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Agenda Packet - EVWD Board of Directors - 01/10/2024
BOARD OF DIRECTORS JANUARY 10, 2024 East Valley Water District was formed in 1954 and provides water and wastewater services to 104,000 residents within the cities of San Bernardino and Highland, and portions of San Bernardino County. EVWD operates under the direction of a 5member elected Board. GOVERNING BOARD EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT James Morales, Jr. Chairman of the Board Michael Moore General Manager/CEO Ronald L. Coats ViceChairman Brian W. Tompkins Chief Financial Officer Chris Carrillo Governing Board Member Jeff Noelte Director of Engineering & Operations David E. Smith Governing Board Member Kerrie Bryan Director of Administrative Services Phillip R. Goodrich Governing Board Member Patrick Milroy Operations Manager Rocky Welborn Water Reclamation Manager Justine Hendricksen District Clerk Board of Directors Regular Meeting January 10, 2024 5:30 PM 31111 Greenspot Road, Highland, CA 92346 www.eastvalley.org PLEASE NOTE: Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection in the District’s office located at 31111 Greenspot Rd., Highland, during normal business hours. Also, such documents are available on the District’s website at eastvalley.org and are subject to staff’s ability to post the documents before the meeting. Pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2(a), any request for a disabilityrelated modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, that is sought in order to participate in the above agendized public meeting should be directed to the District Clerk at (909) 8854900 at least 72 hours prior to said meeting. In order to comply with legal requirements for posting of agenda, only those items filed with the District Clerk by 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday prior to the following Wednesday meeting not requiring departmental investigation, will be considered by the Board of Directors. CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL OF BOARD MEMBERS PUBLIC COMMENTS Any person wishing to speak to the Board of Directors is asked to complete a Speaker Card and submit it to the District Clerk prior to the start of the meeting. Each speaker is limited to three (3) minutes, unless waived by the Chairman of the Board. Under the State of California Brown Act, the Board of Directors is prohibited from discussing or taking action on any item not listed on the posted agenda. The matter will automatically be referred to staff for an appropriate response or action and may appear on the agenda at a future meeting. 1.AGENDA This agenda contains a brief general description of each item to be considered. Except as otherwise provided by law, no action shall be taken on any item not appearing on the following agenda unless the Board of Directors makes a determination that an emergency exists or that a need to take immediate action on the item came to the attention of the District subsequent to the posting of the agenda. a.Approval of Agenda 2.APPROVAL OF CONSENT CALENDAR All matters listed under the Consent Calendar are considered by the Board of Directors to be routine and will be enacted in one motion. There will be no discussion of these items prior to the time the board considers the motion unless members of the board, the administrative staff, or the public request specific items to be discussed and/or removed from the Consent Calendar. a.Approve the December 13, 2023 Regular Board Meeting Minutes b.Approve Directors' Fees and Expenses for December 2023 c.Adopt 2024 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Standard Mileage Rate d.Approve November 2023 Disbursements: Accounts payable disbursements for the period include check numbers 262151 through 262326, bank drafts, and ACH payments in the amount of $4,681,456.72 and $518,502.38 for payroll 3.INFORMATIONAL ITEMS a.2023 Legislative Recap b.2023 Community Survey 4.DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS a.Consider Approval of Board of Directors Policies and Rescind Board of Directors Evaluation Policy b.Consider Approval of Contract with ProWest & Associates, Inc. for Geographic Information System Support Services 5.REPORTS a.Board of Directors’ Reports b.General Manager/CEO Report • Water Supply Update c.Legal Counsel Report d.Board of Directors’ Comments ADJOURN BOARD OF DIRECTORSJANUARY 10, 2024East Valley Water District was formed in 1954 and provides water and wastewater services to104,000 residents within the cities of San Bernardino and Highland, and portions of SanBernardino County.EVWD operates under the direction of a 5member elected Board.GOVERNING BOARD EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENTJames Morales, Jr.Chairman of the Board Michael MooreGeneral Manager/CEORonald L. CoatsViceChairman Brian W. TompkinsChief Financial OfficerChris CarrilloGoverning Board Member Jeff NoelteDirector of Engineering & OperationsDavid E. SmithGoverning Board Member Kerrie BryanDirector of Administrative ServicesPhillip R. GoodrichGoverning Board Member Patrick Milroy Operations ManagerRocky Welborn Water Reclamation ManagerJustine Hendricksen District Clerk Board of Directors Regular Meeting January 10, 2024 5:30 PM 31111 Greenspot Road, Highland, CA 92346 www.eastvalley.org PLEASE NOTE: Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection in the District’s office located at 31111 Greenspot Rd., Highland, during normal business hours. Also, such documents are available on the District’s website at eastvalley.org and are subject to staff’s ability to post the documents before the meeting. Pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2(a), any request for a disabilityrelated modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, that is sought in order to participate in the above agendized public meeting should be directed to the District Clerk at (909) 8854900 at least 72 hours prior to said meeting. In order to comply with legal requirements for posting of agenda, only those items filed with the District Clerk by 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday prior to the following Wednesday meeting not requiring departmental investigation, will be considered by the Board of Directors. CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL OF BOARD MEMBERS PUBLIC COMMENTS Any person wishing to speak to the Board of Directors is asked to complete a Speaker Card and submit it to the District Clerk prior to the start of the meeting. Each speaker is limited to three (3) minutes, unless waived by the Chairman of the Board. Under the State of California Brown Act, the Board of Directors is prohibited from discussing or taking action on any item not listed on the posted agenda. The matter will automatically be referred to staff for an appropriate response or action and may appear on the agenda at a future meeting. 1.AGENDA This agenda contains a brief general description of each item to be considered. Except as otherwise provided by law, no action shall be taken on any item not appearing on the following agenda unless the Board of Directors makes a determination that an emergency exists or that a need to take immediate action on the item came to the attention of the District subsequent to the posting of the agenda. a.Approval of Agenda 2.APPROVAL OF CONSENT CALENDAR All matters listed under the Consent Calendar are considered by the Board of Directors to be routine and will be enacted in one motion. There will be no discussion of these items prior to the time the board considers the motion unless members of the board, the administrative staff, or the public request specific items to be discussed and/or removed from the Consent Calendar. a.Approve the December 13, 2023 Regular Board Meeting Minutes b.Approve Directors' Fees and Expenses for December 2023 c.Adopt 2024 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Standard Mileage Rate d.Approve November 2023 Disbursements: Accounts payable disbursements for the period include check numbers 262151 through 262326, bank drafts, and ACH payments in the amount of $4,681,456.72 and $518,502.38 for payroll 3.INFORMATIONAL ITEMS a.2023 Legislative Recap b.2023 Community Survey 4.DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS a.Consider Approval of Board of Directors Policies and Rescind Board of Directors Evaluation Policy b.Consider Approval of Contract with ProWest & Associates, Inc. for Geographic Information System Support Services 5.REPORTS a.Board of Directors’ Reports b.General Manager/CEO Report • Water Supply Update c.Legal Counsel Report d.Board of Directors’ Comments ADJOURN BOARD OF DIRECTORSJANUARY 10, 2024East Valley Water District was formed in 1954 and provides water and wastewater services to104,000 residents within the cities of San Bernardino and Highland, and portions of SanBernardino County.EVWD operates under the direction of a 5member elected Board.GOVERNING BOARD EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENTJames Morales, Jr.Chairman of the Board Michael MooreGeneral Manager/CEORonald L. CoatsViceChairman Brian W. TompkinsChief Financial OfficerChris CarrilloGoverning Board Member Jeff NoelteDirector of Engineering & OperationsDavid E. SmithGoverning Board Member Kerrie BryanDirector of Administrative ServicesPhillip R. GoodrichGoverning Board Member Patrick Milroy Operations ManagerRocky Welborn Water Reclamation ManagerJustine HendricksenDistrict ClerkBoard of Directors Regular MeetingJanuary 10, 2024 5:30 PM31111 Greenspot Road, Highland, CA 92346www.eastvalley.orgPLEASE NOTE:Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of theagenda packet are available for public inspection in the District’s office located at 31111Greenspot Rd., Highland, during normal business hours. Also, such documents are availableon the District’s website at eastvalley.org and are subject to staff’s ability to post thedocuments before the meeting.Pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2(a), any request for a disabilityrelatedmodification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, that is sought in orderto participate in the above agendized public meeting should be directed to the District Clerkat (909) 8854900 at least 72 hours prior to said meeting. In order to comply with legal requirements for posting of agenda, only those items filed with the District Clerk by 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday prior to the following Wednesday meeting not requiring departmental investigation, will be considered by the Board of Directors. CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL OF BOARD MEMBERS PUBLIC COMMENTS Any person wishing to speak to the Board of Directors is asked to complete a Speaker Card and submit it to the District Clerk prior to the start of the meeting. Each speaker is limited to three (3) minutes, unless waived by the Chairman of the Board. Under the State of California Brown Act, the Board of Directors is prohibited from discussing or taking action on any item not listed on the posted agenda. The matter will automatically be referred to staff for an appropriate response or action and may appear on the agenda at a future meeting. 1.AGENDA This agenda contains a brief general description of each item to be considered. Except as otherwise provided by law, no action shall be taken on any item not appearing on the following agenda unless the Board of Directors makes a determination that an emergency exists or that a need to take immediate action on the item came to the attention of the District subsequent to the posting of the agenda. a.Approval of Agenda 2.APPROVAL OF CONSENT CALENDAR All matters listed under the Consent Calendar are considered by the Board of Directors to be routine and will be enacted in one motion. There will be no discussion of these items prior to the time the board considers the motion unless members of the board, the administrative staff, or the public request specific items to be discussed and/or removed from the Consent Calendar. a.Approve the December 13, 2023 Regular Board Meeting Minutes b.Approve Directors' Fees and Expenses for December 2023 c.Adopt 2024 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Standard Mileage Rate d.Approve November 2023 Disbursements: Accounts payable disbursements for the period include check numbers 262151 through 262326, bank drafts, and ACH payments in the amount of $4,681,456.72 and $518,502.38 for payroll 3.INFORMATIONAL ITEMS a.2023 Legislative Recap b.2023 Community Survey 4.DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS a.Consider Approval of Board of Directors Policies and Rescind Board of Directors Evaluation Policy b.Consider Approval of Contract with ProWest & Associates, Inc. for Geographic Information System Support Services 5.REPORTS a.Board of Directors’ Reports b.General Manager/CEO Report • Water Supply Update c.Legal Counsel Report d.Board of Directors’ Comments ADJOURN BOARD OF DIRECTORSJANUARY 10, 2024East Valley Water District was formed in 1954 and provides water and wastewater services to104,000 residents within the cities of San Bernardino and Highland, and portions of SanBernardino County.EVWD operates under the direction of a 5member elected Board.GOVERNING BOARD EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENTJames Morales, Jr.Chairman of the Board Michael MooreGeneral Manager/CEORonald L. CoatsViceChairman Brian W. TompkinsChief Financial OfficerChris CarrilloGoverning Board Member Jeff NoelteDirector of Engineering & OperationsDavid E. SmithGoverning Board Member Kerrie BryanDirector of Administrative ServicesPhillip R. GoodrichGoverning Board Member Patrick Milroy Operations ManagerRocky Welborn Water Reclamation ManagerJustine HendricksenDistrict ClerkBoard of Directors Regular MeetingJanuary 10, 2024 5:30 PM31111 Greenspot Road, Highland, CA 92346www.eastvalley.orgPLEASE NOTE:Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of theagenda packet are available for public inspection in the District’s office located at 31111Greenspot Rd., Highland, during normal business hours. Also, such documents are availableon the District’s website at eastvalley.org and are subject to staff’s ability to post thedocuments before the meeting.Pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2(a), any request for a disabilityrelatedmodification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, that is sought in orderto participate in the above agendized public meeting should be directed to the District Clerkat (909) 8854900 at least 72 hours prior to said meeting.In order to comply with legal requirements for posting of agenda, only those items filedwith the District Clerk by 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday prior to the following Wednesdaymeeting not requiring departmental investigation, will be considered by the Board ofDirectors.CALL TO ORDERPLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCEROLL CALL OF BOARD MEMBERSPUBLIC COMMENTSAny person wishing to speak to the Board of Directors is asked to complete a SpeakerCard and submit it to the District Clerk prior to the start of the meeting. Each speaker islimited to three (3) minutes, unless waived by the Chairman of the Board. Under the Stateof California Brown Act, the Board of Directors is prohibited from discussing or takingaction on any item not listed on the posted agenda. The matter will automatically bereferred to staff for an appropriate response or action and may appear on the agenda at afuture meeting.1.AGENDAThis agenda contains a brief general description of each item to be considered.Except as otherwise provided by law, no action shall be taken on any item notappearing on the following agenda unless the Board of Directors makes adetermination that an emergency exists or that a need to take immediate action onthe item came to the attention of the District subsequent to the posting of theagenda.a.Approval of Agenda2.APPROVAL OF CONSENT CALENDARAll matters listed under the Consent Calendar are considered by the Board ofDirectors to be routine and will be enacted in one motion. There will be nodiscussion of these items prior to the time the board considers the motion unlessmembers of the board, the administrative staff, or the public request specific itemsto be discussed and/or removed from the Consent Calendar.a.Approve the December 13, 2023 Regular Board Meeting Minutesb.Approve Directors' Fees and Expenses for December 2023c.Adopt 2024 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Standard Mileage Rated.Approve November 2023 Disbursements: Accounts payable disbursements for the period include check numbers 262151 through 262326, bank drafts, and ACH payments in the amount of $4,681,456.72 and $518,502.38 for payroll 3.INFORMATIONAL ITEMS a.2023 Legislative Recap b.2023 Community Survey 4.DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS a.Consider Approval of Board of Directors Policies and Rescind Board of Directors Evaluation Policy b.Consider Approval of Contract with ProWest & Associates, Inc. for Geographic Information System Support Services 5.REPORTS a.Board of Directors’ Reports b.General Manager/CEO Report • Water Supply Update c.Legal Counsel Report d.Board of Directors’ Comments ADJOURN Agenda Item #2a January 10, 20241 Meeting Date: January 10, 2024 Agenda Item #2a Consent Item Regular Board Meeting TO: Governing Board Members FROM: General Manager/CEO SUBJECT: Approve the December 13, 2023 Regular Board Meeting Minutes RECOMMENDATION That the Board of Directors approve the December 13, 2023 regular Board meeting minutes as submitted. AGENCY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES II - Maintain a Commitment To Sustainability, Transparency, and Accountability B. Utilize Effective Communication Methods REVIEW BY OTHERS This agenda item has been reviewed by Administration. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact associated with this agenda item. Recommended by: ________________ Michael Moore General Manager/CEO Respectfully submitted: ________________ Justine Hendricksen District Clerk ATTACHMENTS Draft December 13, 2023 Regular Board Meeting Minutes Regular Board Meeting Meeting Date: December 13, 2023 CALL TO ORDER The Chairman of the Board called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. ROLL CALL OF BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT Directors: Carrillo, Coats, Goodrich, Morales, Smith ABSENT None STAFF Michael Moore, General Manager/CEO; Brian Tompkins, Chief Financial Officer; Jeff Noelte, Director of Engineering and Operations; Rocky Welborn, Water Reclamation Manager; William Ringland, Public Affairs/Conservation Manager; Rudy Guerrero, Finance Supervisor; Roxana Morales, Public Affairs Specialist; Justine Hendricksen, District Clerk; Shayla Antrim, Administrative Specialist LEGAL COUNSEL Jean Cihigoyenetche GUESTS Members of the public PUBLIC COMMENTS Chairman Goodrich declared the public participation section of the meeting open at 4:30 p.m. There being no written or verbal comments, the public participation section was closed. Draft pending approval 1 3 8 0 1.APPROVAL OF AGENDA a.Approval of Agenda A motion was made by Director Coats, seconded by Director Carrillo, that the Board approve the December 13, 2023 agenda as submitted. The motion carried by the following: Ayes: Carrillo, Coats, Goodrich, Morales, Smith Noes: None Absent: None 2.RECESS INTO CLOSED SESSION The Board entered into Closed Session at 4:32 p.m. as provided in the Ralph M. Brown Act Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1) to discuss the items listed on the agenda. RECONVENE THE MEETING The Board reconvened the meeting at 5:30 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Director Coats led the flag salute. ROLL CALL OF BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT Directors: Carrillo, Coats, Goodrich, Morales, Smith ABSENT None ANNOUNCEMENT OF CLOSED SESSION ACTIONS With respect to Item #2.a. legal counsel stated that no reportable action was taken. With respect to Item #2.b. legal counsel stated that no reportable action was taken. PRESENTATIONS AND CEREMONIAL ITEMS •Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) – 2023 Polaris Awards The Public Affairs Specialist provided information regarding two awards presented by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Inland Empire chapter: •Polaris Award of Excellence for the 2022 Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) o Category: Collateral-Magazine, Newsletter or Periodical o Highest honor in this category for published material 1 3 8 0 •Capella Award of Distinction for the Sterling Natural Resource Center’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony held on July 23, 2022 o Category: Special Event-One Time o Second Highest honor in this category Information only. PUBLIC COMMENTS Chairman Goodrich declared the public participation section of the meeting open at 5:39 p.m. Mr. Mark Falcone publicly acknowledged Chairman Goodrich for his leadership during his time serving as the Chairman of the Board. There being no further written or verbal comments, the public participation section was closed at 5:43 p.m. 3.APPROVAL OF CONSENT CALENDAR a.Approve the October 25, 2023 Regular Board Meeting Minutes b.Approve the November 8, 2023 Regular Board Meeting Minutes c.Approve Directors' Fees and Expenses for November 2023 d.Accept and File Financial Statements for September 2023 e.Accept and File Financial Statements for October 2023 f.Approve October 2023 Disbursements: Accounts payable disbursements for the period include check numbers 262011 through 262150, bank drafts, and ACH payments in the amount of $2,286,945.17 and $519,123.24 for payroll g.Approve Investment Transaction Report for Month Ended November 30, 2023 h.Convey Sewer Easements for the Messina Housing Development, Tract 20142 i.Resolution 2023.16 and 2023.17 - Accepting Dedication of Water and Sewer System Improvements for Tract 18893, Mediterra Phases 1, 1B & 2 A motion was made by Director Smith, seconded by Director Coats, that the Board approve the Consent Calendar items as submitted. The motion carried by the following: Ayes: Carrillo, Coats, Goodrich, Morales, Smith Noes: None Absent: None 1 3 8 0 4.INFORMATIONAL ITEMS a. Review the Draft Popular Annual Financial Report for Year Ended June 30, 2023 The Chief Financial Officer provided an overview of the District’s Draft Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR). He stated that the PAFR is an abbreviated version of the Annual Financial Report intended to convey the financial results of the District’s operations to the community in an easy-to-navigate document. Information only. 5.DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS a. Consider Acceptance and File SB 165 Report for Community Facilities District 2021-1 Mediterra The Chief Financial Officer discussed the Local Agency Special Tax and Bond Accountability Act and how it relates to Community Facilities District (CFD) 2021-1 Mediterra. He added that East Valley Water District will not bear any costs incurred by CFD 2021-1. A motion was made by Director Smith, seconded by Director Coats, that the Board of Directors accept and file the Special Tax Bond Accountability Report for Community Facilities District 2021-1 Mediterra as submitted. The motion was carried by the following vote: Ayes: Coats, Goodrich, Morales, Smith Noes: None Abstain: Carrillo Absent: None b. Consider Authorization to Transfer Unclaimed Funds into the District’s General Fund The Finance Supervisor reviewed the process and procedure the District must take for the purpose of unencumbering stale-dated checks and keeping the related funds from escheating to the State. A motion was made by Vice Chairman Morales, seconded by Director Carrillo that the Board authorize the Chief Financial Officer to perform procedures prescribed in the Government Code and Civil Code of Procedure for the purpose of encumbering stale dated checks and keeping the related funds from escheating to the State as submitted. The motion was carried by the following vote: Ayes: Carrillo, Coats, Goodrich, Morales, Smith Noes: None 1 3 8 0 Absent: None c. Consider Adoption of Resolution 2023.19 – Water Main Seismic Retrofit Project Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigated Monitoring and Reporting Program The Director of Engineering and Operations provided information regarding the District's Water Main Seismic Retrofit Project and the process for planning and designing the replacement of 34,000 feet of water pipeline at risk of seismic damage. He stated that a substantial portion of the project's funding for planning, design, and construction is sourced from a grant provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). That in order to adhere to the grant's requirements and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the District initiated specific notifications. He provided details of requirements of filing the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) and responses received. He stated that on October 30 the draft IS/MND was filed with the State Clearinghouse and that no responses were received during the 30-day public review period; and can now be considered the final IS/MND upon Board approval. A motion was made by Director Smith, seconded by Director Coats that the Board adopt Resolution 2023.19 approving the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigated Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Water Main Seismic Retrofit Project as submitted. The motion was carried by the following vote: Ayes: Carrillo, Coats, Goodrich, Morales, Smith Noes: None Absent: None d. Consider the purchase and installation of Granular Activated Carbon for the District’s Surface Water Treatment Plant 134 The Operations Manager provided information regarding the replacement of three Granular Activated Carbon filters at Plant 134. He stated that the District budgeted to replace three filters each year and replaced three of six in August 2023. He added that due to running Plant 134 at high flows through the summer months and the poor influent water quality, the carbon has been exhausted more rapidly than anticipated and the three remaining filters are now in need of replacement to ensure reliable operation of Plant 134. A motion was made by Director Coats, seconded by Vice Chairman Morales, that the Board authorize the General Manager/CEO to approve the purchase and installation of carbon from Carbon Activated Corp, USA in the amount of $125,724 as submitted. The motion was carried by the following vote: 1 3 8 0 Ayes: Carrillo, Coats, Goodrich, Morales, Smith Noes: None Absent: None e. Consider Approval of Agreement No. 2023.14 for Pretreatment/FOG Inspection and Environmental Compliance Services with EEC Environmental The Water Reclamation Manager provided details of the District’s Source Control/Pretreatment Program. He stated that the program is required by the Regional Water Quality Control Board for all wastewater treatment plants. He stated that historically inspection of industrial dischargers has been performed by the City of San Bernardino and that the District does not currently have the in-house capabilities to perform the inspections. He stated that a Request for Proposals (RFP) was prepared and advertised for Pretreatment/FOG Inspection and Environmental Compliance Services and staff received one proposal in response to the RFP from EEC Environmental. He reviewed the services proposed by EEC Environmental and stated that the proposed services met the requirements of the RFP. A motion was made by Vice Chairman Morales seconded by Director Coats, that the Board authorize the General Manager/CEO to negotiate and execute Agreement No. 2023.14 for Pretreatment/FOG Inspection and Environmental Compliance Services with EEC Environmental for an annual maximum cost of $75,000 as submitted. The motion was carried by the following vote: Ayes: Carrillo, Coats, Goodrich, Morales, Smith Noes: None Absent: None f. Consider Approval of Board Reorganization, appointment of Executive Management Team and set the time, day and place for holding meetings A motion was made by Director Smith, seconded by Director Carrillo that the Board approve the following: •James Morales Jr. to serve as Board President and Ronald Coats to serve as Vice President; •Michael Moore be appointed as General Manager/Chief Executive Officer and Board Secretary; •Brian Tompkins be appointed as Chief Financial Officer and •Regularly scheduled meetings will be held at 31111 Greenspot Rd., Highland, CA 92346 on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. The motion was carried by the following vote: Ayes: Carrillo, Coats, Goodrich, Morales, Smith Noes: None 1 3 8 0 Absent: None 6.REPORTS a.Board of Directors’ Reports Director Smith reported on the following: December 4 he attended Senator Ochoa Bogh’s Holiday Open House event; and December 13 he attended the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation’s Board meeting with nothing to report. Director Carrillo reported on the following: November 28 and 29 he attended the Association of California Water Agencies Fall Conference; December 1 he met with the General Manager/CEO to review the agenda and discuss District business; and December 8 he met with the General Manager/CEO to review the agenda and discuss District business. Director Coats reported on the following: November 14 he attended the City of San Bernardino Water Department Board meeting where they approved the amendment to the Cost Share agreement related to mitigation of Salt Loading in the Bunker Hill Basin, which we had already approved as well; They approved numerous other contracts including several lines of insurance. They stated that all of their various lines of insurance have increased 10 to 16 % this year; November 15 he participated in Streamline Web Services Webinar titled: Artificial Intelligence (AI): Opportunities and Risks for districts; November 28, 29, 30 he attended the Association of California Water Agencies Fall Conference to learn all of the latest on water in California; December 1 he attended the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board meeting where they voted to give East Valley a permit to operate the SNRC for recycled water recharge; December 4 he attended Senator Ochoa Bogh’s Holiday Open House event; December 7 he attended the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District's Policy/Administration Workshop where they approved a new 2 year contract with Innovative Federal Strategies for consulting and strategic advocacy service at $7,000 a month for 2024 and $7,500 a month for 2025; December 11 he met with the General Manager/CEO to review tonight's agenda and discuss other district business; and December 12 he attended the City of San Bernardino Water Department Board meeting where they approved a multitude of service and equipment contracts. Vice Chairman Morales reported on the following: December 1 he attended the Regional Water Quality Control Board meeting where they approved the final permit for the Sterling Natural Resource Center; December 7 he met with the General Manager/CEO to discuss District business; and December 12 he attended the San Bernardino Valley District Engineering Committee meeting where they discussed future business items. Chairman Goodrich reported on the following: December 1 Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board meeting where he spoke on behalf of the District in regards to 1 3 8 0 approving the permit to operate the SNRC for recycled water recharge; December 4 he attended Senator Ochoa Bogh’s Holiday Open House event; December 7 he met with the General Manager/CEO to discuss District business and to review the agenda; and December 12 he attended the City of Highland City Council meeting where Penny Lilburn was appointed Mayor and Larry McCallon was appointed Mayor Pro Tem for 2023/24. For information only. b. General Manager/CEO Report The General Manager/CEO announced the following: •Announced that the District received two grants from the State of California Governor’s Office totaling nearly $18 million for emergency services. The District received a letter from Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh congratulating the District. •Thanked staff and the Employee Events Association for donating a variety of Christmas gifts for families in our local community. The District partnered with the Gift of Love through the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and Santa Claus Inc. to provide toys, books, blankets, and family gifts. •The District hosted its annual Awards Banquet on Saturday and presented employees with service awards. He congratulated Christi Koide on being selected Employee of the Year. •In observance of the holidays, District offices and customer service lines will be closed from Friday, December 22, to Monday, January 1. Customers may pay their bill online, by phone, or at any 7-Elevn locations. Customers may report water emergencies by calling (909) 889-9501. •On December 1, 2023, the District received the Sterling Natural Resource Center (SNRC) Master Recycling Permit from the Regional Water Quality Control Board. The Board was very pleased to see the dedication to water recycling and the community benefits of the Administrative facility. On December 11, the State Division of Drinking Water conducted its final inspection of the SNRC. •Conservation staff provided classroom presentations to Lankershim Elementary School students as part of our youth education program. Conservation Coordinator Janett Robledo provided State-certified water education lessons to kindergarten and first-grade students. •East Valley Water District finished the latest District video “Whatever It Takes” to showcase the many efforts undertaken by staff to maintain our water and wastewater system. This will be shared on the District’s social media channels and website in an upcoming outreach campaign. •The Director of Engineering and Operations presented the monthly Water Supply Update to the Board. 