Board of Public Utilities

Council Chamber City of Santa Rosa 100 Santa Rosa Avenue Board of Public Utilities Regular Meeting Minutes - Final Thursday, December 5, 2024 1:30 PM 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Chair Galvin called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. Present 5 - Chair Daniel Galvin III, Vice Chair William Arnone Jr., Board Member Lisa Badenfort, Board Member Robin Bartholow, and Board Member Glen Wright Absent 1 - Board Member Duane De Witt 2 REMOTE PARTICIPATION UNDER AB 2449 (IF NEEDED) None. 3. STATEMENTS OF ABSTENTION BY BOARD MEMBERS None. 4. STUDY SESSION 4.1 2024 WATER AND WASTEWATER COST OF SERVICE STUDY AND PROPOSED FY25/26 THROUGH FY29/30 RATE SCHEDULE It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water that the Board of Public Utilities hold a study session to receive information, ask questions, discuss and provide feedback to staff regarding the 2024 Water and Wastewater Cost of Service Study and the proposed FY 25/26 through FY 29/30 Rate Schedule. Nick Harvey, Deputy Director - Water Administration, Dan Hennessy, Director - Transportation and Public Works, and Mark Hildebrand, Consultant - Hildebrand Consulting, presented and answered Board Member questions. 5. MINUTES APPROVAL 5.1 November 7, 2024 - Regular Meeting Minutes - DRAFT The November 7, 2024 regular meeting minutes were approved as submitted. City of Santa Rosa Regular Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 6 Board of Public Utilities Regular Meeting Minutes - Final December 5, 2024 6. STAFF BRIEFINGS 6.1 WATER AND RECYCLED WATER SUPPLY UPDATE Staff will update the Board on water and recycled water supply issues. The Board may discuss this item and give direction to staff. Peter Martin, Deputy Director - Water Resources, and Andrew Romero, Wastewater Reclamation Superintendent, presented and answered Board Member questions. 7. CONSENT ITEMS None. 8. REPORT ITEMS 8.1 REPORT - APPROPRIATION OF ADDITIONAL CELL TOWER LEASE REVENUES FOR THE HELP 2 OTHERS PROGRAM BACKGROUND: Telecommunication companies lease space on some of Santa Rosa Water’s water storage tanks for their cell towers. The revenues from these lease payments fund Santa Rosa Water’s Help 2 Others (H2O) program, which offers water bill assistance to qualifying residential customers in the form of subsidies for the fixed portion of both water and sewer bills. The Water Department is seeking a recommendation from the Board of Public Utilities that City Council approve the appropriation of $406,993.91 of additional cell tower lease revenues that are currently in undesignated fund balance. The appropriation would go directly to funding water and sewer subsidies for qualifying customers in the H2O program. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water that the Board of Public Utilities, by motion, recommend that City Council approve the appropriation of additional cell tower lease revenues in the amount of $406,993.91 from fund balance for expenditure in the Help 2 Others (H2O) program. Board Member Badenfort left Council Chamber at 2:44 p.m. Kevin Buchanan, Financial and Budget Analyst Manger, presented and answered Board Member questions. City of Santa Rosa Regular Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 6 Board of Public Utilities Regular Meeting Minutes - Final December 5, 2024 A motion was made by Board Member Wright, seconded by Board Member Bartholow, to approve the recommendation that City Council approve the appropriation of additional cell tower lease revenues in the amount of $406,993.91 from fund balance for expenditure in the Help 2 Others (H2O) program. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 4 - Chair Galvin III, Vice Chair Arnone Jr., Board Member Bartholow and Board Member Wright Absent: 2 - Board Member Badenfort and Board Member De Witt 8.2 REPORT - WAIVER OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS AND SOLE SOURCE OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH ENTHALPY ANALYTICAL FOR ANALYTICAL SERVICES BACKGROUND: The Laguna Environmental Laboratory (LEL) may need support from third party laboratories to handle increased workload, meet tight project deadlines, or access specialized testing capabilities that are not available in the LEL. The LEL does not have the instruments or the certifications to test for PFAS compounds and this contract is necessary to meet the testing requirements in analyzing PFAS compounds. Enthalpy is the only local laboratory that has the instruments and certifications to analyze samples for PFAS compounds. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water that the Board of Public Utilities, by motion, waive competitive bidding and authorize the award of a sole source Professional Services Agreement with Enthalpy Analytical for analytical services in an amount not to exceed $150,000. Board Member Badenfort returned to Council Chamber at 2:48 p.m. Robert Wilson, Laboratory Supervisor, presented and answered Board Member questions. A motion was made by Board Member Bartholow, seconded by Vice Chair Arnone, Jr., to approve to waive competitive bidding and authorize the award of a sole source Professional Services Agreement with Enthalpy Analytical for analytical services in an amount not to exceed $150,000. The motion carried by the following vote: City of Santa Rosa Regular Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 6 Board of Public Utilities Regular Meeting Minutes - Final December 5, 2024 Yes: 5 - Chair Galvin III, Vice Chair Arnone Jr., Board Member Badenfort, Board Member Bartholow and Board Member Wright Absent: 1 - Board Member De Witt 8.3 REPORT - WAIVER OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS AND SOLE SOURCE OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH VITISYSTEMS, INC. DBA CALTEST ANALYTICAL LABORATORY FOR ANALYTICAL SERVICES BACKGROUND: The Laguna Environmental Laboratory (LEL) may need support from third party laboratories to handle increased workload, meet tight project deadlines, or access specialized testing capabilities that are not available in the LEL. This contract can be crucial when the LEL faces capacity limitations due to staff shortages, equipment constraints, or an unexpected surge in sample volume. Additionally, contracting with outside labs provide expertise in niche or highly technical analyses that require advanced instrumentation or methodologies not available at the Laguna Environmental Laboratory, ensuring that the LEL can maintain high standards of quality and compliance without delays. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water that the Board of Public Utilities, by motion, waive competitive bidding and authorize the award of a sole source Professional Services Agreement with Vitisystems, Inc. DBA Caltest Analytical Laboratory for analytical services in an amount not to exceed $250,000. Robert Wilson, Laboratory Supervisor, presented. A motion was made by Vice Chair Arnone, Jr., seconded by Board Member Wright, to approve to waive competitive bidding and authorize the award of a sole source Professional Services Agreement with Vitisystems, Inc. DBA Caltest Analytical Laboratory for analytical services in an amount not to exceed $250,000. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 5 - Chair Galvin III, Vice Chair Arnone Jr., Board Member Badenfort, Board Member Bartholow and Board Member Wright Absent: 1 - Board Member De Witt 8.4 REPORT - WAIVER OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS AND City of Santa Rosa Regular Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 6 Board of Public Utilities Regular Meeting Minutes - Final December 5, 2024 SOLE SOURCE OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH ALPHA ANALYTICAL LABORATORY INC. FOR ANALYTICAL SERVICES BACKGROUND: The Laguna Environmental Laboratory (LEL) may need support from third party laboratories to handle increased workload, meet tight project deadlines, or access specialized testing capabilities that are not available in the LEL. This contract can be crucial when the LEL faces capacity limitations due to staff shortages, equipment constraints, or an unexpected surge in sample volume. Additionally, contracting with outside labs provide expertise in niche or highly technical analyses that require advanced instrumentation or methodologies not available at the Laguna Environmental Laboratory, ensuring that the LEL can maintain high standards of quality and compliance without delays. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water that the Board of Public Utilities, by motion, waive competitive bidding and authorize the award of a sole source Professional Services Agreement with Alpha Analytical Laboratories for analytical services in an amount not to exceed $250,000. Robert Wilson, Laboratory Supervisor, presented. A motion was made by Board Member Wright, seconded by Board Member Badenfort, to approve to waive competitive bidding and authorize the award of a sole source Professional Services Agreement with Alpha Analytical Laboratories for analytical services in an amount not to exceed $250,000. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 5 - Chair Galvin III, Vice Chair Arnone Jr., Board Member Badenfort, Board Member Bartholow and Board Member Wright Absent: 1 - Board Member De Witt 9. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA MATTERS None. 10. REFERRALS None. City of Santa Rosa Regular Meeting Minutes Page 6 of 6 Board of Public Utilities Regular Meeting Minutes - Final December 5, 2024 11. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (AND POSSIBLE BOARD DISCUSSION) None. 12. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS None. 13. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS None. 14. DIRECTORS REPORTS Acting Director McNeil reported: There was a magnitude 7.0 earthquake off the coast of Northern California earlier today. Staff from Local, Regional, and the Geysers have performed infrastructure checks, and no damage has been found. Sonoma Water reported that they also surveyed their infrastructure and found no damage. 15. ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING Chair Galvin adjourned the meeting at 3:03 p.m. The next Board of Public Utilities meeting is scheduled for December 19, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. Approved on: December 19, 2024 ___/S/_________________________ Michelle Montoya Recording Secretary