[00:00:04]
I'D LIKE TO CALL THE REGULAR MEETING OF MONDAY, MARCH 4TH, 2024 ORDER.
WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND A MOMENT OF REFLECTION? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[1. ROLL CALL BY THE CITY CLERK]
JULIE, DO YOU MIND DOING ROLL CALL? AND ROLL CALL.[a. Employee Announcement]
SORRY ABOUT THAT, MR. MAYOR.UH, FIRST UP WE HAVE A PRESENTATION.
HE COULD AT LEAST HAVE HIM STAND.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT TO THE CITY OUR NEWEST DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
SOME OF Y'ALL KNOW HIM AS CHIEF.
SOME OF YOU KNOW HIM AS SUPER CHIEF.
YEAH, HE'S BEEN CALLED SOME, I CAN'T REPEAT HERE, BUT I JUST CAN'T, UM, EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE ENOUGH AND APPRECIATION FOR HIM SAYING YES WHEN I ASKED HIM TO TAKE ON THIS NEW ROLE, UH, THIS NEW TITLE, BRINGING HIM UP TO THE, UH, MANAGER SUITE.
NOT EVERYBODY IS EXCITED WHEN THEY GET MOVED TO, TO THAT SUITE, BUT I AM VERY EXCITED.
HE BRINGS A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE, NOT ONLY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT JUST IN HISTORICAL ACTIONS HERE IN THE CITY.
HE'S BEEN WITH US A LONG TIME AND DONE A LOT OF GREAT THINGS, AND HE'S BEEN A CONFIDENT SINCE I'VE STARTED AND BEEN RESPECTFUL AND BEEN SOMEONE I CAN COUNT ON.
AND I JUST, UM, AM GRATEFUL THAT HE IS OUR NEW DEPUTY CITY MANAGER CHIEF IN, IN AVONDALE'S WILD AND WOOLLY DAYS.
WE HAD A FORMER FIRE CHIEF BY THE NAME OF CHIEF ADAMS, WHO ACTED AS FIRE CHIEF CITY MANAGER, ANY ROLE THAT WAS THERE.
AND THEN WE HAD ANOTHER GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF DAN DAVIS WHO DAN DAVIS AT ONE POINT WAS PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR, WATER DIRECTOR, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, JUST KIND OF DID EVERYTHING.
AND THOSE PEOPLE WERE ALWAYS FILLED THAT ROLE BECAUSE IT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID.
AT SOME POINT, THE CITY MANAGER HAS TO HAVE A CONFIDENT THEY CAN TALK TO YOU AND YOU HAVE THAT WITH YOUR CURRENT CITY MANAGERS.
BUT CHIEF, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA FIGURE OUT WHAT TO CALL YOU, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S GONNA BE CHIEF.
UM, YOU'VE BEEN HERE SUCH A LONG TIME AND YOU'VE SEEN THE CITY GROW, AND I THINK YOU REALLY DO HAVE A HANDLE, NOT ONLY AT, NOT ONLY ON PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT ON ALL AREAS OF THE CITY.
SO WE ARE VERY PROUD THAT YOU ARE PART OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE NOW.
ANYTHING ELSE WE NEED TO DO WITH THAT? RON? IS THERE AN OFFICIAL SIGNING CEREMONY? IS THERE A PICTURES? IS THERE? WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN OUR PICTURES, SO WE'RE GOOD TO GO, SIR.
ALL RIGHT, JULIE, ANY, UH, UM, CARDS FROM ANYBODY OR ANYBODY ONLINE? NO, MAYOR.
[4. CONSENT AGENDA]
ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS CONSENT.AGENDA ARE, IS THERE ANY COUNSELORS WHO WISH TO HAVE AN ITEM REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION? SEEING NONE.
CAN I GET A MOTION, PLEASE? I HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE, A SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER NIELSEN, PLEASE VOTE.
[a. Resolution 1024-0324 Amendments to the Personnel Policies and Procedures, Chapter 6 Employee Benefits]
RON ITEM FIVE A, PLEASE.UH, NOW WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM OUR HR DIRECTOR, UH, ANDY MOSQUITO ON THE, UH, SOME AMENDMENTS TO THE PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
CHAPTER SIX, EMPLOYEE BENEFITS.
HOW ARE YOU? DO YOU WANNA RAISE THAT UP AT ALL? YEAH.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR OF COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, BEFORE YOU TONIGHT WE ARE, WE HAVE SOME PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY'S CHAPTER SIX EMPLOYEE BENEFITS POLICY.
UM, TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTE 20 3003 72, ACCRUAL OF EARNED PAID SICK TIME REQUIRES THAT AN EMPLOYER PROVIDE AN EMPLOYEE WITH A MINIMUM OF ONE HOUR OF EARNED PAID SICK TIME FOR EVERY 30 HOURS WORKED.
EMPLOYEES SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO ACCRUE OR USE MORE THAN 40 HOURS OF EARNED PAID SICK, SICK TIME PER YEAR UNLESS THE EMPLOYER SELECTS A HIGHER LIMIT.
AND CURRENTLY IT DOES NOT REQUIRE THAT EMPLOYEES RECEIVE, UH, COMPENSATION FOR ACCRUED EARNED, PAID SICK TIME THAT HAS NOT BEEN USED UPON SEPARATION.
OUR CURRENT POLICY SPECIFIC TO PART-TIME AND TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES, UM, INDICATES THAT THEY RECEIVE A BANK OF 40 HOURS, UH, PAID SICK LEAVE AT
[00:05:01]
THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE FISCAL YEAR.UM, NEWLY HIRED PART-TIME EMPLOYEES RECEIVE THE 40 HOUR BANK UPON HIRE AND MAY BEGIN USING, UH, SICK LEAVE ON THE 90TH CALENDAR.
UM, SICK LEAVE HOURS CARRY OVER FROM YEAR TO YEAR WITHOUT LIMIT AND UPON SEPARATION.
CURRENT POLICY ALLOWS FOR ALL EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES TO RECEIVE COMPENSATION UPON RESIGNATION FOR 33.3% OF ACCRUED SICK LEAVE UNLESS INVOLUNTARILY TERMINATED.
SO THE PROPOSAL, UH, BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING, UH, NUMBER ONE, IT ADDS A DEFINITION FOR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES.
UM, UNDER CHAPTER SIX, THERE'S NOT CURRENTLY A DEFINITION FOR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES.
SO, UM, OURS WILL INDICATE THAT AN EMPLOYEE TYPICALLY HIRED TO WORK FOR A DURATION OF LESS THAN ONE YEAR.
UM, I'M SORRY, A TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE IS TYPICALLY HIRED TO WORK FOR A DURATION OF LESS THAN ONE YEAR OR ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS.
UM, TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES DO NOT SERVE AN ORIGINAL PROBATIONARY PERIOD AND MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS BASED ON THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF HOURS WORKED.
AND SPECIFICALLY THAT'S, THAT'S SPEAKING TO, UM, IF THEY, IF THEY ACHIEVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOURS, UM, UNDER THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, WE MUST OFFER BENEFITS OR HEALTHCARE BENEFITS TO EMPLOYEES.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, IF THEY WORK MORE THAN 20 HOURS IN 20 OR MORE WEEKS, THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO ENROLL INTO THE, UH, ARIZONA STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM.
SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT, THEY MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS BASED ON HOURS WORKED.
IT'S SPECIFIC TO THOSE TWO AREAS.
UH, THE SECOND PIECE, UM, PART-TIME AND TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WITH THE PROPOSED CHANGE WILL ACCRUE ONE HOUR OF SICK LEAVE FOR EVERY 30 HOURS.
UH, ELIGIBILITY FOR USE WILL REMAIN AT 90 DAYS POST-HIRE, UH, TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WILL HAVE A MAXIMUM ACCRUAL OF 40 HOURS OF SICK LEAVE AT THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
AND PART-TIME EMPLOYEES WILL CONTINUE TO ACCRUE SICK LEAVE WITHOUT LIMIT.
UM, FOR PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, BECAUSE THESE EMPLOYEES TYPICALLY WILL WORK LESS THAN 40 HOURS, WE BELIEVE IT'S MORE APPROPRIATE TO HAVE THEM EARN SICK LEAVE, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES EARN FOR THE ONE HOUR, ONE HOUR FOR EVERY 30 HOURS WORKED, UH, RATHER THAN HAVING A FRONT LOADED BANK.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, UH, THE 40 HOUR MAX ACCRUAL PER CALENDAR YEAR ALIGNS WITH WHAT'S CURRENTLY REQUIRED BY STATUTE, UM, AND THE CONTEXT AS FAR AS PAYOUTS OR, UM, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WILL NO LONGER BE ELIGIBLE FOR COMPENSATION OF ACCRUED SICK LEAVE UPON SEPARATION.
UM, AND PART-TIME EMPLOYEES WILL CONTINUE TO BE ELIGIBLE, UM, FOR, FOR RECEIVING PAYOUT.
SO, SPECIFICALLY GIVEN THE TEMPORARY, THE NATURE OF TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT, UM, WE JUST FEEL BECAUSE TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT TYPICALLY IS ON A VERY SHORT TERM BASIS OR THEY'RE, THEY'RE COMING INTO A ROLE, UM, FOR A PARTIC PARTICULAR SEASON LIKE AQUATICS OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UH, WE DIDN'T WANT TO CONTINUE TO TO MUDDY THE WATERS AS FAR AS WHAT'S, WHAT'S ELIGIBLE FOR WHAT A NORMAL EMPLOYEE WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR, WHAT'S NON TEMPORARY VERSUS WHAT TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR.
FROM A A BENEFITS PERSPECTIVE, UM, IF APPROVED, THESE CHANGES ARE PERSPECTIVE AND WOULD APPLY, UM, TO HIRES GOING ON AN ON A GOING FORWARD BASIS.
SO ANYBODY THAT'S CURRENTLY A TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE OR A PART-TIME EMPLOYEE, THE CURRENT POLICY LANGUAGE IN PLACE WILL GOVERN FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
SO ANYONE HIRED, UH, GOING FORWARD, THE NEW POLICY WOULD APPLY IF, IF APPROVED.
SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 10 24 DASH OH 3 24, APPROVING THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER SIX.
