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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-19-2019 4-a - OWASA Annual Update Presentation 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: February 19, 2019 Action Agenda Item No. 4-a SUBJECT: OWASA Annual Update Presentation DEPARTMENT: County Commissioners ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board, 245- January 29, 2019 Letter from OWASA 2130 Board Chair Yinka Ayankoya Bonnie Hammersley, County Manager, Quarterly Meeting Summary - BOCC 245-2300 Representatives and County Ed Kerwin, OWASA Executive Director, Appointees to OWASA Board 968-4421 PURPOSE: To receive a presentation and information from the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) on recent activities. BACKGROUND: At the beginning of each calendar year over the last decade, OWASA representatives have appeared before the Board of Commissioners to make a presentation on recent OWASA activities. Ray DuBose and Jody Eimers, Orange County appointees to the OWASA Board, will provide an overview on several initiatives from OWASA's annual report (attached). FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with receiving the presentation. SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: There is no Orange County Social Justice Goal impact associated with this item. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board receive the presentation as information and provide any feedback as necessary. 1 2 OWASA ORANGE WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY A public, non-profit agency providing water, sewer and reclaimed water services to the Carrboro-Chapel Hill community. January 29, 2019 Mayor Pam Hemminger Mayor Lydia Lavelle Chair Penny Rich Town of Chapel Hill Town of Carrboro Orange County Board of 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd Post Office Box 8181 Commissioners Chapel Hill,NC 27514 Carrboro,NC 27510 301 West Main Street Hillsborough,NC 27278 Dear Mayor Hemminger, Mayor Lavelle and Chair Rich: We are pleased to submit this annual report on our services, projects and initiatives in calendar year 2018. This report includes information on the following items: 1. System resiliency, emergency response 2. Water supply 3. Water quality 4. Agua Vista/Advanced Metering Infrastructure 5. New rates, system development fees 6. Affordability Outreach Program 7. Wastewater and biosolids quality 8. Sewers for the Historic Rogers Road Area 9. Equal employment opportunity annual report 2017-18 10. Diversity&Inclusion Program 11. Energy management 12. Annual fiscal report 2017-18 13. Infrastructure Investments 1. System resiliency, emergency response In the latter part of 2018, OWASA responded to three emergencies, accelerating existing plans and new initiatives to increase system resiliency. OWASA provided continuous water and wastewater service throughout two hurricanes: Florence in September and Michael in October. In November, a water main break on Jones Ferry Road in Carrboro resulted in system-wide conservation and boil water advisory. The event prompted OWASA to take new actions to further increase system resiliency. 400 Jones Ferry Road Equal Opportunity Employer Voice (919) 968-4421 Carrboro, NC 27510-2001 Printed on Recycled Paper www.owasa.org OWASA Annual Report 3 January 29, 2019 Page 2 Hurricane Florence In the lead-up to Hurricane Florence, OWASA reviewed its response, safety, and staffing plans; secured back-up fuel and treatment chemicals; lined up contractors to assist with repairs as needed; assigned Incident Command responsibilities; and coordinated with community partners. On September 14, Florence made landfall in North Carolina as a Category 1 Storm. University Lake peaked at 54.5 inches above the spillway triggering the first stage in OWASA's Dam Emergency Action Plan(EAP). At this first stage, there is no real danger of the dam failing; however as per EAP protocol, OWASA notified Orange County Emergency Management, the dam's engineer, and the state. The State Department of Environmental Quality's Dam Safety Division inspected the dam and noted no issues. Cane Creek Reservoir's water levels peaked at 27.5 inches above the spillway; this did not require OWASA to activate the Dam EAP. OWASA responded to two water main breaks and restored service to affected community members (88 customers)within the day. Stormwater inadvertently entered the wastewater collection system resulting in one wastewater overflow(estimated at 8,300 gallons). Hurricane Michael With preparations for Hurricane Florence still intact, OWASA was ready for Hurricane Michael. On October 11, power outages started to occur in Carrboro and Chapel Hill. By 6:30 pm that evening, OWASA had twelve facilities running smoothly on back-up power generation: the Cane Creek Reservoir raw water pump station, the water and wastewater treatment plants, and 9 wastewater pumping stations. Throughout the storm, all water and wastewater systems remained fully operational. On October 13, recreation was closed at Cane Creek Reservoir due to power limitations. By October 14 at 1:15 pm,utility power was restored and we returned to normal operations at all locations. Jones Ferry Road Water Main Break On November 