HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 7.1 Drought Emergency Continuanceor
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DATE:
TO:
STAFF REPORT
CITY COUNCIL
May 20, 2014
Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Christopher L. Foss, City Manager "
SUBJECT: Drought Emergency Continuance
Prepared by Roger Bradley, Assistant to the City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
CITY CLERK
File #1000 -80
On March 18, 2014, the City Council adopted a Resolution declaring a State of Emergency in
the City of Dublin due to extreme drought conditions within the State and City. The City Council
will consider continuing the State of Emergency for an additional 30 days.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
1101
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council, by motion, as required by Government Code Section
8630(c), which states that the City Council shall review the need for continuing a local
emergency at least once every 30 days until the governing body terminates the local
emergency, continue the State of Emergency that was declared on March 18, 2014, based on
the fact that extreme drought conditions continue to exist within both the State of California and
City of Dublin, and the threat to the safety and welfare of Dublin residents remains.
F _ .
Submitted By-
Assistant to the City Manager
DESCRIPTION:
\ Reviewed By
Assistant City Manager
On March 18, 2014, the City Council adopted Resolution 26 -14 (Attachment 1), declaring a
State of Emergency due to extreme drought conditions within the State and within the City of
Dublin. State law requires that the City Council revisit and consider whether to extend the State
of Emergency within the City at least once every 30 days. At the current time, the Governor's
State of Emergency declaration, as well as those passed by Dublin San Ramon Services District
and Zone 7, still stands. As a result, Staff recommends that the City Council find that the
drought conditions and the resultant threat to the City and its residents and businesses have not
changed and continue the drought emergency for an additional 30 days.
Page 1 of 4 ITEM NO. 7.1
DSRSD Update
On May 5, 2014, the Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) Board passed a number of
drought related measures that will impact both the City and its residents. In particular, the Board
adjusted rates, passed ordinances, and updated and adapted its Drought Action Plan. A brief
recap of each action is provided below.
DSRSD Drought Rates
At the May 5t" meeting, the Board adopted Water Shortage Rates, which will remain in effect
until the Drought Emergency is terminated. DSRSD is hoping that such might occur with the
coming of the fall. The reason for such optimism is that the State has indicated it will allocate
water to Zone 7 beginning in September, albeit only 5% of the normal allocation will be given.
DSRSD is optimistic that, if its customers can last through the summer, the worst will be over.
Until that time, DSRSD has implemented its Stage 3 drought rates, which are included for
review below. Stage 3 rates are designed to incentivize a 35% reduction in water usage, and,
include some steep increases in water costs. Primarily, the rate increase impacts irrigation
customers the most, whether residential or commercial. The rates will not take effect until
June 1, 2014.
Staff is concerned that the rate impacts, without modification to the City's potable water use,
would increase costs by more the $200,000. Staff is working hard to reduce water consumption,
and if the City is able to obtain the desired 35% reduction in water usage, the cost impact of the
rate change will be a little more than $20,000. Importantly, DSRSD equates a 35% reduction in
water usage to a 5% indoor reduction and a 60% reduction in outdoor irrigation. As identified
and approved by the City Council at the March 18, 2014 City Council meeting, Staff has
identified projects and programmatic changes that it anticipates will allow the City to get to the
35% required aggregate reduction, which includes turning off fountains, eliminating power
washing facilities, and converting potable water accounts to recycled water where appropriate.
Page 2 of 4
Baseline
"stage f
Stage 2,
Stage 3
Stage 4
(Per ccf),
(Per ccf)
(per, ccf)
(Per ccf)
(Pei" ccf)
As so c i ,dm to d 11'a te a' 0/b 1 OING 20%, 31 5 "No 500116
T`se t;;�mm'tmmmlmmnemml
Residential Customers .
