to: Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager
from: J.B. Culpepper, Planning Director
David Bonk, Long Range Planning and Transportation Coordinator
Gene Poveromo, Development Coordinator
John Richardson, Long Range/Sustainability Planner
Lance Norris, Public Works Director
Richard Terrell, Operations Manager
John Newark, Sustainability & Facilities Managing Supervisor
Curtis Brooks, Urban Forester
George Powell, Maintenance Services Manager
subject: Recommendations and Resolution for Interlocal Water Conservation Strategies
date: May 19, 2008
The purpose of this memorandum is to:
In October 2005, the Chapel Hill Town Council asked OWASA to provide information regarding the utility’s capacity to meet the area’s water and wastewater service demands under the assumption of higher intensity development within the Urban Services Area. In February 2006, the elected Boards of the Town of Carrboro, Orange County and the Town of Chapel Hill were presented with information from OWASA staff which used projected water supply and demand trends to highlight the importance of water conservation to meet long-term supply needs. In response to this information, the elected Boards requested that OWASA staff collaborate with the respective staffs from the three local governments to develop information and recommendations that would facilitate greater conservation of existing water resources.
In November 2007, the interlocal staff workgroup, which includes staff from the Town of Carrboro, Town of Chapel Hill, Orange County and OWASA, completed a draft of a comprehensive report, the Collaborative Water Conservation Strategies for Joint Consideration by Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Orange County. The report includes data on the need for increased conservation, various tools and strategies for collaboration options, and further details regarding the specific OWASA Board of Director’s water conservation recommendations included in Attachment 1. The complete report can be found at the following URL: http://www.owasa.org/pages/conservation.html#DraftReport.
On November 8, 2007, the OWASA Board received and referred the draft comprehensive report and interlocal staff working group Recommendations to Local Governments Regarding Water Conservation Priorities and Initiatives to the OWASA Natural Resources and Technical Systems (NRTS) Committee for review and analysis. The Natural Resources and Technical Systems Committee is a subcommittee of the OWASA Board of Directors.
On January 28, 2008, OWASA staff presented the draft comprehensive report and recommendations to the Natural Resources and Technical Systems Committee, highlighting the “conditions of service” approach endorsed by the interlocal staff working group. OWASA General Counsel informed the Committee that he believed OWASA had the authority to “adopt rules and regulations establishing conditions to be met by new development before new connections are permitted.” Based on the information presented by OWASA staff and General Counsel, the Committee endorsed the draft comprehensive report and recommendations and directed the OWASA staff to provide the recommendations to the full OWASA Board at the February 14, 2008 meeting.
On February 14, 2008, the OWASA Board of Directors received and endorsed the Recommendations Regarding Water Conservation Priorities and Initiatives for collaborative action by the Town of Carrboro, Town of Chapel Hill, Orange County and OWASA. Since that time, the OWASA Board of Directors has transmitted the Water Conservation Priorities and Initiatives (Attachment 1) as part of a letter to the three jurisdictions, requesting their general endorsement of the recommendations and their support for continued staff collaboration and study of water conservation initiatives.
DISCUSSION
The Recommendations Regarding Water Conservation Priorities and Initiatives endorsed by the OWASA Board of Directors on February 14, 2008 and transmitted to the three jurisdictions for their general support are as follows:
Recommended Near-Term Actions:
Recommended Longer-Term Actions:
Staff Comment: We believe there is need for further evaluation of the recommendations, including evaluating potential implementation strategies and associated resource requirements. We recommend that Town staff continue to evaluate the recommendation to pursue legislative authority and, if appropriate, proceed along with the other participating local governments to develop a single legislative request. We believe it may be premature for Chapel Hill to pursue a legislative initiative for the 2008 Session of the North Carolina General Assembly.
The Town of Carrboro Board of Aldermen and the Orange County Board of Commissioners have reviewed the OWASA recommendations and unanimously passed resolutions of support to move ahead through collaborative efforts. Each of the adopted resolutions was slightly modified from the resolution proposed by OWASA staff.
The Town of Carrboro Board of Aldermen adopted a resolution to receive the draft comprehensive report from the interlocal staff working group as well as the recommendations from the OWASA Board of Directors. The resolution also directs the Town of Carrboro staff to continue collaborative work on these initiatives and requests that OWASA provide a report on the proposed approach and implementation plan for the water use efficiency conditions of service strategy (Attachments 2).
The Orange County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution which is very similar to the one proposed by OWASA staff. The adopted resolution supports the recommendations endorsed by the OWASA Board of Directors and the additional recommendations mentioned in the draft comprehensive report. The Board of Commissioners resolution also directs staff to continue collaborative work on these initiatives and requests that OWASA provide a report on the proposed approach and implementation plan for the water use efficiency conditions of service strategy (Attachments 3).
We recommend that the Council support the recommendations endorsed by the OWASA Board of Directors, direct Town staff to continue collaborative work on these initiatives, and request that OWASA provide a report on the proposed approach and implementation plan for the water use efficiency conditions of service strategy.
NEXT STEPS
With the adoption of the attached resolution Town staff will coordinate with staff from OWASA, Carrboro and Orange County to:
RECOMMENDATION
The staff recommends that the Council adopt the proposed resolution which provides general support for interlocal water conservation strategies, including OWASA’s pursuit of water use efficiency conditions of service, and directing staff to continue collaborative work on these initiatives.