much of Paul's communication, ongoing communication with the church at Corinth. And of all of Paul's letters to this church, one of his warmest, one of his most personal, is the theological goldmine that we get to open up this morning, and that is 2 Corinthians. We have the joy, we have the privilege, Dave, of beginning a verse by verse exposition of this wonderful letter. And as you know, if you've been with us, each sermon through this letter, each sermon through 2 Corinthians, we'll take what's called a pericope, a section of text. Often it's a paragraph in your Bible, and each sermon will work verse by verse through that pericope. Sometimes it takes us a couple of sermons to get through a pericope or paragraph or a section of text. You might think it's because I'm long-winded. I like to think it's because you don't listen fast enough.  There's so much packed into these verses, and we're not in any rush, right? So we take our time sometimes to work through these paragraphs, but our time today together is going to be occupied by Paul's greeting now in chapter 1 verses 1 and 2. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, to the church of God, which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Ikea, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The title of our sermon this morning is God's Gracious Provision. God's Gracious Provision. I want us to consider our text under three headings. You'll find them on your notes page in the bulletin. The first heading is this, the means of his Gracious Provision. Secondly, the stewards of his Gracious Provision. And third, the substance of his Gracious Provision. The means of his Gracious Provision, the stewards of his Gracious Provision, and the substance of his Gracious Provision. Let's look first at the text verse 1 in the means of his Gracious Provision. Paul, he says in verse 1, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timothy, our brother. The immediate means of God's Gracious Provision to the church at Corinth was the apostle Paul himself. Paul describes himself in verse 1 as an apostle, an apostolos in Greek. And there are essentially two different ways that you'll see this term, apostle, used in the New Testament. The first way is apostle simply refers to someone who is sent as a messenger. An apostle was an envoy, an emissary, an ambassador, so to speak. In chapter 8, verse 23, Titus, other brothers are referred to as messengers, or apostoloid, plural, to the churches. Barnabas is often referred to as an apostle, a sent one. But secondly, the term apostle is often used in a technical sense as the title for the 12 disciples in Paul. Those who were directly commissioned by Christ himself, exercising a delegated apostolic authority and speaking for Christ. Now Paul intends the second use of this term when he refers to himself as an apostle in verse 1, Paul, an apostle. Now what does that mean? What does that mean? Well there are guys all over the place today, all over the modern church, referring to themselves by the title of apostle, apostle Bob at this church, apostle Frank at this church, apostle Sally at the church over there. How do we know who really holds this title? Why is that important? There are false apostles all over the Corinthian church, running all over Corinth in the first century too. They're wreaking havoc in the church, teaching all manner of damning false doctrines, undermining Paul's authority, sowing seeds of doubt about Paul's apostleship, sowing seeds of doubt with respect to apostolic teaching, the word of God. The enemy is loose in the church at Corinth, like a lion, like a roaring lion, and Paul is the primary target. In 2 Corinthians, as we'll see in the letters, we work through the letter, Paul is compelled for the sake of the gospel. He's compelled for the sake of the Corinthian believers. He's compelled to undertake a defense of his apostleship, and that defense begins right here in verse 1, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. As we work through the letter, Paul grounds his defense, grounds the defense of his apostleship on two essential points. One is calling, the second is conduct. He grounds his defense on calling and on conduct. When we evaluate leaders in the church today, we evaluate leaders on the same basis, don't we, on their calling and on their conduct. The pastor must be called by God to that office. The pastor must faithfully discharge the duties of that office. By referring to himself as an apostle in verse 1, Paul lays claim to both of those realities. First, let's consider Paul's calling. Paul, verse 1, is an apostle of Jesus Christ and by the will of God. Notice that the apostle speaks on the sovereign authority of the second person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that he's appointed or set apart by the sovereign will of the first person of the Trinity, God, the Father. Turn with me to Galatians 1. Once you get an understanding of this from Galatians 1, Paul is an apostle not by his own choosing, not by his own doing, not because he presumed to take that title upon himself, not because he was given that title by man, Paul is an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. Galatians chapter 1 and look at verse 1. Verse 1, Paul an apostle and immediately clarifies Paul an apostle not from men, not