AND AS FAR AS THE TIMING GOES WITH THE AQUATICS CENTER OPENING IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, AND THE HIRING OF A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES TO STAFF THE CENTER IF APPROVED, WE WERE REQUESTING IMMEDIATE ADOPTION TO ENSURE THAT THESE CHANGES TAKE EFFECT PRIOR TO THE HIRING OF, UH, TEMPORARY STAFF, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE TO BEGIN SOON.
ANY COMMENTS ON THAT? MAX, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS? I THANK YOU MAYOR.
UM, THANK YOU ANDY, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE THESE DESIGNATIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS TO THE POLICY.
UM, THE ONLY THING I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT IS THAT 90 DAY PERIOD, DO YOU THINK A LOT OF OUR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WILL STAY THE 90 DAY PART-TIMERS I THINK WILL PROBABLY STAY 90 DAYS OR MORE, BUT WILL OUR TEMPORARY POPULATION STAY THAT LONG? UH, MAYOR, UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE, I DO BELIEVE, UM, IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON THE ASSIGNMENT RIGHT NOW.
UH, OBVIOUSLY PRIOR TO THE AQUATIC CENTER, WE DID SOME, SOME RESEARCH ON JUST HOW MANY EMPLOYEES WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
AND IN THE TEMPORARY SPACE, WE HAVE FOUR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES CURRENTLY.
UM, SO THOSE INDIVIDUALS WOULD BE UTILIZED, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A PROJECT BASED AND MAYBE THEY'RE HERE FOR SIX MONTHS, SO THEY MAY BE ON STAFF, UM, FOR THAT TIME PERIOD, AQUATICS WOULD PROBABLY BE LONGER JUST BECAUSE OF THE DURATION OF THAT SEASONAL ASSIGNMENT.
SO IN THOSE INSTANCES, UM, I WOULD SEE A TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE STAYING ON, UH, FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AND LOOKING AT THE ONES, 'CAUSE WE ALSO UTILIZE A THIRD PARTY SERVICE AT TIMES TO BRING ON TEMPS.
THOSE ARE USUALLY FOR SHORTER DURATION ASSIGNMENTS WHERE SOMEONE MIGHT BE ON FOR A FEW WEEKS OR A MONTH.
UM, WHERE OBVIOUSLY THIS WOULDN'T APPLY TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS, BUT ANYONE THAT WE WOULD BRING ON AS AN ACTUAL TEMPORARY CITY OF AVONDALE EMPLOYEE LIKELY WOULD BE ON FOR A PERIOD OF 90 DAYS OR LONGER.
I WAS WONDERING IF THEY ACCRUE THE MAYBE TWO TO FOUR HOURS
[00:10:01]
THAT THEY MIGHT FOR THE TIME THAT THEY'RE HERE, DO YOU THINK THEY WOULD BE PENALIZED IF THEY HAD TO USE IT WITH LESS THAN 90 DAYS OF EMPLOYMENT? WOULD THAT CAUSE SOME TYPE OF CORRECTIVE ACTION? NO, I THINK IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THOSE, UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE, WHERE WE WOULD LOOK AT THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.UM, ADDITIONALLY WE HAVE INSTANCES WHERE WE MIGHT UTILIZE A TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE WHO MAYBE SERVES A SHORT DURATION, HAS A BREAK, AND THEN COMES BACK IN IN ANOTHER ROLE.
UH, IN THOSE INSTANCES, THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE UPON REHIRE TO RECOUP THOSE HOURS AND HAVE 'EM AVAILABLE IN THEIR BANK.
UM, SO AGAIN, I THINK IN THOSE SCENARIOS WE WOULD BE ABLE TO FIND, DEPENDING ON WHAT THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE, SOME OPTIONS THAT MIGHT EXIST FOR THEM.
MR. MAYOR, IF I CAN ALSO ANSWER, COUNCIL MEMBER, WHITE STATE LAW PROHIBITS ANY REPERCUSSIONS FOR UP TO 40 HOURS OF SICK LEAVE USE, UH, UH, A YEAR.
SO WE'D BE PROHIBITED FROM TAKING ANY ADVERSE EMPLOYMENT ACTIONS.
IS THERE A REASON THEN WHY WE HAVE THE 90 DAY LIMIT FOR THEM TO USE IT? UM, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE CURRENTLY, I BELIEVE THAT'S OUTLINED IN, UH, IN THE A RS UH, THREE 70, THE, THE REVISED STATUTE OF THAT WAITING PERIOD.
SO WE'RE JUST ADOPTING THAT SAME LANGUAGE, UM, THAT WE WOULD HAVE, AND IT'S ALSO CURRENTLY IN PRACTICE AS WELL.
SO ANNIE, ONE OF MY DAUGHTERS WORKS WORKS A FULL-TIME JOB, BUT SHE HAS WORKED FOR MARRIOTT HOTELS FOR 12 YEARS, AND FOR THEM, SHE WORKED FOR THEM FULL-TIME AND THEN WENT TO PART-TIME AND NOW WORKS JUST WHEN THEY NEED HER, AND THEY GET TO A CERTAIN POINT WHERE THEY SAY YOU HAVE TO WORK A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SHIFTS WITHIN 90 DAYS TO KEEP YOUR BENEFITS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SEASONAL EMPLOYEES, THERE'S LIFEGUARDS WHO WE'RE GONNA USE AND LET'S JUST USE LIFEGUARDS.
WE'RE GONNA USE LIFEGUARDS AND POOL ATTENDANCE AT THE AQUATIC CENTER THROUGH THE, FOR THE SUMMERTIME, AND THEN THE NEED FOR THEM IS GOING TO DROP OFF.
HOW DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WHO MAY COME BACK? WOULD THEY, WOULD THAT TIME THAT THEY'VE ACCRUED GO AWAY? IS IT THE 90 DAYS WHERE IT WOULD GO AWAY? OR IS THERE A TIMELINE WHERE IF THEY DIDN'T WORK FOR US FOR FOUR MONTHS, ANY ACCRUAL THEY HAD WENT AWAY? LIKE IF WE SAID, GUYS, WE'RE GONNA CUT HOURS, WE DON'T NEED 30 LIFEGUARDS, WE ONLY NEED 10, HOW WOULD THAT WORK? SO MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, IN IN SPECIFICALLY TO WHEN, WHEN THE TIMEFRAME AS FAR AS THEIR SICK LEAVE WOULD DROP OFF? YES.
AND, AND, AND NOT BE REINSTATED.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING, I BELIEVE IS IF THEY RETURN TO WORK WITHIN A YEAR, THEN THAT, THAT TIMEFRAME, UM, I, I CAN CONFIRM THAT WITH, WITH OUR, WITH LEGAL AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S CORRECT AND, AND PROVIDE AN UPDATE TO COUNCIL IF THAT'S, IF THERE'S ANY DIFFERENCE IN THAT.
BUT THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING IS IF THEY RETURN WITHIN THE YEAR, THEY WOULD HAVE THAT, UM, ABILITY TO HAVE THAT PRIOR.
YEAH, I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND THAT JUST MAKES SENSE FOR US, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE LOOK AT THE AQUATIC CENTER.
YOU MAY HAVE PEOPLE WHO COME BACK YEAR AFTER YEAR AND IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT THEIR ISSUE THAT THEY DON'T GET THE HOURS.
IT'S JUST THE SEASONAL ASPECT OF THE ROLE.
ANYONE ELSE? CURTIS? JUST ANDY, I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
IN ONE OF THOSE PRESENTATIONS, YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT A CALENDAR YEAR, UHHUH
SO HAVE WE GOT, I GUESS, UH, COMPUTER AVAILABILITY, A KEEPING TRACK OF, OF A CALENDAR YEAR FOR TEMPORARIES AND, AND PART-TIME AS COMPARED TO A FISCAL YEAR FOR EVERYBODY ELSE? IS THAT GONNA BE A PROBLEM? IS THAT MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER NIELSEN? THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION AS FAR AS, UM, OUR, OUR A DP SYSTEM, OUR PAYROLL SYSTEM, BEING ABLE TO, TO ACCURATELY, UM, TRACK THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, ABLE TO COMPLY WITH, UH, THE SPECIFICS OF POLICY LANGUAGE.
SO YES, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, UM, THAT WE WILL BE TRACKING.
CAN I GET A MOTION ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE? I HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE, A SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER NIELSEN.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING AND HEARING NONE, PLEASE VOTE.
AND MAYOR, THE MOTION ON THE SCREEN IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU JUST SAW ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
THIS ONE FOLLOWS THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS ATTACHED IN THE AGENDA PACKET.
MARCELA AND JULIE, WE'RE OKAY WITH THIS? YES.
[b. Water Resources Update ]
RON.THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
NEXT UP IS A PRESENTATION BY KIRK BEATTY, OUR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS ON WATER RESOURCES.
I THINK HE'S BRINGING A TEAM, THOUGH.
I HAVE TO LOWER THIS A LITTLE BIT.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT ON OUR, UH, CITY'S WATER RESOURCES.
I'M NOT SEEING ANY NOTES UP HERE.
SO, UM, YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT UNDERSTANDING OF OUR WATER RESOURCE PORTFOLIO.
IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE AND IS VERY STRONG, AND THAT CONTINUES TO BE THE CASE.
[00:15:01]
THIS EVENING, MY TEAM AND I ARE GONNA CONCENTRATE ON SOME OTHER RECENT UPDATES WITH REGARD TO WATER RESOURCES, BOTH REGIONALLY AND WITHIN THE CITY ITSELF.SO TONIGHT I'LL PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE DROUGHT STATUS OF THE SOUTHWEST AND ON THE COLORADO RIVER SPECIFICALLY, UM, TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS AT THE STATE LEVEL, INCLUDING, UH, WATER AVAILABILITY AND THE CURRENT PROPOSED LEGISLATION GOING THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE.
RIGHT NOW, ERIC BAY, OUR ASSISTANT PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, IS GONNA GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON OUR ASSURED WATER SUPPLY AND OUR SEEK OUR EFFORT FOR, UM, SEEKING NEW ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
COLE PEEL, OUR WATER RESOURCES MANAGER WILL UPDATE YOU ON QUAD QUALITY ISSUES.
