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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-09-15 WUCFD MINUTESWATER UTILITIES COMMUNITY FACILITIES DISTRICT CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA REGULAR MEETING September 15, 2015 The regular meeting of the District Board of the Water Utilities Community Facilities District, City of Apache Junction, Arizona, was held on September 15, 2015 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 Mrs. Evans Mrs. Rizzi Mr. Serdy Mr. Waldron Mr. Wilson Staff Present: Others Present: (Vice Chairperson Barker was absent.) Bryant Powell, District Manager Kathleen Connelly, District Clerk Frank Blanco, District Director Joel Stern, District Legal Counsel John White, District Finance Manager Michael Loggins, District Superintendent Matt Busby, Assistant City Manager Evie McKinney, Water Accounts Supervisor Andria Samuels, Senior Management Assistant Arnold Freeman, Police Captain APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF AUGUST 4, Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2015 Page 1 of 11 2015 ) Mr. Waldron MOVED THAT THE MINUTES OF AUGUST 4, 2015, BE APPROVED. Mrs. Evans SECONDED THE MOTION. VOTE:Unanimous. The motion carried. PROPOSED RESOLUTION NO. 2015-009, DECLARING A PORTION OF PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT LOCATED ON SMOKETREE STREET BETWEEN STARR ROAD AND ACACIA ROAD AS NO LONGER NECESSARY FOR PUBLIC USE )District Director Frank Blanco stated the resolution is for the abandonment of a public utility easement at the adjacent homeowner's request on Smoketree between Starr and Acacia.This is similar to what public works has done in the past. Mrs. Evans asked if the entire 33' length of Smoketree is being abandoned or just the one tiny piece. District Director Frank Blanco stated he does not really have an answer.He is not sure but he will find out. Chairperson Insalaco asked if the rest of it had been abandoned. District Legal Counsel Joel Stern stated he recollected it was supposed to be the whole thing.It fronts Smoketree at Mr. Duncan's. District Director Frank Blanco stated that is correct.Mr. Duncan is in attendance as well. Mrs. Evans commented it is supposed to be the whole length between Starr and Acacia. Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2015 Page 2 of 11 District Legal Counsel Joel Stern stated he believes it is just fronting his property.The issue is he wants to build something, some of it is already depicted, and that was the problem.The city could not issue a permit as the water district had :a water utility easement there. Mrs. Evans asked if this is just the water district. District Legal Counsel Joel Stern stated what they have before them is the utility easement portion only.The actual roadway easement is under the city jurisdiction. District Director Frank Blanco stated other utilities were also having to abandon the easement.He does not think Southwest Gas has abandoned it yet. Chairperson Insalaco commented this is just for the water district. District Legal Counsel Joel Stern stated that is correct. Chairperson Insalaco closed the discussion with no further comments and called for a motion. Mr. Waldron MOVED THAT RESOLUTION NO. 2015-009, A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE WATER UTLIITIES COMMUNITY FACILITIES DISTRICT (CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA) DECLARING A PORTION OF THE PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT LOCATED ON SMOKETREE STREET BETWEEN STARR ROAD AND ACACIA ROAD IS NO LONGER NECESSARY FOR PUBLIC USE AND IS HEREBY EXTINGUISHED, BE APPROVED. Mrs. Evans SECONDED THE 'MOTION. VOTE:Unanimous. The motion carried. RESOLUTION NO. 2015-010, AUTHORIZING 'THEBOARD CHAIR TO Water UtilitiesCommunity Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2015 Page 3 of 11 EXECUTE AND ENTER INTO AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT FOR THE SALE OF LONG TERM STORAGE CREDITS WITH SUPERSTITION' MOUNTAINS COMMUNITY FACILITIES DISTRICT NUMBER ONE )District Director Frank Blanco briefed the board onthe item.The current intergovernmental agreementWetween the district and the sewer district expires December 31, 2015.It allows for the purchase of long term storage credits from the sewer district.The sewer district board has scheduled this for consideration a week from Friday.They will be recommending this five-year agreement be approved.The new agreement allows for the district to have first right of refusal to purchase the long term.storage credits.For the first two years the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District will purchase the long term storage credits.The important thing is the sewer district being able to sell those storage credits either to Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District or .the