through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead. If you remember from Acts 9 last week when we were working through the introduction, Paul was met by the Lord on the road to Damascus. The Lord said to Paul, or Saul in Acts 9, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And then the Lord Jesus Christ told Ananias, go and tell Paul, go and tell Paul, he is a chosen vessel of mind. Jesus Christ shows Paul, he's a chosen vessel of mind to bear my name before Gentiles, before kings, and before the children of Israel. Paul didn't receive his apostleship from man, Paul received his apostleship from the Lord Jesus Christ by the word of God. Drop down in Galatians chapter 1 to verse 11, verse 11, but I make known to you brethren that the gospel, the content of Paul's preaching, the content of the faith, that gospel which Paul preached, the gospel which was preached by me, Paul says, is also not according to man. This is the word of the living God. Didn't come from man. Paul had the same difficulty with the Judaizers in Galatia that he has here with the false apostles in Corinth. They doubted Paul's authority, they doubted Paul's message, they doubted Paul's teaching. They were saying that Paul's gospel of salvation by grace alone through repentant faith alone in Christ alone was a product of Paul, a figment of Paul's imagination. It was Paul's word, but not God's word. And Paul says in verse 11, the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. It's not according to man. Look at verse 12. Paul says, for I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. You've heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure, and I tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the tradition of my fathers. In other words, he was a Pharisee of Pharisees. Paul was zealously opposed to the church, zealously opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Something happened in Paul's heart and life. Paul was transformed on the road to Damascus. What Paul once did, he did no longer. He completely turned. Look at verse 15. This is why that happened. When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through his grace to reveal his son and me so that for the purpose that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus. This is what it means to be an apostle, right? Of the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God. Paul is an apostle. Add to this definition of apostolic calling that according to Acts 121, an apostle must be a witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. An apostle will have witnessed the risen Lord. Add to this definition of apostolic calling that according to 2 Corinthians chapter 12, an apostle is going to perform the signs of an apostle, miracles, wonders, mighty deeds, attesting to the fact that they are an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God. Add to this definition of apostolic calling that God attested to the calling of an apostle with New Testament revelation, words from God and the subsequent preaching of New Testament truth. All of that attested to by miracles, signs, mighty deeds. Add all that together, two truths become glaringly evident. One is this, Paul is an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God. And the second is this, Bob, Frank and Sally are not. They are not. There are no modern day apostles. In fact, on a biblical basis, it is absurd presumption to take to yourself that title. Paul is an apostle. Back in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 1, Paul's calling then, Paul's calling as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the will of God. His calling is from God. Now Paul grounds his apostolic authority on his calling. Secondly now, Paul grounds his apostolic defense on his conduct, on his conduct. Two necessities for anyone who would occupy the role of an apostle, calling and conduct. And we'll look at this aspect of apostolic conduct as we work through the letter, right? Let me give you one example of that that will suffice for now. That's in 2 Corinthians chapter 6. Turn over to chapter 6 with me. When Paul defends his apostleship, he defends his apostleship on the basis of his calling from God and his conduct as an apostle to very important points, very important things to consider as we consider who Paul is and what Paul's doing, right? Calling and conduct. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and drop down to verse 3. Now calling to the office of an apostle and incidentally, calling to the office of pastor in the Lord's church must always be considered together with their conduct. Calling alone is not enough. The conduct has to be there and has to follow. The one called must faithfully discharge the duties of his office, faithfully execute the duties of his calling. There are certainly qualifications for leadership, right? We see the qualifications for a pastor in 1 Timothy chapter 3 and Titus chapter 1. And if you don't meet those qualifications, you're not called, right? The qualifications have to be met. However, the one called, in this case we're speaking about Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 1, the one called must prove his calling false or true by his conduct, by his conduct. Now Paul understands this and he leans on this truth in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 3. Listen to what he says. And again, in