Sacramento Area Sewer District Board Meeting - August 13, 2025
Good morning, everyone.
I'd like to invite everybody.
Welcome everybody to the August 13th meeting of the Sacramento Area Seward District.
And good.
We've got everybody here.
I think that we need.
And so uh clerk, could you please call the roll established quorum?
Yes, ma'am.
Directors Desmond.
Dickinson.
Hume.
Jennings.
Kaplan.
Here.
Kennedy.
Roscoe.
Plucketbaum.
Rafel.
Here.
Robles.
Rodriguez.
Here.
Sander.
Cerna.
Here.
Soon.
Here.
Villegas?
Here.
And Chair Kapinski Costa.
Present.
Thank you.
You have a quorum with members present.
Thank you.
Supervisor Rodriguez.
Would you lead us in the pledge?
Oh, sorry.
I didn't hear that.
Uh, the United States of America.
Is it slow?
We're really in the scroll.
It's okay.
We're there.
Okay.
Could you read our uh statement for public comment?
Yes, ma'am.
This meeting of the Sacramento Area Sewer District is live and recorded with closed captioning.
It is cable cast on Metro Cable 14, the local government affairs channel on the Comcast and Direct TV Uverse Cable Systems.
It is also live streamed at Metro 14Live.sackCounty dot gov.
Today's meeting replays Sunday, August 17th at 9 a.m.
on Metro Cable Channel 14.
Once posted, the recording of this meeting can be viewed and demand on demand at YouTube.com for it forward slash Metro Cable 14.
In accordance with government code 54952.3, compensation for the meeting of these legislative bodies is required to be verbally disclosed.
The amount of 100 will be paid for each member participant participant participating today as a member of the Sacramento Area Sewer District.
Compensation for Sacramento County Supervisors, Cities of Sacramento, and Rancho Codovo Council members is paid to the county and city respectively to partially offset the cost of those governments.
Compensation for other board members is delivered to the individuals to make an in-person public comment, please complete a speaker request form and hand it to the clerk.
The chairperson will call your name when it's your turn to make a comment.
You may send written comments by email to board clerk at SACCounty.gov.
Your comment will be routed to the board and filed in the record.
This concludes your announcement.
Thank you.
Make a correction though, the um city of Citrus Heights compensation goes to the city as well, not to the individual.
I'll make that commission.
Thank you.
I think now we need to adjourn to a closed session.
Yes.
And we'll be back.
We're back in session.
Uh there's no reportable action taken at our closed session.
And Claire, could you please read the uh call the roll to establish quorum again?
Yes, ma'am.
Directors Dixon Dickinson?
Hume?
Here.
Kaplan?
Here.
Roscoe?
Here.
Pluckabom?
Rathel.
Robles.
Rodriguez.
Cerna.
Here.
Soon here.
Villegas?
And Karpinsky Costa.
Present.
You have a quorum with the members present.
Great.
Could you call the first item, please?
The first items is to approve the consent matters.
Items one through three.
Do any of our members have want to pull or discuss for any reason any one through three?
Can we pull item number three?
Pulling item number three.
Do I have a motion for items one and two?
One and two.
Second, I'll second.
May I get to move the motion?
Rodriguez and soon.
Okay, thank you.
At least I could see that far.
Do we have any public comment on this?
Items.
Do we have any public comment on one and two?
We do not have any public comment.
Okay.
Can you call item three, please?
Yes.
Item three.
Is contract number eight zero zero zero zero one seven three approved the first amendment to the agreement with Leonaski Leonakis to provide architectural engineering design services for the North Area Corporation Yard New Administration building.
Who pulled this item?
I did.
What's up?
Really, I was kind of just surprised at the cost of not for the engineering and design services, but more the overall cost of the building.
35 million for a 30,000 square foot building on property that I believe is owned by the district.
So that's $1,167 a square foot for an office building.
So I just kind of wanted to see if there are other options that have been looked at or pursued.
Obviously, there's a bit of big downturn in the office market, and so just kind of wanted to understand what other options are there or if this is the best path forward.
Well keep in mind this is our corporation yard.
So it wouldn't be just uh purchasing an office building.
We would have the corporation yard would have to be part of that.
Um but I did want to uh ask Rosemary Clark to share some of the costs.
This is a little bit of a unique uh project.