"Tier ] (0 -10 cef)
$0.51
$0.57
$0641
$0397
$1308
"Ties 2,(11-34 cei
$1.08
$1.35
S,1.67
$2.15
X3.50
"Ties 3 (over 34 ec $1.44 $1.87 $2.80 $4.02 5.5 3
C,ommmi merdal Customers
Winter (Nov -fpm l
$1.03
1.ID.2;
1..23
$1.55
1.95
A.11ecT
Siu mmer (May-Oct)
$1.23 $1.44 $1.72 $2.1 6 $3.08
All c'e,f
Potable lrrigat®amm Customers
All e'ed
$1.44
$1.87
2.,80
S4.02
5.5 3
Staff is concerned that the rate impacts, without modification to the City's potable water use,
would increase costs by more the $200,000. Staff is working hard to reduce water consumption,
and if the City is able to obtain the desired 35% reduction in water usage, the cost impact of the
rate change will be a little more than $20,000. Importantly, DSRSD equates a 35% reduction in
water usage to a 5% indoor reduction and a 60% reduction in outdoor irrigation. As identified
and approved by the City Council at the March 18, 2014 City Council meeting, Staff has
identified projects and programmatic changes that it anticipates will allow the City to get to the
35% required aggregate reduction, which includes turning off fountains, eliminating power
washing facilities, and converting potable water accounts to recycled water where appropriate.
Page 2 of 4
DSRSD Drought Ordinances
In addition to the new rate structure adopted for the drought, the DSRSD Board also adopted
new rules and regulations that are to be employed during the drought emergency. Foremost,
within the ordinance is a prohibition on outdoor watering subject to certain exemptions. These
exemptions amount to an allowance of watering landscaped areas no more than two times per
week during the summer months for all customers within the City. DSRSD has installed
sophisticated software that is capable of measuring usage on a real -time basis, allowing it to
find where violations may be occurring. Fines were also adopted up to an amount of $1,000,
and in extreme cases, a customer's water could possibly be shut off or limited.
The ordinance provisions adopted by DSRSD include a prohibition on the washing of cars,
except at a carwash that uses recirculated water, on filling up or top off of any pools, spas, or
water play areas unless they are covered when not in use, and, accordingly to DSRSD's
interpretation, on any excessive or inappropriate usage of water anywhere within the City. For
residential customers, DSRSD has indicted that excessive usage is a home that consumes
more the 640 gallons of water on a daily basis. DSRSD indicates that the average person uses
55 gallons of water on a daily basis, so 640 gallons equates to a home that has nearly 12
people living there. A few other items of note within the adopted ordinance are prohibitions on:
• Restaurants giving out water to customers prior to the request for such from the
customer.
• Cleaning the exterior of a home or business with potable water.
• Using potable water to power wash walkways or other areas.
• Using potable water for street sweeping or storm drain flushing.
• Using potable water to water landscaping where the district has recycled water available.
• Non - recycling decorative fountains.
• Using potable water for gutter cleaning.
• Potable water usage for soil compaction and dust control purposes.
• Any water waste in general.
Staff believes that the City is compliant with the provision listed above, nearly all of which are a
part of the City's own drought action efforts. DSRSD did include an exemption process within
the ordinance, whereby a resident or business can apply for a waiver from the prohibitions after
satisfactorily demonstrating the need for such waiver. The ordinance was adopted on an
emergency basis, so it took effect May 5, 2014.
DSRSD Drought Action Plan
DSRSD's Drought Action Plan includes many of the actions listed above as well as some
actions that the District plans to do to reduce its own water use, such as complying with its own
landscape requirements. The greater portion of the Action Plan deals with outreach efforts to
inform the community about the drought and the actions taken by the District. These efforts
include ads on local radio and television stations. Radio ads began running on KKIQ on May 4,
2014, and television ads are set to being airing starting May 12, 2014 on 18 of Comcast's
channels. In addition, the District plans to send messages to residents and businesses through
the mail and through the use of social media, as well as conduct public presentation at various
community events and functions. Other actions include the development of educational
pamphlets, flyers, and signage for distribution throughout the community.
