Utility Advisory Committee

City Hall Meeting Minutes - Final 601 4th Avenue E Olympia, WA 98501 Utility Advisory Committee Contact: Jesse Barham 360.753.8164 Thursday, September 7, 2023 4:30 PM City Hall, Room 207 1 WORK SESSION ROLL CALL Present: 5 - Chair Dennis Bloom, Committee member Dani Clark, Committee member Arland Schneider, Committee member Virginia Towne and Committee member Eleanor (Pat) Vernon Absent: 4 - Vice Chair Kristin Lamson, Committee member JP Anderson, Committee member Sherry Chilcutt and Committee member Donald Krug 1.A WORK SESSION STAFF PRESENT Water Resources Director Jesse Barham Engineering & Planning Supervisor Susan Clark Senior Planner Ron Jones Water Resources Operations Supervisor Mike Vessey Administrative Specialist Lindsay Walker WORK SESSION: Comprehensive Plan Update - Utilities Chapter, Drinking Water Utility Goals/Policies Chair Bloom called the Work Session portion of the meeting to order at 4:32 pm. 23-0731 Utilities Chapter of the City of Olympia Comprehensive Plan Update The UAC and staff reviewed the Comp Plan, Goals and Policies for the Drinking Water utility. The UAC provided the following feedback: · When referenced in future staff reports, identify the source/author of the Stormwater Equity Index. When available, include where the Stormwater Equity Index can be found. · Staff will evaluate if language about sea level rise vulnerability to the City’s water sources should be added to the Drinking Water challenges. Staff doesn’t think this is a concern but will evaluate this suggestion. · Add language to PU7.9 about the legality of telecommunications leases on drinking water utility tanks. · Evaluate if the language in PU5.1. “so that supplies can be protected from contamination ” is needed. There was agreement that the language " they are not committed to lower priority uses" should be struck. City of Olympia Page 1 Utility Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - Final September 7, 2023 The UAC requested the following item from staff: · Number of participants in the Comp Plan survey. Staff will email that information to the UAC. · To inform the UAC on the general goals and policies related to financing, staff will provide information on the financial policy language from the Capital Facilities Plan and the City's budget document within the October UAC meeting Comp Plan staff report. Committee members discussed and developed the draft Drinking Water Utility Chapter goals and policies for further review and recommendation by the full UAC. The UAC will discuss the Waste ReSources utility and the Utilities Chapter’s vision and value statements at the next Comp Plan Work Session on October 5. The discussion was completed. BREAK Chair Bloom adjourned the Work Session at 5:18 p.m. 2. CALL TO ORDER Chair Bloom called the meeting to order at 5:32 pm. 3.A ROLL CALL Present: 5 - Chair Dennis Bloom, Committee member Dani Clark, Committee member Arland Schneider, Committee member Virginia Towne and Committee member Eleanor (Pat) Vernon Absent: 4 - Vice Chair Kristin Lamson, Committee member JP Anderson, Committee member Sherry Chilcutt and Committee member Donald Krug 3.B. STAFF PRESENT Water Resources Director/Staff Liaison Jesse Barham Drinking Water Utility Director Mike Vessey Waste ReSources Director Gary Franks Planning and Engineering Supervisor Susan Clark Administrative Specialist Lindsay Walker 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA The agenda was approved. City of Olympia Page 2 Utility Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - Final September 7, 2023 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 23-0732 Approval of August 3, 2023 UAC Meeting Minutes The minutes were approved. 6. PUBLIC COMMENT - None 7. ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM UAC AND STAFF Staff provided the following information: · Distributed the September/October edition of the utility bill insert, The Five Things. · Olympia Planning Commission (OPC) Finance subcommittee reviewed the Capital Facilities Plan (CFP) on September 6. The OPC subcommittee submitted questions to staff regarding the CFP. Staff emailed and also distributed to the UAC the questions and staff’s responses. · Porta Court sewer extension project is substantially complete. 16 connections via 8 duplexes (one property owner). · Staff will work with UAC members to schedule a tour of the Pioneer Recycling Facility in late October or early November. Staff will notice to the public that the tour has a potential quorum of UAC. · The City had its first “No water shuts off due to heat-related alert” in August per the new state law. · Chair Bloom signed a letter on behalf of the UAC supporting a discount of the General Facility Charges for Affordable Housing Development. · The City will begin Advisory Committee recruitments in October through December. UAC has four committee members that have terms expiring in 2024. These members will need to request reappointment to the UAC. · The Sea Level Rise Response Collaborative (City of Olympia, LOTT, Port of Olympia along with the WA State Department of Enterprise Services and the Squaxin Tribe) submitted a letter of interest for NOAA's Coastal Regional Resilience Challenge grant opportunity. The Collaborative hopes to be invited to submit a full application. If awarded, the funds would be utilized for projects identified in the Olympia Sea Level Rise Response Plan, plus several additional projects including two related to the estuary and funding three project positions. Each successful grant proposal could be funded between $15M - $75M. 8. BUSINESS ITEMS 23-0733 Water System Plan Update UAC members asked some clarifying questions and held a discussion with staff. The UAC thanked staff for their work on the Plan. City of Olympia Page 3 Utility Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - Final September 7, 2023 Committee member Clark moved, seconded by Committee member Schneider, to write a letter to the City Council recommending adoption and support of the City's draft Water System Plan. Motion carried unanimously. 23-0734 Preliminary 2024 Utility Operating Budget, Rates and General Facility Charges Mr. Barham, Mr. Franks and Mr. Vessey provided the briefing. The 2024 proposed utility rate increases: Drinking Water 2% Wastewater 2.5% Storm & Surface Water 3.5% Waste ReSources 3.5% LOTT 3% If staffing enhancements are approved, staff will request the following utilities' rate increases as follows: Wastewater 5% Storm & Surface Water 6.5% Staff will provide a final briefing on the 2024 budget at the October 5 UAC meeting. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned. UPCOMING Next UAC Meeting: Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. Business Items: - Work Session: Comp Plan, Waste ReSources Goals and Policies - 2024 Utility Operating Budgets, Capital Facility Plan, Rates and General Facility Charges City of Olympia Page 4