water district.In lieu of buying the storage credits for the first two years and possibly thereafter, the water'district would be storing.Central Arizona Project water.The sewer district would continue recharging and selling their credits -and the water district begins to store -more of the Central Arizona Project water.The reason the water district is not.purchasing the storage credits for the first two years is tO -allow the water. district to save about $170,000 a year on water we buy instead of purchasing the credits.It goes hand in hand with our budget and fiscal requirements. Chairperson Insalaco called for anyHcliscussion.There:being _no discussion, he called for a motion. Mrs. Evans -MOVED THAT RESOLUTION NO; 2015-010, A -RESOLUTION OF THE:BOARD:OF DIRECTORS. OF THE WATER UTILITIES COMMUNITY .FACILITIES.DISTRICT 1(CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA) AUTHORIZING THE:BOARDCHAIRTO EXECUTE AND ENTER INTO AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT FOR THE SALE OF LONG TERM :STORAGE CREDITS WITH SUPERSTITION MOUNTAINS COMMUNITY. FACILITIES DISTRICT NUMBER'ONEi BE APPROVED. Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes 'of September:15, 2015 Page 4:of 11 Mrs. Rizzi SECONDED THE MOTION. VOTE:Unanimous. The motion carried. DISTRICT MANAGER REPORT District Manager Bryant Powell stated the water district had a short article in the official publication of the Rural Water Association of Arizona that highlighted the board's vision for long term water provision for the community.The article stated that on Tuesday, June 2, 2015, the district began the construction of a Central Arizona Project water treatment plant with a groundbreaking ceremony.It is a $9 million plant located on Ironwood right next to the Central Arizona Project Canal.It gives the district the opportunity to be independent of the City of Mesa.Each month Mesa treats the water.Several years ago, after a policy discussion, the board decided it was time to go build the plant and become independent.He now shares this story with developers and the development community about the water district and the preparation we have.We have 5,500 acre feet of water which is a significant amount of water for 100 years.It is enough water for 30,000 more people in Apache Junction.They often hear that there is no water, but this water district has prepared for the future. DISTRICT DIRECTOR REPORT District Director Frank Blanco stated they will be talking about an update on the Central Arizona Project water, the availability and declaration of non -shortage, the Central Arizona Project treatment plant and some other related issues.He commented on the Gold King Mine spill, showing some photographs to the board. The water eventually goes into the Colorado River.It was a 3 million gallon spill caused by an Environmental Protection Agency contractor that went into the Onimus River in Colorado, then the San Juan River in New Mexico and then into the Colorado River upstream of Lake Powell and Lake Mead.Originally the arsenic and lead levels measured 335 times the normal levels. The spill continued at 500 gallons per minute.It is a little less than a million gallons -a day but it was still a significant amount of water.Ponds were constructed by -the Environmental Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2015 Page 5 of 11 • Protection Agency and their contractors to capture the water as it was released from the mine to allow for the contractor to treat the water.They could then reduce the pH and do some pH adjustment to settle the contaminants to the bottom of the pond. Mr. Serdy commented he did not hear on the news if there was a fish kill at all. District Director Frank Blanco stated samples were taken of fish in the area and there were no significant numbers of fish killed as a result of the spill.He showed the roadway that the spill came over and it is being stabilized by crews.It was declared safe on August 14. Chairperson Insalaco asked if all the silt on the bottom will stay there until it gets kicked up again. District Director Frank Blanco stated it does move around and when people get into the river itself it does get kicked up.It eventually moves downstream but it does settle out.There has not been any issues with any people who have been using that water once it has been treated.The silt itself does become a concern.They have not really addressed that or how to mitigate silt in the river. Mrs. Rizzi commented she believes Erin Brockovich got involved and is making sure there is not any more contamination.She believes there is a group of natives that believe there are some very serious issues with that water. District Director Frank Blanco stated the Navajo Nation is looking at litigation against the Environmental Protection Agency. Chairperson Insalaco commented any animals or anything else that crosses that river will kick the silt up.Once it is loosened up it goes down the river. District Director Frank Blanco stated it continues to flow.It is a concern. Mr. Waldron commented snow melt will do that, too. Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2015 Page 6 of 11 District Director Frank Blanco stated as it continues to flow downstream it does clear up quite a bit.The rocks do mitigate some of the silt.It does settle out but eventually finds its way downstream. District Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated the pictures were all taken by the Environmental Protection Agency. District Director Frank Blanco stated they are on the Environmental Protection Agency website.He showed them a picture of the Gold King Mine entrance where they could see it is no longer flowing.The water is being treated in four treatment ponds.He had a picture of what the sludge looks like once it settles out but before it enters the river. Mrs. Rizzi commented it is interesting to hear what the Environmental Protection Agency is saying about it.Had it been any other organization there is no way this would have been cleaned up and solved so quickly. Mr. Serdy commented Congressman Gosar just started charges against the Environmental Protection Agency director to have him removed. District Director Frank Blanco stated he is asking for impeachment. Mr. Waldron commented the government suing the government makes no sense to him. District Director Frank Blanco stated the Bureau of Land Management estimates there are as many as 500,000 abandoned mine lands nationwide.They are under the authority of the Bureau of Land Management.Many of them have not been assessed to determine their threat or potential impact.It is estimated that cleaning up the abandoned mines could potentially cost as much as $54 billion.The groundwater is connected to surface water in Arizona.When the Department of Water Resources looks at it, they are two different sources of water.In reality, the groundwater is directly connected to the surface water.One of the lessons they teach at the water festival involves an experiment showing what happens when you pump wells.The lake goes dry because they are connected.In this particular spill some of the groundwater raised to a level where it started Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2015 Page 7 of 11 moving the silt and contaminants in that mine, causing the problem out there.The total number of abandoned mine lands in Arizona is 6,229.The remaining to be addressed, those that are in progress, some maintenance arid monitoring being done, or an analysis is being done or work is being planned, is 4,712.It is a significant amount that still needs to be addressed. Mr. Wilson commented this does not count the ones that are in the national forest. Mrs. Evans commented the U.S. Forest Service took over -a bunch of those unworked mining claims, DistrictADirector Frank Blanco stated it is something they need to be thinking about.It is a problem.What they see in the news is not what they mightsee on the individual websites the government has;As far as which one to believe, he suggested looking at both and making up their minds. Mrs. Evans commented Pittsburgh cleaned up their rivers.There is hope for this. District.Director Frank Blanco stated he. guesses the Great Lakes are next.Looking at the water quantity, the ,Colorado/Central. Arizona project water in July showed an elevation of 1,078.In February 2007, when he first started working here, the -elevation was 1,129.In 2015 the elevation dropped : to 1,088;The U.S. Bureau of Reclamationreleased:the results.. ofihe .24 month study .and notified Central Arizona Projectthere -will not be declared shortage in 2016,andiprobably no shortage in 2017. They had talked aboutwhatwouldthappen if a shortage was declared.. ,-Municipal and industrial providers would .-take normal deliveries but the agricultural uSers could see restrictions The El:Nino coming in could .develop lots of snowpack :and additional rain which should move the elevation even higher at Lake Mead,This has also been the fourth largest monsoon season on record.If they can dicy that with the-monsoons:they can hoppfully,dothat with the winter storms as well.The Arizona Department of'Water Resources notified them that the 'current population per .their count' and the census:bureau is that the district serves about 13,781 residents.The gallons per capita per day is -107.The minimum requirement would be 134 so the customers are doing very well ,at conservinTwater.Lost and unaccounted for water had an annual number of8,59%.That is. Water Utilities Community Facilities District MeetingJiinutes of September:15, 2015 Page- 8 ,of.A.1 the number that was not billed for.The three year average is 7.93%.The annual average has to