defense of his apostleship, he says, we give no offense in anything so that our ministry may not be blamed. In other words, Paul's not going to do anything to discredit his ministry. He's not going to do anything to discredit the gospel among them. Paul says essentially, listen, consider the outcome of our conduct, right? Look at verse 4. But in all things, in all things, we commend ourselves as ministers of God in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tummels, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings, right? This is the experience of an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask Apostle Bob, Apostle Frank or Apostle Sally if this describes their apostleship. This is the experience of the Lord's apostles. Now remember what the Lord said to Ananias in Acts chapter 9. I will show Paul how many things he's going to suffer for my namesake, right? Paul is here describing his apostolic suffering. This is the mark of an apostle. Faithfulness of the Lord's call. Why is that? Yes, right? Why is that? Faithfulness to the Lord's calling under such suffering, right? Under such difficult circumstances, faithfulness is only possible by the preserving power and grace of Almighty God.  One of the signs of an apostle is the preserving power and grace of God on the life of that apostle in his ministry through trials and through suffering. Paul's going to refer to this time and time again in 2 Corinthians. And Paul, what did Paul do? Paul counted it as joy. All joy, Paul says. You want to know your faith is genuine? You want to know that your faith in Christ is genuine? Clean to Christ through trial, right? Clean to Christ through difficulty, through suffering. Clean to him through trial and watch the Lord preserve you if you're one of his own. Now Paul says that he commends himself, verse 6, he commends himself by purity, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor. It's in Paul suffered under false accusations of dishonor. Paul, an honorable, eminent apostle, dishonored in people's eyes by evil report he says in verse 8 and good report. As deceivers and yet true, as deceivers and yet true, Paul's opponents in Corinth had accused him of being a false apostle. We'll see that as we work through the letter. Verse 9, he goes on. As unknown and yet well known, as dying and behold we live, as chastened and yet not killed, as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet making many rich with spiritual riches, right? Paul, poor, making many rich through spiritual riches, as having nothing in terms of material possessions and yet possessing all things in Christ. Michael and St. Corinthians chapter 1. This is Paul's conduct. This is Paul's apostolic defense. Paul refers to himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ in verse 1 by the will of God, and he does so on the basis first of his calling from the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God. And he does so second on the basis of his conduct among the Corinthians. And why is this important? Was to establish Paul's authority in the eyes of the Corinthian church. Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 1 begins immediately to establish his apostolic authority. He's driving a stake in the ground on who he is and what he's there to do. He's an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God. And why does he do this? Why is this important? Because the Lord has given Paul a ministry among them. Paul has a ministry among those people in that church. Paul is sending this letter to them. If you read through 2 Corinthians, I invite you to start doing that. Just reading over and over again through 2 Corinthians. Paul is sending this letter to them. He's going to preach and he's going to teach among them. And Paul's heart is that he wants that word, that preaching, that teaching, to bear fruit among them. He wants them to grow. He wants those who are lost to come to Christ. He wants those who are in Christ to mature in Christ. It's for their eternal good and it's for the glory of God that the Corinthian church submits themselves to the teaching and preaching of Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. That's why Paul mentions Timothy our brother in verse 1. As Paul's delegate, Timothy, his son in the faith as he likes to call him, Timothy has a ministry among them as well. And the church at Corinth needs to love and needs to respect Timothy. They need to submit themselves to Timothy's teaching and preaching as a delegate of Paul. Paul wants his ministry among them to bear fruit. So he defends his authority in the church. And why? Again, why? Right? Keep pursuing the questions. Why? Because Paul among the Corinthian church and Paul through second Corinthians to our church is a mouthpiece for God. He proclaims the truth as it is in Christ with apostolic authority. This letter written with apostolic authority, your eternal destiny depends on how you respond to this word. This points us. This points us to the purpose for Paul's apostleship. Follow with me again, Acts chapter 26. Acts chapter 26. And think through the argument with me, right? Paul refers to himself as an apostle, begins his apostolic defense through calling, through conduct. Why? Because Paul is establishing his authority in the church. Why? Because Paul has a ministry among them, wants to bear fruit