October 5, 2020 **Monday**
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SNOHOMISH COUNTY PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING Zoom Online Meeting Platform October 5, 2020 **Monday** The Board of Commissioners meeting will be held virtually via Zoom Meeting. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Proclamation 20-28.10 issued by Governor Jay Inslee, in-person attendance is not permitted at this time. CONVENE REGULAR MEETING - 9:00 a.m. – Virtual Participation Information Join Zoom Meeting: Use link https://zoom.us/j/99179762264?pwd=Q2dkSEtnb2VDTUVZQlh1VzM5eStWZz09 Dial in: (253) 215-8782 Meeting ID: 991 7976 2264 Passcode: 185476 1. CEO/GENERAL MANAGER BRIEFING AND STUDY SESSION A. Updates 1. Media 2. Community Engagement 3. Legislative 4. Other B. 2020 Wholesale Water Agreements with the City of Granite Falls and the City of Snohomish C. 2021 Load Forecast D. Rate Redesign Timing E. Transitional Rate Schedule for Public Fast Chargers RECONVENE REGULAR MEETING – 1:30 p.m. – Virtual Participation Information 2. RECOGNITION/DECLARATIONS A. Consideration of a Resolution Recognizing the Observance of the Week of October 5, 2020, Through October 9 , 2020, as Customer Service Appreciation Week Continued → 1/197 Snohomish County PUD Commission Agenda October 5, 2020 Page 2 3. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC Virtual Participation Information: If you are attending the meeting virtually (using the link or number provided above) please indicate that you would like to speak by clicking “raise hand” and the Board President will call on attendees to speak at the appropriate time. If you are joining by phone, dial *9 to “raise hand.” 4. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approval of Minutes for the Regular Meeting of September 15, 2020 B. Bid Awards, Professional Services Contracts and Amendments C. Consideration of Certification/Ratification and Approval of District Checks and Vouchers 5. PUBLIC HEARING A. Open the 2021 Budget Hearing 6. CEO/GENERAL MANAGER REPORT 7. COMMISSION BUSINESS A. Commission Reports B. Commissioner Event Calendar 8. GOVERNANCE PLANNING A. Governance Planning Calendar ADJOURNMENT October 6, 2020: Economic Alliance of Snohomish County (EASC) Coffee Chat – Featuring Congressman Rick Larsen – 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. (Virtual) October 16, 2020: The 2020 Virtual Washington State Solar Summit – 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The next scheduled regular meeting is October 20, 2020 Agendas can be found in their entirety on the Snohomish County Public Utility District No. 1 web page at www.snopud.com. For additional information contact the Commission office at 425.783.8611. 2/197 BUSINESS OF THE COMMISSION Meeting Date: October 5, 2020 Agenda Item: 1 TITLE: CEO/General Manager’s Briefing and Study Session SUBMITTED FOR: Briefing and Study Session CEO/General Manager John Haarlow 8473 Department Contact Extension Date of Previous Briefing: N/A Estimated Expenditure: Presentation Planned ACTION REQUIRED: Decision Preparation Incidental Monitoring Report Policy Discussion (Information) Policy Decision Statutory SUMMARY STATEMENT: Identify the relevant Board policies and impacts: Executive Limitations, EL-9, Communications and Support to the Board – the CEO/General Manager shall...marshal for the board as many...points of view, issues and options as needed for fully informed Board choices. List Attachments: CEO/General Manager’s Briefing and Study Session attachments 3/197 STATE, FEDERAL & LOCAL ACTIVITY REPORTS 9.14.20 – 10.2.20 State Government Relations Report KEY HEARINGS/PRESS CONFERENCES/MEETINGS House Committee on Capital Budget - Virtual Work Session: Update on Affordable Housing and Update on Current and Future Broadband Capital Investments (Sep. 17, 2020). House Committee on Education – Virtual Work Session: Teaching and learning impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 (Sep. 22, 2020). Washington State Economic & Revenue Forecast Council: Presentation of economic and revenue forecast (Sep. 23, 2020). House Transportation Committee – Virtual Work Session: COVID-19 impacts to transportation system and budget, capital project delivery capacity, etc. (Sep. 24, 2020). Senate Special Committee on Economic Recovery – Virtual Work Session: Economic impacts of 2020 fires, Employment Security Department, etc. (Sep. 29, 2020). STATE OVERVIEW Washington State Legislature’s annual “Committee Days” concluded September 30 after a two-week remote process. Committee Days usually span about two days per chamber, allowing committees to receive presentations on and discuss priority issues. The Senate’s Committee Days plans remain uncertain. According to the Washington State Economic & Revenue Forecast Council meeting, the State’s projected Near General Fund revenue collections for the 2019–21 state