Dec 21, 2023 Utilities Commission - Special Meeting

[00:00:01]

UM, LISA, PLEASE GIVE

[ROLL CALL]

PRESIDENT RAINEY HERE, VICE PRESIDENT MCGUIRE.

HERE.

SECRETARY SCOTT.

PRESIDENT.

COMMISSIONER SHANNON HERE.

COMMISSIONER CORDERO HERE.

WE HAVE A QUORUM.

THANK YOU.

AND WE WILL HAVE OUR PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE

[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]

UH, ANNOUNCEMENTS,

[ANNOUNCEMENTS]

I HAVE NO REPORT IF THERE, ARE THERE ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? ARE THERE ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? OKAY, HEARING NONE.

WE WILL GO TO ITEM NUMBER ONE, OUR REGULAR AGENDA, AND WE NEED APPROVAL FOR NOVEMBER THE 30TH.

UM, BOARD, EXCUSE ME, I I, I I MISSED MY, I THINK I MISSED MY OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE GENERAL MANAGER'S REPORT.

OH, I'M SO, SO SORRY.

SO THAT WAS MY FAULT.

SO, UH, JUST REAL QUICKLY, UH, THERE WAS A REALLY, UM, IMPORTANT DECISION MADE THIS WEEK BY THE STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD REGARDING DIRECT PALPABLE REUSE THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED AND REVIEWED, UH, FOR WELL OVER 10 YEARS.

AND DIRECT PALPABLE REUSE IS THE CLEANING UP OF WASTEWATER AND THEN PUTTING IT DIRECTLY INTO THE DRINKING SYSTEM.

UM, YOU, YOU HEAR ABOUT INDIRECT, UH, PABLO REUSES, WHICH IS WHAT, UH, ORANGE COUNTY DOES RIGHT NOW, WHERE THEY CLEAN UP THE WATER, THEY PUT IT INTO THE UNDERGROUND AQUIFER, WHERE IT SITS FOR MONTHS, GETS CLEANED UP, AND IT'S IS JUST COMBINED WITH THE OTHER DRINKING WATER.

THIS WOULD BE, UH, ACTUAL PUT INTO THE DRINKING WATER DIRECTLY.

AND SO, UH, CALIFORNIA HAS BEEN STUDYING THIS, LIKE I SAID, FOR WELL OVER 10 YEARS.

AND SO THE STATE WATER RESOURCE AND CONTROL BOARD, UH, APPROVED THE, UH, NEW RULES, UM, ON TUESDAY.

AND, UM, SO THAT OPENS UP A WHOLE NEW WATER SUPPLY LONG TERM FOR THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

UM, COLORADO HAS REGULATIONS IN PLACE.

TEXAS HAS A PLANT FROM A LONG TIME AGO.

UM, IT'S GONNA BE MANY YEARS BEFORE THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENS, UH, BECAUSE THE PLANTS HAVE TO BE BUILT.

IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE.

IT'S JUST LIKE A DESAL IN THE SENSE OF IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE WATER SUPPLY, BUT IT, UM, WITH ONGOING DROUGHTS, IT'S, UH, UM, SOMETHING THAT, UH, THE STATE HAS BEEN PURSUING FOR QUITE A WHILE.

SO VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, UH, UH, LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED.

AND SO REAL EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

UM, AND THEN THERE, OH, I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THAT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO I MADE A PRESENTATION TO THE CITY, CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE GAS RATES AND THE GAS BILLS FOR JANUARY.

UM, AND LET THEM KNOW THAT FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE MONTH, UH, LONG BEACH HAS THE LOWEST GAS BILLS IN, UH, FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS IN CALIFORNIA.

AND, UH, SO THEY WERE, UH, VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT.

GOOD NEWS.

SO, SO FAR, SO GOOD.

THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT.

THANK YOU.

UH, NEXT WE NEED THE APPROVAL,

[1. 23-51536 Recommendation to approve November 30, 2023 Board meeting minutes.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY, UH, GLORIA RO AND COMMISSIONER HAN.

UM, ALL IN FAVOR, AYE.

AYE.

BEFORE WE VOTE ON THAT, CAN WE TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE ITEM? CAN WE TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE ITEM JUST BEFORE WE VOTE ON IT? OKAY.

ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? ANY COMMISSIONER'S COMMENTS? DO WE HAVE A, WE HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.

WE HAD AYE.

AND WE HAD, UH, NO OPPOSITION.

OKAY.

NEXT IS ITEM NUMBER

[2. 23-51537 Recommendation to authorize the General Manager to execute an amendment to Contract No. 36244 with Tri-Pacific Supply, Inc., to furnish and deliver Sensus natural gas meters and other services and parts, increasing the contract amount by $1,000,000, for a new contract amount not to exceed $3,000,000.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

AUTHORIZE THE GENERAL MANAGER TO EXECUTE AND AMENDMENT WITH TRIBE PACIFIC SUPPLIES.

UM, AND MR. ED, UH, WILL SPEAK.

UH, GOOD MORNING, PRESIDENT RAINEY.

GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS AND, UH, HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

TO EVERYONE, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE CHRISTMAS IS MONDAY.

UH, ONCE AGAIN, MY NAME IS ED FARRELL AND I AM THE DIRECTOR OF THE GAS SERVICES OF DIRECTOR OF GAS SERVICES OF

[00:05:01]

UH, AND THIS MORNING I AM HERE BEFORE YOU TO REQUEST, EXCUSE ME, AN AMENDMENT TO OUR EXISTING TRI PACIFIC CONTRACT.

BUT BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE, THE SPECIFICS, UH, AND CONSIDERING OUR BEING STILL A RELATIVELY, UH, NEWLY MERGED UTILITY, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO GIVE YOU A VERY QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE GAS METERS FOUND THROUGHOUT OUR INVENTORY.

SO HERE'S JUST A REAL QUICK LITTLE GAS METER 1 0 1.

UH, AND YOU WON'T BE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THE GAS METERS HAVE THE SAME GENERAL PURPOSE AS THE WATER METERS YOU'RE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH.

AND THAT IS JUST TO, UH, MEASURE, UH, GAS CONSUMPTION.

WE LIKE TO SAY WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 150,000 METERS IN OUR SYSTEM.

UH, WE SAY THAT BECAUSE IT JUST ROLLS OFF THE TONGUE EASIER THAN 157,426 METERS.

UM, BUT, UH, THAT'S THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND SIGNAL HILL.

AND CURRENTLY WE'RE UTILIZING FOUR DIFFERENT METERING TECHNOLOGIES, UH, FOR VARIOUS APPLICATIONS.

THE FIRST BEING TURBINE METERS, UH, TURBINE METERS ARE FOR OUR LARGEST USERS.

HOSPITALS, CUSTODY TRANSFER SITE, CUSTODY TRANSFER SITES.

UH, THEY MEASURE VERY LARGE VOLUMES OF GAS, AND WE HAVE VERY FEW IN THE SYSTEM, BUT THEY, THEY SERVE THEIR PURPOSE FOR HIGH VOLUME USERS.

UH, WE HAVE ROTARY METERS USED PRIMARILY IN COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS.

UM, AND, AND FOR A LONG WHILE, IT WAS GENERALLY COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL, BUT FORTUNATELY, RESIDENTIAL DEMAND, UH, DUE TO TANKLESS WATER HEATERS, UH, THE POPULARITY OF OUTDOOR FIRE PITS AND PATIO KITCHENS AND INCREASED DEMAND, UH, MAKES THE SMALLER ROTARIES A GOOD FIT.