1 3 8 0 The General Manager/CEO recognized Chairman Goodrich for his two years of dedicated service, serving as Board President. For information only. c. Legal Counsel Report No report at this time. Legal Counsel congratulated Chairman Goodrich for his tenure and stated that he looks forward to the new slate of officers. He wished everyone happy holidays. d. Board of Directors’ Comments Director Smith thanked Chairman Goodrich for his service as Board President. He thanked everyone for attending the meeting and wished everyone happy holidays. Director Carrillo echoed the comments and sentiments of Director Smith. Director Coats made comments regarding the District receiving its final permits from the Regional Water Quality Control Board and congratulated staff, legal counsel, the Board, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, R. Ash Dhingra and all of our many consultants for a job very well done with getting the Sterling Natural Resource Center online. He commended Chairman Goodrich for his leadership. He commended General Manager Moore for focusing on making sure the Sterling Natural Resource Center is completed. Director Coats wished everyone happy holidays. Lastly, he announced that he has been informed by the California Special District Association that he has been selected to be a member of their Professional Development and Member Services committees for 2024. Vice Chairman Morales stated that the Awards Banquet was excellent and congratulated Ms. Koide for receiving the Employee of the Year recognition. He wished everyone a Merry Christmas. Vice Chairman Morales expressed admiration and positivity in his comments about Chairman Goodrich's outstanding tenure as Board Chairman. Chairman Goodrich conveyed his sincere gratitude to all Board members, acknowledging the initial apprehension he felt addressing the public when assuming the role of Chairman. He humbly admitted underestimating the breadth of responsibilities that came with leading the Board. For information only. ADJOURN Chairman Goodrich adjourned the meeting at 6:53 p.m. 1 3 8 0 Phillip R. Goodrich, Board President Michael Moore, Board Secretary Agenda Item #2b January 10, 20241 Meeting Date: January 10, 2024 Agenda Item #2b Consent Item Regular Board Meeting TO: Governing Board Members FROM: General Manager/CEO SUBJECT: Approve Directors' Fees and Expenses for December 2023 RECOMMENDATION That the Board of Directors approve the Directors' Fees and Expenses for December 2023 as submitted. AGENCY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES II - Maintain a Commitment To Sustainability, Transparency, and Accountability A. Practice Transparent and Accountable Fiscal Management REVIEW BY OTHERS This agenda item has been reviewed by Administration. FISCAL IMPACT The fiscal impact associated with this agenda item is $6,851.25 which is included in the current fiscal year budget. Recommended by: ________________ Michael Moore General Manager/CEO Respectfully submitted: ________________ Justine Hendricksen District Clerk ATTACHMENTS December 2023 Director Expense Reports Name: Month / Year:2023 Meeting No.Stipend Written Oral 1 12 /01 236.25 2 12 /06 236.25 3 12 /08 236.25 4 12 /13 236.25 5 12 /14 236.25 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Meetings 0.655/mi No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Subtotal TOTAL PAYMENT Date of Approval $0.00 Mileage Miscellaneous Reimbursement Description Regular Board Meeting EVWD Event Expense Type $1,181.25 $0.00 Reimbursement Administration Signature I certify that the above is correct and accurate to the best of my knowledge. Chris Carrillo Date Meeting / Event Description Date Meeting with General Manager/CEO or Designee City of San Bernardino Council Meeting Meeting with General Manager/CEO or Designee $1,181.25 Chris Carrillo December / 0.00 X 5 Report Provided Subtotal Meetings' Stipend Mileage DIRECTOR EXPENSE / REIMBURSEMENT ACTIVITY SHEET 1 Name: Month / Year:2023 1 2 3 4 5 Chris Carrillo December / As part of the District's commitment to transparency, please provide a brief description of any meeting/event(s) that you will not be providing a report during the Board meeting at which your Director's Expense Sheet is being approved. Meeting Date: Event Description: Call with CEO Moore regarding District business. 12 / 1 / 2023 Meeting with General Manager/CEO or Designee Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Meeting Date:12 / 6 / 2023 Event Description:City of San Bernardino Council Meeting Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Meeting Date:12 / 8 / 2023 Event Description:Meeting with General Manager/CEO or Designee Attend San Bernardino City Council meeting via Zoom. Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Call with CEO Moore regarding District business. Meeting Date:12 / 13 / 2023 Event Description:Regular Board Meeting Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Attend Regular Board meeting. See agenda. Meeting Date:12 / 14 / 2023 Event Description:EVWD Event Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Attend Regional Recycled Water Pipeline event on Greenspot Road for final pipe installation. DIRECTOR EXPENSE / REIMBURSEMENT ACTIVITY SHEET AB 1234 SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT FORM 2 Name: Month / Year:2022 Meeting No.Stipend Written Oral 1 12 /01 236.25 2 12 /04 236.25 3 12 /07 236.25 4 12 /09 0.00 5 12 /11 236.25 6 12 /12 236.25 7 12 /13 236.25 8 12 /14 236.25 9 12 /20 236.25 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Meetings 0.655/mi No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Subtotal TOTAL PAYMENT Date of Approval Ronald L. Coats December / 0.00 X 8 Report Provided Subtotal Meetings' Stipend Mileage Meeting with General Manager/CEO or Designee Administration Signature I certify that the above is correct and accurate to the best of my knowledge. Ronald L. Coats Date Meeting / Event Description Date SARWQCB Meeting State Senator Ochoa-Bogh Event San Bernardino Valley MWD Policy Workshop $1,890.00 $1,890.00 $0.00 Reimbursement Mileage Miscellaneous Reimbursement Description EVWD Awards Dinner Meeting with General Manager/CEO or Designee San Bernardino Board of Water Commissioners Regular Board Meeting Recycled Water Pipeline Placement Expense Type $0.00 DIRECTOR EXPENSE / REIMBURSEMENT ACTIVITY SHEET 1 Name: Month / Year:2022 1 2 3 4 5 Event Description:Meeting with General Manager/CEO or Designee Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Had a meeting with Michael Moore to review tonight's agenda and discuss other district business Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Attended their Policy/Administration Workshop where they approved a new 2 year contract with Innovative Federal Strategies for consulting and strategic advocacy service at $7,000 a month for 2024 and $7,500 a month for 2025. Meeting Date:12 / 9 / 2022 Event Description:EVWD Awards Dinner Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Attended the annual employees awards dinner Meeting Date:12 / 11 / 2022 Meeting Date:12 / 4 / 2022 Event Description:State Senator Ochoa-Bogh Event Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Meeting Date:12 / 7 / 2022 Event Description:San Bernardino Valley MWD Policy Workshop Attended open house of State Senator Ochoa-Bogh Ronald L. Coats December / As part of the District's commitment to transparency, please provide a brief description of any meeting/event(s) that you will not be providing a report during the Board meeting at which your Director's Expense Sheet is being approved. Meeting Date: Event Description: Attended the Control Board meeting where they voted to give East Valley a permit to operate the SNRC for recycled water rech 12 / 1 / 2022 SARWQCB Meeting Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD DIRECTOR EXPENSE / REIMBURSEMENT ACTIVITY SHEET AB 1234 SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT FORM 2 Name: Month / Year:2022 6 7 8 9 10 Ronald L. Coats December / As part of the District's commitment to transparency, please provide a brief description of any meeting/event(s) that you will not be providing a report during the Board meeting at which your Director's Expense Sheet is being approved. Met with Michael Moore to discuss district business Meeting Date: Event Description: Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Event Description:Recycled Water Pipeline Placement Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Was present for the final piece of the recycled water pipeline placement on Greenspot Road Meeting Date:12 / 20 / 2022 Event Description:Meeting with General Manager/CEO or Designee Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD They approved a multitude of service and equipment contracts. On November 2 and 3, 2023 laboratory analyses showed the presence of Perfluorohexanesulfonic Acid (PFHxS) in 5 drinking water wells and 1 well site was above its notification level. Meeting Date:12 / 13 / 2022 Event Description:Regular Board Meeting Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD See official board meeting minutes Meeting Date:12 / 14 / 2022 Meeting Date:12 / 12 / 2022 Event Description:San Bernardino Board of Water Commissioners Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD DIRECTOR EXPENSE / REIMBURSEMENT ACTIVITY SHEET AB 1234 SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT FORM 3 Name: Month / Year:2023 Meeting No.Stipend Written Oral 1 12 /01 236.25 2 12 /04 236.25 3 12 /07 236.25 4 12 /09 0.00 5 12 /12 236.25 6 12 /13 236.25 7 12 /14 236.25 8 12 /18 236.25 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Meetings 0.655/mi No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Subtotal TOTAL PAYMENT Date of Approval Phillip R. Goodrich December / 0.00 X 7 Report Provided Subtotal Meetings' Stipend Mileage Administration Signature I certify that the above is correct and accurate to the best of my knowledge. Phillip R. Goodrich Date Meeting / Event Description Date RWQC Board Meeting Sen. Ochoa Bogh open house Agenda Review $1,653.75 $1,653.75 $0.00 Reimbursement Mileage Miscellaneous Reimbursement Description EVWD Event City of Highland Council Meeting Regular Board Meeting EVWD Event Meeting with General Manager/CEO or Designee Expense Type $0.00 DIRECTOR EXPENSE / REIMBURSEMENT ACTIVITY SHEET 1 Name: Month / Year:2023 1 2 3 4 5 Event Description:City of Highland Council Meeting Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Attend Monthly City Council Meeting council reorganization Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Meet with GM, staff and Vice Chair for review of current agenda Meeting Date:12 / 9 / 2023 Event Description:EVWD Event Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Address staff at year end employee awards Banquet Meeting Date:12 / 12 / 2023 Meeting Date:12 / 4 / 2023 Event Description:Sen. Ochoa Bogh open house Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Meeting Date:12 / 7 / 2023 Event Description:Agenda Review Represent District at the Senators Holiday event Phillip R. Goodrich December / As part of the District's commitment to transparency, please provide a brief description of any meeting/event(s) that you will not be providing a report during the Board meeting at which your Director's Expense Sheet is being approved. Meeting Date: Event Description: Address RWQC board on behalf of permit approval 12 / 1 / 2023 RWQC Board Meeting Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD DIRECTOR EXPENSE / REIMBURSEMENT ACTIVITY SHEET AB 1234 SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT FORM 2 Name: Month / Year:2023 6 7 8 9 10 Phillip R. Goodrich December / As part of the District's commitment to transparency, please provide a brief description of any meeting/event(s) that you will not be providing a report during the Board meeting at which your Director's Expense Sheet is being approved. Attend ACWA Winter conference continued board member education Day3 Meeting Date: Event Description: Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Event Description:Meeting with General Manager/CEO or Designee Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Meet with CEO RE: District business Meeting Date: Event Description: Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Attend Reg. Board Meeting REF. Mins. This date Meeting Date:12 / 14 / 2023 Event Description:EVWD Event Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Attend "last stick" RRW pipeline Meeting Date:12 / 18 / 2023 Meeting Date:12 / 13 / 2023 Event Description:Regular Board Meeting Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD DIRECTOR EXPENSE / REIMBURSEMENT ACTIVITY SHEET AB 1234 SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT FORM 3 Name: Month / Year:2023 Meeting No.Stipend Written Oral 1 12 /01 236.25 2 12 /05 236.25 3 12 /07 236.25 4 12 /12 236.25 5 12 /13 236.25 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Meetings 0.655/mi No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Subtotal TOTAL PAYMENT Date of Approval $0.00 Mileage Miscellaneous Reimbursement Description San Bernardino Valley MWD Regular Board Meeting Expense Type $1,181.25 $0.00 Reimbursement Administration Signature I certify that the above is correct and accurate to the best of my knowledge. James Morales, Jr. Date Meeting / Event Description Date Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board San Bernardino Valley MWD Meeting with General Manager/CEO or Designee $1,181.25 James Morales, Jr.December / 0.00 X 5 Report Provided Subtotal Meetings' Stipend Mileage DIRECTOR EXPENSE / REIMBURSEMENT ACTIVITY SHEET 1 Name: Month / Year:2023 1 2 3 4 5 James Morales, Jr.December / As part of the District's commitment to transparency, please provide a brief description of any meeting/event(s) that you will not be providing a report during the Board meeting at which your Director's Expense Sheet is being approved. Meeting Date: Event Description: SNRC Permit. 12 / 1 / 2023 Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Meeting Date:12 / 5 / 2023 Event Description:San Bernardino Valley MWD Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Meeting Date:12 / 7 / 2023 Event Description:Meeting with General Manager/CEO or Designee Board of Directors meeting. Investment policy, teleconference policy, BOD handbook. Board report assignment. Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD District and SNRC update. Meeting Date:12 / 12 / 2023 Event Description:San Bernardino Valley MWD Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Engineering committee. Upper Santa Ana River Habitat Conservation Plan amendment. Board report assignment. Meeting Date:12 / 13 / 2023 Event Description:Regular Board Meeting Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Please refer to public agenda. DIRECTOR EXPENSE / REIMBURSEMENT ACTIVITY SHEET AB 1234 SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT FORM 2 Name: Month / Year:2023 Meeting No.Stipend Written Oral 1 12 /01 236.25 2 12 /04 236.25 3 12 /13 0.00 4 12 /13 236.25 5 12 /14 236.25 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Meetings 0.655/mi No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Subtotal TOTAL PAYMENT Date of Approval David E. Smith December / 0.00 X 4 Report Provided Subtotal Meetings' Stipend Mileage Administration Signature I certify that the above is correct and accurate to the best of my knowledge. David E. Smith Date Meeting / Event Description Date Regional Water Quality Control Board Meeting Senator Ochoa Bogh District 23 Open House San Bernardino VWC District $945.00 $945.00 $0.00 Reimbursement Mileage Miscellaneous Reimbursement Description Regular Board Meeting EVWD Event Expense Type $0.00 DIRECTOR EXPENSE / REIMBURSEMENT ACTIVITY SHEET 1 Name: Month / Year:2023 1 2 3 4 5 Event Description:EVWD Event Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD ATTENDED THE SNRC PIPELINE COMPLETION Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD ATTENDED MONTHLY SBVWCD MEETING WITH NO ITEMS TO REPORTS Meeting Date:12 / 13 / 2023 Event Description:Regular Board Meeting Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Meeting Date:12 / 14 / 2023 Meeting Date:12 / 4 / 2023 Event Description:Senator Ochoa Bogh District 23 Open House Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD Meeting Date:12 / 13 / 2023 Event Description:San Bernardino VWC District ATTENDED SENATOR OCHOA BOGH YEAR END OPEN HOUSE. BOARD MEMBERS WERE ABLE TO GIVE UPDATE ON SNRC PROJECT. David E. Smith December / As part of the District's commitment to transparency, please provide a brief description of any meeting/event(s) that you will not be providing a report during the Board meeting at which your Director's Expense Sheet is being approved. Meeting Date: Event Description: ATTENDED MONTHLY RWQCB MEETING. EVWD SECURED SNRC PERMIT. 12 / 1 / 2023 Regional Water Quality Control Board Meeting Brief Description of Meeting/Event Value to EVWD DIRECTOR EXPENSE / REIMBURSEMENT ACTIVITY SHEET AB 1234 SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT FORM 2 Agenda Item #2c January 10, 20241 Meeting Date: January 10, 2024 Agenda Item #2c Consent Item Regular Board Meeting TO: Governing Board Members FROM: General Manager/CEO SUBJECT: Adopt 2024 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Standard Mileage Rate RECOMMENDATION That the Board of Directors adopt the standard mileage reimbursement rate established by the IRS for 2024. BACKGROUND / ANALYSIS The standard mileage rate for business is based on an annual study of fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that it will be adjusting the mileage rates for business travel from 65.5 cents to 67 cents per mile for 2024. The business mileage rate increased 1.5 cents per mile from the rate set for 2023. In the past, the Board has voted to conform with the rate at which the District reimburses Directors and employees for District related miles driven to the standard mileage rate established by the IRS. AGENCY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES II - Maintain a Commitment To Sustainability, Transparency, and Accountability A. Practice Transparent and Accountable Fiscal Management REVIEW BY OTHERS This agenda item has been reviewed by Administration. FISCAL IMPACT This item is funded in the current fiscal year budget. Agenda Item #2c January 10, 20242 Meeting Date: January 10, 2024 Agenda Item #2c Consent Item Recommended by: ________________ Michael Moore General Manager/CEO Respectfully submitted: ________________ Justine Hendricksen District Clerk ATTACHMENTS IRS News Release IRS issues standard mileage rates for 2024; mileage rate increases to 67 cents a mile, up 1.5 cents from 2023 IR-2023-239, Dec. 14, 2023 WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today issued the 2024 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2024, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be: 67 cents per mile driven for business use, up 1.5 cents from 2023. 21 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes for qualified active-duty members of the Armed Forces, a decrease of 1 cent from 2023. 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations; the rate is set by statute and remains unchanged from 2023. These rates apply to electric and hybrid-electric automobiles as well as gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles. The standard mileage rate for business use is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. The rate for medical and moving purposes is based on the variable costs. It is important to note that under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, taxpayers cannot claim a miscellaneous itemized deduction for unreimbursed employee travel expenses. Taxpayers also cannot claim a deduction for moving expenses, unless they are members of the Armed Forces on active duty moving under orders to a permanent change of station. For more details see Moving expenses for members of the armed forces. Taxpayers always have the option of calculating the actual costs of using their vehicle rather than using the standard mileage rates. Taxpayers can use the standard mileage rate but generally must opt to use it in the first year the car is available for business use. Then, in later years, they can choose either the standard mileage rate or actual expenses. Leased vehicles must use the standard mileage rate method for the entire lease period (including renewals) if the standard mileage rate is chosen. Notice 2024-08 contains the optional 2024 standard mileage rates, as well as the maximum automobile cost used to calculate the allowance under a fixed and variable rate (FAVR) plan. In addition, the notice provides the maximum fair market value of employer-provided automobiles first made available to employees for personal use in calendar year 2024 for which employers may use the fleet-average valuation rule in or the vehicle cents- per-mile valuation rule. PDF Page Last Reviewed or Updated: 14-Dec-2023 Agenda Item #2d January 10, 20241 Meeting Date: January 10, 2024 Agenda Item #2d Consent Item 9 7 4 Regular Board Meeting TO: Governing Board Members FROM: General Manager/CEO SUBJECT: Approve November 2023 Disbursements: Accounts payable disbursements for the period include check numbers 262151 through 262326, bank drafts, and ACH payments in the amount of $4,681,456.72 and $518,502.38 for payroll RECOMMENDATION That the Board of Directors approve the District's expense disbursements for the period November 1, 2023 through November 30, 2023 in the amount of $5,199,959.10. BACKGROUND / ANALYSIS The payment register for supplies, materials, services, and payroll for November 2023 is attached for review and approval. This process provides the Board of Directors and the public with an opportunity to review the expenses of the District. Accounts Payable are processed weekly, while payroll is processed bi-weekly. District Policy 7.1 provides the requirements for purchases and contracts and all supporting documents are maintained by the Purchasing Agent. Accounts payable disbursements for the period include check numbers 262151 through 262326, bank drafts, and ACH Payments in the amount of $4,681,456.72 and $518,502.38, for payroll. Significant expenses greater than or equal to $50,000 are further explained below: Agenda Item #2d January 10, 20242 Meeting Date: January 10, 2024 Agenda Item #2d Consent Item 9 7 4 AGENCY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES II - Maintain a Commitment To Sustainability, Transparency, and Accountability A. Practice Transparent and Accountable Fiscal Management REVIEW BY OTHERS This agenda item has been reviewed by the Finance Department. FISCAL IMPACT This item is funded in the current fiscal year budget. Recommended by: ________________ Michael Moore General Manager/CEO Respectfully submitted: ________________ Brian Tompkins Chief Financial Officer ATTACHMENTS November 2023 Payment Register PAYMENT REGISTER NOVEMBER 1, 2023 - NOVEMBER 30, 2023 PAYMENT DATE NUMBER VENDOR NAME AMOUNT 11/2/2023 262151 AIR CHIEF, INC.1,628.00 11/2/2023 262152 AT&T 2,393.36 11/2/2023 262153 AUTOZONE PARTS 263.82 11/2/2023 262156 California Association of Sanitation Agencies 18,540.00 11/2/2023 262157 EUROFINS EATON ANALYTICAL, INC 34,100.00 11/2/2023 262158 EVERSOFT, INC 310.58 11/2/2023 262159 EYE MED VISION CARE 1,549.52 11/2/2023 262160 FedEx 51.98 11/2/2023 262161 FIRST CHOICE SERVICES 42.24 11/2/2023 262162 GOLDEN STAR TECHNOLOGY, INC, GST 23,548.07 11/2/2023 262163 K & L HARDWARE 116.58 11/2/2023 262164 KRIEGER & STEWART, INCORPORATED 10,053.50 11/2/2023 262165 Marvin's Mobile Truck Wash 1,080.00 11/2/2023 262166 MissionSquare Retirement 250.00 11/2/2023 262167 PETE'S ROAD SERVICE INC 574.07 11/2/2023 262168 SAN BERNARDINO MUNICIPAL WATER DEPARTMENT 775,580.16 11/2/2023 262169 UNIVAR SOLUTIONS USA, INC 5,446.00 11/2/2023 262170 US BANCORP SERVICE CENTER 41,047.64 11/2/2023 262175 WEB ADVANCED CORPORATION 2,125.00 11/2/2023 262176 WIRENET COMMUNICATIONS INC 48,387.15 11/2/2023 262177 INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE 84.02 11/2/2023 262178 McGrath's Catering 2,295.98 11/9/2023 262179 ACS SUPPORT 26.00 11/9/2023 262180 AMERICAN FIDELITY ASSURANCE COMPANY 2,944.07 11/9/2023 262181 AMERICAN FIDELITY ASSURANCE COMPANY (FSA)1,126.22 11/9/2023 262182 AUTOZONE PARTS 808.94 11/9/2023 262183 CHEM-TECH INTERNATIONAL INC 7,373.57 11/9/2023 262184 CitizensTrust 623.31 11/9/2023 262185 Commercial Gate Co., Inc.195.00 11/9/2023 262186 DAILY JOURNAL CORPORATION 331.20 11/9/2023 262188 E Source Companies LLC 2,700.00 11/9/2023 262189 EXPERIAN 358.00 11/9/2023 262190 FIRST CHOICE SERVICES 45.00 11/9/2023 262191 GNA FIRE ELECTRIC, INC.485.00 11/9/2023 262192 Health and Human Resource Center Inc.121.50 11/9/2023 262193 HIGHLAND SENIOR CENTER 1,000.00 11/9/2023 262194 IB CONSULTING, LLC 2,250.00 11/9/2023 262195 Isabel Hernandez 1,100.00 11/9/2023 262196 K & L HARDWARE 54.01 11/9/2023 262197 KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS 216.65 11/9/2023 262199 KRIEGER & STEWART, INCORPORATED 14,847.79 11/9/2023 262200 LA VERNE POWER EQUIPMENT, INC.649.92 11/9/2023 262201 Marvin's Mobile Truck Wash 1,010.00 11/9/2023 262202 North Star Consulting Inc.10,889.50 PAYMENT REGISTER NOVEMBER 1, 2023 - NOVEMBER 30, 2023 Page 1 of 7 PAYMENT DATE NUMBER VENDOR NAME AMOUNT 11/9/2023 262203 POWERS ELECTRIC PRODUCTS CO 310.54 11/9/2023 262204 RYAN HERCO FLOW SOLUTIONS 2,853.04 11/9/2023 262205 SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT 919.00 11/9/2023 262206 SO CAL GAS 93.27 11/9/2023 262207 Solitude Lake Management LLC 1,225.00 11/9/2023 262208 SOUTH COAST AQMD 6,816.11 11/9/2023 262209 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY 20,467.20 11/9/2023 262210 SWRCB 32,552.60 11/9/2023 262211 SWRCB-DWOCP 210.00 11/9/2023 262212 WATER SYSTEMS CONSULTING, INC 25,193.75 11/15/2023 262213 RESTORED ALLURE LLC 130.93 11/15/2023 262214 PAREDES LIVING TRUST 33.01 11/15/2023 262215 KMR SAN BERNARDINO LLC 61.06 11/15/2023 262216 D.R. HORTON 94.95 11/15/2023 262217 D.R. HORTON 150.00 11/15/2023 262218 D.R. HORTON 150.00 11/15/2023 262219 D.R. HORTON 120.63 11/15/2023 262220 D.R. HORTON 110.96 11/15/2023 262221 D.R. HORTON 150.00 11/15/2023 262222 MIGUEL RUIZ 23.17 11/15/2023 262223 DUANE W BROCKMAN 100.00 11/15/2023 262224 LYNNE CHAN 1,527.62 11/15/2023 262225 LAURCO, INC.2,241.83 11/15/2023 262226 Guy F. Atkinson Construction 2,680.34 11/15/2023 262227 Guy F. Atkinson Construction 2,525.14 11/15/2023 262228 JOHN STEWARD 2,523.05 11/15/2023 262229 ARB INC 2,569.88 11/15/2023 262230 NONGLUK RUNGARDON 150.00 11/15/2023 262231 FRANK VETERE 101.24 11/15/2023 262232 DIANNE E YOUNG 86.91 11/15/2023 262233 SERGIO AURELIO 26.44 11/16/2023 262234 AUTOZONE PARTS 224.50 11/16/2023 262235 B4 Inspirations Inc.1,548.55 11/16/2023 262236 BALFOUR BEATTY INFRASTRUCTURE, INC 