Sweetwater Springs Water District
Board of Directors Meeting
MINUTES*
(*In order
discussed)
Board of
Directors Meeting
Regular
Meeting
March 6, 2008
6:30 p.m.
Board Members Present: Wanda Smith
Victoria
Wikle
Susan
Keach
Gaylord
Schaap
Ken
McLean
Board Members Absent: (None)
Staff in Attendance: Chuck
Howell, General Manager
Julie
Kenny, Secretary to the Board
Others in Attendance: Mike
Gogna, District counsel
Jeff
Land, Brandis & Tallman
Lloyd
Guccione
Quynh
Nhu Le
Rich
Holmer
Lee
Torr, IV
Jim
Caron
Lynn
Crescione
Philip
Hampton
Chuck
Burger
George
Klineman
Dan
Fein
Ron
Moore
The properly agendized meeting was called to
Order by President Victoria Wikle at 6:30 p.m.
Director Smith requested that Items V-F (Ad
Hoc Committee: Duties of Board Officers) and V-G (Ad Hoc Committee: District
Property) be continued.
Director Keach requested that Item V-L
(Website contents) be deferred.
General Manager Chuck Howell requested that
the Closed Session item (Personnel Exception: Performance Evaluation: General
Manager) be removed.
Director Keach requested that Item V-J
(Format of Minutes and Agenda) be deferred.
After discussion, Items V-H (Ad Hoc
Committee: General Manager recruitment), V-I (Ad Hoc Committee: General Manager
transition) and V-L (Website contents) were moved to be heard after Item V-E,
and Items V-F, V-G, V-J, and the Closed Session item were removed.
Director
Wikle requested that Consent Calendar Items III-A (Approval of the Minutes of
the February 7, 2008 Regular Meeting and the February 21, 2008 Special Meeting)
and Item III-D (Approving Resolution 08-05, Approving Addendum 5 to the
Employment Agreement with Daniel C. Howell) be removed from the Consent
Calendar and discussed separately after approval of the Consent Calendar. There were no objections.
Director
Smith moved to approve the remaining items on the Consent Calendar (listed
below). Director McLean seconded. Motion carried 5-0.
B. Approval of Operations Warrants/Online
payments/EFT payments/Construction Warrants, and West America account
activity
C. Receipt of Item(s) of Correspondence. (None.
Please note: Correspondence received regarding an item on the
Administrative Agenda is not itemized here, but will be attached as back-up to
that item in the Board packet and addressed with that item in during the Board
meeting.)
Director
Keach moved to approve the February 7, 2008 Minutes. Director Smith seconded.
Motion carried 4-0, with Director McLean abstaining as he was absent at
that meeting.
Director
Wikle requested that the February 21, 2008 Minutes be corrected as follows: On
Item III-B (District Rate Study and Funding for District Projects), remove the
sentence, “Discussion ensued.” Director
Smith moved to approve the February 21, 2008 Minutes as amended. Director Keach seconded. Motion carried 5-0.
After
brief discussion, Director Schaap moved to approve Resolution 08-05, Approving
Addendum Five to the At-Will Employment Agreement with Daniel C. Howell. Director Smith seconded. Motion carried 5-0.
Public
comment was made by Dan Fein and a request to be placed on the April Agenda.
Public
comment was made by Lloyd Guccione.
A. (6:45
p.m.) Discussion/Action re Funding for
CIP Phase IV; Presentation by Brandis & Tallman. Jeff
Land of Brandis & Tallman made a presentation on private placement
funding. Discussion ensued. No action was taken.
B. (7:20
p.m.) Discussion/Action re Resolution
08-03, Accepting the Final Audit for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2007. The GM introduced this item. Discussion ensued.
Director Schaap moved to adopt Resolution 08-03, Accepting the Final
Audit for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2007. Director Smith seconded.
Motion carried 5-0.
C. (7:25
p.m.) Public Hearing; Discussion/Action
re Adoption of Ordinance 35, Amending Section 5000, “Board Meetings,” to the
Sweetwater Springs Policies & Procedures.
The GM
provided an overview of this item. At
7:26 p.m., Director Wikle opened the Public Hearing. There were no comments.
