MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL ENGINEERING AND OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING
April 10, 2008
CALL TO ORDER/DETERMINATION OF A QUORUM
Chair Ferguson called the Special Meeting of the Engineering and Operations
Committee to order at 1:35 p.m. Committee members present were Chair Ferguson,
Vice Chairs Johnson and Bowersox, Directors Barrett, Brammell, Hogan, Knutson,
Petty, Smith, and Thompson. Directors Lizzul, Morrison, Pocklington, and Tu
were absent. At that time there was a quorum of the Committee. Other Board members
present were Directors Arant, Bond, Dailey, McMillan, Watton, and Howard Williams.
Staff present was Assistant General Counsel Brewer, Deputy General Manager Belock,
Deputy General Manager Lanspery, Director of Engineering Stift, Director of
Operations and Maintenance Eaton, and Director of Right of Way Rose.
PUBLIC COMMENT
There were no members of the public who wished to address the Committee.
CHAIR'S REPORT
Chair Ferguson announced the Engineering and Operations Committee annual tour
would take place on Thursday, June 5, 2008 and the deadline for reservations
was May 22, 2008.
Chair Ferguson reiterated that all items on the published agenda were information
only. The Committee was advised of a switch in the presentation order for the
published agenda items 6 and 7, and the addition of information item 8.
ELFIN FOREST RECREATIONAL RESERVE OPERATING BUDGET
Mr. Rose reviewed the action taken by the Board of Directors at the December
6, 2007 board meeting regarding the budget for Elfin Forest Recreation Reserve
(EFRR):
1. Approve Elfin Forest Recreation Reserve (EFRR) budget increase to a not-to-exceed
amount of $468,108 for fiscal years 2007 and 2008.
2. Olivenhain Municipal Water District (OMWD) would present EFRR annual budget
to Engineering and Operations Committee each year for approval by March 1.
3. OMWD draft EFRR strategic plan defining future levels of service and anticipated
costs associated, for review by the Engineering and Operations Committee.
4. Direct Water Authority staff to develop draft amendments to the Joint Use
of Olivenhain Reservoir Site Agreement relative to service level and costs at
EFRR for discussion within OMWD.
Mr. Rose reported a letter to Ms. Stapleton and Director Steiner, signed by
Olivenhain Board of Directors President Varty was received in early January
2008, requesting the Board's action of December 6 be rescinded. Mr. Rose then
introduced OMWD's General Manager, Kim Thorner.
Ms. Thorner stated that the OMWD Board of Directors had instructed her to
convey their official position on the EFRR budget issues to the Water Authority
Board. She presented her Board's responses to each of the four items:
1. The EFRR 2008-2009 budget had been delivered timely to the Engineering and
Operations Committee, and OMWD asks that the Water Authority cover its portion
of the EFRR's six-percent operating increase per the Agreement.
2. March 1 was too early a date for the OMWD budget process, therefore they
wish to keep the reporting date as stated in the present Agreement.
3. The strategic plan already exists in the Mt. Israel Master Recreation Plan
which defined uses for the area.
4. The OMWD Board was not willing to change the terms of the Agreement regarding
control of service level and cost. They believed any disagreement between the
parties was sufficiently covered by the Agreement's dispute resolution process.
Ms. Thorner reiterated the request stated in the January 2008 letter by OMWD
Board President Varty: that the Water Authority rescind the action of December
6, 2007 and honor the current agreement.
Director Bowersox stated his concerns about the budget for EFRR were raised
in the context of his experience with the city of Poway's issues with the Blue
Sky Ecological Reserve and the transfer of 1,835 acres of land from the Bureau
of Lands Management. He asked if OMWD would fulfill its responsibilities with
respect to preparing and accounting for the EFRR budget, and how the new building
would affect the budget from an Operations and Maintenance and staffing perspective.
Ms. Thorner stated that OMWD believed it was fulfilling all the terms required
in the recreation plan and the major use permit. She explained the new interpretive
building was a joint partnership with the Escondido Creek Conservancy, who had
agreed to cover the maintenance costs and would enter into a lease agreement
with OMWD.
Mr. Rose stated that based on his review of the portion of the joint use agreement
dealing with EFRR, that budget procedures used have followed the agreement.
Director Hilliker asked if EFRR produces revenue, and had concerns about the
Water Authority subsidizing public recreation.
Ms. Thorner answered EFRR does not produce revenue and there was no mention
of charging fees in the Mt. Israel Master Recreation Plan. She explained that
OMWD was given the land on the condition that it be operated in perpetuity as
an open space preserve. When the Water Authority received land to build the
dam and reservoir, that condition was attached with the land transfer.
