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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-21-18 F&A Committee Packet 1 OTAY WATER DISTRICT FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MEETING and SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2554 SWEETWATER SPRINGS BOULEVARD SPRING VALLEY, CALIFORNIA BOARDROOM WEDNESDAY March 21, 2018 11:30 A.M. This is a District Committee meeting. This meeting is being posted as a special meeting in order to comply with the Brown Act (Government Code Section §54954.2) in the event that a quorum of the Board is present. Items will be deliberated, however, no formal board actions will be taken at this meeting. The committee makes recommendations to the full board for its consideration and formal action. AGENDA 1. ROLL CALL 2. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD ON ANY SUBJECT MATTER WITHIN THE BOARD'S JU- RISDICTION BUT NOT AN ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. AWARD TWO (2) PROFESSIONAL AS-NEEDED ASSET MANAGEMENT SERVICES CONTRACTS TO HAZEN & SAWYER, INC. AND HDR, INC., EACH IN AN AMOUNT NOT-TO-EXCEED $175,000; THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE TWO (2) CONTRACTS WILL NOT EXCEED $175,000 DURING FISCAL YEARS 2018, 2019, AND 2020 (ENDING JUNE 30, 2020) 4. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 4344 ALLOWING FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT OF CERTAIN EXPENDITURES FROM THE PROCEEDS OF THE SEWER DEBT OBLIGATIONS OF THE DISTRICT, WHICH IS ANTICIPATED TO BE ISSUED DURING 2018 (BELL) [5 minutes] 5. PRESENTATION ON THE ANALYSIS OF THE COST BENEFIT OF KEEPING THE RALPH W. CHAPMAN WATER RECYCLING FACILITY TREATMENT PLANT OPEN, COMPARED TO CLOSING THE PLANT AND SENDING ALL SEWER FLOWS TO SAN DIEGO METROPOLITAN WASTEWATER (BELL) [5 minutes] 6. UPDATE ON CHANGES TO THE AUTOMATED METER READING CHANGE OUT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM APPROVED BY THE BOARD IN 2017 (CAREY) [5 minutes] 2 7. ADJOURNMENT BOARD MEMBERS ATTENDING: Mark Robak, Chair Mitch Thompson All items appearing on this agenda, whether or not expressly listed for action, may be delib- erated and may be subject to action by the Board. The Agenda, and any attachments containing written information, are available at the Dis- trict’s website at www.otaywater.gov. Written changes to any items to be considered at the open meeting, or to any attachments, will be posted on the District’s website. Copies of the Agenda and all attachments are also available through the District Secretary by contacting her at (619) 670-2280. If you have any disability which would require accommodation in order to enable you to par- ticipate in this meeting, please call the District Secretary at 670-2280 at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Certification of Posting I certify that on March 16, 2018 I posted a copy of the foregoing agenda near the regu- lar meeting place of the Board of Directors of Otay Water District, said time being at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting of the Board of Directors (Government Code Section §54954.2). Executed at Spring Valley, California on March 16, 2018. /s/ Susan Cruz, District Secretary STAFF REPORT TYPE MEETING: Regular Board MEETING DATE: April 4, 2018 SUBMITTED BY: Kevin Cameron Associate Civil Engineer Bob Kennedy Engineering Manager PROJECT: P1210- 023000 DIV. NO. All APPROVED BY: Rod Posada, Chief, Engineering Mark Watton, General Manager SUBJECT: Award of Two (2) As-Needed Asset Management Services Contracts for Fiscal Years 2018, 2019, and 2020 GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION: That the Otay Water District (District) Board of Directors (Board) award two (2) professional As-Needed Asset Management Services contracts and to authorize the General Manager to execute two agreements with Hazen & Sawyer, Inc. (Hazen) and HDR, Inc. (HDR), each in an amount not-to-exceed $175,000. The total amount of the two contracts will not exceed $175,000 during Fiscal Years 2018, 2019, and 2020 (ending June 30, 2020). COMMITTEE ACTION: Please see Attachment A. PURPOSE: To obtain Board authorization for the General Manager to enter into two (2) professional As-Needed Asset Management Services contracts with Hazen and HDR, with each contract in an amount not-to-exceed $175,000 for Fiscal Years 2018, 2019, and 2020. The total amount of the two contracts will not exceed $175,000 during Fiscal Years 2018, 2019, and 2020. 2 ANALYSIS: The District will require the services of two professional asset management consultants on an as-needed basis in support of the District’s Asset Management Plan (AMP) for Fiscal Years 2018, 2019, and 2020. It is more efficient and cost effective to issue as-needed contracts for asset management which will provide the District with the ability to obtain consulting services in a timely and efficient manner. This concept has also been used in the past for other disciplines, such as design engineering, construction management, geotechnical, electrical, and environmental services. The District staff will identify tasks and request cost proposals from the two consultants during the contract period. Each consultant will prepare a detailed scope of work, schedule, and fee for each task order, with the District evaluating the proposals based upon qualifications and cost. The District will enter into negotiations with the consultants, selecting the proposal that has the best value for the District. Upon written task order authorization from the District, the selected consultant shall then proceed with the project as described in the scope of work. The possible tasks that the consultants will be working on during Fiscal Years 2018, 2019, and 2020 are listed below: DESCRIPTION COST ESTIMATE Develop an improvement plan for the AMP that is consistent with industry best practices and will complete the tasks to support the improvement of the AMP. $15,000 Assist in the update of the AMP vision, mission, objectives, implementation plan, and outcomes including schedule and costs of a replacement and renewal program. $15,000 Review and recommend appropriate validation measures for the inventory of facilities and closing any data gaps. $20,000 Develop and prepare recommendations for future condition assessments for the District’s assets including recommend condition assessment methods that can be used and how the data will be incorporated into the information management system. $20,000 Develop and manage the implementation of a replacement and renewal capital improvement program plan for existing assets providing a best management framework. $25,000 Develop a list of facilities that need to be either replaced or rehabilitated with their respective due date and budget costs. $30,000 TOTAL: $125,000 3 Staff believes that a $175,000 cap on each of the As-Needed Asset Management Services contracts is adequate to support the AMP, while still providing a buffer for any unforeseen or additional tasks that come as a result of the analysis. The As-Needed Asset Management Services contracts do not commit the District to any expenditure until a task order is approved to perform the work. The District does not guarantee work to the consultants, nor does the District guarantee to the consultants that it will expend all of the funds authorized by the contract on professional services. The District solicited asset management services by placing an advertisement on the District’s website and using BidSync, the District’s online bid solicitation website, on January 17, 2018. The advertisement was also placed in the Daily Transcript. Ten (10) firms submitted a Letter of Interest and a Statement of Qualifications. The Request for Proposal (RFP) was sent to all ten (10) firms resulting in four (4) proposals received on February 15, 2018. They are as follows: • Carollo Engineers, Inc. (San Diego, CA) • Hazen and Sawyer (San Diego, CA) • HDR (San Diego, CA) • Tata & Howard, Inc. (Malborough, MA) Firms that submitted Letters of Interest, but did not propose, were Timmons Group, Inc. (Richmond, VA), Duff & Phelps Corp. (Southfield, MI), EMG Corp. (Owings Mills, MD), NCS Engineers (Phoenix, AZ), and West Yost Associates (Carlsbad, CA). AMCL (New York, NY) elected to be a sub to Tata & Howard. In accordance with the District’s Policy 21, staff evaluated and scored the written proposals. Hazen and HDR received the highest scores based on their experience, understanding of the scope of work, proposed method to accomplish the work, and their composite hourly rate. Hazen and HDR were the most qualified consultants with the best overall proposal. Both consultants provide similar services to other local agencies and are readily available to provide the services required. A summary of the complete evaluation is shown in Attachment B. Hazen and HDR submitted the Company Background Questionnaire, as required by the RFP, and staff did not find any significant issues. In addition, staff checked their references and performed an internet search on the company. Staff found the references to be excellent and did not find any outstanding issues with the internet search. 