To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: Michael Thompson, 521-1863
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Fourth District
Title:
Title
Airport-Larkfield-Wikiup Sanitation Zone Larkfield Estates Collection System Project Sanitation Code Update Adoption
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Recommended Actions:
Recommended action
Adopt an Ordinance amending the Sanitation Code Ordinance of the Sonoma County Water Agency (Second Reading - Ready for Adoption). The Airport-Larkfield-Wikiup Sanitation Zone Larkfield Estates Collection System Project will provide sewage service to persons displaced by the Sonoma Complex Fires and will promote the transition of individuals into long term shelter with reliable wastewater service. (Fourth District)
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Executive Summary:
The Airport-Larkfield-Wikiup Sanitation Zone Larkfield Estates Collection System Project (Project) and a low-cost financing program for property owners in the fire-impacted area were approved by the Sonoma County Water Agency’s (Sonoma Water) Board of Directors on February 5, 2019. The Project will provide sewage service to persons displaced by the Sonoma Complex Fires and will promote the transition of individuals into long term shelter with reliable wastewater service. The low-cost financing program will assist property owners with paying for the costs of constructing and connecting to the sewer.
Sonoma Water is proposing an amendment to sections 3.29 and 3.30 of the Sonoma County Water Agency Sanitation Code (Sanitation Code). These proposed amendments are needed to ensure the Financing Program and the Sanitation Code are consistent with each other. The Resolution Introducing, Reading the Title of, and Waiving Further Reading of an Ordinance of the Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Water Agency amending sections 3.29 and 3.30 of the Sonoma County Water Agency Sanitation Code was approved by the Board on February 5, 2019. Sonoma Water is now returning to the Board seeking final approval of these amendments to the Sanitation Code.
Discussion:
HISTORY OF ITEM/BACKGROUND
The Sonoma Complex Fires, a series of fires that swept Sonoma County beginning on Sunday, October 8, 2017, caused widespread damage. The County Administrator/Director of Emergency Services issued a Proclamation of Existence of Local Emergency in the Sonoma County Operational Area. In the Airport-Larkfield-Wikiup Sanitation Zone (Sanitation Zone) entire neighborhoods were destroyed by the Tubbs Fire. Many homes in the Larkfield area were connected to septic systems, and at the request of some neighborhood property owners, the Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water), on behalf of the Sanitation Zone, has developed a preliminary design of a sewer collection system to serve homes being rebuilt in the Larkfield Estates neighborhood, and is steadily advancing toward a completed design.
Sonoma Water will provide a low interest financing program for connection costs (including each property owners’ prorated share of the design and construction costs for the new collection system), and connection fees for connecting to the existing system to property owners who elect to connect to the sewer before the sewer construction plans are finalized. These costs may be financed through a loan from the Sanitation Zone. Connection Costs will be backfilled from a loan from Sonoma Water’s General Fund and Facilities Fund. The financial program is intended to ease the financial burden of fire-impacted property owners and facilitate the rebuilding process in the Sanitation Zone’s fire-impacted area.
Sonoma Water is proposing amendments to the Sanitation Code to ensure the Financing Program and the Sanitation Code are consistent with each other. The first reading of the proposed amendments to the Sanitation Code by the Board occurred on February 5, 2019. This February 26, 2019 Board meeting will be the second reading and time of adoption of the amendments to the Sanitation Codes.
In particular, the modifications will do the following:
1. Table of Contents are modified to change Page Numbers.
2. Section 3.29 “Limited Purpose Facilities” is modified to (1) Amend the time period for repayment to the party who financed initial construction of a limited purpose facility from 10 to 30 years; (2) Clarify that Section 3.29 of the Sonoma County Water Agency Sanitation Code does not prohibit the Agency from requiring the payment of the pro-rated contribution to the cost of constructing a Public Sewer as a condition of the right to connect with or receive sewer service from the Public Sewer beyond 30 years; and (3) make other non-substantive edits.
3. Section 3.30 “Recordation of Limited Purpose Facilities” is modified to make non-substantive edits.
Prior Board Actions:
2/5/2019: Introduced the Sanitation Code Update and held a public hearing.
6/5/2018: Board authorized the Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to enter into an agreement for sewer collection system design (not to exceed $600,000) in the Larkfield Estates community and directed the Sonoma County Water Agency staff to develop a Sewer Collection System Financing Program.
10/10/2017: Board adopted Resolution No. 17-0389 ratifying the County Administrator’s proclamation of the existence of a local emergency with the Sonoma County Operation Area.
Fiscal Summary
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FY 18-19 Adopted |
FY19-20 Projected |
FY 20-21 Projected |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
No fiscal impacts.
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
Attachments:
Attachment 1: Ordinance (strikethrough)
Attachment 2: Ordinance (clean)
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board: