John Gonzalez

The study session included a roll call, followed by a public comment segment where written comments were received from Mr. Jim Mosher. Key discussion items involved review of operational reports, including the organics tonnage report and a temporarily delayed solid waste diversion report pending data research. The main focus was the presentation of the Express Communications Assessment Report by Tripepi Smith, detailing findings from reviewing the district's communications and marketing efforts. This included an analysis of current reach versus potential audience reach on social media. The report presented five key recommendations: improving government relations with local officials, regularly analyzing metrics from digital platforms, improving media relations with local news outlets, optimizing email distribution (including consideration of a hybrid print/e-newsletter model), and optimizing the social media strategy across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The Board meeting began with a call to order and a pledge of allegiance. Key discussions included the approval of the consent calendar, which passed unanimously. A significant portion of the meeting focused on administrative policy number 60 pertaining to the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), specifically reviewing attendance records and approving amendments to eliminate the three consecutive two-year term limits while retaining board pleasure appointments. Furthermore, the board voted to create an ad hoc committee, consisting of two board members and staff, to study term limits for board of directors members, with specific instructions on involving the CAC representatives later in the process. Finally, the board discussed and recommended approval for a $2,500 sponsorship contribution request from the Costa Mesa Foundation for the annual Concerts in the Park event series, noting the opportunity to educate residents on the upcoming three-cart system rollout and SB 1383 enforcement.

The meeting included an update on a pilot program concerning waste management in seven specific alleys/streets, indicating a 70% compliance rate with 30% reverting to old habits regarding trash storage. Staff recommended continuing public education with a soft approach to enforcement, rather than erecting signs. A significant portion of the discussion involved the Grease Control Program, including risk-based inspections, education on regulations, and enforcement measures. Specific activities detailed included identifying new Food Service Establishments (FSEs) since January 2014 (41 new FSEs identified), prioritizing inspections based on risk factors like high-risk cooking equipment, upstream location from hospital patient areas, and presence of grease interceptors. Inspection frequencies were broken down (51 quarterly, 74 semi-annual, 136 annual, 245 biannual). Examples of frequency modification due to compliance issues were presented, such as increasing a major chicken chain's frequency from annual to quarterly due to consistent non-compliance. The discussion also covered source control, reviewing previously identified hot spots, and the reduction in the number of hot spots since 2011 due to repairs and focused efforts.

The Board of Directors meeting addressed several operational and financial matters. Key discussions included the fiscal year 2022-2023 annual compliance report for capacity charges, noting that the facilities revolving fund collected $55,914 in charges and had an ending balance of $22,1057. A transfer of $200,000 from the facilities revolving fund to the Wastewater fund was approved for the demolition of the hitch crafter building. The board also approved carryover appropriations and encumbrances from fiscal year 2022-2023 into fiscal year 2023-2024, totaling amounts for the Wastewater fund and another fund (specifically noting $4,299 and $3,914,181 for two funds, with the latter figure seemingly a transcription error in the source). The first quarter budget review for fiscal year 2023-2024 projected the solid waste fund to be over budget by $47,000 due to increased organics disposal tonnage, partially offset by a $50,000 contingency fund. Discussions also covered the performance measurement report, specifically addressing Public Records Act (PRA) requests volume and timing, and the goals for pipeline cleaning coverage within 220 days to mitigate Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs). The employee wellness program participation rate and strategies to increase engagement were also reviewed.

The study session began with roll call and a public comments segment for items not on the agenda. A key discussion involved postponing Agenda Item E1 to the next month's study session because the scheduled speakers, Tony Gomez and Jesse Blakeley, were unavailable. The board received a report summarizing major points for three ordinance enforcement topics for February: Scavenging, graffiti (for which zero cases were reported), and trash container enforcement, which resulted in 185 violation notices. Significant discussion focused on the expiring Waste Disposal Agreement (WDA) with the county and the proposed replacement, the Waste Infrastructure System Enhancement Agreement (WISE). The proposed WISE agreement includes substantially increased tipping fees, escalating from $42.60 to $82.00 per ton for combined trash and organics, and proposes an organic recycling program to comply with SB 1383. Participants expressed concern over the increased rates, the timeline for implementation requiring Prop 218 hearings, and the county's plan to include organic waste tonnage in the calculation even for entities already diverting green waste to facilities like the anaerobic digestion facility at CNR. Discussions also covered the possibility of hauling waste outside the county if an agreement cannot be reached on reasonable rates and terms, such as establishing separate, lower rates for trash and organics, and extending the existing WDA.