California Special District by California Special Districts Association

CA SPECIAL

DISTRICT Publication of the California Special Districts Association

Volume 11, Issue 3, May - June 2016

2016 Buyers Guide

Interview with Assembly Member Rich Gordon

FEATURE Partners in the future of water: Making progress

Take a special look at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s buyers guide.

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Volume 11, Issue 3 • May - June 2016

Contents

2016 Buyers Guide A complete list of CSDA’s Business Affiliates.

From local government roots to common sense at the Capitol: Interview with Assembly Member Rich Gordon

Partners in the future of water: Making progress through combining strategy, creativity, and collaboration

4 CEO’s Message Planning for the future: Key considerations 5 Professional Development Two conferences tailored to the unique needs of special district officials and staff; Professional Development calendar 6 CSDA News San Diego Chapter holds video contest; SB 272 compliance tool; Good news for SDRMA members 8 Grassroots Action Update Take action on major issues California Special District – May-June 2016

These companies provide the valuable services and products your district needs.

Community Connections

Park investmentsexpand access, improve health

14 In Brief Camouflage shirts used to support veterans; Harbor district retires debt; Park district attends White House Water Summit; New cardiac device; Health care district enhances safety measures; Helicopter combats mosquitoes 38 Legal Brief New Brown Act opinion issued by Attorney General 40 Managing Risk Safety/Claims Education Day; Summer time exposures

42 Money Matters Federal Reserve’s “low and slow” approach to rate hikes may really be “lower and slower” 46 What’s So Special Fit at fifty and beyond Auburn Area Recreation and Park District

Ask the Experts - pg. 12 May our board prepare and sign an “Argument For” section for a proposed ballot measure?

Printed on recycled paper.

CA SPECIAL

Officers William Nelson, President Orange County Cemetery District

CEO’s message

Vincent Ferrante, Vice President Moss Landing Harbor District Arlene Schafer, Secretary Costa Mesa Sanitary District Greg Orsini, Treasurer McKinleyville Community Services District Noelle Mattock, Past President El Dorado Hills Community Services District

Members of the Board Joel Bauer, West Side Cemetery District Stanley Caldwell, Mt. View Sanitary District Ralph Emerson, Garberville Sanitary District Peter Kampa, Saddle Creek Community Services District Jo MacKenzie, Vista Irrigation District Elaine Magner, Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District Shane McAffee, Greater Vallejo Recreation District Ginger Root, Country Club Sanitary District Timothy Ruiz, P.E., East Niles Community Services District Fred Ryness, Burney Water District Sherry Sterrett, Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District Kathy Tiegs, Cucamonga Valley Water District

CSDA Staff Neil McCormick, Chief Executive Officer Megan Hemming, Professional Development Director Cathrine Lemaire, Member Services Director Kyle Packham, Advocacy & Public Affairs Director Todd Winslow, Publications Director Rick Wood, Finance & Administration Director Emily Cha, Staff Assistant Nick Clair, Legislative Analyst Bernice Creager, Public Affairs Specialist Marcus Detwiler, Legislative Assistant Dillon Gibbons, Legislative Representative Christina Lokke, Senior Legislative Representative Charlotte Lowe, Executive Assistant Jimmy MacDonald, Legislative Representative Anna Palmer, Member Services Specialist Chris Palmer, Public Affairs Field Coordinator Alexandra Santos, Receptionist Lindsey Spaletta, Professional Development Assistant Cassandra Strawn, Member Services Specialist Dane Wadlé, Public Affairs Field Coordinator James Wilfong, Senior Designer Nicole Zajic, Editor For editorial inquiries, contact Nicole Zajic at 877.924.2732 or nicolez@csda.net. For advertising inquiries, contact Diana Granger, Granger Marketing Works, at (530) 642-0111 or granger@cwo.com. \

1112 I Street, Suite 200 Sacramento, CA 95814 t: 916.442.7887 f: 916.442.7889 toll-free: 877.924.2732 www.csda.net A proud California Special Districts Alliance partner

Planning for the future: Key Considerations

an organization, strategic planning efforts can take on various shapes and forms, but without question they are essential in establishing priorities and providing the general roadmap on where and how to direct organizational resources. As CSDA enters our next three-year planning cycle for our Strategic and Staffing Plan, I began thinking about some of the areas I try to focus on in our process and thought I would share some below: Engage various stakeholders: Don’t forget to ask what key stakeholders think! As an example, soliciting feedback from department managers is great, but what about all of your other staff who may have something brilliant to say about the organization’s service, operations, and/or programs? Also, hold workshops or conduct surveys to engage constituents and business partners. Give the plan time: There’s nothing wrong with a one-year plan if that works for your organization, but depending on the established goals, implementation can take some time. Give the plan ample time to work. Be nimble: Don’t get so stuck in what’s been put in writing that everyone is oblivious to the changing environment. Set checkpoints to evaluate and adjust if necessary. Allow for flexibility and creativity! Policy direction, not implementation: A board sets policy, establishes big-picture goals, monitors progress, and focuses on its fiduciary duty. Establish goals that still allow for staff to use the expertise and creativity they were hired for to implement strategies to meet those goals. 4

Neil McCormick

Facilitator/Consultant: An unbiased thirdparty to facilitate a planning session can be helpful in bringing a group to consensus on key decision points. Additionally, there are consultants who can work with staff and board members and write the entire strategic plan. Buy-in is key: Everyone needs to be on board with the final plan and goals. If there’s dissention, try to work through it and find where there is common ground. If there is still disagreement on some items, that’s ok. The key is understanding that the plan and its goals are set by the board as a whole. When the vote is done and the decision is made, it should be supported collectively by the full board and staff moving forward. Support the plan with resources: If you can’t afford it, don’t have a corresponding plan to pay for it, and/or don’t have the staff resources to do it, don’t set it as a goal! Unachievable goals in a plan set unrealistic expectations and create frustration among staff and board members. Reference the plan regularly: Don’t put it on the shelf to collect dust. At CSDA, nearly every item on every board agenda has a place where we reference how the item, initiative, or program relates to our Strategic Plan goal(s). These are some of the items that I’ll be keeping in mind as CSDA goes through our planning process this June. Ultimately, we will produce an updated plan that will set the course for CSDA and how we serve our members for 2017 through 2019.

Highlight

July July 10

CONFERENCE

Special District Leadership Academy Conference, Napa

July 19

WEBINAR

Avoiding Construction Payment and Performance Problems

July 21

WEBINAR

What is Public Engagement and Why Do It?

July 27

WEBINAR

New Tools to Pay for Infrastructure

August Two Conferences Tailored to the Unique Needs of Special District Officials and Staff The Special District Leadership Academy is a comprehensive governance series for elected and appointed directors and trustees. Attendees will focus on good governance, the role of the board in human resources, the board’s role in finance and fiscal accountability, and the board’s role in setting direction and community leadership. CSDA’s Special District Leadership Academy

The Special District Leadership Academy (SDLA) Conference, will be held July 10 – 13 in Napa. CSDA’s Board Secretary/Clerk Conference returns to Monterey November 14 – 16. New this year, board secretaries and clerks will have the option of participating in the full-day workshop “Policy & Procedure Writing.” This certificate program was created by CSDA in an effort to expand educational opportunities for this position in special districts and to provide an opportunity to recognize individuals who invest the time in becoming trained in the various components of the job.

California Special District – May-June 2016

August 3

WORKSHOP

HR Boot Camp for Special Districts, El Dorado Hills

August 4

WORKSHOP

Financial Management for Special District, El Dorado Hills

August 11

WEBINAR

Legislative Round-Up

August 16

WEBINAR

Understanding Property Taxes and Your Budget

Bythe

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Metropolitan Water District of Southern California provides drinking water to nearly half of the state’s population and delivers an average 1.7 billion gallons of water per day.

CSDA NEWS San Diego Chapter Holds Video Contest The San Diego Chapter of California Special District Association held its first video contest for county middle and high school students. Prizes were four cash awards of $1,500, with $750 going to the winning student and another $750 for the school the winning student attends. The contest serves as an effort to provide educational outreach and awareness of special districts and their role in local government. The contest gives students an opportunity to create a oneminute Public Service Announcement about special districts, with the theme being “What’s So Special About Special Districts.” Videos were judged on creativity, originality, positivity, entertainment value, accuracy of information, value of information and production quality. Students could select one of the following topics as the subject of their video: • The jobs or careers available at special districts that serve the community the student lives in. • The role and function of districts - how they benefit the communities they serve. • An explanation of how special districts are created and/or how they are able to provide a necessary government service. • An explanation of how the student benefits from special districts in the area.

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SB 272 Compliance Tool Available Senate Bill 272 requires all California local government agencies to create an enterprise system catalog by July 1, 2016. CSDA’s business affiliate, Streamline, has partnered with CSDA to create a tool to help agencies easily produce, publish, and share their catalog via print, email, and online. This online tool walks the user through adding each system to the catalog, helps determine what systems need to be listed, and makes sure the proper fields are completed. It also allows agencies to keep track of any exempted systems for internal purposes. The tool is free to CSDA members and available at www.getstreamline.com/ sign-up. Contact Streamline at info@ getstreamline.com for more information.

Good News for SDRMA Members This spring, the Special District Risk Management Authority (SDRMA) announced there will be no rate increases for either the Property/Liability or Workers’ Compensation programs for 2016-17. In addition, the SDRMA Board of Directors, for the sixth year in a row, approved a Longevity Distribution - $856,492 for Property/Liability members and $327,076 for Workers’ Compensation members. Most members will be eligible to receive the distribution credit, depending on the amount of time they’ve been in the programs and the amount of their annual contributions. Currently, 496 agencies participate in SDRMA’s Property/Liability program and 424 participate in the Workers’ Compensation program. SDRMA’s Health Benefit program has 124 members. To learn more about SDRMA’s risk management solutions, visit www.sdrma.org or call 800.537.7790.

Bank of the West offers a CSDA District Purchasing Card1 that can help you improve your control over expenses and cash flow while streamlining your procurement process. And our online reporting tools can help you save time and track employee spending. To speak to a Relationship Manager, call 1-866-588-1358.

California Special District – May-June 2016

update

This legislative session is proving to be a busy one for CSDA’s advocacy efforts. Below are just a few examples of the more than 2,000 bills working their way through the State Legislature. On May 17-18 hundreds of special district leaders converged on the State Capitol to take part in Special Districts Legislative Days, to take action on major issues, such as these. Senate Bill 885 (Wolk): Contract Restrictions CSDA Position: Oppose

Senate Bill 1170 (Wieckowski): Public Works Liability CSDA Position: Oppose

Eliminates the right of a public agency to contract with design professionals for up-front legal defense against claims related to their work. Instead, public agencies could only ask for reimbursement from the design professionals if the claim is fully litigated and a decision is rendered by a court. As a result: • SB 885 favors litigation over negotiation – SB 885 actually encourages new litigation and manufactures unnecessary conflict in public works contract negotiations. • SB 885 forces taxpayers and ratepayers to front the costs to defend the private sector even for claims that allege the negligence, recklessness, or willful misconduct on the part of a private business. • Every dollar spent on litigation spawned by SB 885 will be one less dollar to support vital public services and infrastructure (fire, police, schools, libraries, etc.). Infrastructure funding that employs hard-working Californians will go toward high-paid attorneys. • SB 885 circumvents market conditions and the freedom to contract, and simply forces taxpayers to insure private entities, even when they are 100 percent liable to the claim.

Requires special districts and other local agencies to directly manage and implement a stormwater pollution prevention plan on every public works project exceeding one acre in size. Allows for the agency to contract this work with a design professional, but prohibits doing so with the contractors managing and implementing the day-today construction of the project. Senate Bill 1292 (Stone): Grand Jury Accuracy CSDA Sponsored Legislation While the majority of civil grand jury reports are accurate, occasionally there are reports that are made public that contain false or inaccurate information. Such reports are a disservice to the public, and are liable to undermine the credibility of an important grand jury system. SB 1292 promotes the integrity of the grand jury system and assists civil grand juries in increasing the accuracy of their publically released reports, while maintaining the fundamental principles of the grand jury as an independent watchdog. Specifically, this bill: • Requires each grand jury to hold an exit interview with the subject of their investigations to discuss the findings of the report. • Affords grand juries with the option of providing a draft of their findings to the subject of the report in order to receive initial comments on the draft. • Grants the subject of an investigation the option to provide comments on the report that will be released and posted with the grand jury report at the time it is made publically available.

Assembly Bill 2613 (Achadjian) Small District Audit Requirements CSDA Sponsored Legislation AB 2613 would authorize a special district with annual revenues of $150,000 or less, with unanimous approval of its governing board and the board of supervisors, to replace their annual audit with an annual financial compilation. This bill will give special districts in good standing the opportunity to utilize a less costly alternative to the regular audit or financial review, while continuing to maintain the proper financial oversight and accountability of these government entities.

Take Action • To learn more about the most pressing issues facing special districts in the State Capitol, and to find sample letters for you to share your position with your legislators, visit the Grassroots Action Center at www.csda.net. • For the latest status on legislative measures affecting special districts, visit the Bill Tracking page at www.csda.net.

Your Community. Your Services. Your District! We are happy to announce the launch of our new public outreach campaign, Districts Make the Difference.

This campaign is centered on the concept that special districts go beyond providing important services to their communities. They make a difference in the lives of their residents and help our state thrive. The goal is to bridge the gap between special districts and the essential services that millions of Californians value. The first step is to visit DistrictsMaketheDifference.org. This new website features a simple-to-use toolkit filled with public awareness videos, web banners, posters, factsheets, and other materials that can be easily downloaded.

Follow, like, subscribe, share!

MAKE THE

DistrictsMaketheDifference.org DistrictsMaketheDifference.org

CSDA Membership Delivers More. CSDA is proud of our ability to provide strong, respected representation of special districts at the state capitol. We’re happy to bring quality education programs to your board members and staff. And we’re delighted to be the association you trust to get timely, valuable information to your inbox as well as to your mailbox. But did you know your membership in CSDA can deliver even more to keep your agency running efficiently and effectively? We are constantly on the lookout to identify and partner with businesses that have a reputation for top-quality services, products and customer support. These businesses have agreed to offer their services tailored to CSDA members. CSDA’s Value-Added Benefits deliver cost-effective solutions to meet your agency’s needs now and in the future. It’s just one more way CSDA membership delivers more. Call Member Services at 877.924.2732 for information on any of these services:

Bank of the West – CSDA branded purchasing card program designed for special districts California CAD Solutions – Digital mapping solutions CalTRUST – Pooled investment accounts eCivis – Grant research and management system Employee Relations – Employment background investigations, drug testing and employee hotline services PARS – Prefunding Solutions for OPEB and Pension Liability Streamline – Website design system U.S. Communities -– Discounted purchasing forum for office supplies, technology products and more Utility Cost Management - Utility bill audits

CSDA members have access to exclusive programs delivered by our California Special Districts Alliance Partners: • CSDA Finance Corporation – visit www.csdafinance.net for tax-exempt municipal financing • Special District Risk Management Authority (SDRMA) – visit www.sdrma.org for cost-effective Workers’ Compensation, Property & Liability and Health Coverages

MOVERS & SHAKERS Costa Mesa Sanitary District received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). This is the fourth consecutive year CMSD has received the certificate of excellence from GFOA. CMSD also received the Program Excellence in Governance from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks for implementing a Virtual Sewer Map Interface on CMSD’s website. The Virtual Sewer Map Interface provides the public with immediate online access to the district’s sewer atlas and as-built plans. Steve Cano, wastewater maintenance superintendent for the Costa Mesa Sanitary District, has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Santa Ana River Basin Section (SARBS) of the California Water Environment Association (CWEA). SARBS is one of seventeen geographical local sections in CWEA that focus on training events, sharing information and discussing regional and/or statewide issues facing the wastewater profession. Del Norte Resource Conservation District board member Matthew Westbrook was appointed to the 41st District Agricultural Association. The WateReuse Association California Section selected El Toro Water District as the 2016 Recycled Water Agency of the Year and to receive the WateReuse Award for Excellence in its size category. This award recognizes agencies that have developed recycled water, on a significant level, as an alternative water source within their service area, regionally or statewide.

California Special District – May-June 2016

movers and shakers Does your district have an individual recently appointed as general manager or a top staff position? Have you recently elected a new board president? Have any district personnel been appointed to other community boards or positions? Email your district’s movers and shakers to Nicole Zajic, editor, at nicolez@csda.net and we will include them in our next issue!

WateReuse California also named Dublin San Ramon Services District’s Clean Water Specialist Stefanie Olson as 2015 Staff Person of the Year for her work on the hugely popular Residential Recycled Water Fill Station program. The Dublin San Ramon Services District Board of Directors appointed Daniel McIntyre to serve as the district’s general manager. “[McIntyre] has many years experience working with Tri-Valley utilities’ water challenges and the political landscape. He brings a lot of creativity to the job, which will be key as we work to improve the reliability of our water supply. And he has concrete plans to enhance the knowledge, skills, and abilities of our staff at all levels of the organization,” says board Vice President Richard Halket. John Friel joins Bear Valley Community Healthcare District as chief executive officer. Mokelumne Rural Fire Protection District welcomes Frank Ramirez as fire chief. The Ramona Municipal Water District Board of Directors elected Thomas Ace as president. The Contra Costa Water District Board of Directors unanimously approved Ernesto Avila to fill the board vacancy left by the retirement of former Board President Joseph L. Campbell. The California Water Environment Association’s San Joaquin Section awarded Selma-Kingsburg-Fowler County Sanitation District with the 2015 Plant of the Year (medium division) award, as well as the Collection System of the Year (medium division), and Community Project of the Year (small division) awards.

? Do you have a question for any of our CSDA experts? If so, send your question to Nicole Zajic, editor, at nicolez@csda.net.

Ask theExperts May our board prepare and sign an “Argument For” section for a proposed ballot measure?

A board may prepare and sign an “Argument For” section for a proposed ballot measure, but should be careful to ensure that the material provided therein is informational and not campaign-like in nature. Government Code section 54964 provides that public agencies may not expend public funds to assist the passage or defeat of a ballot measure and defines “expenditures” as those communications that expressly advocate the approval or rejection of a ballot measure. By application, the use of public funds to inform voters about the consequences of a ballot measure is excluded from the definition of an “expenditure” under Section 54964. Therefore, a district may expend public funds to inform voters about the consequences of a ballot measure. These principles were addressed in the oft-cited case, Vargas v. City of Salinas (2009) 46 Cal.4th 1. In Vargas, the California Supreme Court validated a city’s communications regarding a local initiative where the city conveyed past and present facts relating to the issue, avoided inflammatory language, did not urge voters to vote in a particular manner, and communicated the material in a manner similar to established practice 12

(via website and regularly circulated newsletter). Under Vargas, the inquiry is whether the material constitutes permitted informational activity or impermissible campaign activity. In preparing the “Argument For” section for a proposed ballot measure, districts should avoid using persuasive or impassioned language, but instead inform the public of the facts (e.g., if Measure A passes, then X will occur). The district should not expressly encourage voters to vote one way or the other. In summary, a district is not prohibited from expressing its viewpoint regarding the merits of a proposed ballot measure but must be careful, in its expression of its viewpoint, that it does not enter into the realm of impermissible campaign activity. Districts should continue to consult with their legal counsel regarding information they wish to disseminate to ensure they are in compliance with these standards. Sean De Burgh is a partner with the law firm Cota Cole LLP. De Burgh specializes in providing general counsel and litigation services for public agencies throughout California. His public sector areas of expertise include all aspects of employment law, contracts, elections, and civil rights. De Burgh also provides estate planning and probate services to clients throughout the state.

Complete

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1 /2

CSDA’s Special District Leadership Academy

2 days

july 10-13, 2016 - Embassy suites Napa Valley

Special district Leadership academy conference A Comprehensive Governance Conference for Elected and Appointed Directors/Trustees.

California Special District – May-June 2016

In Brief Camouflage Shirts Used to Support Veterans The United Professional Firefighters of Contra Costa County Local 1230 (Local 1230) announced that it will sell camouflage t-shirts. The proceeds from the sale of the t-shirts will go to help local veteran groups in the county. The Local 1230 is comprised of multiple firefighting agencies in the area, including East Contra Costa, Contra Costa County, Rodeo-Hercules, and Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection Districts. The idea was brought forward by a local firefighter who witnessed similar efforts across the country, and it was quickly accepted. “To be able to get every chief, every operations chief, to say ‘yes, we are in’ across six agencies is huge. I don’t think we have had a united front like this on a charity campaign in our history. So to be able to say across all of Contra Costa we are going to move forward and help our veterans on a united front, it’s huge,” says Neema Mohammadizad, with the Local 1230. Each agency will have its own version of the shirt and firefighters will wear them on Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Fourth of July, among other days throughout the year. Says Vince Wells, president of the Local 1230, “As firefighters we are on the frontlines of protecting our communities. It is an honor to show support to those who have our back and protect our borders and beyond, and to assure them their service is not forgotten.”

Harbor District Retires Debt Early San Mateo County Harbor District recently paid off a $5 million loan almost four years ahead of schedule. The district’s general manager initially approached the district’s board of directors with three options: maintain the status quo, refinance the loan, or pay it off altogether. The board voted to dip into the district’s $16.3 million reserves to pay the loan off, saving the district around $500,000 in interest payments. “This is a great thing,” says Board President Tom Mattusch. “We are appreciative of the support of the years from Boating and Waterways and are very pleased that we can pay this off three and a half years early. The district has taken about $20 million in loans total from the California Division of Boating and Waterways since 1976. The loans were used to make improvements to Oyster Point Marina/Park and Pillar Point Marina – both overseen by the district. Now that the loan is paid off, the district plans to pursue what it considers to be an aggressive list of projects.

Park District Attends White House Water Summit East Bay Regional Park District was selected as one of the few land agencies – and one of approximately 200 committed organizations - in the United States to participate in the White House Water Summit. The summit focused on long-term strategies to build a sustainable and secure water future through innovative science and technology. As part of its involvement with the event, the district agreed to set a goal of saving 250 million gallons of water over the next five years. As part of this effort, the district plans to eliminate some standard grasses in high-use areas and replace them with droughttolerant grasses, and to seek partnerships with local sod and seed companies to make drought-tolerant grasses available to the public. It also plans to convert a number of grass areas into native plant gardens for water-efficiency and public education purposes. Through these initiatives, it is expected water use will be cut by 30 to 50 percent and lawn-mower emissions will be reduced by 50 percent.

New Cardiac Device At Health Care District Hundreds of staff at Kaweah Delta Health Care District took the time recently to learn about a new cardiac device coming to its hospital. The device, called the Impella, is the world’s smallest heart pump. It pulls blood from the left ventricle of the heart through an inlet area near the tip, and expels blood from the catheter into the ascending aorta. District staff were excited to learn about the device and were able to take part in an interactive portion of the training. Over 200 staff showed up to learn about the new life-saving device.

Got news? California Special District wants to hear about newsworthy people, projects, events and accomplishments in your district. To submit a news item for In Brief, contact Nicole Zajic at nicolez@csda.net or (877) 924-2732.

Helicopter Used to Combat Mosquitoes

Healthcare District Enhances Safety Measures Against Viruses In an effort to combat the recent spread of flu and other viruses, Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District has taken aggressive safety measures and recently acquired the most advanced UV disinfection robot, Tru-D SmartUVC, to reinforce its already strict infection prevention practices in its medical center. “We want to make sure we provide the highest quality of care and patient satisfaction while at the same time providing a safe environment for our employees–those are our number one concerns here at Pioneers,” said Larry Lewis, CEO of Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District. “With the recent flu outbreaks, the Tru-D robot will assure us that our patients and hospital staff have a 99.9 percent germ-free room and work place.” Tru-D SmartUVC is the only portable UV disinfection system that delivers an automated, measured dose of germicidal UVC light to consistently disinfect an entire room. Tru-D operates from a single position within the room, ensuring 99.99 percent pathogen reduction in direct and indirect shadowed areas, eliminating the threat of human error in the disinfection process.

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Tru-D is turned on from outside the room using an iPad remote featuring iTru-D, an application that tracks infection control data and simultaneously uploads the information to the hospital’s web portal. “By utilizing Tru-D SmartUVC, we are ensuring that every room meets the highest standard of cleanliness that will improve quality and patient safety by decreasing healthcare-associated infections,” said Carly Zamora RN, MSN, infection control coordinator at Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District.

California Special District – May-June 2016

In an effort to combat the Aedes squamiger mosquito, Santa Clara County Vector Control District is enlisting the use of a helicopter to apply a biological control agent and insect growth regulator to certain areas of its community. The mosquito lays its eggs in moist soil in late spring and early summer. Those eggs can then lay dormant for up to several years. “Winter rains have facilitated the hatching of Aedes squamiger eggs, which will require treatment in the coastal areas of the county,” says District Manager Denise Bonilla. “The aerial operations usually result in a 90 percent reduction in mosquito numbers, and dramatically reduce the extreme nuisance caused by these mosquitoes well into the summer.” The species of mosquito is known to bite fiercely during the day. The district placed signage around the treatment areas to notify visitors about the helicopter treatment operations.

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From local government roots to common sense at the Capitol Interview with Assembly Member Rich Gordon As a long-time public servant and someone who understands the value of special districts and the services they provide, Assembly Member Gordon was the clear choice for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CSDA Legislator of the Year. As a member of the Assembly Local Government Committee, Gordon serves as a thoughtful and considerate voice. His record on local issues demonstrates his willingness to vote his conscience and support local control. Assembly Member Gordon has roots in local government, having served as a county supervisor for over a decade. He attributes this to his understanding of local issues and support of local government at the State Capitol. California Special District asked Assembly Member Gordon to describe his local government roots, his approach to working effectively at the Capitol, and his advice for special district boards and leadership throughout the state. With 23 special districts in your jurisdiction, how do these local agencies impact your residents? These special districts provide essential government services to my residents. Whether it be the provision of water, fire services, sanitary/sewer services, or other, these districts provide the services that are most impactful to my residents.

Would you say the role special districts play in Assembly District 24 is a significant part of meeting your constituentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs?

Assembly Member Rich Gordon

Yes. Obviously one of the dynamics is that special districts as a unit of government in California are often not well understood. But they provide some of the most critical and important services people desperately need, so in terms of the significance that they have, our communities wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t function without the special districts.

I think there are two factors. One, I’ve always looked for legislation that I view as common sense. I’ve tried to do things that I think make a difference but are pretty straightforward. Second, I’ve worked very hard to develop relationships with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

What is your background in local government? I served for 13 years on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. In that role, we had several dependent special districts, and I actually sat on special district boards as a member of the board of supervisors. Whether it be a lighting district or a sewer district, on some level, in a strange way, I served on special districts. I also served on LAFCo and was very involved in the municipal service reviews of our special districts so I think I’ve had a pretty good familiarity in my local government experience with districts.

