HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999/11/10 - Minutes - Adj w/CCWD November 10, 1999
CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
Adjourned Joint Meeting
with the Cucamonqa County Water District
A. CALL TO ORDER
An Adjourned Joint meeting of the Rancho Cucamonga City Council and the Cucamonga County
Water District was held on Wednesday, November 10, 1999, in the Tri-Communities Conference
Room of the Civic Center, located at 10500 Civic Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, California.
The meeting was called to order at 6:01 p.m. by Mayor William J. Alexander.
Present from the City were Councilmembers: Paul Biane, James Curatalo, Bob Dutton, Diane
Williams, and Mayor William J. Alexander.
Present from the Water District were Boardmembers: Robert Neufeld, Jerome M. Wilson, Donald
J. Kurth, and Henry L. Stoy.
Also present were: Jack Lam, City Manager; Robed A. DeLoach, General ManagedSecretary,
CCWD; Jim Curatalo, Jr., Director-Elect, CCWD; Gene Tanaka, Counsel for CCWD; Duane
Baker, Assistant to the City Manager; Rick Gomez, Community Development Director; Joe
O'Neil, City Engineer; Linda D. Daniels, RDA Director; Larry Henderson, Principal Planner.
B. ITEM OF DISCUSSION
PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF CHINO BASIN OPTIMUM BASIN MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM (OBMP)
Robed A. DeLoach, General ManagedSecretary, CCWD, said CCWD wanted to communicate
with the City a plan they have been putting together that could dramatically impact and change
the way CCWD does business with respect to water quality, quantity and price.
Mr. DeLoach provided the background information. He said the court appointed a new Water
Master which also required CCWD to prepare a plan. He reported that the first phase of the report
is finished and now they are working on the next phase on how to implement it and pay for it.
Mr. Neufeld, President of CCWD and Chairman of the Watermaster, gave the presentation on the
Chino Basin Optimum Basin Management Program (OBMP). He said the discussion is critical
not only to CCWD but also to the City because they represent basically the same constituents.
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November 10, 1999
Page 2
Mr. Neufeld said their concern is what is going to happen to the constituents of this area when it
comes to the implementation of this plan that would rid the underground water supplies of nitrates
and other contaminants. He reviewed the following:
· Map showing the background boundaries of the Chine Basin.
· OBMP (consisting of four pads)
v' Introduction: The basin, the boundaries, the makeup of the Board
,/ State of the Basin: Water quality issues, problems, etc.
,,' Goals of OBMP: Clean up water, improve water quality
v' Management Plan: Phase II is implementation which consists of goals to enhance the
basin water supply by using reclaimed water and storm flows and capture for recharge
purposes; protect and enhance water quality by imposing restrictions/regulations to make
sure that everybody does the right thing; enhance the management of the basin; and, the
key issue, financing of the OBMP.
· 1993 Land Use Map
· Basin consists of 35 square miles
· Cost of Plan: $300 - $500 million
· State & Federal Assistance: $150 -$200 million may become available, although $87 million
is contingent upon voter approval a statewide water initiative on the March ballot.
Mr. Neufeld said if we started today and imposed the current rate 39 cents per 100 cubic feet-in
20 years residents would pay $3.19 per 100 cubic feet of water. He said the agriculture interest
in the south end of the basin is one of the most respected and well organized lobbying groups,
and they have indicated that they feel no obligation te pay for the cost of the cleanup in the basin.
Mr. Neufeld said the Water District's goal is to make sure that everybody pays their fair share of
the cleanup and to supped the water bond in 2000..
Councilmember Biane asked what implementation methods will be used and how is this money to
be spent.
Mr. Neufeld explained that the nitrate levels in the southern end of the basin are running about 60
milligrams per liter. The regulated standards for drinking water are 10 milligrams per liter. He
said in the northern end of the basin the water supply typically runs about 5 milligrams per liter, so
you can see there is a tremendous amount of degradation in the water supply in the southern
end. He said we can buy imported water cheaper than we can treat this water down here, but we
still have to do it because if we don't we're going to lose this water supply. The other way is to
use the storm flows to recharge and help flush out the basins, and this is relatively inexpensive.
Mr. Neufeld said they have made progress in dealing with County Flood Control. He said an
integral part of our plan to make sure that we do work with the County and with the various other
entities that are out there to either acquire the rights to this land or purchase the land outright.
Mr. DeLoach stated that some of the property that the County wants to dispose of serves no
useful purpose for flood control. He said the land and soil is so bad that it does not percolate; so
after a little bit of rain it rises to the top and then floods.
Bob Dutton asked where the optimum area is for percolation.
Mr. DeLoach said anywhere north of the 1-10- to the base of the foothills is the optimum area.
Mr. Neufeld said what has been identified as part of the plan that would have the least impact on
various agencies and on development is to look at obtaining permits to operate within the right of
ways for the power lines. He said there has been a lot of success in northern CA with water
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November 10, 1999
Page 3
agencies acquiring rights from PG&E to do exactly that. He said it gives us a wide enough area
where we can basically use those powerline transmission quarters as spreading basins.
Mr. Neufeld said that the cleanup of the basin is not 100% dairies, but that is the major focus. He
said the cleanup would help rid the aquifer of nitrates and other compounds that have polluted the
water, most of which has come from manure-contaminated rainfall that has sunk into the ground.
Gene Tanaka, CCWD Counsel from Best, Best & Krieger, said that the Regional Water Quality
Control Board has the statutory authority to enforce cleanup by the dairies. He said to date they
have not been able to make a lot of progress on that, as there has been intense opposition in.
Secondly, EPA has statutes, in terms of the safe drinking water act that can be used as a backup.
Mr. DeLoach said that the plan identifies several oppodunities to make beneficial use of that
product water. He said the treatment plants are located in the south end of Ontario by the 60
Freeway. He said the local plant that is shared with Fontana is in Etiwanda. To get more north of
that you have to pump it and Edison costs are extremely expensive. He said they think they can
get it as high as Central Park.
Mr. DeLoach said the citrus growers contributed to this problem through nitrogen fertilizer
applications. He said the Chino area has the highest concentration of cows than any place on
earth. He stated that they claim that they can literally test the DNA of the nitrates in the soil and
determine whether it came from the nitrogen applied to crops in the citrus groves or whether it
actually came from the cows.
CCWD thanked the City for listening to their presentation.
Jack Lam, City Manager, said they a 4/5 vote is needed to add an item on for Executive Session.
MOTION: Moved by Willlares, seconded by Dutton to add Executive Session item on agenda
following adjournment. Motion carried unanimously, 5-0.
C. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC
No communications were made from the public.
D. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION: Moved by Williams, seconded by Dutton to adjourn to Executive Session to discuss
Property Negotiations per Government Code Section 54956.8 for Property generally located on
the north side of Foothill Blvd. and west of Rochester Avenue; Linda D. Daniels, RDA Director,
Negotiating Party, regarding Terms of Agreement. Motion carried unanimously, 5-0. Meeting
adjourned at 6:50 p.m.
Approved: January 5, 2000
~yn.~Scott
Deputy City Clerk