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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-05-06 Study Session MINASHLAND CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION MINUTES Monday May 6, 2024 Mayor Graham called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Mayor Graham and Councilors Hyatt, Dahle, Bloom, Hansen, DuQuenne and Kaplan were present. 1. Public Input (15 minutes -Public input or comment on City business not included on the agenda) 1. Wildfire Season Preparation Review Presentation provided by Fire Chief Ralph Sartain, Emergency Management Coordinator Kelly Burns and Fire Marshall Mark Shay (see attached). Sartain reported fire season officially begins June 1. The region between Redding and Roseburg is in good shape with water resources and the prediction is for a late fire season. The heavy tanker from Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) will be replaced with two helicopters stationed in Medford. Sartain extended invitations to Ashland Fire Open House on May 31, 2024, from 2-6pm. Two new fire -fighting brush trucks and a restored ambulance put the department's fleet back to full for June, and the department will receive two new ambulances and a van for single -role EMS providers. Sartain received the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Grant for $35,000 to increase staff. This will increase minimum staffing to nine and add two additional brush companies for fire season. Sartain reported that in June the United States Forest Service (USFS) plans to be fully staffed and the Rogue River Hotshots and Siskiyou Rappelers will be ready. The tanker base staffed with federal resources will be ready June 1 for large complex fires. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to be fully staffed with fifty additional staff, has twelve prescribed burns planned before fire season begins, and has identified 140 abandoned vehicles to remove. ODF will have full staffing with dispatch hours between 0700-2200, and 17 detection cameras and 5 wildfire cameras online for June. The type -two helicopters will be available in Grants Pass and Medford, and a type -three helicopter with 8-person crew will be staffed in Medford. While there have been two before, only one single -seat small engine aircraft will be available in Roseburg. Three ODF Incident Management Teams will be available June 1 and will also rely on federal allocation of 23 large air tankers for our Northwest Region. Hyatt asked about the lack of tanker allocation and Sartain responded it will be based on how season progresses. Dahle asked where the tankers will be, and Sartain responded the BLM will put its tanker in Medford but ODF replaced theirs with two helicopters. Shay gave an update on Wildfire Mitigation & Preparedness: Helicopter Logging Update Logging is going well according to budget and timeline. The helicopter is back in service after a required and unavoidable Federal Aviation Administration inspection. There are 25 Acres Page 1 of 7 left of 147 total acres to treat at Siskiyou Mountain Park which is expected to take 3 days to finish. Shay reported 56 truckloads of logs have gone to the mill totaling about $141, 800 in revenue. Biomass was sold to the local mill in White City, and about 40 yards of material went to the Jackson Fuel Committee as low-income heat assistance. Trails in Siskiyou Mountain Park are now open. Lomakatsi is piling green debris and working with a biologist for habitat enhancements for the Pacific Fisher and Humbolt Marten and replanting plan for trees this fall. Logging will move to the City's forest lands around the water treatment plant, and should be completed before Memorial Day weekend allowing those trails to be open at that time. Graham asked which trees would be replanted, and Shay responded they will defer to the biologists for those recommendations. Hansen asked about the remaining logs along the trail. Shay spoke of the plan to bring all logs by helicopter to two landing pads where the trucks are loaded. Hansen and Graham asked about contingencies if the project is not finished by May 27". Shay and Sartain clarified that due to the beneficial wet spring weather, work can continue with appropriate mitigation as necessary. Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Update Funding is from a USDA Forest Service Grant. A consultant has been hired and working groups have engaged public participation. A contract with Rogue Reconnaissance will conduct the risk assessment via drone with Lidar technology which will reduce subjectivity found in past assessments. This project is ongoing, and staff are incorporating this and other data in this CWPP in collaboration with Oregon State University and Boise State University. Weed abatement Notices with an educational letter will be sent June 1 to hazard properties. This will be followed up with a pre -citation warning letter if there is no action. If there is still no action, there will be the potential for a citation and abatement. The timeframe between the first letter and potential citation and abatement is one month. The increased collaboration with City's Code Enforcement Officer allows for a more collaborative and consistent approach across the City and includes data tracking. Graham asked how to gain compliance on lands not in the City limits, and Shay responded they can persuade through letters requesting compliance. Graham and Sartain reflected on previous discussions with the County about creating a transition -zone around the City with some enforcement options, but this fell to the wayside during Covid. Sartain spoke this would be a topic for elected officials, and encouraged collaboration with Talent, Phoenix, Medford, and Central Point to discuss with County Commissioners to create such a buffer zone. DuQuenne and Hyatt asked about abatement on City owned properties and easements, and Scott Fleury was available to speak that it would be completed by the June 15 deadline. CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) Fire is now using the retired fire battalion chief vehicle as the CERT vehicle which replaces an aged ambulance well beyond its service life. Recent CERT training expanded the pool of CERT vehicle drivers and trained 10 CERT volunteers to include fire rehabilitation activities which will free up firefighters. In June CERT will have an annual evacuation refresher in collaboration with Emergency Management and Police. Ashland Wildfire Mitigation Project Fire has not been able to fill the Wildfire Risk Reduction Specialist position with a candidate that can perform all duties: site visits, public engagement, assessments, and processing federal paperwork. Currently the role is split Page 2 of 7 between a part-time temporary employee to work on backlog of federal paperwork and a fire employee for assessments and public engagement. This will allow the City to close out old projects, and this month can open new projects. 155 properties have been mitigated including 11 shake roofs replaced to date. The grant ends March 2025. Bloom asked if the annual CERT exercise in June would include community involvement. Burns answered that CERT has done an annual evacuation drill with its teams for many years, and while it is a team exercise, it will be conducted in a residential area adjacent to a commercial area. Kaplan suggested information about the exercise go to public. Graham spoke of the grant received to mitigate 1100 properties with a deadline of March 2025 and asked about contingencies if it is not met. Sartain spoke that an extension can be requested, but success will be dependent on securing a full-time employee. Green debris drop off events in collaboration with Jackson County Emergency Management. April 271h Ashland event had about 100 vehicles dropping off about 180 cubic yards. The next event is May 11 which covers Jackson and Josephine counties. Outreach and education They continue to use social media posts to inform the public, and a Smoke -wise workshop was held on May 2 in collaboration with the Ashland Chamber of Commerce for about 30 businesses. In collaboration with Emergency Management and Boise State University, two Wildfire workshops will be held on May 81h in person, and May 15 virtually at 6pm. Community Fire Education Day is on May 181h from 10-4 at Science Works and will include demonstrations, activities with kids and fire trucks to tour. On May 22, Ashland Senior Cener will host two DIY air filter classes, and an Ashland Fire and Rescue Open House is scheduled for May 31s' at fire station 1 from 2-6 with station tours and trucks tours. On June 281h there will be Cleaner Air classes in Spanish developed for families with the Oregon Child Development Coalition. Each of those families will receive a new air purifier funded by an EPA and OSU grant. WRAP has merged with the CERT program, with 18 WRAP volunteers. New home assessment software comes out mid -May for fire staff and WRAP volunteers. This should help complete 10-20 assessments per month. ODF will host open houses later this summer for feedback on the latest revision on state wildfire hazard map. Hyatt recognized excellent engagement from WRAP volunteers. Emergency Management Program update Burns spoke about the 50 Evacuation Zone signs that have gone up with 100 more planned to go up next year. The evacuation Zone Map has been expanded in collaboration with Ashland and Jackson County GIS teams to cover previous gaps. Burns spoke about regional coordination through an Emergency Operations Center, an upcoming Evacuations Summit for 2024, and increased outreach of the Citizen Alert system. Burns also spoke about efforts to increase individual preparedness through home evacuation drills and research projects. DuQuenne asked about physical copies of Evacuation Maps, and Burns responded they have printed flyers of Evacuation Maps available and have partnered with OSF so their residents can have these posted