr. Scherzinger wants to acknowledge that business decision in the first third. After June 6, 2011, Mr. Aguaiar was aware that full deliveries were going to be made. His recommendation for the first third would be to split the amount and waive all penalties and interest. His recommendation to the Committee is that Mr. Aguaiar pay $10,000, and then $4,000 (half of the first third, penalties waived), and $3, for Director Drew inquired if Mr. Aguaiar must pay today. Mr. Close responded that all that is needed today is an agreement. Mr. Aguaiar wanted to settle this today while the Committee is in session. He would like to pay the $10,000 for 2011 and the $3,200 for 2012 and call the matter settled. Mr. Close clarified for the Committee that it meets NID s offer without splitting the cost from 2011 of $8, Director Miller sees it as a $27,000 bill that Mr. Aguaiar will ultimately pay $20,000. That is two-thirds, and the balance is waived, and allows him be whole again. It was a huge concern whether water deliveries would be made and the District was looking into other options to get water to customers. No one knew whether the water would be out for a month or a year. PG&E poured a lot of concrete and recovered rather quickly. Director Drew stated that the irony is that Mr. Aguaiar had nothing to do with it and NID had nothing to do with it; both were victims of the PG&E issue. Mr. Close reiterated Director Miller s proposal. In 2011, the total bill was $27,276. Mr. Aguaiar has paid $10,000, and is offering to pay another $10,000 which leaves a balance of $7,276. If the District accepts that as payment and forgives all penalties and interest, Mr. Aguaiar would be whole today with the exception of the $3,220 for If Mr. Aguaiar wrote a check today in the amount of $13,220.24, his accounts would be current. The Committee agreed to waive the $7,276.97, plus penalties and interest. A Claim Release Letter must be signed by Mr. Aguaiar. RECREATION REPORT Director Drew inquired about the boat rental group at Long Ravine. Peggy Davidson, Recreation Manager, responded that business has exceeded the owner s expectations. The boats were constantly rented and there was a waiting list.

8 Page 8 of 12 The fence that was installed to protect the boats is serving a dual purpose and eliminating people walking into the campgrounds without paying. Ms. Davidson reported on the following highlights from the Recreation Activities Report: Beach Hut Deli is now open. They were setting up during the rain, but were busy all weekend. The new deck is finished at Long Ravine. Signage is missing but will be replaced and posted for no smoking and keeping dogs off the deck. Campgrounds this weekend were nearly full: Scotts Flat, 100%; Long Ravine, 100%; Orchard Springs, 85%, Peninsula, 100%. The Saturday Ice Cream Social is a big success. The Peninsula Campground received their first Yelp posting. They were stated as the best campground around. There is a 3-night minimum during holiday weekends at all locations. No incidents to report which is due to the cooler weather. Mountain Recreation was setup at Scotts Flat Lake for the holiday weekend. They are expected to setup at Orchard Springs in a week. Hills Flat Lumber is holding a Hobie Paddleboard demonstration at Orchard Springs this coming Saturday and will be bringing other vendors. They are promoting recreation equipment; not renting. Rollins and Scotts Flat received another fish plant. Beginning of the season equipment failures were experienced including a water heater, pump, ice holder at Scotts Flat and Orchard Springs. Future Projects Scotts Flat: Estimate for paving spurs was $19,000 for 12 to 14 spurs. The Recreation Maintenance Staff will do the graveling and railroad ties during the week while campers are at a minimum. Sand to be delivered at all locations for the beach areas. Upper Division: Opened during Memorial Day weekend which is a first in years. Combie Reservoir Dock Permits: Received 8 new applications for dock permits. Site inspections will be done this week. Encroachments have not progressed due to the early start of the Recreation Season. Billing went out to existing dock permit holders including a letter regarding the Quagga Mussel and Self-Inspection Form. Orchard Springs Volleyball Court: Sand will be added. Discussion pursued about hosting a volleyball invitational. A suggestion was made to call it the Bierwagen Invitational and proceeds would go towards the overlook construction. SAFETY ACTIVITIES REPORT Don Bird, Safety Analyst, reported on the following Safety Activities: Completed MSDS Binder for Maintenance adding electronic files for search purposes. IIPP Revisions: Edits were made to the Code of Safe Practices, Confined Space, and Lock Out/Tag Out. Maintenance Gate Installation: This is part of Security System plan.

9 Page 9 of 12 Badges: Security plan will include providing badges to guests and vendors; part of evacuation and lock down procedures. Alarms: Install motion sensors in the warehouse and mechanic shop. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms will be installed in strategic areas. Safety Awards: Quarterly Safety Award program is coming up. Director Drew commented that he had a brief discussion this morning with the General Manager regarding Gus Gramm and recommended recognition for outstanding achievements. He would like to have Mr. Gramm attend the next Board Meeting for recognition. CPR Training: Safety Analyst has assumed full responsibility including the advanced CPR/First Aid for Confined Space and Fall Protection. The first session will be basic CPR, and employees requiring advanced training will stay for a second session. Confined Space and Fall Protection: Training this month included Lock Out/Tag Out. This meets Cal OSHA requirements. It is Mr. Bird s opinion that the District is a leader in its training and equipment for Confined Space. Recent purchases of rescue gear included a tripod and arc flash lanyards. Mr. Powell commented that the Hydroelectric Department is included in the review of the safety procedures. Each department has their way of handling procedures, and the group review is helping to develop one standard. Mr. Crough stated that plans are to include Recreation. The goal is to have everyone using the same procedure. Mr. Bird responded that support starts with management and the buy in from the various departments is crucial to make the program work well. Safety Meetings o Heat Illness Prevention o Electrical Safety Completed with the electricians o Quarterly Safety Meeting June 27, 2013 SDRMA Site Assessments Jim Emerson, SDRMA Inspector, evaluated the District Facilities for possible worksite hazards. The formal report has not been received, but he did make valuable suggestions. In 2006, Mr. Emerson completed an evaluation that included many issues. The District s culture involving safety has changed and he stated that the District has made great improvements. He commented that the welding shop is the best shop he has ever seen. A heat extraction system was installed a year ago and the wall includes an ARC so that there is no chance of fire. The warehouse received major improvements.

10 Page 10 of 12 Mr. Crough stated that seven years ago when the District joined SDRMA, Mr. Emerson was brought out to assess District Facilities and he made a series of recommendations that the District has been addressing. His parting comments after spending four days here, was that District has made great changes. Mr. Bird added that Mr. Emerson commented favorably toward the Injury and Illness Prevention Program and how it is being utilized by employees. Director Miller inquired about current recommendations. Mr. Bird responded that Mr. Emerson recommended that the IIPP be separated from the Safety Manual which includes approximately 15 topics. If Cal OSHA was inspecting the District and asked to review the IIPP, they would not be handed the whole binder. The inspector would only be handed the one item. Physical recommendations include the ceiling in the mechanic shop. There were cracks in the sheet rock which could be a fire hazard. There were fall protection concerns in the upper loft and shelves needed to be bolted down, ladder weight load concerns, ARC flash, and GFI breakers. Mr. Crough reported that seven years ago, Mr. Emerson s focus was on the Main Business Center. This time, Mr. Bird took him to Hydroelectric Department, Placer Yard, and Treatment Plants. All in all, the District received a clean bill of health. There are still improvements to be made, but Staff is happy with the results. The inspector is a consultant for SDRMA and the District does not pay for the inspection. The four days of inspection was an investment by SDRMA. Bob Callaham, Hartford Boiler, also works for SDRMA, inspected the District s pressure vessels, propane tanks, and air receivers. Mr. Bird took him to 16 different sites and found only four tanks that were out of compliance requiring corrections. Ride Alongs: The Safety Analyst accompanies employees on ride alongs throughout the District. Back issues are a common complaint. He accompanied Operations Technicians on Routes 2, 3, 7, and 8. Pictures were taken on the ride along and a binder is being created to gather the information and categorize as high, medium, and low hazards. Improvements will be brought to the Managers attention. ScottsFlat Tunnel and Hydroelectric Division are included. CLAIM FOR DAMAGES ANU SOULIYONH Anu Souliyonh owns property in Auburn and requested that the water be turned on during a weekend. Rather than call a Meter Reader to turn on the valve, the Operation s Department responded to the call. The technician turned on the valve and nothing happened. He walked over to the house and noticed that the valve was turned off. He turned the valve on at the house, checked the meter for activity, and left. The Meter Readers know not to do that. The house was under remodel and stripped down to the bare bones. There were a couple of water lines that were opened and flooded the

11 Page 11 of 12 house. This claim went immediately to SDRMA. SDRMA recommends that the District reject the claim. This will go to the Board under Closed Session. The Committee agreed to advance a recommendation to the Board of Directors toreject the Claim of Anu Souliyonh. Mr. Crough stated that it is procedural and SDRMA has made a settlement offer. The settlement was rejected and it has become a dispute. SDRMA recommends that the District reject the claim entirely. Director Drew asked if the Operations Staff received training on how to properly handle these requests. Mr. Scherzinger responded in the affirmative. CLAIM FOR DAMAGES RODNEY JONES A claim was submitted by Rodney Jones is the amount of $1, for damages to his truck. Mr. Jones stated that he was exiting his driveway. The meter is off the pavement with a lid on it because it is very close to the pavement. It appears that Mr. Jones was accelerating out of his driveway to get onto the roadway before oncoming traffic reached him. The lid on top of the meter box flipped up and hit the underside of his truck. This would not have happened if Mr. Jones had remained on the pavement or not accelerated while driving over the meter. It is within Staff s authority to approve this claim, but the merit of the incident does not warrant payment of the claim. Director Drew stated that the box is not setup to handle traffic. It is not traffic rated. Staff discussed erosion around the box. Mr. Crough informed the Committee that he would contact Mr. Jones and gather more information. CULTURAL RESOURCES POLICY Mr. Powell explained that this item came up during the FERC Relicensing process and it is one of the requirements. A draft policy was created stating how to proceed when historical artifacts present themselves while crews are digging. The crews will be trained accordingly. Mr. Crough stated that if the policy meets the Committee s approval, it can be advanced to the Board of Directors for approval. It will be put in policy format. It is generic in nature and for the capital improvement program as part of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), but geared for Maintenance when they are doing repair work and come across cultural artifacts.

12 Page 12 of 12 Action? COMBIE BOAT RAMP STATUS This item is not on the agenda and is informational only. Mr. Crough reported that the Los Lomas Improvement Club agreed to pay for additional cultural studies necessary to proceed with the boat ramp repair. The agreement will need to be modified and taken back to the Board of Directors. In the interest of time, Sonoma State University will proceed with their work on Lake Combie that will need to be completed before Fall. KK