858,159.70 11/16/2023 262237 BURRTEC WASTE/ 5455 Industrial pkwy 789.26 11/16/2023 262238 BURRTEC WASTE/ E. 111 MILL ST 311.76 11/16/2023 262239 DIRECTV 53.29 11/16/2023 262240 HARPER & ASSOCIATES ENGINEERING, INC 2,200.00 11/16/2023 262241 KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS 129.48 11/16/2023 262242 KRIEGER & STEWART, INCORPORATED 4,264.50 11/16/2023 262243 LOGICALIS, INC 10,219.82 11/16/2023 262244 Marvin's Mobile Truck Wash 775.00 11/16/2023 262245 PETE'S ROAD SERVICE INC 214.00 11/16/2023 262246 SAN BERNARDINO MUNICIPAL WATER DEPARTMENT 686,317.04 11/16/2023 262247 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY 245,852.68 11/16/2023 262248 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EMERGENCY MEDICINE/COLTON/REDLANDS 665.00 11/16/2023 262249 SPECTRUM 13,563.63 11/16/2023 262250 STRADLING YOCCA CARSON & RAUTH, A PROFESSIONAL CORP 1,327.50 11/16/2023 262251 UNIFIRST CORPORATION 2,835.80 11/16/2023 262256 WESTLAND GROUP, INC.11,625.00 11/16/2023 262257 YO FIRE 5,690.28 PAYMENT REGISTER NOVEMBER 1, 2023 - NOVEMBER 30, 2023 Page 2 of 7 PAYMENT DATE NUMBER VENDOR NAME AMOUNT 11/20/2023 262258 ISRAEL MUSGRAY 660.00 11/20/2023 262259 SHAWN CAMPBELL 38.27 11/20/2023 262260 GARY KOMIDISSIAN 87.13 11/20/2023 262261 THE COMMUNITY BUILDING GROUP LLC 115.04 11/20/2023 262262 SPRINT PCS 1.18 11/20/2023 262263 RICHIE CASCANTEMOLINA 62.16 11/21/2023 262264 ACS SUPPORT 26.00 11/21/2023 262265 AT&T 47.28 11/21/2023 262266 AUTOZONE PARTS 682.96 11/21/2023 262267 BIG SKY ELECTRIC, INC.20,479.00 11/21/2023 262268 COLONIAL LIFE, PREMIUM 491.64 11/21/2023 262269 DAVID RHOADS 200.00 11/21/2023 262270 DENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 158.10 11/21/2023 262271 DREW METZGER 505.00 11/21/2023 262272 Dylan Muir 138.05 11/21/2023 262273 ELIZABETH SNEED-BERRIE 100.00 11/21/2023 262274 Erasmo Alvarez 200.00 11/21/2023 262275 EUCLID MANAGERS, INSURANCE SERVICES INC.360.00 11/21/2023 262276 FIRST CHOICE SERVICES 1,125.52 11/21/2023 262277 Gregory Laplante 200.00 11/21/2023 262278 JEANELLE MASON 200.00 11/21/2023 262279 John Freitas 150.00 11/21/2023 262280 K & L HARDWARE 52.01 11/21/2023 262281 LOGICALIS, INC 18,150.91 11/21/2023 262282 Matt Goble 200.00 11/21/2023 262283 NalleLy Esponoza 30.00 11/21/2023 262284 PATRICK DORSEY 200.00 11/21/2023 262285 PERRY CULP 300.00 11/21/2023 262286 PETE'S ROAD SERVICE INC 1,867.19 11/21/2023 262287 SERGIO D. FIERRO 1,860.00 11/21/2023 262288 SHARON LEE 30.00 11/21/2023 262289 SHILOH SANDERS 131.59 11/21/2023 262290 SO CAL GAS 14.79 11/21/2023 262291 Tara Williams 200.00 11/21/2023 262292 Texas Life Insurance Company 592.46 11/21/2023 262293 TYLER BUSINESS FORMS 48.66 11/21/2023 262294 US BANCORP SERVICE CENTER 37,155.59 11/21/2023 262300 Walter Duncan 150.00 11/21/2023 262301 WATER SYSTEMS CONSULTING, INC 10,272.50 11/21/2023 262302 William L Turner 985.59 11/21/2023 262303 William Rogers 139.98 11/29/2023 262304 BODY METRX- MARLY PAULUS 1,059.10 11/29/2023 262305 BODY METRX- MARLY PAULUS 75.65 11/30/2023 262306 AMERICAN FIDELITY ASSURANCE COMPANY (FSA)1,126.22 11/30/2023 262307 AT&T 535.02 11/30/2023 262308 AVIDEX INDUSTRIES, LLC 19,849.54 11/30/2023 262309 BALFOUR BEATTY INFRASTRUCTURE, INC 461,838.50 11/30/2023 262310 Chase Truck Mobile Service 812.50 11/30/2023 262311 CHEM-TECH INTERNATIONAL INC 16,507.41 11/30/2023 262312 COLONIAL LIFE, PREMIUM 491.64 11/30/2023 262313 DORGAN LEGAL SERVICES LLP 150.00 11/30/2023 262314 EXPERIAN 354.40 PAYMENT REGISTER NOVEMBER 1, 2023 - NOVEMBER 30, 2023 Page 3 of 7 PAYMENT DATE NUMBER VENDOR NAME AMOUNT 11/30/2023 262315 GOLDEN BELL PRODUCTS, INC 48,000.00 11/30/2023 262316 INLAND DESERT SECURITY & COMMUNICATIONS, INC 806.85 11/30/2023 262317 INLAND SOLAR CHALLENGE 4,500.00 11/30/2023 262318 K & L HARDWARE 89.13 11/30/2023 262319 METLIFE SMALL BUSINESS CENTER (Dental)11,304.24 11/30/2023 262320 O'REILLYS AUTO PARTS 109.56 11/30/2023 262321 SO CAL GAS 15.88 11/30/2023 262322 WEB ADVANCED CORPORATION 1,587.50 11/30/2023 262323 WESTLAND GROUP, INC.3,315.00 11/30/2023 262324 TAPIA FAMILY LIVING TRUST 286.22 11/30/2023 262325 JAMIE LOBOS MARTINEZ 127.37 11/30/2023 262326 RN INVESTMENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES 205.63 BANK DRAFTS 11/2/2023 DFT0005078 GLOBAL PAYMENTS 23,761.07 11/3/2023 DFT0005069 EMPLOYMENT DEVELOPMENT DEPT.1,527.00 11/3/2023 DFT0005079 MERCHANT BANKCD 745.58 11/10/2023 DFT0005070 CA SDI Tax 2,349.94 11/10/2023 DFT0005071 CALPERS/ DEFERRED COMPENSATION 23,085.66 11/10/2023 DFT0005072 CALPERS/ RETIREMENT 56,197.91 11/10/2023 DFT0005073 Federal Payroll Tax 39,180.16 11/10/2023 DFT0005074 Medicare 10,664.41 11/10/2023 DFT0005075 Social Security 93.74 11/10/2023 DFT0005076 STATE DISBURSEMENT UNIT 908.77 11/10/2023 DFT0005077 State Payroll Tax 16,951.62 11/10/2023 DFT0005091 FORTE, ACH DIRECT INC, ACH FEES 5,074.24 11/13/2023 DFT0005080 PayNearMe, Inc.270.64 11/21/2023 DFT0005090 CBB 1,783.12 11/24/2023 DFT0005081 CA SDI Tax 2,685.86 11/24/2023 DFT0005082 CALPERS/ DEFERRED COMPENSATION 22,137.66 11/24/2023 DFT0005083 CALPERS/ RETIREMENT 55,960.74 11/24/2023 DFT0005084 Federal Payroll Tax 44,966.69 11/24/2023 DFT0005085 Medicare 11,729.50 11/24/2023 DFT0005086 Social Security 1,300.42 11/24/2023 DFT0005087 STATE DISBURSEMENT UNIT 908.77 11/24/2023 DFT0005088 State Payroll Tax 17,506.80 11/30/2023 DFT0005092 PayNearMe, Inc.318.40 ACH PAYMENTS 11/2/2023 10013316 ACI PAYMENTS INC.43.20 11/2/2023 10013317 ADVANCED TELEMETRY SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC.13,235.00 11/2/2023 10013318 ALAN PEREZ, REDLANDS OFFICE CLEANING SOLUTIONS, LLC 4,623.00 11/2/2023 10013319 ALBERT A. WEBB ASSOCIATES 16,324.00 11/2/2023 10013320 ALLISON MECHANICAL, INC 2,556.93 11/2/2023 10013321 AMAZON CAPITAL SERVICES, INC 1,265.82 11/2/2023 10013322 APPLIED MAINTENANCE SUPPLIES & SOLUTIONS 109.88 11/2/2023 10013323 ASBCSD 105.00 11/2/2023 10013324 BARRY'S SECURITY SERVICES, INC 6,690.55 11/2/2023 10013325 CAROL CALES 555.99 11/2/2023 10013326 CLARK PEST CONTROL 134.00 11/2/2023 10013327 CLA-VAL CO 943.81 11/2/2023 10013328 CLINICAL LAB OF S B 5,047.50 PAYMENT REGISTER NOVEMBER 1, 2023 - NOVEMBER 30, 2023 Page 4 of 7 PAYMENT DATE NUMBER VENDOR NAME AMOUNT 11/2/2023 10013329 COMPUTERIZED EMBROIDERY COMPANY, INC 329.71 11/2/2023 10013330 COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, RECORDER- CLERK 40.00 11/2/2023 10013331 CPC SYSTEMS, INC 1,295.00 11/2/2023 10013332 DANIEL DAVIS 663.92 11/2/2023 10013333 DAVID HERNANDEZ 505.94 11/2/2023 10013334 ED KING 850.00 11/2/2023 10013335 ELISEO OCHOA 562.73 11/2/2023 10013336 EXCEL LANDSCAPE, INC 773.90 11/2/2023 10013337 FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS 820.00 11/2/2023 10013338 GRAINGER 334.29 11/2/2023 10013339 HAAKER EQUIPMENT COMPANY & TOTAL CLEAN 1,709.64 11/2/2023 10013340 JC LAW FIRM 11,045.00 11/2/2023 10013341 JOHN MURA 730.10 11/2/2023 10013342 JOSE MILLAN 480.00 11/2/2023 10013343 LANDS END INC 465.09 11/2/2023 10013344 LINCOLN NATIONAL LIFE INS CO.2,413.73 11/2/2023 10013345 MANAGED MOBILE, INC.3,674.21 11/2/2023 10013346 MARTHA T DURAN 850.00 11/2/2023 10013347 MICHAEL HENDERSON 737.18 11/2/2023 10013348 MINUTEMAN PRESS OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA 2,354.18 11/2/2023 10013349 MOBILE OCCUPATIONAL SERVICES, INC 100.00 11/2/2023 10013350 NEOGOV 1,174.13 11/2/2023 10013351 RAYMOND ROYBAL 105.00 11/2/2023 10013352 REBECCA KASTEN 639.46 11/2/2023 10013353 RICHARD BECERRA 737.18 11/2/2023 10013354 SCN, SECURITY COMMUNICATION NETWORK, INC 105.00 11/2/2023 10013355 STAPLES BUSINESS ADVANTAGE 1,230.27 11/2/2023 10013356 THE GRANT FARM (MOMENTUM)132.50 11/2/2023 10013357 VERIZON WIRELESS 6,752.40 11/2/2023 10013358 ZENON ENVIRONMENTAL CORP.1,755.46 11/9/2023 10013359 AIRGAS, USA LLC 85.60 11/9/2023 10013360 ALBERT A. WEBB ASSOCIATES 19,959.63 11/9/2023 10013361 ALLISON MECHANICAL, INC 3,205.24 11/9/2023 10013362 AMAZON CAPITAL SERVICES, INC 2,341.71 11/9/2023 10013363 BARRY'S SECURITY SERVICES, INC 6,801.82 11/9/2023 10013364 BURGESS MOVING & STORAGE 984.45 11/9/2023 10013365 CALIFORNIA TOOL & WELDING SUPPLY 122.74 11/9/2023 10013366 CLARK PEST CONTROL 56.00 11/9/2023 10013367 CORE & MAIN LP 63,593.28 11/9/2023 10013369 CORELOGIC SOLUTIONS, LLC 392.04 11/9/2023 10013370 EVWD EMPLOYEES EVENTS ASSOC 290.52 11/9/2023 10013371 EXCEL LANDSCAPE, INC 21,782.50 11/9/2023 10013372 FERGUSON ENTERPRISES, INC.81,656.80 11/9/2023 10013373 FLEET SERVICES /COLTON TRUCK 62.92 11/9/2023 10013374 FMB TRUCK OUTFITTERS, INC 847.79 11/9/2023 10013376 FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS 100.25 11/9/2023 10013377 GENESIS INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY, INC 1,193.71 11/9/2023 10013378 GOLDEN STATE LABOR COMPLIANCE, LLC 4,990.00 11/9/2023 10013379 HIGHLAND AREA CHAMBER 300.00 11/9/2023 10013380 INFOSEND, INC 336.97 11/9/2023 10013381 MCMASTER-CARR 37.65 11/9/2023 10013382 QUINN COMPANY 600.00 PAYMENT REGISTER NOVEMBER 1, 2023 - NOVEMBER 30, 2023 Page 5 of 7 PAYMENT DATE NUMBER VENDOR NAME AMOUNT 11/9/2023 10013383 STAPLES BUSINESS ADVANTAGE 908.16 11/9/2023 10013384 STERICYCLE, INC DBA SHRED-IT 161.98 11/9/2023 10013385 STUBBIES PROMOTIONS INC 481.13 11/9/2023 10013386 UNDERGROUND SERVICE ALERT 717.00 11/9/2023 10013387 USA BLUE BOOK, HD SUPPLY FACILITIES MAINT, LTD 781.28 11/9/2023 10013388 VISTA PAINTS 162.15 11/9/2023 10013389 VULCAN MATERIALS CO/ CALMAT CO 5,135.87 11/9/2023 10013390 WATEREUSE ASSOCIATION 3,000.00 11/9/2023 10013391 Yahweh Pools 250.00 11/9/2023 10013392 ZENON ENVIRONMENTAL CORP.1,291.48 11/16/2023 10013393 ADVANCED TELEMETRY SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC.1,300.00 11/16/2023 10013394 ALLISON MECHANICAL, INC 2,964.00 11/16/2023 10013395 AMAZON CAPITAL SERVICES, INC 5,233.90 11/16/2023 10013397 BARRY'S SECURITY SERVICES, INC 6,593.67 11/16/2023 10013398 CALIFORNIA TOOL & WELDING SUPPLY 122.74 11/16/2023 10013399 CLARK PEST CONTROL 167.00 11/16/2023 10013400 COMPUTERIZED EMBROIDERY COMPANY, INC 76.13 11/16/2023 10013401 CORE & MAIN LP 380.64 11/16/2023 10013402 EXCEL LANDSCAPE, INC 203.59 11/16/2023 10013403 FERGUSON ENTERPRISES, INC.29,631.25 11/16/2023 10013404 FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS 1,154.63 11/16/2023 10013405 GRAINGER 128.78 11/16/2023 10013406 JC LAW FIRM 9,690.00 11/16/2023 10013407 JESUS FABIAN VALENZUELA 70.00 11/16/2023 10013408 JUSTINE HENDRICKSEN 0.64 11/16/2023 10013409 MCMASTER-CARR 46.25 11/16/2023 10013410 MINUTEMAN PRESS OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA 5,386.53 11/16/2023 10013411 MOBILE OCCUPATIONAL SERVICES, INC 360.00 11/16/2023 10013412 Safety Compliance Company 200.00 11/16/2023 10013413 SHAYLA ANTRIM 63.27 11/16/2023 10013414 STERICYCLE, INC DBA SHRED-IT 157.29 11/16/2023 10013415 STEVE A. FILARSKY, ATTORNEY AT LAW 350.00 11/16/2023 10013416 VALERO FLEET, WEX BANK 18,669.14 11/16/2023 10013417 VULCAN MATERIALS CO/ CALMAT CO 4,958.77 11/16/2023 10013418 WAXIE SANITARY SUPPLY 231.77 11/21/2023 10013419 ACI PAYMENTS INC.50.70 11/21/2023 10013420 ADCOMP SYSTEMS, INC 100.00 11/21/2023 10013421 ALBERT A. WEBB ASSOCIATES 32,484.20 11/21/2023 10013422 ALLISON MECHANICAL, INC 2,554.41 11/21/2023 10013423 AMAZON CAPITAL SERVICES, INC 738.29 11/21/2023 10013424 ANTHESIS 9,761.86 11/21/2023 10013425 ASHOK K. DHINGRA, AKD CONSULTING 10,128.43 11/21/2023 10013426 BARRY'S SECURITY SERVICES, INC 7,766.96 11/21/2023 10013427 BOOT BARN, INC 44.99 11/21/2023 10013428 CORE & MAIN LP 10,720.82 11/21/2023 10013429 ECOTECH SERVICES, INC 6,073.00 11/21/2023 10013430 EVWD EMPLOYEES EVENTS ASSOC 390.49 11/21/2023 10013431 FLEETCREW, INC.768.87 11/21/2023 10013432 GRAINGER 920.27 11/21/2023 10013433 JOSE MILLAN 4,060.00 11/21/2023 10013434 RESOLUTE 4,200.00 11/21/2023 10013435 SG CREATIVE, LLC 5,940.00 PAYMENT REGISTER NOVEMBER 1, 2023 - NOVEMBER 30, 2023 Page 6 of 7 PAYMENT DATE NUMBER VENDOR NAME AMOUNT 11/21/2023 10013436 STAPLES BUSINESS ADVANTAGE 376.41 11/21/2023 10013437 USA BLUE BOOK, HD SUPPLY FACILITIES MAINT, LTD 113.16 11/21/2023 10013438 WATEREUSE ASSOCIATION 5,407.50 11/30/2023 10013439 ADCOMP SYSTEMS, INC 319.29 11/30/2023 10013440 ADVANCED TELEMETRY SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC.5,750.00 11/30/2023 10013441 AMAZON CAPITAL SERVICES, INC 1,459.99 11/30/2023 10013442 BARRY'S SECURITY SERVICES, INC 6,663.68 11/30/2023 10013443 BOOT BARN, INC 400.00 11/30/2023 10013444 CLINICAL LAB OF S B 6,417.50 11/30/2023 10013445 FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS 820.00 11/30/2023 10013446 HARRINGTON INDUSTRIAL PLASTIC 681.87 11/30/2023 10013447 INFOSEND, INC 37,729.48 11/30/2023 10013448 JOSE MILLAN 320.00 11/30/2023 10013449 LANDS END INC 619.13 11/30/2023 10013450 LINCOLN NATIONAL LIFE INS CO.2,413.73 11/30/2023 10013451 MANAGED MOBILE, INC.1,956.88 11/30/2023 10013452 MARLINK INC 468.75 11/30/2023 10013453 MIKE J. ROQUET CONSTRUCTION INC 12,640.88 11/30/2023 10013454 MINUTEMAN PRESS OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA 9,633.09 11/30/2023 10013455 Safety Compliance Company 400.00 11/30/2023 10013456 SAFETY KLEEN SYSTEMS, INC.737.45 11/30/2023 10013457 SOURCE GRAPHICS 1,650.00 11/30/2023 10013458 STAPLES BUSINESS ADVANTAGE 75.73 11/30/2023 10013459 STAR COMMERCIAL REFRIGERATION INC 1,051.19 11/30/2023 10013460 VERIZON WIRELESS 8,926.32 11/30/2023 10013461 ZENON ENVIRONMENTAL CORP.88,697.57 TOTAL 4,681,456.72$ PAYMENT REGISTER NOVEMBER 1, 2023 - NOVEMBER 30, 2023 Page 7 of 7 Agenda Item #3a January 10, 20241 Meeting Date: January 10, 2024 Agenda Item #3a Informational Item Regular Board Meeting TO: Governing Board Members FROM: General Manager/CEO SUBJECT: 2023 Legislative Recap RECOMMENDATION This agenda item is for informational purposes only, no action required. BACKGROUND / ANALYSIS During the 2023 legislative session, staff and legislative advocates were actively monitoring a number of bills that with a high potential to impact East Valley Water District’s (District) operations. The legislative agenda encompassed a wide range of water-related subjects, including water rights and clean fleet regulations to water management planning and utility disconnection policies. Staff monitored over a hundred unique pieces of legislation including the following: •AB 460: Water rights and usage (stalled) •AB 676: Water use policy and usage priority (vetoed) •AB 1594: Medium and Heavy Duty EV Vehicles (signed) •SB 389: State Water Resources Control Board – Determination of Water Rights (signed) •SB 57: Utilities – Disconnection of Residential Services (stalled) In collaboration with CMUA, ACWA, CSDA, and WateReuse, District staff actively engaged in working groups, advocating the District's position during the previous legislative session. This proactive involvement in the legislative process will continue into 2024, as staff remains committed to monitor and advocate positions relevant to the District and ratepayers. AGENCY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES I - Implement Effective Solutions Through Visionary Leadership C. Strengthen Regional, State and National Partnerships Agenda Item #3a January 10, 20242 Meeting Date: January 10, 2024 Agenda Item #3a Informational Item REVIEW BY OTHERS This agenda item has been reviewed by Administration. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact associated with this agenda item. Recommended by: ________________ Michael Moore General Manager/CEO Respectfully submitted: ________________ William Ringland Public Affairs/Conservation Manager ATTACHMENTS Presentation Board of Directors 2023 LEGISLATIVE RECAP January 10, 2024 2 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION -TOP BILLS OF INTEREST •Water Rights Bills: •SB 389 (Signed) •AB 460 (Stalled) •AB 676 (Vetoed) •AB 1337 (Stalled) •Water Management Planning: •AB 754 (Held in Appropriations) •Clean Fleet Rule: •AB 1594 (Signed) •Utilities Disconnections: •SB 57 (Stalled) 3 GOVERNOR’S INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE •SB 149 (Caballero & Becker) -CEQA/Judicial streamlining •Does not include Delta tunnel or seawater desalination •SB 146 (Gonzalez) -DWR and Department of Transportation design-build with same exclusions •SB 147 (Ashby) -CESA/Authorized take 4 2024 -ONGOING TOPICS •Water rights and assessment of historic rights •SB 23 Caballero -Expedited permitting •SB 366 California Water Plan -Long-term supply target •Climate/Water Bond •Term limits and redistricting 5 2024 -SEAT SHUFFLING Leadership: •Speaker Robert Rivas –Hollister •Pro Tem Mike McGuire –Sonoma Senate: •11 open seats •Senator Dodd is among the termed-out members Assembly: •22 open seats •Notable departures: •Asm. Friedman •Budget Chair Ting •Budget Chair Holden Speaker Robert Rivas Pro Tem Mike McGuire 6 WATER AND CLIMATE SHIFTS -RECENT AND PENDING •New Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Chair: •Assemblymember Diane Papan •Speaker staff: •Keith Cialino -Water •Susan Chan •Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee new staffer: •Stephanie Mitchell •Still relatively new: •Senate Natural Resources -Genevieve Wong •Major water agencies staff 7 2024 CALIFORNIA BUDGET FORECAST •State is facing a projected $68 billion deficit •23/24 budget approved was the second largest on record -$308 billion •As recently as 2019, the budget was less than $200 million •Looking ahead: •LAO recommending that Newsom declare a fiscal emergency, allowing the state to dip into as much as $24 billion of its rainy day fund -and pull back one-time spending •Potentially greater interest/focus on bonds 8 2024 ELECTION FACTS •Governor signed SB 789, which moves three legislative propositions initially slated for the March 2024 ballot to November ballot •SCA 2 -Allen, Public Housing, Article 34 repeal •ACA 5 -Low, Marriage equality, Prop 8 repeal •ACA 1 -Aguiar Curry, Local government financing: affordable housing and public infrastructure: voter approval •Newsom’s Proposition 1, a $6.38 billion bond measure to fund 11,150 behavioral health treatment beds, is the sole proposition in March 9 2024 ELECTION FACTS CONT. •ACA 13, would require voter approvals raising the threshold to pass certain taxes to, itself, pass by the same amount proposed, is being held at the Assembly Desk until the deadline to qualify for the March ballot passes and it can go to the November ballot •Voters in November are already likely to face nine ballot questions •Another two dozen initiatives are in the pipeline DISCUSSION Agenda Item #3b January 10, 20241 Meeting Date: January 10, 2024 Agenda Item #3b Informational Item Regular Board Meeting TO: Governing Board Members FROM: General Manager/CEO SUBJECT: 2023 Community Survey RECOMMENDATION This agenda item is for informational purposes only, no action required. BACKGROUND / ANALYSIS East Valley Water District (District) is an infrastructure-based organization, with a focus on providing safe and reliable drinking water and wastewater services for the community through innovative leadership and world-class public service. In an effort to listen to ratepayers, the District conducted a community survey to assess and evaluate the overall satisfaction with the District’s performance. The survey collected responses from active customers in various geographic locations throughout the service area. Individuals were invited to participate in the survey through email, text, and phone, with the survey available in both English and Spanish to ensure a broad range of participation. In total, the District collected a random sample of 400 residential accounts responding to the solicited questionnaire. The District received a comprehensive report of the data, with all individual responses kept anonymous to ensure the integrity of the collected data. Overall, 86% of customers are satisfied with the service received from the District. The survey showed high satisfaction for many aspects of service, including reliability, hours of operation, and customer service. Through the open-ended questions, the District is viewed as effective, a good community partner, environmentally friendly, and fiscally responsible. Finally, over 8 out of 10 customers were satisfied with the District’s communication efforts. The District will use these survey findings, while continuing to listen to our customers, to uphold a dynamic presence within the community. By actively engaging with the District’s customers, we will continue delivering safe, reliable, and customer-centric water and wastewater services. Agenda Item #3b January 10, 20242 Meeting Date: January 10, 2024 Agenda Item #3b Informational Item AGENCY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES II - Maintain a Commitment To Sustainability, Transparency, and Accountability B. Utilize Effective Communication Methods D. Provide Quality Information to Encourage Community Engagement REVIEW BY OTHERS This agenda item has been reviewed by Administration. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact associated with this agenda item. Recommended by: ________________ Michael Moore General Manager/CEO Respectfully submitted: ________________ William Ringland Public Affairs/Conservation Manager ATTACHMENTS Presentation Community Survey Report 12/20/2023 CUSTOMER OPINION SURVEY CONDUCTED FOR THE EAST VALLEY WATER DISTRICT PRESENTED BY TIMOTHY MCLARNEY PH.D. 22 o How did we select customers to survey? o Stratified random sample of residential customers o Ensures balanced, representative sample that aligns with geographic distribution of customers, water usage, and key demographics o How did we recruit participation? o Personalized email, text, and telephone calls o PINs to restrict access and ensure one complete per respondent o How were respondents able to share their opinions? o Secure, PIN-protected website that scales to the device o Telephone (land line or mobile) o English and Spanish o What was the sample size? o 400 completed interviews o Overall margin of error of ± 4.9% @ 95% level of confidence METHODOLOGY OF STUDY 33 SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION 44 MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING COMMUNITY 55 SATISFACTION WITH WATER SERVICES 66 REASONS FOR DISATISFACTION 77 SATISFACTION WITH SPECIFIC SERVICES 88 CONTACTED EVWD IN PAST 6 MONTHS 99 MAIN REASON FOR CONTACT DISTRICT 1010 ISSUE RESOLVED TO SATISFACTION 1111 RATING SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE 1212 ATTENTIVENESS TO WATER USAGE 1313 OPINION OF WATER SERVICE COST 1414 PERCEPTION OF EVWD 1515 STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 1616 SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION 1717 EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNICATION METHODS 1818 Customer Satisfaction is High o 86% of customers are satisfied overall with the water service they receive from EVWD o Satisfaction is high for most aspects of water service including reliability, hours of operation, and customer service o Customers give high marks to EVWD’s customer service in general, and those who contacted District were positive about representative’s performance in resolving their issue o District is viewed as effective, a good community partner, environmentally-friendly, and fiscally responsible o More than 8/10 customers were satisfied with the District’s communication efforts KEY TAKE-AWAYS 1919 Opportunities Areas o Don’t oversteer o Raise customer awareness of the true cost/good value of water o Rebate programs for water-efficient appliances o Customers prioritized future investments in replacing aging pipes and infrastructure, encouraging customers to be more water efficient, and developing additional local water supplies/expand recycled water use o Revisit the District’s communication strategies as preferences and technologies continue to evolve KEY TAKE-AWAYS THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s iEast Valley Water District True North Research, Inc. © 2023. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T ABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii List of Figures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Purpose of Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Overview of Methodology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Organization of Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Disclaimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 About True North. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Key Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Importance of Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Question 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Satisfaction With Water Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Overall Satisfaction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Question 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Reason for Dissatisfaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Question 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Specific Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Question 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Differentiators of Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Customer Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 District Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Question 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Reason for Contact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Question 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Question 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Issue Resolved to Satisfaction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Question 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Satisfaction with Service Representatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Question 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Attention & Value. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Attention Paid to Household Water Use. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Question 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Reasonableness of Cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Question 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Perceptions of District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Question 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Strategic Priorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Question 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Satisfaction With Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Question 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Communication Preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Question 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Background & Demographics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Questionnaire Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Programming, Pre-Test & Translation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Sample, Recruiting & Data Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Margin of Error Due to Sampling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Data Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s iiEast Valley Water District True North Research, Inc. © 2023. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rounding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Questionnaire & Toplines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Li s t o f T a b l e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 iiiEast Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L IST OF TABLES Table 1 Satisfaction With Services by Overall Satisfaction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Table 2 Effectiveness of Communication Methods by Age & Overall Satisfaction (Showing % Very Effective). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Table 3 Effectiveness of Communication Methods by Ethnicity & Home Ownership Status (Showing % Very Effective) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Table 4 Effectiveness of Communication Methods by Hsld Members & Gender (Showing % Very Effective). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Table 5 Effectiveness of Communication Methods by Most Recent Bill & Satisfaction With Communication (Showing % Very Effective) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Table 6 Demographics of Sample . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Li s t o f F i g u r e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 ivEast Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L IST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Most Important Issue Facing Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Figure 2 Overall Satisfaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Figure 3 Overall Satisfaction by Age, Ethnicity, Gender & Contacted District in Past 6 Months . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Figure 4 Overall Satisfaction by Home Ownership Status, Hsld Members & Most Recent Bill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Figure 5 Reason For Dissatisfaction With EVWD’s Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Figure 6 Satisfaction With Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Figure 7 Contacted EVWD in Past 6 Months. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Figure 8 Contacted EVWD in Past 6 Months by Overall Satisfaction, Home Ownership Status, Age & Ethnicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Figure 9 Contacted EVWD in Past 6 Months by Hsld Members, Gender & Most Recent Bill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Figure 10 Main Reason For Contacting District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Figure 11 Issue Resolved to Satisfaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Figure 12 Service Representative’s Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Figure 13 Attentiveness to Water Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Figure 14 Attentiveness to Water Usage by Overall Satisfaction, Contacted District in Past 6 Months, Home Ownership Status, Age & Gender. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Figure 15 Attentiveness to Water Usage by Ethnicity, Hsld Members & Most Recent Bill. . . . . 17 Figure 16 Opinion of Water Service Cost. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Figure 17 Opinion of Water Service Cost by Overall Satisfaction, Contacted District in Past 6 Months, Home Ownership Status, Age & Gender. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Figure 18 Opinion of Water Service Cost by Ethnicity, Hsld Members & Most Recent Bill . . . . 19 Figure 19 Perceptions of EVWD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Figure 20 Strategic Priorities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 Figure 21 Satisfaction With Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Figure 22 Satisfaction With Communication by Ethnicity, Hsld Members & Most Recent Bill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Figure 23 Satisfaction With Communication by Overall Satisfaction, Contacted District in Past 6 Months, Home Ownership Status, Age & Gender. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Figure 24 Effectiveness of Communication Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Figure 25 Maximum Margin of Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 In t r o d u c t i o n True North Research, Inc. © 2023 1East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I NTRODUCTION East Valley Water District (EVWD) is an infrastructure-based organization, with a focus on provid- ing safe and reliable drinking water and wastewater services for communities within a 30 square mile area including the cities of Highland and San Bernardino, portions of the unincorporated County of San Bernardino, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, and Patton State Hospital. The District relies on three sources for water: the Bunker Hill Groundwater Basin, the Santa Ana River (SAR), and the State Water Project. The District is also finalizing construction of the Sterling Natural Resource Center (SNRC) in the City of Highland that will treat up to 8,000,000 gallons of wastewater daily for recharge into the Bunker Hill Groundwater Basin, resulting in hundreds of millions of gallons of water stored for use in dry years. As part of its commitment to provide high quality water services that meet the varied needs of its customers, the East Valley Water District regularly engages customers through community out- reach, social media, and other communications activities and receives periodic feedback regard- ing its performance. Although these informal feedback mechanisms are a valuable source of information for the District in that they provide timely and accurate information about the opin- ions of specific customers, they do not necessarily provide an accurate picture of residential cus- tomers as a whole. Informal feedback mechanisms typically rely on the customer to initiate the feedback, which creates a self-selection bias. The District receives feedback only from those cus- tomers who are motivated enough to initiate the feedback process. Because these individuals tend to be those who are either very pleased or very displeased with their service, their collective opinions are not necessarily representative of residential customers in the District’s service area as a whole. PURPOSE OF STUDY The motivation for the current study was to design and employ a methodology that would avoid the self-selection bias noted above and thereby provide statisti- cally reliable measures of residential customers’ perceptions, opinions, and satisfaction as they relate to the District and the services it provides. Ultimately, the survey results and analyses pre- sented in this report provide the District with information that can be used to make sound, stra- tegic decisions in a variety of areas including measuring and tracking internal performance, planning, program development, community outreach, and budgeting. To assist in this effort, the East Valley Water District selected True North Research to design the research plan and con- duct the study. Broadly defined, the study was designed to: • Measure residential customers’ overall satisfaction with the District’s efforts to provide water services, and their satisfaction with a variety of specific services; • Profile customer interactions with the District and views of EVWD’s customer service; • Assess perceptions of the District and how customers prioritize potential future actions; • Determine satisfaction with the District’s communication with customers, as well as pre- ferred methods of communication; and • Gather relevant background and demographic information. OVERVIEW OF METHODOLOGY A full description of the methodology used for this study is included later in this report (see Methodology on page 26). In brief, the survey was administered to a random sample of 400 residential customers who receive water services from In t r o d u c t i o n True North Research, Inc. © 2023 2East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the District. The survey followed a mixed-method design that employed multiple recruiting methods (email, text, and phone) and multiple data collection methods (phone and online). Administered in English and Spanish between August 15 and August 27, 2023, the average inter- view was 15 minutes in length. ORGANIZATION OF REPORT This report is designed to meet the needs of readers who prefer a summary of the findings as well as those interested in the details of the results. For those who seek an overview, the section titled Key Findings is for you. It provides a summary of the most important findings and a discussion of their implications. This section is followed by a more detailed question-by-question discussion of the results from the survey by topic area (see Table of Contents), and a description of the methodology employed for collecting and analyzing the data. For the truly ambitious reader, the full questionnaire is included at the back of this report (see Questionnaire & Toplines on page 29) and a complete set of crosstabulations for the survey results is contained in Appendix A. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS True North thanks the East Valley Water District for the opportu- nity to conduct the study and for contributing valuable input during the design stage of this study. The collective experience, insight, and local knowledge provided by district representa- tives and staff improved the overall quality of the research presented here. DISCLAIMER The statements and conclusions in this report are those of the authors (Dr. Timothy McLarney and Richard Sarles) at True North Research, Inc. and not necessarily those of EVWD. Any errors and omissions are the responsibility of the authors. ABOUT TRUE NORTH True North is a full-service survey research firm that is dedicated to providing public agencies with a clear understanding of the values, perceptions, priorities, and concerns of their residents and customers. Through designing and implementing scientific sur- veys, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews, as well as expert interpretation of the findings, True North helps its clients to move with confidence when making strategic decisions in a variety of areas—such as planning, policy evaluation, performance management, establishing fiscal pri- orities, passing revenue measures, and developing effective public information campaigns. Dur- ing their careers, Dr. McLarney (President) and Mr. Sarles (Principal Researcher) have designed and conducted over 1,200 survey research studies for public agencies—including more than 500 studies for California municipalities, utilities, and special districts. Ke y F i n d i n g s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 3East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K EY FINDINGS As noted in the Introduction, this study was designed to provide the East Valley Water District with a statistically reliable understanding of customers’ perceptions, opinions, and satisfaction as they relate to the District and the services it provides. Whereas subsequent sections of this report are devoted to conveying the detailed results of the survey, in this section we attempt to ‘see the forest through the trees’ and note how the collective results of the survey answer some of the key questions that motivated the research. How well is EVWD per- forming in meeting the needs of customers? Residential customers are generally quite satisfied with EVWD’s efforts to provide water services to their households. More than eight-in-ten respondents (86%) indicated they were satisfied with EVWD’s overall per- formance in providing water services to their household, with 56% stat- ing they were very satisfied. The high level of satisfaction expressed by respondents as a whole was also echoed across customer subgroups based on age, ethnicity, gender, home ownership status, number of household members, whether they had contacted the District within the past six months, and most recent bill amount. Across all subgroups, overall satisfaction with EVWD’s performance ranged from a low of 78% to a high of 94%. Among the small group who were dissatisfied with the District’s performance (11% of all residential customers), the majority cited a concern about high rates or the cost of water (see Satisfaction With Water Services on page 7). The high level of satisfaction expressed with the District’s performance in general was also mirrored in respondents’ assessments of EVWD’s performance in providing specific services. For all but two service areas tested, at least three-quarters of respondents with an opinion were satis- fied with the District’s efforts—and for many service areas more than 85% were satisfied. Among the 15 services tested, respondents were most satisfied with the District’s efforts to provide reliable water service (93% very or somewhat satisfied among those with an opinion), provide convenient hours of operation (92%), provide good customer service (91%), and ensure an adequate water supply now and in the future (88%) (see Specific Services on page 9). Customers also characterize the District in a positive light, with the majority agreeing that the District is effective (68%), a good community partner (62%), trustworthy (61%), cares about the environment (60%), fis- cally responsible (53%), and innovative (50%). Most of the remaining respondents confided that they were unsure rather than disagreeing with each statement (see Perceptions of District on page 20). How do customers rate EVWD’s customer ser- vice? One of the objectives of this study was to profile the opinions of custom- ers who had reason to contact the District during the six months prior to taking the survey—focusing in particular on how they assess the cus- tomer service they received (see Customer Service on page 12). Ke y F i n d i n g s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 4East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Three-in-ten customers surveyed (30%) reported that they had contacted the District in the six months prior to taking the survey regarding their water service, with the most common reasons being questions about bill- ing/payments and to make a payment. Among this subgroup, seven-in- ten (71%) indicated that the reason for contacting EVWD was ultimately resolved to their satisfaction. Additionally, approximately eight-in-ten indicated that they were satisfied with the courtesy of the service repre- sentative (85%), their ability to reach a service representative (80%), and the knowledge and expertise of the service representative (78%). How much attention do customers pay to their water use and how do they perceive the value of water? Residential customers generally pay attention to their water usage, with 58% of respondents reporting that they are very attentive to their house- hold’s water use and additional 29% describing themselves as somewhat attentive. With the exception of African-American/Black customers who reported lower than average attentiveness (67%), the level of attention paid to household water use was fairly consistent across subgroups, ranging from a low of 79% (most recent bill at least $200) to a high of 92% (most recent bill less than $100) (see Attention Paid to Household Water Use on page 16). With a quarter of all respondents citing a water-related issue (water sup- ply/drought, water rates/cost of water, water quality) as the most impor- tant issue facing their community, customers clearly recognize that water is essential to their quality of life (see Importance of Issues on page 6). Yet, 64% view their water bills as higher than what they think is reasonable. The tendency to view the cost of their water service as too high was by far the greatest among those who were dissatisfied with their water services in general and customers who lived alone. Relation- ships were also found with age and most recent bill amount, with nega- tive sentiment increasing along with age and bill amount (see Reasonableness of Cost on page 17). It is also noteworthy that customers with lower bills paid more attention to their water use than customers with higher bills, and they were much more likely to view the amount they pay as reasonable given the quality of services received. Where should EVWD focus its efforts in the future? Perhaps the most important recommendation, one often overlooked in customer satisfaction research, is for the District to recognize the things it does well and to focus on continuing to perform at a high level in these areas. As noted throughout this report, the vast majority of customers were generally pleased with the water services their households receive. The top priority for EVWD should thus be to do what it takes to maintain the quality of services it currently provides. Nevertheless, in the spirit of constant improvement, the results of the study suggest several opportunities to increase customer satisfaction further. Based on the survey findings, some residential customers saw room for improvement in offering good value for the cost of water ser- Ke y F i n d i n g s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 5East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vices and providing rebate programs that encourage customers to pur- chase water-efficient appliances. Although a majority of respondents who provided an opinion were satisfied with each of these service aspects, the rates of satisfaction were somewhat lower when compared to the other service areas tested. Additional opportunities for aligning the District’s future investments with customers’ priorities were also found in the survey (see Strategic Priorities on page 21). When presented with six potential projects that could receive future action by the District, customers prioritized replac- ing aging pipes and infrastructure to reduce leaks and improve system performance (92% high or medium priority), encouraging customers to be more efficient in their use of water through education, incentives, and rebates (85%), and developing additional local water supplies and expanding the use of recycled water to enhance the reliability of our water supplies (83%). How well is EVWD com- municating with custom- ers? Keeping up with the challenge of communicating with customers has been difficult for many public agencies in recent years. As the number of information sources and channels available to the public have dramatically increased, so too has the diversity in where customers regularly turn for their information. Not only have entirely new channels arisen to become mainstream and nearly ubiquitous (e.g., social media), within these channels there exists a proliferation of alternative services. To add to the challenge, public preferences for information sources are also dynamic—subject to change as new services are made available while others may fade in popularity—making thorough, effective communication a moving target for public agencies. Against this backdrop of challenges, the survey reveals that the East Val- ley Water District has been doing an admirable job communicating with residential customers, with 84% of customers stating that they were sat- isfied with the District’s efforts to communicate with them through newsletters, social media, its website, bill inserts, and other means. Looking forward, customers were also clear about which methods would be the most effective for the District to communicate with them in the future, with direct mail, bill inserts, text messages, and email widely per- ceived to be the most effective approaches (see Communication on page 22). Im p o r t a n c e o f I s s u e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 6East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I MPORTANCE OF ISSUES The first substantive question of the survey asked residential customers to identify what they feel is the most important issue facing their community. This question was posed in an open- ended manner, thereby allowing respondents to mention any issue that came to mind without being prompted by or restricted to a particular list of options. True North later reviewed the ver- batim responses and grouped them into the categories shown in Figure 1. Because respondents were free to mention more than one issue, the percentages in the figure total more than 100%. Three-in-ten respondents (31%) indicated that there are no pressing issues/everything is okay (23%) or were unsure or unable to offer a specific issue facing their community (8%). Among the specific issues that were mentioned, the high cost of living was the most common (16%), fol- lowed by homelessness (12%), water supply/drought (10%), and water rates/cost of water (9%). Other issues mentioned by at least 5% of respondents included public safety/crime (8%), water quality (8%), and the economy/jobs (5%). Water-related issues were collectively mentioned by one-quarter (25%) of all respondents.1 Question 1 To begin, what do you feel is the most important issue facing your community today? FIGURE 1 MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING COMMUNITY 1. Respondents who mentioned more than one water-related issue were counted once toward the aggregate percentage. 22.5 15.8 11.9 10.4 8.9 8.3 8.3 8.1 5.3 2.3 2.2 1.0 0.9 0.6 3.7 1.5 0 5 10 15 20 25 Nothing / Everything is okay High cost of living Homelessness Water supply, drought Water rates, cost of water Not sure / Cannot think of anything Public safety, crime Water quality Economy, jobs Climate change concerns Infrastructure, streets, roads City maintenance, landscaping Environmental concerns Overdevelopment Government, leadership Illegal immigration issues % Respondents Sa t i s f a c t i o n W i t h W a t e r S e r v i c e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 7East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S ATISFACTION W ITH W ATER S ERVICES After measuring respondents’ views regarding issues of importance in their community, the sur- vey transitioned to assessing customers’ opinions about the District’s performance in providing water services. OVERALL SATISFACTION The first question in this series asked respondents to indicate if, generally speaking, they were satisfied or dissatisfied with the job the East Valley Water Dis- trict is doing to provide water services to their household. Because this question does not refer- ence a specific program, facility, or service and requested that the respondent consider the District’s performance in general, the findings of this question may be regarded as an overall performance rating for the District. As shown in Figure 2, the vast majority (86%) of respondents indicated they were either very (56%) or somewhat (29%) satisfied with the District’s efforts to provide water services. Approxi- mately 11% were dissatisfied, and 4% were unsure or unwilling to share their opinion. Question 2 Generally speaking, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the job East Valley Water District is doing to provide water services to your household? FIGURE 2 OVERALL SATISFACTION Figures 3 and 4 on the next page display how customers’ opinions about the District’s overall performance in providing water services varied by a host of demographic traits. The high levels of satisfaction exhibited by respondents as a whole were generally echoed across all customer subgroups, with satisfaction ranging from a low of 78% to a high of 94%. Somewhat dissatisfied 5.7 Not sure 2.6 Very satisfied 56.4 Somewhat satisfied 29.4 Very dissatisfied 4.9 Prefer not to answer 0.9 Sa t i s f a c t i o n W i t h W a t e r S e r v i c e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 8East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FIGURE 3 OVERALL SATISFACTION BY AGE, ETHNICITY, GENDER & CONTACTED DISTRICT IN PAST 6 MONTHS FIGURE 4 OVERALL SATISFACTION BY HOME OWNERSHIP STATUS, HSLD MEMBERS & MOST RECENT BILL REASON FOR DISSATISFACTION The small percentage (11%) of respondents who indi- cated that they were dissatisfied with the District’s efforts to provide water services to their household were asked in a follow-up question if there was a particular reason for their dissatis- faction. Question 2 was asked in an open-ended manner, thereby allowing respondents to explain their position in their own words, without being prompted by—or restricted to—a partic- ular list of reasons. True North later reviewed the verbatim responses and grouped them into the categories shown in Figure 5 on the next page. A concern about high rates or the cost of water was by far the most common reason (51%) why some respondents were dissatisfied with the District’s performance, followed by water taste, odor, or smell (24%). Billing issues (8%) and meter issues (6%) were the only other specific rea- sons mentioned by at least 5% of dissatisfied respondents. 60.6 57.3 61.1 55.4 54.7 61.3 50.8 59.3 27.9 27.9 25.9 39.0 34.6 29.2 26.9 29.4 30.8 48.855.351.8 65.1Very satisfied 57.5 24.5 39.0 23.7 Smwt satisfied 22.7 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Under 35 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or older Caucasian / White Latino / Hispanic Af American / Black Mixed / Other Male Female Yes No Age (QD2) Ethnicity (QD7) Gender (QD1) Contacted District in Past 6 Months (Q5) % R e s p o n d e n t s 50.9 64.6 55.7 56.2 49.8 39.1 31.7 24.3 29.9 27.7 27.8 33.0 43.8 Very satisfied 56.8 52.9 45.5 60.5 61.2 Smwt satisfied 29.0 29.6 32.7 35.7 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Own Rent One Two Three Four Five or more Less than $100 $100 to $149 $150 to $199 $200 or more Home Ownership Status (QD4) Hsld Members (QD3) Most Recent Bill % R e s p o n d e n t s Sa t i s f a c t i o n W i t h W a t e r S e r v i c e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 9East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Question 3 Is there a particular reason why you are dissatisfied with the District's perfor- mance? FIGURE 5 REASON FOR DISSATISFACTION WITH EVWD’S PERFORMANCE SPECIFIC SERVICES Whereas Question 2 addressed the District’s overall performance, Question 4 asked respondents to rate their level of satisfaction with the District’s efforts to pro- vide 15 specific services. The order of the items was randomized for each respondent to avoid a systematic position bias. Figure 6 presents the services sorted by the percentage of respondents who were either very or somewhat satisfied with the District’s efforts to provide the service. For comparison purposes between the services, only respondents who held an opinion (satisfied or dissatisfied) are included in the figure. Those who did not have an opinion were removed from this analysis. The percentage of respondents who provided an opinion (satisfied or dissatisfied) is shown in brack- ets beside the service label in the figure, while the bars represent the answers of those with an opinion. At the top of the list, respondents were most satisfied with the District’s efforts to provide reli- able water service (93% very or somewhat satisfied), provide convenient hours of operation (92%), provide good customer service (91%), and ensure an adequate water supply now and in the future (88%). When compared to the other services tested, respondents were somewhat less satisfied with the District’s efforts to offer good value for the cost of water services (65%) and provide rebate programs that encourage customers to purchase water-efficient appliances (69%). Even for these services, however, is it noteworthy that approximately two-thirds indicated they were satisfied. 50.8 24.1 8.1 5.7 5.1 3.2 3.0 1.2 0 102030405060 Water rates, cost of water Water taste, odor,color Billing issues Meter issues Not sure / No particular reason Customer service issues Water pressure Water reliability concerns % Respondents Who Are Dissatisfied With District's Performance Sa t i s f a c t i o n W i t h W a t e r S e r v i c e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 10East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Question 4 Next, I'm going to read a list of specific services provided by East Valley Water Dis- trict. For each of the services I read, please tell me whether you are satisfied or dissatisfied with the District's efforts to provide the service. Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the District's efforts to: _____, or do you not have an opinion? FIGURE 6 SATISFACTION WITH SERVICES DIFFERENTIATORS OF OPINION For the interested reader, Table 1 on the next page displays how the level of satisfaction with each specific service tested in Question 4 varied according to customers’ overall performance ratings for the District (see Overall Satisfaction on page 7). The table divides the 86% of customers who were satisfied with the District’s overall performance (Question 2) into one group and the 11% who were dissatisfied into a second group. The percentage figures in the columns indicate the percentage of respondents in the group that were satisfied with the identified service. Also displayed in the far right column is the difference between the two groups in terms of the percentage who indicated they were satisfied with the District’s efforts to provide each service tested in Question 4. For convenience, the ser- vices are sorted by that difference, with the greatest differentiators of opinion near the top of the table. Thus, for example, among those who were generally satisfied with the District’s overall perfor- mance in providing water services to their household, 89% were also satisfied with the District’s efforts to prepare for natural disasters and other emergencies, whereas just 24% of those gener- ally dissatisfied with the District’s overall performance were satisfied with this specific service area. This results in a large gap in satisfaction between these two groups (65%) for this service. When compared with their counterparts, those satisfied with the District’s performance in pro- viding water services overall were also more likely to express satisfaction with the District’s efforts to provide each of the 15 individual services tested in Question 4. That said, the greatest specific differentiators of opinion between satisfied and dissatisfied customers were found with 67.9 61.2 65.6 54.9 58.1 57.8 55.2 49.7 47.2 49.2 55.7 50.6 46.9 37.4 36.0 25.0 30.3 25.0 33.1 29.2 28.3 30.4 32.7 35.0 31.5 23.8 28.1 29.4 31.4 28.6 10.6 5 5 7 6 2 14.5 15.0 12.2 11.5 12.1 12.9 18.0 4.9 4.5 4.9 7.0 8.2 9.9 7.0 9.2 16.2 6 4.5 5.6 7.8 8.5 8.4 17.4 4 0 102030405060708090100 Provide reliable water service [93%] Provide convenient hours of operation [87%] Provide good customer service [90%] Ensure an adequate water supply now and in the future [82%] Keep water, wastewater systems in good condition through timely repairs, maintenance [82%] Provide accurate billing statements [94%] Communicate w/customers about scheduled repairs, service disruptions, other water-related issues [80%] Educate customers about ways to use water more efficiently [85%] Prepare for natural disasters and other emergencies [62%] Provide high quality water [88%] Provide water that is free of color and odor [92%] Provide water that is safe to drink [87%] Provide a clear explanation of how bills are calculated [92%] Provide rebate programs that encourage customers to purchase water-efficient devices [70%] Offer good value for the cost of water services [90%] % Respondents Who Provided Opinion Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Sa t i s f a c t i o n W i t h W a t e r S e r v i c e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 11East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . respect to the District’s efforts to prepare for natural disasters and other emergencies, commu- nicate with customers about scheduled repairs, service disruptions, and other water-related issues, and provide a clear explanation of how bills are calculated. In other words, these are the service areas that appear to be the primary drivers of dissatisfaction for certain customers. At the other end of the spectrum, there was much less difference between the two customer groups regarding their satisfaction with the District’s efforts to provide reliable water service and convenient hours of operation. TABLE 1 SATISFACTION WITH SERVICES BY OVERALL SATISFACTION Very or somewhat satisfied Very or somewhat dissatisfied Prepare for natural disasters and other emergencies 89.4 24.3 65.2 Communicate with customers about scheduled repairs, service disruptions and other water-related issues 92.6 30.2 62.3 Provide a clear explanation of how bills are calculated 83.2 22.8 60.5 Offer good value for the cost of water services 73.0 14.2 58.8 Provide accurate billing statements 92.3 33.7 58.6 Provide high quality water 87.3 31.2 56.1 Ensure an adequate water supply now and in the future 93.9 39.1 54.7 Keep the water and wastewater systems in good condition through timely repairs and maintenance 92.5 38.3 54.2 Provide good customer service 95.8 47.6 48.1 Provide water that is free of color and odor 84.8 37.8 47.0 Educate customers about ways to use water more efficiently 86.9 43.3 43.6 Provide rebate programs that encourage customers to purchase water-efficient devices 74.7 33.6 41.1 Provide water that is safe to drink 84.0 46.3 37.7 Provide convenient hours of operation 94.9 62.0 32.9 Provide reliable water service 96.1 66.5 29.6 Overall Satisfaction With EVWD (Q2)Difference Between Groups For Each Service % R e s p o n d e n t s S a t i s f i e d W i t h Ea c h S e r v i c e Cu s t o m e r S e r v i c e True North Research, Inc. © 2023 12East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C USTOMER SERVICE The next section of the survey included questions to gauge whether residential customers had contacted the District in the past six months, the reason for their most recent contact, and if the reason that prompted contact was resolved to their satisfaction. DISTRICT CONTACT Respondents were first asked if their household had contacted the East Valley Water