You’ve had much success in having the governor sign your legislation into law. To what do you attribute this success? I think there are two factors. One, I’ve always looked for legislation that I view as common sense. I’ve tried to do things that I think make a difference but are pretty straightforward. Second, I’ve worked very hard to develop relationships with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. When I first got to the Legislature almost six years ago, I went and met with all 79 other members of the State Assembly and built relationships. I’ve had situations where people have said to me, “I don’t fully understand what you’re trying to do, but I trust you.” I think the relationships, and the trust that comes from those relationships, combined with some common sense, have contributed to my legislative success.

One of the reasons you chose to run for state office was to improve the bridge of communication between local residents and the Capitol. And you continue to work to forge relationships on both sides of the aisle. Explain the efforts you take to accomplish these things. One of the things I’ve done is put my communications staff person, who handles my webpage, Facebook account, newsletter, and constituent communications, in the

district office. They aren’t working out of the Capitol, as is the case for many legislators. This means they are on the ground locally, with my constituents, and they have a feel for what’s going on. I think that has helped to improve communication between the community and the State Capitol. We’ve also been active in holding town hall meetings, getting out and standing on street corners or at farmers’ markets, and utilizing our webpage to interact with people. Those actions are part of what I’ve worked at to try to maintain a strong relationship with the local communities I represent. In terms of working across the aisle, I’ve mentioned the fact that I’ve certainly spent time getting to know my colleagues and meeting with them. I am very fortunate that, as a gay man, I have a husband who is retired and loves to cook. About once a month he comes to Sacramento and cooks a dinner and I invite three of my Republican colleagues and three of my Democratic colleagues to come have dinner with us. It is a great opportunity to forge relationships, strengthen relationships, and, for those of us who have to be in Sacramento three nights a week, it’s better food than a restaurant. Continued on page 18

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California Special District – May-June 2016

Interview with Assembly Member Rich Gordon [continued] What have been some of the biggest challenges that local agencies have faced over your time as a member of the Assembly Local Government Committee? Clearly one of the biggest problems is the fact that there is this tendency to say that, as the state Legislature, we know best. And if you haven’t been a member of local government it is very easy to say that. If you’ve served in local government, one of the things that often happens when you get to Sacramento is you forget your roots. So I think some of the biggest challenges that I’ve seen have been those situations where members of the local government committee have forgotten how important local agencies are, forgotten about local control, and have wanted to push things more to the state level. I look back and I was here in the Legislature when we did away with redevelopment - I’m not sure that was a very good move - and there have been other steps to have the state step into the arena of local government.

I’ve certainly worked hard and tried to understand and respect my roots and, as I’ve made decisions, I’m thinking about what’s best for local government. How do we maintain local control? When I was a member of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, I had the opportunity to go up through the officers’ ranks of the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) and I served as CSAC President. It gave me the opportunity to interact with the 58 counties in the state and as I did that my appreciation for local government grew. I’ve worked hard to maintain those roots.

People’s lives are becoming busier, media communication is becoming saturated, and public expectations of government are rising. What can special districts do to increase public awareness and understanding of special districts, or better yet, public engagement with their local districts? Part of what has to happen is we must make sure we’re communicating in multiple different ways. In my community of special districts, there are those that have asked if I want to receive communications electronically. When I’ve indicated I would, they send me emails

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with information. We need to find a variety of ways to communicate with our constituents to help them understand what it is a special district does. I think it boils down to good, old fashioned communication, which is based largely on newsletters, emails, and web pages. Periodically there may be other things you want to do outside the box, for example take a booth at a farmers market, where people can stop by and visit and learn who the district is and what they do.

What suggestions do you have for special districts as they attempt to encourage more minorities and women to run for elected boards? One thing would be for those special districts that establish advisory committees or citizen task forces, particularly as they are looking at a specific issue, they

California Special District – May-June 2016

should make sure they are recruiting and placing on those task forces people who are truly representative of the diversity of the community. It’s unlikely somebody’s going to step up and say, “I should run for that special district board.” But if they have the experience of interacting with the district through a task force, through an advisory committee, or through some other volunteer citizen capacity, they’re more likely to think, “I could serve on that board.” That’s one solid way a district could work to bring in to the special district family the diversity of its community.

How important is professional development for elected officials and staff in areas such as understanding the Brown Act, budgeting and finance, governance, and other important issue areas? It’s very important. In larger units of government - like a county or large city

- there are going to be a whole lot of support staff who will provide guidance and information to the elected official. Some special districts are quite large but many aren’t. In a smaller district you may have a general manager who is running the water treatment plant, staffing the board meetings, dealing with constituents, and essentially with one or two other people, handling everything. That staff will be pressed thin because of the requirements of the work they do and may not be able to provide as much support to the board members. So board members should take the opportunities that are available to them to gain as much knowledge about the public process, and about the governance role, because this way they model good civic behavior and make sure they stay within the boundaries of the law.

By Robert R. Hill, General Manager, El Toro Water District

Partners in the Future of Water Making progress through combining strategy, creativity, and collaboration

Among water industry leaders, there is likely no group more keenly aware of the challenges facing California water districts than general managers and their senior management team. Handling the ups and downs of an El Niño year, managing the perceptions of customers who may be unaware or indifferent to the true costs of delivering potable water to the home, retooling rate structures, effectively communicating rate increases, and investing in infrastructure projects to ensure the continuity of delivering safe, clean water to a growing population - these may be some of the things that keep you awake at night.

Founded: 1960

Water industry leaders must be more strategic and increasingly more creative and collaborative than ever before in order to solve problems like water reclamation/recycling, storage, and drought-related issues while taking on new challenges that materialize regularly due to the combination of aging infrastructure, rising costs of maintenance, labor and capital, and limited or stretched resources. Additionally, we must stay focused to ensure that we don’t allow these issues to pull our attention away from what’s important: providing customers a safe, adequate, and reliable supply of water and wastewater service in an environmentally and economically responsible way.

Started • Population Served: 125 • Wholesale Business • 7 Board members • 5 Employees

Today • Population Served: 49,000 • Retail Water and Wastewater • 1,450 AFY Recycled Water • 5 Board Members • 58 Employees • Largest Covered Drinking Water Reservoir in Orange County

Types of Partnerships • Sharing Assets • Joint Capital Ventures • Service • Equipment and Labor • Project Financing • Water • Drought Response

...create a win-win arrangement between neighboring districts that can share resources in order to benefit for decades into the future by collaborating, sharing resources, and creating mutually beneficial partnerships. Given the need to repair or replace aging infrastructure, agencies might adopt a competitive mindset, competing for limited government funds. However, another way to approach this challenge is to create a win-win arrangement between neighboring districts that can share resources in order to benefit for decades into the future by collaborating, sharing resources, and creating mutually beneficial partnerships.

A legacy of “Vision Toward the Future” From the formation of the El Toro Water District (ETWD) in 1960, serving a population of 125 residents, the district’s founders had a vision and collaborated to implement policies that would meet the short- and long-range economic, water resource, and environmental goals of the community. While the immediate need was to provide for its south Orange County customers, ETWD had the wisdom and foresight to consider the greater Orange County area in their planning as well. From the beginning our reality has been the fact that our region doesn’t have a sustainable source of groundwater and is dependent on imported water that is transported from hundreds of miles away. Orange County water agencies, like most agencies, are diverse in their governance, organizational structures, geographic service areas, demographics, infrastructure configurations, sources of water supply, and the services they provide. Additionally, there are significant differences in labor relations, funding sources, and administering varying types of rate

California Special District – May-June 2016

Three District Reservoir logo – partnership between the three water districts who are named in the logo.

structures. Aside from our differences, we all share a common goal: to provide customers safe, adequate and reliable services in an environmentally and economically responsible way. Many of these goals and challenges are universal: water use efficiency, adequate water supply and storage, water quality, water reuse, affordability, and customer communication. Today partnerships and regional planning are essential to achieve economies of scale and enhanced service levels across boundary lines, while maintaining local control. Sharing of assets and partnering is part of the “new norm.” To be successful, we must think strategically and create innovative solutions that deal with budget and resource constraints that exist. It’s worth noting that collaboration and partnerships are not simply about saving money; many times our goal is to find creative ways to improve our service to our customers. Although district area maps clearly define service area boundaries, agency leaders can collaborate and use contractual agreements to create solutions that improve service, share costs and infrastructure, and create progressive solutions (projects) that might otherwise not be costeffectively achievable by a single agency. Today’s general managers and boards should recognize that they must solve today’s challenges with new strategic and collaborative thinking. In other words, we are able to tackle regional issues while maintaining local control and maintaining our high levels of customer service. In south Orange County we have 10 water agencies that meet bi-monthly to talk about sharing our resources and collaboration for projects both large and small. Over the past 15 years, we have collaborated in numerous projects with Moulton Niguel, Santa Margarita, Trabuco Canyon, and Irvine Ranch Water Districts.

Baker Water Treatment Plant Project; Working together to improve water supply reliability.

Commitment and contractual arrangements between multiple agencies resulted in mutually beneficial projects like the $10 million expansion and regionalization of the district’s El Toro Reservoir and $103 million Baker Water Treatment Plant. ETWD has provided services for smaller projects to other districts, which generated non-rate revenue for ETWD and allowed the others to save costs and hold off from adding resources and costs until they were ready to expand their operations. Continued on page 22

Principals that El Toro uses to approach partnerships

Partners in the future of water [continued]

• Identify a specific need or challenge that is shared by participating agencies. • Determine that political will exists to work collaboratively together to move a program forward. • Assess the viability with respect to regulatory and environmental requirements and compliance. • Determine that the partnership is in the best interest of their respective customers. • Outline and document the framework (roles, lead agency, financing, cost sharing, facility ownership, facility operations, record keeping, and outreach).

Recycled Water Expansion Project (RWEP) Plant Dedication with Supervisor Lisa Bartlett.

Another benefit to collaborating and sharing resources with other districts is that we are able to deploy our teams to focus on other projects. With the cooperation of local cities, communities, and local and state regulatory agencies, our team was able to complete our $34 million Recycled Water Expansion Project ahead of schedule and under budget. The completion of this project increased our ability to treat recycled water, to be used for irrigation, from 500 acre feet to approximately 1,400 acre feet per year. It also reduced the average discharge of secondary treated effluent into the ocean by 25 percent.

and committed. Partnerships/collaborations are no different. The leadership team is typically vested in one of the participating entities with all partners sharing in oversight and input. The partnership/collaboration should be well documented (leadership, ownership, capacity rights, financing, capital, and operation and maintenance cost sharing, record keeping, and termination) so there is accountability and so that future generations will have clear guidance regarding the terms and conditions that the agreement was founded upon.

Creating successful partnerships

Types of partnerships Some of the types of partnerships and collaborations include capital project joint ventures, project financing (local, state, and federal), water storage development and regionalization, water resource exchanges, employee education and training, equipment sharing, contract service arrangements, drought response, emergency interconnections, emergency preparedness and response, and the development of sharing of best practices in the areas of customer messaging and communications.

Essential elements for a successful partnership/collaboration Organizations need the political will and a belief that the resulting partnership or collaboration will benefit each of the participating organizations and the constituents that they serve. Benefit evaluations should include economic equity as it relates to the benefits that each organization will receive. Most successful efforts have strong leadership that is focused

If you look at a map of our region, you’ll see the boundaries of service areas. However, our philosophy is that service areas don’t preclude or inhibit entering into agreements that create mutual benefits. It’s really the willingness of each partner to recognize the benefit of sharing resources. Because our collective focus is on the synergy, economies of scale, improvement of service, and cost savings rather than on egos or self-gain toward our respective organizations, we have achieved some remarkable results. One way to ensure your organization’s success in forming successful partnerships is to foster a culture of collaboration within your organization. I’m fortunate to have a world-class staff and leadership team. Last year presented some gargantuan challenges to deliver projects in the midst of many potential distractions and a major drought. Our collective team had to think strategically, work collaboratively, and solve problems creatively on a new level. From our board of directors to senior

El Toro Water District Partnerships and Affiliations • Regionalization and expansion of the El Toro Regional Reservoir – Oversight • South Orange County Watershed Management Area Executive Committee (SOCWMA) – made of 21 agencies (special districts and municipalities) and coordination of contractual arrangements between three agencies to - is formed to provide integrated regional planning and a framework for increase emergency potable storage and cost sharing. cooperation on regional water resource issues. Lead agency - El Toro Water District • Sewer cleaning and TV inspection services from one agency to another by • South Orange County Wastewater Authority (SOCWA), a joint powers contractual arrangement to generate non-rate revenue and defer capital authority was created to regionalize bio-solids treatment and treated equipment and labor investment. effluent disposal for South Orange County. • Wastewater resource sharing between two agencies by memorandum of • Baker Water Treatment Plant Project contractual agreement between five understanding to increase treated recycled water deliveries for dedicated agencies to improve imported potable water treatment reliability with the irrigation purposes and reduce ocean discharges and treatment/pumping capability to treat water at a new location that provides much-needed costs. delivery/treatment redundancy. Lead agency - shared by El Toro Water District and Irvine Ranch Water District. Lead agency - Irvine Ranch Water District.

leadership and our department heads, leaders from across our organization demonstrated exemplary leadership in championing these projects and in their teams to achieve record-setting results. My team’s commitment to collaboration and teamwork are essential to being successful in larger scale partnerships with other water districts and groups.

