Utility Advisory Committee

City Hall Meeting Minutes 601 4th Avenue E Olympia, WA 98501 Utility Advisory Committee Contact: Andy Haub 360.753.8475 Thursday, November 2, 2017 5:40 PM City Hall, Room 207 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Wilson called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m. 1.A ROLL CALL Present: 8 - Chair Roger Wilson, Vice Chair Dever Haffner-Ratliffe, Committee member Luke Bowerman, Committee member Mike Buffo, Committee member Steve Fossum, Committee member Austin Hildreth, Committee member Arland Schneider and Committee member Jeremy Twitchell 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA The agenda was approved. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 17-1080 Approval of Draft UAC October 5, 2017 Meeting Minutes The minutes were approved. 4. PUBLIC COMMENT - None 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM UAC AND STAFF Water Resources Director/UAC Liaison Andy Haub provided the following updates: The sea level rise planning project is continuing on budget and only about a week behind schedule. Staff from the City, LOTT Clean Water Alliance and Port of Olympia, along with the consultant, are working on the risk and vulnerability assessment for downtown. Public outreach meetings are planned for early December to present assessment outcomes. Budd Inlet will have some days with very high tides, also known as king tides, in December. Staff will send more information on dates and times. Staff proposes to cancel the December UAC meeting and instead hold a January 2018 meeting. The January meeting will include an update on the sea level rise plan, UAC recommendations for the Storm and Surface Water Plan and a preliminary discussion on City of Olympia Page 1 Utility Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes November 2, 2017 the 2018-2019 UAC workplan. 6. BUSINESS ITEMS 6.A 17-1101 Climate Action Plan Update Resource Conservation Manager Danelle MacEwen provided an update on the City's climate action planning. The City is a part of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate Energy, a worldwide organization of over 7,400 cities and local governments committed to combating climate change at a local level. Under the guidelines of the Covenant, Olympia has completed a community-wide greenhouse gas inventory as well as set targets for community-based emissions reductions. The next step is developing a climate action plan. Ms. MacEwen explained the carbon wedge analysis and the energy map for Olympia and the local community. Olympia's Comprehensive Plan and Action Plan supports this work effort. The Comp Plan sets the goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions for Olympia: - 25% below 1990 levels (of greenhouse gas emissions) by 2020. - 45% below 1990 levels by 2035. - 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The City is considering a new emissions reduction target of 50% below 2014 levels by 2030. The Climate Action Plan will help the community reach these goals. The City is researching the possibility of a regional plan that would include the cities of Lacey and Tumwater and collaborating with Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC). The tentative schedule is to draft the plan in 2017-2019. The City will include a public involvement strategy to help create the plan. Ms. MacEwen will continue to update the UAC during the process and ensure the Committee is aware of stakeholder input opportunities. The information was received. 6.B 17-1081 Finalize Letter to Council Regarding Proposed 2018 Rates and GFCs and 2018-2023 CFP UAC members reviewed the draft recommendation letter in regards to the 2018 rates, General Facilities Charges and 2018 - 2023 Capital Facilities Plan (CFP). Staff reviewed the letter for accuracy and approved it. Chair Wilson will sign the letter and staff will forward the letter to the City Council. Chair Wilson and Vice-Chair Haffner-Ratliffe will attend the November 14 Council meeting where rates will be discussed. City of Olympia Page 2 Utility Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes November 2, 2017 The UAC also discussed the potential of the wastewater utility funding another downtown toilet in the future. This information was not included in the letter. The UAC would like a report on data from the first/pilot downtown toilet and suggests more outreach/signage promoting its use and location. If wastewater utility funds plan to be utilized, the Committee requests to remain engaged in the discussion with Council regarding the funding of future downtown toilets. The recommendation letter was approved. 6.C 17-1082 Wastewater Regulation Changes Project Engineer II Diane Utter briefed the UAC on recent wastewater regulation changes. There was no action or recommendation needed from the UAC. Ms. Utter explained the recent wastewater regulation changes. Ownership of side sewers: Under the new regulations, the City wastewater utility owns and maintains side sewers in the right-of-way if there is a cleanout located at the property line. This change will help to clarify side sewer ownership responsibilities between the City and homeowner. The new regulation was effective March, 2017. Revisions to the Septic to Sewer and the Septic Tank Effluent Pumping Systems (S.T.E.P.) programs: Details of the changes are addressed in staff report number 17-1082. The Septic to Sewer changes are effective November 3, 2017. The S.T.E.P. program changes will need approval of City Council. Staff plans to present it to them later this year. The UAC asked clarifying questions and thanked Ms. Utter for the briefing. The information was received. 6.D 17-1083 Draft Storm and Surface Water Plan Briefing City staff Susan Clark, Joe Roush, and Eric Christensen briefed the UAC on the Draft Storm and Surface Water Plan. This item was briefing only. Staff provided briefings to the UAC on the Draft Storm and Surface Water Plan in May and September 2017. Staff will also return to the UAC to provide one last briefing in January and will request a recommendation from the Committee. Staff is also briefing the Council's Land Use and Environment Committee. The City will announce the availability of the Draft Plan and establish a public comment period in November, 2017. Staff will include any public comments received within the UAC's January 2018 meeting packet. UAC provided general comments and asked clarifying questions. The Committee thanked staff for the briefing. City of Olympia Page 3 Utility Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes November 2, 2017 The information was received. 7. ADJOURNMENT Chair Wilson adjourned the meeting at 7:10 p.m. City of Olympia Page 4