in their apartments. Cotta said these are also going out in the utility billing handouts. Kaplan asked about choke points identified in evacuation time study in 2021 and any efforts to alleviate those. Burns said this was a topic for the Evacuation Task Force operational group consisting of Public Works, Streets, Fire, Police, and ODOT. With the GIS team, this group identified the top 15 pinch points which personnel may be sent to in the Page 3 of 7 event of an evacuation to help keep those points open. Kaplan asked about a back-up plan if Burns is not here during an emergency. Burns spoke about key personnel he is training on the Emergency Alert System and that he will be convening a class on that in June. Hyatt asked about the City's relationship with ODOT and Burns responded that those relationships have been established with himself as well as Sartain and O'Meara. Graham asked about families of first responders during an emergency and Burns spoke about a short to-do list for City employees to create a plan with their families. Kaplan asked about plans for people who don't have a vehicle or have mobility issues. Burns spoke about an upcoming meeting regarding a proposal from OSU on this, but nothing definitive now. Burns encouraged all citizens, including those with transportation or mobility issues to create an evacuation plan. Burns is working with the Disaster Registry through City of Medford and the Rogue Valley Council of Governments to make sure those locations are pushed through to first responders. Burns highlighted the regional cooperation with Southern Oregon University (SOU) and the Ashland School District (ASD) in creating an Emergency Operations Center at SOU. Burns spoke about the upcoming Evacuations Summitt 2024 partnering with Butte County officials who experienced two adjacent severe emergency episodes in 2017 to learn from their experiences with their Emergency Operations Center and what they did after. Dahle asked where citizens can go for information instead of only relying on messages to come through from the City. Cotta spoke of learning from the Almeda Fire was that citizens would like regular updates going out, even without new information. The City now has a Public Information Officer (PIO) where consistent information can come from one centralized place. Burns suggested physical locations for posting information at City Hall and Fire Stations. Sartain added that 1700 AM is still controlled by the Fire Department would be available for the PIO to update from. Paul Mozina/Ashland - spoke about a day when the weather was a sunny day and he was shocked by the chemtrails. Mozina spoke that climate engineering is going on and it is not a conspiracy theory. Mozina wanted the fire department to know the spray is a fire accelerant. Graham spoke about the Almeda fire and learning from past experiences, and asked the public to step-up in matching the work that City Staff are doing to be prepared for fire season. 2. Water Treatment Plant Update Public Works Director Scott Fleury reviewed the enterprise system project development process. Fleury explained how the Water Master Plan included public and Council engagement before adoption. The Ashland Water Advisory Committee had been involved in the last two Water Master Plans in 2012 and 2020, and prior to that, the Water Advisory Group was involved in the late 1990's and early 2000's. This committee worked with the City Council, who adopted the water master plan as the guiding document for that enterprise system. The subsequent capital improvement plan was adopted by Council as it moved through the budget process. The project initiation phase included a request for proposals, preliminary Page 4 of 7 and final engineering steps, and a construction administration phase. Finally, a construction contract would be secured for the construction phase of the project. Fleury explained how project costs are developed through the life of the project and how the accuracy of costs increases through each phase. Fleury reviewed the Water Treatment Plant Project status which is at 100% design with plans, specifications, and estimates. The project will utilize a multi -barrier treatment approach and has planning approval. The project also has 100% funding including a notification of award from the Environmental Protection Agency for up to $75 Million, which may be reduced pending other grant applications. Fleury explained the current project cost estimate is between $55 and $71 million. Additional options for a solar array and battery storage system is at about $3 million and $1.5 million respectively, and can be decided upon or built at any time during or after the main project. Fleury explained the multi -barrier treatment approach for the new project that will handle the reservoir's algae blooms and how it is different from the current process. Hyatt asked how the City would handle water deliveries without interruption during necessary shut -downs. Fleury spoke