Agenda 03-15-22; 8-a - Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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3 1 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/Special Presentations 2 3 a. OWASA Annual Update Presentation 4 The Board received a presentation and information from the Orange Water and Sewer Authority 5 (OWASA) on recent activities. 6 7 BACKGROUND: At the beginning of each calendar year, OWASA representatives appear 8 before the Board of Commissioners to make a presentation on recent OWASA activities. An 9 update on OWASA's Long-Range Water Supply Plan will also be provided. 10 11 OWASA Board Chair Jody Eimers and Board Member/Immediate Past Chair Ray DuBose, 12 both Orange County appointees to the OWASA Board, will present the annual update. 13 OWASA Planning and Development Manager Ruth Rouse will provide an update to OWASA's 14 Long Range Water Supply Plan (LRWSP). 15 16 Jody Eimers introduced Todd Taylor, executive director of OWASA, Ruth Rouse, and 17 Ray DuBose. 18 Jody Eimers provided a Strategic Plan update. OWASA is working on a new Strategic 19 Plan to help guide investments and priorities over the next 5-6 years. The OWASA Board of 20 Directors has held three work sessions with staff to work on the new strategic plan, which 21 included discussing input received from the community, board, and staff, as well as revising 22 mission and vision. Recently began working to narrow top six priorities for next 5-6 years. 23 Jody Eimers discussed board membership. She thanked the Commissioners for 24 appointing her and Ray DuBose to the OWASA Board of Directors. She described the board as 25 a governing body rather than an advisory body. She explained the Board's responsibilities in 26 detail. She said that Board members are compensated for their service on the board. She said 27 that all interested candidates are encouraged to apply. OWASA works to recruit diverse 28 members and the only interest needed is an interest to serve and be available. She said that 29 they appreciate assistance in recruiting board members and assistance encouraging 30 applications. She said that they have been sharing information with the NAACP and El Centro 31 Hispano on board vacancies. She said that Chapel Hill appoints five OWASA Board members, 32 Carrboro appoints two, and Orange County appoints two. She indicated that there are two 33 openings on the Board of Directors. She said that she and Ray DuBose are both on their 34 second terms and that she has been selected as chair. She highlighted the importance of filling 35 vacancies as quickly as possible due to the important work that is ongoing. She said that 36 appointments by Orange County will be made July 1 in 2023 and 2024. She invited Ray DuBose 37 to make comments. 38 Ray DuBose discussed the status of the OWASA standard collection practices and 39 affordability. He said OWASA used the local indefinite state of emergency as guidance and 40 chose to defer resuming standard bill collection practices for residential customers. He said 41 there are about 580 customers that are 60 days or more passed due with an average of $460 42 passed due. He said that customers will be given 30 days' notice before collection practices 43 begin. He said that customers that miss two billing cycles will be sent to collection. He said that 44 upon resuming standard collection practices, OWASA will provide payment plan option for those 45 who need it. He noted that utility bill assistance continues to be critical to ensuring long term 46 access to OWASA's services. He said current delinquent customers are encouraged to pay 47 what they can and to seek bill pay assistance, like the Care to Share donation program. He said 48 that he is grateful to the county for administering the emergency housing fund and the County's 49 leadership in administering the temporary Federal Low Income Household Water Assistance 50 Program (LIHWAP). He said that the emergency housing fund provided over $70,000 of billing 51 assistance for 122 households. He said that the LIHWAP has pledged over $60,000 of billing