among them. And those people, and you and I, must submit to Paul's teaching. Why? Because these are the very words of God and your soul depends on it. My soul depends on it. We must submit ourselves to the Lord of God. Look at Acts chapter 26. In Acts chapter 26, drop down with me to verse 14. Paul is giving his defense before King Agrippa, and he's giving testimony. He's giving King Agrippa a testimony of his conversion. Now notice what the Lord says about the purpose of his apostleship beginning with me in verse 14. And when we had all fallen to the ground, this is on the road to Damascus, right? The light shone around them and they fell to the ground. When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It's hard for you to kick against the goats. And so I said, who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Verse 16. But rise, stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, listen, to make you a minister and a witness, both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people as well as from the Gentiles to whom I now send you for the purpose that verse 18, in order to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me. Turn with me to Romans chapter one, Romans chapter one, just a few pages of the right. Paul loved these people. Paul had great concern for this church. Paul wanted to see them soundly saved, wanted to see them growing in the Lord. Look at Romans chapter one, look beginning at verse one, and we're considering the purpose of Paul's apostleship, verse one. Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God, which he promised before through his prophets and the holy scriptures, concerning his son Jesus Christ, our Lord, who was born of the seat of David according to the flesh and declared to be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead. Through him, through Christ, we have received grace and apostleship to what end? For what purpose? For obedience to the faith among all nations for his name, among whom you also are the called, the called of Jesus Christ. Back in second Corinthians chapter one. So why then, why then is verse one so important? Why must you and I understand that Paul's apostolic credentials are beyond contention? Because on the pages of second Corinthians, in the pages of this letter that we're going to spend time studying over the next couple of years, the apostle Paul preaches to us the very words of God. These are the words of God, and you must believe these words when Paul speaks, God speaks. And listen, lost man, lost woman, lost young person, you know your loss by the way that you live your life, you've never repented, you've never turned from your sin to put your faith and trust in Christ alone.  These are God's words, brother, sister, you must acknowledge the truth which accords with godliness. In hope of eternal life, the very God who cannot lie has manifested his word through the preaching of Paul in this letter. God's revealed word, his merciful, his condescending self-disclosure to you and I, wicked sinners, and God condescends to give us his word. It's the means, this is the means of God's gracious provision of life and faith and hope to his people. He reveals Christ to us through his word, he works in us by his spirit through his word. Through his word, the living God draws you and I into an intimate fellowship with himself. He draws us into communion with himself. This is the God of the universe that we're talking about. Paul speaks on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ, the creator of all things, by the will of God, the one who created you, and he speaks his living word by his spirit. God's word, if you think about the Bible in that way, right? Second Corinthians, Paul's letters, they're expressions of love from the living God to you, expressions of love, the love of God for his people. But listen, in the same way that the word of God is an expression of God's love to his people, the word of God is an expression of God's judgment on the wicked. The same word that God spoke through the prophets is now the same word that he speaks through the apostles. The same word that he spoke through the prophets, now he speaks through the apostle Paul. It is the word of Christ and the Corinthian church needs to get it. Listen, you and I need to get it. These are God's words that Paul is speaking, that Paul is preaching. Turn with me to Jeremiah chapter one, Jeremiah chapter one. Let me give you an example of this from the Old Testament. It's amazing in Jeremiah chapter one a comparison of God's call on Jeremiah as compared with God's calling of the apostle Paul. And that's because God is the same yesterday, today and forever. His word stands written in the heavens. It will never change. And it's affirmed here in Jeremiah chapter one to us. The holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the spirit of God as God breathed out his word through them. We see that here in Jeremiah chapter one. Look at verse four. Jeremiah says, then the word of the Lord came to me saying, this is the word of God to Jeremiah, right? Verse five, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you. I ordained you a prophet to the nations. Then said I, ah, Lord God, behold, I cannot speak for I'm a youth. But the Lord said to me, do not say I'm a youth.  Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. Then he tells Paul, right? Don't be afraid of the people in Corinth. Don't fear them. I have many, many in this city. He's not talking about believers who have already turned from sin to faith, right? He's talking about lost people that God will save because they are his. And he's going to save them through the preaching of Paul. He says in verse eight, don't be afraid of their faces. I'm with you to deliver you, says the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand and he touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, behold, I have put my words, my words in your mouth.  And look at Jeremiah one. What does the word of God do? What does the word of God do? It roots out. The word of God will root out your sin, will root out your hypocrisy, will root out your deception. It roots out, it pulls down. It's going to pull you down from your prideful, lofty position. It's going to pull you down from your arrogance. If you submit yourself to the word of God, you won't be arrogant for long. It'll crush you. The word of God roots out. The word of God pulls down. The word of God destroys. The word of God destroys. The word of God throws down. Do you think about the word of God that way? The words of Paul that way, the preaching of the prophets, the preaching of the apostles, they root out, they pull down, they destroy, they throw down. This is the word of God. But look what the word also does, to build and to plant. To build and to plant. How can you tell a false apostle? How can you tell the word of a false teacher? Because the word of a false apostle, the word of a false teacher doesn't do that. It doesn't root out. It doesn't pull down. It doesn't destroy the heart of the wicked. It doesn't convict. It has no power. It doesn't build up. It doesn't edify. It doesn't plant. It doesn't convert. Back in 2 Corinthians 1, in this letter, the apostle Paul is rooting out. He is pulling down. He is tearing down strongholds. He will destroy the prideful heart of those in whom the Spirit of God is working. He's going to circumcise the foreskin of their hearts. He's going to draw them to himself. The Spirit of God is going to be at work. Those people are going to be transformed. Paul knows this. They must submit to his teaching, his preaching. They are the very words of God. When the apostle Paul speaks in 2 Corinthians, he's not nearly bearing witness to what Christ has taught him. Understand, right? Paul speaks in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He speaks according to the will of God. So again, when Paul speaks, when Paul is speaking, God is speaking. That's what we have. That's what we get when we read our Bibles. When you read your Bible, when we read 2 Corinthians, this is God speaking. He's speaking to the apostle Paul through the pen of Paul, the ultimate author, the Spirit of God. He communicates himself to us because it's God speaking through the apostle Paul, because God is communicating himself. This is God's gracious self-disclosure of himself. God's word in 2 Corinthians comes with absolute unquestionable apostolic authority, the triune God, right? God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit reveals himself to us in his word. In revealing himself to us, he does that for what purpose? To what end? He does that as a means by which he draws us into communion, into fellowship with himself. And what does the genuine Christian do? When a genuine Christian is dwelt by the Spirit, regenerated by the Spirit, when a genuine Christian reads the words of God, how does a genuine Christian respond? Genuine Christian responds with love, with adoration, right? With worship, with gratefulness, with trust, with obedience, with faithfulness, with hope, with a hungering and a thirsting for righteousness. How does a genuine Christian respond?  The Lord looks upon the one who trembles at his word, amen? This book, this Bible, this word is the gracious means by which Almighty God facilitates that communion with his people. It comes to us through his appointed prophets and his appointed apostles. It is his means through which he brings us into communion with himself. That's why, listen, it's not a light matter. It's not a light matter.  When some worthless peddler of the word of God waxes on about his own opinions, when some cowardly compromiser avoids all the sections that you need to hear in favor of those sections that he thinks you want to hear, that's not a light matter. It is a matter of life and death. It is a matter of heaven and hell. And frankly, I am just over this weak compromising effort on the part of many professing Christians and many professing churches, many professing teachers and preachers. They just want to wrap arms around each other. We're just going to agree to disagree. Like, no, no, we're talking about God's word. We're talking about the Lord's truth. Dig into it. Figure it out. Understand what God is saying. Go for authorial intent. Understand his word. Don't peddle his word, as Paul says.  