Agendas and Minutes

Ad hoc Committee Ashland Water Advisory (View All)

Ashland Water Advisory Ad-Hoc Committee Meeting

Agenda
Tuesday, March 27, 2018

ASHLAND Water Advisory Committee
 MINUTES
  March 27, 2018 

CALL TO ORDER

Graf called the meeting to order at 4:00 PM

Committee Members Present: Pat Acklin, Alex Amarotico, Joe Graf, Rich Miller, Don Morris, Darrell Boldt, Kate Jackson, Michael Morris (Council liaison)

Committee Members Absent: John Williams, Donna Rhee, Lesley Adams

Staff present: Paula Brown, Scott Fleury, Mike Morrison, Steve Walker, Kevin Caldwell, Julie Smitherman, Greg Hunter, Tara Kiewel, Jessica Bain

Consultants: Jeff Ballard P.E. (RH2)

Public: Pieter Smeenk

ANNOUNCEMENTS
None

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

February 27, 2018

Amarotico motioned to approve. Don Morris second

All ayes. Minutes approved as presented.

Old Business

A.       T.I.D. Piping Project Update - Caldwell updated the Commission that staff is currently meeting with property owners to discuss concerns regarding the project.  Feedback has been mostly positive with loss of trees, loss of open water, and property values being the main concerns. Brown said the public meetings went well and most property owners are supportive of the project.

Atkins mentioned that the only concern she had heard was regarding tree death. Smitherman explained that part of than canal is not lined and that in 2014 and 2015 there were reports of tree death. It is unclear if it was due to beetles, loss of water, or other issues. Siskiyou Bio Survey will be looking at trees and landscaping to give suggestions of the area.

The next community meeting will be held April 18, 2018, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm in the SOU Arena Room. Staff will bring a summary of feedback to the next Committee meeting. Construction on this project is set to begin in 2020.

B.      Terrace St. and Park Estates Pump Station Improvements – Caldwell updated the Committee that Council has approved the contract with McClure and Sons to rebuild both facilities. The total cost of this project is $2.9 million which is under what was budgeted. A pre-construction meeting is scheduled for March 29, 2018. Construction of Park Estates will begin this summer and Terrace Street will begin after irrigation season. 

C.      Current CIP Project Updates –Attached
Brown gave the Committee the Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) spreadsheet and had a brief review of the current CIP water distribution projects.  

D.      Water Treatment Plant Evaluation Update– Council Staff Report Attached
Brown gave the Committee a preview of a Council Staff Report and the Executive Summary from consultants Black and Veatch and RH2. The existing Water Treatment Plant (WTP) can treat 5.5 - 6 million gallons of water per day (mgd). The current plant would take an estimated $3 to $4 million dollars of maintenance and has risk factors including; seismic, fire, landslides, and flooding. In addition, operational expandability would need to be put in. Brown’s recommendation to Council is to build a new 7.5 mgd WTP at the lower granite pit. The goal is for a WTP to be one that will last and can be upgraded to a 10 mgd plant if needed. 

Graf mentioned that this was the original recommendation of the Committee to build a new plant. Brown will not recommend operating two plants. Graf asked how this will affect the original fee structure. Brown said there is enough in the budget for the plant.

Atkins motioned

The Committee is in agreement with Brown on recommending to Council to build a new Water Treatment Plant at the lower granite pit.

Don Morris seconded

           The Committee had discussion regarding support of the motion.  

Vote: All Ayes motion passed

New Business

A.      RH2 Master Plan Schedule and Update/Progress Report - Jeff Ballard P.E. (RH2).

Ballard is looking at next steps depending on Council outcomes and is still planning completing the Master Plan in July.  When complete Ballard will give a presentation to the Committee regarding climate change and water supply modeling. 

B.       AWAC Next Steps – Brown explained that the City Management Team has been discussing Commissions and structures and asked the Committee for suggestions. Atkins discussed that having Water and Waste Water as a part of Conservation might be too big of a charge. Graf believes the scope of this group has been limited, but there should some kind of water group going forward. Bolt said the goal of this Committee is almost complete. Jackson expressed concern of getting a Committee up to speed when reformed or when needed. Amarotico said it should be the will of the Council. Brown mentioned the possibility of a quarterly meeting. Graf suggested they could stay as a body and serve at the pleasure of the Public Works Director and meet when called upon.

PUBLIC FORUM

Pieter Smeenk

Smeenk questioned the Committee being in agreement of building a new plant without having a cost.

Brown explained that there is a cost estimate. What the Committee was reviewing was a comparison study for improvements of the current WTP for a twenty year period to a new similar plant at raw costs.  Brown explained costs provided were $ 22 million for a new plant but these costs are preliminary and will not be the same if built elsewhere. The study had a cost estimate of $5-6 million for upgrading the current plant.

Smeenk’s expressed concern that 7.5 mgd is low and feels we are not spending money in the right place on the right things. He would like to see an in depth analysis of how big and where a plant should be located. Smeenk thinks the community should have more information and time before a decision is made.

Brown explained that after numerous evaluations the recommendation to Council is to move forward with the building of a 7.5 mgd WTP with the capacity to upgrade to 10 mgd at the lower granite pit. The next step would be to get design which would give us real costs and then we would be able to evaluate budget plans and make changes.

Boldt added that in the long term it does not make sense to upgrade the existing plant due the location, environment and all the potential risks. Atkins said we will have more information on cost after Council makes a decision.  

Next Committee meeting May 29, 2018 4:00 pm  

   ADJOURNMENT:  at 4:55 pm

Respectfully submitted,

Tara Kiewel

Public Works Administrative Assistant

 

 

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