California Special District – May-June 2016

Robert (Bob) Hill is the general manager of the El Toro Water District. Hill started his career in the water industry in 1974 with the CPUC regulated Laguna Hills Water Company (LHWC) and transitioned to the El Toro Water District in 1983 when ETWD purchased the assets of LHWC. In his role as general manager, Hill is responsible for implementing policies adopted by the board of directors and managing day-to-day operations associated with all aspects of water, wastewater, and recycled water services, and maintaining a highly qualified and productive staff.

The El Toro Water District is a District of Distinction, accredited by the Special District Leadership Foundation due to its commitment to good governance and to ethical and sound operating practices. ETWD provides full service potable water, wastewater, and recycled water in Orange County, for use across portions of the cities of Aliso Viejo, Lake Forest, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, and the entire city of Laguna Woods. The mission of El Toro Water District is to provide its customers a safe, adequate, and reliable supply of water and wastewater service in an environmentally and economically responsible way.

Special District Leadership Foundation

Leadership Programs that Promote and Recognize Excellence in District Governance & Management 1112 I Street, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95814

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t: 916.231.2939

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2016 SPECIAL DISTRICT

ACCOUNTING

Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf, LLP 1123 Chapala Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 963-7811 www.bpw.com Accounting/Bookkeeping, Audits, Consulting Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf, LLP is the leading accounting and consulting firm on the central coast offering a full suite of services dedicated to special districts. With a combination of professionalism, technical skills, and industry knowledge, our team of auditors will provide a thorough assessment of your accounting procedures and deliver a comprehensive analysis to enhance quality, transparency and best practices. Leveraging our broad experience with special districts across California, we look for ways to help improve your operations and streamline your processes. Blomberg & Griffin Accountancy Corporation 1013 N. California Street Stockton, CA, 95202 (209) 466-3894 www.blombergcpa.com Accounting/Bookkeeping, Audits Blomberg & Griffin provides a wide range of services to individuals and businesses in a variety of industries. At Blomberg & Griffin, we strive to meet each clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specific needs in planning for the future and achieving their goals in an everchanging financial and regulatory environment. Brown Armstrong Accountancy Corporation 4200 Truxtun Avenue, Suite 300 Bakersfield, CA 93309 (661) 324-4971 www.bacpas.com Accounting/Bookkeeping, Audits, Benefits/ Retirement Brown Armstrong is headquartered in the central valley and has four locations throughout the state. We provide audit, tax, bookkeeping, and consulting services. Our audit services include: federal and state compliance audits, financial statement audits, financial health analysis and consulting, and organizational audits for efficiency/functionality.

Daniells Phillips Vaughan & Bock 300 New Stine Road Bakersfield, CA 93309 (661) 834-7411 www.dpvb.com Accounting/Bookkeeping, Audits Serving clients for more than 55 years, we are best known for our non-traditional approach to services in accounting, tax and strategic business planning. With the highest level of customer service, we have been helping clients plan, build and preserve their businesses in pursuit of success.

Nigro & Nigro, PC 25220 Hancock Avenue, Suite 400 Murrieta, CA 92562 (951) 698-8783 www.nncpas.com Accounting/Bookkeeping, Audits Nigro & Nigro is a southern California based CPA firm that specializes in governmental accounting. We pride ourselves in providing a personalized and highly customer-oriented approach. Our services include audits, accounting services, and consulting.

James Marta & Company

Robert Johnson, CPA 6234 Birdcage Street Citrus Heights, CA 95610 (916) 723-2555 Accounting Robert Johnson CPA audits over 50 special districts. Reasonable rates and will travel.

Certified PubliC ACCountAnts Accounting, Auditing, Consulting and Tax

GASB 45 & Solutions James Marta Company LLP, Certified LOW COST alternative Public Accountants to a full actuarial report. 701 Howe Avenue, Suite E3 (916) 993-9494 n www.jpmcpa.com Sacramento, CA 95825 (916) 993-9494 www.jpmcpa.com Accounting/Bookkeeping, Audits, Consulting We are a certified public accounting firm providing specialized services to special districts, including audit, accounting, tax services, bonded debt and arbitrage calculations, and GASB 45 Alternative Measurement Method calculations. We take the time to understand your needs and provide the personal attention to meet them.

Mann, Urrutia, Nelson CPAs & Associates, LLP 2515 Venture Oaks Way, Suite 135 Sacramento, CA 95833 (916) 929-0540 www.muncpas.com Accounting/Bookkeeping, Audits, Consulting Mann, Urrutia, Nelson CPAs & Associates is an established and respected full service accounting and auditing firm offering audit, tax, consulting, litigation support, business valuations, and forensic accounting services. We specialize in government, non-profit, retirement plans, and small business audits and accounting services. Maze & Associates 3478 Buskirk Avenue Suite, 215 Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 (925) 930-0902 www.mazeassociates.com Accounting/Bookkeeping, Audits, Information System Services Maze & Associates is a leading northern California accounting firm specializing in municipal & nonprofit audit, tax for individuals and all types of entities, information system audits, security reviews, as well as PCI scans and Microsoft certified training. We can help you with implementing new GASB regulations, tax planning, or meeting FISMA and NIST compliance guidelines for your systems.

Rogers, Anderson, Malody & Scott, LLP 735 E. Carnegie Drive, Suite 100 San Bernardino, CA 92408 (909) 889-0871 www.ramscpa.net Accounting/Bookkeeping, Audits, Consulting Rogers, Anderson, Malody & Scott, LLP is a full service accounting firm providing audit, accounting support and consulting services to the government sector including California special districts. RT Dennis Accountancy 12223 Highland Avenue, Suite 106-625 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739 (909) 689-8219 Accounting, Audits We are a full service accounting firm specializing in assurance services of government and notfor-profit agencies. Since we specialize in governmental and not-for-profit entities all of our practice aids, audit manuals, accounting manuals and research materials are geared to governmental standards and practices. Teaman, Ramirez & Smith, Inc. 4201 Brockton Avenue, Suite 100 Riverside, CA 92501-3431 (951) 274-9500 www.mytrsinc.com Accounting/Bookkeeping, Audits, Consulting As a full service CPA firm, we have provided accounting, auditing and consulting services to California governments for over 80 years. Our services also include tax preparation, management consulting and accounting assistance services.

Vasquez & Company LLP 801 South Grand Avenue, Suite 400 Los Angeles, CA 90017 (213) 873-1700 www.vasquezcpa.com Accounting/Bookkeeping, Audits, Benefits/ Retirement Our firm provides audit, consulting, tax, financial advisory, review and compilation services. Our audit services include financial statement audits of companies in private and public sectors, audits of federal grants under OMB A-133 and compliance examination audits.

ARCHITECTURE

Ward-Young Architecture & Planning 12010 Donner Pass Road, Suite 201 Truckee, CA 96161 (530) 587-3859 www.wyarch.com Architecture, Planning Design excellence, personal attention, cost awareness, and the high level of professional integrity are the foundations upon which client relationships are built at Ward-Young Architecture and Planning.

BANKING

Bank of the West Government Banking ENDORSED AFFILIATE 500 Capitol Mall, Suite 1200 Sacramento, CA 95814 (866) 588-1358 www.bankofthewest.com/commercialbanking/ industry/government.html Our Bank of the West Government Banking Relationship Managers have decades of experience working in partnership with special districts providing banking services that help optimize cash flow and increase operating efficiency.

California Special District â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May-June 2016

BBVA Compass 2850 East Camelback Road #140 Phoenix, AZ 85016 (800) 266-7277 www.bbvacompass.com BBVA Compass is a leading U.S. banking franchise with operations throughout the Sunbelt region and it ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share. BBVA Compass operates 688 branches in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico and Texas. BNY Mellon Trust Company, N.A. 100 Pine Street San Francisco, CA 94111 (415) 263-2418 www.bnymellon.com Corporate Trust, Investment Management, Custodial Services With core capabilities including trustee, administration and agency services, BNY Mellon is a recognized leader in the US public finance market. Citizens Business Bank 701 North Haven Avenue Ontario, CA 91764 (909) 980-4030 x 7133 www.cbbank.com Bank Accounts Citizens Business Bank is committed to creating and maintaining public entity relationships by meeting and exceeding our customer expectations. Five Star Bank 2400 Del Paso Road, Suite 100 Sacramento, CA 95834 (916) 640-1500 www.fivestarbank.com Five Star Bank is a trusted business partner providing customized financial services to special districts in California. Our relationship-driven approach and expertise have served customers for over 15 years. U.S. Bank 621 Capitol Mall, Suite 800 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 498-3439 www.usbank.com Bank Accounts, Benefits/Retirement, Investments For more than 30 years, U.S. Bank has met the financial needs of special districts and public sector organizations with tailored products and services and knowledgeable government banking relationship managers.

Union Bank, N.A. 200 Pringle Avenue, Suite 250 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 (925) 947-3047 www.unionbank.com Bank Accounts, Cash Management, Investments Services Union Bank is a premier financial institution committed to providing the highest quality corporate trust, tax-exempt lending, cash management, and investment services to the public sector. Wells Fargo Bank 333 S. Market Street, 16th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 371-3955 www.wellsfargo.com Bank Accounts, Benefits/Retirement, Financing Banking services for public and municipal agencies.

BENEFITS/ RETIREMENT Bartel Associates, LLC 411 Borel Avenue, Suite 101 San Mateo, CA 94402 (650) 377-1601 www.bartel-associates.com Benefits/Retirement Bartel Associates LLC is a California based actuarial consulting firm. We prepare OPEB (GASB 45) and pension plans actuarial valuations and also provide general CalPERS pension, retiree healthcare and other pension plan consulting and review services. Foresters Financial 9275 Sky Park Court, Suite 425 San Diego, CA 92123 (858) 650-6830 www.forestersfinancial.com Financial Wellness Program, Retirement Planning, Personal Financial Advisory Provides everyday families and individuals with financial solutions, guidance and tools, to meet their needs across all life stages. Nationwide Retirement Solutions 4962 Robert J. Mathews Parkway, Suite 100 El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 (916) 939-2131 www.nrsforu.com Benefits/Retirement Nationwide is the largest provider of 457 deferred compensation plans for public employees in the country by number of plan sponsors and participants served. Nationwide also provides 401(a) and OBRA services; as well as, Health Reimbursement Accounts through our proprietary Post-Employment Health Plan (PEHP).

Buyers Guide

The Pun Group, LLP 200 E. Sandpointe Suite 600 Santa Ana, CA 92707 (949) 777-8821 www.pungroup.com Accounting/Bookkeeping, Audits, Consulting The Pun Group, LLP is a full-service Accounting and Advisory Public Accounting firm providing core services of audit & assurance and tax services to governmental and not-for-profit organizations.

PARS ENDORSED AFFILIATE 4350 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 100 Newport Beach, CA 92660 (800) 540-6369 www.pars.org Benefits/Retirements PARS provides customized retirement solutions including our GASB-compliant, IRS-approved OPEB Trust and pension rate stabilization program, social security alternative for part-time employees and defined contribution plans that save public agencies millions of dollars annually.

CONSULTING Barber & Gonzales Consulting Group 8035 South Lake Circle Granite Bay, CA 95746 (916) 786-4368 www.paradigmpilgrim.com Human resources, Labor relations and contract facilitation, Training We specialize in the development of organizational effectiveness, collaborative labor relations and multi-party negotiations/decision making of all types.

BHI Management Consulting » CONSULTANT CONNECTION PARTNER 2459 Neptune Court, Suite 110 Tracy, CA 95304 (209) 740-6779 www.bhiconsulting.com Consulting, Planning, Training BHI Management Consulting has been providing for the organizational health of public agencies since 1999. Currently, BHI specializes in strategic planning for special districts in California. The firm is owned and operated by Brent Ives. California Consulting 214 Main Street, Suite 102 El Segundo, CA 90245 (323) 728-9002 www.californiaconsulting.org Grant Writing Founded in 2004, California Consulting, LLC has a solid reputation for hard work and a commitment to success for its clients. California Consulting, LLC is the largest grant writing firm in California. With offices in Southern California, Northern California and Central California, we have more than 90 clients statewide. We have 25 members of our team from Chico in the North, to Los Angeles in the South.

CONTRACTOR COMPLIANCE AND MONITORING, INC.

Contractor Compliance and Monitoring, Inc. » CONSULTANT CONNECTION PARTNER 635 Mariners Island Boulevard, Suite 200 San Mateo, CA 94404 (650) 522-4403 www.ccmilcp.com Labor Compliance Consulting Contractor Compliance and Monitoring, Inc. offers prevailing wage expertise on projects requiring labor compliance: Federal Davis-Bacon, Proposition 84 and State Bond funded projects. Do not jeopardize your funding. CCMI can help your agency comply with all mandatory labor compliance requirements. Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. 2295 Gateway Oaks Drive, Suite 250 Sacramento, CA 95833 (916) 649-8010 www.epsys.com Consulting, Financing, Planning EPS provides consulting services to public agencies in the area of public finance, infrastructure financing, financing district formations, fiscal impact analysis, development impact fee nexus studies, and other related fields. HdL Coren & Cone 1340 Valley Vista Drive, Suite 200 Diamond Bar, CA 91765 (909) 861-4335 www.hdlcompanies.com Property Tax Consulting Property Tax Consulting - Revenue Estimates and Forecasting, Audits, and Successor Agency Dissolution Support. Kampa Community Solutions, LLC » CONSULTANT CONNECTION PARTNER PO Box 3221 Sonora, CA 95370 (209) 591-7100 www.kampaCS.com Consulting, HR/Staffing, Planning Kampa Community Solutions provides general management consulting services at an affordable cost; exclusively for special districts. Not just planning…doing! We contract as oncall, interim or regular General Manager and/ or advisors to districts to ensure delivery of the highest quality services.

