General Plan Citizens Advisory Committee Minutes
December 20, 2000
Page 5 of 5
CITY OF CALISTOGA
GENERAL PLAN REVISION CITIZENS’ ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING DATE: Wednesday, December 20, 2000
COMMUNITY CENTER TIME: 4:45 PM
CALISTOGA, CA
A. Roll Call
Committee Members Present:
Chairperson Fiddaman, Co-Chair Jones, Committee Members, Dill, Domogalla, Footman, Layton, Mancini, Marberry, Selvey, Slusser
Committee Members Absent:
Committee Members Beardsley, Brewer, Casey, Creager, Lang, Ruiz, Taylor
Staff Members/Consultants Present:
Planning & Building Director Tooker, Administrative Secretary Barberis
Glen Dombeck, Summit Engineering
Josh Wolfe, David Early, DC&E
David Early handed out Workbook II, identifying several new issues requested by the Committee for discussion prior to drafting the General Plan. A third workbook will be prepared for distribution in January or February.
B. Approval of Minutes for November 15, November 29, and December 6, 2000.
Continued to January 10, 2000.
C. Public Comments.
None.
D. The Committee will consider the following issues:
· the need for a southern crossing
· extension of Money Lane
· planning for existing and future water use
· alternative water supply sources
· location of middle school (and other public services such as library, preschool, recreation center, community center, senior center, elementary school, etc.)
· gateways to the community
· enforcement
· wastewater treatment, reclaimed water
· drainage
David Early introduced Issue No. 14 contained in the Calistoga General Plan Update and EIR Alternatives Workbook I: What approach should the City take when planning for water supply?
Chairperson Fiddaman directed the Committee to keep discussion general, focusing on general policy in order to avoid bogging down on specific issues.
Discussion included the following:
· The City has preferred not to plan for “the dry year” in the past due to cost.
· Committee Member Slusser expressed a feeling of vulnerability about the water situation, as there is no control locally. The City should plan for a dry year.
· Glen Dombeck noted that the City has a local supply, the Kimball reservoir (35%) and the Fiege wells (currently off-line). The Fiege wells require additional treatments to bring them back on-line.
· Committee Member Marberry asked about the amount of silt in the Kimball reservoir. Mr. Dombeck responded about 2.6 acre-feet per year. There is a plan to dredge the reservoir by 2005.
· Director Tooker asked about the certainty of supply availability. Mr. Dombeck answered that there are water-banking alternatives available. This is not something the City is pursuing, but should be looked at. There is an uncertainty in banking water.
· Committee Member Selvey would like to see the City plan for a dry year. He doesn’t think water should be used as a growth control measure.
· Mr. Dombeck noted that the City completed the water entitlement purchase (Kern County) on December 8th. This will aid in a dry year (2000 acre-feet).
· An overhead slide was presented by Mr. Dombeck showing water supply deficit information. Population growth at 1.35% would be covered. The figures supplied in the presentation reflect water demand based on both population and commercial growth. Another overhead presented a comparison of water demand projections.
· The water supply plan includes increasing use of reclaimed water.
· The policy could be to plan for a mid-point between a below normal and dry year.
The consensus of the Committee was to continue to plan for a below normal year, but seek alternative resources on options which would decrease impact of a dry year of options which would decrease the impact of a dry year.
Issue No. 15 contained in the Calistoga General Plan Update and EIR Alternatives Workbook I: What alternative water sources should the City explore?
Comments and questions:
· City wells or private wells? Answer: Looking at restoring Fiege wells. Look at a lease arrangement with a private well as a standby source.
· Is it viable to encourage more private wells? Answer: It could be done but there are several issues involved. The aquifer would need to be studied to determine if more wells would have an impact.
· There is a high boron concentration in some well water. Boron limits the use of reclaimed water to mostly turf. Do not pursue the use of individual wells. Focus on municipal well water.
On consensus, the Committee encouraged use of reclaimed water for landscaping in new development where feasible. Continue to forbid new development where resources are not available.
Further comments included:
· Encourage developments to separate gray water from other wastewater so that it can be used for landscaping. A suggestion was made to include an incentive element to encourage the use of gray water where feasible.
· Develop a water conservation program.
Issue No. 16 contained in the Calistoga General Plan Update and EIR Alternatives Workbook I: What policy should the City implement with regard to the discharge of grease, mud or silt into the wastewater treatment system?
Discussion included the following:
· Recognize this as a community-wide problem.
· This is an enforcement and maintenance issue. The issue should be addressed at the business level.
· Where individual businesses can’t do it on site, do it in some other manner.
· Consider sharing the cost of reducing grease and silt into the wastewater treatment facility.
· Mud trap and grease trap burden should be on businesses.
On consensus, the Committee agreed that this issue does not need to be included in the General Plan because current regulations are appropriate but need enforcement.
Issue No. 17 contained in the Calistoga General Plan Update and EIR Alternatives Workbook I:
What policy should the City implement with regard to businesses and residents that discharge boron into the wastewater treatment system?
Discussion included the following comments and questions:
· Reverse osmosis is feasible but expensive. Pre-treatment would be needed.
· This is also an enforcement issue.
· Is the Citizens’ Advisory Committee equipped to deal with this issue?
· The Municipal Code does not require pre-treatment.
· Ensure that the effluent will lend itself to useful purposes.
· Would need an action that includes enforcing regulations. The General Plan is not the place to make specific regulations.
· #3 is not necessary. Drop the policy from the General Plan. The other options are more important.
· #2. Don’t like the word require. Require in new developments.
On consensus, the Committee agreed that this issue does not need to be included in the General Plan because current regulations are appropriate but need enforcement.
Other discussion regarding Workbook I (an overview):
· A good list has been developed. Is there anything objectionable?
· The General Plan is no longer general. Include implementation parameters. Give direction without being too specific. Don’t generalize to the point of dilution.
Issues in Workbook I that were deferred until DC&E was available:
1. The Southern Crossing. The Committee decided some kind of crossing should occur to Dunaweal without being specified.
2. The Money Lane extension. This needs to be discussed along with land use in the Northwest area (items No. 8 and 9).
3. Item No. 10 (co-housing). The Committee favors co-housing of 8-10 units per development. DC&E feels this effectively means Calistoga will very likely never have co-housing, since co-housing has a minimum of about 20 units. There have been some co-housing developments as small as 8 units, but they are exceptional. Discussion about how to identify what size is reasonable.
4. Enforcement. A suggestion was made to have someone come talk to the Citizens’ Advisory Committee about enforcement. Director Tooker informed the Committee that City policy has only recently given Staff real enforcement tools. DC&E noted that the enforcement item should be added in the draft General Plan.
E. Discussion of items to be placed on the next agenda.
The agenda for the January 10, 2001 meeting will reflect items from Workbook II. Remaining items from Workbook I will be covered January 17, 2000 when DC&E is present.
F. Adjournment.
The Committee adjourned at 7:00 p.m. to a Special Meeting to be held on January 10, 2001.
__________________________
Rick Tooker
Planning and Building Director
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