Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Minutes 02/02/1977MINUTES OF MEETING OF 'CITY COUNCIL • PETALUMA, . CALIFORN;lA FEBRUARY 2, 1977 PROPOSED AGREEMENT Mayor Putnam asked Mr.•John O. Nelson, General Manager VIolrl S'ONOMA COUNTY WATER of the North Marin County Water-District, to review the AGENCY,; CITY OF amended agreement for the Council: She further asked PETALUMA -; CITY -.OF Mr. Nelson to point out the differences between the ROHNERT PARK; NORTH contract the City had entered into for the construction MARIN`COUNTY WATER of the Rohnert Park wells and the final document.- DISTRICT Mr.. Nelson explained there are three basic changes: (1), an immediate buy back clause has been added which can be exercised by the Rohnert Park City Council in.the event of catastrophe or significant adverse effect to the ; ground water supply: This would permit them..to purchase the wells anytime prior to March 1978 with a $`5,000 discount for each well; (2) the method•of, purchase has been changed to lease - purchase option; and, (3) an $11,.00 per :acre foot surcharge has been included in the contract in addition to the requiremen't.for Petaluma.and North Marin to pay for actual costs of maintaining and operating the wells. This $11.00 surcharge, added to the cost of producing the water, equates to the price Rohnert Park pays; for aqueduct water, or $76,.00. Various sections of the contract were reviewed and a comparison made with the original draft agreement. In-the general discussion following the review, Mr. Nelson indicated if all schedules are met, it wa's his opinion an optimistic target date for production -in the two wells would be by June 1, 1977. He felt a more realistic date would be by July 1, 1977. The cost of the wells would depend upon the depth of drilling The most probable estimate at this time is '$150,!000 per well. The yield would be approximately 400 gallons per minute if a 600 -foot well is drilled. If 1, 200"f 06L wells are _ar.ille d ,; the. yield''.wou? d be , higher. Some discussion wa's held regarding the effect the water from the proposed wells would have on the City's entitlement from the Sonoma County Water Agency. It was-pointed out even if the'C °ity lost its entitlement, the provision in the contract guaranteeing Petaluma and North Marin the surplus from Rohnert Park's well& would probably put the agencies ahead. At the conclusion.of the discussion, the Council and the Water Commission concurred th&'revised.contract should be signed and the matter moved forward as quickly as possible. City Attorney Matthew Hudson advised the resolution adopted by the Council at the meeting of January 24, 1977 would provide the -authorization to sign the contract. GENERAL DISCUSSION A discussion questionnaire prepared by the City Manager WATER SHORTAGE was reviewed by the Council. Mr. Meyer advised after the Council has adogted:a resolution declaring a water emergency condition. exists, they would be faced with the problem of rationing water•for specific categories of use's, i.e., Two Rock Ranch, industry and commercial COUNCIL MEETING A special meeting of the City Council of the City of Petaluma was called to order by Mayor Helen Putnam at the hour of 8:00 a.m., ATTENDANCE Present; Councilmen. Harber:son, Hilligoss, Mattei, . Perry and Mayor Putnam. Water Commissioners Petro, Pope & Serpilio. ,Absent: Councilmen Brunner and Cavanagh. Water. Commissioner Wurzburg. NOTICE OF CALL Notice of call for ,special meeting dated February 1, 1977,: certificate of the City''Clerk of delivery of said notice, and consent of City Council for holding said meeting submitted and filed. PURPOSE OF MEETING 'The meeting was called to discuss the status of the water situation and to hear the City Manager's reports. PROPOSED AGREEMENT Mayor Putnam asked Mr.•John O. Nelson, General Manager VIolrl S'ONOMA COUNTY WATER of the North Marin County Water-District, to review the AGENCY,; CITY OF amended agreement for the Council: She further asked PETALUMA -; CITY -.OF Mr. Nelson to point out the differences between the ROHNERT PARK; NORTH contract the City had entered into for the construction MARIN`COUNTY WATER of the Rohnert Park wells and the final document.- DISTRICT Mr.. Nelson explained there are three basic changes: (1), an immediate buy back clause has been added which can be exercised by the Rohnert Park City Council in.the event of catastrophe or significant adverse effect to the ; ground water supply: This would permit them..to purchase the wells anytime prior to March 1978 with a $`5,000 discount for each well; (2) the method•of, purchase has been changed to lease - purchase option; and, (3) an $11,.00 per :acre foot surcharge has been included in the contract in addition to the requiremen't.for Petaluma.and North Marin to pay for actual costs of maintaining and operating the wells. This $11.00 surcharge, added to the cost of producing the water, equates to the price Rohnert Park pays; for aqueduct water, or $76,.00. Various sections of the contract were reviewed and a comparison