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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-09-17 WUCFD MINUTESWATER UTILITIES COMMUNITY FACILITIES DISTRICT CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA REGULAR MEETING SEPTEMBER 17, 2013 The regular meeting of the District Board of the Water Utilities Community Facilities District, City of Apache Junction, Arizona, was held on September 17, 2013, at the Apache Junction City Council Chambers pursuant to the notice required by law. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Insalaco called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Board Members Present:Chairperson Insalaco Vice Chairperson Barker Mrs. Evans Mrs. Rizzi Mr. Serdy Mr. Waldron Mr. Wilson Staff Present: Others Present: George Hoffman, District Manager Kathleen Connelly, District Clerk Frank Blanco, District Director Joel Stern, District Legal Counsel Donna Meinerts, District Treasurer John White, District Finance Manager Michael Loggins, District Superintendent Bryant Powell, Assistant City Manager Hazel Randall, Administrative Assistant Matt Busby, Assistant to the City Manager APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF AUGUST 6, 2013) Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 17, 2013 Page 1 of 13 ) Vice Chairperson Barker MOVED THAT THE MINUTES OF AUGUST 6, 2013, BE APPROVED. Mr. Wilson SECONDED THE MOTION. VOTE:Unanimous. The motion carried. RESOLUTION NO. 2013-001, DECLARING A PORTION OF A PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT LOCATED ON LOT 561 OF THE GOLDEN VISTA R.V. RESORT IS NO LONGER NECESSARY FOR USE AS A PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT/RESOLUTION NO. 2013-003, DECLARING THAT PORTIONS OF PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENTS LOCATED ON MOCKINGBIRD STREET, GREASEWOOD STREET AND SIESTA STREET FROM MAIN DRIVE TO SAGUARO DRIVE, MAIN DRIVE FROM SIESTA STREET TO MOCKINGBIRD STREET, AND SAGUARO DRIVE FROM SIESTA STREET TO ROUNDUP STREET, ARE NO LONGER NECESSARY FOR USE AS PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENTS/RESOLUTION NO. 2013-008, DECLARING PORTIONS OF A PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT LOCATED ON SAGUARO DRIVE FROM SHIPROCK STREET TO ROUNDUP STREET ARE NO LONGER NECESSARY FOR USE AS PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT/RESOLUTION NO. 2013-009, DECLARING PORTIONS OF PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENTS LOCATED ON SAGUARO DRIVE FROM PIONEER STREET TO TEPEE STREET ARE NO LONGER NECESSARY FOR USE AS A PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT ) District Director Frank Blanco stated these are resolutions to extinguish public utility easements that are not required for the water district to promote public utilities or water infrastructure.They request Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 17, 2013 Page 2 of 13 they be extinguished.The public works department has already extinguished some of the rights -of -way that were within the same general area as these water utility easements. District Legal Counsel Joel Stern stated in the past, before he became the attorney for the board, he believes they were done a different way.He thinks they were done by quit claim deed to extinguish.He disagrees with how that was done because a quit claim deed is when you own a piece of property and you state you have no more interest in the property.An easement is something that the person does not own.The water district has a right to go onto the land and put facilities on it like pipes and other items.The district does not own the property so that is why it is done by extinguishment. Chairperson Insalaco called for a motion. Vice Chairperson Barker MOVED THAT RESOLUTION NO. 2013-001, DECLARING A PORTION OF A PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT LOCATED ON LOT 561 OF THE GOLDEN VISTA R.V. RESORT IS NO LONGER NECESSARY FOR USE AS A PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT AND HEREBY EXTINGUISHES PRESENT AND FUTURE USE OF THIS PORTION OF THE PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT, BE APPROVED. Mr. Waldron SECONDED THE MOTION. VOTE:Unanimous. The motion carried. Chairperson Insalaco called for a motion. Vice Chairperson Barker MOVED THAT RESOLUTION NO. 2013-003, DECLARING THAT PORTIONS OF PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENTS LOCATED ON MOCKINGBIRD STREET, GREASEWOOD STREET AND SIESTA STREET FROM MAIN DRIVE TO SAGUARO DRIVE, MAIN DRIVE FROM SIESTA STREET TO MOCKINGBIRD STREET, AND SAGUARO DRIVE FROM SIESTA STREET TO ROUNDUP STREET, ARE NO LONGER Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 17, 2013 Page 3 of 13 NECESSARY FOR USE AS PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENTS AND HEREBY EXTINGUISHES PRESENT AND FUTURE USE OF THIS PORTION OF THE PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT, BE APPROVED. Mrs. Rizzi SECONDED THE MOTION. VOTE:Unanimous. The motion carried. Chairperson Insalaco called for a motion. Mr. Waldron MOVED THAT RESOLUTION NO. 2013-008, DECLARING PORTIONS OF A PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT LOCATED ON SAGUARO DRIVE FROM SHIPROCK STREET TO ROUNDUP STREET ARE NO LONGER NECESSARY FOR USE AS PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT AND HEREBY EXTINGUISHES PRESENT AND FUTURE USE OF THIS PORTION OF THE PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT, BE APPROVED. Vice Chairperson Barker SECONDED THE MOTION. VOTE:Unanimous. The motion carried. Chairperson Insalaco called for a motion. Mr. Waldron MOVED THAT RESOLUTION NO. 2013-009, DECLARING PORTIONS OF PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENTS LOCATED ON SAGUARO DRIVE FROM PIONEER STREET TO TEPEE STREET ARE NO LONGER NECESSARY FOR USE AS A PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT AND HEREBY EXTINGUISHES PRESENT AND FUTURE USE OF THIS PORTION OF THE PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT, BE APPROVED. Mrs. Evans SECONDED THE MOTION. VOTE:Unanimous. Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 17, 2013 Page 4 of 13 . The motion carried. DISTRICT MANAGER REPORT None. DISTRICT DIRECTOR REPORT District Director Frank Blanco introduced the new water district superintendent, Mike Loggins, to the board members and stated he would be giving them the water system update.Mike Loggins worked for Arizona Water Company for 12 years in the engineering department and is a resident of Apache Junction. District Superintendent Michael Loggins stated the supervisor control and data acquisition system is about 80% finished.They are in the startup and testing period.They are making sure all of their controls work at the wells, booster pump stations and tank sites.This system will give additional alarms if a booster pump station fails or a well fails.They can get to the problem before they have a major issue such as a shortage of water or low water pressure.The system has data logging capabilities which will show them when things fail and information on their pumps so they know when to replace items before they become major issues in the future.The million gallon storage tank at the Baseline facility has been painted and they are 100% complete on this project.Lead and copper samples, recently done, are done every three years and had good results.They passed the maximum chemical levels on all the samples so they are good for another three years.They are currently locating all their valves in the city and cleaning out valves, risers and valve boxes so they can exercise those valves and keep maintenance on them.That way, if a main breaks, they can turn on and off mains without shutting too many people out of water. District Director Frank Blanco mentioned the samples they did for lead and copper involved public participation.They actually go to customers and ask them to take samples from their faucets in the morning.They had a really good response and everyone turned in their samples.Resolution No. 1996-004 adopts a policy for working with backf low preventers and a Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 17, 2013 Page 5 of 13 policy with respect to control of backf low and cross connections.It is a model ordinance and not a city ordinance because it was adopted by the water board.It outlines how the water district will address issues related to backf low.They have begun having stakeholder meetings.Their first meeting included Arizona Water Company, the city manager's office, as well as the district's legal counsel.They also invited a third party backf low tester at the first meeting to help them make sure they are addressing the situation in a uniform matter so they are not doing things completely differently from Arizona Water Company.They want Arizona Water Company to understand the water district's policy and work together to make sure they address the backf low requirement to provide safe drinking water. The backf low preventer keeps the customer's water from entering the water district's distribution system.The water district is currently conducting a survey and identifying customers that do not have devices that should have devices.They currently have a list of 10 customers that do not have backf low preventers installed that will be getting notifications requiring them to install backf low preventer devices.The average cost is about $1,500 for the installation of a device.They are trying to explain to the customers the need for the device in order to get the devices installed. Mr. Wilson asked if this is required of all businesses or only businesses such as restaurants that may have some way of contaminating the water. District Director Frank Blanco stated the general policy is all businesses. Mr. Serdy asked how often there is backf low testing. District Director Frank Blanco stated it is a state law requirement they have to comply with.The fact they do not see backf low is a good thing because backf low would be bad for the safety of their water system.They have seen some backf low devices that have been bypassed in conjunction with the inspection of a device. In these cases, instead of having the backf low device between the meter and the water service, there is a pipe that is connected to the meter and it goes somewhere else without going through the backf low preventer.They have Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 17, 2013 Page 6 of 13 seen some incidences where the backf low devices were bypassed and not working. District Manager George Hoffman asked if there have been any health problems associated with this. District Director Frank Blanco stated there have been some incidences.In Phoenix around the year 1990 there was a situation in the Biltmore area where the backf low was being bypassed.Without their knowledge they were actually receiving water from an irrigation lake to some of the homes in the area. He does not believe there was any outbreak of water borne disease but it was something that had to be addressed.It was a serious problem.The State of Arizona has five active management areas: they are Prescott, Phoenix, Pinal, Tucson and Santa Cruz active management areas.The City of Apache Junction is within the Phoenix active management area. District Manager George Hoffman asked if lots in Superstition Vistas were in the Pinal active management area. District Director Frank Blanco stated they could be outside of the active management area depending on where the boundary is. Part of it would be in Pinal because there are some areas that are outside the Pinal and Phoenix active management area to the east. The active management areas were established through the Arizona 1980 groundwater code.The goal of the Phoenix active management area is to have safe yield by 2025.Safe yield is a balance between the amount of groundwater pumped from the active management area annually