NBS 32605 Temecula Parkway, Suite 100 Temecula, CA 92592 (800) 676-7516 www.nbsgov.com Financial Consulting, Special Assessment Engineering/Special Tax Consulting, Utility Rate Consulting, and Fee Studies For 20 years, NBS has supported many special districts with a variety of revenue tools, including utility rate studies, user fee studies, cost allocation plans and other financial analyses. NBS also has particular expertise in developing new special assessment, tax, or fee districts, and provides comprehensive ongoing support services for existing special financing districts. Nichols Consulting » CONSULTANT CONNECTION PARTNER 1857 44th Street Sacramento, CA 95819 (916) 455-3939 www.nichols-consulting.com Consulting With 23+ years of experience in SB 90/State Mandated Cost Reimbursement (17 years for special Districts), Nichols Consulting is the special district leader. We have presented as an expert at over 30 statewide workshops and are “The Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) Case Reimbursement Specialist.” Project Resource Specialists 1620 Candlelight Glen Escondido, CA 92029-3121 (760) 415-6148 Consulting, LAFCo MSR/SOI Studies, Training With over 40 years of service experience, Harry Ehrlich provides consulting support services to local government agencies for program and project management, training and organizational studies, legislative research and policy formulation.

Rauch Communications Consultants, Inc. » CONSULTANT CONNECTION PARTNER 936 Old Orchard Road Campbell, CA 95008 (408) 391-3117 www.rauchcc.com Public Involvement, Strategic Planning Rauch Communication Consultants has served special districts for 40+ years. Services include public involvement: building community support through focused and effective outreach programs; Strategic planning: helping resolve clients’ critical challenges and developing overall direction and action plans; Facilitating and mediation: helping resolve difficult management problems.

SCI Consulting Group 4745 Mangels Boulevard Fairfield, CA 94534-4175 (707) 430-4300 www.sci-cg.com Financial Consulting, Special Assessment Engineering/Tax Consulting, AB1600 Nexus Studies Serving California special districts since 1985, SCI provides services including local funding measure feasibility analysis and public opinion surveys, district-wide revenue measures, special tax and assessment district formation and annual administration, Proposition 218 compliance, development impact fee nexus studies, utility rate studies and LAFCo formation and annexation applications.

Willdan Financial Services 27368 Via Industrial, Suite 200 Temecula, CA 92590 (951) 587-3500 www.willdan.com Municipal Bond Compliance (IRS and SEC), Special District (CFD, Assessments) Formation and Administration, Water/ Wastewater Rate and Financial Studies Willdan Financial Services is a diversified financial consulting firm, providing an array of financial and economic consulting services to public agencies throughout California. We provide water and wastewater rate and financial consulting services, and services related to the formation and administration of special financing districts such as CFDs and Assessments.

California Special District – May-June 2016

ENERGY SOLUTIONS OpTerra Energy Services 23 Nevada Irvine, CA 92606 (714) 473-7837 www.opterraenergy.com Demand Response , Energy Efficiency, Solar Energy OpTerra Energy Services is a pioneer in advancing the energy economy, creating sustainable, positive impact for the communities, institutions and businesses we serve. We use energy as a foundation to build programs that save money, generate revenue, improve assets, protect the environment, and increase organizational performance. From special districts and local government to educational institutions and the private sector, our programs directly benefit the organizations we partner with and the people they serve. Pacific Gas & Electric Company 350 Salem Street Chico, CA 95928 (530) 896-4289 www.pge.com Energy Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in northern and central California.

ENGINEERING Albert A. Webb Associates 3788 McCray Street Riverside, CA 92506 (951) 686-1070 www.webbassociates.com Engineering, Planning Albert A. Webb Associates has provided high quality civil engineering services throughout southern California. Harris & Associates 1401 Willow Pass Road, Suite 500 Concord, CA 94520-1214 (925) 827-4900 www.weareharris.com Assessment/Special Tax Administration, Construction Management, Engineering Services, Rate Studies Assessment Engineering Harris is a 100% employee-owned company focused on solving the challenges of public agencies and institutions located in California, Nevada and Washington. Service areas include financial engineering, civil engineering, and construction and asset management.

Keller/Wegley Engineering 209 South Locust Street Visalia, CA 93291 (559) 732-7938 Engineering Engineering firm that represents special districts for irrigation, drinking water, wastewater, and water supply needs.

FINANCING/ INVESTMENTS

Bartle Wells Associates 1889 Alcatraz Avenue Berkeley, CA 94703 (510) 653-3399 www.bartlewells.com Consulting, Financing Bartle Wells Associates is a public finance consulting firm with over 45 years of experience providing independent, objective financial advice to public agencies throughout California and the western United States. Brandis Tallman, LLC 22 Battery Street, Suite 500 San Francisco, CA 94111 (415) 912-5633 www.brandistallman.com Financing Brandis Tallman LLC is an investment banking firm specializing in public finance. We are a full service broker dealer providing municipal bond underwriting and placement agent services to California communities. California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (I-Bank) PO Box 2830 Sacramento, CA 95812-2830 (916) 341-6600 www.ibank.ca.gov Consulting, Financing, Government The State of California’s iBank issues bonds, provides loans to state and local governments and guarantees to lenders for small businesses. Programs include infrastructure loans, lending for energy and environmental needs, bond financing and small business loan guarantees.

Buyers Guide

Rincon Consultants, Inc 180 North Ashwood Avenue Ventura, CA 93003 (805) 644-4455 www.rinconconsultants.com Consulting Rincon Consultants has provided a range of award-winning environmental sciences, land use planning, biological resources, and remediation services to a range of organizations and industries since 1994. Moving forward, we are expanding the depth of services we offer to help our clients achieve a more sustainable future.

CSDA Finance Corporation ENDORSED AFFILIATE 1112 I Street, Suite 200 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 442-7887 www.csdafinance.net Tax-Exempt Financing CSDA Finance Corporation is a non-profit public benefit corporation established to help special districts and other public agencies with cost-effective financing programs for capital improvements, equipment purchases, land acquisitions and the refinancing of prior debt.

Kosmont Companies 865 S. Figueroa Street, Suite 3500 Los Angeles, CA 90017 (213) 417-3300 www.kosmont.com Public Finance Advisory Services, Public Private Transactions/P3,Real Estate Services/Asset Management Kosmont Companies was founded in 1986 and provides professional services to public agencies within the nexus of finance, real estate and economic development. Services include taxable and tax exempt bonds and COP financings, project finance, real estate transactions, financial analysis, asset management and project implementation. Municipal Finance Corporation 2945 Townsgate Road, Suite 200 Westlake Village, CA 91361 (805) 267-7141 www.munifinance.com Financing Tax-exempt private placement financing of equipment, facilities and infrastructure. Prager & Co., LLC One Maritime Plaza, Suite 1000 San Francisco, CA 94111-3404 (415) 403-1900 www.prager.com Financing, Legal Prager & Co., LLC provides strategic financial advice and debt funding solutions to California special districts and is the investment banker to the CSDA Finance Corporation.

Wells Capital Management/CalTRUST ENDORSED AFFILIATE 400 Capital Mall, Suite 702 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 440-4890 www.caltrust.org Investments CalTRUST provides local agencies with three professionally-managed pooled investment options – money market, short-term and mediumterm – for agency general funds, bond proceeds and reserve funds. Governance and oversight is provided by local finance directors and treasurers.

CPS HR Consulting 241 Lathrop Way Sacramento, CA 95815 (916) 263-3600 www.cpshr.us Consulting, Human Resources, Recruiting, Training CPS HR Consulting is a self-supporting public agency providing a full range of integrated HR solutions to government clients. We have expertise in the areas of organizational strategy, recruitment and selection, classification and compensation, and training and development.

Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC 1160 Marsh Street, Suite 200 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (805) 783-7942 www.wellsfargoadvisors.com Investment Advice, Investment Policy Reviews, Portfolio Management for Special Districts With over 20 years of experience as a WFA Financial Advisor and backed by the vast resources of Wells Fargo Advisors, Sandra Wheeler and Katie Hobbs are dedicated to working with special districts. Services include, investment policy reviews, investment advice and portfolio management.

Koff & Associates 2835 7th Street Berkeley, CA 94710 (510) 658-5633 www.koffassociates.com Executive Recruitment, Human Resources Consulting, Organizational Development Koff & Associates is a full-service human resources consulting firm specializing in the public sector. Our work includes class and comp studies, executive recruitment, organizational development, HR compliance, and performance management programs.

HEALTH CARE Kaiser Permanente 1950 Franklin St, 3rd Floor Oakland, CA 94612 (510) 987-1247 www.thrive.kp.org Health Care Kaiser Permanente provides integrated health care to 7.6 million members in California. Our organization is committed to helping shape the future of health care. Kaiser Permanente’s mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve.

HUMAN RESOURCES Bob Murray & Associates 1677 Eureka Road, Suite 202 Roseville, CA 95661 (916) 784-9080 www.bobmurrayassoc.com Human Resources Bob Murray & Associates brings a personal approach to providing quality executive recruitment services. Our clients include cities, counties, special districts and other governmental organizations, both large and small.

Regional Government Services/Local Government Services » CONSULTANT CONNECTION PARTNER PO Box 1350 Carmel Valley, CA 93924 (650) 587-7300 www.rgs.ca.gov Staffing Services Regional Government Services Authority provides services only to other local governments. Our highly experienced staff have solutions to operational or workload challenges, including employer services and employee benefits, sharing staff to reduce costs, payroll, and HR, and financial consulting (e.g. training, classification, recruitment and operational reviews).

LEGAL SERVICES Aleshire & Wynder, LLP 18881 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 1700 Irvine, CA 92612 (949) 223-1170 www.awattorneys.com Consulting, Environmental Consulting, Legal Aleshire & Wynder, LLP is a law firm that focuses specifically on public agency representation throughout all of California. A number of our attorneys have represented public agencies for over 35 years, and many of our attorneys have served public interests in various ways. We enjoy public service and working with elected officials and professional staff.

Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo 12800 Center Court Drive, Suite 300 Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 653-3200 www.aalrr.com Legal Over the last 35 years, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo has provided legal solutions in the areas of labor, employment, construction, business and technology. Bartkiewicz, Kronick & Shanahan 1011 22nd Street Sacramento, CA 95816-4907 (916) 446-4254 www.bkslawfirm.com Legal We are a Sacramento law firm founded in 1989 to represent local agencies and private clients on matters concerning water resource, land use, governmental and related issues.

Bergman Dacey Goldsmith 10880 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900 Los Angeles, CA 90024 (310) 470-6110 www.bdgfirm.com Legal Since 1983, Bergman Dacey Goldsmith has been litigation counsel to numerous California public entities. When litigation arises, having experienced counsel on your side can often be the deciding factor. We have earned our reputation as a “no surprises” law firm.

California Special District – May-June 2016

Best Best & Krieger LLP 3390 University Avenue, 5th Floor Riverside, CA 92501 (951) 686-1450 www.bbklaw.com Legal A law firm focused on the legal needs of California special districts. BB&K attorneys have extensive experience in water supply and quality, environmental, renewable energy and construction law, public finance, rates and fees, labor and litigation. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP 1020 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 963-7000 www.bhfs.com Consulting, Legal Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP has a public agency practice which has particular expertise in water law and environmental quality. The firm represents public agencies throughout California as general and special counsel.

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP 444 South Flower Street, Suite 2400 Los Angeles, CA 90071 (213) 236-0600 www.bwslaw.com Consulting, Legal With 9 offices throughout California, Burke represents special districts, cities, and other public agencies. We excel at general counsel services and litigation, including writs, trials, appeals, regulatory compliance, labor negotiations, employment, CEQA/other environmental challenges, construction disputes, eminent domain, and transactional matters. Carmel & Naccasha LLP 1410 Marsh Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (805) 546-8785 www.CarNacLaw.com Legal Carmel & Naccasha’s experienced team of attorneys are knowledgeable and dedicated to providing quality legal services to our public agency clients, specifically to the many CSDs we represent. Our firm offers a high level of responsiveness and attention to our clients’ individual needs combined with decades of work representing public agencies on a wide range of matters.

Churchwell White LLP 1414 K Street, 3rd floor Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 468-0950 www.churchwellwhite.com General Counsel Legal Services, Special Counsel Legal Services Churchwell White LLP attorneys represent special districts throughout California providing general counsel and special counsel legal services in areas related to environmental and natural resources, water, employment, real estate and land use, litigation and more. Collinson & LaChance, Attorneys at Law 9709 Highway 267, Suite A Truckee, CA 96161-0348 (530) 587-9233 www.bcollinsonlaw.com Legal Full service law firm emphasizing the representation of special districts, business, corporation, landlord/tenant issues, wills/trust/ probate, family law, and adoptions. Cota Cole LLP 2261 Lava Ridge Court Roseville, CA 95661 (916) 780-9009 www.cotalawfirm.com Legal Cota Cole LLP is a law firm founded on a commitment to excellence. Our comprehensive public and private law practice provides our clients with the extensive experience of skilled attorneys with a proven record of success. With decades of experience, and the energy and enthusiasm of a growing and dynamic legal team, Cota Cole LLP provides personalized service and achieves superior results. Gallery & Barton, A Professional Law Corporation 1112 I Street, Suite 240 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 444-2880 www.gallerybartonlaw.com Legal Legal services associated with water rights, environmental and public agency law.

Buyers Guide

AlvaradoSmith, A Professional Corporation 1 MacArthur Place, Suite 200 Santa Ana, CA 92707 (714) 852-6800 www.alvaradosmith.com Consulting, Environmental Consulting, Legal Our team of attorneys has significant experience in providing advice and handling litigation involving major public and private improvement projects, environmental assessment and remediation actions, and natural resources development.

Griffith & Masuda, A Professional Law Corporation PO Box 510 Turlock, CA 95381 (209) 667-5501 www.calwaterlaw.com Legal Founded in 1920, Griffith & Masuda represents 6 special districts, a county, and 5 JPAs. Our 8 water agency clients are located in 7 different counties from Butte to Monterey. Implementing the new Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is a major issue. Our mission is to provide responsive, effective, and efficient legal services. Our challenge is to provide creative solutions to complex problems. Roger Masuda is a member of the CSDA Legal Advisory Working Group. Hanson Bridgett LLP 425 Market Street, 26th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 777-3200 www.hansonbridgett.com Legal We practice areas of law such as general business and corporate law, litigation, and probate and estate planning, healthcare, construction, intellectual property, labor and employment, insurance coverage and public sector law. Kidman Law LLP 2030 Main Street, Suite 1300 Irvine, CA 92614 (714) 755-3100 www.kidmanlaw.com Legal Kidman Law LLP offers unsurpassed advice and representation in legal matters, with a specialty in water, environmental and governmental law. We stand for prompt, reliable and accurate legal services with a proven track record of success for our clients.

Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard 400 Capitol Mall Floor 27 Sacramento, CA 95814-4416 (916) 321-4500 www.kmtg.com Legal Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann and Girard (Kronick) is a full service law firm providing legal services to special districts, cities, and counties throughout California. For more than 50 years, Kronick has provided legal expertise in all areas of public agency law.

Lagerlof, Senecal, Gosney & Kruse LLP 301 N Lake Avenue, 10th Floor Pasadena, CA 91101 (626) 793-9400 www.lagerlof.com Legal For more than a century, the attorneys of Lagerlof, Senecal, Gosney & Kruse have been helping our clients to grow and prosper. To overcome obstacles. To solve problems. To break through barriers. To succeed. Their success has been our success. Well known for our pioneering work in water law, we also have an outstanding reputation in general business, estate, real estate, tax and employment law, as well as general and civil litigation.

Liebert Cassidy Whitmore 6033 West Century Boulevard, 5th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90045 (310) 981-2000 www.lcwlegal.com Consulting, Human Resources, Legal Liebert Cassidy Whitmore is a public sector employment and labor law firm representing management for more than 30 years. LCW provides general counsel, labor and litigation advice and assistance to special districts in all matters including representation, litigation services, negotiations, local government law and employment relations, construction and business and facilities. McMurchie Law 2130 East Bidwell Street, Suite 2 Folsom, CA 95630 (916) 983-8000 www.mcmurchie.com Legal The firm is proud to have served as CSDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legal counsel since its formation in 1969. The firm specializes in representing a wide variety of special districts, joint powers authorities and nonprofit corporations by providing legal consultation, board and staff training, and investigative services. Meyers Nave 555 12th Street, Suite 1500 Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 808-2000 www.meyersnave.com Legal We are a full-service law firm focused on serving the legal needs of Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special districts including fees and assessments, elections and political law, public works contracting, employment issues, and real property acquisition.

Neumiller & Beardslee PO Box 20 Stockton, CA 95201-3020 (209) 948-8200 www.neumiller.com Legal Neumiller & Beardslee is a law firm that provides services to all types of special districts, cities, and counties, including as general counsel, litigation services, Proposition 218 procedures, environmental and CEQA matters, construction contracts, and personnel matters. Nossaman LLP 18101 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 1800 Irvine, CA 92612 (949) 833-7800 www.nossaman.com Consulting, Legal Whether it is working to build public infrastructure, provide healthcare services, entitle private development, manage natural resources, complete real estate transactions, or increase business profitability, clients count on Nossaman to get the job done. Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP 405 Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 773-5480 www.orrick.com Legal Providing bond counsel and disclosure counsel services to cities, counties and special districts throughout California. Renne Sloan Holtzman Sakai LLP 350 Sansome Street Suite 300 San Francisco, CA 94104 (415) 678-3800 www.publiclawgroup.com Government, Human Resources, Legal Dedicated to providing effective, innovative legal representation, policy advice, and human resources/labor relations consulting to meet the distinctive needs of local governments and nonprofit organizations.

Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth 660 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1600 Newport Beach, CA 92660 (949) 725-4100 www.sycr.com Legal Our attorneys specialize in areas as diverse as corporate transactions, securities and complex business litigation, tax, intellectual property, employment, real estate, public law and municipal finance. This enables us to represent some of California’s leading companies and municipalities in a broad array of complex and sophisticated matters.

PR/MARKETING Communication Advantage PO Box 189573 Sacramento, CA 95818 (916) 930-0445 www.martyboyer.com Crisis Management, Government, Strategic Communications Planning Communication Advantage is an independent communications consulting firm serving its members with a variety of public engagement and communications services.

California Special District – May-June 2016

PURCHASING U.S. Communities ENDORSED AFFILIATE 2999 Oak Road, Suite 710 Walnut Creek, CA 94597 (866) 472-7467 www.uscommunities.org Cooperative Purchasing Contracts U.S. Communities is a leading national purchasing cooperative, providing procurement resources and solutions for local and state government agencies looking for the best overall supplier pricing. Special districts can tap into the pooled purchasing power of over 55,000 other public agencies. There is no cost to register, no user fees and no commitment. Just register to access the lowest pricing on a wide variety of products. National companies provide solutions for facilities, schools, office, technology and many others.

RISK MANAGEMENT

Special District Risk Management Authority 1112 I Street, Suite 300 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 231-4141 www.sdrma.org Coverages, Insurance, Risk Management Our mission is to provide risk financing and risk management services through a financially sound pool to California public agencies, delivered in a timely and responsible cost-efficient manner Coverages include property/liability, workers compensation and health benefits.

TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS Accela 2633 Camino Ramon #120 San Ramon, CA 94583 (925) 659-3200 www.accela.com Computer Software For more than 15 years, Accela has been the industry leader in designing and delivering productivity and engagement software to help government agencies be their best. Today, citizens are savvy to how services should be delivered, and expect a consistently convenient, openly transparent view into their local government. Black Mountain Software, Inc. 145 Southlake Crest, Suite 1 Polson, MT 59860 (800) 353-8829 www.blackmountainsoftware.com Computer Software Black Mountain Software provides fund accounting, utility billing, payroll, and cash receipting solutions specifically designed for local governments and special districts. Rely on our easy-to-use software products to ensure regulatory compliance and improve operational efficiency. BoardSync 4470 Chamblee Dunwoody Road Dunwoody, GA 30338 (312) 637-9200 www.boardsync.com Agenda Management, Board Portal, Meeting Minutes BoardSync is the fastest, most intuitive way to automate agenda management, meeting minutes management, and the sharing of meeting content with board members, staff, and the public. It’s time to move to meetings forward. Ditch the stacks of paper and endless hours copying, bookmarking, distributing and amending meeting agendas. Visit boardsync.com to view a webinar and sign-up for a no-cost, online demo. California CAD Solutions, Inc. PO Box 4779 Modesto, CA 95352-4779 (209) 578-5580 www.calcad.com GIS Technology California CAD Solutions, Inc. specializes in GIS implementations that are deemed impossible. CCS maintains a highly qualified staff of GIS professionals providing cost effective, “down-toearth” approaches to GIS.

Buyers Guide

Richards, Watson & Gershon 355 S. Grand Avenue, 40th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90071 (213) 626-8484 www.rwglaw.com Legal Richards|Watson|Gershon is a premier full service law firm. RWG’s team of leading attorneys have been solving problems and creating solutions for local governments for over 60 years. We represent school districts, community service districts, water districts, airports, joint powers authorities, special districts, and successor agencies of former redevelopment agencies as well as cities.

Sentium Strategic Communications » CONSULTANT CONNECTION PARTNER 4989 Golden Foothill Parkway, Suite 138 El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 (916) 939-8800 www.ratepayerrelations.com Community Relations Program, Public Safety Notices, Rate Increase Community Relations If you have a ratepayer relations issue, we will help you develop a plan to resolve it. Our specialty is delivering the right message for extraordinary results. Let us review your situation and discuss how we can help improve your reputation in the media and your community.

CaseWare International, Inc 469 King Street West 2nd Floor Toronto, Ontario M5V1K4 (416) 867-9504 www.caseware.com Audit Preparation for Special Districts, Municipal Business Enterprises, Vendor of Turnkey Software Solutions for Financial Reporting CaseWare is a leading supplier of software solutions to governments, auditors and corporations worldwide. Founded in 1988, CaseWare provides financial reporting and risk management solutions for finance and accounting professionals. Financial statement and report preparation can be fully automated, including table of contents, rounding relations, cash flows, and MD&A. JCG Technologies 9941 East Mission Lane Scottsdale, AZ 85258 (480) 661-5629 www.jcgtechnologies.com Agenda Management, Digital Recording and Minutes Management, Meeting Webcasting JCG Technologies helps you save time and money by providing modern meeting management solutions; digital audio/video recording and minutes management, agenda and meeting management, meeting webcasting, and audio/ video systems. LaserFiche 3545 Long Beach Boulevard Long Beach, CA 90807 (562) 988-1688 www.laserfiche.com Technology Solutions Since 1987, Laserfiche has used its Run Smarter philosophy to create simple and elegant enterprise content management (ECM) solutions. California special districts use Laserfiche software to manage records, documents and workflow. Petrakos Communications, Inc. 8757 Auburn Folsom Road, Suite 2903 Granite Bay, CA 95746 (916) 458-5540 www.petrakoscommunications.com End User Support, Manage IT Services, Network Administration We are a Sacramento based firm that is dedicated to web design. Let us show you how we can help your business.

Streamline ENDORSED AFFILIATE 2321 P Street, 1st Floor Sacramento, CA 95816 (916) 900-6619 www.getstreamline.com Compliance tools for the Internet, Website platform Fun, easy to use tools that help districts stay compliant including website tool to build a site quickly, with agenda reminders, meeting and transparency dashboards and SB 272 tool to help districts easily publish a System Catalog.

TRAINING Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) 3120 Freeboard Drive, Suite 201 West Sacramento, CA 95691 (916) 447-9832 xt.1007 www.rcac.org Community Facilities Loans, Infrastructure Loans, Technical Assistance RCAC is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting rural communities achieve their goals and visions by providing training, technical assistance and access to resources to drinking water operators, owners and board members throughout the state. USC Sol Price School of Public Policy 1800 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 442-6911 www.usc.edu/schools/price Higher Education The University of Southern California (USC) Sol Price School of Public Policy offers its signature degree in Sacramento - the Master of Public Administration (MPA). Students in the MPA Sacramento program can complete all of their coursework at the USC State Capital Center, located just a few blocks from the California State Capitol.

UTILITY COST CONTROL Utility Cost Management LLC 1100 W. Shaw Avenue, Suite 126 Fresno, CA 93711 (559) 261-9230 www.utilitycostmanagement.com Consulting, Energy, Utility Cost Control Utility Cost Management LLC is a firm that seeks to reduce clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; electricity, gas, water, sewer and solid waste charges through the informed application of utility rates and regulations.

BUSINESS AFFILIATE special acknowledgements

Accela Cloud-Based Technology www.accela.com

Kaiser Permanente Health Coverages www.thrive.kp.org

Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo Legal www.aalrr.com

Meyers Nave Legal www.meyersnave.com

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP Legal www.bwslaw.com

PARS Benefits, Retirements www.pars.org

California CAD Solutions, Inc. GIS Implementations www.calcad.com

Pacific Gas & Electric Company Energy Solutions www.pge.com

CPS HR Consulting Consulting, HR, Recruiting, Training www.cpshr.us

Regional Government Services Authority Staffing Services www.rgs.ca.gov

CSDA Finance Corporation Tax-exempt financing www.csdafinance.net

Special District Risk Management Authority Risk Management Coverages www.sdrma.org

Five Star Bank Banking www.fivestarbank.com

Streamline Website Design www.getstreamline.com

Hanson Bridgett LLP Legal www.hansonbridgett.com

Tyler Technologies Software Technology Services www.tylertech.com

Liebert Cassidy Whitmore Legal www.lcwlegal.com

Thank you to our diamond, Platinum and gold level business affiliates for their generous support.

highlight Consultant Connection When your agency needs the expertise of a consultant in organizational development, strategic planning, or many other areas, do you know where to turn? The CSDA Consultant Connectionâ&#x201E;˘ was developed to give our members access to a pool of experts who provide exclusive discounts and special benefits for a variety of services. CSDA staff will help you make the connection you need. Visit www.csda.net for details and a list of participating consultants and their services.

