2150 River Plaza Drive, Suite 460
Sacramento, CA 95833

Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors

 June 3, 2015

4:00 p.m.
(Meeting in 1st floor Large Conference room)

Upcoming Regular Meetings

  • August 5, 2015
  • September 2, 2015
  • October 7, 2015

Call to order

A. Call to Order of the A  Meeting of the Board of Directors

ADMIN: The Board Chair will call the meeting to order if a quorum is present. Announcements by the Board Chair or Executive Director may be made at this time. Board members may make announcements at this time as well.


Public comment

B. Public Comments

Opportunity for members of the public to address the Conservancy’s Board of Directors.


Action item

C. Implementation Annual Meeting

(Implementation Agreement §5.4)

  1. Meeting notes were contained in the June 4, 2014 Board of Directors meeting minutes agenda, previously made available to the Board and approved by the Board.
  2. Discussion of Annual Report. Concerns, comments, recommendations.
  3. City of Sacramento issues.
  4. County of Sutter issues.
  5. California Department of Fish and Wildlife issues.
  6. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issues.
  7. Adjourn Implementation Annual Meeting.


Action by consent

D. Approval of the minutes

The Board Chair will request approval of the minutes and consent items of the Board of Directors meeting of April 1, 2015.

Download the  April 1, 2015  Minutes (PDF, 608 KB)


Action by consent

E. Review of Whistleblower policy

At its April 1, 2015 meeting, the Compensation and Governance Committee accepted proposed updates to the Board’s Whistleblower Policy recommended by legal counsel. The Committee recommends that the Board approve and adopt these changes.

Download the Whistleblower policy (PDF, 628 KB)


Action item

F. Request for Proposal for Biological Monitoring Services

This item addresses the required biological monitoring portion of the Conservancy’s budget and program of work.

The current biological effectiveness monitoring agreement is with ICF International (“ICF”). The five-year engagement with ICF expires with the 2015 calendar year. The costs associated with this activity are approximately $300,000.00 per year. As promised, ICF not only held costs so that they did not increase during the five-year engagement. Conservancy staff believes that greater cost savings are possible in annual biological monitoring.

Normally, Conservancy staff would propose that requests for proposals (RFPs) be issued for future work with the expiration of an agreement of this nature. However, staff believes that the best chance for substantive cost reductions would come by doing the following:

  1. Extend the biological monitoring agreement with ICF for the 2016 year provided ICF is willing to do the work at a cost not to exceed the costs for 2015,
  2. Bring to the Board of Directors a proposal at its August 5, 2015 meeting to engage a third-party contractor to review and amend the Biological Effectiveness Management Plan Document (“BEMP Document”). The purpose of this revision is to make changes with adequate justification to the BEMP. Document so that it reduces costs, while also maintaining integrity with previous data collection and compliance with the NBHCP. All annual biological effectiveness monitoring must adhere to this document, and any amendment to the BEMP Document must be approved by the Conservancy’s Board of Directors as well as the state and federal wildlife agencies. In this proposal, the Conservancy staff would recommend an extensive effort be made to restructure the BEMP Document such that substantial cost savings in annual biological monitoring could be realized, and
  3. By this time next year, with an amended BEMP Document, staff would propose to the Board that it release an RFP that hopes to yield substantial savings in annual monitoring costs.

If the Board chooses not to accept staff’s recommendations as specified above, then staff’s alternate recommendation would be to release an RFP as spelled out in the Board agenda packet, and solicit proposals from competing firms. These proposals would be brought back to the Conservancy’s Board of Directors for selection of a biological monitoring contractor for three years with two one-year extensions possible (provided both parties agreed).

Download the RFP for Biological Monitoring Services (PDF, 468 KB)


Action item

G. Insurance review and acceptance of limits

Nearly all the Conservancy’s insurance policies renew in May. Tom Higgins with Wells Fargo Insurance will review all of the Conservancy’s insurance policies and limits with the Board, which include Directors & Officers, non-hired auto, workers’ compensation, employee dishonesty, boiler & machinery, general liability, umbrella and flood insurance. Management seeks approval of all the policies coverage limits.

Download the Insurance review and acceptance of limits (PDF, 6.9 MB)


Discussion

H. City of Sacramento report

Report from the City of Sacramento regarding HCP-related activity and other topics.


Discussion

I. Financial statement review

A financial statement will be provided for the period ended April 30, 2015 (unaudited). Additional financial information will be provided.

Download the Financial Statement review April 30, 2015 (PDF, 1 MB)


Discussion

J. Statistical Packet

Conservancy staff will introduce the Board of Directors to a new set of metrics used by staff to track Conservancy conditions. The metrics mostly apply to financial and economic issues.

Download the Statistical Packet (PDF, 1.6 MB)


Discussion

K. NCMWC ground water transfer program

Staff will update the Board of Directors on the progress to date of the groundwater exchange program entered into through the Natomas Central Mutual Water Company.


Discussion

L. Mid-year budget correction

Because of a now expected substantial reduction in water costs attributable to the Natomas Central Mutual Water Company’s (NCMWC) participation in a groundwater exchange program, and also because of the Conservancy’s participation in the same program, through the NCMWC both expenses and revenue will be substantially impacted in the 2015 budget. Staff will brief the Board on the planned presentation of a mid-year budget correction proposed for the August 5, 2015 Board of Director’s meeting.


Discussion

M. IRS Form 990

The Board of Directors will have an opportunity to comment on the annual filings with state and federal tax authorities.

Form 990 was previously send to the Board. Additional copies will be available upon request and will be provided at the Board Meeting.


Discussion

N. Endowment funds analysis

At a Board member’s suggestion, Conservancy staff engaged Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. to conduct an analysis of the Conservancy’s endowment funds to adequately fund the operations of the Conservancy. Staff did an earlier run of these calculations. These have been subsequently updated. Staff will share this with the Board.

Download the Endowment funds analysis (PDF, 1.4 MB)


Discussion

O. Operating cash sufficiency outlook

Many years ago, the Board of Directors requested that the Conservancy staff periodically share with it the internal exercise staff conducted on long-range cash flow analysis, and that one of the runs on the cash flow analysis include a “worst case scenario.” Staff will present that scenario planning exercise to the Board, as the Board recently requested.

Download the Operating cash sufficiency outlook (PDF, 773 KB)


Discussion

P. SAFCA effort to clarify easements Lucich North, Frazer North

Staff is actively working with the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA), which is attempting to clarify a complex set of easements on and adjacent to the Conservancy’s Lucich North and Frazer North tracts. Staff will brief the Board on the mater and the implications of this activity.


Discussion

Q. Preview of the new Board agenda page on natomasbasin.org

In an effort to reduce operations costs, and enhance clarity, Conservancy staff has been beta-testing a new agenda presentation format that would reduce costs, reduce the agenda to a single document (instead of two; some Board members preferred the former paper version and some preferred the electronic version), and the single agenda will be available on the Conservancy’s web site for both Board members and public alike. Staff will brief the Board on plans to roll out the new agenda starting with the August Board meeting.
Download the preview of the new Board agenda (PDF, 493 KB)


Discussion

R. Update on property tax research

Staff will update the Board on the progress made in obtaining property tax relief.


Public comment

S. Public comments

Opportunity for members of the public to address the Conservancy’s Board of Directors.


Executive Session

Executive Session

Executive Session for real estate is scheduled.


Exective Report

Executive Director’s Report

Various matters for Board members’ general information will be presented by the Conservancy’s Executive Director.

Download the Ex Director’s Report (PDF, 6 MB)


Adjournment

Adjournment

Official adjournment of the meeting.