and the amount of water naturally or artificially recharged within the active management area.The active management area is a large area.They look at the total amount of groundwater pumped within the active management area and recharged within the active management area.The goal is to have those equal.Prescott and Tucson active management areas share the safe yield goal.The other active management areas do not have the same goal.District Director Frank Blanco showed a graph explaining how they were doing on reaching the safe yield goal by 2025.Each column showed 100% of the water that was delivered from years 2007 to 2012.The graph also showed the recovered Central Arizona Project water, Mesa treated Central Arizona Project water and groundwater.A considerable amount of Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 17, 2013 Page 7 of 13 groundwater was being pumped in 2007.In 2008 less than 5% of groundwater was being pumped, 2009 about 2 1/2% and in 2010 there was a very small amount of groundwater being pumped.They started increasing Central Arizona Project water treated by the City of Mesa in 2010.In 2011 and 2012 no groundwater was used. They achieve their goal by not using groundwater starting in 2011.In order for them to achieve this they had to increase their use of renewable water supplies and decrease the use of groundwater withdrawals.The recovered affluent comes from their recovery wells.From those recovery wells they are able to recover long-term storage credits developed with affluent by the sewer district.The recovered water was Central Arizona Project water that was recharged and recovered from their wells. Even though the wells are used in conjunction with the surface water deliveries, the water is considered a different class because it was recharged as affluent or Central Arizona Project water. District Manager George Hoffman asked when he is talking about recovered affluent if he is talking about the credits, not the literal water. District Director Frank Blanco stated it is the credits developed by the sewer district not affluent.They are not delivering affluent yet.He showed another graph that showed by the year the quantities that were delivered.From 2007 to 2012 there has been a decrease in the amount of water that has been delivered so water conservation is essentially another part of this.In 2008-2009 the water district, with the approval of the water board, introduced the third tier in the rate structure and that third tier is the highest cost water.The more water the customer uses the higher the cost.The third tier seems to be working because since 2009 to present there is a significant decrease in the amount of water that is being consumed. Conservation and adjusting the rates to encourage conservation are important.Safe yield is required for assured water supply. Renewable resources such as Central Arizona Project and recharge are required to maintain safe yields.Groundwater is conserved for use during shortages of the Colorado River water.Stored and recharged water is recovered through wells.When they pump the recovery wells and recover credits it keeps the original classification of the water whether recharged affluent or Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 17, 2013 Page 8 of 13 recharged Central Arizona Project water, and it is not counted as groundwater.Safe yield goal is within the active management area so even though they are using water out of their aquifer, they are meeting their safe yield by not using anymore groundwater then they are recharging or recovering.The water district has essentially achieved safe yield in 2011 by conservation, using third tier rate and by using renewable water supplies such as Central Arizona Project water, natural surface water and recovering affluent. Assistant City Manager Bryant Powell asked if it was possible as they use less water that they will see the water table rise in the Phoenix active management area. District Director Frank Blanco stated it is possible they will see the water table rise by not farming or by not pumping groundwater for farming and agricultural usage.The Phoenix active management area is using Central Arizona Project water for irrigating and, as a result, they actually are recharging the aquifer through irrigation. District Manager George Hoffman stated some people have a vision of an underground basin.It is all one big basin and we are dipping our straws into this one big basin with our wells.In fact, we are not dipping out of the same basin.We are in one basin of our own. District Director Frank Blanco stated because of the mountains and the geology that is beneath the Apache Junction area it is not as prolific as some of the areas further south where they are pumping out of a different aquifer and not as close to bedrock as Apache Junction is.It is important for the water district to maintain their groundwater. District Manager George Hoffman asked if our local groundwater level was rising, staying the same or falling. District Director Frank Blanco stated it seemed to be falling slightly.They take static water level measurements twice a year at the wells to keep track of the level.The Colorado River water system has two major reservoirs.They are Lake Powell and Lake Mead.It has other dams and other reservoirs Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 17, 2013 Page 9 of 13 along the way but Lake Mead and Lake Powell are the two major ones.Lake Powell supplies Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico which are the upper Colorado basin states.Lake Mead supplies Arizona, California and Nevada which are the lower Colorado basin states and Mexico.The entitlement Arizona has for Colorado River water is 2.8 million acre feet per year. Of this water, about 1.6 million acre feet is used by Central Arizona Project.Even though it is Colorado River water in the Central Arizona Project canal it is a different