IN SOME OF OUR RESIDENTIAL APPLICATIONS, WE HAVE ULTRASONIC METERS, UH, WHICH IS LOOKING LIKE OUR METER OF THE FUTURE.

UH, IT'S SOMETHING NEW FOR US.

ULTRASONIC METERS MEASURE GAS FLOW BASED ON AN ULTRASONIC SIGNAL RECEIVED BY TRANSDUCERS.

ULTIMATELY, THERE'S NO MOVING PARTS IN AN ULTRASONIC METER.

UH, AND THAT'S, WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.

AND THEN, UH, WHAT, WHAT'S ON THE SCREEN THERE IS YOUR CLASSIC DIAPHRAGM METER.

THAT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK OF A GAS METER, THAT'S THE METER YOU'RE THINKING OF.

AND, UH, THAT'S THE MOST KIND OF COMMON METER YOU'RE GONNA FIND IN ANY UTILITY.

IT'S A POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT METER, UH, AND IT'S DURABLE, PROVEN, AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN USING IT FOREVER.

SO FOR THE METERS WE USE, WE PURCHASED THROUGH TRI PACIFIC, UH, ARE THE, UH, DIAPHRAGM METERS, AND AGAIN, RELATIVELY NEW TO OUR SYSTEM.

WE'RE ALSO USING TRI PACIFIC TO PURCHASE THE NEW SONICS IQ ULTRASONIC METER.

AND, AND BEFORE YOU GET OFF, UH, ON METER 1 0 1, UM, LOTS OF TIMES YOU'LL HEAR FROM CUSTOMERS THAT, UH, OH, I THINK MY METER'S RUNNING TOO FAST.

EXPLAIN WHY.

THAT'S VERY UNLIKELY IN WHAT WE DO WHEN SOMEONE, UH, UH, MAKES THAT COMPLAINT.

WELL, THE METERS ARE, ARE, THEY'RE PROVEN WHEN THEY COME IN, SO THEY'RE TESTED IN THE FACTORY.

BUT, UH, WE, WE DO HAVE A METER PROVING PROGRAM.

AND SO, UM, WE JUST HAVE KIND OF A HISTORY THAT METERS ARE, ARE FAIRLY ACCURATE, BUT WE DO ON DEMAND, UH, IF CUSTOMERS HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THEY BELIEVE METERS RUN FAST OR SLOW, UH, WE CAN HOOK THEM IN AND WE HAVE A METER PROVING, UH, BENCH IN, IN THE, IN THE METER SHOP.

AND, UH, WE CAN DO IT ON REQUEST IF, IF THEY WANT IT.

BUT EVERY METER THAT COMES IN THAT GETS CHANGED OUTTA THE FIELD IS ALSO PROVEN FOR ACCURACY.

SO WE HAVE A FAIRLY GOOD DEEP RECORD OF THE ACCURACIES OF OUR METERS.

AND, AND WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS, I BELIEVE IS WE, WE CHARGE THE, ARE WE, IF THE CUSTOMER'S INCORRECT THAT THE METER IS MEASURING CORRECTLY, WE CAN CHARGE THEM FOR A CONDUCT YES.

SMALL FOR A DEMAND.

BUT IF, IF, OBVIOUSLY IF THEY'RE CORRECT, WE DON'T CHARGE 'EM THAT FEE.

YEAH.

AND WE REFUND UP TO A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE, AND IT'S VERY UNLIKELY I'M PUTTING WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, BUT IT'S VERY UNLIKELY FOR A GAS METER TO RUN FAST BECAUSE IT'S GOT THE MOVING PARTS WITH THE DIAPHRAGM METER.

AND IF ANYTHING, IT GUMS UP AND, AND RUNS SLOW, NOT FAST.

WE TRULY, WE JUST DON'T SEE IT.

YEAH.

OKAY.

SO, UH, SOME QUICK HISTORY OF THE CENSUS METERS OF LONG BEACH UTILITIES.

UM, JUST REAL QUICK, THE DIAPHRAGM METERS BEEN TRIED AND TRUE FOREVER, DEVELOPED IN THE 19TH CENTURY AND PATENTED IN 1844.

IT'S BEEN HERE AT LONG BEACH UTILITY SINCE OUR INCEPTION.

OUR CURRENT CENSUS DIAPHRAGM METERS HAVE BEEN USED FOR YEARS.

THEY HAVE, UH, THE SAME METERS CHANGED NAMES THROUGH THE YEARS, DEPENDING ON THEIR CURRENT PARENT COMPANIES.

SO THE SAME METER OVER THE COURSE OF YEARS HAS BEEN MANUFACTURED UNDER ROCKWELL INVENTS THIS EQU METER, AND NOW CENSUS LONG BEACH UTILITIES HAS A LONG HISTORY WITH THE METER.

IT'S PROVEN ITSELF RELIABLE AND FULLY COMPATIBLE WITH OUR A MI INFRASTRUCTURE.

THIS METER THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO PURCHASE, WE BUY TWO SIZES, A 200 CLASS AND A 400 CLASS.

THE 200 CLASS BEING YOUR STANDARD, UH, HOME APPLICATION OR APARTMENT BUILDING APPLICATION.

[00:10:01]

AND AGAIN, FORTUNATELY WE'RE SEEING, UH, SOME OF THE NEW APPLIANCES COMING OUT ARE JUST HIGHER DEMAND APPLIANCES.

SO IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO SEE, UH, INSTALLATIONS WHERE, WHERE THEY WOULD'VE BEEN ALL, UH, PREVIOUSLY 200 CLASS METERS TO GO IN AS ALL 400 CLASS METERS.

SO, UH, SOME OF THE CONSUMPTION IS UP IN CERTAIN APPLICATIONS, UH, AND WE BUY THIS METER, UH, CURRENTLY WE BUY IT WITH THE A MI FLEX NET, UH, THE, THE, THE A MI DEVICE INSTALLED.

AND THEN WE BUY SOME WITH THEM, NOT INSTALLED JUST BASED ON THE, WHAT WE NEED IN THE FIELD.

AND SO OUR OTHER METER IS OUR, UH, WITH TRI PACIFIC IS OUR SONIC IQ, AND THIS IS OUR KIND OF NEW, EXCITING NEW TECHNOLOGY METER.

UH, A FEW YEARS, A FEW YEARS AGO, AFTER MUCH VETTING BY OUR OWN ENGINEERING STAFF AND A THOROUGH REVIEW BY AN OUTSIDE CONSULTING AGENCY, UH, WE GOT APPROVAL TO PURCHASE, UH, ULTRASONIC METERS AND CURIOUSLY ENOUGH, UH, AN INTERESTING SIDE NOTE, THE THE FIRST ULTRASONIC METER THAT WE PURCHASED THROUGH LONG BEACH UTILITIES WAS THE FIRST COMMERCIALLY AVAIL, COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE MODEL FOR THIS METER.

AND CENSUS CAME OUT WHEN WE TOOK DELIVERY OF THE METERS CENSUS, CAME OUT AND AWARDED OUR UTILITY WITH A STAMPED METER MONUMENT, RECOGNIZING THE PURCHASE, UH, THE METER STAMPED WITH THE LONG BEACH UTILITIES AND WITH THE METER NUMBER STAMPED NUMBER ONE.

AND IT WAS PROGRAMMED TO READ NUMBER ONE.

