MINUTES
CITY OF NORTH LAS VEGAS
UTILITY ADVISORY BOARD
VIRTUAL MEETING
April 27, 2021
Website - http://www.cityofnorthlasvegas.com
CALL TO ORDER
6:03 PM, City Hall, Council Chambers, 2250 Las Vegas Boulevard North,
North Las Vegas, Nevada 89030
ROLL CALL
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT
Chairman Collins
Member Arbuckle
Member Lattimore
Member Salazar
Member Torres
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT
Member Davis
Member Dias
STAFF PRESENT
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Utilities Director Brady City Clerk Raynor Deputy Director of Utilities Llamado Assistant City Attorney Aguayo Special Assistant to the Utilities Director Dillard Utilities Business Services Manager Chapman-Wilson Utilities Finance Manager Riggs Manager Development & Flood Control McLaughlin Deputy City Clerk/Recording Secretary Calma |
Member Salazar
There was no public participation.
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1. |
Elect Board Vice Chairman of Utility Advisory Board. (For Possible Action) |
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ACTION: |
ELECTED KENNETH SALAZAR AS VICE CHAIRMAN |
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MOTION: |
Chairman Collins |
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AYES: |
Chairman Collins, Members Arbuckle, Torres, Lattimore, and Salazar |
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NAYS: |
None |
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ABSTAIN: |
None |
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ABSENT: |
Members Davis and Dias |
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2. |
Approve Utility Advisory Board Regular Meeting Agenda of April 27, 2021. (For Possible Action) |
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ACTION: |
APPROVED |
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MOTION: |
Member Salazar |
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AYES: |
Chairman Collins, Members Arbuckle, Torres, Lattimore, and Salazar |
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NAYS: |
None |
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ABSTAIN: |
None |
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ABSENT: |
Members Davis and Dias |
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3. |
Approve Utility Advisory Board Regular Meeting Minutes of October 27, 2020. (For Possible Action) |
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ACTION: |
APPROVED |
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MOTION: |
Member Salazar |
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AYES: |
Chairman Collins, Members Arbuckle, Torres, Lattimore, and Salazar |
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NAYS: |
None |
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ABSTAIN: |
None |
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ABSENT: |
Members Davis and Dias |
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4. |
Presentation Regarding the Nevada Open Meeting Law. (Discussion only) |
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Assistant City Attorney Aguayo provided the Open Meeting Law (OML) presentation. She stated that the OML was enacted in order to ensure that the actions and deliberations of public bodies are conducted openly. She provided the definition of a quorum for the Board, explained the criteria that invokes OML requirements, defined the deliberative process, and explained agenda requirements, as defined by the OML. She shared when the OML is not invoked and illustrated how a walking quorum is a violation of the OML. She provided three example cases where the OML may have been violated, providing background information and why some of them the courts held were violations and which were not considered violations. |
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Director Brady stated the following proposed ordinance changes: · Apex Water Connection Fee: The City paid $59.2 million dollars into the Apex project. In order to return the cost back to the Utility Enterprise Fund, the fee would be $1,365 per Equivalent Development Unit (EDU), which was calculated based on 47,680 EDUs plus a ten percent administrative charge. · Senior Rates: The proposed change would allow for the program to meet the same criteria as the Nevada Employee Assistance Program administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. It would provide an opportunity for the City to receive and review those applications in order to reach out to qualifying candidates and notify them of the senior rates program. · Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) Fees: The proposed change would remove actual fees from the Municipal Code and replace them with references to SNWA for the pass-through charges. The change would help customers recognize that they are responsible for the fees and to refer to SNWA for the exact name of the new charge. · Meter Charges: The proposed change would reflect the actual cost with an additional fifteen percent administration fee. · Water & Sewer Frontage Construction Charges: The proposed change would switch from a flat rate to a cost based on the actual size of the pipe for developers to connect a sewer line in front of their development. The original developer would receive cost recovery if another developer uses their pipe. · Connection Fee Exceptions: The proposed change would authorize the Utility Director to develop payment options for City connection charges to encourage development. · Corrective Action: The proposed change would authorize the City to make needed repairs and upgrades then bill customers the actual cost. In response to Member Torres, Director Brady clarified that the senior program is currently active, noting that the Utilities Department is utilizing a third party for the qualification process. In response to Chairman Collins, Director Brady stated that the Utilities Department is looking to expand their outreach to residents in order to encourage participation in the senior program. |
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ACTION: |
APPROVED |
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MOTION: |
Member Salazar |
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AYES: |
Chairman Collins, Members Arbuckle, Torres, Lattimore, and Salazar |
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NAYS: |
None |
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ABSTAIN: |
None |
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ABSENT: |
Members Davis and Dias |
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6. |
Discussion and/or Action Regarding Residential Sewer Rates. (For Possible Action) |
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Director Brady provided an overview of the current sewer rates and tiers. When comparing the City to other providers in the valley, he noted that the City’s rates tend to be on the higher end of the scale. He explained that this is because the other providers have older facilities that no long require ratepayers to pay for the construction of their facilities. Unfortunately, the City built its facility later and must still charge costs for the creation of the facility as part of City sewer rates. He stated that they are exploring options to reduce sewer rates: expanding the senior rate participation, reducing the rate to match the annual reduction in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT), looking at water usage during the winter and using that as a cap for sewer usage over the rest of the year, and conducting a rate study. He requested ideas from the Board. In response to Chairman Collins, Director Brady stated that necessary background information regarding the sewer rates would be provided to the Board and stated that ideas and recommendations could be emailed to him for review and would be presented before the Board at the next meeting. |
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ACTION: |
NO MOTION WAS TAKEN |
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7. |
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Utilities Financial Manager Riggs provided a brief history of the Utilities Department collections, showing a 12-month history before and during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the average days to collect and the account’s turnover ratio. He explained that turnover occurs from the time a customer is billed to when their payment is received, which essentially means that turnover is seeing the money going in and out. He stated that the goal is to keep a consistent 99.5 percent turnover rate. He added that tax liens were enacted in 2018 in order to get customers to pay their bills. He provided a summary of revenue and customer accounts from June 30, 2016 to the current month.
In response to Member Torres, Utilities Financial Manager Riggs explained that customers can work with Customer Service Representatives regarding the senior rate program. Director Brady emphasized that the Utility Department has made a significant effort to be supportive of its customers during the pandemic.
Director Brady thanked Utilities Financial Manager Riggs for all of his efforts.
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8. |
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Deputy Director of Utilities Llamado provided an overview on updates for the Utilities Operation Divisions that includes Field Services, Water Operations, Water Reclamation Facility, Environmental/Pretreatment, Maintenance, and Electronics. He stated that the Utilities Department needs additional personnel in the Field Services and Maintenance Divisions.
Director Brady clarified that at the end of April 2021, only 55 percent was completed of what needed to be accomplished this fiscal year regarding field services and preventative maintenance, noting that the fiscal year is from June 2020 to July 2021.
Chairman Collins provided information regarding the Tri-State Seminar on the water and wastewater industry in August 2021 at the Southpoint Hotel and stated that more information could be found at www.tri-state.com. Deputy Director of Utilities Llamado added that the seminars will be held in person this year and registration starts May 4, 2021.
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9. |
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Director Brady added to Deputy Director of Utilities Llamado’s report, stating
that the Utilities Department is requesting from City management and City
Council to authorize more positions in the Field Services and Maintenance
Divisions, stressing that the positions are not only important for preventative
maintenance, but are a necessity.
Director Brady shared the following Capital Improvement Projects:
· Currently working with Nellis Air Force Base to provide treated wastewater to water their golf courses and build a reuse water line that would go into effect by the end of June 2021.
· Several reservoir tank repainting jobs.
· Redrilling four of the City’s ground water wells to pull water from the ground which is a cheaper cost to the water and would move forward to equipping them, adding that the cost for the four wells and the process to prepare and equip them is between $11 to $12 million.
· Building an elevated water tank in Apex that is just finishing up the design as well as additional WRF facilities.
Director Brady stated that they are moving forward with the Capital Improvement Plan that was recently approved. He stated the expenditures for the sewer system will cost about $15 million beginning in July that will span the fiscal year. The water system will cost $48 million in expenditures due to continuing costs at the Apex system and other projects, such as the Sloan Channel project where the WRF facility would need to be relined due to a leakage that has led to environmental challenges. He added that there are several rehabilitation programs to bring equipment and facilities up to date.
Director Brady provided an update on the Automated Meter Infrastructure (AMI) project and stated that the Utilities Department has been replacing meters with smart meters to get real time data on accurate water usage to help with conservation efforts. He stated that the replacement process began at the end of 2019 and they have replaced and installed approximately 55,000 new meters, noting that there are 97,226 active accounts. He noted that they are at 56 percent completion with an expected full completion at the end of the 2022 calendar year.
Director Brady provided an update on the Apex Infrastructure and stated the first phase of two phases in the oversizing project is essentially complete which involved about five miles of pipeline up to the Las Vegas Boulevard and I-15 interchange. He added that it included two pump stations and two reservoirs, noting that they are filling with water and going through the testing process to be in operation by the beginning of June 2021.
Director Brady stated that the other phase would add five more miles of water pipeline, additional pump stations and reservoirs that are at 97 percent design with construction to begin this summer or fall of 2021. He stated that the Utilities Department has been working diligently with the Southern Nevada Water Authority regarding their new capital program to incorporate their redundancy systems which would add additional water supply to the Apex area and provide wastewater support. He emphasized that the Utilities Department is making tremendous progress and stated their excitement for industrial diversification and what it means for North Las Vegas and their citizens.
Director Brady offered the new board members an opportunity to tour the Fort Sumter Operations Facility and the Water Reclamation Facilities and stated he would reach out to the board members with more information to see if they are interested.
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Chairman Collins stated he welcomed the new board members and current members during a previous portion of the meeting. He stated he was impressed with Utilities Financial Manager Riggs’ and Deputy Director of Utilities Llamado’s reports. He encouraged the other board members to actively participate in the meetings. Director Brady encouraged board members to contact him should they have any questions or discussions that they would like to have at future meetings, noting that the discussions would need to be agendized. He added that since there are only two regular meetings, there would be plenty of time for the board members to provide any ideas or decide on what they would like to discuss. |
There was no public participation.
The meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m.
APPROVED:
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/s/Russell Collins |
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Russell Collins, Chairman
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ATTEST:
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/s/Jessica Calma |
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Jessica B. Calma, Deputy City Clerk/Recording Secretary |