Director Wikle closed the Public Hearing. Discussion ensued.
Director Schaap moved to adopt Ordinance 35, Amending Section 5000,
“Board Meetings,” to the Sweetwater Springs Policies & Procedures. Director McLean seconded. Motion carried 5-0.
D. (7:32
p.m.) Discussion/Action re District
Rate Study and Funding for District Project (District presentations by Director
Smith and the GM). Brief discussion ensued. Director Wikle gave an overview of this
item. Director Smith introduced and
presented her draft PowerPoint presentation.
Discussion ensued and questions from the public were answered. Public comment was made by Lloyd Guccione.
The GM introduced and presented the
second draft of Tom Hansen’s (Hansen & Associates) PowerPoint
presentation.
Extensive discussion ensued about
both presentations. Public comment was
made by Ron Moore. Public comment was
made by Philip Hampton. Public comment
was made by Lloyd Guccione. Public
comment was made by Lynn Crescione.
Further discussion ensued. This
item was continued to the next meeting.
E. (9:15
p.m.) Discussion/Action re Resolution
08-06, Approval of Addendum 1 to Contract of Dale Dross. The GM provided an overview of this item. District Counsel Mike Gogna provided advice
that the Board should ratify that Mr. Dross has been operating under an expired
contract. Public comment was made by
Lloyd Guccione. Director McLean moved
to ratify the existing contract of Meter Reader Dale Dross to 2008. Director Smith seconded. Motion carried 5-0. Director McLean then moved to approve
Resolution 08-06, Approving Addendum 1 to the Contract of Dale Dross. Director Keach seconded. Motion carried 5-0.
F. (Item
F was removed from the Agenda. See,
Item II above.)
G. (Item
G was removed from the Agenda. See,
Item II above.)
*** At 9:20 p.m., President Wikle
requested that a Special Meeting be scheduled to discuss Items V-H (Ad Hoc
Committee: General Manager recruitment), and V-I (Ad Hoc Committee: General
Manager transition), and part of V-L (Discussion/.Action re Website contents). After discussion, a Special Meeting was
scheduled for Thursday, March 13, 2008, at 7:30 p.m.
H. Discussion/Action
re Ad Hoc Committee: General Manager recruitment. This
item was not discussed.
I. Discussion/Action
re Ad Hoc Committee: General Manager transition.
This item was not discussed.
J. (Item
J was removed from the Agenda. See,
Item II above.)
K. Discussion/Action
re Labor negotiator. This item was not discussed.
L. Discussion/Action
re Website. This item was not discussed.
M. (9:23
p.m.) Discussion/Action re Resolution
08-04, Approving Adoption of the California Public Employees’ Deferred
Compensation Plan. The GM provided an overview of this
item. This item was continued to the
April meeting.
*** At 9:30 p.m., further discussion
ensued about the Special Meeting.
Public comment was made by Lloyd Guccione.
VI. GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT
(9:32 p.m.)
The GM
requested that the Board review the General Manager’s report provided in the
Board packet.
VII. CLOSED SESSION (9:05 p.m.)
(The Closed Session item was removed earlier in the meeting. See, Item II, Changes to the Agenda and
Declarations of Conflict.)
VIII. BOARD MEMBERS’ ANNOUNCEMENTS/COMMENTS (9:32 p.m.)
Director
Smith announced “For the Love of Water” movie.
Director
Keach announced that the GM needed to be included in the GM recruitment
process.
Director
McLean announced that the GM should be part of the GM recruitment process.
Director
Schaap announced that the GM should be part of the GM recruitment process.
1. Dan Fein’s
group re Monte Rio sewer
2. March Agenda
administrative items not discussed (Items F, G, J, K, L, and M.)
3. Draft FY 2008-09 Budget
4. Brown Act regarding e-mails and
committee work (MG)
The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m.
Respectfully
submitted,
Julie A.
Kenny
Clerk
to the Board of Directors
APPROVED:
Wanda Smith: ______________ _ ______
Victoria Wikle: ______________ _ ______
Gaylord Schaap: ______________ _ ______
Ken McLean: ______________ _ ______
Susan Keach: ______________ _ ______