SO IT WAS KIND OF AN EXCITING THING.

THIS WAS THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO NOW.

AND IN FACT, I WAS TOLD YOU LIKE, SHOW AND TELL.

THIS IS, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE, THE METER THEY CAME AND GAVE TO US, STAMPED WITH OUR, UH, UTILITY AND THE, AND THE MEDIA NUMBER IF YOU'RE INTO THAT KIND OF THING.

IT'S EXCITING.

SO, YEAH, , I'VE GOT FIVE MINUTES.

UM, ANYWAY, SO, UH, YEAH, WE HAVE STARTED TO TAKE DELIVERY TO THE ULTRASONIC METER.

THERE'S LOTS OF ADVANTAGES TO THIS METER.

UH, IT'S A, HAS A SMALL FOOTPRINT, IT'S VERY LIGHTWEIGHT, IT MAKES INSTALLATIONS, UH, MUCH EASIER IN TIGHT SPACES.

THE METER ITSELF, AND THIS IS INTERESTING, IS THE SAME SIZE REGARDLESS OF THE VOLUME.

SO THE DIAPHRAGM METERS, THE 200 METER WAS SMALLER THAN THE 400 METER DE DE DESPITE THE VOLUME GOING THROUGH IT, THE METER'S THE SAME SIZE.

SO AGAIN, MAKING INSTALLATIONS MUCH EASIER.

AND LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE NO MOVING PARTS IN THE METER, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, SO THERE'S NO, UH, WEAR AND TEAR ON THIS METER.

THESE METERS COME WITH THE SONICS, UH, FLEX NET A MI TECHNOLOGY BUILT INTO THE METER.

AND ANOTHER POINT, UH, EVERY METER THAT'S INSTALLED OF THE, UH, ULTRASONIC TYPE IS, HAS BUILT IN AUTO SHUTOFF CAPABILITY ALREADY IN THE METER.

SO IT'S A TECHNOLOGY WE'RE NOT USING, UM, BUT IT'S THERE IF WE, WE WANT TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD.

AND ANOTHER SIDE NOTE IS WE WERE, THE UTILITY ITSELF WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN, UH, IN, UH, FUNCTIONALITY TESTING FOR, FOR CENSUS TO, TO, TO TEST THE SHUTOFF CAPABILITY.

SO, AND LET, LEMME ASK YOU A QUICK QUESTION.

SO IN CASE OF AN EARTHQUAKE, UH, DO YOU SHUT THIS OFF SIMILAR TO THE OLD, OLD METERS? WELL, IT'S JUST, IT'S THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE, THE A MI SYSTEM AND IT SENDS A SIGNAL AND IT WOULD, THERE'S A VALVE INSIDE THAT GETS SHUT OFF.

BUT IF, BUT IF I'M A CUSTOMER, I, I STILL HAVE, OOPS, I STILL HAVE THE VALVE I CAN SHUT OFF.

YES.

OKAY.

YEAH.

AND THERE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, REGULATORY REASONS WHY, HOW ARE YOU SECURE A METER, WHETHER THAT WOULD COVER THOSE REQUIREMENTS.

SO I DON'T KNOW ANYONE WHO'S USING THE FUNCTION YET, BUT IT'S, IT WORKS OKAY.

WE'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN AND EVERYONE WE BUY COMES WITH THAT, THAT FUNCTIONALITY BUILT IN ALREADY.

AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT DELIVERY TIMES IN JUST A A MINUTE, BUT, UH, THIS METER, THE SONIC IQ, UH, HAS A LEAD TIME OF ONLY, OF ONLY 12 MONTHS NOW COMPARED TO 18 MONTHS OR BETTER ON SOME OF OUR OTHER METERS.

AND JUST TO REINFORCE THAT THIS ULTRASONIC METER IS BECOMING OUR METER OF THE FUTURE, 2024 WILL MARK THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE'LL INSTALL MORE ULTRASONICS THAN CLASSIC DIAPHRAGMS. WE GOT OUT THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GAS METERS, SO WE HAD MORE PEOPLE COME IN THIS, SOME PEOPLE ARE INTO IT.

OKAY.

SO WHY, WHY ARE WE HERE TODAY? OUR CURRENT METER INVENTORY IS LOW AND, UH, FUNDING IS NEEDED TO KEEP OUR AVAILABLE METERS AT LEVELS ABLE TO COVER OUR REGULAR METER INSTALL SCHEDULES, OUR EXCHANGE EXCHANGE SCHEDULES, AND TO KEEP AN ADEQUATE SURPLUS TO HANDLE EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.

HISTORICALLY, WE'VE TRIED TO

[00:15:01]

THE 200 400 CLASS DIAPHRAGMS THAT I JUST SPOKE OF ARE CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK IN THE WAREHOUSE.

AND OUR INVENTORY IS LIMITED TO WHAT'S BEEN CHECKED OUT ALREADY AND THEN RESIDES AT OUR METER SHOP AND TO THE METERS THAT ARE, UH, UH, RESIDING ON THE TRUCKS IN THE FIELD RIGHT NOW.

SO WHY ARE WE NEED OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING? SEVERAL FACTORS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO OUR CURRENT CHALLENGES WITH AVAILABLE METERS.

UH, THE COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC RESULTED IN SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES THAT PUT METER LEAD TIMES AT 18 MONTHS OR BETTER.

AND DURING THE TIME GAS SERVICES REPS CONTINUED METER WORK, UH, WITH LIMITED METER DELIVERIES.

UM, AND SO WITH THE METER WORK CONTINUED, WE HAVE SEEN, UH, IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, UH, LARGE RESIDENTIAL MULTIFAMILY HIGH DENSITY PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY REQUIRING LARGE NUMBERS OF, UH, GAS METERS PER PROJECT.

AN EXAMPLE, WE JUST RECENTLY DID A METER INSTALL AT 1 0 1 ALAMEDAS, UH, WHICH CONSUMED WELL OVER A HUNDRED OF OUR METERS ON A SINGLE PROJECT.

UH, RISING COST OF PRODUCT AND MATERIALS AND THE NEED TO HAVE POS IN PLACE TO SECURE OUR PLACE IN LINE, UH, FOR METER DELIVERY.

SO WITH UNFUNDED POS, WE LOSE OUR, OUR PLACE IN THAT LEAD TIME.

AND JUST GENERAL RISING COST OF PRODUCT AND MATERIALS.

UH, AND, UH, I'M SORRY, THAT ONE, UH, THE NEED TO GET ON TRACK WITH A A VIGOROUS METER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM IS SOMETHING TOO WE'RE LOOKING TO, TO START VERY SOON.

ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING AN A MI, UH, PROJECT IN A 150,000 METER SYSTEM ALL AT ONE TIME IS THAT SMART POINTS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO DIAL AT ONE TIME.

UH, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT AN AMBITIOUS GOAL OF BETTER THAN 5,000 METERS PER YEAR TO ADEQUATELY CYCLE THROUGH THAT INVENTORY.

AND ONE OF THE LARGEST IMPACTS WE'RE SEEING, UH, RECENTLY TO METER INVENTORY IS THE INCREASE IN ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS.

UH, OUR METER INSTALLERS ARE WORKING A DU INSTALLATIONS MOST DAYS OF THE WEEK.

A DU PROJECTS ARE GENERALLY WHERE ONE METER NOW BECOMES A METER OF TWO TO COVER THE HOUSE, THE BACK HOUSE, UM, AND MOST RECENTLY METERS OF ONE ARE BECOMING METERS OF THREE AND METERS OF FOUR.