4 FISCAL IMPACT: Joe Beachem, Chief Financial Officer These contracts are for professional services based on the District’s need and schedule, and expenditures will not be made until individual main tasks or task orders under the as-needed portion of these contracts are authorized by District staff. The FY 2018 engineering planning operating budget for Asset Management is $50,000. The remaining as-needed budget will be funded by future operating budgets approved by the Board. The Project Manager anticipates that the FY 2018 and, if approved, the FY 2019 and 2020 budgets will be sufficient to support the future professional As-Needed Asset Management Services required. Finance has determined that, with approval of the future budgets, funding will be available from the General Fund. STRATEGIC GOAL: This Project supports the District’s Mission statement, “To provide high value water and wastewater services to the customers of the Otay Water District, in a professional, effective and efficient manner” and the General Manager’s Vision, "A District that is at the forefront in innovations to provide water services at affordable rates, with a reputation for outstanding customer service." LEGAL IMPACT: None. KC/BK:mlc P:\WORKING\As Needed Services\Asset Management Plan\Staff Report\BD_04-04-18_Staff Report_Award of As- Needed Asset Management Services (KC-BK).docx Attachments: Attachment A – Committee Action Attachment B – Summary of Proposal Rankings ATTACHMENT A SUBJECT/PROJECT: P1210-023000 Award of Two (2) As-Needed Asset Management Services Contracts for Fiscal Years 2018, 2019, and 2020 COMMITTEE ACTION: The Finance, Administration, and Communications Committee (Committee) reviewed this item at a meeting held on March 21, 2018. The Committee supported staff's recommendation. NOTE: The “Committee Action” is written in anticipation of the Committee moving the item forward for Board approval. This report will be sent to the Board as a Committee approved item, or modified to reflect any discussion or changes as directed from the Committee prior to presentation to the full Board. Qualifications of Team Responsiveness and Project Understanding Technical and Management Approach INDIVIDUAL SUBTOTAL - WRITTEN AVERAGE SUBTOTAL - WRITTEN Proposed Rates* Consultant's Commitment to DBE TOTAL SCORE 30 25 30 85 85 15 Y/N 100 Poor/Good/ Excellent Bob Kennedy 25 22 25 72 Ming Zhao 26 22 27 75 Jake Vaclavek 23 21 25 69 Kevin Koeppen 23 22 23 68 Kevin Cameron 23 22 25 70 Bob Kennedy 27 23 28 78 Ming Zhao 28 23 29 80 Jake Vaclavek 25 21 26 72 Kevin Koeppen 27 24 27 78 Kevin Cameron 27 21 26 74 Bob Kennedy 26 22 25 73 Ming Zhao 23 22 25 70 Jake Vaclavek 27 22 26 75 Kevin Koeppen 24 23 25 72 Kevin Cameron 25 23 24 72 Bob Kennedy 24 21 23 68 Ming Zhao 24 22 24 70 Jake Vaclavek 26 23 27 76 Kevin Koeppen 23 22 23 68 Kevin Cameron 25 22 26 73 Firm Carollo Hazen and Sawyer HDR Tata & Howard Fee $179 $143 $143 $224 Score 9 15 15 1 *Note: Review Panel does not see or consider proposed rate when scoring other categories. The proposed rate is scored by a Staff Member who is not on the Review Panel. MAXIMUM POINTS ATTACHMENT B SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL RANKINGS As-Needed Asset Management Services Carollo 80 15 9 Y Excellent 91 RATES SCORING CHART WRITTEN REFERENCES 72 15 Y Y 71 87 71 1 Y ExcellentHazen and Sawyer 76 HDR 72 Tata & Howard P:\WORKING\As Needed Services\Asset Management Plan\Selection\Summary of Proposal Rankings-Asset Mgmt-Scores.xls STAFF REPORT TYPE MEETING: Regular Board Meeting MEETING DATE: April 4, 2018 SUBMITTED BY: Rita Bell, Finance Manager W.O./G.F. NO: DIV. NO. All APPROVED BY: Joseph R. Beachem, Chief Financial Officer Mark Watton, General Manager SUBJECT: Adopt Resolution No. 4344 Allowing for Reimbursement of Certain Expenditures from the Proceeds of the Sewer Debt Obligations of the District, Anticipated to be Issued During 2018 GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION: That the Board adopt Resolution No. 4344 allowing for the reimbursement of certain expenditures from the proceeds of the sewer debt obligations (the “Obligations”) of the District, anticipated to be issued during 2018. COMMITTEE ACTION: Please see Attachment A. PURPOSE: To present for the Board’s consideration the adoption of Resolution No. 4344 declaring the District’s intent to reimburse certain expenditures from the proceeds of the Obligations. ANALYSIS: The District anticipates the issuance of the Obligations during 2018 to finance an amount not to exceed $9 million with issuance costs of approximately $150,000. The District anticipates a debt issuance of approximately $8.5 million in 2018 to pay for sewer capital improvement projects over the next three fiscal years. The Resolution declares the intent of the District to reimburse itself from the proceeds of the Obligations for any qualifying expenditures incurred prior to the issuance of the Obligations. It should be noted that the U.S. Tax Code allows the District to reimburse itself for any such expenditures incurred within