WATER DEMAND COMMITTEE
ITEM:		ACTION ITEMS
4.	Discuss and Provide Feedback on Amendments to District Rules 11, 23 and 24.5 Related to Policies and Procedures in the Water Demand Division
Meeting Date:			December 8, 2005
From:			David A. Berger,
			General Manager
Prepared by:			Stephanie Pintar

SUMMARY: Attached as Exhibits 4-A, 4-B, and 4-C are proposed revisions to Rule 11- Definitions, Rule 23-Action on Application for Permit to Expand or Extend a Water Distribution System, and Rule 24.5-Connections for Affordable Housing. The changes reflect current administrative practices and policies and clarify the rules to facilitate completion of the Water Demand Division’s Policies and Procedures Manual.

DISCUSSION: Revised Rule 11 (Exhibit 1-A) includes all additions and modifications to the definitions used by the District that were previously discussed by the committee. Proposed revisions to this rule were last discussed at length in August 2005. Since that time, staff has continued the effort to revise the water permit rules and has identified a number of terms that should be included in the rules.

Rule 23 reflects the “process” for water permits. The Water Demand Committee reviewed Rule 23-A at its October 11, 2005 meeting. In addition to making the corrections and amendments discussed at that meeting, staff has completed 23-B and 23-C. The current, existing version of Rule 23 is attached as Exhibit 4-D. District counsel will provide any comments related to the new portion of the rule at the meeting.

District Rule 24.5, Connections for Affordable Housing has been drastically simplified. The former text is deleted and replaced with text that refers to the jurisdiction’s definition of affordable housing. In the past, staff has had difficulty interpreting the rule in its current state. The fact that the affordable housing income levels vary by jurisdiction has made it difficult to determine what projects meet the current standard. After meeting with representatives of the Coalition of Homeless Services Providers, staff is proposing the modifications shown at Exhibit 4-B.

Each rule should be discussed separately. Key modifications are outlined below.

Rule 23

1. Mandatory Conditions of Approval have been added, including the requirement for a final inspection by the District and a reasonable response time to correct any violations.
2. The conditions for Sleepy Hollow subdivision have been added to the Rules. These conditions have been mandatory since 1986, but have not been in the Rules.

RECOMMENDATION: The Water Demand Committee should discuss the proposed rule changes and provide feedback to staff. Staff will prepare a draft ordinance for review at the January meeting.

BACKGROUND: The proposed ordinance is the result of staff having identified a number of permitting practices and policies that require clarification before the completion of the Policies and Procedures Manual. Before the manual can be completed, staff is requesting a number of policies, procedures, and practices be incorporated into the rules and regulations to allow consistency in application. Staff also plans to get input from the TAC on draft text changes.

EXHIBITS

4-A Proposed changes to Rule 11.

4-B Proposed changes to Rule 23.

4-C Proposed changes to Rule 24.5.

4-D Current Rule 23

4-E Current Rule 24

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