MID Board Report Archive

Modesto Irrigation District (MID) Board Meeting of Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Contact: MID Public Affairs Department, Maree Hawkins, (209) 526-7390
The next MID Board meetings will be May 8 and 22, June 12 and 26, July 10 and 24.

Water report

Assistant General Manager Walter Ward, Water Operations, said last weekend’s rain and snow would not pull us out of a critically dry year.  The central Sierra snow pack is at 40 percent of normal. The Tuolumne River April 1 runoff forecast is 48 percent of average.  As a comparison, the highest and lowest runoff years were 1983—215 percent of average, and 1977—25 percent of average. April rainfall in Modesto is slightly above average due to the half inch of rain that fell last weekend.  The Modesto rainfall total for the year (July 1-June 30) is about 73 percent of average. 

Don Pedro Board of Control

A late March windstorm at Don Pedro Reservoir broke mooring cables at both Moccasin and Fleming Meadows marinas.  A number of houseboats were unleashed and damaged. Camping reservations are strong for the summer holiday weekends. Memorial Day weekend is almost sold out.

Customer requested electric line relocations

By a majority vote, the Board affirmed a continuation of MID Electric Service Rule No. 2, Section H, which reads:

The District will relocate District-owned electric facilities upon customer request, provided that the relocation is technically feasible, that easements or rights-of-way can be acquired for the relocated facilities, and that the relocated facilities are acceptable to neighboring customers.  In those situations where the relocation is at the request of the customer, the customer is responsible for all costs associated with the relocation. Requests for the relocation of facilities by public agencies will be governed by applicable laws and easements.

The issue came up when a customer requested that MID pay for the relocation because he felt the line crossing his property was a health and safety issue.  The line crosses his property on its way to provide electric service to his neighbor.  This was a more common style of construction when the customer’s home was built.

Assistant General Manager Tom Kimball, Transmission and Distribution, said the least costly option would be to maintain the service rule—the customer who benefits pays.  Other options could cost all MID ratepayers, whether MID paid relocation fees for all customers or modify the rule so MID paid all prescriptive right relocation fees. A prescriptive right is a legal designation for rights that are inherent to a facility where uninterrupted possession has existed for many years.  New lines are not generally constructed with prescriptive rights, but prescriptive rights are all that MID needed for many older facilities that MID owns and operates.  Costs estimates range from current annual relocation payments of $900,000 to potential relocation costs of $30 million for the estimated 12,000 prescriptive easements. The existing installation is considered safe and acceptable by MID and the City of Modesto.  Work done under an earlier city code is grand fathered in as long as it is safe. MID staff identified a lower cost solution that the customer could pay for, estimated at $500 to $600).

Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan

Assistant General Manager Walter Ward, Water Operations, provided an update on the Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan.  The goal of the three-year evaluation is to achieve efficiencies and better utilize all water resources.
 
MID kicks off promotion of compact fluorescent lights

Energy Management Supervisor Bob Hondeville updated the Board on a new rebate designed to promote compact fluorescent lights (CFLs).  The May electric bill insert will feature a coupon for a $10 rebate with the purchase of $20 of ENERGY STARÒ qualified CFLs. The goal is to save energy and get residential and business customers to try this generation of high quality CFLs.

In other action

The Board approved

• A revision to MID’s Employee Handbook B47, Information Technology Use and Security Policy.  IT Manager Pat Wheeler said the revisions will reduce storage and maintenance of non-business related information.
• A second internet provider to comply with National Energy Reliability Commission standards for Electronic Transaction Information Systems.

The Board postponed until its next meeting a decision on adoption of the City of Modesto/MID Joint Urban Water Management Plan 2005 Update.