the 60 days prior to the adoption of the Resolution. Between April 5, 2018 and the date of issuance of the Obligations, the District will spend approximately $9 million on sewer capital improvements that would qualify for payment from the proceeds of the Obligations. The staff anticipates applying funds from its General Fund, from its capital reserves, and other legally available sources, to pay for expenditures that become due prior to the issuance of the Obligations. The Resolution will allow the District to replenish its General Fund and other capital reserves. This reimbursement Resolution also assists the District in meeting the arbitrage spend-down requirements. Treasury and Internal Revenue Code Regulations require adoption of the Resolution as an “official action”, which then qualifies the District to reimburse itself upon the issuance of tax exempt debt. The adoption of the attached Resolution, however, does not irrevocably bind the District to issue the Obligations. It merely spells out the District’s current intent to do so at some future date and preserves the District’s right to reimburse itself for qualified expenditures. FISCAL IMPACT: Joe Beachem, Chief Financial Officer The potential reimbursement of $9 million in CIP expenditures will assist the District in maintaining its operating and capital reserve levels in accordance with the District’s Reserve Policy. STRATEGIC GOAL: The District ensures its continued financial health through long-term financial planning and debt planning. LEGAL IMPACT: None. General Manager Attachments: A) Committee Action Form B) Resolution No. 4344 ATTACHMENT A SUBJECT/PROJECT: Adopt Resolution No. 4344 Allowing for Reimbursement of Certain Expenditures from the Proceeds of the Sewer Debt Obligations of the District, Anticipated to be Issued During 2018 COMMITTEE ACTION: The Finance, Administration and Communications Committee supported staff’s recommendation that the Board adopt Resolution No. 4344 allowing for the reimbursement of certain expenditures from the proceeds of the sewer debt obligations (the “Obligations”) of the District, anticipated to be issued during 2018. NOTE: The “Committee Action” is written in anticipation of the Committee moving the item forward for board approval. This report will be sent to the Board as a committee approved item, or modified to reflect any discussion or changes as directed from the committee prior to presentation to the full board. RESOLUTION NO. 4344 RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE OTAY WATER DISTRICT DECLARING ITS INTENTION TO REIMBURSE EXPENDITURES FROM THE PROCEEDS OF CERTAIN DEBT OBLIGATIONS TO BE ISSUED WHEREAS, the Otay Water District (the ‘‘District’’) desires to finance the construction and acquisition of the public facilities that constitute the Project (as defined below); and WHEREAS, the District reasonably expects, as of the date hereof, to finance expenditures relating to the Project by authorizing the sale and delivery of one or more series of Obligations (as defined below); and WHEREAS, the United States Income Tax Regulations Section 1.150-2 provides generally that proceeds of tax-exempt debt used to reimburse expenditures paid prior to the date of issuance of such debt are treated as expended only if certain procedures are followed, one of which is a requirement that (with certain exceptions), prior to the payment of any such expenditures, the issuer declares an intention to reimburse such expenditure; and WHEREAS, the District reasonably expects to expend some funds in connection with the Project prior to the issuance of debt for such purpose; and WHEREAS, the District reasonably expects, as of the date hereof, to reimburse such expenditures by allocating a portion of the proceeds of the Obligations to the reimbursement of such expenditures; and WHEREAS, it is in the public interest and for the public benefit that the District declares its official intent to reimburse the expenditures referenced herein. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the BOARD OF DIRECTORS of the OTAY WATER DISTRICT as follows: Section 1. The District intends to issue one or more series of obligations (the ‘‘Obligations’’) the proceeds of which will be used for the acquisition, construction, repair, improvement, delivery, design, installation, furnishing and equipping of certain capital facilities of the District’s sewer system (the ‘‘Project’’). Section 2. The District hereby declares that it reasonably expects to (i) pay certain costs of the Project prior to the date of issuance of the Obligations; and (ii) use a portion of the proceeds of the Obligations for reimbursement of expenditures for the Project that are paid prior to the issuance of the