robert m. brown, executive director january 6, 2016...robert m. brown, executive director january 6,...
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2015 Report to District Landowners
Robert M. Brown, Executive DirectorJanuary 6, 2016
100 Years of Service!
Centennial celebration hosted in June including installation of 100th Board of Supervisors
Received congratulatory proclamations from multiple local governments agencies and municipalities
Created 12 original “Centennial Moment” videos documenting District’s history over the decades
Commemorative coins endowed by Board members
2015 Weather Conditions
Dry season rainfall totaled 15.01 inches, approximately 60% or 9.1 inches below average
As of November 1, wet season rainfall totaled 26.27 inches, approximately 71% or 10.58 inches below average
No major storm events; minimal effects from Tropical Storm Erika and Hurricane Danny during August 2015
Storms on February 5 and April 28-30 produced anticipated street flooding
Forecasters are predicting a cooler and wetter than normal climate for the 2016 dry season due to El Nino weather pattern
Telemetry Improvements
Automating existing gate and pumping
operations at ten (10) water control structures
• Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA)
• Automatically operates flood control and water supply
facilities based on pre-determined ranges of optimal
stages
• Hurricane hardened facilities and associated computer solutions
Remote stage monitoring
• Replaces manually read staff gauges with
computerized monitoring stations that provide real-time
stage and rainfall data
SCADA Project
Initiated planning for implementation of a SCADA system in 2014
Completed Project Definition Phase• Field investigations
• Project definition report
• Schematic design
Initiated Detailed Design Phase• Site surveys and plans completed site
surveys
• Procured Geotechnical Engineering services for tower/building foundation design
• Six (6) sites will require new buildings to comply with current electrical codes
• Performed microwave network design and FCC path test
Field testing demonstrated that increasing tower heights was required to meet the intended system performance (est. cost increase ~$350,000)
220 MHz cost saving option provided by consultant
• Less interference: requires lower antennas, with lower costs (~$700,000 savings in tower construction)
• Maintains 100% of SCADA capability
• Avoids the need for a complex communication loop
With Board guidance, staff approved consultant recommendation to re-design with a lower, more robust radio frequency
Estimated design completion Spring 2016
Estimated construction completion Spring 2017
SCADA Project
Remote Monitoring TechnologyPraxsoft
Completed installation at
four (4) sites
• LWDD Radio Frequency
Monitoring underway
Remote Monitoring TechnologySmartcover
Completed installation at five
(5) sites; two (2) remaining
• Secure satellite network
• Radar-based rainfall estimates
Monitoring underway
Capital Improvement ProgramInfrastructure Refurbishment
Completed inspections of all major structures – facilities, gates, pumps, outfalls, etc.
Completed structure assessments and rankings
Capital ImprovementsInfrastructure Refurbishment
Electrical engineering services for evaluation of major water control servicesSolicitation and procurement of
qualified firm completed
Preliminary evaluation phase completed
• Design and construction phases underway
Replacement of actuators and hoist assembliesPlanning, solicitation, delivery and
testing completed
• Installation underway; expected completion Spring 2016
Capital ImprovementsInfrastructure Refurbishment
Control Structure 12 (L-38) Replacement of three radial gates Planning, solicitation, design and
delivery completed
Installation underway
Capital ImprovementsInfrastructure Refurbishment
Control Structure 11 (L-30)
Replacement of three radial gates Planning, solicitation, and design
completed
Delivery and installation scheduled for Spring 2016
Capital ImprovementsInfrastructure Refurbishment
Control Structure 4 (E-2)
Electrical building
construction completed
Capital ImprovementsInfrastructure Refurbishment
Sandalfoot Culvert at E-1½ and
Hillsboro Canal
Replaced deteriorating sheet pile weir
with an 84-inch culvert and riser
Accessible ROW71%
Obscured ROW26%
Obstructed ROW3%
Canal Length (Mi)
Accessible ROW Obscured ROW Obstructed ROW
Canal RehabilitationL-32 West of Jog Road
After – January 2015 Before – November 2014
Canal RehabilitationE-2W Between L-30 & L-31 (Turnpike)
Initiated February 2015
Work ongoing
Canal RehabilitationE-2W North of L-33 (Turnpike)
Canal RehabilitationL-13 Between Haverhill and E-3
AfterBefore
Canal RehabilitationL-47 Canal in Boca Raton
Before After
Canal RehabilitationE-3 Between Gun Club Road & CS 6
Before – September 2015 After– October 2015
Canal RehabilitationL-13 Between E-3 & Sherwood Forest
Before After
Canal RehabilitationL-19 East of Military Trail
Before – June 2015 After– July 2015
Canal RehabilitationL-46 West of Boca Rio
Before – 5/6/2016 After – 5/26/2016
