Environmental Quality Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Environmental Quality Committee met on April 15, 2014 at 11:00 a.m., with Stinnett presiding. The committee addressed five agenda items during the session, including approval of the February 18, 2014 Committee Summary and three informational presentations on storm water projects, quarterly water quality division projects, and monthly financials. One agenda item regarding Items Referred was removed from consideration. The committee took three motions and votes during the meeting and heard five public comments.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on April 15, 2014:

• Stinnett
• Mossotti
• Gorton
• Akers
• Farmer
• Scutchfield
• Myers
• Clarke
• Henson
• Lane
• Kaye

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

Approval of the February 18, 2014 Committee Summary 8:32

A motion was made by Akers and seconded by Clarke to approve the February 18, 2014 Committee Summary. The motion passed unanimously with all 10 members voting in favor: Stinnett, Mossotti, Gorton, Akers, Farmer, Scutchfield, Myers, Clarke, Henson, and Lane. There were no votes against or abstentions.

Removal of Tree Canopy Survey from Items Referred 1:02:28

A motion was made by Clark to remove the Tree Canopy Survey from Items Referred. The motion passed unanimously with all 10 members voting in favor: Stinnett, Mossotti, Gorton, Akers, Farmer, Scutchfield, Myers, Clarke, Henson, and Lane. There were no votes against or abstentions.

Motion to Adjourn 1:02:28

A motion to adjourn the meeting passed unanimously with all 10 members voting in favor: Stinnett, Mossotti, Gorton, Akers, Farmer, Scutchfield, Myers, Clarke, Henson, and Lane. There were no votes against or abstentions.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed three financial matters related to water and stormwater management:

• Stormwater Capital Improvement Projects — An appropriation of $7.77 million was approved for stormwater capital improvement projects.

• Sanitary Program Cash Flow Model — An amendment of $13 million was made to the cash flow model for the sanitary program.

• Water Quality Management Fee Fund Balance — A contract action involving $6.1 million was taken regarding the water quality management fee fund balance.

Public Comment

Five members of the public provided comments on various topics related to stormwater management, sewer services, and government transparency.

Stormwater Project Eligibility and Reporting 24:26 Relain asked how residents can report stormwater issues and whether surface and underground drainage are treated differently in the evaluation process. Staff clarified that reports are submitted through LexCol and are evaluated using questionnaires and technical scoring.

Stormwater Project Status and Priority List 29:55 Henson inquired about projects not currently on the priority list, specifically mentioning Trafton. Staff confirmed that projects are revisited every few years to assess their viability and remain on the list if they continue to meet criteria.

Bidding and Contractor Capacity 52:21 Farmer raised concerns about the number and diversity of bidders for projects, expressing worry about contractor capacity and the potential risk of delays affecting project timelines.

Project Visibility and Government-Wide Transparency 50:30 Gordon praised the project flow chart presented during the meeting and suggested that similar visual tools be created for other city divisions, including parks and traffic engineering, to improve public understanding of government projects across departments.

Sewer Fee Transparency and Future Rate Discussion 54:34 Clark requested that bullet points be developed for public outreach regarding sewer rate increases. Clark noted that a major public discussion on sewer rates is anticipated in 2015 due to upcoming capital projects.

Contested Items

Stormwater Project Funding and Cash Flow

Council members were divided over the sustainability of the stormwater fund's ability to cover future projects without additional borrowing. The core concern centered on the fund's capacity to manage a $13.1 million funding gap while simultaneously generating the $13 million in annual revenue needed for ongoing operations. This split vote reflected disagreement about whether current funding mechanisms were adequate or whether the city would need to pursue additional borrowing to maintain the stormwater infrastructure program.

Sewer Rate Increases and Public Transparency

A heated discussion emerged regarding sewer rate increases and the need for improved public communication about these changes. Council members emphasized the importance of transparent constituent outreach, with one member specifically requesting bullet points to facilitate public communication. This concern was driven by recurring complaints from residents about rate hikes, indicating that council members recognized a gap between the city's rate decisions and public understanding of those decisions. The contested nature of this item reflected tension between the necessity of rate increases and the political and public relations challenges of implementing them without adequate explanation to constituents.

February 18, 2014 Committee Summary

8:32

The committee approved the February 18, 2014 summary during this meeting. Akers moved to approve the summary, and Clarke seconded the motion.

The summary being approved included audit findings related to the Material Recovery Facility. The audit findings addressed management and financial controls at the facility, with recommendations presented for improvements in these areas.

The motion to approve passed, and the summary was formally adopted by the committee.

Storm Water Projects' Update

Greg Lubeck presented an update on the status of stormwater capital improvement projects 9:03.

Project Status and Spending

The presentation covered completed, ongoing, and upcoming stormwater projects. As of December 2013, $7.77 million had been spent toward the $30 million EPA consent decree goal, leaving $13.1 million still needed to meet the requirement.

Project Evaluation

Projects are re-evaluated annually to assess their viability and continued relevance to the stormwater management program.

Outcome

This was an informational presentation with no action items or decisions required.

Quarterly Division of Water Quality Projects

Charlie Martin presented an update on the division's key water quality projects during this agenda item 41:11.

Projects Discussed

The presentation covered several ongoing initiatives:

• Blue Sky Pump Station
• Expansion area gravity line
• CMOM program
• Town Branch wet weather storage tank
• SCADA system

SCADA System Project

The SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system project received particular attention as a major undertaking. The project is nearing completion following a $16 million investment.

Outcome

This agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal action or debate recorded.

Monthly Financials

The Mayor presented the monthly financial report for the city 59:10.

Revenue and Expense Status

The sanitary sewer and water quality funds are performing better than anticipated, with revenues exceeding budget projections while expenses remain under budget.

Potential Budget Amendment

The Mayor indicated that a budget amendment may be necessary by year-end to address bad debt expenses.

Landfill Fund Performance

The landfill fund experienced negative cash flow during the reporting period, attributed to post-closure spending obligations.

Outcome

This item was presented for informational purposes.

Items Referred

The committee discussed the items on the referred list during this portion of the meeting 1:01:55.

Discussion and Action

Councilman Clark moved to remove the Tree Canopy Survey from the items referred list. The motion received unanimous approval from the committee.

Outcome

The Tree Canopy Survey was removed from the referred items. The committee indicated that the survey will be revisited in the following year.