5, 2018, a water main break on Jones Ferry Road in Carrboro affected water storage levels and system pressure. Customers in OWASA's service area were asked to conserve water for 24 hours and boil water(before consuming it) for 31 hours. Immediately following the event, OWASA commissioned engineering firm Hazen and Sawyer to conduct an independent review of what caused the break and why it took 7.5 hours to stop the leak. According to Hazen and Sawyer, the root cause of the main break was a manufacturing defect in the pipe. The area where the pipe cracked was significantly thinner than other areas of the pipe. This defect, compounded with the age and material of the pipe,resulted in localized cracking. To stop the leak, OWASA had to close a series of valves. Some valves were found to be inoperable requiring OWASA to move further away from the break to close more valves. The report noted that the complexity of turning 31 valves overall resulted in 7.5 hours passing before OWASA slowed the leak to a point where the necessary repairs could be made. OWASA is acting on recommendations from the report to increase system resiliency. For example, we are establishing a dedicated valve maintenance crew,working with a consultant to improve the organization's water pipe assessment and replacement prioritization model, and developing plans to improve piping infrastructure leaving the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) on OWASA Annual Report 4 January 29, 2019 Page 3 Jones Ferry Road. OWASA is also meeting with community partners to understand their unique needs and collaborate on solutions. 2. Water supply The North Carolina Drought Monitor currently does not have any drought advisories issued in North Carolina. The OWASA Board and staff continuously monitor conditions and always encourage wise use of water resources. In 2018, OWASA recorded the highest year of local rainfall on record(as compared to 128 years of rainfall data that OWASA has on file). Rainfall at the WTP in Carrboro measured at 74.74 inches. This is 27.57 inches above the 128-year average of 47.17 inches per year. OWASA has also measured rainfall at Cane Creek Reservoir since 1992, which has averaged 44.64 inches annually. 2018 was also the wettest year at Cane Creek where rainfall measured at 67.67 inches. As of January 22nd, our reservoirs (Cane Creek Reservoir,University Lake and Quarry Reservoir)were 100% full. While experts believe the southeastern United States will receive in the future about the same amount of rainfall as 2018, on average, the rainfall will likely be provided in more severe storms and flooding events with more severe and prolonged droughts in between. OWASA has a Water Shortage Response Plan and a Drought Response Operating Protocol which guides our decisions to ensure we work proactively with the community in case of drought conditions. In 2018, OWASA continued to work with utility neighbors through the Jordan Lake Partnership. The JLP began work on regional drought and emergency response planning in 2018 and will continue this work under the newly formed Triangle Water Supply Partnership. OWASA is also updating its Long Range Water Supply Plan to ensure we have water to meet our needs through 2070. 3. Water quality OWASA published its annual water qualityport card and was pleased to share that in 2017, we met or surpassed all Federal and State standards for drinking water quality, including requirements to test for over 150 substances. Throughout the reporting year, OWASA treated about 2.5 billion gallons of water, an average of 6.8 million gallons per day. Elsewhere in North Carolina, some utilities reported in their water high levels of GenX, a compound belonging to a group of man-made chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). In January 2018, OWASA proactively tested local water samples for PFASs levels in our treated drinking water, as well as our raw water sources (reservoirs). Results showed that GenX was not present in any sample. For treated drinking water, the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)has established a lifetime health advisor 1�for two PFASs (PFOS and PFOA) at a combined level of 70 parts per trillion(ppt). Low levels of PFOS and PFOA, below the EPA's advisory level, were detected in OWASA's treated water samples. OWASA Annual Report 5 January 29, 2019 Page 4 For raw water(at point of source and not yet treated), the EPA does not have a health advisory level, nor any other guidance in place. OWASA's raw water sample from Cane Creek Reservoir measured 120 ppt(PFOS and PFOA combined). The upstream sources of PFOS and PFOA at this site are not certain at this time. There are no facilities typically associated with elevated levels of PFASs in the watershed(although we do not have historical information on past land use). We do know that other utilities have applied biosolids in the watershed; OWASA does not. PFASs can be found in everyday products such as carpet, clothing, and cookware because they increase resistance to water, grease, and stains. As these products are treated, washed, or degrade, PFASs can enter wastewater systems and then travel onward to lakes and rivers. They are used in manufacturing processes for a