I'LL COME BACK UP THEN AND TALK ABOUT SOME CURRENT PROJECTS THAT WE'RE, UM, UNDERTAKING HERE IN AVONDALE TO, UM, ENSURE THE RESILIENCE OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THEN WE'LL FINALLY CONCLUDE WITH SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION.
SO, UM, DESPITE THE AVERAGE RAIN OF SNOW PACK IN 2023 AND THE FAVORABLE WINTER WE'VE HAD SO FAR IN 2024, THE SOUTHWEST STILL REMAINS IN A LONG-TERM DROUGHT.
WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT OUR RESOURCES MORE CLOSELY, THE WATER THAT WE GET FROM ONE OF OUR RESOURCES IS SALT RIVER PROJECT WATER.
THEIR SYSTEM AT THE MOMENT IS 84% FULL.
UH, THIS TIME LAST YEAR IT WAS ABOUT 83% FULL, SO WE'RE RIGHT ABOUT WHERE WE WERE AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR WITH REGARD TO WATER IN THE RESERVOIRS.
HOWEVER, PRECIPITATION ON THIS SALT RIVER WATERSHED IS ONLY ABOUT 78% OF AVERAGE, WHICH IS QUITE A BIT LOWER THAN WHAT IT WAS LAST YEAR.
UH, FOR THIS YEAR, WATER 2024, WE'RE STILL HOLDING SETI.
UH, WE ARE EXPECTING TO SEE SOME INCREASES IN WATER DELIVERY COSTS FOR FY 25, PRIMARILY DUE TO INCREASES IN ELECTRICITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE IS EXPERIENCING.
AND THOSE ARE BUILT INTO OUR FY 25 BUDGET.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE AND THE COLORADO RIVER, THINGS AREN'T QUITE SO ROSY.
FULL SNOWPACK IS ABOUT 98% OF AVERAGE, WHICH COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, WE WAS 150% OF AVERAGE.
SO QUITE A BIT LESS SNOW PACK UP IN THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE HOLDING STEADY, BUT STILL LESS THAN NORMAL, WAY BETTER THAN WE WERE IN 2022 AND 2023.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE EXPECTING TO SEE SOME WATER DELIVERY COSTS INCREASE FROM CAP THIS YEAR AS WELL.
YOU'VE SEEN THIS DIAGRAM BEFORE THE COLORADO RIVER DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN SEVERAL TIMES IN PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS.
SO AT THE BEGINNING OF 2023, THE BUREAU RECLAMATION HAD DECLARED A TIER TWO A SHORTAGE FOR 2023.
THAT'S THE RED ARROWS ON THIS DIAGRAM.
AND AT THAT TIME, WE WERE FACING THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE SEVERE CUTS THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF ATTENTION BEING PAID TO THE COLORADO RIVER AND THE CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN 2022 AND 2023.
HOWEVER, WE HAD THAT GREAT WINTER IN 2023 AND IMPROVED THE RUNOFF AND BROUGHT THE LAKE LEVELS BACK UP TO A TIER ONE LEVEL FOR 2024, WHICH IS THE YELLOW ARROWS THAT YOU SEE ON THE DIAGRAM.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE HOLDING VERY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HOLDING STEADY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE SNOWPACK.
AND THE EXPECTATION RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN A TIER ONE IN 2025, BUT WE WON'T KNOW THAT FOR SURE UNTIL, UM, AUGUST OF THIS YEAR WHEN THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION ISSUES WHAT THEY CALL THE 24 MONTH STUDY TO VERIFY THAT.
SO WE'RE GONNA HOPE FOR THE BEST RIGHT NOW.
SO WHAT'S THAT MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF THE COLORADO RIVER? THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN ACTUALLY ENDS IN 2026, AND RIGHT NOW, THE SEVEN BASIN STATES AND THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, THEY, ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF BREATHING ROOM RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THE RECONSULTATION EFFORT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AFTER 2026 AND HOW WE'RE GONNA OPERATE THE RIVER GOING FORWARD.
UM, BUT EVEN THOUGH THINGS ARE GREAT OR LOOKING GOOD THERE, UM, THERE'S STILL SOME WORK TO BE DONE.
THERE'S A DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT THAT'S DUE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.
WE ALL STILL HAVE TO DO OUR PART, AND THAT INCLUDES OUR FOLKS HERE AT AVONDALE.
WE REMAIN HERE AT AVONDALE AT STAGE ONE OF OUR DROUGHT PREPAREDNESS PLAN, ALONG WITH A LOT OF THE OTHER CITIES.
WE DID NOT CHANGE OUR POSITION.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE OUR ENHANCED RESOURCE CONSERVATION EFFORTS, UM, THAT INCLUDES MORE OUTREACH AND CLASSES.
WE HAVE OUR UPCOMING CITIZENS WATER ACADEMY HERE IN APRIL.
WE JUST DID SOME WORK LAST WEEK WITH PROJECT WET.
WE WERE TEACHING THE YOUNGSTERS HOW TO CONSERVE WATER, AND WE'RE CONTINUALLY PROVIDING UPDATED INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE AND OTHER THINGS.
ONE OTHER EFFORT, AND YOU JUST APPROVED THE GRANT FOR THIS, IS THE REDUCE YOUR USE REBATE PROGRAM.
THIS IS A GRANT FUNDED THROUGH THE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE AUTHORITY WFA.
[00:20:01]
FOR 200 PARTICIPANTS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY CAN CONSERVE WATER BY TAKING SOME CLASSES, AND THEN WE WILL TRACK THEIR USAGE OVER THE NEXT YEAR.AND IF THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL IN A 10% REDUCTION IN USE, THEY WILL RECEIVE A REBATE, UH, OF THEIR, FOR THEIR WATER BILL.
SO IT'S A GREAT WAY TO, TO EDUCATE AND REALLY CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR TEACHING METHODS AND WHAT WE'RE DOING ARE ACTUALLY EFFECTIVE.
SO WE HOPE TO HAVE EVERYBODY PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
SO WHILE ALL THE DETENTION IN 2022 AND 2023 WAS PLACED ON THE COLORADO RIVER, WE'VE GOTTEN THIS GREAT SNOW PACK.
SO NOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT MORE ATTENTION TURNED INTERNALLY TO THE CONCERNS THAT THE STATE, UH, PARTICULARLY REGARDING FUTURE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.
SO IT STARTED OUT IN NI IN JUNE OF 2023, THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES RELEASED WHAT'S CALLED THE PHOENIX ACTIVE MANAGEMENT AREA GROUNDWATER MODEL UPDATE.
AND WHAT THIS INFORMATION SHOWED IS THAT THERE'S A GROUNDWATER SHORTAGE PREDICTED IN THE PHOENIX, A MA, UH, PRIMARILY IN THE AREAS THAT YOU SEE ON THIS DIAGRAM THAT ARE RED, WHICH ARE REALLY THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE, OF THE VALLEY, THE FRINGE OF THE, OF THE, UH, OF THE REGION.
THIS HAS CAUSED QUITE A STIR IN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY BECAUSE WHAT THAT SAID IS THAT THERE'S A GROUNDWATER SHORTAGE PREDICTED OF 4.886 MILLION ACRE FEET OVER THE NEXT 100 YEARS, WHICH IS ABOUT 4% OF UNMET DEMAND.
WITH THIS INFORMATION, THE GOVERNOR DECLARED A HALT ON NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT REQUIRE THAT IT RELIES 100% ON GROUNDWATER.
SO THOSE ARE THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE WHAT'S CALLED THE CERTIFICATE OF ASSURED WATER SUPPLY.
THOSE ARE THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF CITIES WITH DESIGNATIONS.
THOSE ARE THE DEVELOPMENTS ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE VALLEY.
AND WITHOUT, UM, NAMING ANY CITY SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, WHERE THOSE LOCATIONS ARE.
UM, WHAT THAT RE SAID IS THAT NO SYS NOTHING THAT'S, THAT'S IN, THAT'S ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF BEING CERTIFIED IS AFFECTED.
SO, CURRENT PROJECTS THAT ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY, CURRENT PROJECTS THAT ARE ALREADY BEING CONSIDERED FOR CERTIFICATION CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD.
BUT ANYTHING NEW THAT HADN'T STARTED THE PROCESS, THERE'S A HALT ON THOSE DEVELOPMENTS.
SO NO IMPACT TO DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE DESIGNATED ASSURED WATER SUPPLY AREAS.
THAT MEANS NO IMPACT TO THE CITY OF AVONDALE.
WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH DEVELOPMENTS HERE IN THE CITY.
THERE IS AN EFFORT RIGHT NOW TO DEVELOP WHAT'S CALLED AN ALTERNATIVE PATH TO DESIGNATION FOR THOSE, THOSE CITIES THAT CAN'T ACTUALLY GET A DESIGNATION IN THE, IN THE NORMAL SENSE THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
AND A-D-A-D-W-R, THESE OTHER CITIES AND OTHER WATER PROFESSIONALS ARE WORKING ON THAT.
BUT WITH ALL OF THAT GOING ON, THE OTHER THING THAT'S HAPPENED WITH THIS GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT MODEL AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT IS A LOT OF PROPOSED LEGISLATION THAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY.
SO THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, 94 PIECES OF WATER RELATED LEGISLATION WERE PRESENTED AT THIS POINT.
ABOUT 39 OF THOSE BILLS ARE NOT MOVING FORWARD RIGHT NOW.
MOST OF THESE BILLS ARE AIMED AT THE RESUMPTION OF DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS HALTED BY THE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE GOVERNOR AND THE GROUNDWATER SHORTAGE.
SEVERAL OF THESE DISMANTLE PARTS OF THE 1980 GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT ACT THAT ARE VERY CONCERNING FOR THOSE OF US WITH A DESIGNATION OF SHARED WATER SUPPLY.
UM, THERE'S SEVERAL OF THE BILLS THAT ARE BEING, UH, OPPOSED BY AMWA AND OF, AND ITS MEMBERSHIP.
AND THERE'S A FEW I WANNA HIGHLIGHT HERE.
SO FIRST ONE IS HB 2366, WHICH PROHIBITS DESIGNATED PROVIDERS LIKE OURSELF FROM CARRYING OVER UNUSED GROUNDWATER WHEN APPLYING FOR RE-DESIGNATION OF OUR, OF OUR ASSURED WATER SUPPLY.
UM, IT'S A BIG IMPACT ON CITIES THAT HAVE GROUNDWATER IN OUR PORTFOLIO LIKE AVONDALE.
WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF DOING OUR RE-DESIGNATION.
AND, UM, ERIC WILL BE UP HERE A LITTLE WHILE TO DISCUSS THAT A LITTLE FURTHER, CHECKING THE STATUS OF THIS MORNING.
THAT BILL ACTUALLY, UH, WAS UP FOR A HOUSE VOTE THIS LAST WEEK AND IT DIDN'T GET A HEARING, SO THAT'S A GOOD SIGN.
TWICE IT GOT, IT GOT PASSED OVER, SO THAT'S GOOD.
IT REQUIRES CITIES OVER 240,000 IN POPULATION TO ENGAGE A THIRD PARTY AUDITOR TO CONDUCT FULL RATE STUDIES AND AUDITS OF SERVICE.
THIS DOES NOT AFFECT AVONDALE DIRECTLY BECAUSE WE'RE LESS THAN THAT POPULATION, BUT IT DOES AFFECT A LOT OF THE AMWA CITIES, INCLUDING TUCSON, UM, AS WELL AS THE NINE OTHER NINE CITIES HERE IN THE VALLEY.
IT'S REALLY AN ADDITIONAL COST TO WATER PROVIDERS AND UL ULTIMATELY THE RATE PAYERS TO DO AN EVALUATION THAT'S ALREADY DONE WHEN WE DO OUR RATE STUDIES.
SO WE WANNA STAY IN UNITY WITH OUR AMWA PARTNERS AND OPPOSE THIS LEGISLATION.
AND, UH, IT HAS ACTUALLY PASSED THE HOUSE, SO IT'S ON ITS WAY ACROSS ACROSS THE STREET.
[00:25:02]
HB 2020 ALLOWS THE CREATION OF LONG-TERM TOR LONG-TERM STORAGE CREDITS FOR RUNOFF ON INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS.SO THIS SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA.
IT SEEMS SENSIBLE, BUT THERE'S NO SPECIFICS ABOUT HOW THAT WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED.
AND RIGHT NOW, GROUNDWATER RECHARGE IS PERMITTED THROUGH A DWR.
UM, AND WE HAVE OUR OWN FACILITY THAT IS PERMITTED AND REGULATED.
SO IT BRINGS INTO QUESTION HOW THAT WATER WOULD ACTUALLY BE ACCOUNTED FOR.
IT ALSO BRINGS INTO QUESTIONS, CONCERNS ABOUT WATER QUALITY FROM WATER RUNNING OFF OF STREETS AND, AND PARKING LOTS.
SO THOSE THREE ARE ALSO THAT THAT BILL ALSO PASSED THE HOUSE.
SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT.
BUT WE ARE ALL WATCHING THOSE VERY CLOSELY.
WE ARE FOLLOWING AM'S LEAD, AS I MENTIONED, OUT OF ALL THE BILLS THAT ARE THERE, ONLY NINE ARE BEING SUPPORTED BY AMWA, 25 ARE OPPOSED, AND THE REST OF 'EM ARE IN A NEUTRAL OR MONITOR SITUATION BECAUSE THEY'RE MOSTLY RELATED TO RURAL WATER ISSUES THAT REALLY DON'T AFFECT THE, THE 10 AMWA CITIES.
AND MOST OF THESE BILLS OTHER THAN REALLY 2366 WOULD REALLY AFFECT AVONDALE DIRECTLY.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER TO ERIC BAY.
HE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT OUR RE-DESIGNATION AND, AND OUR, UH, FUTURE WATER RESOURCES.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
I AM ONE OF THE ASSISTANT DIRECTORS AT PUBLIC WORKS.
AND AS KIRK MENTIONED, I'M GONNA GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE TODAY ON ALL THE EXCITING THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING WITH OUR WATER RESOURCES AND WATER PORTFOLIO.
AND I'M GONNA START WITH THE DESIGNATION OF ASSURED WATER SUPPLY, UH, WHAT WE KNOW AS OUR DAS.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS WATER THAT'S IN OUR PORTFOLIO.
IT'S PHYSICALLY, LEGALLY, AND FINANCIALLY AVAILABLE TO US, THE CITY OF AVONDALE.
UNDER OUR EXISTING DAWES, WE HAVE ABOUT 30,800 ACRE FEET ANNUALLY THAT WE CAN UTILIZE OUR SUPPLIES FOR 2022.
TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE WE'RE AT, ARE JUST OVER 14,000 ACRE FEET, UH, FOR THE YEAR.
AND THIS DAWES, THIS DESIGNATION THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING UNDER, IT EXPIRES, UH, DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.
SO THE RULES WITH THE DESIGNATION ARE THAT WE HAVE TO SUBMIT OUR APPLICATION TO RENEW TWO YEARS IN ADVANCE.
SO THE DEADLINE FOR THAT WAS DECEMBER 31ST, 2023.
WE MET THAT DEADLINE AND SUBMITTED OUR APPLICATION FOR RENEWAL.
OUR NEW PROPOSED DESIGNATION LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO THE OLD DESIGNATION.
IT'S COMPRISED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OUR LONG-TERM STORAGE CREDIT BALANCE HAS INCREASED A LITTLE BIT AND OUR GROUNDWATER SAVINGS ACCOUNT HAS DECREASED A LITTLE BIT.
BUT IN GENERAL, IT'S ABOUT THE SAME.
OUR SUPPLIES THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING, UM, OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS, THE LENGTH OF THE DAWS IS ABOUT 20,000 ACRE FEET ANNUALLY, WHICH INCLUDES OUR CURRENT DEMANDS PLUS 5,000 ADDITIONAL ACRE FEET THAT WE MIGHT ALLOCATE OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
AND 10 YEARS IS VERY SPECIFIC.
THAT'S THE BIGGEST CHANGE FROM THE EXISTING DAS TO THE NEW DAS.
A DWR HAS MANDATED THAT WE REDUCE THE LENGTH OF THIS PERMIT FROM 15 YEARS TO 10.
SO INSTEAD OF A 15 YEAR RENEWAL, I'LL BE BACK UP TALKING ABOUT THIS IN 10 YEARS AND OR EIGHT, UM, SINCE THIS HAS BEEN SUBMITTED AND WAS SUBMITTED IN DECEMBER, UM, I WILL, UM, IT IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW BY THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES.
ANOTHER PERMIT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING RENEWED RIGHT NOW IS OUR UNDERGROUND STORAGE FACILITY.
THIS IS REFERRED TO AS THE AVONDALE WETLANDS, USF, AND IT'S CALLED AVONDALE WETLANDS.
BUT THE RECHARGE AND THE STORAGE HERE ACTUALLY TAKES PLACE AT THE MCAL RECHARGE BASINS.
OUR CURRENT PERMITTED CAPACITY IS 20,000 ACRE FEET ANNUALLY, AND THIS PERMIT EXPIRED DECEMBER 31ST, 2023.
UNLIKE THE DAWS, THE RULES FOR THIS ONE IS THAT THE RENEWAL APPLICATION NEEDS TO GO IN BEFORE THE EXPIRATION DATE, AND WE MET THAT DEADLINE.
SO WE ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING UNDER A CONTINUATION WHERE WE'RE UTILIZING THE PREVIOUS METRICS OF THE EXISTING PERMIT WHILE A DWR REVIEWS OUR NEW APPLICATION AND THEN ISSUES A NEW PERMIT.
AND THIS IS ACTUALLY PRETTY EXCITING BECAUSE AS FAR AS WE KNOW, WE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST MUNICIPALITIES TO UNDERGO THIS PROCESS USING THE NEW PHOENIX A MA MODEL THAT KIRK JUST MENTIONED.
SO IT WAS KIND OF A NEW EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED, UH, INCLUDING THE HYDRAULIC MODELER.
THIS WAS SUBMITTED IN DECEMBER, SO IT'S CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW BY THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES AS WELL.
AND THEN THE N-A-U-S-P, THE NEW RIVER AQUA FRIA UNDERGROUND STORAGE PROJECT.
THIS HAS COME IN FRONT OF COUNCIL SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE THERE'S
[00:30:01]
BEEN A LOT OF, UM, COUNCIL APPROVAL NEEDED FOR THE DIFFERENT STEPS HERE.AND THE UPDATES ON THIS REALLY STARTED BACK IN JULY OF 2023.
I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT AVONDALE IS NOW THE MAJORITY STORAGE ENTITLEMENT HOLDER AT THE N-A-U-S-P, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.
UM, AND THIS STARTED WITH COUNCIL APPROVAL BACK ON MAY 1ST, 2023 WHEN WE APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF 18% OF STORAGE ENTITLEMENTS FROM CHANDLER IN A CONVEYANCE.
WE ALSO LEASED BACK 8% TO CHANDLER.
AND I'LL EXPAND ON THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE HERE IN A BIT.
UH, MOVING FORWARD TO FEBRUARY OF 2024, UM, THERE WAS AN AGREEMENT THAT WAS APPROVED BY COUNSEL FOR SRP, WHICH BASICALLY MEMORIALIZED THE SALE IN SRPS, UH, MASTER AGREEMENT.
AND THEN COMING UP ON MARCH 25TH, AND I HAVE TO CONFESS, IT'S PROBABLY NOT MARCH 25TH BECAUSE JUST TODAY I TALKED TO SOMEBODY AT PEORIA AND THEIR LAWYERS AREN'T GONNA BE DONE WITH A REVIEW YET.
SO COMING UP AT A, A COUNCIL MEETING, SOMETIME IN APRIL, WE'LL BE TRYING TO DO A 5% ASSIGNMENT OR LEASE TO PEORIA.
AND THE REASON THIS IS SIGNIFICANT IS THE 8% THAT WE'RE LEASING TO CHANDLER, THE 5% THAT WE'RE LEASING TO PEORIA, THIS IS STORAGE ENTITLEMENT SPACE THAT WE DON'T YET NEED.
BUT WE HAD THE VISION TO PURCHASE THE STORAGE ENTITLEMENT SO WE HAVE IT IN THE FUTURE.
THESE LEASES ARE SHORT TERM, SO WHEN THEY EXPIRE, WE CAN RE-UP THEM IF WE STILL NO LONGER HAVE A NEED FOR THE STORAGE ENTITLEMENT SPACE, OR WE CAN RECAPTURE THEM AND UTILIZE THAT SPACE FOR OURSELVES.
THIS IS A, THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE THINKING LONG TERM ABOUT WATER.
AND NOW I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME DAM PROJECTS.
UM, THE ROOSEVELT DAM FCS TEMPORARY DEVIATION.
THIS IS ONE THAT THE COUNCIL HAS HEARD ABOUT BEFORE.
THERE'S NO CONSTRUCTION INVOLVED WITH THIS PROJECT.
THIS IS BASICALLY WHERE SRP IS GONNA CHANGE THEIR OPERATING METHOD TO STORE FLOOD WATER IN THE FLOOD CONTROL SPACE FOR LONGER.
AND THEN THEY'LL BE ABLE TO METER THAT OUT AND DELIVER THAT TO CUSTOMERS AS OPPOSED TO LET IT GO DOWN THE STREAM.
UH, IT'S CURRENTLY WAITING ON THE LAST ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, UM, FOR THE HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN.
AND THAT'S BEING REVIEWED BY THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
UH, THIS WATER IS GREAT AND AVONDALE WAS IN INTERESTED IN THIS WATER BECAUSE THIS WATER CAN BE USED OFF PROJECT.
AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, UH, OUR CITY IS DIVIDED UP ON PROJECT AND OFF PROJECT WHERE SRP WATER CAN TRADITIONALLY ONLY BE USED ON PROJECT AND IT CAN'T BE STORED AND OFF PROJECT WATER CAN BE USED IN OFF PROJECT LOCATIONS AND IT CAN ALSO BE STORED FOR LONG-TERM STORAGE CREDIT ACCRUAL.
THE OTHER DAM PROJECT THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THE BARTLETT DAM MODIFICATION FEASIBILITY STUDY.
THIS IS KIND OF A MISLEADING TITLE AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THE FEASIBILITY STUDY REALLY INDICATED THAT IT'S GONNA BE MORE COST EFFECTIVE TO JUST BUILD A NEW DAM.
SO THIS HAS KIND OF TRANSITIONED INTO THE NEW BARTLETT DAM PROJECT.
LIKE THE ROOSEVELT WATER, THIS WATER WILL BE ABLE TO BE USED OFF PROJECT.
UH, AVONDALE IS ALSO INTERESTED IN THIS WATER.
UM, WE JUST WENT THROUGH THE NON-FEDERAL ALLOCATION RECOMMENDATION AND OUR SLICE OF THE BARTLETT WATER CAME IN AT 4,682 ACRE FEET TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT 13 MILLION OUT OF THE TOTAL PROJECT COST OF 1.1 BILLION.
IT'S A GREAT COLLABORATIVE BETWEEN MOST IF NOT ALL OF THE MUNICIPALITIES HERE IN THE VALLEY SALT RIVER PROJECT AND THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION.
SO THE NON-FEDERAL ALLOCATION RECOMMENDATION WAS JUST SUBMITTED TO THE BUREAU AND IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW BY THAT DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN FINALLY, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHE TRIBE WATER LEASE.
THE UPDATE HERE IS THAT THERE REALLY IS NO UPDATE.
UM, THIS ONE'S CONTINUING, UM, BUT BY STATUTE WE DO HAVE TO CARRY, UH, MONEY IN OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM TO PAY FOR IT WHEN THE TIME COMES.
UM, AND OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB MAKING SURE THAT WE ALSO ESCALATE COSTS AS REQUIRED SO THAT WE'RE CARRYING THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF MONEY FORWARD FOR WHEN THIS PROJECT DOES FINALLY GO FORWARD.
UM, WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN, THERE'S A VARIETY OF WATER THAT, UH, THE CITY WILL GET, UM, AS FAR AS NIA WATER AND INDIAN PRIORITY WATER AS WELL.
WATER THAT CAN BE USED OFF PROJECT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE UPDATE WHEN IT COMES TO NEW HAPPENINGS WITH WATER RESOURCES.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO PASS IT OFF TO OUR WATER RESOURCES MANAGER, COLE PEEL, AND HE'LL TALK ABOUT WATER QUALITY.
UH, GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS COLE PEEL.
I'M THE WATER RESOURCES MANAGER FOR THE CITY.
AND TODAY, OR TONIGHT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, A COUPLE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON IN THE WATER QUALITY SECTOR.
[00:35:02]
SO THE FIRST ONE IS LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISION, OR LCRR, ALONG WITH THE LEAD AND COPPER RULE IMPROVEMENTS OR LCRI.UM, JUST TALKING ABOUT THE LCRO PROGRESS FIRST, UM, IT'S A DATABASE PREPARATION ESSENTIALLY FOR THE 26,000 SERVICE CONNECTIONS, GIVE OR TAKE, THAT WE HAVE FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.
AND IT IS BASICALLY A PHYSICAL VERIFICATION OF THE SERVICES THAT ARE INSTALLED PRE 1988.
UH, MOST OF YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE THE LEAD BAND CAME INTO AN EFFECT ABOUT 1986.
SO THAT'S WHERE THAT YEAR COME, COMES CLOSE TO THIS.
AND PART OF THAT THEN INCLUDES DOCUMENTING LEAD SERVICE LINES OR LCL LS, LS AND GALVANIZED LINES THAT REQUIRE REPLACEMENT BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN THE POSSIBILITY FOR LEAD CONTAMINATION.
THAT TERM IS OFTEN CALLED A GRR AT THIS POINT.
WE'VE DONE ABOUT 60% OF THE ENTIRE PROJECT, AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY LEAD SERVICE LINES OR GRS IN OUR SYSTEM THUS FAR.
AND AS YOU CAN TELL, THE UM, ANTICIPATED COMPLETION FOR THE SURVEY IS OCTOBER 16TH, 2024.
AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO THE LEAD AND COPPER RULE IMPROVEMENTS, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, THE EPA IS STILL WORKING ON AT THIS TIME FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATION ON THE LEAD AND COPPER RULE.
OKAY, SO THE NEXT UPDATE FOR A PROJECT THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON IS WHAT'S CALLED THE UNREGULATED CONTAMINANT MONITORING RULE FIVE OR UCMR FIVE, IF YOU WANT TO GET TECHNICAL WITH THE ACRONYMS. UM, THE UCMR PROGRAM, IT OCCURS EVERY FIVE YEARS AND IT'S, UM, FOR PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS, IT'S REQUIRED FOR THOSE WHO SERVE 10,000 OR MORE, UM, PEOPLE IN THEIR SYSTEM.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY AVONDALE'S FIFTH TIME THAT WE'VE PARTICIPATED IN THIS UCMR PROGRAM.
SO SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN IT COMES TO THE U CMR FIVE IS THESE ARE CONTAMINANTS THAT ARE NOT YET REGULATED BY THE EPA, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON WHEN IT COMES TO RESEARCH IN THE FUTURE WHERE THEY POSSIBLY COULD BE REGULATING THESE CONTAMINANTS.
SO FOR EACH OF THESE U CMRS, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S 30 ANALYTES THAT THEY FOCUS ON EVERY ROUND.
29 OF THOSE ARE PFAS COMPOUNDS IN THIS PARTICULAR, YES.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THOSE IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND THAT IS AN EMPHASIS THAT THE EPA IS REALLY TAKING WHERE YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL FOR THESE REGULATIONS.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE OF COURSE, IS LITHIUM.
THERE'S A LOT OF LITHIUM BATTERIES COMING OUT AND CARS, DEVICES, ET CETERA.
SO AS I MENTIONED, UM, PFAS IS, YOU KNOW, A BIG PRIORITY OF NOT ONLY THE CITY, BUT ALSO THE EPA AS I JUST TALKED ABOUT.
SO PFAS IS ALL OF YOU HAVE HEARD OF, I'M SURE ARE PERRIN, PLURAL ALCOHOL SUBSTANCES.
THEY'RE A COUPLE DIFFERENT TERMS THAT YOU'VE HEARD FROM THESE.
THEY'RE EMERGING CONTAMINANTS, THEY'RE FOREVER CHEMICALS.
THEY'RE USED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE KNOW OF TODAY.
THEY'RE INCREDIBLY WATER RESISTANT, SO THEY COULD BE FOUND ON PIZZA BOXES, TEFLON GORETEX, ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF MATERIALS.
AND, UM, THEY CAN BE FOUND IN QUITE A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO THE EPA PROPOSED A NATIONAL DRINKING WATER STANDARDS FOR THESE PFASS IN MARCH OF 2023, AND THEY DO EXPECT TO FINALIZE THE RULE IN MID 2024.
SO COMING UP PRETTY QUICKLY, UH, THE EPA HAS MADE A PRETTY CLEAR STRATEGIC APPROACH ON THIS, WHICH IS THREE RS RESEARCH RESTRICT AND REMEDIATE.
AND AT THIS TIME, THE CITY OF AVONDALE IS COORDINATING WITH THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ON PFAS RELATED ISSUES.
SO WHEN THE MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVELS OR MCLS ARE ESTABLISHED, THE CITY WILL BE PREPARED AND WORK WITH, UM, UM, A DQ TO ENSURE WE COMPLY WITH THOSE STANDARDS.
ALRIGHT, ONE OF MY FAVORITES, UH, ELECT POTABLE RE REUSE OR DPR IS ALL OF YOU'RE AWARE.
UM, THIS IS ALSO TIED WITH ADVANCED WATER PURIFICATION.
YOU'LL NOTICE THE TWO DIFFERENT GRAPHICS ON THE LEFT AND THE MIDDLE, UM, OF THE SLIDE ARE INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE, AND DIRECT POTABLE REUSE.
SO THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS DIRECT POLL WILL REUSE, ESSENTIALLY CUTS OUT THAT ENVIRONMENTAL BUFFER.
SO YOU JUST HAVE A DIRECT LINE FROM YOUR ADVANCED WATER TREATMENT TO YOUR DRINKING WATER TREATMENT.
UM, SO AN UPDATE ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT WAS THAT THE CITY OF PHOENIX IS ACTUALLY PURSUING A DPR AND A WP AT THE 91ST AVENUE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
THEY, UH, APPROACHED THE CITY OF AVONDALE, UM, FOR PARTICIPATION.
AND AT THIS TIME WE DECLINED DIRECT PARTICIPATION WITH THAT.
HOWEVER, THE CURRENT STATUSES WE'RE MONITORING FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIRECT PARTICIPATION THROUGH WATER EXCHANGES.
AND NOW I'M GONNA PACK IT BACK, PASS IT BACK TO KIRK.
HEY, KIRK, BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER.
SO ON THE DIRECT PORTABLE, DID WE DECLINE THAT
[00:40:01]
BECAUSE OF THE COST OF THE WATER OR JUST THAT OUR PORTFOLIO, WE DIDN'T NEED THAT ACCESSIBILITY TO THAT WATER RIGHT NOW? WE DECLINED IT MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL BUFFER, WHICH IS OUR RECHARGE FACILITY.RIGHT NOW, IT WASN'T REALLY NECESSARY FOR US TO INVEST IN THE COST SHARE WITH THE REST OF THE CITY, BUT AS, AS COLE MENTIONED, IT IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE ABILITY TO EXCHANGE WATER WITH OTHER CITIES.
AND WE DO HAVE A CONNECTION TO THE CITY OF PHOENIX THROUGH OUR NORTH AVONDALE WATER SUPPLY, OUR NAS.
SO IT IS LIKELY THAT WE WILL SEE SOME OF THAT DPR WATER WHEN THE TIME COMES.
AND RIGHT NOW, UM, A DEQ AND CITY OF PHOENIX AND OTHERS ARE REALLY WORKING ON THE PARAMETERS AND THE REGULATIONS AROUND WHAT THAT'S GONNA ACTUALLY BE.
SO WE'LL CERTAINLY BE CONNECTED AND INVOLVED IN THAT DISCUSSION BECAUSE I GET QUESTIONS ON THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS DO, JUST BECAUSE WHAT PHOENIX IS DOING HAS BEEN IN THE NEWSPAPER.
SO TH THIS HELPS US KIND OF TELL PEOPLE THIS IS WHAT OUR PLAN IS AND THIS IS WHAT WE'VE DONE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
I'M GONNA CLOSE IT OUT WITH A FEW PROJECT UPDATES.
UH, YOU KNOW, PART OF OUR SUCCESS IN, IN THE WATER UTILITIES CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN CAPITAL AND IMPROVEMENTS TO SECURE OUR SYSTEM RESILIENCY.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'RE GONNA SEE COMING UP HERE VERY SOON IS DREDGING AT THE CRYSTAL GARDENS WETLANDS.
WE'RE GONNA BE REMOVING THE SILT FROM THE SEDIMENTATION LAKES.
THIS HAS NOT BEEN DONE SINCE THE LAKES WERE CONSTRUCTED ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO.
IT'S GONNA RESTORE CAPACITY, PERFORMANCE, AND HABITAT IN THE LAKES.
AGAIN, IT'S GETTING UNDERWAY NOW, WILL BE COMPLETED BY 2025.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE SOME BLADDERS SIMILAR TO THE ONES IN THE PICTURE.
UH, IT'S A HYDRAULIC REMOVAL SYSTEM, SO IT'S BASICALLY LIKE A GIANT VACUUM THAT SUCKS OUT THE SEDIMENT, STILL KEEPING THE, THE HABITAT AND INTACT.
SO WE'RE NOT SUCKING UP ANY OF THE FISH INTO THE BLADDERS.
NEXT IS SEVERAL DIFFERENT WELL, PROJECTS GO THAT ARE GOING ON.
WELL, NUMBER 26 IS JUST SOUTH OF I 10 AND JUST EAST OF THE ALVARE RIVER.
SO UP IN THAT CORNER, WELL NUMBER 25 IS EAST OF FIRE STATION 1 75 ON VAN BUREN.
WELL NUMBER SEVEN IS OUT ON EL MIRAGE ROAD JUST NORTH OF INDIAN SCHOOL.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE ENCANTO, WELL AT HUNDRED SEVENTH AVENUE IN ENCANTO.
THAT'S A SHARED, WELL, THE SALT RIVER PROJECT.
AND THEN THE BOULEVARD, WELL ON I 10 AND AVONDALE BOULEVARD.
OUR TOTAL INVESTMENT IN THESE WELLS IS APPROXIMATELY $18 MILLION.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE CHARLES M. WOLF WATER RESOURCE EXPANSION.
UH, THE CAPACITY IS 9 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
WE JUST SIGNED THE CONTRACT FOR THE DESIGN SERVICES.
IT'S ABOUT $8.4 MILLION FOR DESIGN AND AN 18 MONTH DESIGN PROCESS.
OUR TOTAL PROJECT COST AT THE MOMENT'S $130 MILLION.
UM, IT'S BEEN ADJUSTED A FEW TIMES AS AS TIME HAS GONE ON, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE AT THE MOMENT.
WE ARE EXPLORING OTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING GRANTS AND OF COURSE THE BONDS WE'VE SPOKEN ABOUT BEFORE TO TRY TO, UH, MITIGATE THOSE COSTS AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
SO IN CONCLUSION, AVONDALE'S IN A GOOD STATE WITH REGARD TO ITS WATER RESOURCES, UM, BUT THE DROUGHT ISN'T OVER AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT, UH, THE LEGISLATION.
WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNERS TO WATCH WHAT HAPPENS THERE.
OUR DAS IS IN RENEWAL REVIEW RIGHT NOW AS WELL AS OUR RECHARGE PERMIT.
UH, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS WITH THE NEW WATER RESOURCES LIKE BARTLETT DAM.
UH, WE ARE STAYING IN COMPLIANCE WITH WATER QUALITY REQUIREMENTS AND WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR REGULATORS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY IN COMPLIANCE AND THAT WE IMPLEMENT THE ADDITIONAL PROCEDURES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONCERNS WITH ANY OF OUR TESTING OR SAMPLING THAT GOES ON IN THE CITY.
WE JUST ACTUALLY MET WITH A DEQ ON ON, UH, THURSDAY LAST WEEK TO DISCUSS, UM, OUR, OUR TESTING.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW TO SUSTAIN RESILIENCY, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT DURING TIMES OF DROUGHT.
WE'RE GONNA MANAGE COSTS AS THEY COME FORWARD AND DILIGENTLY MONITOR AND ADJUST TO ISSUES SO THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT PROVIDE PROVIDING NEW SERVICE TO THE CITY AND GIVE YOU WITH UPDATES AS, AS, UH, THE NEED ARISES.
SO WITH THAT, WE ARE OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, CURTIS.
KURT, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS HERE ON THE, WITH THE CONSERVATION, YOU TALKED ABOUT 200 PARTICIPANTS.
IS THAT THROUGHOUT AMWA? IS THAT JUST FOR AVONDALE? AND HOW WILL WE, WHO WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT? INDIVIDUALS, UM, HOAS CITIES, UH, SO IT'S, IT'S ONLY AVONDALE.
IT'S AN AVONDALE ONLY PROGRAM.
AVONDALE CREATED A PROGRAM, SO WE ARE THE FIRST ONE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
UM, ACTUALLY GRAIN GAINED A LOT OF DISCUSSION AT
[00:45:01]
THE, AT THE WFA BOARD.THEY WERE REALLY INTRIGUED BY THE PROGRAM.
IT'S 200 RESIDENTIAL PARTICIPANTS.
UM, YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR THE PROGRAM, YOU HAVE TO ATTEND A WATER CONSERVATION CLASS.
YOU HAVE TO ALLOW US TO WORK WITH, WITH YOU TO MONITOR YOUR WATER USAGE OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
SO BY THE TIME YOU SIGN UP, WE'LL MONITOR YOUR, YOUR WATER OVER THE NEXT YEAR, COMPARE IT TO THE USAGE OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
YOU'LL BE GETTING SOME PHONE CALLS IF YOU'RE FALLING BEHIND, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE, MAYBE NOT CONSERVING WHAT YOU NEED TO CONSERVE.
WE WANT EVERYBODY TO BE SUCCESSFUL AFTER THE ONE YEAR PROGRAM.
IF YOU'VE DEMONSTRATED THAT, THAT REDUCTION, YOU'LL SEE THAT REBATE.
THAT'LL BE THE END OF YOUR PARTICIPATION.
AND THEN WE'LL SEE IF ANYTHING GOES FORWARD AFTER THAT.
BUT THE IDEA IS TO REALLY TAKE A, A, A CHANCE TO CHANGE PEOPLE'S BEHAVIOR AND HOPE THAT THAT STICKS.
THE OTHER ONE WAS THE DREDGING OF THE, UH, THE CRYSTAL GARDEN WETLAND, THE BAGS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WHERE WILL THAT EVENTUALLY GO? HOW WILL YOU DISPOSE OF THAT? OH, THE, THE DREDGING MATERIAL.
I'LL LEAVE THAT ONE UP TO ERIC
GOOD EVENING AGAIN, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL, THAT'S AN EASY QUESTION THAT'S GONNA BE PULLED OFF TO THE LANDFILL.
I THINK THAT HELPS US ALL UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE.
'CAUSE WE DO GET QUESTIONS AND WE SEE A LOT OF MATERIAL ON THE NEWS.
IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SHORT HERE.
WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND GIVING US AN UPDATE.
AND I JUST REMIND YOU AND THE COUNCIL THAT EACH ONE OF THE CITIES IN THAT AM MONUMENT MUNICIPALITY HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF WATER PORTFOLIOS AND THEIR NEEDS MAY BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN OURS.
AND OURS IS REALLY WELL BALANCED.
I KNOW I PARTICIPATE IN THAT AND SOME OF THE OTHERS ARE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT TO DO.
I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ON, UH, TO BIG BANK ON, UH, CURTIS' QUESTION TO YOU ABOUT THE REBATE.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO MARKET THAT OUT TO OUR, UM, OUR COMMUNITY MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL? SO WE WILL BE STARTING THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN SHORTLY.
WE'RE STILL WORKING OUT SOME OF THE FINAL DETAILS, BUT WE'LL BE DOING THAT THROUGH THE MEDIA OUTLETS, UM, ON OUR WEBSITE, OF COURSE, UH, PROBABLY MAYBE A DIRECT MAILER TO OUR, TO OUR RESIDENTS, TO OUR WATER CUSTOMERS.
WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN ALL THOSE DETAILS FINALIZED YET, BUT WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT IT'S DEFINITELY ADVERTISED.
DO WE HAVE A TARGETED DATE, LIKE MAYBE JULY OR, I THINK WE'RE TARGETING FOR LIKE MAY I THINK IS WHAT WE'RE KIND OF SHOOTING FOR RIGHT NOW.
SO WE GOT SOME WORK TO DO BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION ON ONE OF THE HOUSE BILLS.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS 20 30TH.
SO THE FIRST ONE IN REGARDS TO WHAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO CARRY OVER, UM, CONSIDERING OUR, YOU KNOW, UH, RECENTLY ACQUIRED INCREASE OF 18%, I THINK IS WHAT IT WAS.
UM, SO HOW BIG OF A VOICE DO WE HAVE ALONG WITH OTHER CITIES WHO ARE OPPOSING THAT? SO I, I THINK THE, THE BILL YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS 2366.
AND THAT'S THE CARRYOVER RULE FOR GROUNDWATER.
SO OUR VOICE IS REALLY, UM, LINKED UP WITH THE, WITH THE MEMBERS OF AMWA AND THEN OUR OWN OPPOSITION THAT WE LOG.
UH, SO THERE'S PROBABLY LESS PEOPLE OPPOSING IT THAN, THAN FOR IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF AMWA BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY 10 CITIES.
UH, BUT IT IS GETTING THE ATTENTION FROM, FROM, FROM US LOOKING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, TO, TO OPPOSING THAT.
AND AS I MENTIONED, IT DIDN'T PASS OUT OF THE HOUSE YET.
UM, AMWA THINKING THAT IT MIGHT NOT MAKE IT OUT, WHICH WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY GOOD FOR US.
ANY THOUGHT ON THAT? UH, NO, JUST JUST TO ADD THAT THE, UM, THE GOVERNOR'S IS ALSO OF THEM ARE INDIRECT OPPOSITIONS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WATER COUNCIL FROM THE SUMMER.
SO, UM, THAT'S A POINT IN OUR FAVOR AS WELL.
SO I'VE GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
ONE IS, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RELEASES, UM, OR THE WATER LEVELS AT UH, PLEASANT AND ALL THE OTHER RESERVOIRS, DOES THAT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WATER THAT HAS SRP STARTED RELEASING WATER FROM THOSE RESERVOIRS YET? OR WILL THAT HAPPEN FURTHER DOWN THE SPRING AS THE SNOW MELT HITS? SO MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL, THEY'RE ALWAYS RELEASING WATER BECAUSE IT'S COMING DOWN THE RIVER FOR OUR USE.
UH, RIGHT NOW THEY ARE NOT INDICATING ANY SPILLS.
I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO SEE WHAT THE, WHAT THE SPRING HOLDS RIGHT NOW.
UH, THE SNOW IS PROBABLY ABOUT DONE AT THIS POINT, BUT WHAT WE REALLY WORRY ABOUT IS A IS A WARM RAINSTORM THAT CAUSES A SUDDEN MELT.
UM, LUCKILY WE HAVE A LOT OF CAPACITY, MORE SO ON THE SALT SIDE THAN THE VERDE SIDE.
IT IS VERY FLASHY AND SOMETIMES IT, IT, IT FILLS UP QUICK AND THAT'S WHY A LOT OF TIMES THE SPILLS ACTUALLY COME FROM THE VERDE SIDE AND THAT'S
[00:50:01]
WHY WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A NEW DAM.SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA SEE ANY SPILL THIS YEAR.
WE ARE NOT GONNA TAKE IN ANY ADVANTAGE OF ANY OF THE FLOOD CONTROL SPACE WATER 'CAUSE WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE, THE CORE TO FINISH THEIR REVIEW.
UH, BUT UH, YEAH, HOPEFULLY IT ALL STAYS IN A, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN THIS WEEK, WHICH IS GOOD FOR US 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.
THAT DOESN'T REALLY IMPACT US.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SNOWPACK, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UTAH, NEW MEXICO, COLORADO, AND WYOMING.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE KEEP OUR EYES ON, CORRECT? YES.
MAYOR, VICE SPRING COUNCIL, WE DO, WE WANT TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE UPPER COLORADO RIVER OF BASIN.
SO BASICALLY, UM, THIS SIDE OF THE ROCKIES, EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN CALIFORNIA IS ON THE WRONG SIDE, IS ON THE, ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE SIERRA NEVADAS.
AND THAT DOESN'T HELP US AT ALL.
AND I DON'T THINK IT HELPS THEM EITHER BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A WAY TO STORE A LOT OF IT UNFORTUNATELY.
AND SO IT JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THE FLOODING AND THINGS THAT HAPPEN, A TRILLION GALLONS OF WATER GOING INTO THE PACIFIC.
SO MY LAST QUESTION IS ON THE PAS, WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT AND WE KNOW THE EPA IS GONNA COME OUT WITH THEIR RULES ON THERE, WE DON'T KNOW HOW FAR THEY'RE GOING TO GO.
WE KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE A TIME FOR CITIES, THEY'RE GONNA ALLOW CITIES TO KIND OF BUILD UP TO THAT.
WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT AS A CAPITAL COST GOING FORWARD? IS IT A, IS IT ENHANCING FILTRATION? IS THERE A DIFFERENT PROCESSES THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY USE AND, AND I'M NOT LOOKING FOR A NUMBER, BUT THAT COST IS GOING TO FIGURE INTO CAPITAL PROJECTS OVER THE NEXT DECADE.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT? YOU WANNA TAKE THAT ONE? SURE.
WE'LL TURN THAT ONE OVER TO ERIC AND ERIC.
WE'RE NOT, I'M NOT GONNA HOLD YOUR FEET TO THE FIRE.
MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, YES, THERE IS A COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO CURRENTLY THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT METHODS FOR TREATING FOR PFAS.
IT'S, UH, GAC, CONTACTORS, GRANULATED ACTIVATED CARBON ION EXCHANGE.
WE DO HAVE BOTH HERE IN THE CITY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THEM INSTALLED AT ALL OF OUR WELL SITES AND OR BOOSTER SITES.
SO SOME SITES ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO CONTINUE OPERATING WITH, UM, THE EXISTING EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE UTILIZING THAT.
SOME SITES WILL HAVE TO INSTALL.
I'M GETTING TO YOUR QUESTION, I PROMISE.
'CAUSE IT'S
I'VE SEEN CONTACTORS, UH, FOR A SINGLE WELL SITE IN THE RANGE OF FIVE TO 8 MILLION.
UM, IF WE HAVE TO DO A COUPLE SETS OF CONTACTORS, IT COULD BE DOUBLE DIGIT, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
SO I JUST WANT COUNCIL TO BE AWARE OF THAT GOING FORWARD BECAUSE THE EPA IS GONNA RULE IN MID 2024, THEY'RE GONNA TAKE A YEAR TO SET THEIR GUIDELINES AND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR FOR CITIES.
AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA GIVE ANOTHER YEAR, TWO YEARS FOR CITIES TO COME IN COMPLIANCE.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT 2028 FOR, FOR COUNCIL, WHO'S GONNA BE HERE TO, TO LOOK AT THOSE FIGURES AND LOOK AT THOSE COSTS AND SAY, OKAY, HOW DO WE MITIGATE THAT GOING FORWARD? AND IT CAN'T ALWAYS BE ON THE BACKS OF THE RESIDENTS.
THERE'S USUALLY ON THESE TYPE OF THINGS, THERE'S FEDERAL GRANTS THAT COMES DOWN THAT COME DOWN.
THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS THAT COME DOWN, BUT FIVE TO $8 MILLION PER, WELL TODAY'S COSTS IS GONNA BE MUCH DIFFERENT THREE YEARS FROM NOW.
AND MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL, IF I COULD JUST CLARIFY, FIVE TO 8 MILLION TO INSTALL CONTACTORS COULD BE, UM, INSTALLED AT OUR BOOSTER SITE SO IT COULD TAKE CARE OF MULTIPLE WELLS.
ALRIGHT GUYS, THANK YOU FOR THAT, RON.
[c. Annual Comprehensive Financial Report Fiscal Year 2023]
RENEE WEATHERLY, OUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND BUDGET TO PRESENT THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT FISCAL YEAR 2023.GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
TONIGHT WE'RE HERE TO PRESENT THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT, WHICH WAS INCLUDED IN THE PACKET.
AND PER ARIZONA REVISED STATUTE 9 4 81, OUR AUDITORS WITH WEINFELD AND H ARE HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT THE FY 2023 AUDIT RESULTS AND FINDINGS.
SO WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU BRITTANY WILLIAMS, AN ENGAGEMENT PARTNER WITH HEIN FILL AND MEACH.
HI, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE ONCE MORE THIS YEAR TO PRESENT THE RESULTS OF THE FISCAL YEAR 23 AVONDALE AUDIT.
UM, WE DO A FEW DIFFERENT AUDITS.
I'M GONNA TOUCH BRIEFLY ON SOME OF THOSE AND THEN OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
I DID ALREADY MEET WITH, UH, THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AND GO OVER THE DETAILS OF THE AUDIT.
AND SO WE HAD GOOD DISCUSSIONS IN THAT GROUP AS WELL.
UM, JUST FOR YOUR REFERENCE, THIS IS YOUR ENGAGEMENT TEAM.
I'M THE ENGAGEMENT PARTNER FOR THE CITY AND, UH, JARED YOUNG IS YOUR AUDIT MANAGER AND WE BOTH HAVE MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR IN PARTICULAR.
JUST WANTED TO PARTICULARLY GO OVER SOME OF THE STANDARDS THAT DO GUIDE OUR AUDITS THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO ADHERE TO.
THE FIRST IS THE A-I-C-P-A STATEMENTS ON AUDITING STANDARDS.
THIS KIND OF GOVERNS OUR WORK PAPERS AND OUR
[00:55:01]
AUDIT METHODOLOGY, THE WAY WE APPROACH OUR TEST WORK.OMB UNIFORM GUIDANCE, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THAT'S THE FEDERAL AUDIT.