Director Brammell stated this issue had not risen to the level of an actual
dispute, and if it did, there was a resolution process in the agreement that
should be followed prior to Board involvement.
Director Muir asked who controlled the EFRR budget, and Ms. Thorner answered
it was OMWD. He then asked Water Authority legal counsel if there was an opinion
about OMWD's assessment of the agreement, and Ms. Brewer stated that it was
her understanding that General Counsel Hentschke previously opined to the Board
in open session that the Water Authority needed to abide by the terms of the
agreement as written.
Chair Ferguson stated that item 7 would now be taken out-of-order on the agenda,
and item 6 would follow.
LAKE HODGES PROJECTS
7-A. Lake Hodges Construction update
Construction Administrator Bride presented construction status updates on three
Lake Hodges projects:
1. The contract to purchase hydro-electric equipment was mostly complete with
all equipment delivered to the site and contractor, G. E. Hydro on-site to assist
during start-up and testing of the equipment.
2. Contractor Kiewit Pacific completed construction of the pipeline connecting
Olivenhain Reservoir to the Lake Hodges pump station in May 2007.
3. Archer Western was contracted to construct the pump station and inlet/outlet
structure and has found differing site conditions. Mr. Bride noted the project
completion date of May 2009 would be later than scheduled, but Archer Western
had not proven the schedule change was due to differing site conditions. He
stated a review of differing site conditions at the inlet/outlet structure and
related impacts would be presented as an action item at the Special Engineering
and Operations Committee meeting on May 14, 2008.
7-B. Presentation on Lake Hodges Reservoir Regulating Manual
Mr. Eaton presented an overview of the Lake Hodges Reservoir Regulating Manual,
and stated it would be an Engineering and Operations Committee agenda action
item at the April 24, 2008 Board of Directors meeting.
Vice Chair Johnson asked how costs were handled withdrawing water from Lake
Hodges. Mr. Eaton explained the cost for pumping water out of Lake Hodges goes
with the agency taking the water.
Director Muir asked whether the water quality would be measured before or
after it leaves Lake Hodges. Mr. Eaton replied that water quality measurement
would take place at Olivenhain Reservoir after it leaves Lake Hodges, however
there would be ongoing testing at Lake Hodges and the inlet/outlet structure
at Olivenhain.
Director Muir asked if the water stratification was disturbed when water was
transferred back and forth. Mr. Eaton said the Water Authority was not aware
of that happening, and there was no notice of that in the limnology study.
Director Bowersox asked if the water quality in Lake Hodges had changed appreciably
since the inception of the ESP project. Mr. Eaton replied that information from
the city of San Diego had shown the water quality in Lake Hodges was cyclical,
and the water quality has remained consistent.
Director Muir cautioned that there were other limnology studies showing a
different analysis, and the Board should hear other opinions.
PRESENTATION ON TWIN OAKS VALLEY WATER TREATMENT PLANT PROJECT UPDATE
Project Manager Suydam presented an update on the Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment
Plant. Mr. Suydam announced the California Department of Public Health issued
a Permit to Operate on April 2, 2008 and the Twin Oaks plant started delivering
treated water to the Second Aqueduct on April 7, 2008. He explained, while the
Plant was operational and capable of producing 100 mg/d of high quality water,
recent testing indicated that some of the facilities did not meet contractual
requirements. The Water Authority met with CH2M Hill asserting the contractor
had not substantially completed portions of the design-build work, and CH2M
Hill agreed to correct deficiencies by December 31, 2008 if conditional acceptance
of the plant was provided. Mr. Suydam stated the parties worked out a conditional
acceptance that included extending the acceptance date from April 15 to April
21, 2008; elimination of the wildfires and aqueduct shutdown dispute; and correction
of the deficiencies found during testing.
AGENDA FOR SPECIAL ENGINEERING AND OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING MAY 14, 2008
Engineering Manager Bousquet presented agenda items anticipated for the Special
Engineering and Operations Committee meeting to be held May 14, 2008:
1. San Vicente Pipeline.
2. Lake Hodges Pump Station.
3. Presentation update on the Water Authority's SDG&E agreements.
4. Presentation on San Vicente Dam Raise construction management and professional
services contract.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Special Meeting of the
Engineering and Operations Committee, Chair Ferguson adjourned the meeting at
2:48 p.m.
____________________________________
Betty Ferguson, Chair
Engineering and Operations Committee
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