AS THE A'S INCREASE THE, THE CITY CONTINUES TO ENCOURAGE A DU AS A SOLUTION TO AVAILABLE HOUSING.

AND WE DON'T REALLY SEE ANY SLOWDOWN IN THAT.

THIS YEAR IS JUST A SLIDE THAT SHOWS SOME OF THE LOCAL HEADLINES, UH, OF THE CITY'S, UH, ENCOURAGEMENT AND HELP AND EASING THE, THE PROCESS FOR ADUS.

AND THEN THIS HERE WAS JUST A PREVIOUSLY WAS ONE METER, NOW IT'S THREE.

THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF THE, OF THE, THE IMPACT OF THE A YEARS.

YOU'LL NOTICE THE LEVEL THE BUBBLE IS DEAD CENTER.

AND JUST A SIDE NOTE, THERE'S ERIC, WHO'S LED OUR PLEDGE THIS MORNING RECEIVING THE METER FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES FROM CENSUS METERS.

SO A QUICK OVERVIEW OF OUR EXISTING TRI PACIFIC CONTRACT.

IN MARCH OF 22, THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL AWARDED A CONTRACT TO TRI PACIFIC SUPPLY TO FURNISH AND DELIVER NATURAL GAS METERS IN AN ANNUAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED, UH, $1 MILLION FOR A TWO YEAR PERIOD.

TRI PACIFIC IS THE SOLE PROVIDER FOR THE PURCHASE AND DELIVERY OF CENSUS NATURAL GAS METERS, AS THEY'RE THE ONLY VENDOR AUTHORIZED TO STOCK, SELL AND DISTRIBUTE CENSUS PRODUCTS OVER TO THE LONG BEACH UTILITIES DEPARTMENT.

SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO AUTHORIZE THE GENERAL MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRACT NUMBER 3 6 2 4 4 WITH TRI PACIFIC SUPPLY TO FURNISH AND DELIVER CENSUS NATURAL GAS METERS AND OTHER SERVICES AND PARTS INCREASING THE CONTRACT AMOUNT BY 1 MILLION FOR A NEW CONTRACT NOT TO EXCEED $3 MILLION.

AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT, AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.

I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, ACTUALLY, I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT ED.

DO WE, ARE WE ABLE TO AT SOME POINT DETERMINE HOW MUCH, HOW MANY MORE METERS WE'RE USING BECAUSE OF ADUS? WELL, I, I, I CERTAINLY, WE KEEP TRACK AND, UM, BUT UH, IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE DEMAND.

I MEAN, BUT AS ED SAID, UH, THE CITY'S CERTAINLY ENCOURAGING IT AND YOU'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE DOING IT.

IT IS BECOME QUITE POPULAR, AND THAT'S VERY, AND I JUST HEARD THIS MORNING, I HAD NUMBERS OF LAST YEAR THIS YEAR.

I'M SORRY, COULD YOU GO AHEAD A LITTLE BIT LOUDER? YEAH.

MIC SPEAK INTO THE MIC.

[00:20:04]

UM, FOR 2023, WE DID OVER 1400 A DU INSPECTIONS.

I CAN'T GUARANTEE HOW MANY ACTUAL METERS WERE INSTALLED, BUT I KNOW WE DID IT ARE IN, IN, UH, INSPECTORS VISITED 1400 HOMES.

JUST FOR THE PURPOSE OF THAT.

AND CHAIRWOMAN, JUST FOR A BIT OF BACKGROUND, THIS IS REALLY COMING FROM A STATE PUSH FOR, UM, A HOUSING SOLUTION.

SO A LOT OF THIS IS STATE LAW, UM, THAT WE'RE SEEING APPLIED NOT JUST IN LONG BEACH, BUT IN ALL OF CALIFORNIA.

THANK YOU.

WE SEE INSTALLATIONS BOTH DAYS OF THE WEEK NOW FOR, FOR ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS.

DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMITTEE? OKAY, MR. SCOTT.

RIGHT.

UH, SO I JUST HAVE A COUPLE COUPLE QUESTIONS RELATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

SO THE, THE, UH, OLD TRIED AND TRUE, UH, DIAPHRAGM METERS, UM, THEY ARE FAIRLY, FAIRLY ROBUST, RIGHT? YEAH.

UM, UH, ESPECIALLY IN AN ACCIDENT OR A SAFETY VEHICLE INTO A, INTO A STRUCTURE.

UH, HOW DOES THE NEW CENSUS, THE, THE NEW SONIC IQS, UH, HOW, HOW DO THEY COMPARE? WELL, FUNCTIONALLY THEY WORK COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, RIGHT? UM, WE DO OUR BEST IN, IN THAT CASE, I, I CAN'T SAY THAT THEY'RE ARE MORE ROBUST TO A VEHICLE, A STRIKE OR SOMETHING.

BUT, UM, IN THOSE CASES WHERE WE HAVE METERS THAT ARE AT RISK TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE TAKE PRECAUTIONS ON THE OTHER SIDE TO PUT IN BOLLARDS AND PROTECTIONS TO THE METERS.

UM, SO THAT THE, WE DO OUR BEST TO PROTECT ALL OUR METERS FROM, FROM IMPACT OR STRIKE.

OKAY.

UH, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION IS, UH, OTHER THAN OUR FOLKS OUT IN THE FIELD, THE ONLY OTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT I CAN SEE, UM, THAT INTERACT WITH OUR GAS METERS WOULD BE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

UH, UH, DURING A STRUCTURED FIRE, THEY'LL SECURE THE GAS LINES ALONG WITH UTILITIES, ELECTRIC, ET CETERA.

HAVE WE REACHED OUT TO, UH, TRAINING DIVISION FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO JUST LET THEM KNOW THAT THESE NEW METERS ARE THERE, THEY LOOK DIFFERENT, UM, BUT THEY STILL FUNCTION THE SAME AND THEY STILL TURN OFF THE SAME? I DON'T BELIEVE SO.

AND THAT'S A GOOD SUGGESTION.

IN FACT, WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH FIRE.

WE GET CALLED ON ON EVERY STRUCTURE FIRE.

UH, WE SECURE METERS FOR THEM.

THEY DO A WIDE SCALE JUST TURN OFF, AND THEN WE COME AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S SECURED.

UM, SO WE WE'RE IN CONTACT WITH FIRE, UM, REGULARLY.

AND WE ALSO HAVE AT, AT, UH, MORE TO THE POINT, UH, AT THE FIRE ACADEMY, WE HAVE METER MANIFOLD SETUPS, METER METER INSTALLATIONS, AND THEY TRAIN ON THOSE AS WELL.

SO THE, WE WILL MAKE SURE, IF WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT, WE WILL DO THAT.

THANK YOU.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS? OH, UH, HEARING NONE.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? AND WE ALSO NEED A SECOND MO MOTION.

SECOND, THEN MOVED BY SHANNON, SECOND BY MCGUIRE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

ANY OPPOSITION? HEARING NONE.

THE MOTION PASSES.

NOW WE GO TO

[3. 23-51538 Recommendation to authorize the General Manager to execute amendments exercising a six-month renewal option under existing contracts with 1) Lee & Ro, Inc.; 2) Wallace & Associates Consulting; 3) Willdan Engineering; 4) JIG Consultants; and 5) SA Associates, for on-call construction management and inspection services.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

AND OUR PRESENTATION WILL BE DONE BY, UH, HEATHER, ONE PRESENTATION FOR THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE.