made with the original draft agreement. In-the general discussion following the review, Mr. Nelson indicated if all schedules are met, it wa's his opinion an optimistic target date for production -in the two wells would be by June 1, 1977. He felt a more realistic date would be by July 1, 1977. The cost of the wells would depend upon the depth of drilling The most probable estimate at this time is '$150,!000 per well. The yield would be approximately 400 gallons per minute if a 600 -foot well is drilled. If 1, 200"f 06L wells are _ar.ille d ,; the. yield''.wou? d be , higher. Some discussion wa's held regarding the effect the water from the proposed wells would have on the City's entitlement from the Sonoma County Water Agency. It was-pointed out even if the'C °ity lost its entitlement, the provision in the contract guaranteeing Petaluma and North Marin the surplus from Rohnert Park's well& would probably put the agencies ahead. At the conclusion.of the discussion, the Council and the Water Commission concurred th&'revised.contract should be signed and the matter moved forward as quickly as possible. City Attorney Matthew Hudson advised the resolution adopted by the Council at the meeting of January 24, 1977 would provide the -authorization to sign the contract. GENERAL DISCUSSION A discussion questionnaire prepared by the City Manager WATER SHORTAGE was reviewed by the Council. Mr. Meyer advised after the Council has adogted:a resolution declaring a water emergency condition. exists, they would be faced with the problem of rationing water•for specific categories of use's, i.e., Two Rock Ranch, industry and commercial February 2, 1977 -- La . r GEIJEIV, L DISCUSSION: uses; the use of wells,•'b,oth private and city owned.; WATE SHORTAGE- new outside water connections; the willingness of the (Continued) city to accept 5new ind.ustr-y over, the next 12 months; public works construction and building perm ts; volume discount rates for water; water for dairy uses; pur' chase of land for'well. drilling, and, priorities for the use of reclaimed water from the sewage plant. The Council held'a ,lengthy discussion of` all the items included in. the ques= tonnai -r-e. In addition, the City Attorney reviewed a proposed ordinance which has,b.een drafted and.is intended to be used by all agencies in order to have uniformity regarding restrictions imposed' on the use of available water. The,Council also reviewed a chart which depicted residential consumption of water under normal conditions, and what measures need to be taken under various rationing proposals. A copy of the chart is on file .with the City Clerk. With respect to industrial and commercial uses of water., the Council. felt it should endeavor to maintain a reasonable level of service in or.der.fo,r busi- neases to .survive. It 'w'a's ' suggested -moderate methods of rationing be expldted. Businesses are to be en ouraged to use wells if they them. Mr. Hudson suggested persons with private wells should riot he penalized in :their supply of city water if they willing to activate and use them so long as the wells did not drastically disturb the ground water levels. The use of,e'ffluent from thesewage ponds was also discussed. The staff was requested'to• determine ' what amount of reclaimed water would be avd labl_e _after the requirement - s are met for the ranches which entered into a contract for use of the water. S:ome.dis:cus +sion.was held regarding the use,of this water for° parks and, in the "street sweeper. Mr. .David Young,, the City Eng=ineer =, cautioned about the use; of the water until a certification is received from the State Department of Health. Mr., Bud Bartlett,, acting as spokesman for the Petaluma Golf :& Country Club, requested `some corisideration ,be given to furnishing some of the effluent water f'or 'u - se on the greens at the golf course,, if at all .pos sible if the greens can `be kept, playable, the remainder . ,of the course would be..•allowed. toy dry up. With regard to the search for new sources of water, the Council felt- the city q. must take.an.aggressive approach in trying to locate new sources for under - ground sttorage of water.. Mr. Meyer was instructed to seek additional land for wells,, if possible, as 'well as existing wells-_ P U C. DIRECTIVE Mr. , Bud Bartlett, Manager of the Petaluma office of "LUXURY'' USE OF Pacific Gas and Electric Company,.advised the Council i/ NATURAL GAS his office had received a directive the Public V Utilities Commission which .prohibit:s the use of natural gas for heating swimming pools.. In view of. M•r.. Bartlett's repo.rt,, the Council directed the, heat at the.municipal pool be shut off. Mr. George..Thut; President of the Petaluma Swim Club was in the audience and indi- cate-d' the, -cover for the pool will be installed very soon. The club would, however,, conclude their program when the heat is turned off at the pool. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Council, the 'meeting was adjourned at 11::00 a .m. PD Mayor At tesa :: v C 1 Clerk