about 7 million gallons of potable water storage in the City's storage tank system. Water demand in winter is 1.5-2 million gallons a day while demand in summer is 5.5-6 million gallons a day. Water storage allows staff to take the plant offline for a limited amount of time depending on the season. The new water treatment plant would not need to be taken offline for maintenance. Hyatt asked about accessing the TAP system if needed and Fleury explained TAP only serves one half of the City and the quickest turnaround to utilize that water is about a day. Dahle and Fleury summarized that shutting down the current plant and using stored water in the interim is expected to happen more frequently and to such a degree that it will not be considered dependable for water supply. Hansen and Fleury summarized that while the current plant has been handling algae blooms, blooms are projected to increase in frequency and intensity. Fleury spoke of the current process for handling these blooms has a risk of releasing toxins into the water, which would result in a Do Not Drink advisory, whereas the new plant would incorporate ozone treatment which would eliminate that risk. Graham and Fleury clarified that projections for intensified algae blooms will take place in the summer months when water demand and fire risk is the highest. Hyatt asked what it would take for ozone to be added to the current plant. Fleury explained the contractor estimated it at about $15 million due to the steepness of the site and that it would add a significant risk to damaging the current plant. DuQuenne asked how the new plant would impact the Climate and Energy Action Plan (CEAP) goals the City is aiming to meet by 2030. Fleury spoke about the alternative energy generation component to reduce the power consumption needs of the plant. The new plant will also be more efficient and will require less chemicals, reducing the environmental impact. DuQuenne asked what will happen to the old plant. Fleury responded that the electronic and chemical equipment will be removed and the building will be utilized for office space. Graham spoke about the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure's Envision program, and Fleury responded the City is looking at meeting the gold standard for the program and spoke to the design components that increased scoring for that program goal. Page 5 of 7 Dahle commented that the alternatives for water treatment have already been considered. Fleury spoke of the process to reach the best outcome which is for a new plant. Fleury spoke of the anticipated project impacts: 30 months of construction, 3-6 months of plant startup, and trucks up and down Granite Street. Granite Street would be closed during culvert replacement, and there would be parking impacts. Fleury will work with the Trail Association to maximize trail access during the project. Kaplan asked how the water will get to the new plant, and Fleury detailed the utilization of a current pipeline. Fleury reviewed the project inception in 2012 when it was recommended as part of the Water Master Plan. The intention was to replace the existing plant over time by starting with a partial plant that could be expanded over time to eventually take the existing plant offline. In 2017, the recommendation was for a single plant that would replace the existing plant instead of operating two plants. Dahle asked Fleury about the change in thinking with the water commission in 2016 to recommend this change of course. Fleury detailed the sense of urgency felt around meeting the peak demand projected for 2018 which was not realized until the drought in 2014-15. This along with the TAP intertie allowed a slowing of the process to consider what was best in the long run. The consideration became the significant cost savings in operating one plant instead of two as well as the maintenance savings from a new plant. DuQuenne asked about the $18 Million in the water fund, and if the 5% meal tax could help pay for the wastewater treatment plant and could that be put on the ballot instead of rate increases to users. Cotta responded this is an option; however, a water rate increase is still needed to cover the increased operational costs. Graham asked about emergency contingencies if the plant must shut down due to catastrophe. Fleury responded that TAP may provide some water service, and detailed existing plans for additional boosting pumps that could be used in conjunction with a portable water treatment plant that can do membrane filtration. This would all be in conjunction with water curtailment as an emergency plan during such a crisis. Fleury referred to the sediment burden experienced in the flood of 1974. The new plant is out of the flood zone. Fleury explained more about the TAP intertie option. The total maximum water delivery allowed is 3 million gallons a day and would represent increased water costs for delivery and storage. If Medford agreed to increase the maximum allowed water delivery, there would be a 5-year planning process and then 5-7 years of construction. Fleury spoke about available funding options. The City has explored the EPA's Water Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act (WIFIA) funding since 2021. Fleury explained this option would be utilized to repay expenditures as the project unfolds. Other options typically used for funding are Revenue and General Obligation Bonds where the City would receive the full amount up front and be immediately responsible for interest. The state -managed Safe Drinking Water Revolving Fund Loan is only designed to handle one to six million dollar projects. The City has applied for two other grants which are pending. Hansen spoke to address any concerns about this process happening too quickly noting actions every year since 1991 and encouraged the public to read the packet. DuQuenne asked how long it would take for repayment of this project. Fleury responded that the WIFIA program is a 35-year loan on money borrowed with no prepayment penalty. Page 6 of 7 Dahle asked if the increased cost over time is due to inflation or other factors. Fleury spoke that in 2012 the cost was estimated at about $12 million but was for a 2.5-million- gallon treatment plant. In 2017 the estimate was for $22 million to rebuild the same plant in a new location. An estimate for the engineering in 2020 was for $35 million which had 30-60% accuracy. Then, the construction cost index for the Pacific Northwest had a 30% increase from 2021 until the fourth quarter of 2023. Kaplan spoke of the WIFIA program as more flexible compared to bonds that require interest up front. With no prepayment penalty it allows for other methods to cover costs that may emerge moving forward. Fleury described additional flexibility in the WIFIA repayment such as interest only payments or balloon payments which are not available for bonds. Revenue pledges and full -faith -in -credit pledges were not appealing since that would be a tax basis for the whole community and creates obstacles as a general fund debt instead of an enterprise fund debt. Fleury discussed the Cost -of -Service study completed in 2016. He spoke of currently negotiating for a cost of service update to be completed by the end of the year to drive budget discussions for the next biennium. Fleury emphasized the inclusion of a low-income assistance utility program in considering any new rate structure. The new plant also represents a potential revenue source by sending water to Talent and Phoenix through TAP. Hasen asked if dam improvements would increase water to share through TAP. Fleury clarified it would not but would hold more water during winter months to provide water over a longer period. Dahle asked when rate increase discussions will happen and how they would align with the plant funding. Fleury anticipated by late summer to have this discussion with Council and the contractor. This will allow for incorporating feedback and to bring it back to Council by year end so they can proceed with the budget process. Hansen asked when construction would start, and Fleury expected it to be in Spring of 2025. 3. Adjournment of Study Session The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted by: A 00 � -4 ,, �� I Nsp City Recorder Alissa Kolodzinski ttest: Mayor onya Graham Page 7 of 7 FAI 44 11 FIRE ir�l� jV CRESCUE -�ZI887 4G 6, Fire Season 2024 May 2024 Preparedness summary V- 11 "N' f 2 WIN l 1 Arm '.' 40t t .. s, y 3 r. - 171, 14 KCS(.l'C � tSE" Wildfire Mitigation & Preparedness ➢ CWPP update ➢ Weed abatement process ➢ Expanded CERT training ➢ Ashland Wildfire Mitigation Project ➢ Green debris drop off events ➢ Outreach and education QUESTIONS? Emergency Management Program Evacuations Work Evacuation Zone signs Evacuation Zone map expansion Evacuation Task Force Regional Coordination: Emergency Operations Center work Evacuations Summit 2024 Citizen Alert/Everbridge Individual Preparedness: Home Evacuation Drills Research Projects 44 Evacuations Work Evacuation Zone signs Coordination with Ashland GIS, Street Department. Plans and budget for more next year. n Emergency Management Evacuations Evac Zone map expansion. Coordination with Jackson County Emergency Management, Jackson County GIS, Ashland GIS Emergency Management Evacuations Evacuation Task Force operational group tasked with solving the problem of managing mass evacuations Emergency Preparedness Regional Cooperation Emergency Operations Coordination with City, SOU, ASD. Ongoing work: training, exercises, and joint -policy development. Emergency Preparedness Regional Cooperation Evacuations Coordination with Butte Count Officials and regional respons, agencies. Emergency Preparedness Regional Cooperation Emergency Messages Coordination with Jackson County emergency management to join alerts regional platform Everbridge. Emergency Preparedness Individual Preparedness Home evacuation drills BSU Research project Public Outreach and LEVEL 2 BE SET TO EVACUATE AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE SIGNIFICANT DANGER IN THE AREA A Follow your emergency plan and grab your go -kit of supplies. A Check news and radio for updates. Education A Inform loved ones of your evacuation plans. nditions can change rapidly. Leave if you feel unsafe. Exploring more collaboration wi BSU and OSU in mass evacuation t ^ �� drills April/May 2025. A": -i THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS, FEEDBACK? Thank you for supporting emergency management efforts! Agenda • General Project Development • General Project Costing • Water Treatment Plant Project Status • Construction Impacts • Why? • Medford Water Commission - TAP • Project Funding • Water Rate Cost of Service Enterprise System Project Development - How • Cradle to Grave Process • Project Development • System Master Plan • Citizen Appointed Committee • Public Meetings • Council Engagement - Feedback • Adoption • Capital Improvement Plan • 2/6-year development • Adoption by Council • Budget Process • Appropriations and Approval Project Initiation • Request for Proposal • Preliminary Engineering • Final Engineering • Construction Administration • Construction Contract Opinion of Cost- Development • How are project costs developed? • Master Plan, 30%, 60%, 90%,100% • Accuracy Increases Iterativelv Master Plan — Expected Range of racy LOW Fish Clss� TypicalUse efi� �w E� Other Terms Classification Definition cost cost Classy Strategic Planning; 0%to2% -50%to- +30%to ROM; Ballpark; Blue Sky; Orderof- Concept Screenng 20% +100% Ratio Magnitude pass 4 Feasibility Study 1%10 -30%to - +20%to Feasibility; top -down; 15% 15% +50% Screening; Pre -design 10%to -20%to- +10%to Budget; Basic Class 3 Budgetary Budgeting Engineering Phase; Seml- 40% 10% +90% detailed Bidding; Project Engineering; Bid; Cass Controls; Change 305 15 +5%to Detailed Control; Definitive Management 7% 5% '20'% Faced Detail Bidding; Project Class 1 Controls: Change 65%to -10%to- +3%to Bottoms Up; Full Detail, Management 100% 3% +15% Firm Price nil it 0 CL L Water Treatment Plant Project -Status costsummnry • Currently at 100% design • Plans, Specifications and Estimates • Multibarrier Approach • Ozone • Sedimentation • Filtration • Disinfection • Planning Approval - Obtained Fall 2023 • Environmental Protection Agency -100% funding • $75 Million Maximum Award* * (reduction pending grant awards) Summaryof Opinion of Probable Construction Cost Hi h Ran a Low Range +15% Construction Costs -SO% $ 71,150,000 $ 61,869,000 $ 55,683,000 Summary of Opinion of Probable Construction Cost Hi h Ran a Low Range +15% Solar Construction Costs -10% $ 3,7W,000 $ 3,295,000 $ 2,966,000 Summary of Opinion of Probable Construction Cost High Range low Ran e +15% BESS Construction Costs -10% $ 1,771,000 $ 1,5W,000 $ 1.3%,000 rAM Water Treatment Plant -Process (current) Raw Water + _ Q _ Influent Filtration C�JkUC� Coagulation Flocculation Filter to Waste 110 ,, Disinfectant Spent Filter Backwash Clearwell Direct Filtration Schematic IF Finished Water to Distribution System Water Treatment Plant Project -Process (new) Conventional Filtration Schematic Water Treatment Plant Project -Impacts • Construction estimated at • Plant startup and commissioning (3-6 months) • Granite Street closed for culvert replacement Temporary parking Trail system still accessible Water Treatment Plant Project -Why • Replacing Ageing Infrastructure in Vulnerable Location • Existing Plant -1948 with upgrades in the 1990's • Risk Mitigation • Flood • Landslide • Earthquake • Water Quality Concerns (Algal Toxins, Turbidity) • Meet current and future demand • Previously reviewed and presented alternatives to Council • Rehabilitate vs. New Construction Water Treatment Plant Project - Why Medford Water Commission Connection • Talent -Ashland -Phoenix Intertie • 2.13 MGD expandable to 3.0 MGD (maximum allowed under contract) • 1000 acre-feet of stored water • 325 million gallons • COA Annual usage = 1 billion • TAP Water Cost • .101 cents/1000 gallons (summer) • .81 cents/1000 gallons (winter) Lost Creek Storage Fee • Electrical & Misc. Fees Water Treatment Plant Funding • Environmental Protection Agency • Water Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act (WIFIA) • Revenue Pledge for Repayment • Revenue Bonds • Revenue Pledge for Repayment • General Obligation Bond • Full Faith and Credit of the City • Safe Drinking Water Revolving Fund Loan • State Managed Funding • Need Additional Sources to Combine • Grant Potential • BIL-EC (Spring 2025) • SDWRF Loan/Principal Forgiveness (Spring 2025) Cost of Service - Water • Last Water Utility Cost of Service Completed in 2016 • Creates a Defensible Rate Structure • Equitable over Customer Classes • Recommend Updating • Equity and Progressive Structure (Commodity Charge) • Fully Allocate TAP Charges Correctly into Rate Structure • TAP Improvements • Allow wholesale of water to Talent and Phoenix • Additional revenue QUESTIONS?