Obligations. Attachment B Section 3. The aggregate maximum principal amount of the Obligations to be issued is expected not to exceed $9,000,000. Section 4. In addition to reimbursing the District, the proceeds from the Obligations are anticipated to be used for costs and expenses related to the Project, funding a reserve fund and paying certain costs of issuance related thereto. Section 5. The reimbursement allocation to be made with respect to an expenditure will occur not later than eighteen (18) months after the later of (i) the date on which the expenditure is paid, or (ii) the date on which the Project is placed in service, but in no event more than three years after the expenditure is paid. Section 6. This Resolution expresses the District’s expectations as of this date with respect to the financing of the construction and acquisition of the Project. Future events or extraordinary circumstances beyond the control of the District may result in the Project being financed in a manner other than as described in this Resolution, and nothing contained herein constitutes an irrevocable commitment by the District to issue the Obligations. Section 7. All actions heretofore taken by the officers, or their respective designees, employees and agents of the Board of Directors of the District in connection with the financing of the Project are hereby ratified and confirmed. Section 8. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption. Section 9. The District Secretary shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution. APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 4th day of April, 2018. Ayes: Noes: Abstain: Absent: President ATTEST: District Secretary APPROVED AS TO FORM: District Counsel I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution No. 4344 was duly adopted by the BOARD OF DIRECTORS of the OTAY WATER DISTRICT at a regular meeting thereof held on the 4th day of April, 2018 by the following vote: Ayes: Noes: Abstain: Absent: District Secretary STAFF REPORT TYPE MEETING: Regular Board MEETING DATE: April 4, 2018 SUBMITTED BY: Rita Bell, Finance Manager PROJECT: DIV. NO. All APPROVED BY: Joe Beachem, Chief Financial Officer Mark Watton, General Manager SUBJECT: Cost Benefit of the Treatment Plant Shutdown vs. Status Quo GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION: This is an informational item only. COMMITTEE ACTION: See Attachment A. PURPOSE: To present the Board an analysis of the cost benefit of keeping the Ralph W. Chapman Water Recycling Facility (RWCWRF) treatment plant open, compared to closing the plant and sending all sewer flows to San Diego Metropolitan Wastewater (Metro). BACKGROUND: The Board asked to see the analysis that shows that it is most cost effective to have the RWCWRF running at full capacity as opposed to shutting down the treatment plant and sending flows to Metro. Below is the discussion of all of the factors that were included in this analysis. 2 A significant amount of the sewer operation costs is for sewer service charges from the Metro which is budgeted at $820,700 for FY 2018. Additionally, the District is budgeted to pay the County $190,000 for its share of the operation and maintenance cost of the Rancho San Diego Outfall and the Spring Valley Outfall, to transport sewage to Metro for FY 2018. Also, the District has an agreement with the City of San Diego to purchase up to six million gallons a day of recycled water from their South Bay Water Reclamation Plant (SBWRP). In 2007, the District began taking water from SBWRP under a contract that has a take-or-pay provision, whereby the District must pay for a minimum amount of water whether the District uses it or not. The term of the agreement was for twenty (20) years commencing January 1, 2007. Both the RWCWRF plant and the SBWRP plant supply the District’s recycled distribution system. The District operates the largest recycled water distribution system in San Diego County and will supply approximately 3,660 acre-feet (1,000 from RWCWRF plant and 2,660 from the SBWRP plant) of recycled water to 719 customers in Fiscal Year 2018. Additionally, the District has budgeted to pay the City of San Diego for 2,234 acre-feet of recycled water that the District cannot use because of the take-or-pay provision of the contract. Staff performed an analysis of sewer and recycled water cost last year based on Fiscal Year 2016 actual cost, to determine the cost benefit of whether the District should keep RWCWRF plant open (status quo) or to shut down the plant and send 100% of the flow through the County to Metro for treatment. Based on this analysis, the cost of water produced at the District’s RWCWRF is $982.47 per acre-foot. The cost to purchase recycled water from the SBWRP at the current rate is $756 per acre-foot, but when the meter fee and the take-or- pay contractual amount is included, the effective rate is $1,396.87 per acre-foot. ANALYSIS: The costs are divided between the sewer customer group and the recycled customer group based on cost of service to these customers. Sewer costs consists of collection, primary treatment, and secondary treatment. Other District costs include salary and benefits, materials and maintenance, power, annual depreciation, Metro costs, and the County transportation costs. 3 Recycled water costs consist of tertiary treatment, water purchase cost, salary and benefits, materials and maintenance, power, and annual depreciation. In addition, there is the recycled water purchase cost which is considered a fixed cost in all scenarios because of the take-or-pay contract with the City of San Diego. Occasionally, there is also the cost of supplementing with potable water.  RWCWRF Remains Open (Status Quo) Sewer Costs Recycled Water Cost District Metro(1) County Total District Water(2) Total $891,038 $432,536 $197,786 $1,521,361 $991,312 $3,747,362 $4,738,674 RWCWRF Closure (send 100% flows to Metro) Sewer Costs Recycled Water Cost District Metro(1) County Total District Water(2) Total $585,835 $1,180,024 $347,786 $2,113,645 $908,147 $3,808,686 $4,716,833 Cost Differential between Status Quo and Closure  Sewer Costs Recycled Water Cost District Metro County Total District Water Total ($305,203) $747,488 $150,000 $592,284 ($83,166)$61,324 ($21,842) (1) In the “Status Quo” scenario, it is assumed there is a $380,000 true-up due to the District, based on the City’s estimated true-up for Fiscal Year 2016. This true-up varies due to the District’s actual flow being less than estimated or because the strength of sewer is different than budgeted. In the “Close RWCWRF” scenario, there is no true-up as wastewater would be raw (as opposed to being a by-product of treatment) and the assumption that 100% of the flow would go to Metro, which is easier to estimate. (2) There is a minor difference in the amount of potable water supplement needed between the “Remains Open” scenario and the “Close” scenario because without the District’s recycled water, it is assumed that more potable water is needed to supplement the recycled, especially in the summer months when the SBWRP cannot keep up with high demands. This analysis shows that for sewer customers it is far more cost effective to treat sewage at the RWCWRF as the savings is $592,284. For recycled customers it is almost cost neutral due to the fixed nature of the contract to purchase water from the City of San Diego. 4 It should be noted that this is a snapshot of the current status and does not consider future events. FUTURE ANALYSIS: The 2018-2022 Strategic Plan will consider various aspects of the future of sewer and recycled water on a short-term and long-term basis. The analysis presented in this staff report is short-term and does not consider future events, such as what the cost of the City’s Pure Water will do to the Metro costs or how Metro may propose changes to their rate structure. Some options that will be considered in the strategic plan are to perform an analysis to have the RWCWRF plant only treat sewage on a seasonal basis, or have the County of San Diego take over the collection system and lease out the plant. Additionally, the strategic plan will look at the future of recycled water such as receiving supply from the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) should the City not renew the contract for recycled water at SBWRP. FISCAL IMPACT: Joe Beachem, Chief Financial Officer None. STRATEGIC GOAL: This analysis supports the District’s Mission Statement, “To provide high value water and wastewater services to the customers of the Otay Water District, in a professional, effective and efficient manner” along with the General Manager’s Vision, “A District that is at the forefront in innovations to provide water services at affordable rates, with a reputation for outstanding customer service.” LEGAL IMPACT: None. Attachments: A) Committee Action B) Presentation ATTACHMENT A SUBJECT/PROJECT: Cost Benefit of the Treatment Plant Shutdown vs. Status Quo COMMITTEE ACTION: This is an informational item only. NOTE: The “Committee Action” is written in anticipation of the Committee moving the item forward for board approval. This report will be sent to the Board as a committee approved item, or modified to reflect any discussion or changes as directed from the committee prior to presentation to the full board. Cost Benefit of Treatment Plant Shutdown vs. Status Quo April 4, 2018 Purpose To present to the Board the cost benefit analysis Status Quo - Keep Ralph W. Chapman Water Recycling Facility (RWCWRF) Treatment Plant open and operating as is. Or Close RWCWRF - Send 100% of sewer flows to San Diego Metropolitan Wastewater (Metro). 