entitlement. Arizona Colorado River water users located along the river such as Yuma, Wellton and Mohawk have senior rights to the Colorado River water.They are not subject to reductions.The Central Arizona Project has junior rights to the Colorado River water. If a shortage is declared it is defined as insufficient main stream water available to satisfy 7.5 million acre feet of annual consumptive use.If the Colorado River system is not able to deliver 7.5 million acre feet the secretary of interior could declare a shortage.The shortage would be based on water elevation at Lake Mead.Lake Mead is affected by the uses of the upper basin states, participation of user along the river, and river reservoir operations as well.Lake Powell transfers water to Lake Mead for balance and better management of the Colorado River system.There is a shortage sharing agreement from 2007 that requires the water district to be balanced and share the shortage to a certain point.This is when the elevation reaches 1075 on Lake Mead.Lake Mead had an elevation of 1275 feet above sea level in 1999.Lake Mead in 2013 has an elevation of 1107 feet above sea level.There is a website that will give current levels of Lake Mead. Vice Chairperson Barker asked if the recent flooding in Colorado affects Lake Mead. District Director Frank Blanco stated the water from the flooding is draining to a different watershed on the other side of the Continental Divide.None of it is going into the Colorado River.Unfortunately, 93 of the contributaries to the Colorado River are not getting any of the flood water. Mr. Serdy asked if the flood water was going to California. District Director Frank Blanco stated no, but California has senior rights to Colorado River water.When reductions do occur Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 17, 2013 Page 10. of13 California will consistently get 4.4 million acre feet even though the levels in Lake Mead reduce down to as low as 1025 feet.There are three stages of reduction and in all the stages of reduction California continues to get their full allocation even though Arizona and Nevada get cut or reduced.The water that Arizona receives comes from Lake Mead to Lake Havasu.The current Central Arizona Project water allocation the water district has is 2,919 acre feet.It is industrial and municipal.They are looking at a Gila River Indian Community lease option of 1,000 acre feet of Indian priority water which is the same priority as industrial and municipal.They are looking at this lease in case there is a water shortage from the Colorado River system.The water board approved staff to submit an application for non -Indian agricultural priority Central Arizona Project water in the amount of 1,270 acre feet.A decision is to be made by Arizona Department of Water Resources by the end of the year 2013.Arizona Colorado River water users located along the river have senior water rights not subject to reductions and Central Arizona Project has junior rights. Within the Central Arizona Project system the highest priority of Central Arizona Project water is municipal, industrial and Indian priority water.Next priority is non -Indian agricultural and is subject to reductions.This is why the water is cheaper than the other Central Arizona Project water.The lease priority is excess water that is not ordered by municipal and industrial users and is water that is also used for recharge. There are three different levels for potential reductions or shortages.Level one is an elevation of 1075 feet above sea level at Lake Mead which would mean a reduce delivery for excess and recharge.There would be no reduction to municipal and industrial or Indian priority water.Level two would be an elevation of 1050 feet above sea level which would mean a reduced delivery to agriculture and no delivery at all for excess and recharge.Level three is an elevation of 1025 feet above sea level which would be an additional reduction of delivery to agriculture but no reduction to municipal and industrial or Indian priority waters. District Manager George Hoffman stated the Central Arizona Project physically gets wet water from Lake Havasu, so water will come from Lake Mead to Lake Havasu even lower than these levels.He asked if they could talk about what Salt River Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 17, 2013 Page 11 of 13 Project is doing to determine what the aquifer is beneath Superstition Vistas. District Director Frank Blanco stated there is a study Salt River Project is looking at.It is a piloting of some test holes to see what the water levels are in areas closer to Superstition Vistas.Currently all the information they have available is based on existing wells out there.They are working with Salt River Project, Arizona Water Company and Queen Creek on a project to get some better information on what the groundwater tables are out there.They are also looking at areas good for recharging additional water. DISTRICT TREASURER REPORT None. ADJOURNMENT adjourned the meeting at 6:45 p.m. ) Chairperson Insalaco ACCEPTED THIS 19TH DAY OF NOVEMBER , 2013, BY THE CHAIRPERSON AND DISTRICT BOARD OF THE WATER UTILITIES COMMUNITY FACILITIES DISTRICT,(CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA). SIGNED AND ATTESTED TO THIS 19TH 2013. ATTEST: Kathleen Connelly District Clerk t .,/0"ohn S. Insalaco Chairperson DAY OF NOVEMBER Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 17, 2013 Page 12 of 13 WATER UTILITIES COMMUNITY FACILITIES DISTRICT MINUTES CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the regular meeting of the Water Utilities Community Facilities District of the City of Apache Junction, Arizona, held on the 17th day of September, 2013.I further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present. Dated this 23rd day of September, 2013. Kathleen Connelly District Clerk Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 17, 2013 Page 13 of 13