budget have increased by more than $2.2 billion and more than $2.4 billion for 2021-23. September 14 was the deadline to submit comments on the Department of Commerce’s second round of proposed rule language regarding the Clean Energy Transformation Act. Snohomish PUD, alongside 16 other stakeholders submitted comments. Please see the “Letter(s)” section below for further information. CALENDAR The 2021 regular session is scheduled to convene January 11 (countdown: 102 days, as of Oct 1). INTERESTING VIEWS / READS TVW: Virtual Election Debate for State Treasurer (Sep. 17, 2020). Seattle Times: Washington’s secretary of state asks court to declare petition signatures for initiatives must be submitted written, not electronically (Sep. 18, 2020). The Columbian: Wildfires have burned over 5 million acres in the West. Are they too big for Washington to ignore? (Sep. 20, 2020). The Washington Post: California to phase out sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035 (Sep. 23, 2020). Seattle Times: It’s a boy: Tahlequah’s baby orca is frolicking, healthy (Sep. 23, 2020). Rolling Stone Magazine: Inslee on the Climate Crisis: ‘We cannot give in to defeat and pessimism’(Sept 24, 2020). Crosscut: Sherae Lascelles is giving Frank Chopp his biggest challenge in decades (Sep. 25, 2020). Inslee statement on Boeing's decision to move 787 production to South Carolina (Oct. 1, 2020). LETTER(S) Department of Commerce: Comments regarding the Planning and Compliance Draft Rule Language (Sep. 14, 2020). Attached redlines also provided to Department of Commerce. 1 4/197 Federal Government Relations Activity Report KEY HEARINGS Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources - Hearing to consider the nominations of Democrat Allison Clements and Republican Mark Christie to be commissioners on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources – Hearing: "Trump Administration Broken Promises on Renewable Energy" House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Environment – Hearing: "Climate Change, Part IV: Moving Towards a Sustainable Future” House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry – Hearing: “The 2020 Wildfire Year: Response and Recovery Efforts” House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Environment – Hearing: “Coping with Compound Crises: Extreme Weather, Social Injustice, and a Global Pandemic.” House Committee on Energy and Commerce – Hearing: “Generating Equity: Improving Clean Energy Access and Affordability.” FEDERAL OVERVIEW President Trump and the first lady tested positive for COVID-19. President Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett, a judge on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Her confirmation hearing is scheduled to begin Oct 12th. The House and Senate passed, and President Trump signed into law a stop-gap spending bill last week. The stop-gap bill is necessary because none of the 12 annual spending bills for fiscal year 2021 – which began Oct 1 – have been enacted. The bill provides temporary funding for the federal government through December 11. House Democrats passed (214 to 207) a new $2.2 trillion COVID-19 relief package that is a revised version of the HEROES Act. Talks between House Speaker Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin on a COVID relief deal appear to have gained little traction. Differences between the two sides have narrowed, but still remain too wide for an agreement. In a press conference, Speaker Pelosi said she would continue to meet with Secretary Mnuchin, but absent an agreement, the House would adjourn through the election, with members on call to return to Washington if a deal is reached before a post-election lame-duck session. The Senate is not expected to vote on the House-passed bill. The House passed the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act (H.R. 4447) by a vote of 220 to 185. Provisions of interest would make incremental changes to Department of Energy programs on energy efficiency, electric vehicles, and clean energy research and development. The White House promptly responded by issuing a veto threat on the legislation. The bill in its current form is not expected to be taken up in the Senate. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and Bonneville Power Administration signed a joint Record of Decision on the Columbia River System Operations EIS on September 28, 2020. The Record of Decision documents the Selected Alternative for implementation and the agencies' final decision. The Record of Decision is the final step in the Columbia River System Operations National Environmental Policy Act process. MISCELLANEOUS & INTERESTING READS E&E Daily: McMorris Rodgers plans Energy and Commerce takeover (Sept. 15, 2020) Axios Special Event (watch): Seeing Green; The Economics of Renewable Energy (Sept. 17, 2020) Politico: Business Roundtable endorses market-based