VALLEY COUNTY WATER DISTRICT MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HELD MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015

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1 VALLEY COUNTY WATER DISTRICT MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HELD MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, CALL TO ORDER A regular meeting of the Board of Directors of Valley County Water District was called to order in the offices of the District, located at Ramona Boulevard, City of Baldwin Park, County of Los Angeles, State of California, within said District on at 7:45 pm by President Alfonso Contreras. 2. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND DISTRICT EMPLOYEES MEMBERS PRESENT: President Alfonso Contreras Vice President Paul C. Hernandez Director Mariana Lake Director Lenet Pacheco Director Margarita Vargas DISTRICT EMPLOYEES PRESENT: General Counsel Keith Lemieux General Manager Lynda Noriega Operations & Maintenance Manager Tom Mortenson Finance & Customer Service Manager Jandy Macias Human Resources Coordinator Arrica Jimenez 3. ADOPTION OF AGENDA Motion made by Director Pacheco to adopt the agenda as presented Motion to adopt seconded by Director Lake Motion to adopt the agenda as presented carried (5-0-0) Board Action Lake Pacheco Vargas Hernandez Contreras 4. PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS No public comment 5. REORGANIZATION OF THE BOARD OF THE DIRECTORS General Manager stated that the Administrative Code stipulated that the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected by the members of the Board of Directors on an annual basis at the first regular meeting occurring in December of each calendar year President Contreras opened the floor for nominations Vice President Hernandez nominated Director Alfonso Contreras for President of the Board of Directors Seeing no other nominations, the Board of Directors considered the nomination of Director Alfonso Contreras for President of the Board of Directors Nomination for Director Alfonso Contreras for President of the Board of Directors carried (5-0-0) Page 1

2 Board Action Lake Pacheco Vargas Hernandez Contreras President Contreras thanked the Board of Directors for their continued support President Contreras called for nominations for Vice President of the Board of Directors Vice President Hernandez nominated Director Mariana Lake for Vice President of the Board of Directors Seeing no other nominations, the Board of Directors considered the nomination of Director Mariana Lake for Vice President of the Board of Directors Nomination for Director Mariana Lake for Vice President of the Board of Directors carried (5-0-0) Board Action Lake Pacheco Vargas Hernandez Contreras Vice President Lake thanked President Contreras, Director Hernandez, Director Pacheco, and Director Vargas for their support President Contreras nominated General Manager, Lynda Noriega, for Secretary of the Board of Directors and Finance & Customer Service Manager, Jandy Macias, for Treasurer of the Board of Directors Seeing no other nominations, the Board of Directors considered the nomination of Lynda Noriega for Secretary of the Board of Directors and Jandy Macias for Treasurer of the Board of Directors Nomination for Lynda Noriega for Secretary of the Board of Directors and Jandy Macias for Treasurer of the Board of Directors carried (5-0-0) Board Action Lake Pacheco Vargas Hernandez Contreras 6. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors held Monday, November 23, 2015 Motion made by Director Pacheco to approve the regular meeting of the Board of Directors held Monday, November 23, 2015 Motion to approve seconded by Vice President Lake Motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of Directors held Monday, November 23, 2015 carried (5-0-0) Board Action Hernandez Pacheco Vargas Lake Contreras 7. CONSENT CALENDER A. Approval of Checks and Invoice Register i. Checks drawn on SCE Federal Credit Union Operating Account ii. Invoice registers B. Transfer of funds from SCE Federal Credit Union Income Account to SCE Federal Credit Union Operating Account i. Valley County Water District VCWD Accounts Payable Warrant Check ii. Valley County Water District BPOU Accounts Payable Warrant Check Motion made by Director Vargas to approve the Consent Calendar as presented Motion to approve seconded by Director Pacheco Motion to approve the Consent Calendar as presented carried (5-0-0) Page 2

3 Board Action Hernandez Pacheco Vargas Lake Contreras 8. ACTION ITEMS A. Consider the Appeal of an Employee Dismissal [Government Code 54957(b)] President Contreras stated that this item was completed and finalized during the special meeting of the Board of Directors held B. Consider Nominations and Appointments for the Member and Alternate Member Representatives to the Association of California Water Agencies/Joint Powers Insurance Authority Board of Directors General Manager stated that Section of the Administrative Code stated that both the Member and Alternate Member Representatives to the Association of California Water Agencies/Joint Powers Insurance Authority (ACWA/JPIA) Board of Directors were to be elected at the first regular meeting of the Board of Directors occurring in December of each calendar year President Contreras asked if the Administrative Code required that the Member and Alternate Member Representatives be the President and Vice President of the Board of Directors Vice President Lake stated that the President and Vice President of the Board of Directors have served in the past Director Hernandez nominated President Contreras as the Member Representative and Vice President Lake as the Alternate Member Representative to the ACWA/JPIA Board of Directors Motion to approve seconded by Director Pacheco Motion to approve President Contreras as the Member Representative and Vice President Lake as the Alternate Member Representative to the ACWA/JPIA Board of Directors carried (5-0-0) Board Action Hernandez Pacheco Vargas Lake Contreras C. Consider Modifications to the 2015/2016 Water Conservation Programs Motion made by Director Pacheco to consider modifications to the 2015/2016 Water Conservation Programs Motion to discuss seconded by Director Hernandez General Manager explained that the District allocated funding within the 2015/2016 General Operating budget for the continuation and expansion of water conservation efforts and programs in an amount of $25,965.00, which included $9, for the distribution of 150 high efficiency toilets after claiming the $ rebate per unit installed from Metropolitan Water District (MWD) through Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District (Upper District); reported that beginning in November 2015, MWD reduced it s rebate offering for high efficiency toilets from $ per unit installed to only $40.00 per unit installed; added that this reduction would substantially increase the cost to the District for offering and administering a residential high efficiency toilet exchange program; reported that MWD added rain barrel rebates in the amount of $75.00 to its list of water conservation programs, which was another option for the District to consider offering to residential customers; recommended that the District modify the approved residential high efficiency toilet exchange program and add a rain barrel pilot project program; stated that in order to remain as close as possible to the water conservation budget approved on September 28, 2015, it was recommended that the District allocate 75 units to the high efficiency toilet exchange program at a cost of $9, and allocate 75 units to the new rain barrel pilot program at a cost of $3,375.00; explained that the total proposed budget for the modifications to the high efficiency toilet exchange program and the addition of the rain barrel pilot program was $12,375.00, which represented an increase of $3, to the overall 2015/2016 Water Conservation budget Director Hernandez recommended concentrating the conservation efforts of the District on high efficiency toilets rather than rain barrels; suggested increasing the amount of high efficiency toilets to 100 and Page 3

4 eliminating the rain barrel pilot program; stated that the long term water conservation benefits of high efficiency toilets would outweigh the benefits of rain barrels; commented that rain barrels would only be effective when it rained General Manager stated that she agreed with the recommendation; reported that she was attempting to incorporate the rain barrel program to include additional conservation programs within the slate offered by the District; stated that the District established a high efficiency toilet exchange program in 2015 and was comfortable with executing a similar program in 2016; reported that Upper District would be hosting community events to distribute their allotment of rain barrels to residents; suggested that the District partner with Upper District in promoting the events or providing resources to facilitate the events if it was hosted within the service area of the District Director Pacheco agreed with moving forward with a water conservation program that concentrated on high efficiency toilets rather than rain barrels; stated that the residents would be interested in high efficiency toilets more than rain barrels Vice President Lake reported that she had been offered a complimentary rain barrel during the ACWA Fall Conference by a vendor who stated that they would discount their rain barrels by 50% if the District purchased a large enough product quantity; stated that she declined the offer since the barrel would not fit in her car General Manager stated that she would look into the offer from the vendor; explained that Upper District would typically purchase directly from the manufacturer or order from EcoTech Resources, Inc since they assisted with delivery and administration of the program President Contreras asked if the high efficiency toilet exchange program would start immediately or at the beginning of the next fiscal year General Manager stated that the high efficiency toilet exchange program would start immediately; explained that the program would be modified with the approved changes from what was originally approved on September 28, 2015; clarified that the Board of Directors were considering distribution of 100 high efficiency toilets and elimination of rain barrels Director Hernandez made a motion to approve the distribution of 100 high efficiency toilets and elimination of rain barrels for the 2015/2016 Water Conservation Programs Motion to approve seconded by Director Pacheco Motion to approve the distribution of 100 high efficiency toilets and elimination of rain barrels as part of the 2015/2016 Water Conservation Programs carried (5-0-0) Board Action Hernandez Pacheco Vargas Lake Contreras 9. NON-ACTION/ DISCUSSION/ INFORMATION ITEM D. Discuss the Concept of Preparing and Delivering a State of the Water District Presentation for the Residents and Businesses General Manager stated that during their review of the agenda for the meetings of the Board of Directors, President Contreras had proposed the concept of hosting a State of the Water District presentation similar to a State of the City address; reported that he wanted to see how the other members of the Board of Directors felt about providing a presentation to the community recapping the achievements of the District, reviewing the services provided by the District, summarizing regulatory changes affecting the District, and discussing upcoming goals of the District President Contreras stated that the event would be similar to the State of the State address or the State of the City address, but on a smaller scale; noted that this type of event would be an opportunity for fulfilling the request of Vice President Lake to address the senior citizens and would also keep the community apprised of what the District accomplished Vice President Lake asked if the San Juan Capistrano case and court decision would be discussed Page 4

5 President Contreras stated that the results of the case would not be discussed; explained that the presentation would focus on what programs were implemented and what goals were set; asked the members of the Board of Directors to submit any ideas for topics of discussion to the General Manager; stated that he anticipated the event would be hosted in March 2016 General Manager stated that the event details needed to be discussed and determined; explained that marketing for the event and preparation of the presentation would be required Director Hernandez asked if it would be more cost effective to mail a report or purchase space in the Baldwin Park NOW or in the Baldwin Park Unified School District (BPUSD) newsletter in order to reach more of the District s customers; stated that the BPUSD had taken a large space within the Baldwin Park NOW Director Vargas stated that there were additional costs for adding pages to the Baldwin Park NOW; explained that the BPUSD paid additional for including their information in the Baldwin Park NOW President Contreras stated that there would also be additional costs for requesting an insert within the Irwindale Insights Newsletter Director Hernandez suggested advertising the State of the Water District event in those publications and also including information regarding the event topics on the flier since the publication would reach more people; commented that he anticipated more people would receive the publication than would attend the event Vice President Lake asked if the City of Baldwin Park planned to host their State of the City address in March 2016 President Contreras confirmed that the Baldwin Park State of the City Address was typically held in March Director Pacheco stated that she was concerned about how many people would attend the event Director Vargas stated that the City of Baldwin Park served breakfast at their State of the City Address Director Pacheco stated that the breakfast drew attendees to the event; asked what the District would provide as an incentive for people to attend President Contreras suggested that the District could raffle one of the high efficiency toilets General Manager suggested asking the City of Baldwin Park and the City of Irwindale if the District could make a short presentation during their State of the City addresses Director Vargas stated that she was going to suggest contacting the City of Baldwin Park and the City of Irwindale to participate in their addresses General Manager stated that the purpose of the discussion was to gain a consensus from the Board of Directors to determine whether or not they would be interested in hosting a State of the Water District event; reported that there appeared to be interest from the members of the Board of Directors; added that she would begin inquiring with the City of Baldwin Park and the City of Irwindale regarding the details of their events to gain an understanding of what an event such as this would require President Contreras confirmed that the direction from the Board of Directors was to proceed with planning a State of the Water District event; added that event information and coordination would be discussed with the appropriate Standing Committee E. Discuss the Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors Scheduled for Monday, December 28, 2015 General Manager stated that during their review the agenda for the meetings of the Board of Directors, President Contreras and she discussed the need for proceeding with the regular meeting of the Board of Directors scheduled on Monday, December 28, 2015; explained that the District would be closed Thursday, December 24, 2015 and Friday, December 25, 2015 in observance of Christmas and again on Friday, January 1, 2016 in observance of New Year s; added that due to the holiday schedule, there were not many items pending consideration by the Board of Directors; stated that many of the vendors who the District conducted business with would also be closed; announced that if the meeting was held as scheduled, it would only include consideration of the Consent Calendar and reports from management Director Lake stated that the District always held two meetings per month; expressed concern regarding the ability for the District to pay it s bills without approval of the Consent Calendar by the Board of Directors Page 5

