Minutes 02/25/2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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February 25, 2014 Discussion: • This hybrid proposal will provide compliance with the consent order and HRSD will assume liability for any future wet weather capacity-related overflows. Portsmouth will still own, maintain and operate its sewer system. • HRSD will pay for all necessary capital improvements related to wet weather capacity, allowing Portsmouth and the other localities to avoid this expense. HRSD hopes to achieve a majority of the $1 billion in regional savings anticipated in the regionalization study. Portsmouth will still have normal capital expenses in operating and maintaining its system. • This hybrid approach allows for the possibility of future regionalization of the sewer system should circumstances change. • The consent order will be modified to reflect these changes and Portsmouth will be relieved of liability for wet weather overflows and for responsibility to construct wet weather capacity related improvements. Financial Impact: • We will avoid the expense of wet weather capacity capital improvements. The total potential savings is unknown at this time. Recommended Action: • Approval of the Responsive Government. Memorandum of Agreement. Vision Principle: Efficient, Next Steps Following Council Action: • The City Manager will execute the MOA. 1. Donna Sayegh, 3104 Garland Drive, spoke in opposition to this item. Motion by Ms. Psimas, and seconded by Mr. Meeks, to adopt the following resolution, and was adopted by the following vote: "RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH AND THE HAMPTON ROADS SANITATION DISTRICT REGARDING A REGIONAL CONSENT ORDER PERTAINING TO SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOWS. WHEREAS, the City of Portsmouth and twelve other Hampton Roads localities have entered into a consent order with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to address wet weather sanitary sewer overflows; and WHEREAS, the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) has executed a similar consent order with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and WHEREAS, the consent orders require the development of a wet weather plan to ensure adequate sewer system capacity during wet weather events; and WHEREAS, HRSD and all localities in the region participated in a year-long study to determine whether regionalization was a viable and more cost-effective way to comply with the consent orders; and WHEREAS, the study was completed in Summer 2013 and concluded that regionalization would be an effective solution that could potentially save a collective $1 billion in the region; and WHEREAS, because of the reluctance of some localities to support a regional sewer system, HRSD developed a hybrid proposal whereby HRSD would be responsible for the wet weather management plan and associated capital improvements, but the localities would still own and operate their individual sewer collection systems; and