One of the issues is that we have to keep staff um going while the building's under construction, so there's a whole other component to it, but I'll let Rosemary share some of the kind of the uniqueness of this project.
Thank you.
So this these costs here are midpoint of construction costs, so that's December of 2027.
So those are escalated costs.
The building itself is about 900 um dollars per square foot, but we have demo, we have modulars that we're gonna put staff in because it's gonna be an active site still, and then um we've done everything we can to kind of like make sure we're using the utilities that are nearby and doing all the things, but that is our estimate at this time.
Yeah.
And we there was some buildings looked at at the same time, and it's if you project them forward, it's it's actually within that range.
Thank you for that clarification.
900 a square foot in 2027 makes me much more comfortable.
So I'm happy to move item number three.
I'll second.
Is there any public comment on this item?
We do not have any public comment.
Motion was by uh Rachel Kaplan and second by Rafael.
Rafael and Rodriguez.
Rafael Logicus, thank you.
Thank you.
Okay, you may vote.
We vote on that.
You may vote.
Madam Chair, do we vote on the the other two items?
I don't think we did.
I don't remember pushing the little button, but higher consent.
That's for item three that was pulled.
Yes, I'll move consent, the other items.
Second.
Kaplan and Hume.
For the second items.
You may vote.
The motion passes for the items that were pulled unanimously.
Okay.
Next item, please.
Your next item is comments from the public on issues not on the agenda posted agenda.
We do not have any speakers lips.
And do not have any public comment.
Okay, next item.
Item five is miscellaneous director and district engineer matters.
Director's discussion of issues for future consideration.
District engineer administrative updates and points on of note on communications received and filed.
Good morning, Chair and Board members.
Uh, very quickly, we have our uh second meeting in August canceled, so the next meeting will be September 10th, and that's gonna be at our Echo Water facility.
So we're excited to have you all down there.
Um, and with that, I have one last one more section manager I want to introduce that you have not met yet.
So this is Catherine Wilde.
Over there.
Uh she's our information security officer.
Um Catherine has over 36 years of government services, and I, I, as long as I can remember, I've known Catherine, so it feels like she's been around for a while.
Um she started as a student at Saxur as a programmer developing a sewer modeling program and programming for our flow monitoring group.
She has a bachelor's degree in computer science with a specialty in system software and a minor in mathematics from SAC State.
Prior to the information security career, she was hired into Sacramento County's public works management information systems, old MIS, as a programmer analyst at a transformative technological time.
The internet was not widely used or available yet, and desktop computers were just starting to be deployed.
She supported all the public works departments and was provided with some great opportunities to successfully deploy many new computer technology systems not previously available in Sacramento County.
2003, SACSUR reached out and asked her to consider developing and leading the information technology group for SACSUR.
Upon her manager's retirement in 2005, Catherine was assigned to manage the technical support section, which included IT, GIS documentation, data management, graphics design, and AutoCAD.
And then in 2016, SACSUR executive team assigned her to lead the information security efforts for both control systems and our business systems networks, which she's very honored and excited to accept.
And in January 2025, she received the official title of information security officer.
Catherine's credentials also include information security certification, GIAC, I don't know what that one was, Certified Information Professional, 2015 Security Leadership and Local Government, and that's awarded by the state of California.
She also has a national level award recently presented this year by the multi-state information sharing and analysis center, which I do know.
It's MSISAC, you may have heard of that.
And that is was in recognition of exemplary leadership and significant contributions to the community.
With over 18,000 government agencies in that uh in that membership, the only seven received that award.
And her last sort of cryptic message is that she plans on retiring sometime, but when is the question.
Thank you, Catherine.
Welcome.
And that's all I had.
On behalf of our board, I just want to say thank you, Christoph, for bringing forward our illustrious and talented staff at every meeting.
I hope the public gets to see how our district is staffed with so competent and wonderful people and young people can see some career paths they might choose.
And so thank you for bringing all of our staff forward.
What's that?
We have the next item, please.
Next item, Madam Chair, is contract number 8000 213 approved the selection of an agreement with HDR Engineering Incorporated to provide engineering services for the East Rancho Codova Interceptors Project.
Presenter is Jose Ramirez, senior civil engineer.
Just briefly, while Jose's getting ready, I just want to mention we have the last interceptor we built was in Lower Northwest Interceptor.
Our major interceptor expansion program was back in the 90s and early 2000s.
But we haven't done interceptors for a long time, and typically we don't do presentations just on a project that we're asking your approval for, but it's a pretty big project, and again, we're getting into this building an interceptor, and so I thought it would be a good opportunity.
So take it away, Jose.
Thank you for your stop.
Is my microphone on?
Mitchell, could we get assistance, please?
It's on.
It's on.
Thank you.
Good morning, members of the board.
My name is Jose Ramirez.
I'm a senior civil engineer in the policy and playing department.
I'm here to provide a presentation on the proposed East Rancho Cordoba Interceptors Project, also known as the ERCI project.
The presentation includes some background history about the project, the uh drivers or need for the project, some project details, and then the recommended action for today that is on your board agenda towards design contract to HDR engineering.
The project is located in the eastern part of Sacramento County in the city of Rancho Cordoba, south of Highway 50, east of the Folsom South Canal, along sections of White Rock Road and Sunrise Boulevard.
There are two projects that are being combined into one.
The first interceptor is the White Rock Interceptor is the blue line along White Road.
The second interceptor is the aerojet interceptor, is the yellow line.
Those two projects combined are the ERC project.
How do you get here?
We do long-term planning.
And at each level of planning, we redefined and redefined the project.
At the 30,000 foot level, we started with the interceptor master plan 2000.
At that time, we identified three interceptors to serve this area the Broadshot, Mater, and Aerojet interceptors.
The Broadshot Interceptor was built in the mid-2000s.
In 2006, we started the design for the mater interceptor, which is shown on this map.
However, in 2008, there was a significant downturn in the housing market, and the projections that the growth was not happening.
So the district decided to cancel that project at that time.
Then in 2011, groups from collections and the conveyance department did a joint effort with a better definition of the service areas.
The service areas or sheds are shown on this map.
There are seven sub-areas.
They include Anatolia, Rio de Loto, Westboro, Energy Lands, Cordova Hills, Wajel, and Sine Creek.
At that time in 2011, the district identified three interceptors.
The White Rack interceptor, which is the blue line going along from east from left to right on the top of the screen, and then the AirJet interceptor going from the south along North Sunrise Boulevard, and then from east to west at the bottom is what is called the Douglas Interceptor.
We also identify several potential local pump stations for the collection systems and trunk lines.
Those are shown in yellow on the map.
So at each level we are defining and defining the project even better.
Then in 2013, Regional SAN updated the Interceptor Master Plan 2000 through the Interceptor Sequence Study, or ISS.
The ISS identified three projects: White Rock, AeroJet, and the Douglas Interceptor.
More recently, in 2020, our collections department completed the system capacity plan 2020.
And it's shown on this map.
The system capacity plan 2020 eliminated the Douglas Interceptor, but we still have remaining for implementation the Aerojet and White Rock interceptors, which are shown on this map.
So we have over 20 years of planning that we have done, but at each level we are better defining how to provide wastewater collection and conveyance services for these areas.
So what are the drivers for the ERSI project?
Number one, we have increased in development growth rate in the sewer shed areas of this location.
Some of the existing assets that we have, like the Crisante comp station, which is labeled as S132 on this map, those assets are reaching capacity and we need an interceptor solution.
If we don't relieve those assets and replace them, then in about nine years, if grill continues to develop, we may have to implement a moratorium unless we implement an interceptor solution to relieve that area.
So what is the recommended RC project?
This map, north is to the left side of the map on your on the screen.
The Aerojet project is the the line shown in orange color.
It starts on the right-hand side, connecting the uh the red dot, which is near the uh Christian pump station.
It then goes north along San Royce Boulevard, it goes a little bit west along the uh ongoing Rio del Ono development, which is shown on the top of the map.
It goes to White Rock Road, and then from White Rock Road, it goes west to the existing Bradchell interceptor, and it will c it will pass the Folsom South Canal and connect to the broader interceptor at Kilgore Road.
One of the key components of the project is the crossing of the Folsom South Canal.
That per meeting effort could be in the critical path.
So we will pay special attention to that.
We need to get permits from the US Bureau of Reclamation, and that could take uh in the order of two to three years to get that permit.
Due to the constraints for the project alignment and the depth of the gravity pipelines, we will utilize both open cut and treacherous construction methods to build this project.
Some project details, uh so it's a new gravity interceptor pipeline, about 21,000 linear feet of pipe.
Pipe diameters range from 60 to 72 inches in diameter.
The estimated budget for the engineering services contract, which is being brought to your board today, the estimate is about the the cost is 10.1 million dollars.
The total capital project costs, including engineering services, is about 105 million dollars.
The schedule design is scheduled to begin this month, pending your board's approval today, and design will go on through April 2028.
Construction is scheduled to begin in May 2028 and go through August of 2031.
So we have two requested actions for you today.
Number one is to approve the selection of HDR and to direct the district engineer to execute the agreement with HDR to provide the engineering services contract.
With that, let me know if if you have any questions.
I'll be happy to answer those.
Yeah, we think that's a great question.
I appreciate I appreciate it.
Um, with the city of Ranch Cordova, we have mounted coordination meetings with the city staff with our uh uh city uh public works director, Albert Strickland.
Uh so he knows about the project.
Uh when we going to release the request for proposals for the project, we gave Albert and his staff an opportunity to be part of the selection panel.
Uh they were quite busy, so they chose not to participate, but we coordinate with them on a monthly basis.
So they're on board with traffic issues and everything that's gonna happen back in 2028.
They know the project needs to happen to really to provide service to that area.
So they will work with us.
I'm sure they don't want to stop development in the next few years, so we've got a lot to go.
Okay, any other questions?
Madam Chair, when you're ready, I'll move approval of the item.
Madam Chair, I have a quick quick question if I could.
Go for it.
Very quick.
First of all, thank you for the presentation.
Um that's what I love about the district.
This is long-term planning, 25 years in the making, and here we are.
Um, just a question.
So ultimately, this interceptor line, maybe it's a simple, easy question.
It connects to the what eventually becomes a lower northwest interceptor.
Is that right?
I mean, I didn't see any pump stations and so or is that completely separate, or is that one continuous system that it's connecting to?
I can take it.
Thank you.
Um, thank you for the question.
Uh the lower northwest interceptor, as far as the uh in the city of Cedar's Heights, it goes west along Greenback Lane through Elkram Willower, Nathomas, then into Yellow County to see the city of West Sacramento, and then back into Sacramento County, uh along with some of the Willower.
It's a separate system from the Brash Interceptor, which is going to serve this area.
These are two separate completely separate.
Completely separate.
Just okay.
I just seemed like it would be one continuous system, but it's completely separate.
Very good.
Thank you.
I'll second that motion.
Who made the first?
Okay.
To approve the item.
Yes.
Well, there's two, there's two things we have to do.
One is to approve the the company and the X to authorize the contract.
So we do we want two separate motions?
No, it's the same.
Yeah.
Okay.
Okay.
One motion.
Okay.
You may move and second it.
Let's vote.
And your motion passes unanimously.
Thank you.
I know I'm backing up, but was there any public comment on this?
We have no public comment.
Okay.
Sometimes I forget, you know, because it's so quiet.
It's so quiet in here, and I don't see anybody rushing up with speaker sheets.
Is the next item, please?
Madam Chair, the next item is number seven update to SAC Sewers implementation of the advanced clean fleet regulations.
Presenter Mike Hewat, Director of Policy and Planning.
Thank you.
Can you pull a presentation for item seven, please?
Can we get assistance on the presentation, please?
Okay.
Excellent.
Thank you.
Good morning, Chair, members of the board.
Excuse me.
Mike Hewitt, Director of Policy and Planning.
So I'm here today to present on uh brief presentation on SAC sewers implementation of the advanced clean fleets regulations.
Was provided your board back in December of 2023, which described how we're going to implement these regulations for SAC sewer.
I do want to introduce Gus Favalora, and he is our fleet manager, expert in that arena, and knows all about fleets.
So if there's specific questions about our fleet, we got him here.
So next.
Brief history of California's carbon goals.
So back in 2020, uh the governor signed an executive order to transition uh vehicles to 100% zero emission vehicles, and it was intended to support the uh carbon neutral goals of 2045 for California.
And in 2023, the California Air Resources Board, CARB, passed the advanced clean fleets regulation, which had sweeping effects on fleet management for all industries and particular and specifically ours as well.
We have been engaged with our industry partners since our working with the folks across the state to try to figure out you know how we're gonna be able to implement these uh regulations.
So what are the ACF requirements?
Well, it's it goes back to it's the goal of having all zero emission vehicles and zero emission vehicles are battery electric uh EVs and hydrogen powered vehicles.
So the requirement started pretty quickly in 2024.
It said all 50 percent, all 50 percent of all medium and heavy-duty vehicles that are purchased need to be ZEVs, and then pretty quick after that in 2027, it's required that 100% of medium and heavy duty vehicles purchased are ZVs.
There's a limited flexibility for SAC sewer.
We can apply for an extension or an exemption.
The extensions are more um for if there's like supply chain issues.
You order a ZEV and you think it's gonna come in, I don't know, six months, and it takes much longer.
You can maybe qualify for uh extension or infrastructure for the charging construction for that, there's a long delay, you might be able to qualify.
Um, and there's some funding options as well.
So uh it it does take applying and getting the you know, carb to approve the extension or the exemption.
Uh so an exemption will apply to you know, if we have a vehicle non-ZEV vehicle that's critical for operations and there's no ZEV on the market for that we can apply for an exemption until there is one.
So we have been meeting all the ACF regulations.
In 2024 we purchased seven EVs and in 2025 uh we have so far purchased three and are planning to purchase an additional four before years in those EVs it's been about 715 thousand dollars there's definitely a cost component with implementing these regulations uh as far as infrastructure goes we are improving that as well so we can accommodate this new EV fleet we've added four level two chargers they're dual handles so it can have like eight ports in total we've also added a level three fast charger that was just commissioned just real recently it's about 1500 for that fast charger from the design and commissioning it and our advanced fleet management ums we we have now uh sort of an advanced GPS and telematics system which helps us understand range of the EVs and helps us really maximize the trip management to really you know accommodate um the limitations of EVs.
Also want to note emphasizing the cost aspect of this there's uh our budget for this year it's about 7.5 7.8 million to purchase vehicles and 2027 when we're gonna have to go 100% it's gonna bump that two to three times so we're planning for a 20 million dollar purchasing budget for fleet so it's significant.
We are exploring uh the market for ZVs to find if we can find other you know options that meet functional and operational needs for medium and heavy duty fleet so where are we going from here?
Well we are doing everything you can to minimize the cost with implementing these new regulations.
One of the areas that we're really focused on is navigating and evaluating the infrastructure costs so we we don't want to underdo it so we're not prepared for this new flux of EVs but we also don't want to overdo it so we're we're we're balancing that out we are advocating with our partners uh California Association of Sanit District uh agencies statewide coalition and the California special districts association to help with bills and regulations uh to accommodate you know our needs and try to make this a softer landing for us we're also working really closely with our partners SMUD and Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District on the different charging needs and trying to find incentives and grants and we're also directly engaged with CARB uh to pursue regulatory changes and and again kind of trying to help uh match up what works best for us and also you know help meet the goals that are established through the exemptions and extensions so um yeah we're we're exploring options this is a very fast evolving technology and uh there's a lot new of new options available but we also need to make sure that they meet our operational needs and we're also looking at the fiduciary side of it as well um so we're we're it's almost three pond where we're making sure we're complying um we want to make sure it meets our operational needs and we're trying to do it at the best cost we can so leave it at that and unless there's questions.
Thanks for the thanks thanks for the presentation and I appreciate the uh efforts made by by the district to to comply with this uh requirement and um see it as something that actually is beneficial um not just to the district ultimately but but to the community uh at large.
I I'm I'm curious whether you are tracking uh your electric usage for charging to someday, uh if not now, someday compare what the cost of uh operation is uh especially for essentially the substitute for fueling, which is charging, compared to what compared to what our charges were or costs were related to uh a fossil fuel driven fleet, because we have big, as you've uh uh noted, uh big capital costs associated with this transition, but ultimately not only is it good for the environment, but I th uh I would think it could be good for the the district in terms of operating costs as well being reduced for the fleet operation.
Yeah, I'm gonna I'm definitely gonna look to Gus here, but I'll do a quick.
We do have that new system, the the telematics that helps us with all the analytics.
Um so operationally, um I do think you know, look to Gus the answer here.
Come on up, Gus.
Um, but we'll be able to compare the operational costs of a V V versus you know the ice vehicles and total combustion engine vehicles long term.
Yes.
Good morning.
And uh that's a great question.
We are trying to evaluate total cost of ownership, so we do look at that uh as a um analytic we're looking at.
So when we look at the number, we try to look at all that based on historical data that we have in industry-wide uh usage as well.
So do you have any uh uh sufficient amount of data now to to uh make a comparison or are you still um early on enough in the uh with your EV replacements that you want to wait a little bit while uh a little while before you make those kinds of comparisons?
We're still at the evaluation portion of the data, so it's we're still waiting on that.
Okay.
Well, look forward to to seeing information on that.
The other question I had is uh what challenges you're experiencing in acquisition, especially of heavy duty uh uh ZEVs uh because uh the those have been more challenging to develop.
So I'm just curious.
Uh it wasn't clear to me from either the staff report or the presentation if you were acquiring any heavy duty ZEVs at this point.
It looked like they were all medium duty, but I but I I wasn't clear.
So I just on that point, if you can elaborate a little bit.
Absolutely.
Uh there are some challenges as far as finding the infrastructure to accommodate that, as well as being able to find the vehicles that meet the operational demand.
Um one of the challenges would be weight of the vehicles and finding vehicles that meet bridge law requirements and other standards, because a lot of our vehicles are very heavy as is.
So when you add the uh additional weight of the battery to it, um it significantly increases it.
Um so we're trying to find the happy uh medium on where we can which vehicles uh medium and heavy meet the standard that we could um procure and add into our fleet without causing an uh operational impact.
Uh and uh you listed the partners you're working with with which all make complete sense.
I was also wondering because regional transit is going through uh a transition as well to uh from natural gas to electric for uh and potentially hydrogen for the bus fleet, but also they've got I think uh been looking at heavy duty uh vehicles as well as devs, and I just wonder if if you've had any conversations with RT about about how they're uh uh going at this issue and um if you haven't if you think that would be worthwhile.
I do think that'd be worthwhile.
We have had conversations with uh large amount of uh local municipalities.
Um RT is not one of them, so I'll make sure to reach out to them as well.
But we uh regularly have conversations with uh other agencies, public agencies and municipalities.
I mean, maybe this isn't so much for for SAC sewer, but maybe uh a lot of us sit on the air district board as as well.
Maybe this is something the air district could be a convener for all the all the if they aren't already for folks going through this this transition, especially with the medium and heavy duty fleets, which I think are are still a bigger challenge.
Anyway, um maybe that that's something for the for them to to think about, we'll make that suggestion in the in that forum.
But thanks again for the information and for the effort.
Thank you director Villegas yeah, thank you.
I just wanted exactly that.
Thank you, Roger, for surfacing that.
I think it's imperative that we reach out to the sister agencies that represent this district certainly because I know for a fact just in yellow alone we have several vehicles that we need to purchase and I think there's tremendous value and at least pursuing the opportunity or the potential to buy in bulk in the event that there's even that available I don't I don't even I mean I know our staff are struggling just to try to find vendors let alone deliver on time so we're struggling with that but I suspect if we are all talking together there may be some value in that at least exploring it so yeah thank you.
Thank you.
So in the same vein um I'll start with a question and then maybe uh offer a suggestion here but uh the question is is there anything in state law that would prohibit the um the district from uh partnering with a private entity in terms of finding economies of scale uh for the procurement of uh infrastructure whether it be charging stations or or you know the capacitors whatever it might be um and if not um what I would suggest is reaching out to uh my staff in my office we have in the first supervisoral district uh a number of uh projects some of which are just um coming to light some of which have been in the planning process for uh a few years now for both medium and heavy duty uh charging and so uh I just uh again along with the um uh suggestions that you look to our sister agencies who might be um uh trying to comply with the same um state uh law and uh uh kind of critical dates in which to have everything uh in place for um the kind of the the general switch to uh zero emission um I would offer uh the fact that we shouldn't overlook that we have some private sector activity in that same space and and again if there's nothing legally that prohibits the ability for the district to entertain uh partnering or or uh maybe collective acquis uh purchasing power um I think that's something too that is worth exploring yeah and I'm not sure uh the state law on that and whether or not we can you know coordinate with the private we'll we'll definitely look out and and check into that though I definitely hear the theme here of working with the sister agencies in the area to see if we can come together and maybe you know some even sharing with resources whatnot and we will we'll continue reaching out we do have a relationship with RT and we we've been in contact with them with the for a number of other things I don't know if this one in particular but we will uh we'll keep reaching out thank you any other comments or questions I think this is just an information item receiving file okay any public comment on this item we do not have any public comments is there a next item I think that this is when I'd like to ask if there is any other future considerations from any directors that want to discuss or put something to the staff the future items that was oh is up here back in the discussion of items for future consideration we skipped over any seeing none are there any other items yes item number eight madam chair is bond trustee report I think how could I forget this guy sorry bond trustee report of the Northern California sanitation agencies financing authority for the fourth quarter ended June 30th 2025 it's also receive and file there's no action items on those so usually we don't uh we don't uh vote on those it's just if you have a comment yeah okay so we have miscellaneous um communications received and filed.
Uh and does that one in there's that's item nine is a quarterly report.
Um are there any comments or questions about these items?
Okay.
I think we're adjourned.
Discussion Breakdown
Summary
Sacramento Area Sewer District Board Meeting - August 13, 2025
The Sacramento Area Sewer District Board met on August 13, 2025, to approve consent items, discuss major contracts, and receive updates on regulatory compliance. Key topics included cost clarifications for a new administration building, approval of a significant interceptor project, and implementation of zero-emission vehicle fleet regulations.
Consent Calendar
- Items 1 and 2 were approved unanimously without discussion.
- Item 3 was pulled for discussion due to cost concerns regarding the North Area Corporation Yard New Administration Building.
Discussion Items
- Item 3: Contract Amendment for Architectural Engineering Design Services: Director Rachel Kaplan pulled this item, expressing surprise at the $35 million estimated cost for a 30,000 square foot building. Rosemary Clark clarified that costs are escalated to December 2027, with the building itself at about $900 per square foot, and explained unique aspects such as maintaining staff operations during construction. After clarification, Director Kaplan moved to approve, and the board unanimously approved the contract amendment.
- Item 6: Engineering Services for East Rancho Cordova Interceptors Project: Jose Ramirez presented on the ERCI project, a $105 million capital project to build approximately 21,000 linear feet of gravity interceptor pipelines. The project addresses growth and capacity issues, with design scheduled from August 2025 to April 2028 and construction from May 2028 to August 2031. The board unanimously approved the selection of HDR Engineering Incorporated for engineering services.
- Item 7: Advanced Clean Fleet Regulations Update: Mike Hewat, with Gus Favalora, presented on compliance with California's zero-emission vehicle regulations, highlighting costs, infrastructure challenges, and efforts to minimize expenses. Directors Villegas and Rodriguez suggested collaborating with sister agencies and exploring private sector partnerships for economies of scale. This was an informational item received and filed.
Key Outcomes
- Approved consent items 1 and 2 unanimously.
- Approved the contract amendment for item 3 unanimously after discussion.
- Approved the engineering services contract for the East Rancho Cordova Interceptors Project unanimously.
- Received and filed the update on Advanced Clean Fleet regulations and the bond trustee report.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning, everyone. I'd like to invite everybody. Welcome everybody to the August 13th meeting of the Sacramento Area Seward District. And good. We've got everybody here. I think that we need. And so uh clerk, could you please call the roll established quorum? Yes, ma'am. Directors Desmond. Dickinson. Hume. Jennings. Kaplan. Here. Kennedy. Roscoe. Plucketbaum. Rafel. Here. Robles. Rodriguez. Here. Sander. Cerna. Here. Soon. Here. Villegas? Here. And Chair Kapinski Costa. Present. Thank you. You have a quorum with members present. Thank you. Supervisor Rodriguez. Would you lead us in the pledge? Oh, sorry. I didn't hear that. Uh, the United States of America. Is it slow? We're really in the scroll. It's okay. We're there. Okay. Could you read our uh statement for public comment? Yes, ma'am. This meeting of the Sacramento Area Sewer District is live and recorded with closed captioning. It is cable cast on Metro Cable 14, the local government affairs channel on the Comcast and Direct TV Uverse Cable Systems. It is also live streamed at Metro 14Live.sackCounty dot gov. Today's meeting replays Sunday, August 17th at 9 a.m.