Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1989/12/12 - Minutes - Joint (Cucamonga County Water District)December 12, 1989 CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Joint Meetin~ Joint Meeting of the City Council and the Cucamonga County Water District A, CALL TO ORDER A joint meeting of the City Council of the City of Rancho Cucamonga and the Cucamonga County Water District met on Tuesday, December 12, 1989, at the Lions Park Community Center, 9161 Base Line Road, Rancho Cucamonga, California. The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Mayor Dennis L. Stout. Present were Councilmembers: William J. Alexander, Deborah N. Brown, Charles J. Buquet II (arrived 7:40 p.m.), and Mayor Dennis L. Stout. Absent was Councilmember: Pamela J. Wright. Also present were: Jack Lam, City Manager; Jerry B. Fulwood, Deputy City Manager; Rick Gomez, Community Development Director; Jerry Grant, Building Official; Diane O'Neal, Administrative Analyst; and Jan Sutton, Deputy City Clerk. Present from Cucamonga County Water District (CCWD) was the Board of Directors consisting of: Charlie West, President; George Kuykendall, Director; Jerry Wilson, Director; Bob Neufeld, Director; Beverly Braden, Director; and Mac McSween, Controller. Also present from CCWD were: Lloyd Michael, General Manager; George Blanchard, Assistant Manager; and Jaymie Foote, Public Information and Water Conservation Coordinator. , · , , · · Mayor Stout stated this was one of a continuing series of meetings the Council was having with Commissions and outside agencies to improve communication on issues that affect the community. , , , , , City Council Minutes December 12, 1989 Page 2 ITEMS OF DISCUSSION B1. Discussion of ProDosed City XeriscaDe Ordinance A. Water Conservation Measures B. Reclaimed Water (1204-00 WATER) Mayor Stout stated the City is in the process of preparing an ordinance for Council's approval. Jerry Fulwood, Deputy City Manager, stated that the Planning Department is working on that ordinance now, and it is scheduled to be presented to Council sometime in January 1990. He further stated he believed that CCWD has been working with the Planning Department on the concept. He felt there has been a strong commitment from both agencies to achieve this goal. Councilman Alexander stated he has learned quite a bit after attending meetings with CCWD, but that he still had many questions regarding xeriscaping. Mayor Stout stated the ordinance also encourages going to irrigation systems that are more water conservative. He feels the City is moving in the right direction with this ordinance. Rick Gomez, Community Development Director, stated the ordinance, besides covering recommended plant materials, also looks at the latest technology. Their intent is not to turn the City into a desert, but by using the latest technology on more traditional plant materials, it will help to conserve water as much as possible. Councilwoman Brown stated another issue she would like to discuss was the use of two lines for water, one for treated water for drinking, and a secondary line for reclaimed water to be used on landscaping, washing cars, etc. She felt it needed to be done over the long run. She stated she would like CCWD's opinion on this issue. Charlie West, President, stated this issue has been discussed several times at their Board meetings, and that Lloyd Michael, General Manager, has been involved in this issue for a long time. Lloyd Michael, General Manager, stated currently sewage from this area is being treated at RP1 below the 60 freeway, and bringing it back up to this area is not cost effective. He stated that when RP4 is built in the Etiwanda area, it would be easier to bring reclaimed water to this area, but felt that the reclamation of sewage water should be through underground basins. If the basins were recharged, then it could be used in the local market. Mayor Stout inquired about the City of Rancho Cucamonga being the largest customer of CCWD, and asked if it would be possible to run lines to some of the major parks using reclaimed water. City Council Minutes December 12, 1989 Page 3 George Blanchard, Assistant Manager, stated it might be possible to take a line to some of the parks when RP4 was constructed, but completion of the plant is four years away. He stated CCWD is looking into it already, though. Beverly Braden, Director, stated she is concerned with the issue of landscaping and parkway meters. She stated the Mount of consumption for greenbelt areas in the industrial area is more than the consumption by the industrial user in their plants. She felt this issue should be addressed when RP4 was built, that this would be an ideal use for the reclaimed water and would be cost effective because the lines would be brought into one centralized area. Lloyd Michael, General Manager, stated that with the location of RP4, they are concerned about pumping reclaimed water north of Foothill Boulevard due to the lift involved. Mayor Stout asked where does the reclaimed water currently go. Lloyd Michael, General