C ALI FO R N I A
SPECIAL DISTRICTS Vo l um e 14 , I s s u e 4 • Ju l y- Au g u st 2 019
A Publication of the C alifornia Special D is tr ic ts A s s oc iation
LEGAL BRIEF:
THE BROWN ACT CONFERENCE EXCEPTION Community Connections:
FOR SALE — CERTIFIED PREOWNED WATER
ANNUAL ANNUAL CONFERENCE CONFERENCE SPEAKER SPEAKER
Mark
Scharenbroich ANNUAL CONFERENCE SPEAKER
Erik Qualman
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Save the Date. UPCOMING EVENTS September 25–28, 2019 CSDA Annual Conference & Exhibitor Showcase – Anaheim November 12–14, 2019 Board Secretary / Clerk Conference – Monterey
Volume 14 • Issue 4
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Past Pieces OF THE
Solutions and Innovations:
The Sky Is Not the Limit!
32
Interviews with Former CSDA Board Presidents Ed MacKay and Sherry Sterrett
05 President’s Message
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06 Professional 24 INTERVIEW Erik Qualman: Development Socialnomics 08 CSDA News 35 Legal Brief: 10 Community Connections: The Brown Act For Sale — Certified Conference Exception Preowned Water 36 Managers Corner: 14 You Ask, We Answer: A General Manager’s Fire Hydrants Guide to Bringing Out the Best in Their Boards, 18 Ask the Experts: Commissions and The Do’s and Don’ts of Elected Officials Retaining Independent Contractors For editorial inquiries, contact Vanessa Gonzales, Communications Specialist at 877.924.2732 or vanessag@csda.net.
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Keynote Speaker Mark Scharenbroich 38
28
Take Action: Does Your Community Know Your Story? Do Your Legislators?
40 Risk Management: Heat Illness Prevention Training 44 Money Matters: Helix Water District Approves $8 Million Pay-Down of Pension Liabilities 47 Districts Make the Difference: Student Video Contest; Student Engagement Survey
For advertising inquiries, contact CSDA at 877.924.2732 or advertising@csda.net.
California Special Districts • July-August 2019
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Let’s Celebrate 50 Years in Anaheim! Welcome to the CSDA Annual Conference & Exhibitor Showcase preview Joel Bauer, SDA issue of California CSDA Board President Special Districts! You can also check out the full schedule of speakers, topics, and networking opportunities at conference.csda.net. As a special district leader, you already know what makes special districts so special, but do you know what makes this conference so special? It’s CSDA’s 50th Anniversary Celebration! We will be celebrating all week long and will hold a special 50th Anniversary Celebration event on Friday, September 27th. Be sure to register now – a celebration like this won’t happen again for another 50 years! It is amazing to look back 50 years ago and see how far our association has come. There were 69 attendees at the first CSDA
Annual Conference. There were no exhibitors, no keynote speakers, no award recognitions, and no grandiose silent auction events. Today, there are nearly 1,000 attendees at CSDA’s Annual Conference & Exhibitor Showcase, and it is THE leadership conference for special districts. It will be packed full of invaluable networking opportunities with district leaders throughout the state, engaging keynote presentations, informative breakout sessions for both staff and board members, and opportunities to mingle with leading service provides in our exhibit hall. I have been reflecting on the first CSDA Annual Conference I attended; it was in 2010 in Newport Beach. There were less than 400 attendees and I thought “It doesn’t get any better than this!” The educational opportunities seemed endless, and all the new contacts I made in venders and peers proved to be valuable in my role as a district manager and public servant. As I mentioned, l didn’t think that it could get better – boy, was I wrong! The growth and education of this conference continues to grow like wildfire. The Annual Conference & Exhibitor Showcase this year will
continued on page 8
CSDA Board and Staff Officers
Staff
JOEL BAUER, SDA, PRESIDENT, West Side Cemetery District
NEIL MCCORMICK, Chief Executive Officer
JEFFREY HODGE, SDA, VICE PRESIDENT, Santa Ynez Community Services District
MEGAN HEMMING, Professional Development Director
ELAINE MAGNER, SECRETARY, Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District
CATHRINE LEMAIRE, Member Services Director
RYAN CLAUSNITZER, SDA, TREASURER, Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District
KYLE PACKHAM, Advocacy & Public Affairs Director
GREG ORSINI, PAST PRESIDENT, McKinleyville Community Services District
TODD WINSLOW, Publications Director RICK WOOD, Finance & Administration Director
Members of the Board
ITZEL BECERRA, Professional Development Assistant
STANLEY CALDWELL, Mt. View Sanitary District
CRISTINA BECERRA, Member Services Representative
RALPH EMERSON, Garberville Sanitary District
EMILY CHA, Professional Development Coordinator
CHAD DAVISSON, SDA, Ironhouse Sanitary District
MARCUS DETWILER, Legislative Assistant
VINCENT FERRANTE, Moss Landing Harbor District
DILLON GIBBONS, Senior Legislative Representative
PETER KAMPA, SDA, Saddle Creek Community Services District
VANESSA GONZALES, Communications Specialist
JO MACKENZIE, Vista Irrigation District
COLLEEN HALEY, Public Affairs Field Coordinator
NOELLE MATTOCK, El Dorado Hills Community Services District
JIM HARROLD, Database & Online Communities Coordinator
SANDI MILLER, SDA, Selma Cemetery District
MUSTAFA HESSABI, Legislative Analyst-Attorney
WILLIAM NELSON, Orange County Cemetery District
COLE KARR, Public Affairs Field Coordinator
GINGER ROOT, Country Club Sanitary District
STEVEN NASCIMENTO, Public Affairs Field Coordinator
TIMOTHY RUIZ, P.E., East Niles Community Services District
CHRIS PALMER, Public Affairs Field Coordinator
FRED RYNESS, Burney Water District
AMBER PHELEN, Executive Assistant
ARLENE SCHAFER, Costa Mesa Sanitary District
CASSANDRA STRAWN, Senior Member Services Specialist KYLE TANAKA, Member Services Specialist
California Special Districts Association 1112 I Street, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95814 toll-free: 877.924.2732 • www.csda.net
© 2019. California Special Districts Association. Volume 14 • Issue 4
ANTHONY TANNEHILL, Legislative Representative DANE WADLÉ, Public Affairs Field Coordinator JAMES WILFONG, Senior Designer
A proud California Special Districts Alliance partner
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Pre-Conference Tour: Orange County Water District
CSDA Annual Conference & Exhibitor Showcase – Pre-Conference Highlights
Be sure to plan on arriving early on Wednesday, September 25 for the upcoming CSDA Annual Conference & Exhibitor Showcase – we have tons of options for you early birds to choose from: • SDLF Scramble for Scholarships Golf Tournament at Mile Square Golf Course* • Pre-Conference Tour: Orange County Water District* • Pre-Conference Workshops* • Special District Administrator (SDA) Certification Exam – must be scheduled prior to conference • New! 50th Anniversary Bonus Sessions – FREE, no pre-registration needed. Can’t wait for conference to start? Get a jump start on learning with these bonus sessions starting on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. »» The Power of Pooling for Health Benefits, SDRMA »» Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Website Compliance – And More, Streamline »» Town Hall – Legal Eagles, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore • Chapter Roundtable Discussion
Conference officially kicks-off with our President’s Reception with the Exhibitors at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, September 25 – we’ll be celebrating CSDA’s 50th Anniversary all conference long so don’t miss it! Register now at csda.net. *pre-registration/payment required
New Conference Schedule this Year
Be sure to plan carefully for this year’s CSDA Annual Conference & Exhibitor Showcase. Our schedule this year has changed. There will not be an Award Luncheon this year, rather awards will be presented throughout conference during our general sessions along with highlights of CSDA’s 50 years of service to California Special Districts. Here’s a quick guide to what is going on when:
Wednesday, September 25 Pre-Conference Activities – includes pre-conference tour, pre-conference workshops, 50th Anniversary Bonus Sessions, SDLF Scramble for Scholarships Golf Tournament, and Chapter Roundtable Discussion. Conference officially begins at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday the 25th with our President’s Reception with the Exhibitors.
Thursday, September 26 Breakfast with the exhibitors, opening keynote, breakout sessions, lunch with the exhibitors, more breakout sessions, and Mix and Mingle in the Exhibit Hall from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. The exhibit hall is closed after the Mix and Mingle.
Friday, September 27 SDRMA general session, awards, and keynote followed by breakout sessions and a legislative update luncheon. Afternoon breakout sessions on Friday will be followed by CSDA’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. The SDLF Taste of the City Silent Auction will be incorporated into the 50th Anniversary Celebration.
Saturday, September 28 ATTEND! Be a part of the 50th Anniversary activities at this year’s annual conference!
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CSDA’s closing program “Districts and Doughnuts” starts at 7:30 a.m. and gives you an opportunity to grab breakfast and network and share common challenges and opportunities with the districts that provide the same or similar services to yours.
Conference ends at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 28.
California Special Districts • July-August 2019
Breakout Session Sneak Peek
Here’s your sneak peek of some of the breakout sessions that we just know you are going to love: • California’s Top 5 New Employment Laws in Response to the #MeToo Movement • California on Fire: Special Districts Addressing Future Wildland Fires • Independent Contractor Do’s and Don’ts • Are Your Electronic Devices Spying On You? • Dealing with Difficult People • District Elections and the California Voting Rights Act: Who is targeted, and what happens when you are challenged? • General Manager Performance Evaluation. A Proven Approach that Helps Build an Effective Working Relationship Between the Board and Manager • The Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act And How It Benefits Public Works Projects Implemented By Special Districts • Vesting Rights and Public Pensions in the 21st Century • Preventing the Violence Be sure to register at csda.net on or before Friday, August 23 to take advantage of early-bird discounts.
Have you registered for the 2019 CSDA Annual Conference and Exhibitor Showcase? If so, you are now part of the Annual Conference Community! Receive updates about the event including the session materials as they become available. Use this community to connect with your fellow attendees, set up ride sharing, meet for coffee, and more!
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Volume 14 • Issue 4
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CSDA NEWS
! Nerw oved
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE CONT.
Imp at! Form
Have You Completed the Administrative Salary & Benefits Survey Yet?
CSDA’s new online survey tool provides a user-friendly format for entering and accessing important salary and benefit data. Complete the survey and receive $125 off your purchase of the final results and customized reports. Downloadable survey results and reports will be available this fall. For examples of the data collected and reported in this survey, visit csda.net/ member-resources/salary-survey or contact us at membership@csda.net.
Special Districts Mapping Project CSDA, in partnership with California CAD Solutions, offers the most comprehensive, interactive map of independent special districts in California. If your district’s data is inaccurate or missing boundary lines, please let us know how we can correct it. Contact CSDA Member Services (cathrinel@csda.net) with any questions or comments. Visit the map online at: csda.net/special-districts/map
prove to be the biggest and the best to date! I hope to meet you at the 2019 CSDA Annual Conference & Exhibitor Showcase in Anaheim this year! Please come up, introduce yourself, and don’t forgot that Anaheim with Disneyland and the exciting attractions is one of the top tourist destinations. Whether you are coming with your colleagues or making a vacation of it with your family, make sure to enjoy the magical sights the area has to offer. I’m looking forward to visiting with you as we glean from education and the festive 50th celebration. See you in Anaheim!
California Special Districts Association Districts Stronger Together
2019 CSDA’s BOARD SECRETARY/CLERK Premiere Training and Certificate ProgramTM for Board Secretaries/Clerks November 12 – 14, 2019 • Monterey, CA
Co-sponsored by the Special District Risk Management Authority
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California Special Districts • July-August 2019
Business Affiliate Special Acknowledgements BUSINESS AFFILIATE
BUSINESS AFFILIATE
DIAMOND LEVEL
PLATINUM LEVEL
Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo www.aalrr.com
Best Best & Krieger www.bbklaw.com
Richards Watson Gershon www.rwglaw.com
CSDA Finance Corporation www.csdafinance.net
Liebert Cassidy Whitmore www.lcwlegal.com
Umpqua Bank www.umpquabank.com
Special District Risk Management Authority www.sdrma.org BUSINESS AFFILIATE
GOLD LEVEL
Aleshire & Wynder, LLP www.awattorneys.com
Climatec www.climatec.com
Nossaman www.nossaman.com
Bid Fast and Last Auctions www.bidfastandlast.com
CPS HR Consulting www.cpshr.us
Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP www.bwslaw.com
Five Star Bank www.fivestarbank.com
PARS www.pars.org SmartWatt Energy, Inc. www.smartwatt.com
California CAD Solutions, Inc. www.calcad.com
Hanson Bridgett, LLP www.hansonbridgett.com
SoCalGas www.socalgas.com
CalPERS Health Program www.calpers.ca.gov
Kutak Rock, LLP www.kutakrock.com
Streamline www.getstreamline.com
Caselle www.caselle.com
Laserfiche www.laserfiche.com
Tyler Technologies www.tylertech.com
As California’s most extensive public agency-focused law firm, Best Best & Krieger LLP provides comprehensive legal counsel to special districts and all other types of local government agencies. All matters involving special district services, operations, administration and regulation are handled by our team. These range from district formation, service area overlap and consolidation issues, policy matters and regulatory concerns to employment and labor disputes; real estate acquisitions, development and disposition; public works projects; land use and construction issues. BB&K is also recognized as the foremost authority on water law, serving as general and special counsel to water agencies throughout the State. We offer guidance on public agency governance, including open meeting and public record laws — offering an all-inclusive California Public Records Act service through ARC: Advanced Records Center. BB&K is proud to be a nationally recognized leader in law firm diversity and inclusion, continually earning high rankings for the number of women and minority attorneys at the firm.
Volume 14 • Issue 4
BB&K has a long history of supporting CSDA and special districts. Join BB&K at the Annual Conference in Anaheim for a champagne toast celebrating CSDA’s 50 Year Anniversary!
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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
FOR SALE—
CERTIFIED PREOWNED WATER
By Diane Pinnick, Senior Communications Specialist, Orange County Water District
Twenty trillion gallons of groundwater is a massive amount. That’s how much is contained within the Orange County Groundwater Basin located in Southern California. The basin would be seemingly invulnerable to any drought or local water needs. Unfortunately, only a tiny portion is useable and the pumping demands of 19 producer agencies have increased dramatically over the years for this popular tourist and business suburb south of Los Angeles. Over pumping is not an option as it could lead to longterm problems such as seawater intrusion, due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, or land subsidence. 10
The Orange County Water District (OCWD; the District), a California special district created in 1933 to manage the groundwater basin, had grappled for several decades to find new water recharge sources. Mother Nature rarely came close to her 14-inch rain average and cyclical droughts had become a way of life. Even OCWD’s efficient management, which doubled basin production since those early days, wasn’t going to be enough. By the mid-1990s, Santa Ana River flows were becoming more inconsistent and imported water from the California State Water Project and the Colorado River were expensive and unpredictable. OCWD’s staff and board agreed; these supplies of freshwater would not be reliable for future demands. The solution could be treated wastewater. The need was there; the facts to support it were there, but would the government, potential partners and local public “swallow” the idea of drinking former wastewater? OCWD had been utilizing a pilot wastewater reclamation and injection facility since 1975 and it became the jumping point to the world’s largest advanced water purification project for potable reuse—the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS). The prototype was called Water Factory 21 (WF-21) and it was the world’s first advanced water treatment plant utilizing reverse osmosis to purify wastewater to drinking water quality. This water was injected into the groundwater basin, providing a barrier to seawater intrusion that had rendered coastal pumps useless and threatened the main part of the aquifer.
California Special Districts • July-August 2019
District Tour. 2019 CSDA Annual Conference and Exhibitor Showcase September 25-28, 2019 Anaheim, CA
WF-21 water was initially blended with deep well water as a caution. But then, in 1991, the California Department of Health Services granted OCWD a permit (the first ever) to inject 100% recycled wastewater into the basin barrier. By the early 1990s, the population of north and central Orange County, OCWD’s management area, was nearing the 2 million mark. It had nearly doubled since the 1970s. The 15 million gallons per day (MGD) that WF-21 injected couldn’t keep up with freshwater pumping and ensure the soundness of the barrier. The population boom would also necessitate the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) to build a second, costly ocean outfall. The GWRS, a wastewater purification system utilizing Volume 14 • Issue 4
advanced technology— microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultra-violet light with hydrogen peroxide, was devised to solve both problems. It was agreed that the District would build this much larger facility in three phases, taking greater and greater wastewater flows from OCSD. Each agency paid for half the cost of the original treatment facility. OCSD would provide tertiary treated wastewater at no cost and OCWD would pay for future expansions. The original phase produced 70 million gallons of water per day (MGD). Since the initial expansion in 2015, the GWRS “manufactures” 100 MGD of near-distilled quality drinking water that is recharged into the basin and ultimately pumped out by retail water agencies and
Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Orange County Water District Tour Participate in this two-hour tour at the Orange County Water District to learn about the importance of wastewater purification. Explore the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS), the world’s largest water purification system that produce high-quality water using a three-step treatment process.
Highlight conference
continued on page 12
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put directly into their distribution system. This amount of water currently provides about 30% of the supply into the basin and allows OCWD to set the amount of pumping out of the basin at a very high level. When its final expansion comes online in 2023, the GWRS will produce 130 MGD, enough for 1 million people. The development and collaboration of this project were challenging, but perhaps the biggest nut to crack was addressing public perception issues.
Two nearby reuse projects, one in Los Angeles and one in San Diego, had already failed due to the “yuck” factor that their communities couldn’t overcome. All the issues these projects encountered had to be considered in executing the GWRS outreach strategy. Surveys laid the foundation to develop messaging. The main concepts to get across were that the water was safe and tasted good; OCWD and OCSD had a proven track record of a similar reuse project that produced high-quality water; Orange County had a growing water problem; there were benefits to the project that included reliable and potentially less costly water, and it was environmentally friendly. Additionally, most audiences knew little or nothing about the water industry or the technology being used. Education was mandatory. Finally, the two agencies had to reach the skeptics, turn them favorably towards their cause and build upon that. Being transparent, utilizing grassroots outreach to all stakeholders, gaining the support of healthcare professionals, extensive on-site touring and the ability to taste the final product water all resulted in greater public knowledge and trust. The success of the campaign was demonstrated by achieving no organized opposition to date. Thousands of media impressions were secured, including The New York
Representing California public agencies for over sixty years.
Greg Stepanicich Jim Markman Roxanne Diaz Ginetta Giovinco Whitney McDonald
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Construction
Labor & Employment
Special Districts
Eminent Domain
Litigation
Telecommunications
Energy
Public Agency Law
Transportation
Environmental
Public Finance
Waste Management
General Counsel
Real Estate
Water Law
888.479.4529
California Special Districts • July-August 2019
What Did Our Research Tell Us? • People do not know about their water supply • Messages must address health and safety • Orange County citizens want reliability, local control and high-quality water • Women, mothers, minorities and elderly are key audiences • Face-to-Face presentations are best • Jargon generates mistrust • Testimonials are important – especially from medical/health community • “Reverse Osmosis” elicits positive trust • Word “purified” resonated better than reclaimed, reused, treated, etc.
Times, 60 Minutes and National Geographic, and more than 600 letters of support included those from every city council and chamber of commerce in OCWD’s service area. Without such strong support from policymakers, the project may not have moved forward, nor would OCWD have been able to secure $92 million in state, federal and local grants to help fund the project. Continued outreach ensures local acceptance and paves the way for others to gain approval of this environmentally friendly, reliable and safe water supply. Each year, onsite GWRS tours reach 5,000 international scientists, legislators, and interested publics; a robust speakers bureau touches hundreds in local communities; staff speak at industry conferences and are called upon as experts to help lawmakers form regulations regarding groundwater
basin management and water reuse. In addition, creative projects are generated. During a successful #GetOverIt bottled water campaign from March 2017 to February 2018, the GWRS partners were the first in the Western Hemisphere to bottle reused water. They then took bottled GWRS water and water reuse information to more than 17,000 people throughout California to overcome “toilet-to-tap” misconceptions, gain support of water reuse for future infrastructure and program investments and plant the seed for acceptance of direct potable reuse. The science and technology exist to support water reuse projects however, public perception continues to be a barrier. Having exemplary projects and outreach campaigns are imperative to expand the number of water ventures and ensure that California thrives.
MAXIMIZE Y OUR M E M BE RSHI P
VISIT CSDA’S ONLINE COMMUNITIES Connect Communicate Engage Volume 14 • Issue 4
WWW.CSDA.NET
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Questions Appear in CSDA Communities
YOU ASK, WE ANSWER
Q&A
Fire Hydrants Melonie Guttry, Executive Services Manager South Tahoe Public Utility District South Tahoe Public Utility District is a small water and wastewater district also charged with installing fire hydrants. We recently had discussions with our local fire departments and the City of South Lake Tahoe regarding who is responsible for maintaining the hydrants once they are installed (i.e. testing, painting and digging them out of the snow during the winter months). I am interested to know of the special districts that also install fire hydrants, who is in charge of the maintenance of your hydrants once installed.
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Mark Madison, General Manager Florin Resource Conservation District/Elk Grove Water District The Elk Grove Water District maintains all of our own fire hydrants and abides by a standard operating procedure to check each fire hydrant once a year. The Cosumnes CSD runs the Fire Department in Elk Grove as a department of the CSD, but we make sure the hydrants in our service area are well kept. When we check a hydrant, not only do we exercise it, but we clear any shrubs and paint it if necessary. If something has malfunctioned, we notify the FD and then work to repair or replace it within three days. We also check to make sure that the blue markers are in the street to aid the FD in knowing where they are at night. Understandably, we don’t have snow to deal with down here, so I can appreciate the burden placed upon your crews - especially this past year in South Lake Tahoe. I think it is important for the water agency to retain that responsibility since hydrants are a direct connection to the public’s water system and there is an associated obligation to protect public health. Frankly, and with no offense to the fire departments out there, I think our maintenance crews are more adept in dealing with the maintenance of that equipment than the other parties. As we check 150 hydrants per month, it forces us to stay up on things which is good for our community. We have also experienced water theft through illegal connections to fire hydrants and are now initiating legislation to amplify the penalties for tampering and water theft which is grossly limited under Government Code Section 36900. That code section only allows water agencies to fine $100, $200, and $500 for the first, second and third offense, respectively, which is not hardly a deterrent. The threat to public health through these illegal connections is a major problem and we really need to address this as a statewide issue. Stolen water also gets unaccounted for and thought to be water leakage, which it is not. I plan to solicit the support of ACWA, CRWA, and perhaps CSDA in that regard. Cynthia Allen, Administrative Services Manager Vandenberg Village Community Services District Like Elk Grove, Vandenberg Village Community Services Districts maintains and tests the 205 fire hydrants within our boundaries. Each year, at the same time we do system flushing, we test each fire hydrant, repair and paint as required, and drop off a test report to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. We seem to get waves of hydrant damage. Nothing for years and then a handful in a few months. The most memorable was the dry barrel hydrant that got a bit of revenge. A car came down the off-ramp a bit too fast and hit our hydrant. After it was sheared off, the hydrant body got caught under the car and flipped the car into the hotel parking lot onto its roof! CSDA Disclaimer: This section is not intended to be legal advice. Members should always seek legal counsel. The information contained here is for general reference purposes only. California Special Districts • July-August 2019
DISTRICT OF DISTINCTION ACCREDITATION
DISTRICT OF DISTINCTION ACCREDITATION
TAKE YOUR DISTRICT TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
SPECIAL DISTRICT LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION
The District of Distinction Accreditation is designed as a way for districts to highlight their prudent practices important to effectively administer and govern a special district. In a time when proper fiscal management and responsibility in public agencies is paramount, it has become increasingly important to demonstrate that districts have sound fiscal management, transparency, and governance policies/practices in place. Apply today! 1112 I Street, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95814 • t: 916.231.2909 • www.sdlf.org Volume 14 • Issue 4
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MOVERS& SHAKERS Ventura Harbor General Manager Oscar F. Peña retired from the position he had held since 1999. Over the course of his two-decade-long career, Peña helped navigate Oscar F. Peña rough waters following the Ventura Port District’s bankruptcy, secured federal funding to keep the harbor operational through regular dredging of the entryway, and oversaw growth in the harbor’s commercial fishing industry. Peña will stay with the Ventura Port District as the Business Operations Manager through July to assist in the transition. Deputy General Manager Brian Pendleton was appointed new General Manager.
Pajaro Valley Water honored retired Board Chair Rosemary Imazio for her 20 years of exceptional leadership and devoted service to the district with a resolution dedicating the recently commissioned 1.5 million gallon recycled water storage tank in honor of Rosemary Imazio. Imazio was appointed to the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency’s Board of Directors in February, 1998. She served on the board for 20 years, five as board vice chair and 12 years in the role of board chair.
General Manager Alan Hofmann of the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District (FMFCD) was recognized for his 40 years of service to the District. Mr. Alan Hofmann Hofmann’s work anniversary is May 20, 2019. Mr. Hofmann began working for the District as an Engineering Student Intern in 1976 and was hired by the FMFCD as an engineer on May 28, 1979. His hard work and dedication paid off when he was promoted to Assistant District Engineer of the Operations Department in 1998 and moved into the design area in 2001. July 14, 2014 he was appointed by the Board of Directors as General Manager of the Flood Control District. Mr. Hofmann’s project accomplishments have included project coordination for the construction and operation of the Redbank-Fancher Creek Flood Control Project; urban drainage and flood control system operations in coordination with the Fresno Irrigation District, City of Fresno, City of Clovis, County of Fresno and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, technical design and construction of the “Oso de Oro” Basin park and River Park Little League; and continued expansion of the groundwater recharge program.
Moulton Niguel Water District, which recently received the state’s highest environmental and economic award, continues to earn recognition for its customer service tools and innovation. The District was recently honored by Government Technology for its online customer portal, MyWater MNWD. As part of its 2019 Special Districts Program, Government Technology honored Moulton Niguel within its Technology Innovation Citizens category, which recognizes special districts that have utilized technology to improve service delivery to citizens.
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The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded to Sweetwater Authority (Authority) by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government agency and its management. This is the Authority’s second time receiving this prestigious honor.
The Orange County Cemetery District received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for its current 2018-19 Budget. The district is in a select group of less than 50 special districts in the State of California to receive this award. Orange County Cemetery District is the first public cemetery district in California to receive this distinguished award. Overall in the United States, there is less than 1,000 government entities to submit and receive this award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA).
Do you have Movers and Shakers in your districts to highlight? Send to Communications Specialist Vanessa Gonzales at vanessag@csda.net for consideration in this section.
California Special Districts • July-August 2019
friday, September 27 • 6–9pm Held at the Marriott Grand Plaza - Anaheim, CA
Celebrating
csda’s 50 years of service Celebration is included in CSDA Annual Conference & Exhibitor Showcase Registration
Marriott Grand Plaza
- Sample local food and beverages - Highlights of CSDA’s 50 years of service to California Special Districts - Entertainment by Soulville - SDLF Fundraiser-Taste of the City Silent Auction 1969 - 2019
Volume 14 • Issue 4
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ASK THE EXPERTS
The Do’s and Don’t s of Retaining Independent Contractors By Colin Tanner, Tiffany Israel, and Michael Huston, Aleshire & Wynder, LLP
Our office frequently receives questions regarding retaining independent contractors in situations where the arrangement would look like employment. This line is often blurry, but the law increasingly favors finding an employment relationship. This means independent contractors can easily become employees in the eyes of the law if not properly retained. 18
The California Supreme Court’s 2018 Dynamex decision exemplifies this trend. Although the opinion is limited to determining workers’ entitlement to the protections of California’s wage orders, it may lead to more employee-favorable decisions in the future. More recently, on May 29, 2019, the California State Assembly passed AB-5, which if made into law, would codify the Dynamex three prong test favoring employee status. While these recent developments do not, as of yet, directly impact most public agencies, now more than ever it is important for districts to avoid making simple mistakes when retaining independent contracts. The consequences of misclassification can prove costly, and result in tax penalties, lawsuits, and for public agencies, unnecessary trouble with CalPERS. This article briefly summarizes some of the top Do’s and Don’ts for making sure your district’s independent contractors stay independent contractors. We look forward to covering this topic in more detail in our presentation on September 26 at CSDA’s upcoming Annual Conference and Exhibitor Showcase, and hope to see as many readers as possible then!
California Special Districts • July-August 2019
Do’s:
Don’ts:
1. Do Carefully Define the Scope Of Work The scope of work for independent contractors should be to perform duties different from those typically performed by employees. Avoid copying job descriptions when defining an independent contractor’s scope of work. Independent contractors should generally be hired to perform work outside of a district’s regular business.
1. Don’t Assume The Independent Contractor Label Is Determinative Employers often assume they are hiring someone as an independent contractor, but fail to take steps to ensure that is the case. The label of the arrangement is not determinative. Independent contractor status is not established by classification as such, even in a contract.
2. Do Hire Individuals with A Separately Established Business Since independent contractors are performing services outside of your regular business, confirm they are part of an independent business or trade. The independent contractor should be working with other clients, as well, not just your district.
2. Don’t Over-Supervise Independent contractors should be free to do the work they have been retained for in the manner of their choosing. Do not provide exact procedures on how to complete work, specific instructions, or training. The district’s focus should be on the work product and deadlines for completion.
3. Do Continually Monitor Status Routinely review individuals classified as independent contractors to ensure their status continues to be appropriate - and make adjustments when needed.
3. Don’t Treat Like Employees Do not provide independent contractors with district resources or equipment. Do not provide a district job title or email address. Do not provide district manuals or policies, unless specifically created for independent contractors.
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Celebrating 50 Years of Service: 1969-2019
Past Pieces OF THE
2019 marks California Special Districts Association’s 50th Anniversary! Throughout the
year, CSDA is celebrating our history, members and service.
Turlock Irrigation District was formed as the first special district in 1887.
Rubidoux Community Services District, located in Riverside, holds its initial Board meeting becoming California's first Community Services District.
In 1941, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California finishes construction of the Colorado River Aqueduct. June of that year, aqueduct water arrives in Pasadena marking the first delivery of Colorado River water to Southern California communities.
In 1997, East Bay Regional Park District and Livermore Area Recreation and Park District enter an agreement for the acquisition, planning, and protection of the Brushy Peak Regional Preserve.
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California Special Districts • July-August 2019
What was the association like 20 years ago compared to now?
It was a great organization with great staff that have only grown with the foundation we built. Education wise, we were a good size organization at the time and being state wide we offered education all over the state. We had a solid board with representatives like John Fox in Santa Barbara, Bill Hollingsworth in southern California and Betty Smith in northern California.
During your time of presidency in 19881989, what were some of the greatest accomplishments of CSDA?
There were some growing pains expanding the partnership with SDRMA and with the Finance Corporation getting started back to back in 1985 or 1986. In the first 20 years of becoming an established association, we wanted to grow in to a different direction and there was the opportunity to hire a new executive director.
What does CSDA mean to you?
Ed MacKay 1988-1989 CSDA PRESIDENT
California Special Districts had the privilege of interviewing CSDA Past President Ed MacKay. MacKay served on the CSDA Board of Directors from 1984 – 1996 and as Board President from 1988 – 1989. His leadership with the board was instrumental in laying a strong foundation for growth of the California Special Districts Association going in the 2000’s. How did you first get involved with CSDA?
In November 1984, I was elected to the Rosamond Community Services District. There was an opening and I ran for the board and got elected. I was a brand-new director of the board of Rosamond CSD, a new CSDA member and elected to the CSDA board in December of 1984. I was a director for 16 years on the Rosamond CSD board from 1984-1996 and 2014-2018. I was on the CSDA Board of Directors for 12 years, from 1984 and 1996 and was CSDA President 1988-1989. I also served as president of the CSDA Finance Corporation.
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CSDA is a place for special districts to come together and network with each other. You have a problem and meet with people here to help solve it with great ideas. It’s a great place to network. One of the great things about CSDA is how organizations of all sizes are connected. Steve Perez, a general manager of a small water district with less than 6,000 connections was president of the CSDA Board of Directors. It’s a great diverse representation of the diversity of special districts. There was only one female CSDA president, Betty Smith, at the time, but now CSDA has become much more diverse with more female directors represented.
Is there a special story or memory with CSDA that stands out to you?
The CSDA Finance Corporation and how it helped agencies outside CSDA was meaningful to me. We helped the city of Los Angeles and made great impact outside of special districts. It was there to help special districts and other government agencies to obtain financing. CSDA provided all great conferences and all great subjects for members to hear. Some I liked the best were the ones law firms put on to bring us up to date.
As an active member and past president of CSDA, is there any wisdom or advice you would give to CSDA members? Keep up the good work! Get involved with the organization – with the trainings, the financing, and legislation. Lasting for 50 years is a great sign of a great organization. Happy 50th Anniversary, CSDA!
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Celebrating 50 Years of Service: 1969-2019
Fun Facts Construction of Colorado River Aqueduct was completed in 1935 with first water flows in 1939.
The Cortese Knox Act was signed into law in 1985.
Governor Earl Warren signed into law the Ralph M. Brown Act in 1953.
The Cortese Knox Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act was signed into law in 2000.
LAFCOs were created by the State Legislature in 1963 in response to the rapid growth and formation of cities and special districts in California in the years following World War II. In 1971, Governor Ronald Reagan starts the first pump at the A.D. Edmonston Pumping Plan, as part of a ceremony celebrating the first water deliveries to Southern California. The initial facilities of the State Water Project are completed in 1973.
22
Special districts authorized to acquire representation on LAFCO in 1994.
In 2001, for one of the first times on national television, Governor Davis mentioned cities, counties AND special districts together. This was a significant accomplishment for CSDA as special districts were recognized as one of the three forms of local government.
First spacecraft successfully launches from a spaceport district in 2004.
In 2004, former CSDA Legislative Advocate Ralph Heim and former CSDA Executive Director Catherine Smith received the William Hollingsworth Award of Excellence for their efforts in the LOCAL Coalition and Proposition 1A.
In 2010, Proposition 22 passed, which further protects local agencies from revenue grabs by the State.
The California Little Hoover Commission released its report on special districts, “Improving Oversight and Transparency” in August 2017, a follow up to its May 2000 report and recommendations.
California Special Districts • July-August 2019
INTERVIEW
Sherry Sterrett 2005-2006 CSDA PRESIDENT
It was fitting in this CSDA 50th Anniversary pre-conference issue of California Special Districts to include an interview with CSDA Past President Sherry Sterrett. Sterrett was passionate about education and advocated for further CSDA educational offerings during her time on CSDA’s Board of Directors from 1996 – 2016. She was the CSDA Board President during the 2005 – 2006 year and was one of the few female representatives on CSDA’s Board of Directors at that time. Tell us about your district and your experience with CSDA.
Unlike most areas that have recreation and park departments within the city, the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District was formed 10 years before the city was incorporated. It started because people wanted activities. The district provides recreation, education and social programs to seven facilities and many parks. I was an elected board member for the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District for 20 years and was the president of the board for several years. I started in 1996 and retired in 2016. Around the same time I began, I was interested in the CSDA board. Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District was supportive of me running for the CSDA board and representing our district. Catherine Smith, CSDA’s executive director at the time, encouraged women to join the board. I was on the CSDA Board from 1996 – 2016 and was CSDA President in 2006.
What does CSDA mean to you and your district?
It is certainly the educational component of CSDA that means the most to me and my district – the policies, activities, legislative issues, and other education for me. I started my career in politics on the school board. Education is what comes to mind. Through CSDA, I met a lot of community and state leaders throughout the state.
Is there a special story or memory with CSDA that stands out to you?
The promotion and hiring of Neil McCormick as Executive Director/CEO around 2006 was the most
Volume 14 • Issue 4
memorable moment. We formed a committee for searching and interviewing general managers; I volunteered on the interview committee for 5-6 of them. The current Executive Director, Catherine Smith, hired Neil as the Deputy Executive Director, Member Services. Neil was young and nervous, but interviewed extremely well for the CSDA Executive Director/CEO position. We were looking to have a leader with growth and leadership skills and a futuristic view. They accepted our recommendation, and it’s been meaningful to me to see Neil grow into today’s CEO and continue to see CSDA grow through his leadership.
As past president of CSDA, is there any wisdom or advice you would give to CSDA members?
My advice to CSDA members would be to make time to attend a CSDA training. Making a commitment to attend one CSDA educational event will get you hooked! This first experience going to an event will allow you to see the value of it and will make you want more.
Is there anything else you would like to share? CSDA provides my district with current leadership training and new resources in areas of politics and legal issues. There is a lot to be learned from all the programs offered – pick and choose the ones that fit your district’s needs.
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FEATURE
INTERVIEW:
Erik
Qualman Author and international expert on social media, digital trends and digital leadership
Socialnomics - Your Path to Digital Transformation is an interactive and entertaining session, where Erik showcases habits that drive success and happiness for your employees, partners and constituents. As part of the CSDA Annual Conference and Exhibitor Showcase, Erik will be speaking on: • Current and future trends that will impact your business • Digital leadership practices that allow you to be cutting edge versus bleeding edge • The delicate harmony of offline and online initiatives to reach your employees, constituents and stakeholders • Habits that will allow you to be the disruptor vs. the disrupted Join us in Anaheim, and leave Erik’s presentation with a clear understanding on why we don’t have a choice on whether we digitally transform. The choice is how well we do it. 24
California Special Districts • July-August 2019
2019 ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITOR SHOWCASE SPEAKER
Volume 14 • Issue 4
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We are looking forward to having you at our Annual Conference this year, giving a keynote on “Socialnomics: Your Path to Digital Transformation.” What is socialnomics? Socialnomics at a six second level is word of mouth on digital steroids or word of mouth is now World of Mouth (TM). It’s allowing your best customers and employees to become your best marketers and salespeople through the speed, transparency, and scope of all the digital tools available to us. Historically, our best employees and clients came from Word of Mouth. The problem is that it is very slow. We live in hyper connective society. More than ever before, our clients and customers can like us or not like us very well. Socialnomics is the power of people. In the longer-term, it’s about using power of productivity and people to drive better, more accurate and personalized results. For example, if you are interested in engaging in a community volunteer activity with your family, it is likely
that your friends and network have already done the research. It makes no sense for me to do all the research once again when I can rely on the work and opinion that my network has already done; a network that has been pre-vetted and which whom
I know I share a common ground. I want to know what they like, what they recommend and eliminate wasting time. We are seeing the power of socialnomics already and the power in the future will be even more as we advance in artificial intelligence.
Special Districts can’t effectively serve their communities without their most valuable resource: Their employees. Best Best & Krieger LLP’s Labor & Employment attorneys provide public agency employers with comprehensive guidance, including employee and retirement benefits oversight from our premier public agency-focused team.
www.BBKlaw.com Offices throughout California and in Washington, D.C.
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California Special Districts • July-August 2019
2019 ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITOR SHOWCASE SPEAKER
Can you explain your statement on why we don’t have a choice on whether we digitally transform?
Did you know that by 2020 we will have more conversations with bots than with our spouses? If you don’t digitally transform you simply will not be in business. You’ll be behind if you are not constantly transforming. Digital transformation and socialnomics is more about people than digital technology, more about anthropology than technology. The question is how well you do it.
What is your top tip for a public agency getting started on social media?
Don’t try to boil the ocean. Focus on one thing you believe will work and go from there. Start small. Determine the best way to reach out to your constituents – what the most helpful tool is for them. Is it an app for your agency or is it Facebook? Determine the most effective way to meet the needs of your customers, like responding to concerns such as, “My bill is higher than my neighbors – what can I do?”
Keynote Speaker. 2019 CSDA Annual Conference and Exhibitor Showcase September 25-28, 2019 Anaheim, CA
What else will attendees have to look forward to hearing from you in September?
We will give day-to-day habits that will help them be successful not only five seconds from now, but five years, 50 years from today. It will be high level, entertaining, educational and attendees will walk away feeling empowered. They’ll learn that technology changes every second, but human nature does not. Attendees can learn a new habit, one specific to them to sharpen their current strengths and to dig deeper through whatever change to make in the future.
1
Friday, September 27, 2019 8:30 – 10:45 a.m. SDRMA GENERAL SESSION, KEYNOTE, SAFETY AWARDS
Erik Qualman MORE ABOUT ERIK QUALMAN #1 Best Selling Author and Keynote Speaker Erik Qualman has performed in over 50 countries and reached 30 million people this decade.
Socialnomics: Your Path to Digital Transformation In this interactive and entertaining session, Erik Qualman, author, showcases habits that drive success and happiness for your employees, partners and constituents.
His Socialnomics work has been on 60 Minutes, the Wall Street Journal and used by the National Guard to NASA. His book Digital Leader propelled him to be voted the 2nd Most Likeable Author in the World behind Harry Potter’s J.K. Rowling. What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube helped Qualman be listed by Forbes and Fortune as a Top 100 Digital Influencer.
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Highlight conference
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FEATURE
M
Schar
Mark
Scharenbroich is a motivational keynote speaker and National Speakers Hall of Fame inductee. Based in Minnesota, Mark is an international speaker to more than 4,000 audiences. Mark’s core messages have always been about connecting. Sometimes it was in schools to help 28
teachers connect to their students, or in organizations and businesses to help teams feel truly connected to their core values and their customers. Mark’s biggest “Aha!” moment came while traveling through Milwaukee, Wisconsin to a speaking engagement. It was there that he stumbled upon the HarleyDavidson 100th year anniversary celebration. He kept overhearing people as they passed bikers share California Special Districts • July-August 2019
2019 ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITOR SHOWCASE SPEAKER
Keynote Speaker. 2019 CSDA Annual Conference and Exhibitor Showcase
Mark
September 25-28, 2019 Anaheim, CA
arenbroich Emmy award-winning speaker.
Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019 8:45 – 11:00 a.m. OPENING KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Mark Scharenbroich
Nice Bike – Making Connections that Move People Join Emmy award-winning speaker, Mark Scharenbroich as he takes you for a fun ride on how to be effective at making meaningful connections in both your professional and personal life. His Nice Bike principle is supported by three strong actions: acknowledge, honor and connect.
two simple words, “Nice Bike.” A connection was made. It gave Mark an unforgettable metaphor that inspired him to write his award-winning book, Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life.
Highlight conference
California Special Districts asked Mark to explain some of the aspects of this metaphor of inspiration. continued on page 30 Volume 14 • Issue 4
29
FEATURE
Please share some of your background and how you became an Emmy awardwinning speaker.
I started performing in a comedy troupe that performed at colleges and high schools. When the group broke up, I began speaking in high schools, mixing my comedy with messages about being fully involved and engaged in the high school experience. Over twenty years, I spoke in more than 3500 high schools throughout North America. In the 1980s, Jostens, the leading provider of class rings and yearbooks, made a film of my presentation entitled, “The Greatest Days of Your Life…(so far).” The film was shown in more than 10,000 high schools every year for ten years. The production earned several film awards. In 1995, a production company filmed my presentation to high school students. It was a featured after school special on ABC and earned an Emmy award.
Could you explain the “Nice Bike” metaphor you use?
I flew into Milwaukee for a presentation. Shortly after arriving, I discovered that I had stumbled upon the Harley Davidson Motorcycle Company’s 100th year anniversary. There were more than half a million Harley bikers at the event. I am not a Harley rider, in fact I have never even sat on a Harley, however I was really drawn into the event. As I stopped at different venues along the way I continually witnessed people walking by each biker, pointing at their bike and saying, “Nice Bike!” After hearing the statement, the Harley rider always shared a knowing look and smile. I loved witnessing the instant connection. In my next presentation I shared the experience and it truly resonated with the audience. Since that moment, I have developed the Nice
30
Great leaders create a culture of connections...I believe our roles as leaders is first to make sure that people have input and know that they are being heard. Second, to create opportunities that bring people of different backgrounds together. It is easy for people to stay home, watch television or pluck away at their laptop.
Bike principle and now show audience members how to effectively “Nice Bike” others to make a meaningful connection. “Nice Bike” isn’t really about Harleys. It is about making connections. It is about actions we can all take each day to make connections.
Why is it so important to create authentic connections in both professional and personal life?
People need to feel a connection with their family, their community and their workplace. We are designed to be relational and the quality of our connections largely defines the quality of our lives. People need to know that who they are and what they do matters. When we acknowledge others by being fully present with them and honor them by creating memorable experiences, it results in a very personal connection.
What is the top advice you would give to transform the culture of special districts and other local government public agencies?
Great leaders create a culture of connections. They create communities where people take pride in being a part of something special. I believe our roles as leaders is first to make sure that people have input and know that they are being heard. Second, to create opportunities that bring people of different backgrounds together. It is easy for people to stay home, watch television or pluck away at their laptop. Part of our role as leaders is to find ways to bring people out of their homes and more involved in their communities through their input, actions and interactions with others.
What else do attendees have to look forward to hearing from you at our Annual Conference in September? As a speaker, I am known as a storyteller. I don’t use any Power Point in my presentation (not that there is anything wrong with that) however I want to create a shared experience. From my background in comedy, I create a cast of characters to illustrate and bring my stories to life. I use universal stories that
California Special Districts • July-August 2019
2019 ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITOR SHOWCASE SPEAKER
everyone can relate to and support the stories with ideas that can help my audience members become more effective in creating meaningful connections within their family, their friends and their communities. The experience will be fun, meaningful and share points that the audience will remember long after the convention is over.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Our book, “Nice Bike - Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life” has earned both an Axion business book award and a Benjamin Franklin book award. I was inducted into the National Speakers Association prestigious Hall of Fame. Of the 3000+ members of NSA, there are 182 living members of the Hall of Fame. Bonus, my bride Susan and I are beekeepers.
Nice BikeMaking Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life Strong connections are vital in our lives, yet in today’s “virtual world” it is often difficult to make meaningful connections. When team members are truly connected – retention improves, sales increase, customer loyalty soars and our business grows. Mark has spent his career working in both education and business discovering how some of the best organizations and industry leaders build a culture that encourages personal and professional growth.
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Advising
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Expert counsel, informed perspective and sixty years of municipal law experience: that’s what we offer every public agency client. Thank you for placing your trust in us and we look forward to serving you for decades to come.
We are a proud sponsor of CSDA | www.kmtg.com
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SOLUTIONS AND INNOVATIONS
The Sky IS NOT
the Limit!
By Karina Drees, CEO and General Manager, Mojave Air & Space Port
The
sky is not the limit at Mojave Air & Space Port where innovation is the order of the day. This is the sentiment of CEO and General Manager, Karina Drees, as well as the entire team at Mojave Air & Space Port. Throughout its many incarnations, Mojave Air & Space Port has had a long history of service and innovation dating back to its inception in 1935 when it was formed to serve the gold and silver mining industries in the Mojave area. During World War II, the facility was tapped to be a U.S. Marine Corps base. After the war, the U.S. Navy briefly maintained an air station at the airfield. 32
California Special Districts • July-August 2019
In 1972, after the U.S. military left the airport, it became the East Kern Airport District, serving small, private aircraft with fuel and hangars as well as providing fueling service to military aircraft and leasing buildings to various businesses. Under the leadership of Dan Sabovich, the airport grew by encouraging investment and recruiting new businesses, such as the Rutan Aircraft Factory. It was at Mojave Air & Space Port that the Voyager aircraft was born. Engineered by Burt Rutan and built with the help of many others, Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Volume 14 • Issue 4
Jeanna Yeager, cemented its place in aviation history becoming the first aircraft to circle the globe without refueling in December 1986. And that was just the beginning of the innovation and development at Mojave Air & Space Port, where everything is possible. In 2004, Paul Allen, Scaled Composites and Burt Rutan formed Mojave Aerospace Ventures and developed both White Knight and SpaceShipOne. SpaceShipOne was an experimental air-launched, rocket-powered craft carried by its mother ship: White Knight. In 2004, SpaceShipOne captured the $10M Ansari X PRIZE by becoming the first commercially piloted spaceship to successfully reach space without government funding. With an eye to the future, under the leadership of then CEO Stuart Witt, East Kern Airport District became Mojave Air & Space Port in 2012, signaling the dawn of a new era at the airfield. The name change more accurately reflected our work, mission and vision. With tenants such as Scaled Composites, The Spaceship Company, Stratolaunch and Virgin Galactic, Mojave Air & Space Port is well on its way toward fulfilling those goals. One need only look at our colorful history to imagine our vibrant future. Virgin Galactic began working on VSS Unity in 2012. It was planned as a sub-orbital, manned space
plane, with the intention to take the first human payload into space and make commercial space travel possible. After the long process of design, building and testing over a span of several years, VSS Unity took flight on September 8, 2016. VSS Unity achieved its first suborbital spaceflight on December 13, 2018, which was the first time the Unites States sent Americans to space since 2011. Virgin Galactic’s stated intention of carrying paying passengers into space is very close to being fulfilled. Stratolaunch, the world’s largest airplane, was conceived of as a mobile launch system. Built by Scaled Composites, the project started in 2010, though it was not announced until 2011. After years of research, development and testing, Stratolaunch made flight on April 13, 2019, reaching 15,000 feet.
– Event Center Available – for Private and Company functions – Hangar and Office Space Leasing – – Online Gift Shop – – Sign up for Monthly Newsletter – – Plane Crazy Saturdays – The third Saturday of every month.
Put on by the Mojave Transportation Museum.
Visit our website for more information:
www.mojaveairport.com
Mojave Air & Space Port is also an active supporter of community-based aviation continued on page 34
33
SOLUTIONS AND INNOVATIONS
efforts. The Mojave Transportation Museum hosts Plane Crazy Saturdays at the Airport the third Saturday of every month, as well as the Mojave Experimental Fly-in every April. With such a rich history of service and innovation, and an atmosphere that is full of design and development, there is no limit to what can be accomplished at Mojave Air & Space Port. The positive, encouraging and supportive atmosphere at Mojave
34
Air & Space Port makes all things possible. Customers at the airport are only limited by their imagination.
Innovation is encouraged and effort is applauded. There truly are no failures, only ruling out possibilities that take the customers at the airport one step closer to success.
California Special Districts • July-August 2019
LEGAL BRIEF
The Brown Act Conference Exception By Stephanie Vollmer, Associate, Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP
Under the Brown Act, a What You Can’t Do When the four board members attend “meeting” takes place when: • a majority of a legislative body gathers • at the same time and place • where they hear, discuss, or deliberate • on a matter within the body’s jurisdiction
How does the Brown Act meeting rule apply to conferences or similar informational events? If a district has a five-person board, and four want to attend the California Special Districts Association (CSDA) Annual Conference, would the Brown Act preclude more than two from attending? If not, can more than two members co-attend sessions? Can they eat lunch together? Mingle at a reception?
What You Can Do
Fortunately, the Brown Act has “meeting” definition exceptions to address activities like conferences and social occasions. The above-district’s four board members (a majority) can attend the CSDA conference and collectively attend social events at such conference without violating the Brown Act’s meeting provisions. The Act allows the majority of a legislative body to: • attend conferences or social events • that are open to the public • and involve discussions of public-interest issues or publicagency interests of the majority’s legislative body • and the majority can fraternize among themselves
Volume 14 • Issue 4
the CSDA conference, the Brown Act prohibits them from discussing business of a specific nature within their district’s subject matter purview unless the scheduled program, training, or event includes such discussions. For example, if after a disasterplanning panel at a conference, board members discuss their district’s emergency plan, the Brown Act conference exception no longer applies because members would be engaging in an improper “meeting.” Similarly, board members exceed the Brown Act’s social occasion exception once specific districtbusiness discussions begin over drinks or during a conference meal. The Brown Act focuses on public participation in government, and the
▪
Act’s meeting and social exemptions allow public officials necessary latitude as long as they avoid discussing district business privately at such events. Stephanie Vollmer is an Associate at Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP where she provides advice to public entities, including special districts, and she currently serves as the Deputy City Attorney for the City of Benicia and as General Counsel for Tri Delta Transit.
CSDA’s Brown Act Compliance Manual, contributed by the firm of Burke, Williams and Sorensen, includes an overview of the Brown Act as well as guidelines and tips for complying with various meeting agenda, notice, public participation and public reporting requirements. Available in the online Bookstore.
GET MORE VALUE FROM YOUR AUDIT
“ How do our practices compare with other districts? ”
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We’ll show you what other districts do right. What to avoid. And what it takes to be among the best. We welcome your questions and the opportunity to help you turn your next audit into AWESOME!
916-993-9494
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MANAGERS CORNER
A General Manager’s Guide To Bringing Out The Best In Their Boards, Commissions, and Elected Officials By Oliver Yee, Attorney and Partner, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore
Your job as a general manager or emerging leader of a special district demands that you provide strong leadership to your staff and boards. When staff, management, and the board work in concert, everyone benefits. But how do you bring out the best in your boards, commissions and elected officials? Below are five guidelines for general managers on bringing out the best in boards, commissions and elected officials: 1. EXUDE PROFESSIONALISM AND INTEGRITY
Effective leadership and ethics go hand in hand, and require good character, honesty and personal integrity. People follow willingly, and with greater productivity, if their leaders are people they respect. Remember – respect is earned, not bestowed. Always approach the relationship with staff and the board with professionalism and integrity. 36
2. SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE BOARD REGARDING ROLES OF MANAGEMENT AND STAFF
Vague and ambiguous expectations lead to confusion and inaction. Ensure that the board understands its role, the role of management and staff, and importantly, the expectations of the board of staff and management. When the roles of the board, management and staff are clear, objectives and goals are more easily attained.
California Special Districts • July-August 2019
3. MAINTAIN PURPOSEFUL COMMUNICATION WITH THE BOARD
Purposeful communication is not random and does not follow a template. Consider the dynamics of the board members and nature of the matter at hand when determining the effective medium of communication with the board. Will a Power Point presentation help clarify the issue or will it just add more confusion? Does a one-page executive summary sufficiently explain a complex issue? Should a staff member with expertise provide information to the board instead of you? Communicating with the board takes many forms. Ensure that the medium of the communication is purposeful.
you may be experiencing a nuanced and challenging issue for the first time, a consultant with expertise may have provided guidance on this same issue on countless occasions.
4. STAY UP TO DATE ON BEST PRACTICES AND LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
A common first question that board members ask upon hearing a presentation is: what is the best practice surrounding this? Be prepared to explain best practices and legal requirements to the board when presenting a new policy or goal. Best practices are always evolving. So it’s important to stay up to date on what other similar districts are doing. Legal requirements also constantly change and evolve, see #5! 5. DON’T FORGET THAT YOU HAVE OUTSIDE RESOURCES
It can be a tall order to stay up to date on changes in best practices, the law, regulations and corresponding impacts on your district. Don’t forget that you have outside resources to turn to. Oftentimes, new laws come into effect at the beginning of the calendar year. So that is a good time to consult with legal counsel and evaluate whether there is a need to address new laws or changes in the law that could impact your agency and its operations. In addition, don’t forget that you’re not alone! Although
SAN FRANCISCO
Oliver Yee, an attorney and partner in Liebert Cassidy Whitmore’s Los Angeles office, provides representation and legal counsel to the Firm’s special district clients on a variety of labor and employment law issues. He is an experienced labor negotiator, and represents clients as their chief negotiator in all aspects of the labor negotiations process. He also leads the firm’s audit services practice team and regularly trains governing bodies, managers, supervisors and human resources personnel. Oliver can be reached at oyee@lcwlegal.com.
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TAKE ACTION
ON TAKE ACTI
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Essential Communications for Every Special District Workshop If you are not telling your story, someone else is. Learn the essential communications practices for special districts in today’s media and political landscapes. Professional communications consultants will cover interviewing with the press, presenting at public events, and developing your story for your audience. Additionally, CSDA’s advocacy and public affairs staff will cover the fundamentals for every district to successfully engage with its local legislators and the State legislative process. As part of CSDA’s District NetWorks Workshop Series, these workshops are only $25 for CSDA members and include lunch sponsored by the California Special Districts Alliance.
• August 14 – Chico, CA (Northern Network) • August 28 – Cotati, CA (Bay Area Network) • October 16 – Marina, CA (Coastal Network) • October 30 – Santee, CA (Southern Network)
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DOES YOUR COMMUNITY KNOW YOUR STORY? DO YOUR LEGISLATORS? This summer, CSDA rolled out a new guide to help members communicate and build relationships with the people and institutions that shape how special districts operate. Take Action: Engaging Your Community and Your Legislators is now available at csda.net and will serve as the foundation for a series of Essential Communications workshops planned throughout the state this fall. In his cover letter to the 2017 Little Hoover Commission report on special districts, Chairperson Pedro Nava commented, “The Commission found some progress but also saw a missed opportunity for special districts – many have a great story to tell. Very rarely are taxpayer dollars so closely tied to services provided in the community. And still people do not seem to know much about these local governments and their locallyelected boards.” It is time for special districts to tell their story. Go to csda.net/take-action to download the Take Action Guide today and register for one of the Essential Communications workshops near you. California Special Districts • July-August 2019
Be the First to Hear What New Laws Will Affect Your District in 2020 Special district leaders have two opportunities to connect with CSDA’s advocacy team this fall, first on September 27 at CSDA’s Annual Conference and Exhibitor Showcase in Anaheim and then online for the Legislative Roundup Webinar October 31. You can register for both events at csda.net. Every year, CSDA’s lobbyists report the highlights of the Legislative Session to the membership at Annual Conference. This year, the Legislative Update presentation is moving timeslots from the Closing Breakfast to a mid-conference luncheon format. With the State Legislature breaking a record this year for number of bills introduced, there will be plenty to talk about. The Legislative Session recesses September 13, so attendees will get a breakdown of what failed, what passed, and what it could mean for their districts. Governor Gavin Newsom has until October 13 to sign or veto any legislation that is passed by the legislative deadline of September 13 and reaches his desk after that date – essentially all of the bills passed during the final couple weeks of the session. During the October 31 Legislative Roundup Webinar, CSDA’s lobbyists will highlight the most noteworthy vetoes and most impactful new laws special districts will face in 2020. Join us for these critical opportunities to connect with your advocacy team at CSDA and learn about the legislative process and its affect on your district and the community you serve. Volume 14 • Issue 4
Look for the updated Take Action brochure, designed to equip district leaders for grassroots advocacy and public outreach, at upcoming CSDA events, conferences, or when speaking with your public affairs field coordinator.
Liebert Cassidy Whitmore
Supporting California Special Districts Since 1980.
TAKE ACTION SEASONS OF ADVOCACY: SUMMER • Request a meeting with your legislators in their district office while the Legislature is on summer recess July 13 – August 11 • Set up a meeting or facilities tour for your local news reporter or editor • Participate in CSDA Calls to Action at csda.net/take-action and submit letters in support or opposition on significant bills affecting special districts • Watch for opportunities to share positive stories in the news and on social media
Litigation Negotiations Labor Relations Preventative Training Business & Construction Personnel Evaluation Employment Law Wage & Hour Retirement
LCWLEGAL.COM
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MANAGING RISK
CSDA Board and Staff
Heat Illness Prevention Training By Dennis Timoney, ARM, Chief Risk Officer, Special Districts Risk Management Authority With the summer months ahead and temperatures already exceeding 100 degrees in some areas of California, it is time to revisit Cal/OSHA - Heat Illness Prevention Training. All California employers are required to take these four steps to prevent heat illness: TRAINING Train all employees and supervisors about heat illness prevention. WATER Provide enough fresh water so that each employee can drink at least one quart per hour, or four 8-ounce glasses of water per hour, and encourage them to do so.
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SHADE Provide access to shade and encourage employees to take a cooldown rest in the shade for at least five minutes. They should not wait until they feel sick to cool down. PLANNING Develop and implement written procedures for complying with the Cal/ OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Standard. California employers with any outdoor places of employment must comply with the Heat Illness Prevention standard, California Code of Regulations, Title 8, section 3395 (8 CCR 3395). These procedures have been created to assist employers in establishing their own heat illness prevention procedures and to reduce
the risk of work-related heat illnesses to their employees. These procedures are not intended to supersede or replace the application of any other Title 8 sections, particularly 8 CCR 3203, Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP), which requires an employer to establish, implement, and maintain an effective IIPP. You may integrate your heat illness prevention procedures into your IIPP. You must also be aware that other standards also apply to heat illness prevention, such as the construction, agriculture, and general industry requirements to provide drinking water, first aid, and emergency response. To tailor these procedures to your work activities, evaluate and consider the specific conditions present at your site such as: California Special Districts • July-August 2019
1. The size of the crew. 2. The length of the work-shift. 3. The ambient temperature (which can either be taken using a simple thermometer or estimated by monitoring the weather). 4. Additional sources of heat or the use of personal protective equipment that may increase the body’s heat burden. 5. Again, these sample procedures do not include every workplace scenario so it is crucial that you take into account and evaluate conditions found in your individual workplace that are likely to cause a heat illness. Mandatory requirements for written procedures must also do the following: 1. Identify the person(s) responsible for the particular task(s) (e.g., supervisor, foreman, safety coordinator, crew leader). 2. Describe in detail the steps required to carry out the task and ensure that the task is accomplished successfully, including the number and size of water containers and shade structures; distance to their placement; and frequency of water replenishment, water breaks/reminders, weather-tracking, etc. 3. Specify how you will communicate these procedures to your employees, particularly the person(s) assigned to be responsible for them, and how you will verify that the procedures and instructions are being followed.
Procedures for the Provision of Water:
Drinking water containers (5 to 10 gallons each) will be brought to the site so that at least two quarts per employee are available at the start of the shift. All employees, whether working individually or in smaller crews, will have access to drinking water. Paper cones or bags of disposable cups and the necessary cup dispensers will be made available to employees and will be kept clean until used. As part of the Effective Replenishment Procedures, the water level of all containers will be checked periodically (e.g., every hour, every 30 minutes) and more frequently when the temperature rises. Water containers will be refilled with cool water when the water level within a container drops below 50 percent. Additional water containers (e.g., 5-gallon bottles) will be delivered to replace water as needed. Water will be fresh, pure, suitably cool, and provided to employees free of charge. Supervisors will visually examine the water and pour some on their skin to ensure that the water is suitably cool. During hot weather, the water must be cooler than the ambient temperature, but not so cool as to cause discomfort. Water containers will be located as close as practicable to the areas where employees are working (depending on the working conditions and layout of the worksite) to encourage the frequent drinking of water. If field terrain prevents the water from being placed within a reasonable distance from the employees, bottled water or personal water containers will be made available so that employees can have drinking water readily accessible. Since water containers are smaller than shade structures, they can be placed closer to employees than shade structures. Placing water only in designated shade areas or where toilet facilities are located is not sufficient. When employees are working across large areas, water will be placed in multiple locations. For example, on a multi-story construction site, water will be placed in a safely accessible location on every floor where employees are working. continued on page 42
SDRMA Board and Staff Officers
Staff
MIKE SCHEAFER, PRESIDENT Costa Mesa Sanitary District
LAURA S. GILL, ICMA-CM, Chief Executive Officer C. PAUL FRYDENDAL, CPA, Chief Operating Officer DENNIS TIMONEY, ARM, Chief Risk Officer ELLEN DOUGHTY, ARM, Chief Member Services Officer HEATHER THOMSON, CPA, Chief Financial Officer DEBBIE YOKOTA, AIC, Claims Manager WENDY TUCKER, Member Services Manager ALANA LITTLE, Health Benefits Manager DANNY PENA, Senior Claims Examiner JENNIFER CHILTON, Senior Accountant ALEXANDRA SANTOS, Health Benefits Specialist II PHILLIP BOTTOMS, Member Services Specialist II HEIDI UTMAN, Accountant JACK BUCHANAN, Accounting Technician HEIDI SINGER, Claims Examiner I TERESA GUILLEN, Member Services Specialist I
SANDY SEIFERT-RAFFELSON, VICE PRESIDENT, Herlong Public Utility District ROBERT SWAN, SECRETARY, Groveland Community Services District
Members of the Board DAVID ARANDA, SDA, Stallion Springs Community Services District JEAN BRACY, SDA, Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District ED GRAY TIM UNRUH, SDA, Kern County Cemetery District No. 1
Consultants DAVID BECKER, CPA, James Marta & Company, LLP LAUREN BRANT, Public Financial Management DEREK BURKHALTER, Bickmore Actuarial CHARICE HUNTLEY, River City Bank FRANK ONO, ifish Group, Inc. ANN SIPRELLE, Best Best & Krieger, LLP KARL SNEARER, Apex Insurance Agency DOUG WOZNIAK, Alliant Insurance Services, Inc.
Volume 14 • Issue 4
Special District Risk Management Authority 1112 I Street, Suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95814 tel: 800.537.7790 • www.sdrma.org
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All water containers will be kept in a sanitary condition. Water from non-approved or nontested water sources (e.g., untested wells) is not acceptable. If hoses or connections are used, they must be approved for potable drinking water systems as shown on the manufacturer’s label. Daily, employees will be reminded of the location of the water coolers and of the importance of drinking water frequently. When the temperature exceeds, or is expected to exceed, 80 degrees Fahrenheit, brief “tailgate” meetings will be held with employees each morning to review the importance of drinking water, the number and schedule of water and rest breaks, and the signs and symptoms of heat illness. Audible devices, such as whistles or air horns, will be used to remind employees to drink water. When the temperature equals or exceeds 95 degrees Fahrenheit, or during a heat wave, pre-shift meetings will be conducted before the commencement of work to both encourage employees to drink plenty of water and to remind employees of their right to take a cool-down rest when necessary. Additionally, the number of water breaks will be increased. Supervisors/foremen will lead by example and remind employees throughout the work shift to drink water. Individual water containers or bottled water provided to employees will be adequately identified to eliminate the possibility of drinking from a co-worker’s container or bottle.
Procedures for Access to Shade:
Shade structures will be opened and placed as close as practicable to the employees when the temperature equals or exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperature is below 80 degrees Fahrenheit, access to shade will be provided promptly, when requested by an employee. Note: The interior of a vehicle may not be used to provide shade unless the vehicle is air-conditioned and the air conditioner is on. Enough shade structures will be available at the site to accommodate all of the employees who are on a break at any point in time. During meal periods, there will be enough shade for all employees who choose to remain in the general area of work or in areas designated for recovery and rest periods. (Employers may rotate employees in and out of meal periods, as with recovery and rest periods.) Daily, employees will be informed of the location of the shade structures and will be encouraged to take a fiveminute cool-down rest in the shade. An employee who takes a preventative cool-down rest break will be monitored and asked if they are experiencing symptoms of heat illness. In no case will the employee be ordered back to work until signs or symptoms of heat illness have abated. For 75 years, Nossaman has partnered with public, private, and As crews move, shade structures will governmental agencies to provide customized legal strategies. be relocated to be placed as close as Nossaman is a full-service public agency law firm based in California. practicable to the employees so that Our attorneys provide counsel to special districts in areas such as Public access to shade is provided at all times. Finance, Public Agency Law, Water, Environment, Land Use, Infrastructure, All employees on a recovery or rest Employment, Data Protection, Insurance Recovery, Public Policy, and break, or a meal period, will have full Eminent Domain. What solutions are you seeking? access to shade so they can sit in a normal posture without having to be in physical contact with each other. nossaman.com
Districts. Cities. States. Nossaman.
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California Special Districts • July-August 2019
Before trees or other vegetation are used to provide shade (such as in orchards), the thickness and shape of the shaded area will be evaluated to ensure that sufficient shadow is cast to protect employees. In situations where it is not safe or feasible to provide access to shade (e.g., during high winds), a note will be made of these unsafe or unfeasible conditions and alternative procedures will be used to provide access to shade upon request. (Below, describe the alternative procedure for access to shade.) For non-agricultural employers, cooling measures other than shade (e.g., use of misting machines) are provided in lieu of shade if these measures are demonstrably as effective as shade in allowing employees to cool and of the steps that will be taken to provide alternative cooling measures, but with equivalent protection as shade.
Procedures for Monitoring the Weather:
The supervisor will be trained and instructed to check in advance the extended weather forecast. Weather forecasts can be checked with the aid of the internet (www.nws.noaa.gov/), by calling the National Weather Service phone numbers (see CA numbers below), or by checking the Weather Channel TV Network. The work schedule will be planned in advance, taking into consideration whether high temperatures or a heat wave is expected. This type of advanced planning should take place whenever the temperature is expected to reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. For further information please contact SDRMA Chief Risk Officer Dennis Timoney at dtimoney@sdrma.org. www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/HeatIllnessInfo.html.
In California, water is like currency. At Banner Bank, we understand both. Naturally, our public financing expertise is a valuable resource to California’s water, waste water and related utilities. Of course, our knowledgeable bankers also help meet the needs of public school, fire and port districts, and diverse municipal agencies. As a community bank headquartered in the West, we grasp the challenges of our vast and varied landscape, and look forward to partnering with you on solutions. Public entities trust Banner Bank for: • Financing transactions of • Competitive rates, terms and $1 million to $25 million repayment schedules to support your cash flow needs • Capital improvement and interim financing • Cash and treasury management services • Direct placement of tax-exempt and taxable bonds • Fast, in-house decision making To learn how we can support your next project, contact Bob Pedersen at 916-648-3490 (office) or 916-472-4184 (cell).
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Member FDIC 43
MONEY MATTERS
Helix Water District Approves $8 Million Pay-Down of Pension Liabilities By Mike Uhrhammer, Senior Public Affairs Representative, Helix Water District
The Helix Water District Board of Directors approved a onetime, $5 million payment in 2019 and an additional $3 million in payments over the next four years to reduce the district’s unfunded employee pension liabilities.
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The advance funding plan will reduce Helix’s unfunded employee pension liabilities by $20.3 million, providing a net cost savings of $12.3 million for Helix and its customers. The annual cost savings for the district will ramp up steadily from $138,000 this year to almost $2
million in fiscal year 2042-43, when the district will pay off, or fully fund, its employee pensions five years ahead of schedule. “Helix’s board and staff have been working to find ways to address this challenge, which is impacting cities and government agencies throughout
California Special Districts • July-August 2019
California,” said Board President Dan McMillan. “We have to pay down our unfunded pension liability for the fiscal health of the district. We have a responsibility to our employees and our customers.” Helix made exploring alternatives to reduce unfunded employee pension liabilities a key objective in the district’s strategic plan developed in fiscal year 2014-15. First steps included paying the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) in full each year, and saving $50,000 each year by making the annual unfunded liability payment in one lumpsum at the beginning of the year. Additionally, having district employees pay 100 percent of the optional employee contribution is saving the district and customers $1 million annually. To reduce the unfunded portion of employee pensions, the Helix board voted to make voluntary prepayments of $500,000 to $750,000 to CalPERS each year. Voluntary payments to CalPERS over the last five years total $2.75 million. Last year, during the budgeting process for fiscal year 201819, Helix’s board directed staff to analyze how an even larger, one-time prepayment would impact the unfunded portion of the district’s employee pensions.
This was not an easy question to answer. Helix’s unfunded pension liability is essentially a debt on which the district pays seven percent interest. However, unlike other debt, the amount owed changes annually based on the difference between the expected and actual performance of the pension plan’s assets. The expected performance is based on CalPERS’ actuarial assumptions, including expected earnings from interest, expected mortality rates and the amount of contributions CalPERS expects to receive from member agencies. The expected performance is also based on any changes made to the pension plan or the assumptions, and CalPERS has made a number of changes over the last five years. On top of that, CalPERS’ annual returns have fluctuated year to year, including a 23 percent loss in 2009 and earnings of under one percent in 2012 and 2016. “Remember those story problems in algebra class about two trains leaving different stations and traveling at different speeds? The district’s unfunded liability is a story problem with 16 trains,” said Helix’s Director of Administrative Services Jennifer Bryant, “And we had to figure out where all the trains would meet over the next 30 years.” continued on page 46
CSDAFC Board and Staff Officers JO MACKENZIE, PRESIDENT, Vista Irrigation District PAUL HUGHES, SECRETARY, South Tahoe Public Utilities District MATTHEW MCCUE, TREASURER, Mission Springs Water District
Members of the Board ALEX BRANDON, Phelan Pinon Hills Community Services District GEORGE EMERSON, Goleta Sanitary District
Make CSDA Finance Corporation Your First Call Since the beginning of the year, the CSDA Finance Corporation has responded to dozens of inquiries into financing options for special districts. Recently closed financings include:
GLENN LAZOF, Regional Government Services Authority VINCE FERRANTE, Moss Landing Harbor District
Consultants RICK BRANDIS, Brandis Tallman, LLC DAVID MCMURCHIE, McMurchie Law WILLIAM MORTON, Municipal Finance Corporation ALBERT REYES, Kutak Rock LLP SAUL ROSENBAUM, Prager & Co., LLC DEBORAH SCHERER, BNY Mellon Trust Co., NA
Stallion Springs CSD Property acquisition/well drilling - $2,000,000 Fulton-El Camino RPD Property acquisition - $1,200,000 Galt-Arno Cemetery District Property acquisition - $1,200,000
NICOLE TALLMAN, Brandis Tallman, LLC
Staff NEIL MCCORMICK, CEO CATHRINE LEMAIRE, Program Manager AMBER PHELEN, Executive Assistant RICK WOOD, Finance & Administrative Director
CSDA Finance Corporation 1112 I Street, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95814 tel: 877.924.2732 • www.csdafinance.net
Kensington Police Protection and CSD Building renovation - $250,000 West Point Fire Protection District Fire truck purchase - $182,000
Whether your financing need is large or small, get a free, no obligation quote online at www.csdafinance. net or call 877.924.2732.
CSDA F C
Volume 14 • Issue 4
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MONEY MATTERS
Helix staff recommended and the board Bryant and Helix board members approved continued discretionary payments reached out to and consulted with – a $5 million advanced payment to CalPERS Senior Actuary Nancy CalPERS this year and $750,000 advanced Campbell, attended workshops payments in each of the next four years. and seminars offered by CalPERS Funding for the $5 million payment and the Association of California came from the $8 million Helix received Water Agencies, and worked with a from the sale of district property in the El prepayment modeling tool provided Monte Valley in Lakeside, not from water by CalPERS. rates or rate increases, and funding for Helix then retained Fieldman, the four $750,000 voluntary payments is Rolapp and Associates to review already included in the district’s five-year the district’s options. The district cost projection. could continue making voluntary In June 2018, 68 percent of Helix prepayments or request a new, pensions were- funded. shortened payment schedule from CSDA 2019 Summer 1/4 pg.The Ad California Public CalPERS, and it could continue making Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) expects the $5 million payment to increase discretionary payments, put the funds the district’s funded status in June 2019 to for CalPERS payments in a restricted trust, or issue obligation bonds and pay 72 percent. If the board had not approved the the unfunded portion of its employee voluntary payments, the district’s employee pensions in full.
pensions would remain 68 percent funded, annual payments to CalPERS would increase from $3.5 million this year to as high as $4.9 million in fiscal year 2030-31, and the district would not pay off its employee pensions until 2048. “Making voluntary payments is a good strategy,” said General Manager Carlos Lugo. “We struck the best balance we could between the district’s employees and current and future customers.” Helix Water District provides water treatment and distribution for 276,000 people in the cities of El Cajon, La Mesa and Lemon Grove, the community of Spring Valley and areas of Lakeside – east of downtown San Diego. Helix also provides treated water to neighboring Padre Dam, Otay and Lakeside water districts.
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DISTRICTS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
Students Have Until September 30 to Enter Video Contest and Win Scholarship
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he 2019 Districts Make the Difference video contest submission deadline is September 30. High school and college students have even greater opportunity to expand their creativity this year with the streamlined application form and extended 90-second video format. The goal of the video contest is to provide a unique and fun way for young people to educate themselves about the special districts serving their communities. It’s also a great way to earn scholarship funds to pay for higher education. CSDA officials will choose five finalists from the video submissions and feature those on the Districts Make the Difference website. Then the public will vote for their favorite videos and the top three winners will be announced! The winners will take home: - $2000 to the First Place Winner - $1000 to the Second Place Winner - $500 to the Third Place Winner Want your special district to promote the video contest? Here are a few easy steps: - post about it on your district’s social media - add a link to the contest on your district website - put a contest flyer up at your district office - reach out to colleagues, friends, and family and ask them to spread the word. Find promotional materials and other contest information at DistrictsMakeTheDifference.org.
Student Engagement Survey Districts Make the Difference along with the California Special Districts Association recently conducted a student engagement survey. The survey sought to gauge how special districts are participating in and promoting school and civic engagement within their communities. The nearly 300 special district respondents indicated that most districts are conducting some form of student program whether that be an internship, a scholarship program, a summer internship, or another related opportunity. Those districts not offering these services shared they were interested in learning how to develop a program. Student engagement within your special district increases awareness with the families you serve about the value of special districts to your community and to California. You can also promote important career opportunities and address growing succession challenges within local government. CSDA members will soon receive a more in-depth analysis of the student engagement survey and how it can help your district. Information and resources will be made available at DistrictsMakeTheDifference.org.
Does your district want to help promote the contest? Resources are available to help you promote the student video contest on your website, social media, or in your office. Start spreading the word using these resources at www. DistrictsMakeTheDifference.org.
Volume 14 • Issue 4
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Volume 14 • Issue 4
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Your Community. Your Services. Your District! We are happy to announce the launch of our new public outreach campaign, Districts Make the Difference.
This campaign is centered on the concept that special districts go beyond providing important services to their communities. They make a difference in the lives of their residents and help our state thrive. The goal is to bridge the gap between special districts and the essential services that millions of Californians value. The first step is to visit DistrictsMaketheDifference.org. This new website features a simple-to-use toolkit filled with public awareness videos, web banners, posters, factsheets, and other materials that can be easily downloaded.
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Guiding the way to a more secure future. SDRMA has been helping California public agencies navigate liability and manage risk for over 30 years. In fact, our experienced risk management staff and technical experts work exclusively with public agencies. All your coverage and risk management needs are met by a single resource that functions as an extension of your team. Public agencies can best proceed with confidence when they have a guiding star. Learn more about our Workers’ Compensation, Property/Liability and Health Benefits Programs at www.sdrma.org or 800.537.7790.
Volume 14 • Issue 4
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