Tranquillity Public Utility Dist

The meeting covered several old business items, including ongoing work by Fresno County on curb and gutter replacement and the board's efforts to obtain sewer line inspection videos from the County. PG&E is noted to be installing new streetlights and potentially a gas line. A resolution (2022-0004) was passed unanimously to name the President/Board Chairman's signing authority as the "Executive Director" or "General Manager." In the District Secretary Report, notices regarding a rate increase effective July 1, 2022, were confirmed to have been sent with the May statements. Records were also sent to an attorney's office concerning the Valdez vs Garcia case.

This Sewer Rate Study for Tranquillity Public Utility District evaluates the financial capacity of its sewer enterprise. The study's purpose is to determine if revenue increases are needed to sustain adequate sewer services and meet future financial obligations over a five-year projected period (FY 2021/22 - FY 2025/26). It identifies that current revenues are insufficient to cover projected expenses and proposes phased rate increases to ensure long-term financial health, recover service costs, and comply with Proposition 218 requirements.

The meeting addressed the ARPA grant, tasking Laurie to seek assistance from AM Consulting Engineers or Dora Westerlund for grant management and reporting. The board discussed the possibility of engaging multiple engineers for concurrent projects and advised opening a new bank account at United Security for ARPA funds. Other topics included storing records in steel boxes, selecting the best pump for the lift station, reviewing auto insurance requirements, and using the latest audit for the ARPA Agreement's financial statement. Additionally, the board discussed customers who purchased homes without opening accounts and decided to add them to the Tax Assessment Roll. The board also discussed conflict of interest code and updating customer information via a letter in PO Boxes. A special telephone meeting was held to discuss and approve the purchase of a replacement pump, recommended by Girsch and Associates, while also utilizing them as engineers.

The meeting included the approval of the Representation letter from the auditor for the 2022 Audit of Financial Statements. The discussion also involved addressing a sewer clog issue and the need for screens/grids for sewer drains, as well as inspecting the old pumps. The District Secretary reported on the balances of various accounts and mentioned that the Elections office confirmed receipt of Resolution 2023-0002. There was also a closed session announcement regarding the discussion of hiring a new employee to handle Accounts Receivable.

The meeting addressed several key issues, including the rental of farm ground with a lease agreement for three years. The board discussed the ARPA grant application and approved the engagement of a consulting engineer to file the grant application. They also considered options for storing records due to an ongoing lawsuit, including physical storage and electronic data storage. Additionally, the board discussed repairs on Juanche, waiting for an invoice from Faysal Construction. The meeting also covered moving elections to even years, with the attorney drawing up a resolution for the next meeting, and the possibility of Fresno County charging customers on a yearly basis. The board went into executive session to discuss customer overpayment and decided to refund the customer for their overpayment for the past three years.