Utilities Rate Advisory Commission Meeting – November 30, 2023
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Utilities Rate Advisory Commission Meeting – November 30, 2023
The Utilities Rate Advisory Commission (URAC) met on Thursday, November 30, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall Complex, 915 I Street, Sacramento. Chair Megan Fidell presided with Commissioners Johnson, Lee, Zito, and Chair Fidell present; Commissioners Ellis and Vander Werf were absent. The meeting included a consent calendar, a discussion item on providing water to people experiencing homelessness, and two information item presentations.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (File ID: 2022-02503): Unanimously approved the meeting minutes of August 23, 2023. (Motion by Commissioner Zito, second by Commissioner Johnson; 4-0).
- Department of Utilities Fiscal Year 2022/23 4th Quarter Accountability Report (File ID: 2023-01389): Received and filed.
Public Comments & Testimony
Several members of the public spoke during the discussion item on providing water to people experiencing homelessness. All speakers expressed strong support for expanding water access. Notable testimony included:
- Sarah, an encampment outreach worker, described the difficulty of carrying water (8.34 pounds per gallon) and noted that the current SANE program delivers only six gallons per person every three weeks. She reported that after fire hydrants were shut off at a camp in July 2023, a MRSA outbreak occurred, resulting in at least one death and multiple hospitalizations. She urged making water access as pervasive as possible.
- Jenny Wells, formerly homeless for 20 years, shared that she was charged with stealing water during a 107°F day and had her water poured out by police. She advocated for reopening existing water fountains that have been locked.
- Jay described starting a water delivery fund that supplied 2,500 bottles per week to seven camps and emphasized that water is the number one need for the unhoused community.
- Nikki highlighted the lack of access and urged reopening closed water infrastructure in parks.
- Patty Shaw (SAC Act member) supported hydrant meters as a cheaper alternative to the current $200,000/year SANE contract.
Discussion Items
Providing Water to People Experiencing Homelessness (File ID: 2023-01386) Commissioner Lara Johnson led the discussion, outlining the current state: approximately 5,500 people experiencing homelessness in Sacramento; the SANE program uses two full-time staff in a van delivering pallets of gallon water jugs every three to four weeks, providing six gallons per person. She described four options from a DOU memo:
- Hydrant meters (used in Oakland) costing $5,000–$7,000 for the meter and about $1,000/year for water (non-potable).
- Adjacent property agreements to allow water sharing.
- Water at city-sponsored safe grounds sites.
- Bottle fillers in parks.
Commissioner Johnson noted Proposition 218 constraints requiring each parcel to pay its own water costs, meaning alternative funding (general fund, grants, community organizations) would be needed. Commissioner Zito inquired about using CalRecycle grant funds (CAPERS program) for water bottle filling stations. Deputy City Attorney Michael Voss confirmed the item was for discussion only and suggested future collaboration across departments (Utilities, Parks, Office of Community Response, Fire). The commission discussed forwarding recommendations to DOU and potentially re-agendizing the item.
Information Items
Presentation on Department of Utilities Grant Program (Item 4) Tyler Stratton, Program Specialist, presented the DOU grant program. Key highlights:
- The program has a core team of three and supports water, wastewater, and storm drainage systems.
- In FY 2022/23, the department applied for 18 grants and was awarded 12 (67% success rate), totaling $15.9 million out of $21.3 million in competitive grants since FY 2020.
- The state revolving fund loan for the accelerated water meter program achieved a 99.96% reimbursement success rate.
- The storm drainage fund has been a focus; a SACOG
Meeting Transcript
30 seconds has begun. Chair staff is ready when you are good evening. Welcome to the November 30th, 2023, 530 Utilities Rate Advisory Commission meeting. The meeting is now called to order. Will the Kirk please call the role to establish a quorum? Thank you, Chair. Commissioners, please unmute. Commissioner Ellis. Absent. Commissioner Johnson? Here. Commissioner Lee. Here. Commissioner Van Der Worf. Commissioner Zido. Here. And Chair Fidel. Here. Thank you. We have quorum. I would like to remind members of the public in chambers that if you would like to speak on an agenda item, please turn in a speaker slip when the item begins. You'll have two minutes to speak once you are called on. After the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips. We will now proceed with today's agenda. Please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands. To the original people of this land, the Nislan people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains Miwok, Patuanwintan peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather together today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous peoples' histories, contributions, and lives. Thank you. Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. 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. Thank you. Our first business today is approval of the consent calendar. Clerk, are there any members of the public who wish to speak to the consent calendar? Thank you, Chair. There are no speakers for this item. Thank you. Are there any commissioners who wish to speak on this item? Is there a motion and a second for the consent calendar? I make a motion that we approve the consent calendar. Second. I have a motion by Commissioner Zito and a second by Commissioner Johnson. Will the clerk please call the roll for this vote? Thank you. Commissioners, please unmute. Commissioner Ellis is absent. Commissioner Johnson? Yes. Commissioner Lee? Yes. Commissioner Vanderwerf.
openpublica.com