Sacramento Area Sewer District Regular Meeting – October 16, 2024

The Sacramento Area Sewer District (SASD) and Northern California Sanitation Agency's financing authority held a regular meeting on October 16, 2024, at 9:35 a.m. The meeting included approval of consent items, reports on the district's separation from the county, updates on community grant programs, and progress on historical properties and educational initiatives.

Consent Calendar

• Items 1 through 5 (not specified in detail) were approved unanimously via voice vote after a motion by Director Viegas and a second by Director Delamantes.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public speakers were present for comments on non-agenda items.

Discussion Items

• Miscellaneous Director and District Engineer Matters: District Engineer Dobson announced the cancellation of the October 23 board meeting, noted that the next meeting is November 13, and reported on awards and conferences. He introduced new assistant deputy Jack Johnson and recognized staff achievements including a Project Excellence Award from the Water Environment Federation for the Echo Water Project. Two staff members were introduced: Jo Phil Borja (legislative and regulatory affairs manager) and Tim Muson (acting chief scientist), who spoke about the district's scientific research and representation in the Delta.
• One District Quarterly Report (October 2024): Matthew Doyle, Director of Internal Services, presented the final quarterly report before the district's separation from Sacramento County, effective December 15, 2024. Key milestones included: completion of employee onboarding for approximately 740 staff (signing offer letters, resignation letters, I-9 documents, and live scans); selection of U.S. Bank for banking services; rollout of the new Tyler ERP system (employee access module); and health fairs held at three locations. The district's pension protection act (AB 2301) was signed by the governor on July 2, 2024. The first payroll under the new system is scheduled for January 3, 2025. Directors commended staff for the smooth transition and innovative employee engagement (e.g., passport-style checklists, photo backdrops).
• Confluence Regional Partnership Program Annual Report (FY 2023-24): Environmental Sustainability Coordinator Carolyn Balaz presented the report. The program provides discretionary grants from non-rate funds. In FY 2023-24, over $4 million in grants were awarded across six categories: Sewer Lifeline Rate Assistance ($2 million+), American River Parkway ($540,000+), Watershed Management ($240,000), Septic Conversion ($7,100), Economic Development ($1 million+), and Public Education ($240,000+). Highlights included a $250,000 grant to Sacramento County Regional Parks for a front-end loader to clean up homeless encampments, and funding for the Sacramento Area Creeks Council's dump trailer (used in 60 cleanups, removing 88,000 pounds of trash). Multi-year projects include a 15-year, $1.5 million grant to the Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC) and continued support for the North A Street restroom facility for homeless individuals. Directors noted the program's community impact and thanked staff.
• Sims Ranch and Nicholas Dairy Historical Properties and Education Program Updates: Senior Civil Engineer Vimini Badiai and Public Information Manager Paige Bettigrew presented updates. The district has two historical properties at the Echo Water Resource Recovery Facility: Sims Ranch and Nicholas Dairy. Since 2016, a $2.5 million non-rate reserve fund has been used for stabilization and improvements; actual expenditures total $2.28 million, leaving $216,000. Improvements included structural repairs, lead abatement, septic system, fire suppression, and period-appropriate furnishings. The education program, Project AWE (Agriculture, Water, Energy, Environment), launched in fall 2022 in partnership with Sacramento Splash, targets 2nd–5th grade students. In the 2023-24 school year, nearly 7,000 students from 43 schools and five districts visited, with 53% from Title I schools. The program is fully booked for the 2024-25 school year, expecting over 7,300 students. Directors expressed strong support for the program, noting its role in environmental stewardship and community engagement, and requested expanding outreach to underserved areas like West Sacramento.

Key Outcomes

• Consent calendar items 1-5 approved unanimously.
• The quarterly report (item 8), Confluence annual report (item 9), and historical properties/education update (item 10) were received and filed without vote.
• No formal votes were taken on discussion items.
• The meeting adjourned at 10:48 a.m.