** Dear Friends: Here is the link for our Regular Helix Water District Board Meeting: AGENDA REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Wednesday, November 1, 2017, 6pm 7811 University Avenue, La Mesa, CA 91942-0427 Personal Note: On October 4, 2017, my father, Bob Coates passed away. He was a Civil Engineer in the water industry. A few of his career highlights included being a General Manager of Rainbow Water District, on the San Diego County Water Authority Board and also a businessman who opened an engineering firm and worked on many San Diego County water systems. We had probably our most personal connections these past 10 years when I got on the Helix board, as there were always a few things I would consult or discuss with him - and he always gave his opinion to me straight up! I am going to miss those conversations…he taught me that you can never go wrong if you are honest, did your homework and you are doing it for the right reason. He would tell me, say what you think, discuss it, and then vote and move on. A very smart, logical and wise man. RIP Interesting Agenda Items: Item 7. (pdf Page 37) T-Mobile USA Lease Agreement The board authorize the General Manager to execute an amendment to the lease agreement with T-Mobile USA, Inc. over portions of Calavo Tank site.
I know many water agencies have wireless communication leases on the reservoirs (some receive a total of nearly a million dollars in leases annually). Helix currently only has a few sites, I have consistently expressed to consider all offers. Item 9. (pdf Page 59) Amended and Restated Water Conservation Garden Operation Agreement The board review the amended and restated Water Conservation Garden Operation Agreement and authorize the district's representative to vote in support of the agreement (5 years through 2022/23). In 1992, a joint powers agreement was entered into by Helix Water District, Otay Water District and Cuyamaca Community College to further the purposes of water conservation. Sweetwater Authority and the San Diego County Water Authority and City of San Diego joined later on. The Garden has evolved and changed since then and a new Operation Agreement is being proposed. Some of the changes include expectations of each water agency and also future financing is reduced. Currently Helix Water District contributes $96,450 or 20 percent of the agency contributions and each year a reduction in contributions will occur, 5% in FY 19/20, 10% in 20/21, 10% in 21/22 and 14% in 22/23. These funds will cover the Operations and Maintenance costs at the Garden and will be augmented by foundation fundraising (grants) for education. Item 10. (pdf Page 106) Water Loss Audit On October 9, 2015 Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 555 requiring water systems to conduct annual water loss audits annually effective October 1, 2017. The purpose is to evaluate your water system to see how much water you are potentially losing with leaks, based on various factors of pipe types, system pressure, and factors entered into a Free Water Audit Software. Based on the submitted Board Report, I have many questions, as we state that we have a validity score of 79 of 100 and an Real Loss of 23.34 gallons per connection per day, with an apparent loss of 2.08 gallons per connection per day. The calculations of these losses are not clear to me. I contacted our General Manager and he said that at the Board Meeting on Wednesday they will explain the process and he would provide me a spread sheet that explains the calculations. As always, I welcome your comments and feedback. Please feel free to forward this email. **Please note no public funds or resources were used for the distribution of this email... ***If you want to be removed from my list…let me know! J ****If this email was forwarded to you and you want to be added to my list…let me know! *****Transparency, don’t just say it – do it!
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Author: Kathleen HedbergCivil Engineer in 5th Term as a Helix Water District Board Director and Past President of the Board! CategoriesArchives
April 2023
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