HI, GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS.

AND, UH, YES, UH, PRESIDENT RAINEY.

I AM HERE TO PROVIDE A PRESENTATION FOR AGENDA ITEMS THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE, WHICH RECOMMEND THE BOARD TO AUTHORIZE RENEWALS FOR SEVERAL OF OUR ON-CALL SERVICE AGREEMENTS, UH, FOR AN ADDITIONAL SIX MONTHS.

UM, THESE ON-CALL AGREEMENTS BRING THREE TYPES OF SERVICES TO THE DEPARTMENT.

THE FIRST BUCKET OF SERVICES IS TIED TO CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND INSPECTION SERVICES.

THE SECOND IS TIED TO GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING SERVICES, AND THE THIRD IS TIED TO SURVEY ENGINEERING SERVICES.

UM, AND TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT BEHIND THESE SERVICE AGREEMENTS, UH, THEY WERE INITIALLY AUTHORIZED BY THE BOARD BACK IN DECEMBER, 2020, AND THEY ALL CAME WITH THREE YEAR TERM LIMITS.

SO THEY ARE CURRENTLY SET TO EXPIRE FOR NEXT MONTH IN JANUARY.

UH, BUT THEY ALSO COME WITH RENEWAL OPTIONS OF UP TO ONE YEAR.

AND THESE RENEWAL OPTIONS ARE SUBJECT TO BOARD APPROVAL.

SO, UH, THERE ARE FIVE VENDORS ON EACH OF THESE ON-CALL SERVICE BENCHES.

UH, UNDER THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND INSPECTION SERVICE BENCH, EACH OF THE FIVE VENDORS CAN BE COMPENSATED UP TO $300,000 EACH.

FOR THE GEOTECH ENGINEERING VENDORS THIS BENCH, UH, EACH OF THE FIVE, UH, VENDORS ARE ELIGIBLE TO BE COMPENSATED UP TO $600,000 EACH.

AND THEN FOR THE SURVEY ENGINEERING BENCH, THE FIVE VENDORS CAN BE COMPENSATED

[00:25:01]

NOW DIVING INTO THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT VENDORS, UH, THE FIVE VENDORS ARE LISTED ON THIS SLIDE, UH, THEY CAN PROVIDE SERVICES TIED TO ELECTRICAL INSPECTION, CONCRETE INSPECTION, AND EVEN, UH, WELDING INSPECTION AND TESTING.

UH, AND ACROSS THESE FIVE VENDORS, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 57% OF THE TOTAL SPENDING CAPACITY STILL AVAILABLE FOR US TO USE.

THEN FOR THE FIVE GEOTECHNICAL VENDORS, WHICH ARE ALSO LISTED ON THIS SLIDE, THEY CAN COVER SERVICES LIKE SUBSURFACE EXPLORATIONS, UH, SOIL SAMPLE COLLECTION AND TESTING ANALYSIS, COMPACTION CONTROL FOR, UH, TRENCH RESTORATION, UM, TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE STABLE SOIL CONDITIONS TO PREVENT ANY SINKHOLES FROM POPPING UP, UH, THAT COULD OCCUR AFTER WE, UH, PAVE ON ANY, UH, ONE GIVEN JOB.

UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A CORRECTION ON THIS SLIDE WHERE IT SAYS W-S-P-U-S-A FORMALLY WOOD ROGERS, UH, IT SHOULD READ FORMALLY WOOD ENVIRONMENT.

SO THIS CORRECTION APPLIES TO BOTH THE PRESENTATION SLIDE AND AS, UH, HOW THE BOARD LETTER IS READ AS WELL.

UM, AND OVERALL, ACROSS THESE GEOTECH VENDORS, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 66%, UH, REMAINING SPENDING CAPACITY AVAILABLE TO US TO USE.

AND THEN FINALLY, FOR THE FIVE, UH, SURVEY ENGINEERING VENDORS, UH, THEY CAN HELP, UM, WITH SERVICES TIED TO, UM, LIKE TOPOGRAPHIC, UH, DATA POINT GATHERING, UH, ELEVATION TYPE, UH, GATHERING, UH, PRIMARILY FOR OUR PROJECTS FOR PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION.

AND THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION REALLY HELPS US GUIDE WHERE TO CONSTRUCT OUR PIPELINES BEFORE WE ACTUALLY START BREAKING THE GROUND.

UM, AND FROM THESE EXISTING VENDORS, WE HAVE A REALLY HEALTHY, UH, 92%, UH, REMAINING CAPACITY, UH, AVAILABLE FOR US TO USE.

SO WITH THAT, UM, AGENDA ITEMS THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE RECOMMEND THE BOARD TO AUTHORIZE THE GENERAL MANAGER TO EXECUTE SIX MONTH RENEWAL OPTIONS FOR THE ON-CALL SERVICE AGREEMENTS TIED TO CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND INSPECTION, GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING AND SURVEY ENGINEERING SERVICES.

THIS RENEWAL PERIOD WILL GIVE, UH, STAFF ENOUGH TIME TO PREPARE THE NEW ON-CALL BENCHES FOR THESE SERVICES, WHICH WE ARE ALREADY WORKING ON, AND, UH, PREPARING TO BRING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION EARLY NEXT YEAR.

AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION, AND I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE BEFORE WE CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.

WE'LL WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, UM, YOU CAN MAKE COMMENTS ON ANY OF THE THREE ITEMS. SO WE'LL CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.

AND REMEMBER, YOU CAN MAKE A COMMENT ON ANY OF THE THREE ITEMS. ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? SO TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON ANY OF THOSE THREE ITEMS PRIOR TO A VOTE.

ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, ANY COMMISSIONER'S COMMENTS, ANY COMMISSIONERS, OR HEARING NONE? WE NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND MOTION TO APPROVE.

MOTION TO APPROVE.

APPROVE ON THAT MOTION.

CAN I, CAN I JUST CLARIFY, I BELIEVE, WHAT DOES THE MOTION INCLUDE? THE UPDATE TO ITEM FOUR TO, UM, TO MAKE THAT CHANGE THAT HEATHER IDENTIFIED FROM W-S-P-U-S-A FORMERLY WOOD ROGERS TO WOOD ENVIRONMENT? YES.

THANK.

PERFECT, THANK YOU.

SECOND.

OKAY.

THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE.

UM, THE MOTION WAS MADE BY GLORIA AND SECOND BY COMMISSIONER SHANNON.

UH, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

ALL, UH, ANY OPPOSITION? HEARING NONE THE MOTION.

UH, CARRIES.

THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT,

[6. 23-51544 Recommendation to adopt Resolution No. UT-1507 authorizing the General Manager to sign and file all necessary documents associated with the application for the California Coastal Commission WHALE TAIL Grant Program.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

GREAT, THANK YOU.

UH, GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME IS ALAN ARSLANIAN AND I'M PART OF THE, UH, WATER RESOURCES TEAM HERE.

I'M PART OF, PART OF OUR CONSERVATION GROUP, AND TODAY I'M GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THE WHALE TAIL GRANT PROGRAM.

BUT BEFORE I GET INTO THAT, I KIND OF WANT TO INTRODUCE, UH, SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON, UH, FOR EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

AND I WANNA START OUT BY INTRODUCING OUR CALIFORNIA CLIMATE ACTION CORPS FELLOWS, UH, THAT WE, UM, ACTUALLY GOT APPROVED BY YOU ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO.

