MINUTES. BOARD MEETING April 8, 2009

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1 MINUTES BOARD MEETING April 8, Meeting was called to order at 0900 by Chair Tretten. 2. Report on Closed Session Nothing to report. 3. Approval of March Minutes. Because Mr. Wiemeyer was not present at today s meeting, the March Minutes could not be approved because Misters Tretten and Shepard were not in attendance in March. Neither could the February Minutes because Misters Walker and Machado were not in attendance in February. Therefore at the May Meeting, the Minutes for February, March and April s meetings will be approved. 4. Plumas County Flood Control & Water Conservation District The General Manager introduced Brian Morris from the Flood Control District. The PECSD has been invited to become a member of the Feather River Water and Watershed Authority. Reasoning that there may be a number of areas where the CSD may have an interest in regional water management issues and in updating and implementing the Upper Feather River Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Program. By joining this group, it is possible that the CSD can share in the $1 billion in IRWM funding that was passed by Prop 84 in 2006 and will be disbursed over the next three to four years. It was explained that there is no cost to the CSD to become a member of the District. The only cost may be some time spent by the General Manager to attend meetings. To join the Group, the Board needed to pass a Resolution to Approve the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement for the Feather River Water & Watershed Authority. (Website featherriverwater.com) After discussion, the Board elected to pass said Resolution which was introduced as Resolution Motion to approve the Resolution to join the Feather River Water & Wastewater Authority. Motion L. Walker Second R. Machado Roll Call vote: Aye E. Tretten, L. Walker, R. Machado, F. Shepare

2 Nay - Abstain - Absent - None None V. Wiemeyer The Board thanked Mr. Morris for his presentation. 5. Fiscal Year Budget The General Manager presented the first draft of the budget to the Board and Budget Finance Committee. He first sited that because of the current economic crisis there will be no increase in rates for the next Fiscal Year. Also, because the Cost of Living is so low, point 1%, there will not be a COLA for the employees, nor will there be any raises in wages. He suggested that because of this, the Board and Finance Committee may entertain the option of offering more holiday benefits to the employees. He then walked the Board and Committee through the Operations and Maintenance budget item by item, explaining why certain categories had been decreased versus why others had been increased. After discussion and questions, he then proceeded to walk the Board and Committee through the Capital portion of the budget, noting the future projects and estimated costs. After some questions and suggestions, he announced that draft #2 will be presented at the May Board Meeting. The Assistant Chief suggested that he and the Fire Chief should meet with the General Manager to go over the Fire Department budget prior to the May meeting. The Board felt that this was a good idea. 6. Fire Chief s Report given by Assistant Chief Forster Calls 3/ Hours Medical Aid Tamarack Court 3/ Hours EMS Stand by Long Board Races Johnsville 3/ Hours Medical Aid Tamarack Place 4/ Hours Wildland Fire A-15 & Highway 89 4/ Hours Wildland Fire C Road & Ridge Road 4/ Hours Medical Aid Lundy Lane 4/ Hours Medical Aid Pine Tree Court Personnel No changes Engineer Fox is due back around the first of May Grant Update The purchase order has been placed with Allstar Fire Equipment for the SCBA units from the FEMA Grant. The bid was under $3,000 from our allotted amount and we have been given permission to spend the money on other safety items in an attempt to standardize equipment throughout the Mohawk Valley Departments.

3 We are part of a Regional Grant for Training and Fire Hose. We elected to not participate in the hose purchasing portion since we utilized this grant a few years ago, however we will participate in the Training portion. To that end, there is a training date set for May 18 th in Quincy with North Tree Fire for simulated structure fire training. There will be six Departments going to this training. Grant money was awarded by the International Association of Fire Chiefs for a Leadership Class to be held on May 9 th and 10 th Cost $25.00 per person. There is ongoing work on a Mutual Aid Workshop and drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding between the participating Departments. Target date is sometime in May. There is exploration on the stimulus money it appears that there is a considerable amount that is targeted for Fire Departments. More on that later. The Assistance to Fire Fighter Grant is upcoming and will center on vehicle operation training for the region. Notation the FEMA Grant requirements include registering and reporting our calls to what is known as NFIRS (National Fire Incident Reporting System). At present the Assistant Chief will be handling the reporting, but ultimately the four main people that will have the ability to report incidents will be the Fire Chief, Assistant Fire Chief, General Manager and Administrative Manager. Miscellaneous The second edition of the Responder Newsletter will be mailed out next week. Suggestion The Board and Assistant Fire Chief reviewed a draft of a letter to Graeagle Fire Protection District regarding the Feather River Inn. After a long discussion, it was decided that it would be prudent to hold off on sending the correspondence and to that end, the Board asked that the Fire Chief and Assistant Fire Chief set up a meeting with the Graeagle Fire Chief in order to gain information on the matter of the Feather River Inn and go over some of the concerns that both Departments may have with regard in responding to any incidents that may arise at that facility. 7. Water Conservation The Board Chair suggested that effective June 1 st, that the District initiate a Stage 1 Alert for water conservation. It was discussed and decided that we will have signs made to post within the District to make property owners and visitors alike aware of the heightened awareness to water conservation. The language on the signs will be specifically tailored to OUR water conservations needs here in the District.