Canal RehabilitationL-47 East of E-1
Before – April 2015 After – May 2015
Canal RehabilitationL-13 East of E-2E
AfterBefore
Canal RehabilitationL-47 East of E-1
Before After
Canal Rehabilitation L-32 Between Starkey & Lyons Road
Before After
Canal MaintenanceL-41 at Whisper Walk
During After
Canal MaintenanceL-22 East of Lawrence Road
Canal MaintenanceRight-of-Way Gates
Designed and manufactured standardized right-of-way gates • Saves staff time and decreases
vandalism
Installed seven (7) gates to date• L-13 – Two between Davis and
Congress in conjunction with County Sheriff’s office
• L-19 East of Lawrence Road
• L-47 at Rogers Property
• L-23W on West side of SR 441
• E-2W North of SW 18th Street
• E-3 North of Gun Club Road (installed poles)
Canal Maintenance
Mowed ~17,000 miles of
right-of-way
Treated 3,086 acres
aquatic vegetation
Continued treatment
program for upland
areas; 286 acres treated
Canal MaintenanceAquatic Vegetation Management
Modified vegetation management program to reduce reliance on aquatic herbicides
Improving efficiency in mechanical harvesting and chemical applications
• Installed 30 new 50 ft. vegetation ‘trash’ booms; 30 additional booms to be installed in 2016
• Purchased a mechanical harvesting grapple truck
• Focused herbicide applications to manage mid-summer blooms; timing vs quantity
• Purchasing plow-boat and fabricating weed buckets for excavators
District Fleet
Continued review of District
fleet and equipment to
realize savings on
maintenance costs and
staff time
Surplused older, inefficient
vehicles and equipment
• Shifted focus from break-fix to
preventative maintenance;
reduced mechanic staff
Implementing GPS Fleet
management program to
monitor usage
Campus ImprovementsShop Facilities
Completed construction of metal shop addition
Installed new shop lift
Constructed new access road
Organized facility; surplused and/or disposed of outdated supplies/parts
Campus ImprovementsEquipment Yard
Completed concrete paving of equipment storage yard
Before After
Campus ImprovementsEquipment Yard
Upgraded fuel terminal
Enhanced access control for dispensing fuel with employee IDs
Installed new A/C and lighting in fuel building
Campus ImprovementsOffice Buildings
Completed roofing project
Completed installation of new office carpeting and renovation of upstairs restrooms
Completed additional entrance from equipment yard to offices
Campus ImprovementsInformation Technology
Completed IT conduit installation and connections in conjunction with concrete paving project
Signed inter-local agreement with Palm Beach County for high speed fiber connection
• County completed connection to District in December
Installed wireless antennas for internal network connection redundancy
Completed assessment of tower leases to determine value of future leases
• Steel in the Air report indicated total for all leases are undervalued by ~$40,000/year; recommended District take ownership of tower at end of Verizon lease in 2021
Right-of-Way Management
Issued 255 right-of-way & drainage permits
Reviewed more than 400 new permit applications
Conducted approximately 5,600 right-of-way field inspections
Researched and responded to 2,175 Chancery Case 407 review requests
Researched and responded to 475 right-of-way review requests
Mapped 5,520 parcels for GIS database
Right-of-Way Management
Initiated development of comprehensive right-of-way permitting program
• Current right-of-way encroachment policies provide a wide range of management options including legal agreements, permits, licenses or staff discretion
• Staff developing a standardized and coordinated program to address right-of-way encroachments in the future
• Program will establish inspection and permit criteria, outreach activities and removal policies
• Anticipated completion Spring 2016
Completed solicitation and finalized contract for implementation of Accela permitting system; expected completion Summer 2016
• Streamlined permitting processes (tracking and reduced paper/postage)
• Enhanced document management (security, storage and staff accessibility)
• Enhanced public access
Horticultural Waste Disposal Site
Received 5-year permit
renewal and authorization to
mulch and dispose of material
Reduced the amount of
contaminate testing, resulting
in a $3,000 annual cost
savings
Evaluating outsourcing
opportunities for debris
management
Financial Highlights
$2,450,32517%
$2,349,00516%$9,891,070
67%
FY2016 Budgeted Funds$14,690,400
Administrative Regulatory Operations & Maintenance
Financial Highlights
Reduced herbicide budget by approximately 18%; expended ~70% of budgeted amount
Continued savings on energy costs through FPL’s Time of Use Program; more than $115,000 in four (4) years
Utilizing on-line auction website to dispose of surplus vehicles and equipment - $70,422
Revenues received:• Permit fees - $311,830
• Sale of surplus lands - $24,743
• Quit claim deeds - $12,590
• ROW agreements (tower leases) - $89,636
Reduced health care costs; no changes in benefits
Safety