6 President Contreras reported that the District would be short staffed with the holiday schedule and with employees requesting additional days off throughout the holidays; stated that the City of Irwindale was scheduled to closed from December 24, 2015 thru January 4, 2016; recommended cancelling the Board of Directors meeting scheduled for Monday, December 28, 2015 Director Hernandez stated that if the agenda was going to be light, he would support cancelling the meeting President Contreras suggested that the General Manager could elect to schedule a meeting in the event there was an immediate need General Counsel reported that a few of the other water districts he represented also cancelled their second meeting in December Vice President Lake stated that the District did not need to follow what the other water districts were doing because other water districts cancelled meetings on a regular basis Director Pacheco consented to cancelling the meeting Vice President Lake stated that she was ok if the meeting was cancelled President Contreras confirmed that the regular meeting of the Board of Directors scheduled for Monday, December 28, 2015 would be cancelled General Counsel clarified that the Secretary of the Board of Directors would need to post a cancellation notice for the meeting in a timely manner 10. FINANCE & CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER REPORT Finance & Customer Service Manager Announced that representatives from Vicenti, Lloyd & Stutzman LLP would be in the office on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 and Wednesday, December 16, 2015 to begin the internal control evaluation and assessment; stated that they would return in January to complete their required fieldwork 11. OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE MANAGER REPORT Operations & Maintenance Manager Reported that operations repaired a number of water main leaks throughout the service area Reported that the water main replacement on Clydewood Avenue was nearly complete Reported that the Baldwin Park Operable Unit Sub Area 1 (BPOU SA1) treatment facility was operating at half flow while the District continued to wait for the permit amendment from the State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water (SWRCB-DDW) Announced that he included the requested water savings report in the agenda packet, which provided a comparison of water consumption for watering days versus non-watering days; reported that there was a 5% reduction in September, a 5.2% reduction in October, and a 3.6% reduction in November; explained that the total consumption was down in November due to the rain; anticipated that production would remain below 5 million gallons per month with the seasonally colder weather and the expected rainfall President Contreras explained that he had requested the water savings report; thanked the Operations & Maintenance Manager for providing the information; stated that he was surprised to see that the non-watering days were less than the watering days; commented that this implied the customers were following the guidelines imposed by the District; stated that he was concerned that the District would fall into the same predicament as Yorba Linda Water District meeting the SWRCB water reduction requirement, but not being able to maintain water sales at a level that would sustain normal operating expenses 12. GENERAL MANAGER REPORT General Manager Reported that on Tuesday, December 1, 2015, Helman Architects, Inc was informed that the submitted review package was approved by the City of Baldwin Park; explained that with approval from the City of Baldwin Park, Helman Architects, Inc started preparing a professional opinion of anticipated construction costs; stated that the opinion was expected to be received in January 2016 after the holidays; added that Page 6

7 once it was received, the information would be reviewed with the Board of Directors prior to transitioning into Phase 2 of the project, which would include construction planning and development Reported that the District compiled and submitted the information requested by Total Compensation Systems, Inc on November 20, 2015 for the other post employment benefits (OPEBs) valuation; stated that the draft report was received and both she and the Finance & Customer Service Manager were reviewing the information; explained that comments and recommended revisions would be incorporated prior to finalizing the report Announced that the District closed the fiscal year end accounting records on November 30, 2015; stated that Vicenti, Lloyd & Stutzman LLP was scheduled to be on-site Tuesday, December 15, 2015 and Wednesday, December 16, 2015 to complete the internal controls evaluation and assessment; added that they would return the week of January 18, 2016 to complete the necessary field work; reported that the final audit report would be completed in February 2016 for review and consideration by the Board of Directors Reported that the notice to proceed along with the final approved layout was provided to Tyler Technologies on Thursday, November 19, 2015; stated that due to the upcoming holiday schedule, Tyler Technologies projected that the programming and custom utility billing form would be completed by February or March 2016; noted that she would keep the Board of Directors apprised of any updates President Contreras suggested including this item within the State of the Water District address; stated that it would be good information for the intended audience General Manager continued: Stated that the District anticipated that the SWRCB-DDW would issue a conditional operating permit allowing the BPOU SA1 treatment facility to operate while the formal operating permit was being finalized; reported that as of Thursday, December 10, 2015, the SWRCB-DDW was still reviewing and evaluating the submittal from the District for the permit amendment; announced that regarding the allocated Proposition 84 Funding, the District submitted the final payment demand for reimbursement in accordance with the funding agreement terms; reported that all close-out documentation required as part of the funding agreement was submitted to the SWRCB-DDW on Wednesday, November 25, 2015 and payment was received on Monday, December 7, 2015 Reported that the District received and executed contract documents with Yellow Jacket Drilling Services on Monday, November 23, 2015; announced that Yellow Jacket Drilling Services informed the District that they planned to mobilize the week of January 25, 2016; stated that based on this date, a tentative preconstruction meeting between the District, Civiltec Engineering, Kear Groundwater, and Yellow Jacket Drilling Services was scheduled for Wednesday, January 6, 2016; stated that prior to starting any construction, the District would plan, schedule, and host a community briefing for the local businesses and residents regarding the project details, which was anticipated for the week of January 18, 2016; anticipated that notifications of the community briefing would be issued in both English and Spanish and would be planned for delivery approximately two weeks prior to the event Reported that the statement of work (SOW) for the BPOU SA1 Project Agreement was currently being reviewed by herself, the Operations & Maintenance Manager, and the District General Counsel; announced that the next meeting of the entire BPOU Project Agreement negotiating group was scheduled for Thursday, January 14, 2016 and Friday, January 15, 2016 in Downtown Los Angeles Reported that the District continued to coordinate the 4-6 th Grade Water Sustainability Education Programs and the Be Water Wise Educational Classroom Presentations at the local elementary schools within the service area of the District; stated that the schedule and the attendance records for the presentations was provided in the agenda packet Reported that the District requested that the City of Irwindale consider an agreement that would guarantee the District with the lease of their available water rights for a term of five years; stated that the City of Irwindale representatives stated that both the Housing Authority and the City Council were open to executing agreements for the water rights lease and the Hidalgo Street pipeline improvements project based on the terms provided by the District; reported that the City of Irwindale City Counsel was preparing both agreements for review by the District Page 7

8 Reported that representatives from Verizon Wireless contacted the District and expressed interest in placing a wireless cellular tower at the District Big Dalton Pumping Facility located at 3611 Big Dalton Avenue in Baldwin Park; stated that she received draft language for the anticipated lease agreement; reported that the agreement was forwarded to the District General Counsel for review; reported that during a meeting with the representative she and the Operations & Maintenance Manager clarified that the tower would need to be installed along the perimeter of the parcel so the District would have space available to construct facilities, if necessary; announced that the District would be compensated approximately $1, per month for the easement Director Hernandez asked how much land Verizon Wireless was requesting for the installation General Manager stated the requested easement was 22-feet by 22-feet Director Hernandez stated that the compensation seemed relatively low based on the size of the easement; suggested that the District contact the City of Baldwin Park regarding their easements with wireless cellular towers since they recently negotiated something similar General Counsel stated that looking at comparable contracts in the area was a good idea 13. GENERAL COUNSEL REPORT General Counsel Stated that he and the General Manager continued to review the drafts of the BPOU Project Agreement negotiations; reported that he was also working with the other water entities to ensure that the drafting concepts were agreeable; stated that the water entities agreed to submit a draft of Sections 1 to 4 of the BPOU Project Agreement to the Cooperating Respondents before December 25, 2015 Director Hernandez requested a brief overview of the proposed draft agreement revisions during a future Closed Session 14. FUTURE AGENDA ITEM REQUESTS No suggestions made 15. BOARD OF DIRECTOR COMMENTS AND REPORTS Director Hernandez Stated that he had