4 8. Resolution Feather River Inn The language for this Resolution was drafted by LAFCo and submitted to the PECSD for Board approval. All the Board members took exception to the language in the body of this document. They felt that it tended to be manipulative towards LAFCo s desires to thwart the Inn s owners from forming an Investor Owned Utility (IOU). It is apparent that LAFCo would rather that the Inn align itself to the PECSD to manage their water and wastewater systems. After a very long discussion, it was decided that this matter would be tabled until the May meeting and that in the mean time, the General Manager would draft a rather strongly worded letter to LAFCo expressing the PECSD s reluctance to be a pawn in the game between LAFCo, the County, the Inn owners and the ongoing litigation with some property owners that have land adjoining the Inn s property. Motion to table Resolution until the May meeting. Motion L. Walker Second R. Machado All in favor Aye. 9. Arsenic & Wells The General Manager advised that Eco:Logic will be present at the May meeting to present their findings on the arsenic problem within the District. 10. Accounts Receivable Report The Administrative Manager recapped the liens that have been filed against properties within the District and the cost impact that they carry. There was also an update on Shut Off Notices still unresolved and the next steps that would be taken to collect fees due the District. There was discussion on a specific property located on Cedar Lane that is still in arrears on fees from June to December Our problem is that the then owner, as of January 2009 has turned possession of the property back to the previous owner without clearing the delinquent amount first. The Board would like a lien to be placed on the property for said amount. The Clerk will contact the District s attorney to ascertain whether or not this can be done since the owner of record has been changed. 11. Expenditure Requests Nothing to request. 12. Emergency Response Plan R. Machado passed out a draft of a flow chart showing a Plumas Eureka CSD Disaster Plan Phone Tree & Communications from a 911 call through termination of the incident. The Board reviewed and discussed the chart and it was established that a workshop date will be set up in June to further discuss the

5 criteria for a Emergency Response Plan and the responsibilities of various Homeowner Associations and private parties should the need arise. 13. Goals and Objectives Nothing to report. 14. Committee Reports Personnel nothing to report Recreation it was noted that there has been no further communication from DiLoreto Properties regarding the lots on Sugar Pine Circle. Insurance Nothing to report 15. Future Agenda Items & New Business The Clerk reviewed the items listed for the May Agenda. There was no new business to discuss. 16. General Manager s Report The General Manager reviewed the March/End of the Quarter Reports for the Board. He cited a few of the categories that were over budget and the reasons for the overages. Motion to approve the March Financial Reports. Motion L. Walker Second F. Shepard All in favor Aye. Generator The Board was informed that there had been 11 requests for bids for the propane generator sent out. One good bid was received. This was clearly a disappointment. The General Manager proposed to the Board that a great deal of the preliminary work could be done in house and we would go back out to bid for just the installation of the generator itself and the transfer switch installation. It was the sense of the Board to proceed with this new method to get the back up generator for the building. Telephones The General Manager advised that he is working with our service provider to get the CSD a better telephone package. CRWA

6 The CSD received notification from the California Rural Water Association of vacancies on their Board. No one from the CSD Board was interested in applying to fill said vacancy. Miscellaneous The Ford Ranger had to have a new clutch installed last week. The white Ford will also be going into the shop for some electrical work. We are in receipt of the CSDA (California Special District Association) Annual Report, should anyone care to review the document. We have submitted an application for $200,000 for stimulus money for a Reclaimed Water Master Plan. We had a sewer clean out that was apparently plugged up by some enterprising children. There is apparently a neighbor who witnessed the children doing this and the General Manager wanted direction from the Board on how to follow up on the matter, since it will cost the District some money to get the debris flushed out of the clean out before it caused considerable damage. After discussion it was decided that first the witness should be contacted to make sure they would go on record on what they had seen happening, if that is secured then contact with the Sheriff s department would be the next step. The General Manager has spoken to Brandon Bowling at the Golf Course about the installation of solar panels that they were supposedly talking to rural electric about. It was suggested that he contact Mark Callahan when he gets back from vacation to get further information on the project. 17. Written correspondence to the Board Nothing received 18. Opportunity for the Public to address the Board L. Walker advised that he is now a member of the Plumas County Special Districts Association Board of Directors.

7 19. Motion to adjourn Motion L. Walker Second F. Shepard All in favor Aye In attendance: E. Tretten, L. Walker, R. Machado, F. Shepard Committee D. Stone, B. Carrera, K. Roberts Absent V. Wiemeyer Respectfully submitted, Teresa L. Cunningham Clerk to the PECSD Board