District for any reason during the six months prior to the interview. Figure 7 shows that three-in-ten respondents (30%) lived in a household that had contacted the District in the six months prior to the interview. Question 5 During the past six months, have you or anyone else in your household contacted the East Valley Water District for any reason? FIGURE 7 CONTACTED EVWD IN PAST 6 MONTHS When compared with their respective counter- parts, customers dissatisfied with the Dis- trict’s overall performance, home owners, customers 55 years and older, Caucasian and mixed/other respondents, females, and those whose most recent bill was under $100 were the most likely to report having contacted the District during the six months preceding the interview (see figures 8 & 9). FIGURE 8 CONTACTED EVWD IN PAST 6 MONTHS BY OVERALL SATISFACTION, HOME OWNERSHIP STATUS, AGE & ETHNICITY Not sure 4.2 Contacted EVWD in past 6 months 30.1 Did not contact EVWD in past 6 months 65.6 Prefer not to answer 0.1 26.2 17.5 26.4 33.7 37.3 37.8 26.6 27.4 39.5 20.3 31.0 49.7 28.2 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Satisfied Dissatisfied Own Rent Under 35 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or olderCaucasian / White Latino / Hispanic Af American / Black Mixed / Other Overall Satisfaction (Q2) Home Ownership Status (QD4) Age (QD2) Ethnicity (QD7) % R e s p o n d e n t s T h a t C o n t a c t e d EV W D i n P a s t 6 M o n t h s Cu s t o m e r S e r v i c e True North Research, Inc. © 2023 13East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FIGURE 9 CONTACTED EVWD IN PAST 6 MONTHS BY HSLD MEMBERS, GENDER & MOST RECENT BILL REASON FOR CONTACT Respondents who indicated that they or someone in their house- hold had contacted EVWD within the past six months were asked a series of follow-up questions about their contact. The first question in this series asked respondents to recall the main reason or issue that prompted their most recent contact with the District. Question 6 was asked in an open-ended manner to avoid respondents being prompted by or restricted to a particular list of options. True North later reviewed the verbatim responses and grouped them into the categories shown in Figure 10. Question 6 Thinking of your most recent contact, what was the main reason or issue that prompted you to contact the District? FIGURE 10 MAIN REASON FOR CONTACTING DISTRICT 28.9 26.6 33.4 34.4 28.0 25.0 28.727.7 36.1 26.6 32.9 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 One Two Three Four Five or more Male Female Less than $100 $100 to $149 $150 to $199 $200 or more Hsld Members (QD3) Gender (QD1) Most Recent Bill % R e s p o n d e n t s T h a t C o n t a c t e d EV W D i n P a s t 6 M o n t h s 24.4 23.4 19.5 11.4 6.2 4.8 4.3 3.7 1.0 0.4 0.9 0 5 10 15 20 25 Questions about billing/payments Make payment/Pay bill Other Water-related service issue (leak, water pressure, quality, etc.) Request start/stop of service Request a payment extension or arrangement Learn about/Participate in rebate program Find out how to reduce bill Service interrupted for non-payment Learn about/Participate in gardening /landscaping workshops Board meeting information % Respondents Who Contacted EVWD in Past 6 Months Cu s t o m e r S e r v i c e True North Research, Inc. © 2023 14East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overall, respondents were most likely to have contacted the District with billing or payment questions (24%) or to make a payment (23%), followed by a collection of ‘other’ issues (20%) and water-related service issues such as a leak, water pressure problem, or water quality issue (11%). When customers who specifically mentioned having a problem with their water service were sub- sequently asked to describe the problem (Question 7), most responses were related to water leaks or the amount of their bill (see verbatim responses below). Question 7 Can you describe the specific problem you were having with your water service? • Leak with water access in front of yard. East Valley was the responsible party. It took a few days to fix. • Unknown source of water leak as water was flowing from the garage in a neighboring home and resident was not home. • It is water leak. • There is a leak where it connects to the meter. I was satisfied because they went to the build- ing and shut the water off for me after I called them. • My gardener messed up the irrigation system. • They are valve leaks. • There is a water leak from the main line. • There was a leak in the street in front of my house. •It was to see if the leak could be taken off of the bill cost. • Why was bill so high, why do you charge for Federal Express when I asked you not to send the envelope, when I always make phone payments. •We drained and refilled our pool and by notifying you we were able not to be charged at a higher tier for the extra water. • East Valley changed my water meter, blown lines in the walls. Sprinkler solenoid going bad flooded restrooms ever since water meter change none of these problems were there before water meter change no help from East Valley. •Color of water was grayish. • Water pressure varies in different areas of the house - low pressure. The reason I was given is that it depends on the location of the water tank in relation to my residence. I wanted to know the standard pressure for my home. I was told it can vary! •I wanted to get a water hardness level for my home or a general hardness level for the area I live in. Cu s t o m e r S e r v i c e True North Research, Inc. © 2023 15East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ISSUE RESOLVED TO SATISFACTION When asked if the reason for contacting the Dis- trict was ultimately resolved to their satisfaction, seven-in-ten (71% of) customers whose house- hold had contacted the District answered in the affirmative, whereas 24% stated the issue was not resolved to their satisfaction and 6% were unsure or unwilling to answer the question. Question 8 Was the reason you contacted them ultimately resolved to your satisfaction? FIGURE 11 ISSUE RESOLVED TO SATISFACTION SATISFACTION WITH SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES The final question in this series asked customers whose household had been in contact with the District to provide their level of satisfaction with the service representatives’ accessibility, courtesy, and knowledge/expertise. As displayed in Figure 12, respondents provided high ratings for all three dimensions tested, with approximately eight-in-ten respondents in this segment indicating they were very or some- what satisfied with the courtesy of the service representative (85%), their ability to reach a service representative (80%), and the knowledge and expertise of the service representative (78%). Question 9 When contacting the District, were you satisfied or dissatisfied with _____ or do you not have an opinion? FIGURE 12 SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE’S PERFORMANCE Not sure 4.2 Yes, issue resolved to satisfaction 70.8 No, issue was not resolved to satisfaction 23.8 Prefer not to answer 1.3 59.7 59.1 20.3 19.2 4.0 8.8 5.8 3.4 5.5 4.8 8.3 6.9 66.5 18.3 8.3 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 The courtesy of the service representative Your ability to reach a service representative The knowledge and expertise of the service representative Q9 Satisfaction with . . . % R e s p o n d e n t s W i t h D i s t r i c t Co n t a c t i n P a s t 6 M o n t h s Prefer not to answer Not sure Very dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Somewhat satisfied Very satisfied At t e n t i o n & V a l u e True North Research, Inc. © 2023 16East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A TTENTION & VALUE Having taken a pulse on the most important issues facing their community and customers’ satis- faction with various aspects of the water services their household receives from East Valley Water District, the survey transitioned to respondents’ attentiveness to the amount of water their household uses and their opinion of the cost. ATTENTION PAID TO HOUSEHOLD WATER USE The first question in this series asked respondents to rate how attentive they are to the amount of water their household uses. Overall, 58% of respondents reported that they are very attentive to their household’s water use, 29% said somewhat attentive, and 6% slightly attentive. Approximately 7% of respondents con- fided that they do not pay any attention to how much water their household uses and 1% were unsure (see Figure 13). Question 10 In general, how much attention do you pay to the amount of water your house- hold uses? Would you say you are very attentive, somewhat attentive, slightly attentive, or do you not pay attention to your water use? FIGURE 13 ATTENTIVENESS TO WATER USAGE Figures 14 and 15 on the next page display attentiveness to water use across a host of customer characteristics. The figures reveal that customers are reasonably consistent in the amount of attention they pay to their household’s water use. With the exception of African-American/Black customers who reported lower than average attentiveness (67%), the percentage of customers reporting that they were at least somewhat attentive ranged between 79% (most recent bill at least $200) and 92% (most recent bill less than $100). Figure 15 also makes clear that customers with lower bills pay more attention to their water use than customers with higher bills. I don't pay attention 6.6 Somewhat attentive 29.3 Very attentive 58.0 Not sure 0.5Slightly attentive 5.7 At t e n t i o n & V a l u e True North Research, Inc. © 2023 17East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FIGURE 14 ATTENTIVENESS TO WATER USAGE BY OVERALL SATISFACTION, CONTACTED DISTRICT IN PAST 6 MONTHS, HOME OWNERSHIP STATUS, AGE & GENDER FIGURE 15 ATTENTIVENESS TO WATER USAGE BY ETHNICITY, HSLD MEMBERS & MOST RECENT BILL REASONABLENESS OF COST Respondents were next asked whether they perceived that the amount their household pays for water service is reasonable, too high, or too low given the quality of the water service they receive. Overall, 64% of respondents felt the cost of water is too high relative to the quality, with 28% indicating that the price is much too high, 24% rating it as somewhat too high, and 13% saying the price is a little too high. One-third (33%) of customers rated the amount they pay for water service as reasonable, while less than 1% felt they pay too little given the quality of the water service their household receives. Approximately 3% of respon- dents were either unsure or unwilling to provide a response (see Figure 16 on next page). 57.6 53.6 58.1 52.9 56.7 61.8 53.6 61.5 29.4 36.2 34.2 31.1 37.1 27.2 24.1 33.8 25.4 Very attentive 56.9 65.4 65.8 55.6 50.8 Smwt attentive 30.7 31.4 23.123.9 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Satisfied Dis- satisfied Yes No Own Rent Under 35 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or older Male Female Overall Satisfaction (Q2) Contacted District in Past 6 Months (Q5) Home Ownership Status (QD4) Age (QD2) Gender (QD1) % R e s p o n d e n t s 61.3 55.2 63.4 57.0 63.7 56.1 54.3 44.0 27.3 30.4 27.5 32.3 29.8 28.1 29.7 28.8 34.8 55.453.3 32.5 63.7Very attentive 54.6 26.3 34.9 36.2 Smwt attentive 32.5 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Caucasian / White Latino / Hispanic Af American / Black Mixed / Other One Two Three Four Five or more Less than $100 $100 to $149 $150 to $199 $200 or more Ethnicity (QD7) Hsld Members (QD3) Most Recent Bill % R e s p o n d e n t s At t e n t i o n & V a l u e True North Research, Inc. © 2023 18East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Question 11 Considering the quality of the water service your household receives, would you say that the amount your household pays for water service is reasonable, too high, or too low? FIGURE 16 OPINION OF WATER SERVICE COST Figures 17-18 show how the perceived cost of the water services their household receives varied by EVWD’s overall performance, whether their household had contacted the District in the past six months, home ownership, age, gender, ethnicity, number of household members, and the amount of their most recent bill. The tendency to view the cost of their water service as too high was by far the greatest among those who were generally dissatisfied with their water services and customers who lived alone. Relationships were also found with age and most recent bill amount, with negative sentiment increasing with both. FIGURE 17 OPINION OF WATER SERVICE COST BY OVERALL SATISFACTION, CONTACTED DISTRICT IN PAST 6 MONTHS, HOME OWNERSHIP STATUS, AGE & GENDER DK/NA 3.1 Reasonable 32.8 Somewhat too high 23.6 Much too high 27.5 Too low 0.1 A little too high 12.9 26.4 32.4 24.2 41.2 30.1 24.7 26.4 27.7 24.3 18.1 25.1 21.9 24.5 11.7 16.4 20.0 19.4 26.3 29.4 22.1 25.1 13.8 10.1 13.2 12.3 18.4 13.7 9.8 13.2 19.1 14.3 11.1 36.3 2.6 29.2 35.0 33.5 33.3 56.1 37.9 29.6 27.9 22.8 33.6 33.0 0.73.23.53.13.43.24.1 2.5 4.2 4.0 3.6 2.9 19.122.2 65.7 29.4 26.8 6.0 12.7 0.2 0.3 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Satisfied Dissatisfied Yes No Own Rent Under 35 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or older Male Female Overall Satisfaction (Q2) Contacted District in Past 6 Months (Q5) Home Ownership Status (QD4) Age (QD2) Gender (QD1) % R e s p o n d e n t s DK/NA Too low Reasonable A little too high Somewhat too high Much too high At t e n t i o n & V a l u e True North Research, Inc. © 2023 19East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FIGURE 18 OPINION OF WATER SERVICE COST BY ETHNICITY, HSLD MEMBERS & MOST RECENT BILL 39.3 24.4 18.1 29.8 21.2 30.6 30.4 38.3 31.3 21.1 23.9 23.9 28.6 25.3 19.8 15.2 26.2 21.9 26.0 25.8 12.7 15.0 12.8 6.3 16.6 10.1 17.4 9.0 13.4 10.3 14.8 22.8 23.6 38.3 32.5 30.7 11.8 36.0 33.2 45.4 32.3 40.4 29.4 24.6 26.2 0.7 0.41.3 5.2 8.3 3.7 4.2 3.9 3.0 3.3 4.4 21.832.126.625.2 28.3 15.3 18.7 0.34.2 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Caucasian / White Latino / Hispanic Af American / Black Mixed / Other One Two Three Four Five or more Less than $100 $100 to $149 $150 to $199 $200 or more Ethnicity (QD7) Hsld Members (QD3) Most Recent Bill % R e s p o n d e n t s DK/NA Too low Reasonable A little too high Somewhat too high Much too high Pe r c e p t i o n s o f D i s t r i c t True North Research, Inc. © 2023 20East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P ERCEPTIONS OF DISTRICT The survey next turned to assessing customers’ perceptions of the East Valley Water District. Question 12 presented respondents with the six words or phrases shown to the left of Figure 19 and asked respondents whether they thought the word or phrase accurately described the Dis- trict as a public agency. As represented in the gray portions of the bars in the figure, between 24% and 41% of customers did not have an opinion or were unwilling to state whether the District could be described by each attribute. Among those with an opinion, however, perceptions of the District were decidedly positive. Overall, the District was viewed as effective (68% agree), a good community partner (62%), trustworthy (61%), and perceived to care about the environment (60%) by at least six-in-ten respondents. Approximately half of all respondents also perceived that the District is fiscally responsible (53%) and innovative (50%). The percentage who disagreed with these characteriza- tions of the District ranged between 8% and 11% of respondents. Question 12 Next, I'm going to read a series of words or phrases. For each I read, I'd like you to tell me whether - in your opinion - it accurately describes East Valley Water District as a public agency. 'Yes' means you think the phrase does accurately describe the Water District. No means it does not. If you don't have an opinion, just say so. FIGURE 19 PERCEPTIONS OF EVWD 8.2 10.2 9.6 8.2 10.9 8.8 21.8 26.5 32.4 38.9 2 1 2 3 4 250.1 60.1 62.4 68.1 52.8 60.6 28.9 27.8 0 102030405060708090100 Effective A good community partner Trustworthy Cares about the environment Fiscally responsible Innovative % Respondents Yes, describes EVWD Does not describe EVWD Not sure Prefer not to answer St r a t e g i c P r i o r i t i e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 21East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S TRATEGIC PRIORITIES In 2023, EVWD embarked up a process to update it’s five year Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan is intended to provide a road map for EVWD to operate efficiently, engage with the community, and to integrate sustainable water management practices and policies that support the District’s mis- sion. To help inform the District’s planning process, Question 13 was designed to provide the District with a reliable measure of how customers, as a whole, prioritize a variety of projects that could receive future action by the District. The format of the question was straightforward: respon- dents were asked whether each item shown in Figure 20 should be a high, medium, or low prior- ity for future action by the District—or if the District should not take action on the item at all. To encourage a sense of competition, respondents were instructed that not all of the projects could be high priorities. Question 13 Next, I'm going to read a short list of actions East Valley Water District can take in the future. As I read each item, please indicate whether you think the District should make this a high priority, medium priority, or low priority. If you think the District shouldn't take the action, please indicate so. Also, please keep in mind that not all items can be high priorities. FIGURE 20 STRATEGIC PRIORITIES The projects are sorted in Figure 20 from high to low based on the percentage of respondents who indicated that an item was at least a medium priority for future action by the District. Among the items tested, replacing aging pipes and infrastructure to reduce leaks and improve system performance was assigned the highest priority (92% high or medium priority), followed by encouraging customers to be more efficient in their use of water through education, incen- tives, and rebates (85%) and developing additional local water supplies and expanding the use of recycled water to enhance the reliability of our water supplies (83%). 15.1 26.2 24.0 28.2 30.0 29.6 9.3 16.0 14.5 1 3 3 4 1 3 5 3 8 7 6 7 59.2 47.2 76.5 58.8 50.5 46.0 3 6.3 10.9 0 102030405060708090100 Replace aging pipes and infrastructure to reduce leaks and improve system performance Encourage customers to be more efficient in their use of water through education, incentives, and rebates Develop additional local water supplies and expand the use of recycled water to enhance the reliability of our water supplies Further reduce the District’s environmental impacts, including relying more on renewable energy sources to reduce pollution Upgrade technology to improve customers’ experiences and access to information Partner with local schools to offer water and wastewater career- preparedness courses and jobs training Q1 3 d Q1 3 a Q1 3 c Q1 3 e Q1 3 b Q1 3 f % Respondents High priority Medium priority Low priority Shouldn't take action Not sure Co m m u n i c a t i o n True North Research, Inc. © 2023 22East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C OMMUNICATION This final substantive section of the report presents the results of questions that were designed to measure respondents’ satisfaction with the East Valley Water District’s efforts to communicate with customers as well as identify the most effective ways for the District to communicate with residential customers. SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION Question 14 asked respondents to report their overall satisfaction with the District’s efforts to communicate with customers through newsletters, social media, its website, bill inserts, and other means. Overall, 84% of respondents indicated that they were satisfied with the District’s efforts in this regard, with 46% indicating that they were very satisfied and 38% somewhat satisfied (Figure 21). The remaining respon- dents were either dissatisfied with the District's communication efforts (11%) or unsure or unwill- ing to provide an opinion (5%). Question 14 In general, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the District's efforts to communi- cate with customers through newsletters, social media, its website, bill inserts, and other means? FIGURE 21 SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION Figures 22-23 display how satisfaction with the District’s efforts to communicate with customers varied across a series of key subgroups. Satis- faction with the District’s communication efforts was widespread, with at least 70% of respon- dents in nearly every subgroup reporting they were either very or somewhat satisfied. As might be expected, respondents dissatisfied with the District’s overall performance also tended to be less satisfied with the District’s communication efforts when compared with those who were generally satisfied with the East Valley Water Dis- trict (30% vs. 90%). FIGURE 22 SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION BY ETHNICITY, HSLD MEMBERS & MOST RECENT BILL Prefer not to answer 1.3 Very dissatisfied 4.2 Somewhat satisfied 37.6 Very satisfied 46.1 Not sure 3.9 Somewhat dissatisfied 6.9 37.5 46.3 42.9 53.4 48.7 46.5 42.4 35.8 42.7 44.3 38.7 30.0 35.7 32.5 41.6 39.6 37.0 47.746.946.348.3 Very satisfied 44.4 34.6 42.2 38.8 Smwt satisfied 41.9 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Caucasian / White Latino / Hispanic Af American / Black Mixed / Other One Two Three Four Five or more Less than $100 $100 to $149 $150 to $199 $200 or more Ethnicity (QD7) Hsld Members (QD3) Most Recent Bill % R e s p o n d e n t s Co m m u n i c a t i o n True North Research, Inc. © 2023 23East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FIGURE 23 SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION BY OVERALL SATISFACTION, CONTACTED DISTRICT IN PAST 6 MONTHS, HOME OWNERSHIP STATUS, AGE & GENDER COMMUNICATION PREFERENCES The final question in this series presented respon- dents with each of the methods shown to the left of Figure 24 and simply asked, for each, whether it would be an effective way for the District to communicate with them. Overall, respon- dents indicated that information mailed to the home was the most effective method (90% very or somewhat effective), followed by information inserted into their utility bill envelope (86%), text messages (82%), and email (79%). Question 15 As I read the following ways that the District can communicate with customers, I'd like to know if you think they would be a very effective, somewhat effective, or not at all effective way for the District to communicate with you. FIGURE 24 EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNICATION METHODS 46.5 43.3 54.7 41.6 49.7 45.8 49.1 45.3 36.7 52.7 28.2 43.7 46.5 31.9 40.2 33.1 41.6 Very satisfied 51.4 11.8 47.2 46.3 41.3 Smwt satisfied 38.8 42.5 28.1 18.4 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Satisfied Dissatisfied Yes No Own Rent Under 35 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or older Male Female Overall Satisfaction (Q2) Contacted District in Past 6 Months (Q5) Home Ownership Status (QD4) Age (QD2) Gender (QD1) % R e s p o n d e n t s 53.0 49.6 55.0 48.5 38.6 30.0 30.8 35.7 30.3 21.9 16.8 36.9 36.3 26.7 30.9 37.5 43.3 40.9 35.3 31.2 30.5 29.4 7.8 11.0 13.2 16.3 19.4 21.2 20.2 23.9 29.0 36.5 34.8 2.2 3.2 5.1 4.2 4.4 5.5 8.1 5.1 9.4 11.1 19.0 0 102030405060708090100 Information mailed to your house Information inserted into your utility bill envelope Text messages Email District website Electronic Newsletters Community events Notices hung on your front door handle Social Media like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter YouTube videos Nextdoor Q1 5 h Q1 5 i Q1 5 c Q1 5 a Q1 5 g Q1 5 b Q1 5 k Q1 5 j Q1 5 d Q1 5 f Q1 5 e % Respondents Very effective Smwt effective Not at all effectiv e Not sure/Prefer not to answer Co m m u n i c a t i o n True North Research, Inc. © 2023 24East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . At the other end of the spectrum, Nextdoor (46%), YouTube videos (52%), and social media (62%) were perceived to be the least effective ways for the District to communicate with residential cus- tomers. For the interested reader, tables 2-5 display the percentage of respondents who per- ceived each proposed communication method as very effective across subgroups, with the top three most effective methods within each subgroup highlighted in green to ease comparisons. TABLE 2 EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNICATION METHODS BY AGE & OVERALL SATISFACTION (SHOWING % VERY EFFECTIVE) TABLE 3 EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNICATION M ETHODS BY E THNICITY & HOME O WNERSHIP STATUS (SHOWING % VERY EFFECTIVE) TABLE 4 EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNICATION METHODS BY HSLD MEMBERS & GENDER (SHOWING % VERY EFFECTIVE) TABLE 5 EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNICATION METHODS BY MOST RECENT BILL & SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION (SHOWING % VERY EFFECTIVE) Under 35 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or older Satisfied Dissatisfied Text messages 72.6 58.8 66.6 52.3 44.1 55.3 53.8 Information mailed to your house 51.1 51.4 57.8 49.6 54.5 56.5 25.7 Information inserted into your utility bill envelope 64.3 40.8 55.2 42.7 51.1 52.1 30.0 Email 71.2 47.3 57.6 35.6 50.1 50.6 32.2 District website 47.8 48.1 35.4 37.8 31.6 40.6 20.8 Notices hung on your front door handle 36.5 32.9 37.7 42.5 35.8 37.1 23.6 Community events 29.9 30.3 37.8 34.3 30.7 32.9 10.9 Social Media like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter 30.9 46.6 40.9 26.8 17.8 32.5 15.5 Electronic Newsletters 28.6 39.2 33.2 26.6 24.8 32.5 11.5 YouTube videos 34.1 29.3 15.1 21.7 15.6 24.0 5.1 Nextdoor 18.4 18.0 15.1 19.1 15.0 17.6 13.8 Age (QD2) Overall Satisfaction (Q2) Caucasian /White Latino/ Hispanic Af American / Black Mixed / Other Own Rent Text messages 41.7 63.3 44.6 54.3 55.5 63.8 Information mailed to your house 44.7 60.7 60.5 35.2 52.9 60.3 Information inserted into your utility bill envelope 43.1 56.0 42.5 43.7 48.6 72.2 Email 37.1 58.9 39.1 36.4 48.0 66.7 District website 22.3 48.2 21.9 36.4 36.9 70.5 Notices hung on your front door handle 31.0 38.9 36.3 41.5 35.1 48.4 Community events 29.2 36.2 18.5 32.1 29.1 57.9 Social Media like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter 17.0 40.7 18.5 26.2 28.9 53.3 Electronic Newsletters 17.0 40.2 21.1 19.3 27.3 67.6 YouTube videos 9.6 28.7 11.7 24.3 20.5 44.7 Nextdoor 8.6 21.6 15.1 11.4 16.1 31.7 Ethnicity (QD7) Home Ownership Status (QD4) One Two Three Four Five or more Male Female Text messages 40.6 48.6 55.0 69.3 58.2 54.9 56.1 Information mailed to your house 53.4 53.2 40.4 55.4 57.9 54.1 53.2 Information inserted into your utility bill envelope 52.9 47.2 39.3 52.5 56.1 46.1 53.8 Email 36.9 42.2 48.5 50.2 57.1 49.5 48.4 District website 25.3 30.7 38.8 38.9 46.3 43.1 34.1 Notices hung on your front door handle 40.4 29.9 35.1 43.5 36.0 36.5 35.8 Community events 23.9 24.0 39.1 26.4 35.5 32.5 29.7 Social Media like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter 15.8 13.4 36.3 37.0 37.8 33.2 27.3 Electronic Newsletters 17.1 18.2 29.6 33.6 38.6 29.3 30.8 YouTube videos 12.6 13.8 22.1 26.8 26.0 27.0 15.8 Nextdoor 16.6 13.2 18.2 17.3 17.7 17.5 15.0 Hsld Members (QD3) Gender (QD1) Less than $100 $100 to $149 $150 to $199 $200 or more Satisfied Dissatisfied Text messages 54.2 56.7 51.5 54.8 57.0 41.7 Information mailed to your house 51.3 56.2 48.4 50.4 58.0 25.3 Information inserted into your utility bill envelope 51.3 50.7 40.2 49.8 55.0 17.5 Email 45.2 51.8 49.6 44.0 52.0 32.1 District website 40.9 40.6 30.6 28.5 39.6 33.2 Notices hung on your front door handle 39.2 33.5 28.9 42.0 37.6 21.3 Community events 29.5 32.9 29.7 26.7 34.7 16.1 Social Media like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter 30.1 32.5 24.8 28.1 33.8 12.6 Electronic Newsletters 27.7 32.3 30.0 28.1 33.3 15.3 YouTube videos 21.3 22.8 24.5 14.6 23.9 14.6 Nextdoor 16.0 17.0 16.1 22.0 18.4 13.2 Satisfaction With Communication (Q14)Most Recent Bill Ba c k g r o u n d & D e m o g r a p h i c s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 25East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B ACKGROUND & DEMOGRAPHICS TABLE 6 DEMOGRAPHICS OF SAMPLE Table 6 presents the key demographic information col- lected during the survey. The primary motivation for col- lecting the background and demographic information was to provide a better insight into how the results of the sub- stantive questions of the survey vary by demographic characteristics. Because this study randomly sampled cus- tomer accounts, the demographics match those of indi- viduals who are direct East Valley Water District customers and not necessarily the general population. This is partic- ularly notable when it comes to home ownership and housing type, as those who rent a property or live in an apartment or mobile home are typically not the individual listed on the account for water services. Total Respondents 400 Gender (QD1) Male 49.4 Female 46.7 Prefer not to answer 3.8 Age (QD2) Under 35 13.4 35 to 44 16.5 45 to 54 13.7 55 to 64 18.5 65 or older 21.6 Prefer not to answer 16.4 Hsld Members (QD3) One 10.6 Two 16.7 Three 17.2 Four 16.9 Five or more 34.0 Prefer not to answer 4.5 Home Ownership Status (QD4) Own 89.5 Rent 6.9 Live with family/friends 0.6 Prefer not to answer 3.0 Water Bill Responsibility (QD5) Hsld pays bill directly 96.1 Someone else pays bill 1.7 Prefer not to answer 2.2 Home Type (QD6) Single family detached home 96.6 Apartment 0.7 Condominium or townhome 0.8 Mobile home 0.1 Prefer not to answer 1.8 Ethnicity (QD7) Caucasian / White 17.7 Latino / Hispanic 53.1 Af American / Black 8.3 Asian 3.8 Mixed / Other 5.5 Prefer not to answer 11.5 Most Recent Bill Less than $75 5.7 $75 to $99 32.5 $100 to $149 42.8 $150 to $199 12.4 $200 or more 6.6 Me t h o d o l o g y True North Research, Inc. © 2023 26East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M ETHODOLOGY The following sections outline the methodology used in the study, as well as the motivation for using certain techniques. QUESTIONNAIRE DEVELOPMENT Dr. McLarney of True North Research worked closely with the East Valley Water District to develop a