nothing to report since the last meeting Director Pacheco Attended the ACWA 2015 Fall Conference from Monday, November 30, 2015, thru Friday, December 4, 2015 Attended the City of Baldwin Park City Council meeting on Wednesday, December 2, 2015 for the swearingin ceremony for her husband, Councilmember Ricardo Pacheco Attended the Upper District Board of Directors meeting and Open House event on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 Attended the Southern California Water Utilities Association (SCWUA) Luncheon on Thursday, December 10, 2015 Director Vargas Attended the ACWA 2015 Fall Conference from Monday, November 30, 2015, thru Thursday, December 3, 2015 Attended the Upper District Board of Directors meeting and Open House event on Tuesday, December 8, 2015; announced that she missed her nephew s swearing-in ceremony as the Mayor of Hawthorne on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 since she attended the Upper District meetings; commented that he understood why she could not make it Attended the SCWUA Luncheon on Thursday, December 10, 2015 Wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Page 8

9 Vice President Lake Requested to close the meeting in memory of Lupe Cortez, who passed away a week ago, and Margaret Burnett-Salonisen, who passed away on Friday, December 11, 2015; added that the family would provide the funeral arrangements for Margaret Burnett-Salonisen Attended the ACWA 2015 Fall Conference from Monday, November 30, 2015, thru Friday, December 4, 2015; reported that she attended the ACWA/JPIA Board of Directors meeting on Monday, November 30, 2015; commented that President Contreras served as the Representative to the ACWA/JPIA Board of Directors; stated that she liked the meeting because it was very intense and informative; announced that the District received the Presidential Award for the ACWA/JPIA Liability Program, the ACWA/JPIA Workers Compensation Program, and the ACWA/JPIA Property Program; explained that this was good for the District and showed that the District employees were performing good; added that the voting for ACWA/JPIA was different and was better; stated that she was impressed and that the new system really worked; reported that she attended the Statewide Issue Forum How Do We Continue to Finance Water Projects? on Wednesday, December 2, 2015; reported that she attended the Statewide Issues Panel Four Years and Counting: Is the Drought a Catastrophe, or Are We Showing Resilience? on Thursday, December 3, 2015; stated that there were a lot of people in attendance at the workshop, including Felicia Marcus and senior scientists from the NASA project; reported that she attended the Hans Doe Breakfast on Friday, December 4, 2015; announced that Kathleen Tiegs was elected at the new President of ACWA and that she was very excited; stated that she saw her at the ACWA/JPIA reception and at other workshops; added that she was the only nominee for ACWA President and Brent Hastey was the only nominee for ACWA Vice President; congratulated both of them on the election; reported that there were approximately 1,800 attendees to the conference; commented that the venue was more open; stated that she provided a book titled California Drought: History and Recent Conditions and some other materials for the Board of Directors and the General Manager to review Attended the Upper District Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 Attended the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority (WQA) Board of Directors Meeting on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 Requested to close the meeting in memory of the victims of the recent San Bernardino shooting Thanked Director Hernandez, Director Pacheco, Director Vargas, and President Contreras for considering and electing her as Vice President of the Board of Directors; stated that the members of the Board of Directors did not need to like each other but needed support the best interests of the community President Contreras Acknowledged and thanked the City of Baldwin Park City Treasurer, Marie Contreras, for attending the meeting Commented that the Standing Committee appointments for 2016 could remain the same if there was no interest from the members of the Board of Directors to change their appointments; requested that the members of the Board of Directors send him an requesting any changes to their Standing Committee assignments Suggested that the new bill format and the accepted methods of payment be included as topics for the State of the Water District address; recommended having forms available for individuals to enroll in the auto draft payment program available at the event Requested to also close the meeting in memory of the grandmother of the Human Resources Coordinator, Jessie Cota; recommended sending a letter to the families in whose name the meeting was closed Announced that information regarding Kathleen Tiegs and Brent Hastey being elected as the ACWA President and Vice President, respectively, and the issues facing Yorba Linda Water District were included in the news article section of the agenda packet 14. INFORMATION ITEMS / NEWSPAPER ARTICLES / PRESS RELEASES A. Receive and File Various Newspaper Articles and Press Releases No comments on the newspaper articles and press releases Page 9

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