Continued focus on employee safety in the workplace• Key performance measure; daily responsibility and
accountability
• Active employee safety committee meets throughout year to review incidents and discuss proactive measures
Realized $25,000 savings for workers comp premiums
Provided safety training for certification• Hazmat, chemical spill response, tractor safety, confined
space, landfill operator, fire extinguisher, first aid/CPR
Enhanced driver/equipment operator safety• Defensive driving training courses
• CDL and drug testing requirements for equipment operators
• GPS fleet monitoring
Implemented safety shoe reimbursement program
Received $5,000 through Preferred’s matching safety reimbursement program
Received 2015 Safety Award from the Florida Association of Special Districts
C-51 Reservoir Project
In January 2015, executed the
C-51 Reservoir Conveyance
Agreement for Phase I
Phase I expected to provide
17,000 acre feet of water storage
Agreement establishes
reimbursement to District for
related operational costs and
improvements
Operational protocols under
development
Annexation
LWDD Water Control Plan specifies need to annex areas outside District jurisdictional boundaries currently receiving benefits without paying annual assessments
Example:
• 4,000 taxable parcels within City of Boca not paying assessment
• ~5 miles of LWDD Canals
• 23% of Boca residents receiving services with no assessment
District submitted proposed legislation to County delegation; withdrew local bill to address concerns with language
Capital ImprovementsControl Structure 9 Relocation
Initiated preliminary
evaluation for relocation of
structure approximately
300 feet east of current
location
Governing Board – Sub-District 2
In September, Joyce Haley
retired from the board after
eight years of service
Steven Bedner appointed in
October
• 4th generation farmer and local
business owner
Governing BoardIn Memory: Murray Kalish (1918-2015)
Former board member and
community advocate
Served on District Board
for 11 years (2000-2011)
Served as Board President
in 2003, 2005 and 2009
November 20 established
as Murray Kalish Day
Outreach and Communication
Hosted a flood protection workshop for property managers; attended by 90 property managers
Attended/presented at more than 50 residential community association meetings
• Alliance of Delray, COWBRA, West Boca Community Council
Continued participation in intergovernmental coordination meetings
• PBC League of Cities, Metropolitan Planning Organization, South Florida Utility Council, FEMA Flood Map updates, Water Resources Advisory Commission
Participation in legislative member briefings, Palm Beach County Days and County legislative delegation meetings
Outreach and Communication
Responded to ~2,000 constituent inquiries related to field activities
Processed approximately 50 public records requests
Received approximately 40,500 page views on new website• Substantial increase expected with
implementation of Accela permitting module
Continued use of monthly newsletters, e-noticing and social media sites (Facebook and Twitter) to communicate with residents and property managers• +1,400 parties receiving
e-notifications and newsletters
Looking Ahead
Looking Ahead
Ongoing capital projects for refurbishment of water control infrastructure Control Structure 11; installation of replacement actuators and hoists; electrical
upgrades; Control Structure 9 relocation
Planning and execution of Canal Rehabilitation Program
Continued planning and implementation of Telemetry/SCADA system
Implementation of technology to further realize efficiencies
• Online permitting (Accela), asset management, financial processes
Ongoing consideration of operational efficiencies
• Pilot projects for contracted maintenance work; mowing and tree removal
• Vegetation management – mechanical vs. chemical treatment
• Evaluation/consolidation of job functions through attrition
Looking Ahead
LiDAR ($25,000 commitment to County project)
Vegetation management at horticultural site
Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs)
Future campus improvements
• Electrical and structural rehabilitation of Shop facilities
• Planning for construction of hardened office facility
(control room, data center, offices, meeting room and
storage space)
Future Challenges
Future Challenges
Future Challenges
Legislative / Regulatory• Water Quality
• State Requirements (TMDL/BMAP)
• Federal Jurisdiction of Canals-'Waters of the United States‘
• Sea Level Rise
• Special Districts
Operational• Use of District Rights-of-way (Reclaimed water, recreation, road
expansion, bike paths, etc.)
• Emergency Response (Hurricane/Flood/Drought)
• Erosion Control (Turnpike)
• Canal Conveyance
• Fuel/Chemicals/Electrical
• FRS
• Health Care (Affordable Care Act)
• Liability due to Lawsuits
Looking Ahead
Recommendation
The 2016 Report to Landowners provides an
overview of the District’s annual activities,
including District activities undertaken in
furtherance of the adopted water control plan
Recommend acceptance of report pursuant to
Florida Statutes Ch. 298.26