Agenda items (7)

Procedural (1)

5.1ProceduralJuly 16, 2026 - Regular Meeting Minutes - Draft Attachments: July 16, 2026 - Regular Meeting Minutes - Draft

The board will review and approve the official minutes from the July 16, 2026 city council meeting.

↓ July 16, 2026 - Regular Meeting Minutes - Draft

General Business

6.1General BusinessCOMMUNITY WATER ACADEMY Staff will share background and details of the pilot Community Water Academy program. Participants will be recognized for their engagement and contribution. The Board may discuss this item and give direction to staff.

Staff will present results from a pilot Community Water Academy program, recognize participants, and the board may provide guidance on next steps for the program.

6.2General BusinessWATER SUPPLIES ALTERNATIVE PLAN ANNUAL UPDATE The Water Supply Alternatives Plan identified options for increasing the City's water supply resiliency and reliability and was accepted by the City Council in 2023. Staff will provide an update on the implementation of the plan, including the status of feasibility studies for several of the identified water supply options. The Board may discuss this item and give direction to staff.

Staff will update the board on progress implementing the Water Supply Alternatives Plan adopted in 2023, including updates on studies examining new water sources to improve the city's water reliability.

8.1General BusinessREPORT - APPROVAL OF A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

The board will review and approve hiring a professional service provider for work to be performed by the Water Department.

↓ Attachment 1 – Professional Services Agreement

↓ Staff Report

The Board of Public Utilities is being asked to approve a $441,979 contract with The Catalyst Group to help develop new water quality regulations for the Laguna de Santa Rosa, which currently has a costly and difficult-to-implement phosphorus trading program. Over two years, the consultant will facilitate a task force with agricultural, tribal, municipal, business, environmental, and regulatory stakeholders to gather input and prepare recommendations that the North Coast Water Board can use to create clearer and more effective water quality standards. The funding for this work has already been included in the FY 2026-27 budget.

8.2General BusinessREPORT - ANNUAL STORM WATER ENTERPRISE CHARGES BACKGROUND: On June 16, 2026, via City Council Resolution No. RES-2026-078, the City Council set the annual Storm Water Enterprise charge at $43.52 per Equivalent Residential Unit. Water Staff will request the Board of Public Utilities recommend the City Council approve the Storm Water Enterprise Charge Report and placement of the annual Storm Water Enterprise charges on the Sonoma County

Staff will ask the board to recommend that the city council approve the annual storm water fee of $43.52 per residential unit and add it to property tax bills.

↓ Staff Report

The Board of Public Utilities is recommending that the City Council adopt the Storm Water Enterprise Charge Report and place storm water charges on the Sonoma County Property Tax Roll for fiscal year 2026-27, which was previously set at $43.52 per Equivalent Residential Unit based on a 2.49% cost-of-living adjustment. Collecting through the property tax roll, rather than separately billing each property owner, reduces administrative costs and has been the practice since 1996, though the Council must approve this by a two-thirds vote following a public hearing on August 18, 2026. Property owners with charges below the County's $10 minimum threshold will not be billed separately because the cost to do so would exceed the revenue collected.

Consent Calendar

7.1Consent CalendarMOTION - BID AWARD - BLANKET PURCHASE ORDER FOR SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE SUPPLY WITH PIONEER AMERICAS LLC

The board will approve a contract to purchase sodium hypochlorite (a water treatment chemical) from Pioneer Americas LLC.

↓ Attachment 1 - Bid Response

↓ Staff Report

The Board of Public Utilities is being asked to award a one-year blanket purchase order to Pioneer Americas LLC for sodium hypochlorite supply, which Santa Rosa Water uses as a disinfectant and algae inhibitor at the Laguna Treatment Plant, two pump stations, and the Farmers Lane Well Treatment Facility, with a not-to-exceed cost of $600,000. Pioneer Americas submitted the lowest responsive bid at an evaluated unit price of $17.44 per gallon compared to the other qualified bidder at $19.47 per gallon, and the funding is already included in the Water Department's operating budget. The contract includes four optional one-year renewals, though renewal prices have not been negotiated and are not part of this approval.

7.2Consent CalendarMOTION - APPROVAL - THIRD AMENDMENT TO BLANKET PURCHASE ORDER 175255 FOR LIQUID ALUM RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by Santa Rosa Water and the Finance Department that the Board of Public Utilities, by motion, approve the Third Amendment to Blanket Purchase Order (BPO) 175255 with Chemtrade Chemicals Corporation, dba Chemtrade Chemicals US LLC (Chemtrade), to extend the term by one year and add compensation in the amount of $175,000, for a total cumulative BPO amount not to exceed $404,275.

The board will approve extending a contract with Chemtrade Chemicals for liquid alum (a water treatment chemical) for one additional year and add $175,000 in funding, bringing the total contract value to $404,275.

↓ Staff Report

The Board of Public Utilities is being asked to approve a one-year contract extension with Chemtrade Chemicals to supply liquid alum for the Laguna Wastewater Treatment Plant, adding $175,000 in compensation for a total of $404,275. The extension is necessary because the current contract expires August 11, 2026, and Chemtrade is requesting a 17.25% price increase due to higher costs for raw materials and freight, which staff determined is reasonable given documented increases in sulfuric acid and diesel fuel prices over the past six months. The additional $175,000 cost is already budgeted in the Water Department's fiscal year 2026-27 budget and will be included in future budget proposals.