[00:30:01]

UH, THEY WERE CHOSEN FROM ABOUT NINE CANDIDATES THAT WE INTERVIEWED, AND SO, UH, THEY'VE BEEN WITH US FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS DOING EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.

UH, VERONICA LONZO HAS HER BACHELOR'S IN, UH, SOCIOLOGY FROM CAL STATE LONG BEACH.

SHE IS ALSO A, UH, FORMER YOUTH CLIMATE CORPS, UH, FELLOW FROM THE CITY.

SO SHE'S ACTUALLY WAS WITH US FOR THREE MONTHS PREVIOUSLY HELPING OUT WITH, UH, VARIOUS GIS UH, COMPONENTS FOR OUR CONSERVATION TEAM, UH, DEALING WITH, UH, COMMERCIAL, INSTITUTIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL, UH, WATER USERS.

AND SO, UH, WE ALSO HAVE LAURA AGUA, WHO HAS HER MASTER'S IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES FROM CAL STATE FULLERTON.

UH, SHE'S FORMALLY, FORMALLY FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF, UH, PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES, AND SHE BRINGS A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE, UH, BOTH ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AS WELL AS SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS AS WELL.

SO, THANK YOU, UH, VERONICA AND LAURA FOR, UM, JOINING OUR TEAM AND FOR YOUR CONTINUED WORK, UH, FOR THE NEXT, UH, EIGHT MONTHS AS WELL.

THANK YOU.

SO, WHAT, UH, THE CLIMATE CORE ACTION FELLOWS HAVE BEEN HELPING US WITH IS, UH, DIFFERENT TYPES OF OUTREACH, UH, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO FOCUSING MORE ON OUR CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. SO YOU CAN SEE BY THIS SLIDE, UH, THIS, UH, PROJECT, WE ACTUALLY TEAMED UP WITH OUR LOCAL SURF ROUTER FOUNDATION.

AND, UH, WHAT WE DID WAS WE VISITED ONE OF OUR DIRECT INSTALL GARDEN HOMES.

AND THIS PROGRAM IS, UM, A TURF REMOVAL PROGRAM THAT'S AIMED AT, UM, OUR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN LONG BEACH.

AND SO, UM, IF PEOPLE ARE INCOME QUALIFIED, THEY GET A BRAND NEW, UH, WATER, A WISE GARDEN, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PICTURE WITH A WATER RETENTION FEATURE, AS WELL AS, UM, SOME EDUCATION ON HOW TO TAKE CARE OF IT.

SO, UNFORTUNATELY, FOR THIS HOME, UH, WE FOUND OUT THAT BOTH HOMEOWNERS ARE BOTH BEDRIDDEN AND ARE UNABLE TO, UM, TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN MAINTENANCE AS WELL AS PAY FOR THE SERVICES.

SO OUR TEAM, UM, FOUND THIS AS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, USE THIS AS A, A TEACHING TOOL.

SO WHAT OUR GROUP DID IS WE, UM, PARTNER UP WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET EIGHT LOCAL VOLUNTEERS TO SHOW UP, UH, TO THIS EVENT.

AND SO, UM, WE TAUGHT THESE VOLUNTEERS ABOUT DIFFERENT TYPES OF CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS, UH, WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO ACTUALLY PLANT NINE DIFFERENT PLANTS WHERE AREAS HAD DIED OUT.

WE ACTUALLY, UH, ALSO TAUGHT THEM HOW TO DO, UH, SIMPLE DRIP IRRIGATION, UH, REPAIRS.

UH, WE FOUND THREE DRIP IRRIGATION BREAKS ON THE PROPERTY.

UH, WE ALSO EDUCATED 'EM ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF USING MULCH THROUGHOUT THE LANDSCAPE AS IT IS A WATER RETENTION FEATURE AND HELPS SUPPRESS WEEDS AS WELL.

SO WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, SPREAD ABOUT ONE AND A HALF CUBIC YARDS OF, UM, MULCH.

UM, AS WELL AS, UH, TAUGHT THEM, YOU KNOW, THE EDUCATION OF TAKING CARE OF A TURF GARDEN, A TURF GRASS GARDEN AS COMPOSED TO A CALIFORNIA NATIVE GARDEN, AS YOU SEE HERE, IS A LOT DIFFERENT.

SO WEEDING IS SOMETHING THAT WE EDUCATED OUR, UH, VOLUNTEERS ON.

AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO COLLECT ABOUT 15 CONTRACTOR BAGS FULL OF WEEDS, AS WELL AS, IF YOU CAN SEE IN THIS PICTURE TOO, ON THE RIGHT, WE EXPOSE A DRY RIVER CREEK, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, UH, WHICH IS A VERY VITAL, UH, WATER RETENTION FEATURE.

AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW ABOUT WATER RETENTION, IT'S, UH, SERVES A GREAT PURPOSE FOR OUR LANDSCAPES TO KIND OF MITIGATE THE POTABLE WATER THAT WE PUT ON THESE LANDSCAPES.

UM, AS WELL AS KEEPING ANY FERTILIZERS OR, UM, ANY TYPES OF OIL OR DEBRIS THAT'S FOUND ON YOUR HOME TO GOING TO THE STORM DRAIN AND MAKING ITS WAY TO THE RIVER AND THE OCEAN.

SO IT'S A GOOD WAY TO NOT ONLY SAVE MONEY, UH, BUT ALSO TO HELP, UH, KEEP OUR ENVIRONMENT CLEAN.

SO, UM, WE HOPE TO DO A LOT MORE OF THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.

AND, UM, WITH HELP FROM THIS WHALE TAIL GRANT.

SO JUST TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO HOPE TO DO IN 2024 WITH THE HELP OF OUR FELLOWS.

SO A LOT MORE OF OUR TURF REMOVAL AND NATIVE PLANT PARKWAY DEMONSTRATIONS, AS YOU SAW ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, UH, WE HAVE GREAT PROGRAMS THAT ARE LIKE OUR NATIVE PLANT PARKWAY PROGRAM.

AND, UH, WHAT THAT DOES IS, UH, WE GIVE FREE CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS AS WELL AS FREE MULCH AND FREE STONES TO OUR RESIDENTS.

AND SO ALL THE RESIDENTS HAVE TO DO IS REMOVE THE, THE TURF GRASS THAT'S IN THEIR PARKWAY, AND THEN, UH, PLANT THESE PLANTS AND THEY GET FREE DELIVERY OF THE MULCH AND STONE.

AND SO WE'RE UTILIZING OUR CURRENT PROGRAMS AND TEACHING, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE OF PUTTING IN CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS AND THE PURPOSE THEY SERVE, AS WELL AS SHOWING THEM HOW TO APPLY FOR THESE PROGRAMS AND HOW TO PARTICIPATE AND REMOVE THE GRASS, AND HOW TO TAKE, MAINTAIN THESE, UH, LANDSCAPES AFTERWARDS AS WELL.

SO, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE, WE HAVE A LOT OF PARTNERS THAT WE PARTNERED UP WITH.

UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY, UH, JUST LAST WEEK, OUR TWO FELLOWS WENT OUT TO POLY HIGH SCHOOL AND TALKED TO, UM, THEIR GARDENING CLUB DURING THEIR LUNCHTIME AND TALKED TO THEM ABOUT OUR CONSERVATION PROGRAMS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF WATERSHED HEALTH AND SAFETY.

AND SO, UM, JUST A MONTH BEFORE THAT, WE WERE AT STANFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL.

AND SO WE HOPE TO BE AT OTHER, UH, COMMUNITY GROUPS, UM, LIBRARIES, UM, AND HIGH SCHOOLS AND, AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS AS WELL.

UH, WE'RE ALSO PARTNERING UP WITH FRIENDS OF THE LA RIVER.

UH, WE'RE HOPING TO DO AN EVENT, UH, NEAR DEFOREST PARK AND THE DIFFERENT WETLANDS THAT WE HAVE ALONG THE,

[00:35:01]

UH, LONG BEACH IS, UH, UNIQUELY SITUATED, UM, IN AN AREA WHERE, UM, ALL THE DEBRIS AND THINGS THAT ARE COMING OFF OUR LANDSCAPES IMMEDIATELY HEAD OUT TO THE RIVER AND TO THE OCEAN.

SO WE HAVE A UNIQUE TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND TAKING THEM TO ON EXPERIENTIAL, UM, EXPEDITIONS ALONG THE RIVER AND ALONG THESE PARKS THAT WE HAVE ON THE WEST SIDE AND THE NORTH SIDE OF THE LONG BEACH.

SO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, MORE OF THESE GREAT EVENTS WITH THESE PARTNERS LIKE, UH, LONG BEACH GARDENING CLUB, RANCHO LOS CERRITOS, AND WRD.

SO MOVING ON TO THE DETAILS OF THE WHALE TAIL GRANT.

UM, THIS GRANT IS ACTUALLY, UH, PUT ON BY THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION, AND ITS SOLE PURPOSE IS TO CONNECT THE PUBLIC TO THE WATERSHED UTILIZING EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION, STEWARDSHIP, AND OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES.

SO, UM, IT'S MAINLY FOCUSED ON REACHING COMMUNITIES AND HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED AREAS.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS MAP HERE, UM, IN THESE BLUE AND GREEN AREAS, UH, THIS HIGHLIGHTS THE DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT LONG BEACH.

AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S ALMOST 50%.

AND THIS MAP IS ACTUALLY PUT OUT BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, SSB 5 35 DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES.

AND SO, UM, THIS GRANT SPECIFICALLY WANTS US TO, UM, IS FUNDING MORE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH FOR THESE AREAS.

SO WE'RE REQUESTING ABOUT $23,500, UH, WITH NO MATCHING REQUESTS, UH, MATCHING REQUIREMENT, UH, REQUIRED FOR THIS GRANT.

SO THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE, UH, HOPE TO PAY FOR WITH THIS GRANT ARE, UM, FOR THE DIFFERENT OUTREACH EVENTS LIKE I DISCUSSED.

SO DIFFERENT CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS, MULCH STEPPING STONES, UH, BENDER BOARD, ROCKS, SAND, UM, AS WELL AS DIFFERENT TYPE OF OUTREACH.

THINGS LIKE KNEE PADS, WEED, FORKS, SHOVELS, SPADES, DIFFERENT TOOLS NEEDED TO EDUCATE AND TO CREATE THESE, UH, WATERWISE GARDENS.

UM, SO AS WELL AS DIFFERENT FEES FOR LIKE DESIGNER COSTS THAT WE HELP, UM, HIRE LOCAL DESIGNERS TO DESIGN THESE AMAZING GARDENS THAT YOU SAW IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDES.

AND SO THESE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT THIS GRANT WILL BE PAYING FOR.

AND JUST TO MENTION AS WELL, UM, REGARDLESS OF THIS GRANT OR NOT, IF WE DO GET IT, UM, WE CONTINUED THROUGH OUR CONSERVATION TEAM AND OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS TEAM TO DO OUTREACH THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITIES, NOT JUST IN NORTH AND WEST LONG BEACH, BUT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY.

SO THAT BEING SAID, UM, RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER UT 1507, AUTHORIZING THE GENERAL MANAGER TO SIGN AND FILE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE APPLICATION FOR THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION WHALE TAIL GRANT PROGRAM.

SO THAT BEING SAID, UM, THAT'S I CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION AND, UH, I OPEN UP ANY QUESTIONS TO THE AUDIENCE FOR THE BOARD, OR I THINK DEAN MIGHT HAVE A, A COMMENT TOO.

ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS, ANY COMMISSIONER'S COMMENTS? WELL, WELL, YEAH, THANK YOU.

UH, IF I CAN MAKE A COMMENT REALLY QUICKLY.

OKAY.

I GUESS FIRST I'LL, I'LL THANK ALAN AND, AND THE FELLOWS FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK.

ALAN'S REALLY DONE A GREAT JOB STEPPING UP, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT HE SHOWED REALLY TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT AND COMMITMENT AND ENERGY TO, TO DEVELOP THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.

AND IT'S GONNA PAY DIVIDENDS FOR THE DEPARTMENT AS FAR AS OUR OUTREACH AND OUR ABILITY TO, TO GET, UH, PEOPLE INTERESTED AND EXCITED ABOUT WATER CONSERVATION AND PARTICIPATING IN OUR PROGRAM.

SO I JUST WANT TO THANK ALAN AND OUR FELLOWS FOR ALL THE HARD WORK AND PUTTING TOGETHER THIS GRANT APPLICATION, WHICH HOPEFULLY WE WIN.

UM, BUT, BUT REALLY, UH, I, I WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INFORM THE BOARD, UM, THAT, UH, JILLIAN CROCI, WHO FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS HAS LED OUR GRANTS DEPARTMENT, OUR OUR DEPARTMENT GRANTS EFFORT.

UH, HER LAST DAY WITH THE DEPARTMENT WAS LAST THURSDAY.

UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, JILLIAN, UH, GETS EMBARRASSED WHEN YOU PUT HER IN THE SPOTLIGHT.

AND SO WHEN SHE FOUND OUT THIS MO UH, MEETING WAS MOVED FROM LAST THURSDAY TO THIS THURSDAY AND WOULDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO THANK AND EMBARRASS HER IN FRONT OF THE BOARD, SHE WAS REALLY RELIEVED.

UM, EVEN THOUGH SHE'S NOT HERE, I, I, I STILL WANTED TO GIVE HER THE, THE THANKS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, UH, JUST 'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY OWE HER A HUGE DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR ALL OF THE WORK, ALL THE HARD WORK THAT SHE'S DONE FOR ME AND FOR THE DEPARTMENT.

UM, DURING HER YEARS HERE, UH, JILLIAN HELPED TO REVIVE OUR GRANTS EFFORT.

UH, WE'RE NOW, YOU KNOW, YEAR IN, YEAR OUT, WE WE'RE ALMOST EXPECTING TO WIN GRANTS, AND SHE'S LITERALLY BROUGHT IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO THIS DEPARTMENT.

UM, SO SHE WAS A FANTASTIC EMPLOYEE, BUT I THINK MORE, MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, SHE WAS A, A FANTASTIC HUMAN BEING.

UH, SHE, UH, STEPPED UP TO, TO LEAD AND BE THE CHAIR OF OUR EQUITY COALITION AND REALLY LED THAT EFFORT ALONG THE WAY.

UM, SO, SO REALLY SO MANY THINGS SHE'S DONE FOR THE DEPARTMENT.

I WISH SHE WAS STILL HERE.

UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, SHE RECEIVED, UH, AN OFFER FROM HER DREAM JOB WORKING IN NEW ORLEANS, UH, WHICH IS WHERE SHE LIVED, UH, PRIOR TO HER ALL TOO SHORT TIME HERE IN LONG BEACH.

UH, AND SO SHE'LL BE WORKING FOR THEIR SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD, UH, WORKING ON THEIR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, MANAGING THEIR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, STORMWATER PROJECTS, BASICALLY TRYING TO, TO SAVE THAT SINKING CITY FROM FLOODING.

SO SHE'S GOT HER, HER WORK CUT OUT FOR HER.

UM, SO I WISH HER THE BEST.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BEFORE I TURN THIS INTO TOO MUCH OF A,

[00:40:01]

OKAY.

THANK YOU, DEAN.

THANK YOU, JILLIAN, TOO.

UM, I WENT OVER AND TALKED TO JILLIAN BEFORE APPLYING FOR THIS GRANT.

SO, UM, WITH GUIDANCE FROM BOTH HER AND FROM DEAN, UM, THE, AND HELP FROM THE FELLOWS AS WELL, WE WERE ABLE TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.

SO, ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? OKAY, ANY COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? GLORIA? THANK YOU, DEAN.

THAT'S A TERRIBLE CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR THE, FOR THE DEPARTMENT.

UM, PLEASE WISH HER, WISH HER WELL.

I, I'M EXCITED FOR HER NEW OPPORTUNITY, BUT I THINK WE ALL FEEL THAT LOSS THAT SHE WAS AN AMAZING, UM, PERSON TO HAVE AND SHE CONTRIBUTED VERY MUCH SO.

AND I THINK A LOT OF US ARE BUILT ON WHAT SHE HAD ALREADY STARTED.

SO PLEASE GIVE HER OUR BEST FOR THAT.

AND ALAN, THANK YOU.

THAT WAS A, A GOOD PRESENTATION.

AND, UM, AND ACTUALLY TO THE FELLOWS, UH, LAURA AND VERONICA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND WELCOME TO THE TEAM.

23,000 IS NOT A LOT OF MONEY.

IS THERE A WAY THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY MAYBE PARTNER? 'CAUSE YOU, YOU DID A, YOU GUYS DID A GOOD JOB OF PARTNERING WITH A LOT OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.

I WONDER IF WE COULD GET SOME OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS OR IS THERE A NEED FOR THAT? SO, UM, THAT GRANT HAS ACTUALLY, WE, IT IS AVAILABLE TO UP TO $50,000.

AND THE REASON WE WENT UP TO ONLY 23,500 IS BECAUSE OF STAFF CAPABILITIES.

UM, THE FELLOWS ARE ONLY HERE FOR AN 11 MONTH PROGRAM.

UM, THEY ALREADY HAVE GONE THROUGH THREE MONTHS OF THAT ALREADY, SO THAT LEAVES ANOTHER EIGHT MONTHS.

AND SO TIMING OUT WITH EVENTS HAPPENING EVERY, AT LEAST ONE EVERY MONTH, UM, IF NOT MORE AS SPRING COMES INTO, UH, FRUITION.

UH, BUT WE WANT TO, UH, GO AS FROM AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO OUR CONSTRAINTS WITH OTHER PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS AS WELL, UH, 23,000 WAS THE AMOUNT THAT WRITING FOR THE GRANT WE WERE ABLE TO COME UP WITH.

SO MAYBE WITH SOME GOOD METRICS AT THE END OF THAT PERIOD, THEN WE CAN LOOK AT POSSIBLY GOING TO METROPOLITAN OR WRD OR WHATEVER.

OKAY.

GOOD.

GOOD JOB.

THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER'S COMMENTS? ANY OTHER COMMISSION'S? HEARING NONE, CAN WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND? MOTION APPROVE.

MOTION TO APPROVE BY GLORIA CAJERO AND SECOND BY COMMISSIONER, UH, SHANNON.

UM, ROLL CALL VOTE.

LISA, VICE PRESIDENT MCGUIRE? YES.

SECRETARY SCOTT.

I, COMMISSIONER SHANNON.

COMMISSIONER CORDERO.

YES.

PRESIDENT RAINY.

YES.

OH, THE MOTION, UM, PASSES.

SO NEXT PUBLIC COMMENTS.

[PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Utilities Commission on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.]

ANY COMMISSIONER OR STAFF COMING, UH, SINCE IT'S, IT'S ONLY A 45 MINUTE MEETING, MAYBE.

UH, ED, IF YOU WANNA TAKE A CHANCE TO INTRODUCE, YOU HAVE SOME OF YOUR EMPLOYEES HERE, TRY STRETCH IT TO A 50 MINUTE MEETING.

UH, HELLO AGAIN.

WHO'S HERE? UH, ONE OF OUR NEWEST EMPLOYEES, LEE OSBORNE IS HERE.

AND YES, ROBERT ROBERT SIMPSON IS HERE.

UH, ANTHONY ALVAREZ, WHO IS, UH, AS HE ASSISTED OUR TRAINING PROGRAMS, DANIEL EZ IS NEXT TO HIM.

HE IS OUR GAS DISTRIBUTION SUPERVISOR AND IN CHARGE OF, UH, METER INSTALLATION.

SO HE IS, HE IS THE, THE GUY MOST AFFECTED BY THE ADUS RIGHT NOW.

KEITH HAYNES IS OUR GAS DISTRIBUTION SUPERVISOR TOO, AND HE OVERSEES ALL OF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE GROUPS.

WHO ELSE IS OVER HERE? WE HAVE DIANA.

UM, OH, HEY, HERE'S CRAIG SHOEMAKER.

I DIDN'T SEE YOU.

CRAIG IS A GAS FIELD TECHNICIAN WORKING IN OUR TELEMETRY SHOP.

SAM ANIS IS A GAS DISTRIBUTION SUPERVISOR, ONE OVER A CUSTOMER SERVICE GROUP.

NORTH MICHAEL HALBRICK IS A GUEST DISTRIBUTION SUPERVISOR, ONE HE WATCHES OVER THE, UH, EAST SIDE CUSTOMER SERVICE GROUPS.

AND YOU MET ERIC SHERMAN EARLIER, BUT ERIC'S OUR SUPERINTENDENT OF OPERATIONS.

OH, MANAGER OF OPERATIONS.

SORRY.

AND, UH, THANKS ALL YOU GUYS FOR COMING.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

THANKS ED.

ANY, UH, FINAL, UM, COMMISSIONER'S COMMENTS?

[00:45:02]

YOU DO A FANTASTIC JOB.

WE SAY IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BUT WE REALLY NEED THAT.

AND, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UH, IT A GREAT JOB.

YOU DO.

UH, .

GLORIA CAJERO, JUST IF I MAY, UM, I CAN'T LET BOB HAVE THE LAST WORD.

UM, I JUST WANNA ECHO WHAT COMMISSIONER SHANNON HAS SAID AND THANK ALL OF YOU.

IT WAS A KIND OF A ROUGH START TO A YEAR, A ROUGH YEAR FOR, FOR A LOT OF YOU.

UM, NOT JUST WITH THE MERGER, BUT WITH EVERYTHING WITH THE GAS ISSUES, UM, REORGANIZATION.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOOD WORK AND ENJOY YOUR FAMILY AS WELL.

YOU, UM, HAVE THIS SEASON AND, UM, STAY SAFE AND, AND HEALTHY.

SO THANK YOU.

WITH ALL COMMENTS COVERED, WE'RE NOW ADJOURNED.