Manager, stated it goes down to Prado, and then on to Orange County. Mayor Stout asked if we have to give a certain amount to Orange County. Lloyd Michael, General Manager, stated 17,000 acre feet per year, but that this was an obligation of Chino Basin Municipal Water District, not of Rancho Cucamonga. He stated that if we could reclaim 100% of our water, we could, and then it would be up to Chino Basin Municipal Water District to purchase the water from CCWD to meet their obligation. He stated they are currently sending over 30,000 acre feet per year. Mayor Stout asked what are the allowable uses for reclaimed water. Bob Neufeld, Director, stated that reclaimed water can be used for anything except edible crops. Councilwoman Brown asked about the water that is used for dust control by the water trucks, if it was, or could be, reclaimed water. George Blanchard, Assistant Manager, stated that is currently water they get from the fire hydrant system but that reclaimed water could be used. He stated that with the location of RP4 in Etiwanda, though, the developers would probably complain if they had to send their water trucks out there to be filled with reclaimed water. Councilman Buquet stated the County will be cracking down soon on soil control, that developers will have to set up sprinkler systems on every development over five acres. He felt maybe we could work something out to tie in with the County's plan. City Council Minutes December 12, 1989 Page 4 Lloyd Michael, General Manager, stated that the City of Upland has a reclamation plant at their golf course to use for watering their greens, but it is expensive to operate. Their permit is such that if it becomes out of sync and there is an odor problem, they can discharge to Chino Basin Municipal Water District. He felt it might be possible for the City to do something similar in the higher elevations. He felt that the City's xeriscape ordinance was a step in the right direction. Councilwoman Brown stated that even the simple things, like the right time of day to water landscaping, are important and should be utilized. She stated that the City is installing a computerized system at the City Yard to be able to control the sprinkler system more efficiently, like when the winds are blowing. Mayor Stout asked if CCWD has ever considered stepped water rates. He felt it would provide an incentive to people to irrigate efficiently. Lloyd Michael, General Manager, stated their Board is currently considering that issue. He was worried that low income people might be hurt by such a policy, because if you had a sufficient income and liked your landscaping the way it was, you would go ahead and pay the higher rate instead of trying to conserve water. He stated they were looking at different size meters and lots, and then working on stepped rates accordingly. He stated that in January 1990, they will be changing some of their rates, but they were looking at ways to be fair to all of the citizens. Councilman Buquet stated that if the system was set up with a type of "life line" rate like the other utilities use, and then factor in the variables, it still seemed like a prudent thing to do, that it would provide an incentive for people to conserve. Lloyd Michael, General Manager, stated he felt they have been fortunate in that their rates have been lower than the surrounding areas. He felt the advantages they have enjoyed in the past are now due to supplemental water supply, so the rate structure for supplemental water will be influencing their rate structure more. Councilman Buquet asked if possibly the City and CCWD could combine efforts and apply for some type of grant funding source. If the funding was available, then they could explore running dual feed lines from the reclamation source to new developments for landscaping uses. Jerry Fulwood, Deputy City Manager, stated that in the Landscape Maintenance Districts and the parks, the City is installing water sensor meters to help conserve water and reduce costs. He stated that the industrial area is covered by a separate Landscape Maintenance District, and their goal is to have the same type of sensors installed in that area also. Beverly Braden, Director, stated what she is concerned about are the greenbelt areas that are maintained by the owners, not the City maintained property. She felt they needed to work with the owners on conserving water. City Council Minutes December 12, 1989 Page 5 Mayor Stout asked if the industrial users pay separate rates for their landscaping water usage. Lloyd Michael, General Manager, stated they pay the same rate. Beverly Braden, Director, felt that through the xeriscape ordinance might come the ability to control certain types of landscaping. Councilwoman Brown stated that after the xeriscape ordinance was passed by Council, CCWD could meet with the Planning Commission to work on interpretation of what plant materials should be used. Bob Neufeld, Director, felt there was a need to educate the people at the City and in the community, and that one day we will have mandatory water rationing. Mayor Stout asked if there were still any agricultural users in the City. George Blanchard, Assistant Manager, stated there were very few left. He stated that some of the City parks were under the agricultural rates. Charlie West, President, stated he liked that the xeriscape ordinance required that one or two model homes in new developments be xeriscaped. He felt it would help more if all the model homes were xeriscaped. Councilwoman Brown felt it might be an example for citizens of the community if they were able to see what xeriscaping could look like and that it could be attractive. Councilman Buquet felt that if the developer was required to put in xeriscaped front landscaping on all new homes, the chances are that the people moving in would not pull it out to put in more traditional, water wasting landscaping, they would just leave it in. Bob Neufeld, Director, stated the City might want to take a portion of new City parks and xeriscape as an example for the citizens. Rick Gomez, Community Development Direct, stated that is going to be done at Don Tapia and Central parks. Beverly Braden, Director, asked if there was any encouragement by the City on retrofitting landscaping. Rick Gomez, Community Development Direct, stated so far they have been mostly aiming at new development. Councilman Buquet felt if there was a way to develop a rebate program for relandscaping it might be helpful. He also thought that if landscaping companies could promote certain types of landscape materials, maybe they could be given a break in their business license fees as an incentive. City Council Minutes December 12, 1989 Page 6 (z) Bob Neufeld, Director, felt there needed to be a change in people's thinking, and the issue needed to be dealt with in a creative manner. 2. Discussion of the Extension of Sewer Service (1170-06 SEWERS) Mayor Stout stated the Council has been struggling with this issue, especially with the installation of septic tanks. He stated that in the past septic tanks were encouraged by the Water District as a means of recycling water to the water basin, but it seems to be turning into a problem now. George Blanchard, Assistant Manager, spoke about a small tract at Carnelian and Beechwood consisting of 31 homes. He said originally 2-3 residents had approached the Board about extending the sewer because their septic systems had failed. When CCWD surveyed the tract, they found that six systems had failed, and that part of the failure was due to improper soil percolation. He stated the problem with doing the extension is the cost, that on this tract the estimate that each homeowner would have to pay to have the sewer extended was $10,000.00, which did not include the cost of abandonment and connection to the sewer main. Mayor Stout asked who has jurisdiction on deciding what type of system will be installed. George Blanchard, Assistant Manager, stated the City. Jack Lam, City Manager, stated he thought it was the Water District. George Blanchard, Assistant Manager, stated that if a home is within 600 feet of a sewer line, then it must be extended, otherwise the soil is tested for percolation as defined by the Building Code. Councilwoman Brown asked if the City could require that all residences be hooked into the sewer system. George Blanchard, Assistant Manager, stated that would be in contradiction to the earlier statement about allowing septic tanks for percolation purposes. Jack Lam, City Manager, stated that Jerry Grant, Building Official, has been with the City since its incorporation and has always been against the installation of septic tanks, that eventually they fail and then people want to be hooked up to the sewer. He stated they have discussed this several times in the past and Mr. Grant has not been in favor of having septic tanks. Councilman Buquet stated he is not convinced that the septic tanks are still serving their original purpose of water reclamation through percolation. He felt it was easier and less expensive for the developers to install them, and then when they failed ten or so years down the line, the developer would not be responsible. City Council Minutes December 12, 1989 Page 7 Bob Neufeld, Director, stated he felt their policy on septic tanks has changed over the past ten years, that the percentage of water they provide for percolation has dropped considerably as the City has grown. He further stated that maybe they should take the lead and require hook up to the sewer system. Lloyd Michael, General Manager, stated it used to be that if you could pass a percolation test, you could have a septic tank on less than half an acre lot. New regulations were passed in October that required that septice be installed on no less than half an acre due to the degradation of the water supply by nitrates. He stated he was worried how they were going to handle 5,000 septics, since there were approximately 1,500 - 2,000 septice currently under construction in northern Alta Loma, and all across the north end of the City. Mayor Stout asked if Etiwanda was on the sewer system. Lloyd Michael, General Manager, stated not at the present time, though it was planned for in the future. He stated that the Caryn tract was the first one to be hooked up to the sewer. Councilwoman Brown asked if the Brock and Griffin homes were on the sewer. Lloyd Michael, General Manager, stated all the homes are on the sewer in that area. Jack Lam, City Manager, stated that over the years there has been increased concern on the part of the Council on this issue, mostly due to the failures. He stated he thought the Council would be favorable at looking at new development being required to hook up to the sewer system. He stated the City Attorney advised that the City cannot unilaterally require that because the City is not responsible for that service. He felt that maybe the City could work jointly with the Board to develop a plan. Councilwoman Brown asked about the Compass Rose tract above Chaffey College, and why they were allowed to have septic tanks on less than half an acre lots. Lloyd Michael, General Manager, stated that when they were under construction the developer had the choice of installing either septice or hooking up to the sewer lines. He stated there was only a $400-500 difference in choosing to hook up to the sewer, but they chose to install septice instead. He etated that at that time, if they could pass a percolation test, which they did, they were not required to be on half an acre lots. Jerry Grant, Building Official, stated there has always been that impression that you could not install a septic if on less than half an acre, but actually it was allowed as long as you could pass a percolation test and had the ability to double the size of the system on the lot. Jerry Wilson, Director, stated that there was a time when septice were restricted to half acre lots or larger, but in the 1970's the regulations were changed to allow installation as stated by Mr. Grant, and were only currently changed back. City Council Minutes December 12, 1989 Page 8 Mayor Stout asked if they could explain why the developer chose to go with the septic system. Lloyd Michael, General Manager, stated for cost savings, probably, but that they were never given an explanation as to why. Lloyd Michael, General Manager, stated they supported the City progressing toward annexing their sphere of influence. He stated that the County's restrictions were not the same as the City's, and that water consumption in that area was astronomical compared to CCWD's Master Plan. Mayor Stout asked if CCWDwould be interested in an ordinance prohibiting on-site septic tanks. Beverly Braden, Director, stated that she personally would not have a problem with that. Jack Lam, City Manager, felt the legal counsels for the two agencies would need to confer to define a sewer policy. Bob Neufeld, Director, felt the timing was right because they were going to have to look to water quality in the near future due to the nitrates in the water basin, and the septic tanks were not helping that situation. Mayor Stout stated he wanted to avoid problems they were encountering now in other areas where developers were playing the County against the City. He didn't want to have a developer come to the City and be told they would have to hook up to the sewer to receive approval of a project, and then have the developer go to the Water District and be told it would be acceptable not to hook up to the sewer. He felt they needed to have concurrent, compatible policies. Bob Neufeld, Director, stated that George Blanchard, Assistant Manager, would check with their legal counsel and bring suggestions to the next Board meeting on what they can do. Councilwoman Brown stated she felt it was important that this be done concurrently with the City. 3. Discussion of Items of Mutual Interest. (1204-00 WATER) Lloyd Michael, General Manager, stated that both agencies are serving the same constituency, and felt the cooperation between the two agencies onthe whole has been good. Mayor Stout stated that there will always be disagreements on how to handle certain issues, but felt that the bottom line is that both agencies have dealt together as professionals, and that has been important in helping to resolve conflicts. City Council Minutes December 12, 1989 Page 9 Bob Neufeld, Director, felt that the sludge disposal problem will become a major concern in the West End, and that the City might want to be involved in this issue. He felt the District was going to be faced with imposing charges on the citizens to have the sludge hauled out of the area. He also felt that certain EPA controls on odors could have a major cost impact on the community, and felt the County has been slow to move on these problems. , , , , , C. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC There were none. , , , , , D. ADJOtFRNMENT MOTION: Moved by Brown, seconded by Alexander to adjourn the meeting to an Executive Session to discuss legal matters. Motion carried unanimously, 4-0-1 (Wright absent). The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Jan Sutton Deputy City Clerk Approved: January 3, 1990