Finally, the biggest push for water use curtailment within the Action Plan comes from the
conversion of potable irrigation accounts to recycled water. DSRSD lists that the following
Page 3 of 4
conversion activities are in progress, which include Dublin High School and Archstone
Apartments. Staff is working with DSRSD to convert some of the City's potable irrigation
accounts and anticipates more information on such opportunities to be forthcoming in the near
future.
DSRSD's Action Plan addresses credits that will be given to customers that are low water users,
and list of rebates that will be offered to its customers to incentivize the purchase of water
efficient items such as appliances. DSRSD also plans to dispense recycled water to its
customers (free to residents and $10 per load for commercial customers) for landscape watering
to those in the community who desire to pick it up. Residents will simply be able to show up with
a container and fill it up to take it back to their homes. DSRSD has also set aside funding to hire
an irrigation specialist, who will help residents adjust and /or fix their home irrigation system, so
that the programming has the correct watering schedule and identify leaks.
NOTICING REQUIREMENTS /PUBLIC OUTREACH:
1101
ATTACHMENTS: 1. Resolution No. 26 -14
Page 4 of 4
RESOLUTION NO. 26 -14
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN
PROCLAMATION OF A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY DUE TO EXTREME DROUGHT
CONDITIONS
WHEREAS, California Government Code 8630(a) and Ordinance No. 02 -85 (Section 6.A(1))
of the City of Dublin, adopted on January 14, 1985, empower the City Council to proclaim the
existence or threatened existence of a LOCAL EMERGENCY when said City is affected or likely to
be affected by a public calamity; and
WHEREAS the State of California is experiencing record dry conditions, with 2014 projected
to become the driest year on record; and
WHEREAS, the State's water supplies have dipped to alarming levels, indicated by the
following: snowpack in California's mountains is approximately 20 percent less than the normal
average; California's largest water reservoirs have very low water levels for this time of year;
California's major river systems have significantly reduced surface water flows; and groundwater
levels throughout the State have dropped significantly; and
WHEREAS, extremely dry conditions have persisted since 2012 and may continue beyond
this year and more regularly into the future; and
WHEREAS, on January 17, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency
based on drought conditions in California and called on all Californians to conserve water, with the
goal of reducing consumption by 20 percent; and
WHEREAS, the Zone 7 Board of Directors declared a drought emergency on January 29,
2014; and
WHEREAS, the Dublin San Ramon Services District Board of Directors declared a community
drought emergency on February 18, 2014; and
WHEREAS, Dublin Municipal Code Section 2.44.060.A.6 states that whenever the Governor
declares a State of Emergency, the City Manager is empowered to take certain actions including to
direct emergency efforts, to make and issue rules and regulations of matters reasonably related to
the protection of life and property, to obtain vital supplies, and to require emergency services; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Dublin does hereby find: 1) that the conditions of
extreme peril to the safety of persons and property have arisen within the City of Dublin, caused by
the aforementioned extreme drought conditions; 2) that the aforementioned conditions of extreme
peril warrant and necessitate the proclamation of the existence of a local emergency; and 3) that in
order to show solidarity with the water purveyors within the community and to assist them with
combating the effects of said drought conditions, a local emergency should be declared; and
Page 1 of 2
WHEREAS, California Government Code section 8630(c) states that City Council shall review
the need for continuing the local emergency at least once every 30 days.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY PROCLAIMED by the City Council of the City of
Dublin that a LOCAL DROUGHT EMERGENCY now exists throughout the City; and
BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that said LOCAL DROUGHT
EMERGENCY shall be deemed to continue to exist until its termination is proclaimed by the City
Council of the City of Dublin.
vote:
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 18th day of March 2014, by the following
AYES: Councilmembers Biddle, Gupta, Hart, Haubert, and Mayor Sbranti
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk
Reso No. 26 -14, Adopted 3- 18 -14, Item 3.4 Page 2 of 2