variety of reasons including repelling moisture and reducing mechanical wear. Through these uses, PFASs can also enter water through industrial releases or discharges from wastewater treatment plants. Studies indicate that the use of powder activated carbon(PAC) is successful in the removal of some PFASs but not all. Consistent with these studies, OWASA's use of PAC has also resulted in the removal of some PFASs but not all. The EPA does not provide formal guidance on PFASs mitigation, though the agency has announced its intention to publish a PFASs management plan in the future. In the absence of formal guidance, we are in the process of implementing a PFASs monitoring plan—consisting of quarterly sampling of Cane Creek Reservoir and our treated drinking water—to ensure we have localized data. We will continue to share results and action plans with the community. 4. Agua Vista/Advanced Metering Infrastructure OWASA has upgraded more than 21,000 meters across Chapel Hill and Carrboro with remote read capability, representing more than 95% of our installation target. The Agua Vista project remains on time and on budget. Leveraging the nearly real-time data the meters provide, OWASA is communicating with customers when we observe increased water use beyond normal consumption patterns that suggest a water leak. As a result of these proactive notifications and customer service outreach, the number of customers making requests for OWASA to come and do on-site checks for leaks have greatly decreased. For example, service requests were 50% lower in September 2018 than in September 2017. To enable customers to track their own water use, we are in the process of implementing a web portal where customers will be able to track their water use data and learn conservation tips. The Agua Vista customer portal is scheduled to launch in March 2019. 5. New rates, system development fees OWASA's Board of Directors adopted the budget for July 2018 through June 2019, which included a 2% increase in monthly water and sewer(wastewater,)rates as of October 1, 2018. As a result, a monthly water and wastewater bill for a single-family residence (using 4,000 gallons each month) increased $1.41 per month. This was the first increase in OWASA's monthly water and sewer rates in six years. The fiscal year budget included a $21 million Capital Improvements Plan, representing critical investments in the community's water and wastewater infrastructure. OWASA Annual Report 6 January 29, 2019 Page 5 Effective July 1, 2018, system development fees (one-time fees charged for new connections to OWASA's system) were reduced between 10% and 40%, depending on meter size and property type. A new tier for single family homes less than 800 square feet in size was also added. 6. Affordability Outreach Program 2018 marked the third full year of OWASA's Affordability Outreach Program. Through this program,we engage with over 20 social service agencies to empower low-income customers and local agencies that serve them with information and tools to better manage their water consumption, and reduce bills. In addition, OWASA continued to invite customers to contribute to Care to Share, the customer assistance program administered in partnership with the Interfaith Council for Social Services (IFC). In 2018, on-bill contributions totaled over$7,650,representing a 44% increase over the year before (about$2,350 more). Individuals and businesses also donated$790 directly to IFC to support Care to Share. These combined customer, individual, and business contributions provided funding for approximately 64%of utility bill assistance needs that IFC administered to families in 2018. 7. Wastewater and biosolids quality OWASA published its annual Wastewater Quality Report Card and was pleased to report that from July 2017 to June 2018,we surpassed all Federal and State standards for treated wastewater quality. The phosphorus level in our treated wastewater was 45%below the regulatory limit, and nitrogen was 67%below the limit. Throughout the reporting year, OWASA's wastewater system treated about 2.8 billion gallons of wastewater, an average of 7.8 million gallons per day. Following OWASA's extensive wastewater treatment process, the treated water output is returned to Morgan Creek or reclaimed as non-drinking water for use in commercial cooling units and other systems to support sustainable water use. In 2017-18, the University and UNC Healthcare used about 265 million gallons of reclaimed water(about one-third of the University's overall water use). Solids that remain after the treatment process are anaerobically digested. These organic materials, called biosolids, are beneficially recycled via composting or through land application in partnership with local farms in Orange, Chatham and Alamance Counties. OWASA biosolids are designated exceptional quality per EPA standards. Some biosolids are also recycled at a private composting facility in Chatham County. 