questionnaire that covered the topics of interest and avoided many possible sources of systematic measurement error, including position-order effects, wording effects, response-category effects, scaling effects, and priming. Several ques- tions included multiple individual items. Because asking items in a set order can lead to a sys- tematic position bias in responses, items were asked in random order for each respondent. Some questions asked in this study were presented only to a subset of respondents. For exam- ple, only respondents who indicated that they had contacted the District in the six months prior to the survey (Question 5) were asked to describe the reason for contacting the District (Ques- tions 6-7) and their experiences (Questions 8-9). The questionnaire included with this report (see Questionnaire & Toplines on page 29) identifies the skip patterns used during the interview to ensure that each respondent received the appropriate questions. PROGRAMMING, PRE-TEST & TRANSLATION Prior to fielding the survey, the ques- tionnaire was CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) programmed to assist interview- ers when conducting the phone interviews. The CATI program automatically navigates the skip patterns, randomizes the appropriate question items, and alerts interviewers to certain types of keypunching mistakes should they happen during the interview. The survey was also pro- grammed into a passcode-protected online survey application to allow online participation for sampled customers. The integrity of the questionnaire was pre-tested internally by True North and by dialing into random homes in the District’s service area prior to formally beginning the survey. The final questionnaire was also professionally translated into Spanish to allow for data collection in English and Spanish. SAMPLE, RECRUITING & DATA COLLECTION Using the District’s customer database as a starting point, customers were first stratified by area of residence and the amount of their most recent bill, then randomly selected for inclusion in the sample. This ensured that all cus- tomers had an equal probability of being included in the study, while also maintaining the proper balance of customers by geography and how much they pay for water services. Once selected, customers were recruited to participate in the survey through multiple recruiting meth- ods. Customers were initially invited to participate in the survey online at a secure, passcode- protected website designed and hosted by True North. Individuals were recruited using email invitations and text invitations, and each customer was assigned a unique passcode to ensure that only East Valley Water District customers who received an invitation could access the online survey site, and that the survey could be completed only one time per passcode. Email reminder notices were also sent to encourage participation among those who had yet to take the survey. Following a period of online data collection, True North placed telephone calls to land lines and cell phone numbers of customers who had yet to participate in the online survey or for whom only telephone contact information was available. Me t h o d o l o g y True North Research, Inc. © 2023 27East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Telephone interviews averaged 15 minutes in length and were conducted during weekday eve- nings (5:30PM to 9PM) and on weekends (10AM to 5PM). It is standard practice not to call during the day on weekdays because most working adults are unavailable and thus calling during those hours would bias the sample. A total of 400 completed surveys were gathered between August 15 and August 27, 2023. MARGIN OF ERROR DUE TO SAMPLING The results of the survey can be used to esti- mate the opinions of all customer households within the District’s service area. Because not every customer in the service area participated in the survey, however, the results have what is known as a statistical margin of error due to sampling. The margin of error refers to the differ- ence between what was found in the survey of 400 customers for a particular question and what would have been found if all 19,930 residential accounts had been interviewed.2 Figure 25 provides a plot of the maximum margin of error in this study. The maximum margin of error for a dichotomous percentage result occurs when the answers are evenly split such that 50% provide one response and 50% provide the alternative response. For this survey, the maxi- mum margin of error is ± 4.9% for questions answered by all 400 respondents. FIGURE 25 MAXIMUM MARGIN OF ERROR Within this report, figures and tables show how responses to certain questions varied by cus- tomer characteristics such as most recent bill, age, and number of household members. Figure 25 is thus useful for understanding how the maximum margin of error for a percentage estimate will grow as the number of individuals asked a question (or in a particular subgroup) shrinks. Because the margin of error grows exponentially as the sample size decreases, the reader should use caution when generalizing and interpreting the results for small subgroups as the margin of error for small subgroups can be ± 10% or more. 2. This figure is estimated based on the number of residential customer accounts in EVWD’s customer data- base, which is a proxy for households. 400 Respondents ± 4.9% 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 Sample Size (Number of Respondents) Ma r g i n o f E r r o r Me t h o d o l o g y True North Research, Inc. © 2023 28East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DATA PROCESSING Data processing consisted of checking the data for errors or inconsis- tencies, coding and recoding responses, categorizing verbatim responses, weighting, and pre- paring frequency analyses and crosstabulations. ROUNDING Numbers that end in 0.5 or higher are rounded up to the nearest whole num- ber, whereas numbers that end in 0.4 or lower are rounded down to the nearest whole number. These same rounding rules are also applied, when needed, to arrive at numbers that include a decimal place in constructing figures and tables. Occasionally, these rounding rules lead to small discrepancies in the first decimal place when comparing tables and charts for a given question. Due to rounding, some figures and narrative include numbers that add to more than or less than 100%. Qu e s t i o n n a i r e & T o p l i n e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 29East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Q UESTIONNAIRE & TOPLINES True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 1 E ast Valley Water D istrict Customer Surv ey Final Toplines (n=400) August 2023 Section 1: Introducti on to Study Hi, may I please speak with _____? Hi, name is _____ and Im calling on behalf of your water provider East Valley Water District. Were conducting a short survey of customers and we would like to get your opinions. If needed: This is a survey about your water services Im NOT trying to sell anything and I wont ask for a donation. Your answers will be confidential. If needed: The survey should take about 12 minutes to complete. If needed: If now is not a convenient time, can you let me know a better time so I can call back? Section 2: Importance of I s su es Q1 To begin, what do you feel is the most important issue facing your community today? Verbatim responses recorded and later grouped into categories shown below. Nothing / Everything is okay 23% High cost of living 16% Homelessness 12% Water supply, drought 10% Water rates, cost of water 9% Water quality 8% Public safety, crime 8% Not sure / Cannot think of anything 8% Economy, jobs 5% Climate change concerns 4% City maintenance, landscaping 2% Infrastructure, streets, roads 2% Environmental concerns 1% Government, leadership 1% Overdevelopment 1% City planning, development 1% Illegal immigration issues 1% Qu e s t i o n n a i r e & T o p l i n e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 30East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . East Valley Water District Customer Survey August 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 2 Section 3: Sa tisf a ction w ith W ater Ser v ices Q2 Generally speaking, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the job East Valley Water District is doing to provide water services to your household? Get answer, then ask: Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? 1 Very satisfied 56% Skip to Q4 2 Somewhat satisfied 29% Skip to Q4 3 Somewhat dissatisfied 6% Ask Q3 4 Very dissatisfied 5% Ask Q3 98 Not Sure 3% Skip to Q4 99 Prefer not to answer 1% Skip to Q4 Q3 Is there a particular reason why you are dis s atisf ied with the Districts performance? Verbatim responses recorded and later grouped into categories shown below. Water rates, cost of water 51% Water taste, odor, color 24% Billing issues 8% Meter issues 6% Not sure / No particular reason 5% Customer service issues 3% Water pressure 3% Water reliability concerns 1% Q4 Next, Im going to read a list of specific services provided by East Valley Water District. For each of the services I read, please tell me whether you are satisfied or dissatisfied with the Districts efforts to provide the service. Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the Districts efforts to: _____, or do you not have an opinion? (Get answer. If satisfied or dissatisfied, then ask): Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? Randomize Ve r y Sa t i s f i e d So m e w h a t Sa t i s f i e d So m e w h a t Di s s a t i s f i e d Ve r y Di s s a t i s f i e d No t s u r e Pr e f e r n o t t o An s w e r High Quality A Provide high quality water 44% 28% 10% 7% 11% 1% B Provide water that is free of color and odor 51% 22% 11% 8% 7% 1% Reliability C Ensure an adequate water supply now and in the future 45% 27% 4% 6% 16% 2% D Keep the water and wastewater systems in good condition through timely repairs and maintenance 48% 24% 6% 5% 17% 1% E Provide reliable water service 63% 23% 2% 5% 6% 0% Qu e s t i o n n a i r e & T o p l i n e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 31East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . East Valley Water District Customer Survey August 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 3 Safety F Prepare for natural disasters and other emergencies 30% 22% 8% 4% 36% 2% G Provide water that is safe to drink 44% 24% 11% 7% 12% 1% Cost-Effective H Offer good value for the cost of water services 32% 26% 16% 16% 9% 1% I Provide rebate programs that encourage customers to purchase water-efficient devices 26% 22% 11% 11% 28% 2% Customer Service J Communicate with customers about scheduled repairs, service disruptions and other water-related issues 44% 24% 8% 4% 19% 1% K Provide good customer service 59% 23% 4% 4% 9% 1% L Provide accurate billing statements 54% 27% 8% 5% 5% 1% M Provide convenient hours of operation 53% 26% 4% 3% 12% 1% N Provide a clear explanation of how bills are calculated 43% 27% 13% 8% 8% 1% Environment & Sustainability O Educate customers about ways to use water more efficiently 42% 28% 9% 6% 13% 2% Section 4: Cus tom er Serv ice Q5 During the past s ix months, have you or anyone else in your household contacted the East Valley Water District for any reason? 1 Yes 30% Ask Q6 2 No 66% Skip to Q10 98 Not sure 4% Skip to Q10 99 Prefer not to answer 0% Skip to Q10 Q6 Thinking of your most recent contact, what was the main reason or issue that prompted you to contact the District? Do Not Read List. 1 W ater-r elated s er v ice is sue (leak, water pressure, quality, etc.) 11% Ask Q7 2 Request s tar t/s top of service 6% Skip to Q8 3 Questions abou t billing/payments 24% Skip to Q8 4 Make payment/P ay bill 23% Skip to Q8 5 Request a pay ment extens ion or arrangement 5% Skip to Q8 6 Service interrupted for non-payment 1% Skip to Q8 7 Find out how to reduce bi ll 4% Skip to Q8 8 Learn about/Participate in rebate pr ogram 4% Skip to Q8 9 Learn about r ules and l imi ta tions on 0% Skip to Q8 Qu e s t i o n n a i r e & T o p l i n e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 32East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . East Valley Water District Customer Survey August 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 4 outdoor water use 10 Learn about/Participate in g a rd en ing /lands cap ing w or kshops 1% Skip to Q8 11 Learn how to read y ou r meter 0% Skip to Q8 12 B oard meeti ng information 0% Skip to Q8 13 Other 19% Skip to Q8 98 Not sure 0% Skip to Q8 99 Prefer not to answer 0% Skip to Q8 Q7 Can you describe the specific problem you were having with your water service? Color of water was grayish. East Valley changed my water, meter blown lines in the walls. Sprinkler solenoid going bad flooded restrooms ever since water meter change none of these problems were there before water meter change no help from East Valley. Why was the bill so high, why do you charge for fed express when I asked you not to send the envelope, when I always make phone payments. We drained and refilled our pool and by notifying you we were able not to be charged at a higher tier for the extra water. Water pressure varies in different areas of the house low pressure. The reason I was given is that it depends on the location of the water tank in relation to my residence. I wanted to know the std. pressure for my home Pacific & Colwyn Avenues in Highland. I was told it can vary. I wanted to get a water hardness level for my home or a general hardness level for the area I live in. Leak with water access in front of yard. East valley was the responsible party. It took a few days to fix. Unknown source of water leak as water was flowing from the garage in a neighboring home and resident was not home. It is water leak. There is a leak where it connects to the meter. I was satisfied because they went to the building and shut the water off for me after I called them. My gardener messed up the irrigation system. They are valve leaks. It was to see if the leak could be taken off the bill cost. There is a water leak from the main line. There was a leak in the street in front of my house. Q8 Was the reason you contacted them ultimately resolved to your satisfaction? 1 Yes 71% 2 No 24% 98 Not sure 4% 99 Prefer not to answer 1% Qu e s t i o n n a i r e & T o p l i n e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 33East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . East Valley Water District Customer Survey August 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 5 Q9 When contacting the District, were you satisfied or dissatisfied with ____, or do you not have an opinion? (Get answer. If satisfied or dissatisfied, then ask): Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? Randomize Ve r y Sa t i s f i e d So m e w h a t Sa t i s f i e d So m e w h a t Di s s a t i s f i e d Ve r y Di s s a t i s f i e d No t s u r e Pr e f e r n o t t o An s w e r A Your ability to reach a service representative 60% 20% 8% 3% 8% 0% B The courtesy of the service representative 67% 18% 4% 6% 5% 0% C The knowledge and expertise of the service representative 59% 19% 9% 6% 7% 0% Section 5: Attention & Value Q10 In general, how much attention do you pay to the amount of water your household uses? Would you say you are very attentive, somewhat attentive, slightly attentive, or do you not pay attention to your water use? 1 Very attentive 58% 2 Somewhat attentive 29% 3 Slightly attentive 6% 4 I dont pay attention 7% 98 Not sure 0% 99 Prefer not to answer 0% Q11 Considering the quality of the water service your household receives, would you say that the amount your household pays for water service is reasonable, too high, or too low? If says too high, ask: Would that be much too high, somewhat too high, or a little too high? 1 Much Too High 27% 2 Somewhat Too High 24% 3 A Little Too High 13% 4 Reasonable 33% 5 Too Low 0% 98 Not sure 3% 99 Prefer not to answer 0% Qu e s t i o n n a i r e & T o p l i n e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 34East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . East Valley Water District Customer Survey August 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 6 Section 6: P erceptions of D is trict Q12 Next, Im going to read a series of words or phrases. For each I read, Id like you to tell me whether in your opinion it accurately describes East Valley Water District as a public agency. Yes means you think the phrase does accurately describe the Water District. No means it does not. If you dont have an opinion, just say so. Here is the (first/next) one: _____. Do you think this phrase accurately describes East Valley Water District? Randomize Ye s No No t s u r e Pr e f e r n o t to a n s w e r A Trustworthy 61% 10% 28% 2% B Fiscally responsible 53% 11% 32% 4% C Effective 68% 8% 22% 2% D A good community partner 62% 10% 27% 1% E Cares about the environment 60% 8% 29% 3% F Innovative 50% 9% 39% 2% Section 7: Strateg ic P rior ities Q13 Next, Im going to read a short list of actions East Valley Water District can take in the future. As I read each item, please indicate whether you think the District should make this a high priority, medium priority, or low priority. If you think the District shouldnt take the action, please indicate so. Also, please keep in mind that not all items can be high priorities. Here is the (first/next) one: _____. Should this be a high, medium, or low priority for the District or should it not take this action? Randomize Hi g h P r i o r i t y Me d i u m Pr i o r i t y Lo w P r i o r i t y Sh o u l d N O T ta k e t h i s ac t i o n No t s u r e Pr e f e r n o t t o an s w e r A Encourage customers to be more ef fi cient in their use of water through education, incentives, and rebates 59% 26% 9% 3% 2% 1% B Upgrade technology to improve customers experiences and access to information 47% 30% 16% 1% 5% 1% C Develop additional local water supplies and expand the use of recycled water to enhance the r eliability of our water supplies 59% 24% 6% 3% 7% 1% D Replace aging pipes and infr as tr ucture to reduce leaks and improve system performance 76% 15% 3% 1% 4% 1% E Further reduce the Districts env ironmenta l impacts , including relying more on renewable energy sources to reduce pollution 51% 28% 11% 4% 6% 1% F Partner with local schools to offer water and wastewater career -preparednes s courses and jobs training 46% 30% 14% 3% 6% 1% Qu e s t i o n n a i r e & T o p l i n e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 35East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . East Valley Water District Customer Survey August 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 7 Section 8: Commu nication Q14 In general, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the Districts efforts to communicate with customers through newsletters, social media, its website, bill inserts, and other means? Get answer, then ask: Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? 1 Very satisfied 46% 2 Somewhat satisfied 38% 3 Somewhat dissatisfied 7% 4 Very dissatisfied 4% 98 Not sure 4% 99 Prefer not to answer 1% Q15 As I read the following ways that the District can communicate with customers, Id like to know if you think they would be a very effective, somewhat effective, or not at all effective way for the District to communicate with you. Here is the (first/next) one: _____. Would this be a very effective, somewhat effective, or not at all effective way for the District to communicate with you? Randomize Ve r y So m e w h a t No t a t a l l No t s u r e / Pr e f e r n o t to a n s w e r A Email 49% 31% 16% 4% B Electronic Newsletters 30% 43% 21% 6% C Text messages 55% 27% 13% 5% D Social Media like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter 30% 31% 29% 9% E Nextdoor 17% 29% 35% 19% F YouTube videos 22% 31% 37% 11% G District website 39% 37% 19% 4% H Information mailed to your house 53% 37% 8% 2% I Information inserted into your utility bill envelope 50% 36% 11% 3% J Notices hung on your front door handle 36% 35% 24% 5% K Community events 31% 41% 20% 8% Qu e s t i o n n a i r e & T o p l i n e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 36East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . East Valley Water District Customer Survey August 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 8 Section 9: Demographics Thank you so much for your participation. I have just a few background questions for statistical purposes. D1 What is your gender? 1 Male 49% 2 Female 47% 3 Non-binary 0% 99 Prefer not to answer 4% D2 In what year were you born? Year coded into age categories shown below. Under 35 13% 35 to 44 17% 45 to 54 14% 55 to 64 18% 65 or older 22% Prefer not to answer 16% D3 How many people, including you, live in your household? 1 11% 2 17% 3 17% 4 17% 5 or more 34% Prefer not to answer 5% D4 Do you own or rent your current residence? 1 Own 89% 2 Rent 7% 3 Live with family / friends and dont pay rent 1% 99 Prefer not to answer 3% Qu e s t i o n n a i r e & T o p l i n e s True North Research, Inc. © 2023 37East Valley Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . East Valley Water District Customer Survey August 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 9 D5 Does your household pay the water & wastewater bill directly, or is it paid for by someone else like a landlord or Home Owners Association? 1 Household pays bill directly 96% 2 Someone else pays bill 2% 99 Prefer not to answer 2% D6 Which of the following best describes your current home? 1 Single family detached home 97% 2 Apartment 1% 3 Condominium or townhome 1% 4 Mobile home 0% 99 Prefer not to answer 2% D7 What ethnic group do you consider yourself a part of or feel closest to? Read list if respondent hesitates 1 Caucasian/White 18% 2 Latino/Hispanic 53% 3 African-American/Black 8% 4 American Indian or Alaskan Native 1% 5 As ian -- Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Indian, or other Asian 4% 6 Pacific Islander <1% 7 Mixed Heritage 3% 98 Other 1% 99 Prefer not to answer 12% Those are all of the questions that I have for you! Thanks so much for participating in this important survey! Post-Interview & Sample Items S1 Most Recent Bill Less than $75 6% $75 to $99 32% $100 to $149 43% $150 to $199 12% $200 or more 7% Agenda Item #4a January 10, 20241 Meeting Date: January 10, 2024 Agenda Item #4a Discussion Item Regular Board Meeting TO: Governing Board Members FROM: General Manager/CEO SUBJECT: Consider Approval of Board of Directors Policies and Rescind Board of Directors Evaluation Policy RECOMMENDATION That the Board of Directors review, approve and/or rescind the following policies: 1. Approve – New General Manager/CEO Recruitment Policy 2. Approve – Revised General Manager/CEO Evaluation Policy 3. Rescind – Board of Directors Evaluation Policy BACKGROUND / ANALYSIS In support of East Valley Water District’s mission, the Governing Board has adopted and maintained a Board of Directors Handbook along with several policies to educate and guide the Board to a high level of strategic success and achievement in accordance with best practices. New policies are created, and current policies may be revised or rescinded as needed based upon Board direction. At this time, staff recommends the review, approval and/or rescission of the following three (3) policies: 1. Approval of the new General Manager/CEO Recruitment Policy - The purpose of this policy is to provide a framework and direction to the Board of Directors for the recruitment and selection of a General Manager/CEO, while promoting fairness, consistency, transparency, and compliance with associated laws and regulations. As stated in the East Valley Water District Board of Directors Handbook, Chapter 1 – Role and Authority, it is the authority of the Board of Directors to hire a General Manager/CEO to manage the day-to-day operations of the District. 2. Approval of the revised General Manager/CEO Evaluation Policy – The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the Board of Directors and the General Manager/CEO are in sync on carrying out the vision and strategic direction of the District. Evaluation of the General Manager/CEO can help improve confidence, support professional development, and enhance productive interactions between the Board, General Manager/CEO, and Agenda Item #4a January 10, 20242 Meeting Date: January 10, 2024 Agenda Item #4a Discussion Item District staff. The revisions made to this policy include the following: •Removal of facilitation of the process by an independent third-party consultant and amends with the facilitation process being conducted by the District’s legal counsel or a facilitator of the Board of Directors’ choosing. •Amends the Schedule for Evaluation which was based on the previous General Manager/CEO’s anniversary date and provides a more universal schedule based on the current General Manager/CEO’s anniversary date at that time. •Addition of the preparation of a narrative by the facilitator to help guide the evaluation process. •More clearly defines the two-part closed session meeting for the actual performance evaluation. •Includes that the General Manager/CEO will present his/her recommended goals and objectives for the upcoming year after the conclusion of the evaluation meeting. 3. Rescission of Board of Directors Evaluation Policy - This Board of Directors policy was created to allow Board members to evaluate each other. Industry best practices, including California Special District Association, do not recommend Board Members formally evaluate each other. Instead, Board Members are encouraged to have regular communication with each other and the General Manager/CEO on their performance that may be affecting the District. AGENCY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES I - Implement Effective Solutions Through Visionary Leadership D. Encourage Performance Based Results through Staff Empowerment REVIEW BY OTHERS This agenda item has been reviewed by the Administration Department. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact associated with these policies. Agenda Item #4a January 10, 20243 Meeting Date: January 10, 2024 Agenda Item #4a Discussion Item Recommended by: ________________ Michael Moore General Manager/CEO Respectfully submitted: ________________ Kerrie Bryan Director of Administrative Services ATTACHMENTS General Manager/CEO Recruitment Policy General Manager/CEO Evaluation Policy Redlined General Manager/CEO Evaluation Policy Board of Directors Evaluation Policy BOARD OF DIRECTORS HANDBOOK Policies and Programs of the Board of Directors Policy Title: General Manager/CEO Recruitment Policy Original Approval Date:Last Revised: Policy No: Board of Directors Handbook Page 1 of 4 Purpose The purpose of this policy is to provide a framework and direction to the Board of Directors for the recruitment and selection of a General Manager/CEO, while promoting fairness, consistency, transparency, and compliance with associated laws and regulations. Policy As stated in the East Valley Water District Board of Director’s Handbook, Chapter 1 – Role and Authority, it is the authority of the Board of Directors to hire a General Manager/CEO to manage the day-to-day operations of the District. Recruitment Process A. Official Notice The General Manager/CEO recruitment process will begin when the Board of Directors receives official written notice of the current General Manager/CEO’s resignation or retirement, the employment contract is not renewed, or when the employment is terminated for any reason. B. Appointment of Ad-Hoc Committee The Board of Directors will appoint an Ad-Hoc Committee (Committee) to conduct the planning phases of the General Manager/CEO recruitment. The Ad-Hoc Committee will be appointed at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors. Once the Committee is appointed, the Committee members will select a facilitator of their choice to assist in facilitating the recruitment and selection process. C. Request for Proposals The Committee and facilitator will develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) for an executive recruitment firm. The RFP will be advertised in accordance with the District policy 7.1. BOARD OF DIRECTORS HANDBOOK Policies and Programs of the Board of Directors Policy Title: General Manager/CEO Recruitment Policy Original Approval Date:Last Revised: Policy No: Board of Directors Handbook Page 2 of 4 D. Recruitment Firm Selection The Committee will review proposals submitted and may interview firms. The Committee will make a selection based on the selection criteria defined in the RFP. The Committee will make a recruitment firm recommendation to the full Board of Directors and the Board of Directors will award a contract to the selected firm at a meeting of the Board of Directors. E. Recruitment Plan The Committee and facilitator will work closely with the selected recruitment firm’s recruiter on creating a recruitment plan. The plan will include the following: 1) Recruitment and selection timeline with anticipated firm deliverable dates. 2) Recruitment flyer and potential advertising sources and sites. 3) Setting of candidate packet review parameters and interview process(es). F. Recruitment Posting Once the position description and design for the recruitment flyer are approved by the Committee, the recruiter will post the General Manager/CEO recruitment. The recruitment will be posted for approximately four (4) weeks. During this period the recruiter will actively advertise the recruitment and identify and contact potential qualified candidates. During the posting period, the recruiter will review candidate packets and conduct prescreening interviews. Selection Process A. Applicant Review Process The recruiter will provide the Committee with an applicant report that includes all applicant packets and identifies his/her recommendation for first round interviews. The Committee reviews the recruiter’s applicant report, including applicant packets, recruiter interview notes, and recruiter recommendations. The Committee then selects BOARD OF DIRECTORS HANDBOOK Policies and Programs of the Board of Directors Policy Title: General Manager/CEO Recruitment Policy Original Approval Date:Last Revised: Policy No: Board of Directors Handbook Page 3 of 4 candidates for first-round interviews and the recruiter will contact and schedule those candidates selected to move forward to the interview process. B. Interview Process 1. First-Round Interviews First-round interviews will be conducted by the Committee and recruiter at a location selected by the Committee. The Committee may choose to include additional outside panel members. The Committee and recruiter will take notes during each candidate’s interview. Discussions will occur after each candidate and at the conclusion of all interviews, however, only the Committee will rate the candidates. Upon completion of first-round interviews, the Committee will recommend a shortlist of candidates to move on to the final interview process with the full Board of Directors. The recruiter will notify the selected finalists and contact them once the final interviews have been scheduled. 2. Final Interviews Final interviews will be conducted by the full Board of Directors during an agendized closed-session meeting. All Directors will have the opportunity to ask questions and rate each candidate. At the completion of these interviews, the full Board of Directors will determine if another interview or candidate meeting is necessary to make a selection. If it is deemed that another interview or meeting is not needed, the full Board of Directors will select their top candidate to begin the Offer Process. 3. Candidate Offer Process The Committee, recruiter and facilitator will determine the framework of the candidate offer, including employment terms, salary, benefits, and related items to be included in the employment agreement. The Committee may ask the recruiter to perform benefit comparisons from other agencies. BOARD OF DIRECTORS HANDBOOK Policies and Programs of the Board of Directors Policy Title: General Manager/CEO Recruitment Policy Original Approval Date:Last Revised: Policy No: Board of Directors Handbook Page 4 of 4 Upon finalization of the candidate offer, the facilitator will present the offer to the selected candidate. The candidate will review the offer and negotiations between the candidate and the Committee will commence. 4. Candidate Acceptance, Background Screening, and Employment Agreement Once the Committee and selected candidate come to an agreement on the offer and employment terms, the Committee and facilitator will prepare a final employment agreement. The Facilitator will begin the background screening process for the selected candidate which may include employment verification, education verification, criminal background screening, reference checks, credit check, motor vehicle check, and additional screenings deemed relevant by the Board of Directors to verify potential candidate success, within the parameters of background screening laws and regulations. Once the background check is complete, the Facilitator will have the selected candidate sign the employment agreement prior to presenting to the Board of Directors. The employment agreement will be presented to the full Board of Directors for consideration and approval at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors. If approved, the facilitator will finalize the employment agreement by obtaining signatures from the President of the Board of Directors and the selected General Manager/CEO. BOARD OF DIRECTORS HANDBOOK Policies and Programs of the Board of Directors Policy Title: General Manager/CEO Evaluation Policy Original Approval Date: December 14, 2016 Last Revised: January 23, 2018 Policy No: Board of Directors Handbook Page 1 of 2 Purpose This policy is designed to ensure that the Board of Directors and the General Manager/CEO are in sync on carrying out the vision and strategic direction of the District. Evaluation of the General Manager/CEO can help improve confidence, support professional development, and enhance productive interactions between the Board, General Manager/CEO, and District staff. Policy It is the policy of East Valley Water District to regularly evaluate the General Manager/CEO related to performance standards and completion of specified goals and objectives determined prior to the start of the evaluation process. The evaluation process will include a self-evaluation prepared by the General Manager/CEO for the Board’s review, and an evaluation of the General Manager/CEO by the full Board of Directors. The evaluation process will be facilitated by the District’s General Counsel or a Facilitator of the Board of Director’s choosing, with administrative assistance from staff. The General Manager/CEO and the Board of Directors will review and approve the evaluation criteria developed by the Facilitator prior to beginning the evaluation process. The process will consist of completing evaluation forms, discussions between the Facilitator and each Director, and will conclude with a final discussion with the full Board of Directors. The Facilitator will provide all necessary forms and will compile final reports at the end of the evaluation process. Schedule for Evaluation The District will initiate the evaluation process at least forty-five (45) days before the General Manager/CEO’s employment anniversary date, or contract termination date, and will have final reports prepared and presented to the General Manager/CEO and Board of Directors no later than thirty (30) days after the General Manager/CEO’s employment anniversary date, or contract termination date. Performance Evaluation Procedure BOARD OF DIRECTORS HANDBOOK Policies and Programs of the Board of Directors Policy Title: General Manager/CEO Evaluation Policy Original Approval Date: December 14, 2016 Last Revised: January 23, 2018 Policy No: Board of Directors Handbook Page 2 of 2 1. Facilitator will contact each Director and explain their role in the evaluation process along with directions on reviewing the General Manager/CEO’s self- evaluation and completing the evaluation forms. An evaluation timeline will be given. 2. The General Manager/CEO will prepare his/her self-evaluation. Once the self- evaluation is complete, Facilitator will prepare a narrative for the Board of Directors to review along with the self-evaluation. 3. Once the Directors have reviewed the self-evaluation and Facilitator’s narrative, Facilitator will conduct discussions with each Director, complete evaluation forms, and obtain feedback and comments to be used in the final evaluation. 4. After all discussions have been conducted, Facilitator will prepare the final evaluation reports. 5. A two-part closed-session meeting will be scheduled for the General Manager/CEO’s performance evaluation. During the first part of the meeting, the Board of Directors will meet with Facilitator to discuss, agree on, and finalize the scoring of the evaluation. The General Manager/CEO will be brought in for the second part of the meeting. Final evaluation reports will be presented from the Board of Directors to the General Manager/CEO. Discussion may be held between the General Manager/CEO, Facilitator, and the Board of Directors. The General Manager/CEO then presents his/her recommended goals and objectives for the upcoming year. 6. Completed evaluation reports will be maintained in the General Manager/CEO’s Personnel File in the Human Resources office. Confidentiality Disclosure The feedback and comments received during the discussion process will remain anonymous and Facilitator will only share feedback obtained with the General Manager/CEO and the Board of Directors. BOARD OF DIRECTORS HANDBOOK Policies and Programs of the Board of Directors Policy Title: General Manager/CEO Evaluation Policy Original Approval Date: December 14, 2016 Last Revised: January 23, 2018 Policy No: Board of Directors Handbook Page 1 of 2 Purpose This policy is designed to ensure that the Board of Directors and the General Manager/CEO are in sync on carrying out the vision and strategic direction of the District. Evaluation of the General Manager/CEO can help improve confidence, support professional development, and enhance productive interactions between the Board, General Manager/CEO, and District staff. Policy It is the policy of East Valley Water District to regularly evaluate the General Manager/CEO related to performance standards and completion of specified goals and objectives determined prior to the start of the evaluation process. The evaluation process will include a self-evaluation prepared by the General Manager/CEO for the Board’s review, and an evaluation of the General Manager/CEO by the full Board of Directors. The evaluation process will be facilitated by the District’s General Counsel or a fFacilitator of the Board of Director’s’ choosing, with administrative assistance from staff. The General Manager/CEO and the Board of Directors will review and approve the evaluation criteria developed by the Facilitator prior to beginning the evaluation process. The process will consist of completing evaluation forms, discussions between the fFacilitator and each Director,r, and will conclude with a final discussion with the full Board of Directors. The facilitator will provide all necessary forms and will compile final reports at the end of the evaluation process. Schedule for Evaluation The District will initiate the evaluation process at least forty-five (45) days before the General Manager/CEO’s employment anniversary date, or contract termination date, and will have final reports prepared and presented to the General Manager/CEO and Board of Directors no later than thirty (30) days after the General Manager/CEO’s employment anniversary date, or contract termination date. BOARD OF DIRECTORS HANDBOOK Policies and Programs of the Board of Directors Policy Title: General Manager/CEO Evaluation Policy Original Approval Date: December 14, 2016 Last Revised: January 23, 2018 Policy No: Board of Directors Handbook Page 2 of 2 Performance Evaluation Procedure 1. Facilitator will contact each Director and explain their role in the evaluation process along with directions on reviewing the General Manager/CEO’s self- evaluation and completing the evaluation forms. An evaluation timeline will be given. 2. The General Manager/CEO will prepare his/her self-evaluation. Once the self- evaluation is complete, Consultant Facilitator will prepare a narrative for the Board of Directors to review along with the self-evaluation. 3. Once the Directors have reviewed the self-evaluation and Facilitator’s narrative, Facilitator will conduct discussions with each Director, complete evaluation forms, and obtain feedback and comments to be used in the final evaluation. 4. After all discussions have been conducted, Facilitator will prepare the final evaluation reports. 5. A two-part closed-session meeting will be scheduled for the General Manager/CEO’s performance evaluation. During the first part of the meeting, the Board of Directors will meet with Facilitator to discuss, agree on, and finalize the scoring of the evaluation. The General Manager/CEO will be brought in for the second part of the meeting. Final evaluation reports will be presented from the Board of Directors to the General Manager/CEO. Discussion may be held between the General Manager/CEO, Facilitator, and the Board of Directors. The General Manager/CEO then presents his/her recommended goals and objectives for the upcoming year. 5. A closed-session meeting will be scheduled for the General Manager/CEO’s performance evaluation. Final evaluation reports will be presented to from the Board of Directors and to the General Manager/CEO. 6. Completed evaluation reports will be maintained in the General Manager/CEO’s Personnel File in the Human Resources office. BOARD OF DIRECTORS HANDBOOK Policies and Programs of the Board of Directors Policy Title: General Manager/CEO Evaluation Policy Original Approval Date: December 14, 2016 Last Revised: January 23, 2018 Policy No: Board of Directors Handbook Page 3 of 2 Confidentiality Disclosure The feedback and comments received during the discussion process will remain anonymous and Facilitator will only share feedback obtained with the General Manager/CEO and the Board of Directors. BOARD OF DIRECTORS HANDBOOK Policies and Programs of the Board of Directors Policy Title: Board of Directors Evaluation Policy Original Approval Date: December 14, 2016 Last Revised: January 23, 2018 Policy No: Board of Directors Handbook Page 1 of 2 Purpose This policy is designed to provide professional development opportunities to the Board of Directors which will enhance Board contributions and assist in the achievement of the District’s strategic objectives. Policy It is the policy of East Valley Water District to regularly evaluate the Directors related to their contributions to the Board. The feedback received will provide an invaluable measurement by which the Board can prioritize its goals for the future while promoting the highest standards of Board governance. A 360-degree (multi-rater) evaluation process will be conducted to create a channel of open communication through verbal feedback from raters. Raters will include self (self- rater), fellow Directors, and the Senior Management Team. The evaluation process will be facilitated by an independent third-party consultant (Consultant) selected by the full Board of Directors and will consist of verbal interviews and discussions between the Consultant and each rater. Schedule for Evaluation A. The Board of Directors evaluation process will be conducted every two years in even numbered years. This will allow for all Directors to have served a minimum of one full year on the Board prior to being evaluated. B. The evaluation process will be initiated by January 15th and conclude by the end of February, during even numbered years, to coincide with the General Manager’s evaluation process. Final reports will be prepared and presented in March of each year. Performance Evaluation Procedure 1. Consultant will contact all Directors and raters at the start of the evaluation process and give them the evaluation timeline. BOARD OF DIRECTORS HANDBOOK Policies and Programs of the Board of Directors Policy Title: Board of Directors Evaluation Policy Original Approval Date: December 14, 2016 Last Revised: January 23, 2018 Policy No: Board of Directors Handbook Page 2 of 2 2. Consultant will conduct individual interviews with each Director to obtain their verbal feedback (self-rater) based on a set of questions and/or competencies determined by the Board prior to the start of the evaluation process. During this same interview, after the completion of the self-rating, Consultant will interview the Directors regarding their fellow Directors. 3. Upon completion of Director interviews, Consultant will meet with the Senior Management Team to obtain verbal feedback on all Directors. 4. After interviews have been conducted, Consultant and the General Manager/CEO will meet with each individual Director to provide verbal feedback and discuss how the information received can help enhance Director contributions to carry out the vision and strategic direction of the District. Confidentiality Disclosure As the purpose of this evaluation process is to provide individual professional development for each Director, the Consultant and General Manager/CEO will not share feedback obtained with fellow Directors or staff members. The feedback and comments received during the interview process will remain anonymous. Agenda Item #4b January 10, 20241 Meeting Date: January 10, 2024 Agenda Item #4b Discussion Item 1 4 1 5 Regular Board Meeting TO: Governing Board Members FROM: General Manager/CEO SUBJECT: Consider Approval of Contract with Pro-West & Associates, Inc. for Geographic Information System Support Services RECOMMENDATION That the Board of Directors authorize the General Manager/CEO to enter into an Agreement with Pro-West & Associates, Inc. for 3 years with two optional 1 year extensions up to $100,000 per year. BACKGROUND / ANALYSIS The East Valley Water District’s (District) digital mapping of the water and wastewater utility systems is critical for tracking repair and maintenance to those systems, and for developing a long-term asset management system which would use conditional assessment to prioritize the replacement of assets. District assets are digitized into a geographical information system (GIS) that is linked to the District’s enterprise financial system. This link helps ensure that assets in the District’s financial reports are supported by both historical data, and data about the size, location, and condition of the physical assets. Utilizing a GIS provides the District significant efficiency in managing assets, mapping, record management, planning, customer service, and other District functions that rely on access to District asset records. The GIS stores information on District infrastructure assets such as water and sewer pipelines, pumps, manholes, etc. The GIS is kept in conformance with industry standards and is continually updated to ensure accuracy. The updating and management of the GIS requires specialized knowledge and training. The District does not have staff dedicated to the upkeep and management of GIS and instead utilizes consultants to perform GIS updates and management. The work is performed on a task order basis. Over the past two years, the District has utilized three separate GIS firms, in a limited capacity, to evaluate their responsiveness, service delivery, knowledge of water/wastewater systems, and expertise on asset management. The three firms were PriorIT, ESRI Professional Services, and Pro-West & Associates, Inc. (Pro-West). The District has selected Pro-West as the best value for providing GIS support services to the District. Pro-West has proven to be the most efficient, reliable, and has the local resources needed to assist the District with a range of GIS related matters. Pro-West is Agenda Item #4b January 10, 20242 Meeting Date: January 10, 2024 Agenda Item #4b Discussion Item 1 4 1 5 located in Redlands and has expertise in the District’s GIS and financial platforms. GIS support services vary by year depending on the number of new assets being updated. The District has negotiated a three-year contract with two optional one-year extensions up to $100,000 per year (see attached). The amount of work is subject to the approved District budget each year. AGENCY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES II - Maintain a Commitment To Sustainability, Transparency, and Accountability A. Practice Transparent and Accountable Fiscal Management IV - Promote Planning, Maintenance and Preservation of District Resources A. Develop Projects and Programs to Ensure Safe and Reliable Services REVIEW BY OTHERS This agenda item has been reviewed by the Information Technology and Finance Departments. FISCAL IMPACT The annual contract amount is included in the Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget. Future support is subject to cost being approved by the Board in future fiscal year budgets. Recommended by: ________________ Michael Moore General Manager/CEO Respectfully submitted: ________________ Brian Tompkins Chief Financial Officer ATTACHMENTS EVWD Standard Professional Services Agreement Page 1 of 14 AGREEMENT NO 2024.01 EAST VALLEY WATER DISTRICT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES THIS AGREEMENT is made this 10th day of January 2024, by and between the EAST VALLEY WATER DISTRICT, a County Water District organized and operating pursuant to California Water Code Section 30000 et seq. (hereinafter referred to as the “DISTRICT”), and Pro-West & Associates, Inc., a Minnesota Corporation (hereinafter referred to as “CONSULTANT”). RECITALS WHEREAS, the DISTRICT desires to contract with CONSULTANT to provide GIS support services for a period of three (3) years with two (2) optional one-year extensions, (hereinafter referred to as “Project”); and WHEREAS, CONSULTANT is willing to contract with the DISTRICT to provide such services; and WHEREAS, CONSULTANT holds itself as qualified and capable of performing said services; and WHEREAS, this Agreement establishes the terms and conditions for the DISTRICT to retain CONSULTANT to provide the services described herein for the Project. COVENANTS NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the faithful performance of the terms and conditions set forth herein, the parties hereto agree as follows: Page 2 of 14 ARTICLE I ENGAGEMENT OF CONSULTANT AND AUTHORIZATION TO PROCEED 1.1 ENGAGEMENT: The DISTRICT hereby engages CONSULTANT, and CONSULTANT hereby accepts the engagement to perform professional services described in Section 2.1 of this Agreement for the term set forth in Section 6.8 of this Agreement. 1.2 AUTHORIZATION TO PROCEED: Authorization for CONSULTANT to proceed with all or a portion of the work described in Section 2.1 of this Agreement will be granted in writing by the DISTRICT as soon as both parties sign the Agreement and all applicable insurance and other security documents required pursuant to Section 6.3 of this Agreement are received and approved by the DISTRICT. CONSULTANT shall not proceed with said work until so authorized by the DISTRICT. 1.3 NO EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP: CONSULTANT shall perform the services provided for herein as an independent contractor, and not as an employee of the DISTRICT. The DISTRICT shall have ultimate control over the work performed for the Project. CONSULTANT is not to be considered an agent or employee of the DISTRICT for any purpose, and shall not be entitled to participate in any pension plans, insurance coverage, bonus, stock, or similar benefits that the DISTRICT provides for its employees. CONSULTANT shall indemnify the DISTRICT for any tax, retirement contribution, social security, overtime payment, or workers’ compensation payment which the DISTRICT may be required to make on behalf of CONSULTANT or any employee of CONSULTANT for work performed under this Agreement. ARTICLE II SERVICES OF CONSULTANT 2.1 SCOPE OF SERVICES: The scope of GIS support services to be performed by the CONSULTANT under this Agreement are described in the Scope of Work attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and incorporated herein by this reference (“Scope of Work”), and shall include all related services ordinarily provided by the CONSULTANT to satisfy the requirements of Section 3.3 of this Agreement. In case of conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the provisions of the Scope of Work, this Agreement shall govern. 2.2 PREVAILING WAGES: In accordance with the provisions of the California Labor Code, CONSULTANT shall secure the payment of compensation to employees. To the extent required by the California Labor Code, CONSULTANT shall pay not less than the prevailing rate of per diem wages as determined by the Director, Department of Industrial Relations, and State of California. Copies of such prevailing rate of per diem Page 3 of 14 wages are on file at the DISTRICT’s office, which copies will be made available to any interested party upon request. CONSULTANT shall post a copy of such determination at each job site. If applicable, CONSULTANT shall forfeit to the DISTRICT the amount of the penalty set forth in Labor Code Section 1777.7(b), or any subsequent amendments thereto, for each calendar day, or portion thereof, for each worker paid less than the specified prevailing rates for such work or craft in which such worker is employed, whether paid by CONSULTANT or by any subcontractor. ARTICLE III RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DISTRICT AND OF CONSULTANT 3.1 DUTIES OF THE DISTRICT: The DISTRICT, without cost to CONSULTANT, will provide all pertinent information necessary for CONSULTANT’s performance of its obligations under this Agreement that is reasonably available to the DISTRICT unless otherwise specified in the Scope of Work, in which case the CONSULTANT is to acquire such information. The DISTRICT does not guarantee or ensure the accuracy of any reports, information, and/or data so provided. To the extent that any reports, information, and/or other data so provided was supplied to the DISTRICT by persons who are not employees of the DISTRICT, any liability resulting from inaccuracies and/or omissions contained in said information shall be limited to liability on behalf of the party who prepared the information for the DISTRICT. 3.2 REPRESENTATIVE OF DISTRICT: The DISTRICT will designate Ryan Ritualo, Information Technology Manager, as the person to act as the DISTRICT’s representative with respect to the work to be performed under this Agreement. Such person will have complete authority to transmit instructions, receive information, and interpret and define the DISTRICT’s policies and decisions pertinent to the work. In the event the DISTRICT wishes to make a change in the DISTRICT’s representative, the DISTRICT shall notify the CONSULTANT of the change in writing. 3.3 DUTIES OF CONSULTANT: CONSULTANT shall perform the Project work in such a manner as to fully comply with all applicable professional standards of care, including professional quality, technical accuracy, timely completion, and other services furnished and/or work undertaken by CONSULTANT pursuant to this Agreement. The CONSULTANT shall cause all work and deliverables to conform to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. 3.4 APPROVAL OF WORK: The DISTRICT’s approval of work or materials furnished hereunder shall not in any way relieve CONSULTANT of responsibility for the technical adequacy of its work. Neither the DISTRICT’s review, approval or acceptance of nor payment for any of the services shall be construed to operate as a waiver of any Page 4 of 14 rights under this Agreement or of any cause of action arising out of the performance of this Agreement. Where approval by the DISTRICT is indicated in this Agreement, it is understood to be conceptual approval only and does not relieve the CONSULTANT of responsibility for complying with all laws, codes, industry standards, and liability for damages caused by negligent acts, errors, omissions, noncompliance with industry standards, or the willful misconduct of the CONSULTANT or its subcontractors. CONSULTANT’s obligation to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the DISTRICT, and its directors, officers, employees and agents as set forth in Section 6.9 of this Agreement also applies to the actions or omissions of the CONSULTANT or its subcontractors as set forth above in this paragraph. ARTICLE IV PAYMENTS TO CONSULTANT 4.1 PAYMENT: The DISTRICT will pay CONSULTANT for work performed under this Agreement, which work can be verified by the DISTRICT, on the basis of the following: CONSULTANT shall exercise its good faith best efforts to facilitate a full and clear definition of the scope of all assigned work. The amount set forth in Section 4.3 of this Agreement is the maximum compensation to which CONSULTANT may be entitled for the performance of services unless the Scope of Work or time to complete the work is changed by the DISTRICT in writing. Adjustments in the total payment amount shall only be allowed pursuant to Section 6.4 of this Agreement. In no event shall CONSULTANT be entitled to compensation greater than the amount set forth in Section 4.3 of this Agreement where changes in the Scope of Work or the time for performance are necessitated by the negligence of CONSULTANT or any subcontractor performing work on the Project. 4.2 PAYMENT TO CONSULTANT: Payment will be made by the DISTRICT within thirty (30) calendar days after receipt of an invoice from CONSULTANT, provided that all invoices are complete and services are determined to be of sufficient quality by the DISTRICT. CONSULTANT shall invoice DISTRICT monthly for services performed under this Agreement. In the event that a payment dispute arises between the parties, CONSULTANT shall provide to the DISTRICT full and complete access to CONSULTANT’s labor cost records and other direct cost data, and copies thereof if requested by the DISTRICT. 4.3 ESTIMATED CHARGES: The maximum annual charges for all work under this Agreement shall be $100,000.00 and such amount is the cost ceiling as described herein. The total estimated charges stated herein constitute the total amount agreed to. Page 5 of 14 4.4 COST FOR REWORK: CONSULTANT shall, at no cost to the DISTRICT, prepare any necessary rework occasioned by CONSULTANT’s negligent act or omission or otherwise due substantially to CONSULTANT’s fault. ARTICLE V COMPLETION SCHEDULE 5.1 TASK SCHEDULE: Work will be assigned by issuance of Task Orders by District, and deliverables and estimated completion dates will be stated in each Task Order. Task Orders will also include a scope of work and basis for compensation. 5.2 District and Consultant will agree to the terms of each Task Order, including a Severity Level between 1 and 4, with Level 1 being the highest priority as described in the attached Task Order Procedure. Consultant will commence work on a Task Order once the terms have been agreed upon. ARTICLE VI GENERAL PROVISIONS 6.1 COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LAWS: CONSULTANT shall at all times observe all applicable provisions of Federal, State, and Local laws and regulations including, but not limited to, those related to Equal Opportunity Employment. 6.2 SUBCONTRACTORS AND OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS: No subcontract shall be awarded by CONSULTANT unless prior written approval is obtained from the DISTRICT. CONSULTANT shall be responsible for payment to subcontractors used by them to perform the services under this Agreement. If CONSULTANT subcontracts any of the work to be performed, CONSULTANT shall be as fully responsible to the DISTRICT for the performance of the work, including errors and omissions of CONSULTANT’s subcontractors and of the persons employed by the subcontractor, as CONSULTANT is for the acts and omissions of persons directly employed by the CONSULTANT. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall create any contractual relationship between any subcontractor of CONSULTANT and the DISTRICT. CONSULTANT shall bind every subcontractor and every subcontractor of a subcontractor to the terms of this Agreement that are applicable to CONSULTANT’s work unless specifically noted to the contrary in the subcontract in question and approved in writing by the DISTRICT. 