AND WHO WE SUBMIT TO THE SINGLE AUDIT TO GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS BOARD IS WHAT MAGGIE AND HER TEAM HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE PREPARING THE ACT FOR AND ALL THE RIGHT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS THERE.
AND WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE TO ADHERE TO GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS, WHICH ARE PARTICULAR TO GOVERNMENT ENTITIES BECAUSE GOVERNMENTS GET TO DO MORE ALL THE TIME.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE ADVERT, UH, THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY MOST CONCERNED ABOUT MY TALK WITH IS THE INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT.
AND THIS IS, UH, THE VERY FIRST PAGE OF IT.
IT'S THREE PAGES LONG IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT IT AND READ IT IN DETAIL.
BUT BASICALLY, THIS IS OUR OPINION ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
IT SAYS THAT THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE MATERIALLY CORRECT AND THEY LOOK GOOD.
SO THAT'S, OOPS, I DIDN'T DO THAT RIGHT.
HERE'S SOME OF THE RE, UH, AUDIT REPORTS THAT WE'VE ISSUED.
THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE, WELL, THE FIRST ONE UP THERE IS MY AUDITOR COMMUNICATION THAT I'M REQUIRED TO SEND TO GOVERNANCE EVERY YEAR.
AND I SEND THAT DIRECTLY TO THE MEMBERS OF THE AUDIT COUNCIL.
UH, WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH THE AUDIT, IT CONTAINS INFORMATION ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, RESPONSIBILITIES OF FRAUD.
IT HAS A, UM, AMERICAN CERTIFIED FRAUD EXAMINER'S CHECKLIST IN THERE TO BE USED, UH, AT YOUR DISCRETION.
IF THERE WERE ISSUES WITH THE AUDIT OR DISAGREEMENTS WITH MANAGEMENT, THOSE WOULD'VE BEEN INCLUDED IN THERE.
UH, THE NEXT THING IS WE ISSUE THE ANNUAL COMPREHEN OR, OR AUDIT OPINION ON THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT THAT WAS ISSUED ON JANUARY 29TH, UM, ALONG WITH THE HIGHWAY USER REVENUE FUND REPORT SAYING YOU USED, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE MONIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARIZONA STATE STATUTE.
AND THEN THE ALAMAR CFD REPORT, THAT WAS NEW THIS YEAR.
UM, MANAGEMENT DECIDED THEY WANTED TO BREAK THAT REPORT OUT, UM, AND PRESENT IT SEPARATELY AS A COMPONENT UNIT, UH, SEPARATELY PRESENTED COMPONENT UNIT.
WE ISSUED OUR SINGLE AUDIT REPORT ALSO ON JANUARY 29TH, UM, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT IN JUST A SECOND.
AND THEN WE'RE ALMOST DONE WITH THE ANNUAL EXPENDITURE LIMITATION REPORT, I BELIEVE.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT DUE FOR ANOTHER MONTH AND NEXT YEAR WILL BE THE BIANNUAL IMPACT FEES REPORT.
SO OUR SINGLE AUDIT REPORT HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS.
IT CONTAINS A LETTER ABOUT THAT GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS THAT I TALKED ABOUT ON INTERNAL CONTROLS.
WE REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER COMPLIANCE FOR THOSE FEDERAL AWARDS.
IT HAS A SCHEDULE OF EXPENDITURES OF FEDERAL AWARDS, SO ALL THE FEDERAL AWARDS THAT THE CITY SPENT DURING THE YEAR, AND THEN WHICH FEDERAL PROGRAMS WE TESTED FOR OUR PURPOSES.
AND IF THERE WAS ANY FINDINGS, THERE'S, UM, FOLLOW UP ON THAT AS WELL.
SO THIS IS THE ONE PAGE THAT KIND OF TELLS YOU EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, AND IT STARTS WITH THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT THE TOP.
IT GIVES OUR AUDITOR OPINION, WHICH I SAID, UH, WAS UNMODIFIED, WHICH IS A CLEAN OPINION IF THERE WERE ANY FINDINGS.
UM, WE DID HAVE A SIGNIFICANT EFFICIENCY THAT WE REPORTED FOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND THEN THE FEDERAL AWARDS, WE HAD NO FINDINGS AND AN UNMODIFIED OPINION, WHICH IS A CLEAN OPINION.
THE FEDERAL PROGRAM THAT WE TESTED THIS YEAR WAS THE CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS, WHICH WAS A VERY LARGE PROGRAM.
WE WERE PRETTY MUCH REQUIRED TO TEST IT, UM, BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
UM, THE SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY THAT WE HAD WAS JUST RELATED TO SOME FINANCIAL REPORTING AND CLOSING ITEMS, UM, WHICH, UH, RENEE IS GONNA ALSO JUMP IN AND TALK ABOUT THE CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN THAT'S ALREADY BEEN IMPLEMENTED FOR THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, WHICH IS, UH, REALLY GOOD TO BE ON TOP OF IT.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO INCLUDE THIS, UH, SLIDE IN CASE YOU WANNA KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR FIRM AND WHAT WE DO.
AND THEN, UM, JUST BEFORE, YEAH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND HAND IT BACK OVER TO RENEE.
ALRIGHT, SO MAYOR, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, DUE TO THAT SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY ON, ON OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, WE HAD A TOTAL OF FIVE FINDINGS, THREE OF WHICH WE ARE DISCUSSING HERE AS MORE SIGNIFICANT, THE FIRST OF WHICH IS OUR OPERATING BANK ACCOUNT RECONCILIATION.
SO IN FISCAL YEAR 22 WAS OUR FIRST YEAR GOING ONTO THE MUNIS ERP SYSTEM.
WE DID AT THAT POINT HAVE A FINDING FOR AN UNRECONCILED, UM, UM, BANK ACCOUNTS TO THE TUNE OF JUST UNDER 230,000.
SO AT THE CLOSE OF FISCAL YEAR 23, THAT AMOUNT WAS REDUCED TO JUST OVER $25,000, BUT IT WAS STILL OUTSTANDING AND WILL BE RESOLVED BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
THE SECOND IS, UM, FOR RESTRICTED CASH ACCOUNTS.
SO THIS IS MONIES FROM OUR UNSPENT BOND PROCEEDS AND OUR, UM, DEBT SERVICE TRUST ACCOUNTS.
THEY WERE NOT RECONCILED AS A RESULT.
UM, INTEREST EXPENSES AND REVENUE WERE NOT RECORDED, SO THOSE ADJUSTMENTS HAD TO GET MADE, UM, AS PART OF THE PROCESS.
[01:00:01]
SO NOW THOSE HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN OUR MONTHLY REPORTS AND A YEAREND CHECKLIST SO THAT THAT WILL NOT OCCUR GOING FORWARD.THE LAST IS FOR OUR INVESTMENT BALANCE WAS OVERSTATED DUE TO NOT RECORDING INVESTMENTS AT FAIR MARKET VALUE.
SO THAT WAS, UH, A CHANGE IN HOW WE RECORDED THEM THE YEAR PRIOR TO HOW WE DID IT THIS YEAR, AND THEREFORE ANOTHER ADJUSTMENT HAD TO GET POSTED.
SO WE'VE REVISED OUR PROCESSES INSTEAD OF DOING IT ONCE A YEAR, WE'RE NOW DOING IT MONTHLY SO THAT WE WILL HAVE THAT, UM, CORRECTED FOR THIS YEAR.
SO WITH THAT, WE WILL TAKE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, MEMBERS OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE.
ANY COMMENTS? VERONICA, ANYTHING MAX? SO, AND AGAIN, WHILE IT SAYS THESE, THESE ISSUES ARE HERE AND IN THE WHOLE BIG SCHEME OF THINGS, THEY'RE NOT HUGE BY ANY ACCOUNT, BUT IS IT, WHEN I READ THE REPORT, IT SAID TURNOVER IN THE, IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
DOES THAT MEAN IT'S A TRAINING ISSUE OR A PERSONNEL LEVEL ISSUE? DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? WE HIRED PEOPLE TO COME ON BOARD.
WE COULDN'T GET THEM UP TO SPEED IN TIME FOR THIS.
OR IS IT THAT WE'RE SHORTENED THAT DEPARTMENT? THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO KIND OF GET AN IDEA OF.
UM, SO IN THIS CASE, WE ACTUALLY HAD THAT IN BOTH AUDIT RESULTS.
THAT IT WAS TURNOVER, IT JUST HAPPENED TO HAPPEN AT THE SAME TIME IN BOTH YEARS.
UM, SO WE BELIEVE WE HAVE THE, THE RESOURCES AND CAPACITY AND THE TRAINING IN PLACE AND IT IS NOW PART OF OUR, OUR STANDARD PRACTICE.
I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE ONE LAST COMMENT AND JUST THANK, UM, MAGGIE AND THE FINANCE TEAM AND EVERYBODY, THEY DO A GREAT JOB.
THEY'RE VERY HELPFUL AND ALWAYS WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, IMPROVE AND IT'S A PLEASURE WORKING WITH THEM.
[6. SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS]
NUMBER SIX, SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS.IS THERE ANYBODY, ANY COMMENTS, ANY THOUGHTS? WE'RE HEADING TO NLC FOR THE WEEKEND, UH, MEETING WITH OUR LEGISLATIVE BODY, HOPEFULLY.
UM, I HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS TO MEET WITH THEM POSSIBLY ON MONDAY OR WEDNESDAY TO DISCUSS THE NEW EPA STANDARDS FOR PM 2.5, WHICH AFFECT MANUFACTURING AND HOW THAT GOES FORWARD IN THE VALLEY, NOT JUST AVONDALE.
SO IF I CAN GET THAT MEETING, I WILL LET SOMEONE KNOW.
AND THEN, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE AND I MAY MEET WITH, UM, GREG STANTON REGARDING THE, UH, RIO REIMAGINED PROJECT.
I DON'T THINK WE'VE HEARD BACK FROM CONGRESSMAN STANTON YET, BUT IF WE DO, WE WILL, UH, WE WILL KEEP THE COUNCIL UPDATED ON THAT.
CAN I GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER NIELSEN.
A SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE.