December 01, 2022 - Notice of Vacancy on Alto Sanitary Board of Directors
A Notice of Vacancy has been posted along with an Application for Appointment on the website HERE. Applications are being accepted via email to manager@altosanitarydistrict.org or by post to Alto Sanitary District, PO Box 163, Mill Valley CA 94942. Applications will be reviewed and candidates interviewed at the 01/25/2023 Board of Directors meeting. Please email any questions to District Manager Bill Hansell at manager@altosanitarydistrict.org .
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December 22, 2021 - Board of Directors Approves Organics Reduction and Recycling Ordinance 2021-01
At its regular meeting of December 22, 2021, the Alto Sanitary District Board of Directors passed Ordinance 2021-01 in order to reduce the amount of organic and recyclable materials deposited in landfills from commercial and residential generators and meet the requirements of AB 341, AB 1826 and SB 1383. The ordinance defines the requirements for the different types of generators, and the District's rules for enforcement. The first reading of the full text was at the 11/24/2021 board meeting with the second reading and adoption occurring at the December meeting. Ordinance 2021-01 is available for review and downloading under the ORDINANCES menu above or directly HERE.
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October 15, 2020 - Sewage Spill Reduction Action Plan: Summary Progress Report FY2019-20
The District submitted it's SSRAP summary progress report for FY2019-20 to the EPA. A PDF copy of the report is available for download HERE. The report outlines progress by the District on reducing spills and I&I (Infiltration and Inflow into the system) and outlines the District's ongoing capital improvement plan.
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September 23, 2020 - Alto Board Accepts Completion of FY2019-20 Capital Improvement Project
The Alto Board of Directors approved Resolution 2020-07 accepting completion of the recent CIP which replaced sewer mains on the Redwood Hwy Frontage Rd., Central Dr., Shell Rd., and the easement between Shell Rd and Lomita Dr. The CIP was part of an ongoing plan to reduce I&I (storm and ground water infiltration) into the collection system.
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December 29, 2019 - Sewage Spill Reduction Action Plan: Summary Progress Report FY2018-19
The District submitted it's SSRAP summary progress report for FY2018-19 to the EPA. A PDF copy of the report is available for download HERE. The report outlines progress by the District on reducing spills and I&I (Infiltration and Inflow into the system) and outlines the District's ongoing capital improvement plan.
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January 23, 2019 - Sewer System Management Plan: 2019 Update
The District has made additional revisions to its Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) for 2019. A PDF copy of the report is available for download HERE. The SSMP update was certified by the Board of Directors at its 01/23/19 meeting.
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December 26, 2018 - Board of Directors Update
Board Directors Tania Kennedy and Marc Nash renewed their oaths of office for terms ending Dec 2022 and new Board Director Emily Elam was appointed for the two-year seat ending Dec 2020. Director Elam is a property manager with experience handling construction projects. Prior to property management, Director Elam served as a senior policy advisor in the U.S. House of Representatives for over 13 years, focusing on immigration policy and terrorism, as well as outreach, coalitions and communications.
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October 31, 2018 - Sewer System Management Plan: 2018 Update
The District has updated its Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) for 2018. A PDF copy of the report is available for download HERE. The SSMP update will be on the agenda for acceptance at the 11/28/18 Board of Directors meeting.
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October 30, 2018 - Capital Improvement Plan Update
The District has updated its CIP Planning Map. A PDF copy of the report is available for download HERE.
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October 15, 2018 - Sewage Spill Reduction Action Plan: Summary Progress Report FY2017-18
The District submitted it's SSRAP summary progress report for FY2017-18 to the EPA. A PDF copy of the report is available for download HERE. The report outlines progress by the District on reducing spills and I&I (Infiltration and Inflow into the system) and outlines the District's ongoing capital improvement plan.