6.3 INSURANCE: CONSULTANT shall secure and maintain in full force and effect, until the satisfactory completion and acceptance of the Project by DISTRICT, such insurance as will protect it and the DISTRICT in such a manner and in such amounts as set forth below. The premiums for said insurance coverage shall be paid by the Page 6 of 14 CONSULTANT. The failure to comply with these insurance requirements may constitute a material breach of this Agreement, at the sole discretion of the DISTRICT. (a) Certificates of Insurance: Prior to commencing services under this Agreement, and in any event no later than ten (10) calendar days after execution of this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall furnish DISTRICT with Certificates of Insurance and endorsements verifying the insurance coverage required by this Agreement is in full force and effect. The DISTRICT reserves the right to require complete and accurate copies of all insurance policies required under this Agreement. (b) Required Provisions: The insurance policies required by this Agreement shall include the following provisions or have them incorporated by endorsement(s): (1) Primary Coverage: The insurance policies provided by CONSULTANT shall be primary insurance and any self-insured retention and/or insurance carried by or available to the DISTRICT or its employees shall be excess and non-contributory coverage so that any self- insured retention and/or insurance carried by or available to the DISTRICT shall not contribute to any loss or expense under CONSULTANT’s insurance. (2) Additional Insured: The policies of insurance provided by CONSULTANT, except Workers' Compensation and Professional Liability, shall include as additional insureds: the DISTRICT, its directors, officers, employees, and agents when acting in their capacity as such in conjunction with the performance of this Agreement. Such policies shall contain a "severability of interests" provision, also known as "Cross liability" or "separation of insured". (3) Cancellation: Each certificate of insurance and insurance policy shall provide that the policy may not be non-renewed, canceled (for reasons other than non-payment of premium) or materially changed without first giving thirty (30) days advance written notice to the DISTRICT, or ten (10) days advance written notice in the event of cancellation due to non-payment of premium. (4) Waiver of Subrogation: The insurance policies provided by CONSULTANT shall contain a waiver of subrogation against DISTRICT, its directors, officers, employees and agents for any Page 7 of 14 claims arising out of the services performed under this Agreement by CONSULTANT. (5) Claim Reporting: CONSULTANT shall not fail to comply with the claim reporting provisions or cause any breach of a policy condition or warranty of the insurance policies required by this Agreement that would affect the coverage afforded under the policies to the DISTRICT. (6) Deductible/Retention: If the insurance policies provided by CONSULTANT contain deductibles or self-insured retentions, any such deductible or self-insured retention shall not be applicable with respect to the coverage provided to DISTRICT under such policies. CONSULTANT shall be solely responsible for any such deductible or self-insured retention and the DISTRICT, in its sole discretion, may require CONSULTANT to secure the payment of any such deductible or self-insured retention by a surety bond or an irrevocable and unconditional letter of credit. (7) Consultant’s Subcontractors: CONSULTANT shall include all subcontractors as additional insureds under the insurance policies required by this Agreement to the same extent as the DISTRICT or shall furnish separate certificates of insurance and policy endorsements for each subcontractor verifying that the insurance for each subcontractor complies with the same insurance requirements applicable to CONSULTANT under this Agreement. (c) Insurance Company Requirements: CONSULTANT shall provide insurance coverage through insurers that have at least an "A" Financial Strength Rating and a "VII" Financial Size Category in accordance with the current ratings by the A. M. Best Company, Inc. as published in Best’s Key Rating Guide or on said company’s web site. In addition, any and all insurers must be admitted and authorized to conduct business in the State of California and be a participant in the California Insurance Guaranty Association, as evidenced by a listing in the appropriate publication of the California Department of Insurance. (d) Policy Requirements: The insurance required under this Agreement shall meet or exceed the minimum requirements as set forth below: (1) Workers' Compensation: CONSULTANT shall maintain Workers' Compensation insurance as required by law in the State of California Page 8 of 14 to cover CONSULTANT’s obligations as imposed by federal and state law having jurisdiction over CONSULTANT’s employees and Employers' Liability insurance, including disease coverage, of not less than $1,000,000. (2) General Liability: CONSULTANT shall maintain Comprehensive General Liability insurance with a combined single limit of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence or claim and $1,000,000 aggregate. The policy shall include, but not be limited to, coverage for bodily injury, property damage, personal injury, products, completed operations and blanket contractual to cover, but not be limited to, the liability assumed under the indemnification provisions of this Agreement. In the event the Comprehensive General Liability insurance policy is written on a "claims made" basis, coverage shall extend for two years after the satisfactory completion and acceptance of the Project by DISTRICT. (3) Automobile Liability: CONSULTANT shall maintain Commercial Automobile Liability insurance with a combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage of not less than $1,000,000 each occurrence for any owned, hired, or non-owned vehicles. (4) Professional Liability: CONSULTANT shall maintain Professional Liability insurance covering errors and omissions arising out of the services performed by the CONSULTANT or any person employed by him, with a limit of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence or claim and $1,000,000 aggregate. In the event the insurance policy is written on a "Claims made" basis, coverage shall extend for two years after the satisfactory completion and acceptance of the Project by DISTRICT. (5) Property Coverage – Valuable Papers: Property coverage on an all- risk, replacement cost form with Valuable Papers insurance sufficient to assure the restoration of any documents, memoranda, reports, plans or other similar data, whether in hard copy or electronic form, relating to the services provided by CONSULTANT under this Agreement. 6.4 CHANGES IN SCOPE OR TIME: If the DISTRICT requests a change in the Scope of Work or time of completion by either adding to or deleting from the original scope or time of completion, an equitable adjustment shall be made and this Agreement shall be modified in writing accordingly. CONSULTANT must assert any claim for Page 9 of 14 adjustment under this clause in writing within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of receipt from CONSULTANT of the notification of change unless the DISTRICT grants a further period of time before the date of final payment under this Agreement. 6.5 NOTICES: All notices to either party by the other shall be made in writing and delivered or mailed to such party at their respective addresses as follows, or to other such address as either party may designate, and said notices shall be deemed to have been made when delivered or, if mailed, five (5) days after mailing. To DISTRICT: East Valley Water District 31111 Greenspot Road Highland, CA 92346 Attn: Brian Tompkins, Chief Financial Officer To CONSULTANT: Pro-West & Associates, Inc. 8239 State 371 NW, P.O. Box 812 Walker, MN 56484 Attn: Kendis Scharenbroich, CEO, President 6.6 CONSULTANT’S ASSIGNED PERSONNEL: CONSULTANT designates Paul Rairamo, Project Manager to have immediate responsibility for the performance of the work described in any of the Task Orders issued under this Agreement. Substitution of any assigned personnel shall require the prior written approval of the DISTRICT. If the DISTRICT determines that a proposed substitution is not acceptable, then, at the request of the DISTRICT, CONSULTANT shall substitute with a person acceptable to the DISTRICT. 6.7 NON-SOLICITATION OF EMPLOYEES: From the date this agreement is executed and for a period that extends 12 months past the date of termination of this agreement, the District will not, without the prior written consent of CONSULTANT either directly or indirectly, for the District’s benefit of for the benefit of others, solicit, attempt to solicit, divert, hire away, or attempt to hire away any person employed by CONSULTANT and who in any way, directly or indirectly, worked on or assisted with the provision of service to DISTRICT. 6.8 TERM AND TERMINATION: (a) The engagement of CONSULTANT shall be for three (3) years with two optional one-year extensions. Page 10 of 14 (b) Notwithstanding the above, this Agreement will continue in effect until terminated by either DISTRICT or CONSULTANT by giving thirty (30) days written notice. Notice will be delivered in accordance with section 6.5 above. (c) In the event of termination of this Agreement or abandonment of any portion of the Project, the DISTRICT shall be immediately given title to all original drawings and other documents developed for the Project, and the sole right and remedy of CONSULTANT shall be to receive payment for all amounts due and not previously paid to CONSULTANT for services completed or in progress in accordance with the Agreement prior to such date of termination. If termination occurs prior to completion of any task for which payment has not been made, the fee for services performed during such task shall be based on an amount mutually agreed to by the DISTRICT and CONSULTANT. Such payments available to the CONSULTANT under this paragraph shall not include costs related to lost profit associated with the expected completion of the work or other such payments relating to the benefit of this Agreement. 6.9 ATTORNEYS’ FEES: In the event that either the DISTRICT or CONSULTANT brings an action or proceeding for damages for an alleged breach of any provision of this Agreement, to interpret this Agreement or determine the rights of and duties of either party in relation thereto, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover as part of such action or proceeding all litigation, arbitration, mediation and collection expenses, including witness fees, court costs, and reasonable attorneys' fees. Such fees shall be determined by the Court in such litigation or in a separate action brought for that purpose. Mediation will be attempted if both parties mutually agree before, during, or after any such action or proceeding has begun. 6.10 INDEMNITY: (a) CONSULTANT shall defend, indemnify and hold DISTRICT, including its directors, officers, employees and agents, harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, causes of action, suits, debts, obligations, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, expenses, attorney’s fees, awards, fines, settlements, judgments or losses of whatever nature, character, and description, that arise out of, pertain to, or relate to the negligence, recklessness, or willful misconduct of CONSULTANT or any of CONSULTANT’s subcontractors, including their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and assigns, excepting only such matters arising from the sole negligence or willful misconduct of the DISTRICT. Page 11 of 14 (b) CONSULTANT shall defend, indemnify and hold DISTRICT, including its directors, officers, employees and agents, harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, causes of action, suits, debts, obligations, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, expenses, attorney’s fees, awards, fines, settlements, judgments or losses of whatever nature, character, and description, with respect to or arising out of any infringement or alleged infringement of any patent, copyright or trademark and arising out of the use of any equipment or materials furnished under this Agreement by the CONSULTANT or CONSULTANT’s subcontractors, including their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and assigns, or out of the processes or actions employed by, or on behalf of, the CONSULTANT or CONSULTANT’s subcontractors, including their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and assigns, in connection with the performance of services under this Agreement. CONSULTANT shall have the right, in order to avoid such claims or actions, to substitute at its expense non-infringing equipment, materials or processes, or to modify at its expense such infringing equipment, materials, and processes so they become non-infringing, provided that such substituted and modified equipment, materials, and processes shall meet all the requirements and be subject to all the provisions of this Agreement. (c) CONSULTANT shall defend, indemnify and hold DISTRICT, including its directors, officers, employees and agents, harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, causes of action, suits, debts, obligations, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, expenses, attorney’s fees, awards, fines, settlements, judgments or losses of whatever nature, character, and description, with respect to or arising out of any breach by CONSULTANT or CONSULTANT’s subcontractors, including their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and assigns, of the aforesaid obligations and covenants, and any other provision or covenant of this Agreement. (d) It is the intent of the parties to this Agreement that the defense, indemnity, and hold harmless obligation of CONSULTANT under this Agreement shall be as broad and inclusive as may be allowed under California Civil Code §§ 2778 through 2784.5, or other similar state or federal law. 6.11 SAFETY: CONSULTANT shall perform the work in full compliance with applicable State and Federal safety requirements including, but not limited to, Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements. Page 12 of 14 (a) CONSULTANT shall take all precautions necessary for the safety of, and prevention of damage to, property on or adjacent to the Project site, and for the safety of, and prevention of injury to, persons, including DISTRICT’s employees, CONSULTANT’s employees, and third persons. All work shall be performed entirely at CONSULTANT’s risk. CONSULTANT shall comply with the insurance requirements set forth in Section 6.3 of this Agreement. (b) CONSULTANT shall also furnish the DISTRICT with a copy of any injury prevention program established for the CONSULTANT’s employees pursuant to Labor Code Section 6401.7, including any necessary documentation regarding implementation of the program. CONSULTANT hereby certifies that its employees have been trained in the program, and procedures are in place to train employees whenever new substances, processes, procedures, or equipment are introduced. CONSULTANT shall demonstrate compliance with Labor Code Section 6401.7 by maintaining a copy of its Injury and Illness Prevention Plan at the Project site and making it available to the DISTRICT. 6.12 EXAMINATION OF RECORDS: All original drawings, specifications, reports, calculations, and other documents or electronic data developed by CONSULTANT for the Project shall be furnished to and become the property of the DISTRICT. CONSULTANT agrees that the DISTRICT will have access to and the right to examine any directly pertinent books, documents, papers, and records of any and all of the transactions relating to this Agreement. 6.13 OWNERSHIP OF WORK PRODUCT: (a) Subject to payment of all compensation due under this Agreement and all other terms and conditions herein, services provided by CONSULTANT under this Agreement are deemed a “work made for hire” (as defined by the Copyright Act of 1976), and DISTRICT shall acquire ownership of the work product resulting from those services. (b) DISTRICT acknowledges that CONSULTANT owns or holds a license to use and sublicense various pre-existing development tools, routines, subroutines and other programs, data and materials that CONSULTANT may include in the Software developed under this Agreement. This material shall be referred to hereafter as “Background Technology.” (c) DISTRICT agrees that CONSULTANT shall retain any and all rights CONSULTANT may have in the Background Technology. CONSULTANT grants DISTRICT an unrestricted, nonexclusive, perpetual, fully paid-up Page 13 of 14 worldwide license to use the Background Technology in the Software developed and delivered to DISTRICT under this Agreement, and all updates and revisions thereto. However, DISTRICT shall make no other commercial use of the Background Technology without CONSULTANT’s written consent. 6.14 INTEGRATION AND AMENDMENT: This Agreement contains the entire understanding between the DISTRICT and CONSULTANT as to those matters contained herein. No other representations, covenants, undertakings or other prior or contemporaneous agreements, oral or written, respecting those matters, which are not specifically incorporated herein, may be deemed in any way to exist or to bind any of the parties hereto. Each party acknowledges that it has not executed this Agreement in reliance on any promise, representation or warranty not set forth herein. This Agreement may not be amended except by a writing signed by all parties hereto. 6.15 ASSIGNMENT: Neither party shall assign or transfer its interest in this Agreement without written consent of the other party. All terms, conditions, and provisions of this Agreement shall inure to and shall bind each of the parties hereto, and each of their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and assigns. 6.16 GOVERNING LAW: This Agreement shall be construed as if it was jointly prepared by both parties hereto, and any uncertainty or ambiguity contained herein shall not be interpreted against the party drafting same. This Agreement shall be enforced and governed by the laws of the State of California. If any action is brought to interpret or enforce any term of this Agreement, the action shall be brought in a state court situated in the County of San Bernardino, State of California, or in a federal court within rem jurisdiction over the Project. 6.17 HEADINGS: Article and Section headings in this Agreement are for convenience only and are not intended to be used in interpreting or construing the terms, covenants, and conditions of this Agreement. 6.18 PARTIAL INVALIDITY: If any term, covenant, condition, or provision of this Agreement is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void, or unenforceable, the remainder of the provisions hereof shall remain in full force and effect, and shall in no way be affected, impaired, or invalidated thereby. 6.19 EFFECT OF DISTRICT’S WAIVER: Any failure by the DISTRICT to enforce any provision of this Agreement, or any waiver thereof by the DISTRICT, shall not constitute a waiver of its right to enforce subsequent violations of the same or any other terms or conditions herein. Page 14 of 14 6.20 AUTHORITY: The individuals executing this Agreement represent and warrant that they have the legal capacity and authority to sign this Agreement on behalf of and to so bind their respective legal entities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above. CONSULTANT DISTRICT By: ____________________________ By: Kendis Scharenbroich, President Michael Moore, General Manager/CEO Pro-West & Associates, Inc. East Valley Water District A-1 EXHIBIT A SCOPE OF WORK Task Order – 1-2-2024 – 1/2/2029 GIS Support and Services East Valley Water District is looking for GIS services to meet current business needs and to support ongoing maintenance and growth. Pro-West will work with the district to establish a solid plan for short term and long-term tasks to be completed. The development of a stakeholder group with transparent communication will be key for a successful project. Pro-West & Associates Project Manager: Name: Paul Rairamo Phone: 320-207-6868 Email: prairamo@prowestgis.com Client Project Manager (PM): Name: Ryan Ritualo Phone: (909) 889-9501 Email: rritualo@eastvalley.org • All email correspondence will be sent to the PWA PM and Technical Lead, as well as any additional stakeholders for the Block Hour Support. • The client will provide Pro-West with remote connection to servers as needed. • Additional responsibilities will be identified as tasks are issued. • The client will provide Pro-West with remote connection to servers as needed. • Additional responsibilities will be identified as tasks are issued. PWA will provide the following services on an as-needed basis. This is not an all-inclusive list and additional services may be requested as needed by the Client. 1. Utility Network conversion and management A-2 2. Utility edits as needed 3. Infrastructure & Software a. Hardware/Software analysis b. Esri software upgrades c. Service packs/patches d. System design and best practices e. Esri Enterprise deployment support i.ArcGIS Server ii.Portal iii.Pro iv.Data Store v.Web Adaptor f. Troubleshooting g. Training h. Other Esri software as needed 2. Geodatabase/SQL a. Management best practices b. Data management, including fabric support c. Automated workflows d. SQL management e. Training f. Troubleshooting g. Custom scripts and/or tools 3. System Integration a. Third party system Integration with GIS solutions and/or databases i.Including Tax Databases b. Strategic planning c. Third party system assessment d. Training e. Troubleshooting 4. Solution Configuration a. Departmental and interdepartmental workflow assessment and design b. Solutions configured using Esri COTS templates and/or Web Appbuilder c. Open Data d. Story maps e. Dashboards f. Training g. Troubleshooting h. Best practices 5. Assessments a. System architecture design b. Strategic direction and planning c. Scripting audits A-3 6. Desktop GIS a. Training b. Troubleshooting c. Custom tools 7. Custom development a. Automation tasks b. Application development c. Widget development 8. GIS Data Development a. Any ongoing data maintenance required (a few examples below) i.Address or road updates ii.Zoning data iii.Parcel updates iv.Landuse data 9. GIS Data Conversion a. Data conversion from other systems to Esri supported features (such as CAD or MicroStation) 1. Stakeholders are not identified at the beginning of the project a. Mitigation: City and PWA will identify stakeholders at the project kick off. If changes in stakeholders occur, they will be communicated to the stakeholders immediately to eliminate and/or minimize timeline and budget changes. 2. Stakeholders change throughout the project a. Mitigation: Maintain the same project stakeholders throughout the project. If stakeholders do change, it is the client’s responsibility to communicate the purpose of the project to the new stakeholder or for PWA to communicate changes to the client. If the project changes due to a change in stakeholders, additional charges may apply and the timeline may be affected. 3. Feedback. Various tasks will be completed throughout the project. It is the responsibility of project stakeholders to ensure that feedback is provided per the timelines agreed upon. a. Mitigation: communicate feedback/task delays to project stakeholders immediately. Project budget and/or timelines may be affected by delays A-4 The cost for all services received under this contract will not exceed $500,000 for the duration of the contract. $100,000 per fiscal year July 1 – June 30. Invoicing Schedule: PWA will invoice monthly on a time and materials, not to exceed basis, based on total hours of work, rounded to the nearest quarter hour. A new hourly fee schedule will be provided annually by June 1st, but the increase shall not exceed the annual Consumer Price Index as set by the U.S. Department of Labor. Service Fees - Offsite Principal ................................................................................................................................................. $185.65/hr Project Manager III ............................................................................................................................... $168.46/hr Project Manager II ................................................................................................................................ $147.63/hr Project Manager I ................................................................................................................................ $123.60/hr Applications Developer IV ................................................................................................................. $177.41/hr Applications Developer III ................................................................................................................. $152.42/hr Applications Developer II .................................................................................................................. $135.18/hr Applications Developer I .................................................................................................................... $108.14/hr Solutions Engineer II ............................................................................................................................ $144.39/hr Solutions Engineer ............................................................................................................................... $123.60/hr GIS Specialist II ...................................................................................................................................... $128.35/hr GIS Specialist I ....................................................................................................................................... $104.28/hr CAD/GIS Technician III ....................................................................................................................... $92.70/hr CAD/GIS Technician II ........................................................................................................................ $77.24/hr CAD/GIS Technician I ......................................................................................................................... $67.60/hr Clerical ............................................................................................................................................................ $40/hr Mileage ........................................................................................................... Current Allowable IRS Rate/mile Meals/Lodging ................................................................................................................................................... Cost PWA After Hours Fee Schedule - Offsite (Before 7am- After 7pm Central) Principal .................................................................................................................................................. $371.30/hr A-5 Project Manager II ................................................................................................................................ $336.93/hr Project Manager II ................................................................................................................................ $295.26/hr Project Manager I ................................................................................................................................ $247.19/hr Applications Developer IV ................................................................................................................. $354.83/hr Applications Developer III ................................................................................................................. $304.84/hr Applications Developer II .................................................................................................................. $270.36/hr Applications Developer I .................................................................................................................... $216.28/hr Solutions Engineer II ............................................................................................................................ $288.78/hr Solutions Engineer .............................................................................................................................. $247.19/hr GIS Specialist II ...................................................................................................................................... $256.70/hr GIS Specialist I ....................................................................................................................................... $208.55/hr CAD/GIS Technician III ..................................................................................................................... $185.40/hr CAD/GIS Technician II ...................................................................................................................... $154.49/hr CAD/GIS Technician I ....................................................................................................................... $135.20/hr Clerical ............................................................................................................................................................ $40/hr Mileage ........................................................................................................... Current Allowable IRS Rate/mile Meals/Lodging ................................................................................................................................................... Cost Water Supply Update January 2024 Northern California 8 Station 11.9 inches Updated 1/3/2024 Big Bear 1.08 inches Updated 12/15/23 Annual Average: 16.8'' WATER YEAR Highland October 1- September 30 1.55 inches Updated 12/31/23 ACRONYMS CFS = cubic feet per second mAF = million Acre-Feet 10% Annual Average: 11.9'' 35% of Capacity STATE WATER PROJECT ALLOCATION WATER SHORTAGE STAGE STATE WATER PROJECT Lake Mead & Powell Updated 1/2/24 DISTRICT WATER SUPPLIES Annual Average: 53.2'' GROUNDWATER SURFACE COLORADO RIVER STORAGE OTHER INDICATORS RAINFALL Current Available CapacityAvailable Capacity Current 4.9 mAF 82% of Capacity Bunker Hill Basin 2.41 mAF 68% of Capacity Lake Oroville Updated 1/2/24 126.1 107.4 247.1 217.1 256.2 154.1 92.1 181.3 164.1 67.5 37.0 63.0 Santa Ana River (CFS) Total SAR Inflow Updated 12/31/23 Last YearLast Year 17.5 mAF Historic Avg 2010-2023 Monthly Average 2023-Monthly Flow Average