8. Sewers for the Historic Rogers Road Area The Historic Rogers Road Area Sewer Extension Project was approved and funded jointly by three local governments: Orange County, Town of Carrboro, and Town of Chapel Hill. OWASA is providing project management services to oversee the construction of 18,000 feet of sewer pipes; 70% of the pipes for this project have been installed. Along the path of the piping in the Rogers Road area, the contractor encountered underground rock which is requiring low intensity blasting to the south and north of Tallyho Trail in Carrboro. OWASA Annual Report 7 January 29, 2019 Page 6 A public meeting was coordinated by the project partners before blasting commenced. Low intensity underground blasting is currently underway. The project is now anticipated to be complete in the Spring of 2019. 9. Equal employment opportunity annual report 2017-18 At the end of the fiscal year, OWASA's workforce was comprised of 23.2%Women and 76.8% Men, representing an increase in gender diversity from last year(when OWASA's workforce was comprised of 21.9% Women and 78.1%Men). In terms of racial representation, at the end of the fiscal year, OWASA's workforce was 74.4% White, 12.8%Black, 6.4% Two or More Races, 3.2%Hispanic, 2.4%Asian, and 0.8%American Indian or Alaska Native. Overall, minority representation at OWASA at fiscal end was 25.6%, remaining generally the same as the year before when minority representation was 25.8%. OWASA has the opportunity to improve diversity at all levels of the organization and will continue to strive to do so. 10. Diversity& Inclusion Program OWASA's Diversity and Inclusion (D&I)program has two goals: 1) to foster diversity in our workforce reflecting the communities we serve, and 2) enable an inclusive environment that encourages and supports each team member to contribute to their full ability towards OWASA's mission. OWASA's Diversity Resource Group, Diversity Recruitment Group, Diversity Leadership Group, and supervisors have received 16 hours of training. Voluntary employee trainings have also occurred. OWASA has also completed a review of its recruitment processes, career development programs, mentoring program and promotional opportunities. With learnings from this review and input from the D&I groups, D&I activities now include: the development of recruitment plans for each recruitment incorporating local census data (to develop applicant targets for under-represented groups), training on new standard processes for interview panels, and training for supervisors. The Board of Directors has also had four training sessions. 11. Energy management In April 2017, the Board adopted an Energy Management Plan. Goals included reducing OWASA's use of purchased natural gas by 5%by 2020 (compared to a 2010 baseline), reducing use of purchased electricity by 35%by 2020 (compared to a 2010 baseline), and beneficially using all Wastewater Treatment Plant biogas by 2022 (provided the preferred strategy is projected to have a positive payback within the expected life of the required equipment). For the first time since these goals were set, OWASA reached its natural gas use reduction goal of 5%. From December 2017 to November 2018, we used 7.3% less natural gas than we did in 2010, in large part due to our use of the methane generated by anaerobic digestion at the Wastewater Treatment Plant(rather than pipeline natural gas). This repurposed energy was used OWASA Annual Report 8 January 29, 2019 Page 7 to heat the boilers that heat our anaerobic digesters. In addition, the new HVAC system in the Administration Building has eliminated OWASA's use of natural gas for building heating, also supporting our decreased use of natural gas. 12. Annual fiscal report 2017-18 In September, OWASA presented its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report(CAFR) for Fiscal Year 2018 (beginning July 1, 2017 and ending June 30, 2018). OWASA's financial position improved during the fiscal year with net income less debt service being about$10.7 million. The financial reserves will be used for planned capital improvements needs. About 69% of OWASA's $19.2 million capital expenditures for fiscal year 2018 were invested in replacing and rehabilitating existing infrastructure. The remaining 31% of capital expenditures were invested in expanding or enhancing the community's water and wastewater systems, for example, to increase the size of some pipes and install new meters. OWASA is a special purpose local government entity organized under state law. We are a public, non-profit agency and are required by law to use cost-of-service rates, meaning we set our rates, fees, and charges to cover the cost for each of our services. We do not levy or collect taxes, nor do we receive funding from taxing authorities. OWASA's credit ratings from Fitch of AA+ and Aal from Moody's remain unchanged. Standard&Poor's increased OWASA's rating to AAA during the year. 13. Infrastructure investment OWASA maintains 750 miles of water and wastewater pipes, a water treatment plant, a wastewater treatment plant,pump stations, and other infrastructure. Meeting the community's needs and increasing system resiliency requires ongoing rehabilitation of the water, wastewater, and reclaimed water systems. Capital investments, including debt payments for capital projects, account for about half of our costs. In the last fiscal year, we invested about $19.2 million to renew, replace and improve infrastructure. Our five-year Capital Improvements Program can be viewed here. Key accomplishments in 2018: 1. Construction of a chemical facility at Cane Creek Reservoir to improve the taste and odor of our treated water; 2. Completion of a risk and reliability study for the water treatment and wastewater treatment plants to identify risks that would prevent OWASA from meeting or exceeding federal, state, and local quality requirements; 3. Installation of upgraded security equipment at the water treatment plant, water supply reservoirs, and other critical water facilities; 4. Replacement of filter media and improvements to the filtering process at the water treatment plant; 5. Completion of water and wastewater pipe replacements along Hillsborough Street in advance of planned resurfacing by the Town of Chapel Hill; OWASA Annual Report 9 January 29, 2019 Page 8 6. Completion of water main replacement along part of Brandywine Road, and concurrent rehabilitation of sewer pipes and manholes throughout the Heritage Hills neighborhood; 7. Replacement and upsizing of a wastewater interceptor pipe in the easement behind Emory Drive; 8. Repairs to a large pressurized wastewater pipe along Prestwick Road; 9. Rehabilitation of over two miles of wastewater pipes; and 10. Improvements to a wastewater pump station near Providence Road. Key projects planned in 2019: 1. Completion of the replacement of water pipes along Pritchard Avenue and Noble Street; 2. Replacement of water pipes within Manning Drive (from Ridge Road to Fordham Boulevard), Country Club Road, and Kensington Drive; 3. Replacement and upsizing of a water pipe along the Fordham Boulevard service road between Hardees and Eastowne Drive; 4. Updates to and expansion of a prioritization model and other decision support tools used to guide capital investments and operational management of the water distribution system; 5. Completion of a$3.1 million project to rehabilitate and improve the wastewater pump station behind Cleland Drive; 6. Rehabilitation of over 6 miles of wastewater pipes; 7. Completion of a master planning study for the wastewater collection system, including consideration for any expected future growth within the service area; 8. Rehabilitation of a large pump station within the wastewater treatment plant; and 9. Rehabilitation of two large settling tanks ("clarifiers") at the wastewater treatment plant. We would be happy to provide you more detailed information on the items above or other topics of interest as desired. Please feel free to contact Ed Kerwin, Executive Director (ekerwin@owasa.org or 919-537-4211), or me. Sincerely, n t . ()X-f9jAx Yinka Ayankoya, Chair OWASA Board of Directors cc: Mr. David Andrews, Carrboro Town Manager Ms. Bonnie Hammersley, Orange County Manager Mr. Maurice Jones, Chapel Hill Town Manager OWASA Board of Directors Ed Kerwin, OWASA Executive Director 10 Quarterly Meeting of Members from the Orange County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and the Orange County Appointees to the OWASA Board of Directors Meeting Summary January 30, 2019, 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. OWASA Boardroom, Carrboro Attendees: Oranze County: Penny Rich(Chair) and Mark Marcoplos OWASA Board Members: Ray DuBose and Yinka Ayankoya(Chair) OWASA Staff Ed Kerwin Public: None Water System Resiliency Ray DuBose provided an overview of action taken and planned to further improve water system resiliency to include: • Plan to invest—$33 million to replace —16 miles of water pipe over the next five years. • Created a new capital project to improve piping leaving the Jones Ferry Road Water Treatment Plant into the water distribution system. Design, bidding and construction is expected to take 24-30 months. • The addition of a fourth Utilities Engineer position to support effective execution of the Capital Improvements Program. • Development of a new water main assessment and replacement prioritization model, to include recommendations to further improve system resiliency. This work is expected to be completed with the next 12-18 months. • Establishment of a dedicated valve maintenance crew with additional equipment. • OWASA staff will continue to meet with UNC,UNC Hospitals and other key stakeholders and community partners to apprise,plan and collaborate on resiliency solutions. Agua Vista (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) Ray DuBose said OWASA has upgraded more than 21,000 meters across Chapel Hill and Carrboro with remote read capability, representing more than 95% of our installation target. Leveraging the nearly real-time data the meters provide, OWASA is communicating with customers when we observe increased water use beyond normal consumption patterns that suggest a water leak. As a result of these proactive notifications and customer service outreach, the number of customers making requests for OWASA to come and do on-site checks for leaks have greatly decreased. For example, service requests were 50% lower in September 2018 than in September 2017. As we have upgraded the meters, we have begun to analyze the data to detect leaks and provide early notification of water use trends that could result in a high bill and even home damage. In 11 Meeting Summary January 30, 2019 Page 2 2018, our customer