2 Background •The District provides sewer service to 15,200 customers through 4,700 accounts within the Jamacha Sewer Basin. •The District operates the RWCWRF plant, which treats wastewater for the purpose of producing recycled water. •The District pays the County of San Diego to transport wastewater and pays Metro to transport and treat wastewater (both by- product of recycling and raw wastewater that is not treated). 3 Background (cont.) •The District has an agreement with City of San Diego to buy recycled water from the South Bay Water Reclamation Plant (SBWRP). •The agreement has a take-or-pay provision and is for 20 years commencing in January 2007. •Both the RWCWRF (1,000 AF) and the SBWRP (2,660 AF) supply recycled water to the District’s distribution system with 719 customers. •The budgeted take-or-pay is 2,234 AF for FY2018. 4 Analysis Sewer Cost •Collection, primary treatment, and secondary treatment costs •Internal costs include: salaries and benefits, materials and maintenance, power, and annual depreciation •External costs include: Metro and County of San Diego 5 Analysis (cont.) Recycled Cost •Tertiary treatment cost and water purchases •Internal costs include: salaries and benefits, materials and maintenance, power, and annual depreciation •External costs include: recycled purchases (for water used and the take-or-pay volume) and portable water purchases (when the recycled water system needs a potable supplement) 6 Cost – Status Quo Status Quo (RWCWRF remains open) Sewer Costs Recycled Water Cost District Metro County Total District Water Total $891,038 $432,536 $197,786 $1,521,361 $991,312 $3,747,362 $4,738,674 7 Cost – Shutdown Shutdown RWCWRF (send 100% flows to Metro) Sewer Costs Recycled Water Cost District Metro County Total District Water Total $585,835 $1,180,024 $347,786 $2,113,645 $908,147 $3,808,686 $4,716,833 8 Cost - Differential Cost Differential between Status Quo and Shutdown Sewer Costs Recycled Water Cost District Metro County Total District Water Total ($305,203) $747,488 $150,000 $592,284 ($83,166) $61,324 ($21,841) The cost to produce recycled water from the RWCWRF is $982.47 per AF. The all-in cost to purchase recycled water from the City’s SBWRP is $1,396.87 per AF based on the FY 2018 take-or-pay contract. 9 Future Analysis This analysis is a snapshot in time and does not include future events such as: •The City of San Diego’s Pure Water Program future cost allocation. •Metro changing it’s cost sharing allocation using a fixed component such as system capacity to charge customers. 10 Future Analysis (cont.) The 2018-2022 Strategic Plan will consider some of the following options which are not part of this current analysis: •Run the RWCWRF on a seasonal basis. •Sell the sewer assets to the County of San Diego and contract out the running of the RWCWRF. •The District purchasing recycled water from the International Boundary and Water Commission should the City not renew the contract. 11 Questions?12 STAFF REPORT TYPE MEETING: Regular Board MEETING DATE: April 4, 2018 SUBMITTED BY: Andrea Carey, Customer Service Manager PROJECT: DIV. NO. All APPROVED BY: Joseph R. Beachem, Chief Financial Officer Mark Watton, General Manager SUBJECT: Automated Meter Reading Change Out Capital Improvement Program Update GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION: This is an informational item only. COMMITTEE ACTION: See Attachment A. PURPOSE: To update the Board on changes to the Automated Meter Reading (AMR) change out Capital Improvement Program (CIP) approved by the Board in 2017. ANALYSIS: Background Beginning in late 2016, there was a noticeable increase in transponder failures of the AMR registers purchased in 2006. These registers had reached an 11-year life and were no longer covered by Master Meter’s 100% replacement warranty. A seven-year Capital Improvement Project was created to replace the aging registers with brand new Master Meter AMR registers at the 11-year mark. While tracking AMR failures by year, staff noticed an unusually high increase in failures of 2009 transponders beginning in early 2017. Staff reached out to Master Meter, who began investigating the reason for these premature failures. By mid-2017, 2010 transponders were also seeing a large increase in failures. Still unable to determine the reason for failure but understanding the inconvenience these unexpected failures cause Otay, Master Meter began sending their staff out to assist with warranty register replacements in June 2017. Master Meter has continued to send one staff member out