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September 25, 2018 - Notice of Vacancy on Alto Sanitary Board of Directors
A Notice of Vacancy has been posted along with an Application for Appointment on the website HERE and is also available for pick-up at the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin office, 450 Sycamore Ave, Mill Valley. Applications are due via email to manager@altosanitarydistrict.org or by post to Alto Sanitary District, PO Box 163, Mill Valley, CA 94942, by 10/23/18, 5PM PST. Applications will be reviewed at the 10/24/18 Board of Directors meeting and recommendations made to the Marin Board of Supervisors for subsequent appointment. Please email any questions to District Manager Bill Hansell at manager@altosanitarydistrict.org .
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July 15, 2018 - Notice of November 6th Election and Nomination Period
The Marin County Elections Department has published a list of open board seats including (2) four-year terms and (1) two-year term on the Alto Sanitary District Board of Directors. Full information is available on the Marin County website HERE.
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July 01, 2018 - Mill Valley Refuse Service Rate Increase
The Alto Sanitary District Board of Directors reviewed a study by R3 Consulting Group on the recent rate increase request by MVRS at its June 27th, 2018, meeting. The rate increase is in response to a crisis in the recycling industry due to China's "National Sword" program which has spiked costs for refuse handlers such as MVRS. An explanation of the issue may be found on the MVRS website HERE.
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June 28, 2018 - Alto Sanitary District Response to Civil Grand Jury Report
The Alto Sanitary District Board of Directors responded to the 2018 Civil Grand Jury Report on the Consolidation of Sanitary Districts at its June 27th, 2018, meeting. The District's response is available HERE.
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April 04, 2018 - SASM Kicks off Rehabilitation Project with Groundbreaking Ceremony
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April 20, 2018 - Wastewater Treatment Plant Construction Notice: Access Changes to Sports Areas, Storage, Parking
The Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin has launched a 2-year, $20 million Waste Water Treatment Plant rehabilitation project, which will include infrastructure modernization, increased reliability and efficiency, electrical upgrades, and odor reduction. The City of Mill Valley has provided baseball, softball and soccer organizations access to the area behind the Corporation Yard along the Public Works Access Road for storage and batting practice for many years. During the rehabilitation project, construction contractors will use the Public Works Access Road to conduct the rehabilitation work at the wastewater treatment plant. Construction activity and truck traffic will remain constant and busy along the Public Works Access Road from 6:30 to 4:30 pm Monday - Friday. The safety of the coaches, parents, players, and construction contractors is of utmost importance, and requires changes to sports organizations’ access to this area. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. Starting Monday, April 30: Monday – Friday, 6:30 am - 4:30 pm: There will be no access to the batting cages and storage units and no parking on the access road, Monday – Friday, After 4:30 pm: Access is permitted*, Weekends: Access is permitted* Cars parked during restricted days/hours will be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense. Individuals in the area during these times will be asked to leave the premises. * Please be advised that during the Middle School Summer Recess, project managers may schedule double shifts Monday – Friday, as well as Saturday work shifts, which will further limit access and parking. We will update sports organizations on the schedule as the Summer months approach. Please look for announcements and/or signs in the area advising of changes. Project managers will work with sports organizations to coordinate schedules and mitigate impacts where possible. Thank you in advance for your patience as we work to improve our facilities. Questions and comments may be directed to Tom Levin, Construction Project Manager at (415) 388-2402 or sasm@cityofmillvalley.org.
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October 14, 2017 - Sewerage Spill Reduction Action Plan: Summary Progress Report FY2016-17
The District submitted it's SSRAP summary progress report for FY2016-17 to the EPA. A PDF copy of the report is available for download HERE. The report outlines progress by the District on reducing spills and I&I (Infiltration and Inflow into the system.)
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August 29, 2017 - Dr. Marc Nash appointed to Alto Sanitary Board of Directors
Dr. Marc Nash was appointed to the Alto Sanitary District Board in a special August meeting. The board thanks all the applicants who applied for the position. Director Nash has been a resident since 2012 and is a physician specializing in cancer treatment (radiation oncology.) He has worked collaboratively on many boards and commissions in the healthcare setting throughout his career. He looks forward to serving his community on the Alto Sanitary District board.
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July 18, 2017 - Notice of Vacancy on Alto Sanitary Board of Directors
After 32 years of exemplary service, President Stanley Bransgrove resigned from the Alto Sanitary District Board on 6/30/17. The District thanks President Bransgrove for one of the longest terms served in Marin County on a local government board! A Notice of Vacancy has been posted along with an Application for Appointment on the website HERE and is also available for pick-up at the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin office, 450 Sycamore Ave, Mill Valley. Applications are due via email to manager@altosanitarydistrict.org or by post to Alto Sanitary District, PO Box 163, Mill Valley, CA 94942, by 08/22/17, 5PM PST. An appointment will be made at the 08/23/17 Board of Directors meeting. Please email any questions to District Manager Bill Hansell at manager@altosanitarydistrict.org .
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January 25, 2017 - Tania Kennedy appointed to Alto Sanitary Board of Directors
Former Director Tania Kennedy was appointed to the Alto Sanitary District Board at the regular January meeting. Director Kennedy formerly served the District from 2005 thru 2015 and is looking forward to bringing her experience to the Board again.
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January 10, 2017 - Notice of Vacancy on Alto Sanitary Board of Directors
After nearly 30 years of service, Director Pedro Femenia has resigned from the Alto Sanitary District Board. The District thanks Director Femenia for his many years of dedication, expertise, and time! A Notice of Vacancy has been posted along with an Application for Appointment on the website HERE and is also available at the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin office. Applications are due via email to manager@altosanitarydistrict.org or by post to Alto Sanitary District c/o Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin, 450 Sycamore Ave, Mill Valley, CA 94941, by 01/25/17 at Noon PST. Please email any questions to District Manager Bill Hansell at manager@altosanitarydistrict.org .
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November 2, 2016 -SASM Announces Sale of Revenue Bond for $38 million to Improve Wastewater Facility
The Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin (SASM) has announced the sale of $38 million in sewer revenue bonds through a competitive bidding process, after the bond issuance was granted an AA positive rating by Standard & Poor's Rating Service. The SASM Board approved a bond issue in the fall of this year to facilitate critical upgrades and improvements to the SASM wastewater treatment plant located in Mill Valley.
SASM is a Joint Powers Agency formed in 1979 to consolidate the wastewater collection, treatment, water reclamation and disposal needs of about 28,000 residents in Southern Marin County. SASM is made up of six member agencies: the City of Mill Valley, Tamalpais Community Services District, Almonte Sanitary District, Alto Sanitary District, Homestead Valley Sanitary District and Richardson Bay Sanitary District.
As outlined in the SASM Facilities Master Plan, the planned upgrades will update the plant’s aging infrastructure, protect it from flooding, prepare for its future needs, and incorporate sustainability initiatives. The Master Plan calls for more than $30 million in capital improvement projects (CIPs) over the next five years, and another $30 million in CIPs over the 25 years after that at the wastewater treatment plant.
Planned projects will include rehabilitation of treatment and conveyance facilities and electrical system upgrades, odor control, frontage landscaping, and overhaul of the critical treatment equipment and facilities. Without the proposed improvements, SASM will not be able to continue to properly and safely collect and treat its sewage.
"The Wastewater Treatment Plant has served the needs of the community for 33 years, but it is clear to us that the plant’s facilities have surpassed their useful life," Board President Lew Kious said. "Today’s bond sale will allow us to make much needed improvements to be in a better position to provide wastewater services to our community and protect the environment going forward.”
A revenue bond is a municipal bond supported by the revenue from a specified revenue-generating entity. Standard & Poor's granted the bonds with an AA positive, indicating that SASM has a strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. The AA positive rating means the SASM can attain a lower interest rate resulting in lower annual debt service payments and a premium of $1.8 million on the sale of the bond providing SASM with $39.8 million with a repayment of $38 million in principle.
The bond will be purchased by Piper Jaffrey and Company who offered a net interest rate of 3.05% for the 30-year bond along with the $1.8 million bond issuance premium,.
The bonds are set to be paid back with wastewater ratepayer revenues over a period of 30 years. Along with the payments for the bond sale, SASM will have an annual debt service payment of $2,120,000 per year from 2022 to 2042, then dropping to approximately $1,875,000 from 2043 to 2046.
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SEWER SERVICE CHARGE INCREASE
JUNE 22, 2016 - SEWER SERVICE FEE RATE INCREASE APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
On June 22, 2016 a public hearing was held for the proposed sewer service fee increase. There were a total of 50 protests against the proposal. 154 protests, a majority of the property owners, were needed to prevent the adoption of the rate increase. In a unanimous vote, the Board of Directors of the Alto Sanitary District approved an increase in the sewer service charge. Rate payers will be charged $1,100 per Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2016. The sewer service charge is paid through the property tax bill which is sent out in the fall.
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At the May 25, 2016 meeting of the Alto Sanitary District board of directors the proposed ordinance to increase sewer service charges to the residents of the District will be discussed. At the meeting the reasons requiring the rate increase will be explored. What follows is information the Board will be considering:
BACKGROUND
The Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin (SASM) has concluded a study of the existing wastewater treatment plant and determined that much of the equipment and infrastructure is at the end of its operational life. SASM has adopted a plan for capital improvements necessary to ensure its safe and efficient operation in the future.
On February 18, 2016 the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin (SASM) Board of Commissioners decided to apply for a $30 million bond to pay for capital improvements at the wastewater plant and pump stations over the next five years. Prior to SASM fixing the amount of the bond, the member agencies, which include the Alto Sanitary District, could not calculate the share which SASM would levy on the Districts: The member agencies only knew that there would be an increase.
On February 24, 2016, at the regular February meeting of the Alto Sanitary District, the Directors discussed the need to raise sewer rates to1) cover the proposed SASM assessment; and 2) pay for the District’s own $3.8 million in capital projects.
At the February 24th meeting, a sub-committee was formed to study possible ways to finance the District’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and its obligations to SASM. The sub-committee explored the possibility of borrowing the $3.8 million CIP funds. After studying several options the sub-committee approached SASM to see if Alto might take advantage of the excellent interest rate of the bond by adding the District’s financing to the package.
At the March 23rd Alto Board meeting, the Board established the new projected sewer rates based on information available at that time and the manager was given direction to start the Prop. 218 process for a sewer rate ordinance to be adopted at the June 22, 2016 Alto Board meeting, including preparing and sending a public notice containing the proposed rates to each property owner in the district.
In April, as preliminary discussions with SASM regarding Alto joining the SASM bond issuance, continued, it became apparent that the anticipated financial benefit was going to be offset by fees SASM would expect, and that SASM was not looking favorably at the idea of allowing a member agency to piggy-back with the SASM bond issuance. At the April 20th Board meeting it was determined that the District would have to abandon the financing of our capital work through the bond and the manager was directed to work out sewer rates based on a pay-as-you-go approach to the CIP projects.
Concurrent with the foregoing exploration of financing options, the member agencies were required to submit their annual sewer hook-up counts, known as Equivalent Dwelling Units (EDU), from which SASM calculates the fees each member agency must pay the following year. This year, the Alto Sanitary District’s share went down. The actual assessment that Alto Sanitary District will have to pay in FY 2016/17 is $202,160; a $10,483 reduction from the amount projected in March.
DISCUSSION
Click this link to see a table showing projected costs over the next five years and the projected deficits they would bring to our operating budget. Each column represents one year of income and expenses. Shown at the bottom of each column is the deficit, the percent that rates would have to be raised to break even, and the dollar amount that would calculate to.
The assessment by SASM is non-discretionary. And even though the Rate Funded Capital and the Fund Reserves are discretionary, it is advised that these amounts be kept intact as it is the opinion of the manager that these amounts are bare minimums to run the District responsibly.
Under Proposition 218 law, once the public notice has been sent out, the amounts of the new rates cannot be made higher than what was published. But the law does not prohibit adopting lower rates. The Board may adjust rates at this first reading. Any changes will be presented at the public hearing on June 22, 2016.
For a chart showing the comparison of rates between all Marin Sanitary Districts click here.