Councilmember Brooks’ statement: "I have a different view of our sewer plant venture. I believe the decision to add a twenty six million dollar water recycling system was a poor choice with a costly result. It was an unneccessary component which has hiked up our sewer rates. Many citizens think that our sewer system project should have been vigorously streamlined in order to keep sewer rates down. As I listen to the reactions of the public I find that the majority of Fillmore citizens feel that our new sewer system has been overplanned and overbuilt at the expense of our wallets for decades to come. The cost to consumers is just too high."

Project of the Year
A presentation was made by Chris Hook of APWA, for the Fillmore Water Recycling Program, which was selected as the Ventura County American Public Works Association (APWA) project of the year in the Wastewater and Water category. In addition APWA selected the Fillmore project to represent all Ventura County Public Agency projects as the Project of the Year at the National Engineers Week Banquet at the Reagan Library on Thursday, February 18th. Public Works Director Bert Rapp was present to accept the honor.

Hook stated that the Fillmore project was selected because of an innovative management approach and due to its many unique characteristics. For example the "Design-Build-Operate" procurement process helped assure that the plant was as efficient and economical as possible. It also included an exacting quality assurance program so that the plant would have low maintenance costs for 20 years.

Another unique aspect was that the project included about 20 acres of subsurface drip irrigation in a park and school yards that provides water conservation, as well as wet weather disposal capability during rain events. Disposal during rain events is critical to eliminating treated sewer effluent discharges to the river.
According to Rapp, a special challenge in Fillmore was building the project in partnership with other activities occurring in the City. For example the Fillmore Business Park needed a levee along the Sespe Creek as did the treatment plant site so the Water Recycling Program built the entire levee and was reimbursed about $2 Million by the business park for its fair share. To eliminate river discharge the Water Recycling Program needed a surface holding area for major flood events. The new Two Rivers Park provides this area and as a result the Program funded the special grading for Two Rivers Park and the subsurface drip irrigation system for the park. Without these cooperative approaches the Two Rivers Park could not have been built and the Business Park, which brings jobs to Fillmore, may not have gone forward.

The project has also converted the Middle School, Sespe Elementary School and High School playgrounds to recycled water significantly reducing demand on the potable water system and reducing overall energy usage for that irrigation. Because the Fillmore Water Recycling Project conserves and reuses water it also won a $3,050,000 Proposition 50 grant.

These unique cost-effective implementation strategies, partnering to share costs and maximize benefits, along with water conservation measures are what won the Project of the Year award for the Fillmore Water Recycling Program stated Hook.

At the end of the presentation Councilmember Jaime Brooks read a statement, expressing his displeasure with the cost of the project(s), see picture inset.

Mid-Year Budget Review
Anita Lawrence, Transitional Finance Director, presented the Mid-year Budget Review. She recommended that council perform the annual Review, and adopt Resolution 10-3225 amending the 2009/10 Budget; and authorize the City Manager or designee to make the recommended Budget Adjustments. The Resolution allows City Manager Yvonne Quiring to make expenditures conforming with this Budget, and to make adjustments between the various accounts within each fund, limited to the total amount budgeted for said funds. Both motions passed, 5-0.

Lawrence also sought to authorize the City Manager to retain Independent Financial Advisor and Bond Counsel firms to begin the process necessary to refund the 2002 Water System Certificates of Participation ($7,360,000). The 2002 COPs were redeemable beginning May 1, 2009 upon 30 days notice. City Staff is proposing to refund the 2002 COPs to lower interest costs. Council passed 5-0.

Conaway thanked city staff for their diligent work in reorganizing the problem budget. “This is well beyond a normal Mid-year Budget Review. A lot of corrective action has been taken to put the train back on the track. I’m glad to see some accurate numbers come before us,” a reference to the earlier reorganization of the budget that took place after the departure of Finance Director Barbara Smith. One comment made by Lawrence during the presentation was, “Some things were budgeted more than once by $9 million”, meaning the new budget, which took place under interim finance director John Wooner and interim city manager Larry Pennell, contained over $9 million in errors. Councilmember Laurie Hernandez used the term “clean up” when referring to the extensive effort to cure the new budget.

Fee Waiver
A request was made for Fee Waiver of $563 for Town Theatre rental for the proposed “Unsung Heroes Music Festival” fundraising event on April 17th, and requiring conditions for the use of the theatre. Besides the request for reduction, it was also recommended that council requires a refundable deposit in the amount of $200 be made to the Finance Department, which may be reimbursed upon inspection of the theatre following the event. The Unsung Heroes Committee plans to put on the Festival to use this event as a fundraiser in conjunction with the Band Boosters and One-Step to support the Band Program of the FUSD, and the FHS AVID Program. Council approved the request, 5-0.

Greenbelt Ordinance
Kevin McSweeney, Community Development Director, recommended that the Santa Paula/Fillmore Ventura Greenbelt Agreement be made into an ordinance.

The City of Santa Paula desires to extend into the existing Santa Paula/Fillmore Greenbelt by Approx. 500 acres in order to accommodate the proposed Limoneria residential development. The City of Fillmore City council commented on the proposed project, stating that because the Greenbelt is proposed to be amended, the Greenbelt should become an ordinance (law) instead of the existing resolution, and Santa Paula should identify other property to include in the Greenbelt to make-up for the loss of 500 acres. Amended action, 5-0 passed. Name change - An Ordinance of the City of Fillmore to preserve unincorporated county lands between city of Santa Paula and Fillmore, aka, Greenbelt, passed 5-0.

Citizen Mike Moore, who stated he lives in a greenbelt, took the public forum to say there was a lack of detail in the presentation and staff report. He invoked SOAR Measure B, and stated any change to the greenbelt area requires a “vote of the people”. Councilmember Gayle Washburn questioned Moore’s information, to which Mayor Walker said, “Not this agreement, it’s the county and Fillmore use,” referring to the 2007 agreement.
Councilmember Steve Conaway said he supported the 4/5th super majority approval for future amendments (which is not in the ordinance now). “It sends a strong message to the county.” Mayor Walker agreed. Councilmember Jaime Brooks questioned, at length, necessity of a super majority vote, and asked legal council if it could be “moved or changed”.

B Street Extension
Public Works Director Bert Rapp asked council to approve expenditures totaling $475,600 to make improvements at the B Street extension. Request was approved 5-0. Four other motions for public works projects were requested, all approved, 5-0.

City manager Yvonne Quiring asked Council to authorize retaining Independent Financial Advisor and Bond Counsel firms to begin the process necessary to refund the 2002 Water System Certificates of participation, approved 5-0.
Lawrence returned to the microphone for the Redevelopment Agency Business Items; requesting the process to redeem the $8,565,000 in 2006 Subordinate Lien Tax Allocation Bond Anticipation Notes (BANS); and to Adopt Agency Resolution 10-245. Both passed, 5-0.

City Attorney Ted Schneider announced that the city will have an answer by Friday to the pending lawsuit brought by Richard McGee, with California’s Aware, a Brown Act violation watchdog group.