for at least one week per month to replace registers currently under warranty. In February 2018, Master Meter identified the root cause of the failures. They found that a manufacturing change in 2009 resulted in a faulty electrical board component. This causes the transponder to transmit data more frequently than it should, thus causing premature battery failure. Registers manufactured between 2009 and early 2013 were identified as having this defect and will require replacement in the next two years. As of January 2018, there were approximately 17,000 of these registers installed throughout the District. CIP Program Changes Due to this new development, staff evaluated the existing AMR change out plan. The original plan to change out registers at the 11-year mark was no longer feasible as most of the remaining 3G registers will not last to the 11-year mark. Master Meter presented Otay with three options to replace these registers: 1) A new 3G register at no cost, with only the remaining warranty. 2) A new 3G register at a cost of $35.46 with a new 20-year warranty (10-year at 100% and 10-year prorated) 3) A new Allegro register at a cost of $103.45, a reduction of $34.48 from the current reduced District price. In order to determine the best option, staff had to look at the overall program. First, staff revised the timeline of the current change outs, reducing the time to change out all old registers from 7 years to only 4 years, a necessity due to the failing registers. Second, meters have a useful life of approximately 20 years. Staff needed to consider the shorter life of the failing registers and how that would impact the timing of the next round of change outs, which would include both meters and registers. This next round of change outs would begin in FY 2025 and end in FY 2032. To minimize material costs, staff looked at maximizing the useful life of both the meters and registers. Staff also considered the costs that are created by overextending the useful life of the meters and registers, which can include underperforming meters and manually reading failing registers. In evaluating all these factors, staff determined that meters purchased between 2005 and 2009 (with registers changed out between 2017 and 2019) will only have had a register for 6 to 10 years, at the point when the meters will need to be changed out. These meters would be best matched with registers that have a shorter useful life. However, meters purchased between 2010 and 2012 (with registers changed out between 2018 and 2020) will have had a register for 10 to 14 years, at the point when the meters will need to be changed out. These meters are better matched with registers with a longer useful life. Based on Master Meter’s assurance that all new 3G registers manufactured after 2013 should operate just as those prior to 2009, staff estimates the life expectancy of the replacement 3G units at 11 years. Additionally, based on laboratory tests, Master Meter estimates the life expectancy of the Allegro registers to be 15.4 years. Given the life expectancy of each style of register and the requirements for length of use going forward, staff determined the best course of action was to change routes with meters purchased in 2009 or earlier with the no-cost 3G registers and routes with meters purchased in 2010 or later with Allegro registers. When the current replacements conclude in FY 2020, the District will have approximately 19,000 3G registers and 30,000 Allegro registers installed. By maximizing the warranty on the faulty registers, the overall AMR change out CIP budget has been reduced by $3.3 million. Future Assurances In light of this manufacturing defect, Master Meter is currently having a third party engineering consultant test the various Allegro versions that have been manufactured to date to ensure those registers are performing as expected. Finance staff is currently working with Master Meter to evaluate their financial strength given this major warranty liability and will have an update next month. FISCAL IMPACT: Joe Beachem, Chief Financial Officer The AMR change out CIP budget has been reduced by $3.3 million. STRATEGIC GOAL: Improve and streamline meter related processes. LEGAL IMPACT: None. Attachments: Attachment A - Committee Action ATTACHMENT A SUBJECT/PROJECT: Automated Meter Reading Change Out Capital Improvement Program Update COMMITTEE ACTION: This is an informational item only. NOTE: The “Committee Action” is written in anticipation of the Committee moving the item forward for board approval. This report will be sent to the Board as a committee approved item, or modified to reflect any discussion or changes as directed from the committee prior to presentation to the full board.