FROM: James D. Herberg, General Manager
SUBJECT:
title
PUBLIC AFFAIRS UPDATE FOR THE MONTHS OF JULY AND AUGUST 2019
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GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
RECOMMENDATION: Recommend to the Board of Directors to:
Receive and file the Public Affairs Update for the months of July and August 2019.
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BACKGROUND
Staff will provide an update on recent public affairs activities.
RELEVANT STANDARDS
• Maintain influential legislative advocacy and a public outreach program
• Build brand, trust, and support with policy makers and community leaders
• Maintain collaborative and cooperative relationships with regulators, stakeholders and neighboring communities
• Listen to and seriously consider community input on environmental concerns
PROBLEM
Many Californians are not aware of the Orange County Sanitation District (Sanitation District) and the important work we do to keep the environment clean by using the wastewater byproducts to create energy, water recycling, and the use of biosolids.
In general, the community and businesses do not realize that when they improperly dispose of waste into the sanitation system, it can negatively affect the work we do and the quality of water we supply for the Groundwater Replenishment System.
PROPOSED SOLUTION
By providing tours, community outreach, education, and general communication via the Sanitation District’s website, social media outlets, and mainstream media, we have the ability to educate the community, local agencies, and businesses on the What2Flush program, energy production, water recycling, biosolids, and our source control program. This, in turn, results in a better quality of wastewater.
TIMING CONCERNS
N/A
RAMIFICATIONS OF NOT TAKING ACTION
If we do not educate the community, local agencies, and the area businesses about the Sanitation District, we lose an opportunity to educate thousands of people about our plants, source control, and the wastewater industry as a whole.
PRIOR COMMITTEE/BOARD ACTIONS
N/A
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
July/August 2019
|
Activity |
# |
# of Guests |
|
OCSD/OCWD Tours |
3 |
71 |
|
OCSD Tours |
23 |
406 |
|
Speaking Engagements |
1 |
80 |
|
Events |
2 |
550 |
Current Activities - July/August 2019
65th Anniversary Open House
The Sanitation District celebrated our 65th Anniversary by having an Open House with booths, games, tours, and more. Over 500 people come to the event with 224 people taking tours. We had 170 volunteers that day.
Ribbon Cutting for the Sanitation District Centrifuge Facility
We celebrated and toured the Sanitation District’s centrifuges, with a ribbon cutting the same day as the Open House. We had over 50 people in attendance from legislative staffers, legislative delegates, and the Board of Directors, to name only a few.
Construction Outreach
The State College Sewer Construction project in the City of Anaheim has installed about 50 percent of the pipe thus far. Multiple crews are working along the project alignment to expedite construction and minimize impact to the community. Construction on the northern end of the project started this month. Activity is now taking place just south of the 91 freeway and between Ball Road and Vermont Avenue. Neighborhood Bulletins have been distributed to various areas of the project to keep the community informed of the construction activities and the upcoming schedule.
Earlier this summer, a community survey was distributed to 14,000 residents, businesses, and schools, in the Seal Beach, Los Alamitos, and Rossmoor neighborhoods regarding the upcoming Los Alamitos Trunk Sewer project. The purpose of the survey was to gather feedback from the community in regards to work hours and work days. The results were outstanding and were shared with the permitting agencies as a part of the design review. This was a great introduction for the community to learn about the Sanitation District and the upcoming project scheduled to begin in 2020.
In early August, a valve at the MacArthur Pump Station in the City of Irvine was replaced. While this is considered routine maintenance, a lot of coordination and planning went into the execution of the work. The pump station is located next to John Wayne Airport and, as such, it is a busy area. The activity required 24/7 traffic control over a weekend, and over 2,000 feet of above ground bypass which always carries a level of risk. The work was completed ahead of schedule and without any issues.
As part of the Plant No. 2 Outreach Program, a summer issue of the Neighborhood Connection newsletter was distributed to 1,400 homes around Plant No. 2 in Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, and Costa Mesa. We also held a Plant No. 2 tour in August where we invited the neighbors to attend and see what goes on behind the wall.
Public Scope Meetings
The Sanitation District has begun preparation of the Program Environmental Impact Report to evaluate the potential impacts associated with implementation of its 2017 Wastewater Collection and Treatment Facilities Master Plan, which was updated in 2019. The proposed Facilities Master Plan includes over 80 projects that will take place over the next 20 years at both of our plants and throughout the service area. Two public scoping meetings were held, one at Plant No. 1 and one at Plant No. 2, to solicit feedback from the public. Also, for the first time ever, we offered the option of joining the meetings via an online webinar.
The Sanitation District Attends CASA Conference
The Board Chairman and General Manager attended the California Association of Sanitation Agencies annual conference in San Diego, August 21-23. They attended sessions covering state and federal legislative updates, crisis communication, and climate change financial impacts. Lan Wiborg, Director of Environmental Services, and Lisa Haney, Regulatory Specialist, gave a presentation on developing opportunities to create new water sources.
Upcoming Events:
VIP Luncheon
On September 10, the Sanitation District will host its VIP Luncheon where over 100 employees and retirees are invited to a special lunch and thanked for all their efforts in volunteering by giving tours, working at community events, and doing speaking engagements over the past year.
CEQA
N/A
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
N/A
ATTACHMENT
The following attachment(s) are included in hard copy and may also be viewed on-line at the OCSD website (www.ocsd.com) with the complete agenda package:
• Outreach Report July-August 2019
• Media Clips July-August 2019