California Special District â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May-June 2016

[Community Connections]

Park investments expand access, improve health By Jya Plavin, MPH, project manager, Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefit Programs and Denice Alexander, communications manager, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

The idea of investing in and preserving America’s national parks isn’t new. In fact, it’s nearly a hundred years old. In August, the National Park Service will celebrate its centennial of stewardship. For Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest nonprofit health system, investing in parks is just part of its 75-year mission to prevent sickness and promote health—not only for individuals, but for entire communities of people. A literature review compiled by the California State Parks and California Outdoor Recreation Planning Program found that people from all demographics realize higher gains in health and well-being when spending time outdoors. “The benefits of spending time on outdoor activities, visiting parks, and enjoying nature on health and wellbeing are well documented,” said, Yvette Radford, vice president for Kaiser Permanente’s External and Community Affairs department in northern California. “While everyone—regardless of age, income, or ethnicity--can improve their health by spending 36

time outdoors, not everyone can easily access national, state, and regional parks and their programs.” Radford said that in northern California’s low-income communities and communities of color, people sometimes experience challenges in accessing parks—and evidence demonstrates that these same communities experience a higher burden of poor health outcomes including diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease (Alameda County DPH, 2012; CA Endowment Healthy Richmond Project). “Working collaboratively with community organizations to address these health disparities by increasing the availability and use of safe parks and public spaces is critical,” said Radford. “It’s especially important that we reach youth as they are developing lifetime health habits.” Over the last seven years, Kaiser Permanente has contributed nearly $11 million to support parks at a national level. With the goal of increasing access and engagement, the organization deepened its commitment in northern California last year, with another $1.75 million in support for 10 organizations--including $85,000 for the Regional Parks Foundation to support the East Bay Regional Park District. The investment (made through

Share your community connections Is your district interacting with the community in a new and original way? California Special District wants to know about it! Contact Nicole Zajic at nicolez@csda.net or (877) 924-2732.

encouraging all community members to increase outdoor physical activity and explore parks; and Art in Nature, a one-day event bringing together families to experience creativity in the outdoors.

Kaiser Permanente’s donor-advised fund at the East Bay Community Foundation) focuses on reaching the core urban areas of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Specifically, the funding supports park staff in conducting targeted outreach, offering transportation services, and designing unique parks programming that’s tailored to appeal to communities that traditionally underutilize, or have few opportunities to enjoy regional parks. The funding also supports the district in bringing cultural competency trainings to 300 regional parks staff, to further develop their ability to welcome and engage diverse communities. “Through our partnership, low-income young people get opportunities to participate in summer day camp programming, with plenty of outdoor play, and health education, including the importance of environmental stewardship,” said Radford. “Equally important is providing the transportation and translation services that help people connect across generations and ethnicities to develop trust and social connections.” Kaiser Permanente has supported the East Bay Regional Park District since 2000 for a number of projects, including the annual Trails Challenge, an incentive program California Special District – May-June 2016

Funding has also made it possible for low-income youth and families to participate in programs that are otherwise unaffordable. One example is Multicultural Wellness Walks, offered in 2015. “Our staff led five Wellness Walks, each drew 60 to 110 participants and families from the Latino, Asian and African American communities,” said Carol Johnson, executive director at the Regional Parks Foundation. “For about 70 percent of these people, it was their first time at a regional park.”

The walks were accompanied by a health subject matter expert such as a medical doctor, acupuncturist, sound therapist, or a laughter yoga instructor. Participants learned about the park’s natural resources and history and took part in health stops for yoga, laughter, sound therapy, and stretching. After the walk, a healthy multicultural lunch that included sandwiches, tamales, and kimchi was served during a question and answer session with the walk’s leaders. “Without Kaiser Permanente’s support, the park district does not have enough internal resources for this kind of multicultural programming,” said Johnson. “These are programs that reach people that have never been to a park before—and people who otherwise would never do so.” For more information visit kp.org/ communitybenefit/ncal.

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For more information visit www.Bickmore.net or contact John Alltop at 800.541.4591 or jalltop@bickmore.net.

Legal Brief New Brown Act Opinion Issued by Attorney General By Nick Clair, CSDA Legislative Analyst

regularly scheduled Friday meeting? Would the agency be required to reschedule the meeting since the website did not continuously post the agenda for 72 hours? CSDA, recognizing the ambiguity in this law, sponsored legislation in 2013 to provide clarity to this issue. However, Assembly Bill 792, carried by Assembly Member Kevin Mullin, did not move forward. Instead, Assembly Member Mullin posed the present question to the AG in order to provide some guidance to local agencies.

The Attorney General (AG) has issued an opinion related to the Brown Act requirement that local agencies must post meeting agendas on their websites. The AG concluded that minor technical difficulties preventing the agenda from being accessible on the website would not ordinarily prevent an agency from holding a meeting so long as the agency was otherwise in “substantial compliance” with the agenda posting requirements. State law requires that a local agency, “[a]t least 72 hours before a regular meeting,” post the meeting agenda “on the local agency’s Internet Web site, if the local agency has one.” What this statute does not directly address is what should happen if the agency’s website experiences a technical issue temporarily preventing the agenda from being available on the local agency’s website. For example, a local agency has a regular meeting scheduled for Friday. On Tuesday, the agency posts a copy of the meeting agenda to its website and posts a physical copy in a public place. If, on Thursday morning, the agency’s webhost experiences an issue that takes the website “offline” for an hour, would the agency violate the Brown Act by continuing with the 38

CSDA submitted a comment letter to the AG emphasizing the practical impacts of interpreting the Brown Act to require the agency to reschedule its meeting and repost its agenda due to a technical website malfunction. It is often difficult for special districts to reschedule meetings, and holding meetings on dates different from regularly scheduled meetings discourages public participation. Further, technical website glitches that temporarily take websites offline are very common and can often go unnoticed. A strict interpretation could impose potential consequences for Brown Act violations despite districts having no knowledge of the violation. The AG acknowledged these concerns: “To adopt the strictest possible interpretation of the statute and find a violation in all cases where an online agenda was temporarily inaccessible during the 72-hour posting timeframe would effectively penalize local agencies for maintaining websites. Meetings might need to be rescheduled because of trivial website issues, resulting in significant practical problems for both the agencies and the public. This could conceivably induce some agencies not to maintain websites at all, which would reduce the availability of information to the public, contrary to the Brown Act’s goals.” The AG instead looked to the section of the Brown Act related to proceedings to determine the validity of actions taken in violation of the Brown Act, one section of which “directs that agency actions are not null and void if the agency substantially complied with posting requirements.” The AG, for the first time, applies the

What is clear from the Attorney General’s Opinion is that the mere fact that a technical glitch temporarily prevented the meeting agenda from being accessible on the agency’s website does not automatically prevent the agency from continuing with the meeting. substantial requirement standard in the context of the 72-hour posting requirement. To the question posed to the AG, the opinion provides “we believe the relevant inquiry is not whether there has been a technical violation of the Brown Act’s onlineposting requirement, but rather whether the local legislative body substantially complied with that requirement.” This means that a technical “glitch” will not automatically require the local agency to reschedule the meeting, so long as the agency has “substantially complied” with the agenda posting requirements. The more difficult question is determining whether an agency has “substantially complied” with the posting requirements. The AG explains, “Of course, the determination whether a local legislative body has substantially complied in a given case would require an analysis of the particular facts and circumstances… This inquiry would necessarily involve a fact-specific examination of whether the agency or its legislative body made “reasonably effective efforts to notify interested persons of a public meeting,” through

online posting and other available means, serving the statutory objectives of ensuring that local agencies act and deliberate openly, and that the public is informed. This would include an evaluation of how long a given technical problem persisted, the efforts made to correct the problem or otherwise ensure that the public was informed, and the actual effect the problem had on public awareness, among other factors.” What is clear from the Attorney General’s Opinion is that the mere fact that a technical glitch temporarily prevented the meeting agenda from being accessible on the agency’s website does not automatically prevent the agency from continuing with the meeting. In fact, in many cases substantial compliance will be clearly met. As the Attorney General stated, “we are confident that fleeting or trivial technical issues will not typically require the cancellation of the meetings.” What remains in question is exactly where the line falls between “substantial compliance” and a Brown Act violation.

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California Special District – May-June 2016

anaging Risk

Safety/Claims Education Day Summer Time Exposures

SDRMA Spring Safety/Claims Education Day and Annual Membership Meeting was held on March 29 in Newport Beach. The Board of Directors and staff would like to thank all of the attendees and presenters. There were 78 attendees, not including staff/consultants and Board members. Staff and consulting partners presented a total of seven individual training sessions: • Amy Albanese of TargetSolutions presented a general session on the TargetSolutions training platform; • Dennis Timoney and attorney Jeff Morris presented a general session with an employment law update; • SDLF President David Aranda presented a Governance Foundations session; • Derek Davis of Lapidus Safety Consulting presented the Safety Specialist Certificate session; • Dennis Timoney presented two sessions: Liability Dangerous Condition of Public Property and Workplace Violence; • Debbie Yokota presented two sessions: Workers’ Compensation-Catastrophic Injuries and Return to Work. SDRMA’s next scheduled Safety/Claims Education Day will be held on Wednesday, October 12, 2016 in San Diego, in conjunction with the CSDA Annual Conference and Exhibitor Showcase. SDRMA will provide updates to members as the Safety/Claims Education Day draws closer. See you in San Diego!

A proud California Special Districts Alliance partner.

While it is a good idea to take preventive measures against ticks year-round, be extra vigilant in warmer months (April-September) when ticks are most active. Tick bites are more than just an annoying spring and summer nuisance. Each year, about 300,000 people in the U.S. catch Lyme disease, which is caused by bacteria, from a tick bite, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. Thousands more develop tick-borne diseases such as the malaria like disease babesiosis, the flulike anaplasmosis and the Heartland virus infection. As field employees are out in open wooded areas it is very important to identify possible exposure areas and provide safety training for employees to recognize potential exposure areas and to take preventative steps to avoid being bitten by a tick. Also as family take advantage of warmer weather for hiking, it’s important to remember these safety tips. Avoid Direct Contact with Ticks • Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter. • Walk in the center of trails. Repel Ticks with DEET or Permethrin • Use repellents that contain 20 to 30 percent DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) on exposed skin and clothing for protection that lasts up to several hours. Always follow product instructions. Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding hands, eyes, and mouth. • Use products that contain permethrin on clothing. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5 percent permethrin. It remains protective through several washings. Pre-treated clothing is available and may be protective longer.

Officers

Special District Risk Management Authority 1112 I Street, Suite 300 Sacramento, CA 95814 tel: 800.537.7790 www.sdrma.org

David Aranda, President, Mountain Meadows Community Services District Jean Bracy, Vice President, Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District Ed Gray, Secretary, Chino Valley Independent Fire District

Members of the Board

Muril Clift Sandy Raffleson, Herlong Public Utility District Mike Scheafer, Costa Mesa Sanitary District Robert Swan, Groveland Community Services District

Find and Remove Ticks from Your Body • Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you. • Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body upon return from tick-infested areas. Parents should check their children for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair. • Examine gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and day packs. • Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for an hour to kill remaining ticks. (Some research suggests that shorter drying times may also be effective, particularly if the clothing is not wet) Deer ticks live in shady, moist areas at ground level. They will cling to tall grass, brush and shrubs, usually no more than 18-24 inches off the ground. They also live in lawns and gardens, especially at the edges of woods and around old stone walls. Deer ticks cannot jump or fly, and do not drop onto passing people or animals. They get on humans and animals only by direct contact. Once a tick gets on the skin, it generally climbs upward until it reaches a protected area. • In tick-infested areas, your best protection is to avoid contact with soil, leaf litter and vegetation. However, if you garden, hike, camp, hunt, work, or otherwise spend time in the outdoors, you can still protect yourself:

Consultants

Lauren Brant, Public Financial Management Ann Siprelle, Best Best & Krieger, LLP David McMurchie, McMurchie Law John Alltop, Bickmore Risk Services & Consulting Charice Huntley, River City Bank James Marta, CPA, Auditor Karl Snearer, Apex Insurance Agency Doug Wozniak, Alliant Insurance Services, Inc.

• Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily. • Wear enclosed shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants. • Check clothes and any exposed skin frequently for ticks while outdoors and check again once indoors. • Consider using insect repellent. Follow label directions. • Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails. Avoid contacting vegetation. • Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls. • Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening.

Heat Illness Prevention The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board adopted an amendment effective May 1, 2015, to the state Heat Illness Prevention regulation

SDRMA Staff

Gregory S. Hall, ARM, Chief Executive Officer C. Paul Frydendal, CPA, Chief Operating Officer Dennis Timoney, ARM, Chief Risk Officer Ellen Doughty, ARM, Chief Member Services Officer Heather Thomson, CPA, Chief Financial Officer Debra Yokota, Claims Manager Wendy Tucker, Member Services Manager Danny Pena, Senior Claims Examiner Alana Batzianis, Senior HR/Health Benefits Specialist Dan Berry, Senior Member Services Specialist Heidi Singer, Claims Examiner Shawn Vang, Accountant Rajnish Raj, Accounting Technician Rachel Saldana, Administrative Assistant

changing the requirements for potable water, shade, cool-down periods, highheat procedures, emergency preparedness, acclimatization, training, and heat illness prevention plans. Employers should update their heat illness prevention plans and train their employees for compliance with amendment. The many changes to the heat regulation are sure to create a large wave of citations this spring and summer as employers comply with the amendment. Heat Illness Prevention Plan The employer must develop, put in writing, and implement effective procedures for complying with the requirements of T8 CCR 3395. The Heat Illness Prevention Plan includes the following: Continued on page 50

Innovative Solutions for Improving Financial Health Maximize Use of Reserve Funds with the PARS Pension Rate Stabilization Program (PRSP) • Maintain local control • Greater earning potential • Lower liabilities for GASB 68

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California Special District – May-June 2016

www.pars.org

Money Matters Federal Reserve’s “low and slow” approach to rate hikes may really be “lower and slower” A CalTRUST Market Perspective

rate too little or too slowly, it could inadvertently overheat the economy and allow inflation to gain a foothold. This is the essence of the Fed’s longstanding challenge of striking a balance between the risks of being too “accommodative” and being too “restrictive.”

The View From A Year Ago In the spring of 2015, investors and the financial markets were bracing for the U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed) to increase the federal funds rate for the first time in nearly ten years. The conventional wisdom at the time was that the Fed would begin a “rate-hiking cycle” in the summer or early fall of 2015, aimed at bringing the federal funds rate back to -- or near -- its historical average of 3.5 percent (the first - and so far, only – hike actually came in mid-December). Conventional wisdom also held, and still does today, that an increase in the federal funds rate inevitably translates into higher rates throughout the economy -- higher yields for investors and, perhaps more consequentially, higher interest rates for borrowers. In this regard, the concern was and is that, if the Fed were to increase the fed funds rate too much or too quickly, it would risk stifling the already painfully slow economic recovery from the financial crisis. On the other hand, if the Fed were to raise the fed funds

CSDA F C

A proud California Special Districts Alliance partner.

In this context, in May of 2015, a team of senior investment strategists at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC -- Brian Jacobsen, Aldo Ceccarelli, John Manley, and Jim Kochan (the Wells strategists) -- looked at the Fed’s likely approach to the task of “normalizing interest rate policy,” and its effect on rates in the overall bond market. The Wells strategists observed that the first thing to keep in mind is that, with the fed funds rate then at zero to 0.25 percent, the Fed is starting from a lower base than ever before. Secondly, given the state of the economy in the spring of 2015, they concluded that the risks were asymmetric; that is, the risk of stalling economic growth by hiking too much too quickly significantly outweighed any risk of “overheating” the economy. This assessment of asymmetric risks was clearly shared by Fed officials, such as Chairwoman Janet Yellen and Vice-Chairman Stanley Fischer, whose comments indicated that the path to “normal” will be gradual, and likely will not proceed in a straight line. Some Historical Perspective To provide some historical context, the Wells strategists looked back at the past four rate-hiking cycles, covering the past 30 years (Table 1).

Officers

Jo MacKenzie, President, Vista Irrigation District Paul Hughes, Vice President, South Tahoe Public Utilities District Steve Perez, SDA ,Secretary, Rosamond Community Services District Leslie Keane, Treasurer, Orange County Cemetery District

CSDA F C

CSDA Finance Corporation 1112 I Street, Suite 200 Sacramento, CA 95814 tel: 877.924.CSDA www.csdafinance.net

Members of the Board

Don Humphrey, Livermore Area Recreation and Park District John Martin, Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District Matthew McCue, Mission Springs Water District

Consultants

Rick Brandis, Brandis Tallman, LLC David McMurchie, McMurchie Law Scott Boroczi, BNY Mellon Trust Co., NA William Morton, Municipal Finance Corporation Albert Reyes, Nossaman, LLP Saul Rosenbaum, Prager & Co., LLC Nicole Tallman, Brandis Tallman, LLC

Table 1: Federal Reserve Rate Hiking Cycles Of The Past 30 Years Fed Funds Rate … Rate Hiking Cycle

At Start of Cycle

At End of Cycle

Total Increase in Fed Funds Rate

Duration of Hiking Cycle (Days)

1987

5.88%

9.76%

3.88%

673

1994

3.00%

6.00%

3.00%

363

1999

4.75%

6.50%

1.75%

322

2004

1.00%

5.25%

4.25%

720

CSDAFC Staff

Neil McCormick, CEO Cathrine Lemaire, Program Manager Charlotte Lowe, Executive Assistant Rick Wood, Finance Manager

Low Interest Rates Still Available Through CSDA Finance Corporation

Source: FactSet and authors’ calculations from Jacobsen, et al., “Low and Slow: The Fed On Rate Hikes” blog post.

In addition, to get a clearer sense of the effect of Fed rate hikes on the overall bond market, they looked at how the 10-year Treasury bond behaved during each of these cycles, from the 12 months leading up to the first rate hike in each cycle (since investors try to anticipate Fed policy changes) to the maximum yield hit during the cycle (Table 2). Table 2: Movement of Ten-Year Treasury Yields During Rate Hiking Cycles of Past 30 Years

Rancho Simi Recreation & Park District Administration building - $7,500,000

Rise in Ten-Year reasury Yield From... Minimum in 12-Months Prior to Hike

1st Rate Hike to Maximum in Cycle

Total Change in Ten-Year Yield

March 1987

1.54%

1.86%

3.40%

February 1994

0.73%

2.26%

2.99%

June 1999

1.65%

0.86%

2.51%

June 2004

0.93%

0.51%

1.44%

Date of 1st Rate Hike

For special districts and other local agencies, now is a very good time to consider moving ahead with planned capital improvement projects or refinancing prior debt. In 2015, the CSDA Finance Corporation facilitated financings totaling more than $20 million for special district projects and purchases. Below are some examples of recently closed financings:

Emerald Bay Service District Capital projects - $5,000,000 Feather River Recreation & park District Refinancing - $4,000,000 Bodega Bay Public Utility District System improvements - $3,955,000 East Niles Community Services District Land purchase - $285,000

Source: FactSet and authors’ calculations from Jacobsen, et al., “Low and Slow: The Fed On Rate Hikes” blog post.

Aromas Water District Solar installation - $280,000

The data from these past rate hiking cycles show that the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose prior to the first Fed rate hike in the cycle, and that, with the exception of the 1999 hiking cycle, the 10-year yield rose less than the fed funds rate increase. Also, interestingly, in the two most recent cycles, 10-year yields increased significantly more before the first Fed rate hike than after the cycle began.

If your agency has a financing need, now is the time to take advantage of interest rates before they go up. Contact the CSDA Finance Corporation for a no-obligation quote today at 877.924.2732 or www.csdafinance.net.

Continued on page 44 California Special District – May-June 2016

Money matters [continued] All of this led the Wells strategists to conclude that, “if the Fed is going to be even more gradual this time, the adjustments in yields will likely be even tamer.” In fact, they found, it could take the Fed three years or more of small and intermittent steps to move the federal funds rate from zero percent to around 3.5 percent. Consequently, they found nothing in the lead up to the current ratehiking cycle to lead them to expect a rise in the federal funds rate to cause bond yields to spike sharply higher. Their conclusions were perhaps best summed up in the title of their piece: Low and Slow: The Fed on Rate Hikes. “Low and Slow” One Year On One year later, in the spring of 2016, with a midDecember 2015 fed funds rate hike under our belt, some things have changed, but the big-picture economic situation is not so different. Overall economic growth is still in the moderate but unspectacular two percent to 2.5 percent range and the employment situation continues to improve with unemployment down to five percent. Headline inflation numbers remain well below the Fed’s two percent target, although labor-cost pressures are beginning to build, indicating that inflation concerns may

be more of an issue in 2017. The Fed continues to assess the risks of hiking too much too quickly as outweighing those of hiking too slowly. A fairly strong majority of Fed decision-makers are of the opinion that, even if they get behind the curve - that is, are a little too slow in raising rates - they have ample time to catch up later on. Just as in the past four rate-hiking cycles, 10-year Treasury yields moved off of their 12-month lows prior to the initial Fed rate hike, increasing from 1.63 percent in mid-February 2015, to 2.30 percent at the time of the mid-December 2015 rate hike. Importantly, however, since the 0.25 percent mid-December rate hike, 10-year Treasury yields have actually declined by 0.60 percent, to 1.70 percent at the beginning of 2016’s second quarter. Market observers that began the year forecasting three to five rate hikes in 2016 have generally revised those projections down to one or two; some predict no further rate increases until 2017. In sum, from the perspective of spring 2016 it seems, when it comes to the Fed and rate hikes, ‘Lower and Slower” is the new “Low and Slow.”

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[What’s so special]

Fit at fifty and beyond

Auburn Area Recreation and Park District The thud against the backboard, the ball slapping on the court, the squeaking of sneakers on the hardwood - you think kids at play. But these “kids” are just a little bit taller, a step slower, and a little more gray around the edges. 50-plus basketball is thriving in the foothills. Auburn Area Recreation and Park District (ARD) saw a need in its community to provide recreational opportunities for local seniors. In response, it set up a 50-and-over pickup basketball game. And this was just the beginning of where the senior programs would go. One of the things that make special districts so great is their close proximity to the public, and ARD’s services for area seniors is a perfect example of a district hearing a need and meeting that need. California Special District asked ARD to explain how the senior recreational programs began and how they have benefited the community. Sheryl Petersen Recreation Services Manager

Your district is home to a 50-and-over pick-up basketball game. Tell us about the group of players who participate. In the spring of 2008, Bill Hodgson approached the Auburn Area Recreation and Park District requesting dedicated hours for basketball gym time for the 50-plus year old crowd. ARD had already designated seven hours of gym time each week for pick-up basketball, but the older guys had tried it and playing against 20-somethings just didn’t make for a great experience. Bill insisted there was a need for a separate, special time for the older crowd to play and ARD staff agreed. Today, 16 to 25 guys ages 50-80 cinch up their sneakers each week. The players show up, shoot around, and eventually divide themselves into well-matched teams to play three-on-three or four-on-four half court basketball.

Jan Blake Executive Director

Auburn Area Recreation and Park District Location: Placer County; includes all of City of Auburn Website: www.sccl.org Budget: $4.1 million (does not include Capital Improvements)

Established: 1948 Size: 100 square miles Population: 43,000

They even occasionally play full court games. With the average age of the players at 57, ARD’s 50-plus basketball play is the only form of exercise some of the players were getting. As a result, and at the player’s request, ARD added another night. Rigorous exercise, comradery, competition, socializing, networking, and fun keep a core of about 25 players coming back each week. Dave Ferencik, age 78 and a season ticketholder for the Sacramento Kings, comes out to play each week “just for the love of the game.”

community and by spring 2010, ARD held its first tournament with 22 teams. All the players were over age 60! ARD currently holds tournaments twice a year, each attracting well over 100 participants from the Bay Area, Nevada, and Northern California. At present, ARD has converted two additional courts for a total of eight outdoor courts at two park locations. Six regulation pickleball courts and times for play can also be found in both ARD gymnasiums year round.

How does the 50-and-over game help fulfill the district’s mission?

Most recently, ARD has added four regulation bocce courts at Recreation Park. Approximately 65 active seniors attended the dedication and league play began in March with 12 teams playing two nights a week. The courts are humming with activity every day and it won’t be long before the seniors are introducing bocce to the next generation.

Not unlike other communities, Auburn is experiencing growth in its senior population. In fact today 60 percent of the area’s population is age 50 or older. This changing demographic has created a demand for programming for active seniors. To address this need, ARD has enhanced and added programs designed to meet that demand. ARD offers co-ed open intermediate volleyball and senior advanced volleyball. These programs meet two mornings each week, three hours a day, year round and boast robust participation. ARD’s active seniors enjoy many other programs and classes through the district, where 80 percent of the instructors are age 50-plus. Golf clinics, master swimming, horseback riding, kayaking, karate, tai chi, yoga, Pilates, Zumba Gold, water aerobics, and a variety of dance classes are among the many opportunities to keep moving.

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Many associate the terms “recreation” and “play” with children in mind. What inspired the district to initiate a game for those over 50? Society often associates recreation and play with children. Recreation means to re-create. In order to stay relevant, and to meet the needs of our changing demographic, our communities must be mindful to provide recreation opportunities for everyone.

Did the district face any challenges when implementing the 50-plus programs? ARD has not been without growing pains in its senior programming. For a couple of years, ARD tried separating classes into Senior and Adult offerings. The feedback was pretty loud: “I do not want to take senior classes. I don’t want to be in a class with all old people!” As a result, all classes are for adults age 18 and older.

California Special District – May-June 2016

Join us at the CSDA’s General Manager’s Summit June 12-14th

Ask us a question: CSDA’s Consultant Connection http://www.csda.net/consultant-connection/

Does the district host other activities for seniors in the area? ARD has seen growth in other active senior sports. In 2006, Chic and Ingrid Koenig introduced ARD to pickleball. What followed was nothing short of extraordinary. ARD started with two temporary courts set up on an under-used tennis court. Within a year, the demand was such that the district needed to dedicate the court, converting it for pickleball. Word grew in the pickleball

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Managing risk [continued] • Procedures for providing sufficient water. • Procedures for providing access to shade. • High-heat procedures. • Emergency response procedures. • Acclimatization methods and procedures. The Heat Illness Prevention Plan must be written both in English and in the language understood by the majority of employees. It must be available to employees at the worksite, as well as to representatives of Cal/ OSHA upon request. It may be integrated into the employer’s Injury and Illness Prevention Program.

Tips for Compliance • Review your heat illness and prevention plan and amend it to reflect the new requirements, including potable water, shade, preventive cool-down rest periods, high-heat procedures, acclimatization, and training policies and procedures. • Review your employee handbook to see that it provides for cool-down rest periods and ensure it is consistent with the new regulation. • Review or create new policies and procedures for monitoring employees taking cool-down rest periods. • Review or create new plans to monitor employees in high-heat conditions by instituting the required

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supervisor-to-employee ratio, a mandatory buddy system, or a consistent practice for supervisors to check in with employees. • Review your emergency preparedness plan and ensure it has a designated individual who can call for emergency services when needed. • Make sure your emergency preparedness plan includes an effective communication with employees by voice, observation, or electronic means, an effective response with first aid measures, and procedures for contacting emergency responders to help stricken workers. • Closely monitor temperature changes to ensure that you are following the amendment’s acclimatization requirements. • Conduct a site inspection at each of your California facilities to ensure that shade and water is being provided as close as practicable to the work areas. • Train your employees and supervisors on the revised heat illness plan and procedures, cool-down rest breaks, and monitoring procedures. Retrain your employees on how to prevent heat illness. For additional information on these topics, please contact SDRMA Chief Risk Officer, Dennis Timoney at dtimoney@sdrma.org or call 800.537.7790.

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4/15/16

5:37 PM