be less than 10%.There are some systems in the country and for Puerto Rico of unaccounted water in excess of 60%.There are some areas that do not take this very seriously in terms of accounting for all the water they produce and deliver and the revenues they collect.The district is doing pretty good.He asked Mr. Loggins to give the update on the water treatment plant. District Superintendent Mike Loggins stated they are pouring the walls for the environmental quality basin.It is 24' deep and about 50' wide.They are installing some of the sewer lines that go inside the building.They are working on underground pipelines on the site.They are pouring the walls for the water basin and that should be finished next week.It will be 24' tall and should store 250,000 gallons.When they have finished the walls sometime next week they will start backfilling around them for a few weeks.They will then see things that will be above the ground for the building and the treatment process itself. Chairperson Insalaco asked if the hole thing is below ground. District Superintendent Mike Loggins stated it is.111.1at hole was originally 30' feet.They will only see a 3' top concrete slab.The fire -district came in two months ago and. they are in partnership with them.They are currently painting all the tops of the fire hydrants for the:fire code.The ones being painted blue are for over 1,000 gallons and green is 1,500 gallons-The fire district will know how much they can get out of each hydrant.The fire district has been doing a survey to upgrade peoples' insurance to save them some money.They were working alongside the fire districtKand they were willing to help the district out.The fire hydrants ,should be completed within the next week. Mr. Serdy commented going back to the plant he knows fish get sucked up into :there.He,asked,if there would,be-fish being brought into the plant and:what happens to them when they take them out. District Superintendent Mike:Loggins stated they have screens on the pumps themselves.As they come in, they will get caught by the screens and will hopefully not get into the suction pipe. Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2015 Page 9 of 11 If they make it to the pump, they just stick there.If they shut the pumps off they will eventually clear themselves or they will get sucked through. Mr. Serdy asked if that is back at the canal. District Superintendent Mike Loggins stated that is correct. With the pumps, they have some centrifugal pumps in there.If they make it to those, they will probably get chewed up a little bit.If they pass there, there is another set of strainers that automatically backwash themselves.If they make it through there, there is another set of strainers before they actually make it to the filter system itself. Mr. Serdy asked if it is like the water that is being recirculated in a swimming pool. District Superintendent Mike Loggins stated it is. Mr. Serdy commented it is similar in principle, just a big suction. District Superintendent Mike Loggins stated exactly.A big suction that is put down at the bottom.Hopefully they do not get fish.It is not like the bottom of the pool.It is a big opening so they will not have high velocity in there.They are not sucking a bunch of stuff in there.It slowly brings the water in so they are not sucking those fish in or other stuff that is on the bottom of the canal they are trying to stay away from.They are also 5' off the bottom.They are trying to stay away from those things and have multiple strainers in place before it actually gets to the treatment process. Mr. Wilson commented Mr. Serdy wanted to know if he could collect them at the first filter. Mr. Serdy.commented he would hate to waste them. District Superintendent Mike Loggins stated there are some big fish in there but they are there to help clean the canal.That is why they were originally put in. Mr. Serdy commented there are stripers that come all the way from Lake Powell in there.Some of them are big. Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2015 Page 10 of 11 DISTRICT TREASURER REPORT None. ADJOURNMENT ) Chairperson Insalaco adjourned the meeting at 6:35 p.m. ACCEPTED THIS 42011V DAY OF e3d;16,645AL , 2015, BY THE CHAIRPERSON AND DISTRICT BOARD OF THE WATER UTILITIES COMMUNITY FACILITIES DISTRICT,(CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA). SIGNED AND ATTESTED TO THIS 2015. ATTEST: / / Kathleen Connelly District Clerk ao -i4 DAY OF elf77,660e_, John S. Insalaco Chairperson 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 15th day of September, 2015.I further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present. Dated this 6th day of October, 2015. Kathleen Connelly District Clerk Water Utilities Community Facilities District Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2015 Page 11 of 11