service team provided approximately 1,600 leak notifications to OWASA customers. We are averaging about 220 notifications per month. To enable customers to track their own water use, we are in the process of implementing a web portal where customers will be able to track their water use data and learn conservation tips. The Agua Vista customer portal is scheduled to launch in March 2019. Penny Rich and Mark Marcoplos noted the value of Agua Vista to assist the community to save water and money. They suggested that when informing customers of a rate increase, the message should include conservation tips to help customers lower their water usage, thereby offsetting the impact of a rate increase. The public may also find useful how OWASA's rates compare with others in the region. Sewers for Historic Rogers Road Area Ray DuBose said OWASA is providing project management services to oversee the construction of 18,000 feet (almost 3.5 miles) of sewer pipes and about 70% of the pipes for the project have been installed. The contractor encountered underground rock along the path of the piping in the Rogers Road area, which is requiring low intensity blasting to the south and north of Tallyho Trail in Carrboro. A public meeting was coordinated by the project partners before blasting commenced. Low intensity underground blasting is currently underway. The project is now anticipated to be complete in the Spring of 2019. Affordability Outreach Program Ray DuBose said 2018 marked the third full year of OWASA's Affordability Outreach Program. Through this program, OWASA engages with over 20 social service agencies to empower low- income customers and local agencies that serve them with information and tools to better manage their water consumption and reduce bills. Last year, we worked with our partners, as well as directly with customers, to share water conservation information and low-flow devices (showerheads, aerators, and leak detection tablets). o For example, we worked with Orange County Housing and Community Development to promote water conservation and provide low-flow devices at the Section 8 Tenant Engagement Session on Money Management, Budgeting, and Housekeeping. We distribute an infographic and motion graphic developed in Year 1 of the Program to engage all customers in water wise behavior. The infographic was developed in English and Spanish; the motion graphic was narrated in English, Spanish, Burmese, and Karen and can be found on OWASA's YouTube Channel. 12 Meeting Summary January 30, 2019 Page 3 o For example, we have shared this material with Navigators for Orange County Family Success Alliance. In addition, OWASA continued to invite customers to contribute to Care to Share, the customer assistance program administered in partnership with the Interfaith Council for Social Services (IFC). In 2018, on-bill contributions totaled over$7,650, representing a 44% increase over the year before (about $2,350 more). Individuals and businesses also donated $790 directly to IFC to support Care to Share. These combined customer, individual, and business contributions provided funding for approximately 64% of utility bill assistance needs that IFC administered to families in 2018. We will continue to promote the Care to Share program and encourage increased donations to the program. The OWASA Board of Directors approved a Plan for Year 4,which includes the promotion of the Agua Vista web portal as valuable affordability tool and integration into existing efforts, such as the Orange County Home Preservation Coalition. They noted that Orange County Housing has an Urgent Repair program that would benefit from knowing of homes needing repairs to address water use. Diversity and Inclusion Ray DuBose said for the past two plus years, OWASA has developed and implemented a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Program which has two goals: 1) to foster diversity in our workforce reflecting the communities we serve, and 2) enable an inclusive environment that encourages and supports each team member to contribute to their full ability towards OWASA's mission. With the assistance of a consultant, employee teams have been formed to guide and support the D&I work to include: • mandatory supervisory training • voluntary employee training • improving procedures for recruitment and selection of new employees • promoting an inclusive work culture The Board of Directors have also had training sessions with the consultant and continues to monitor and support staff s D&I work. Penny Rich and Mark Marcoplos expressed their support for this important work. OWASA's Annual Update for the BOCC on February 19, 2019 Penny Rich and Mark Marcoplos suggested that Ray DuBose and/or Jody Eimers provide a 10 minute or less presentation about the following topics at the February 19, 2019 BOCC meeting: 13 Meeting Summary January 30, 2019 Page 4 • Water System Resiliency • Sewers for Historic Rogers Road • Affordability Outreach Program • Diversity and Inclusion Next Meeting/Future Topics The group agreed to meet quarterly and scheduled their next meeting for Thursday, April 25, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. in the OWASA Boardroom. Prepared by: Ed Kerwin Executive Director