That fellowship, that communion, is largely mediated through your reading. You have to read the Bible. Your communion with the living God is mediated through his word, by his spirit. So if you call yourself a Christian, and you're not reading his word, I don't know how you can call yourself a Christian. God communicates himself in his word, and the Christian longs for that communion, desires that communion, wants to be torn down by the word, wants to be built up and planted. This is why that church in Corinth needs to understand that Paul is an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God. You and I need to acknowledge that same truth. We can easily slip into sinful patterns where we just take the word of God for granted. We just get mindless in our reading, or heartless in our reading, right? I'm confessing here, we have those difficulties because of the flesh. But these are the words of the living God. Apostolic preaching, apostolic teaching is the means of the gracious provision of God's word to God's people. You know, it's right to include in that Paul is an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God. It's also appropriate to include in the operation of the Spirit of God with that. This is a triune, a Trinitarian work. It's under the operation of the Holy Spirit. In inspiration, the Spirit of God moves along the apostle, moves along the prophet as that prophet tends the very words of God. Holy men of God were moved along by the Spirit as God breathed out his word by the Spirit. That same Spirit of God must regenerate the heart of man to understand and to receive his word. So the very same Spirit of God who works in inspiration, works in regeneration, causing the believer to be born again, right? Causing that dead sinner to come to life in Christ, giving him eyes to see, giving him ears to hear. That same Spirit of God, having inspired the word of God, having brought the sinner to new birth in Christ, then illumines the believer with understanding. The Spirit of God helps us, guides us into truth, helps us to understand God's word. The same Spirit of God then works through the word to sanctify the believer, to sanctify the believer, to conform them into the image of God's own Son, right? It's amazing that professing Christians care so little to read it, to study it, to pray over it, to meditate on it, to dig into it. This word is a gold mind. This is a gracious provision. Point two on your notes. Look with me at the stewards of this gracious provision. The stewards, the means of his gracious provision is his word, the stewards of his gracious provision, the second half there of verse one. These words given to the church of God, which is at Corinth with all the saints who are in all Achaia. I think with me for a moment in verse one. In much the same way, in much the same way that Paul defines his apostleship from Christ by calling and by conduct, the church of God is identified in verse one the same way. They're identified in verse one the same way by calling and by conduct. Let's consider first the church's calling in verse one. Notice that Paul there refers to them as the church of God, which is at Corinth. I want you to make an important connection with me, okay, as we consider the church here at Corinth. The Greek word for church in verse one is the word ecclesia. It means assembly, ecclesia. It's made up of a prefix and a root, right? The prefix is ec, which means out from or out of, from. The root is from the verb calleo, meaning to call, right, to call. Literally therefore, the word refers to those who are the called out ones. They are the called out ones, the called out ones of God, which are at Corinth. The same word, that same word ecclesia used over a hundred times in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, translates the Hebrew word kahal, which means assembly. And it refers to those who have been called out from among the nations, the other nations to God, separated to God, called out to God for his purposes, for his use, so to speak. So what does all that mean? Throughout the Old Testament, throughout the Old Testament, you have the word for church being used to refer to the called out people of God. Throughout the New Testament, you have the word for church being used to refer to the called out people of God. Paul in Ephesians chapter two would say that Christ broke down the middle wall of separation between Jew and Gentile, between the circumcised and the uncircumcised, and he made them one people, making them one man, right, one body. This is in verse one referring to one new covenant people of God who have been called out by God himself. Turn with me to Romans chapter one again. Romans chapter one. I want you to see this from Romans chapter one, just one example of many. These are those who have been called out by God, separated by God to God for God's purposes, for God's glory. Romans chapter one, look at verse one, Paul, a bondservant, a slave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God. And that's how Paul describes himself. He's called to be an apostle, he's separated to the gospel of God. Which verse two he promised before through his prophets and the holy scriptures concerning his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead. Through him, we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name. That's the purpose for which Paul is an apostle. Among whom you also, now speaking to the church, here speaking to the church at Rome, certainly speaking to the church at Corinth, certainly speaking to the church of God, which is at Chiliota, out of Orlando, right? Among whom you also, brother, you also, sister, are the called, notice the definite article, the called of Jesus Christ to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. Paul says, grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  They've been called by God. Flip over to Romans chapter eight, Romans chapter eight and look at verse 28. Romans chapter eight, verse 28.  It's the church of God, which is at Corinth, the church of God in Orlando. Look at Romans eight, 28. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called. And again, that's important. They're not simply called, they are the called, the called out ones who are the called according to man's decision. All things are going to work for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to man's will. According to man's prayer he prayed, according to man's sacrament, according to man, whatever. No. Who are the called according to his God's purpose? Verse 29, for whom he foreknew from before the foundation of the world, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he predestined, those whom he predestined, verse 30, these he also called. Those that he called, these he also justified. Those whom he called and justified, these he also glorified. There is an external call of God in the gospel. The external call of God in the gospel goes out to every man, goes out to all men. But apart from the work of God's spirit, all men in their depravity would reject that external call and go to hell.      The Bible teaches that because of the total depravity of man, all of your faculties depraved, there must be an internal call that comes by God's spirit at work in the heart of man. And so although God calls all men externally through the gospel, he only calls his own internally by his spirit. And these are those, those whom he's called. These are those who will go on to be justified and to be glorified. In other words, those who respond, those who respond to God's external call with repentance, with turning from sin, with a broken heart over their sin, those who turn at the external call to faith in Christ, to trust him, to entrust themselves to him. Those who respond with repentance and faith are those who have been internally called and given life, been given life, new life by the spirit. They are the called out ones. They are the ones who have been called according to his purpose. Back in 2 Corinthians, the Ecclesia, the called out ones, in other words, the church, the church is comprised of those who have been called by God to himself. See the similarities, right? Paul defends his apostleship based on calling, based on conduct.  Now the church, verse one, is comprised of those who have been called by God. In other words, when God calls his own, he calls them or saves them to a group. He calls them or saves them to a community, to the church. And so the church is identified by calling. It is a body of a group of the called out ones. This is not just another man-made organization. This is not a social club. We're not here to coddle you. We're not here to coddle one another. This is not bingo. This is not rotary. This is not a civic organization or a social justice group. We didn't get here because we simply share common ideas or have common thoughts about the way that things should be done. Because we're all conservative or all liberal, has nothing to do with any of that. We share a common birth. We share a common faith. We share a common baptism. We share a common spirit. We share a common inheritance. We share a common mission. We share a common hope. We share a common joy and all that by the will and by the work of Almighty God. He purchases his bride. He purchases those whom he's called with his own blood. He sheds his blood for them to call them to himself. But notice, notice now in verse 1, notice what they are called to be. Notice what they're called to be. In Romans chapter 7 verse 7, the called out ones were called to be saints, if you recognize that remember that text. Here in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 1, Paul groups the called of God in Corinth. He groups them with all the saints who are in all Achaia, with all the saints who are in Achaia. In other words, the church is identified by our calling, but the church is also identified by her conduct, by her conduct. The word for saint there literally means holy ones, hagias, holy ones. The city of Corinth, as we discussed in our introduction, was known for its sexual immorality, known for its adultery, known for its fornication, known for its homosexuality, known for its lust. People just giving themselves up to their lusts was known for its drinking, known for its excess, known for its covetousness, known for pride. Those in Corinth called out by God were to be known as being hagias, as being holy. What that literally means is separated, separated from the world, separated from sin, separated to God and for God's use, separated from adultery, separated from lying, separated from cheating, separated from lust, separated from covetousness, separated from pride, separated from excess, separated from the world, separated from sin, separated to God and for God's holy use. They are hagias. They are holy. They are the saints of God. What has prompted to this point much of Paul's communication with the church at Corinth has been the need for those in the church to conduct themselves as hagias, as holy. Paul asks them in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 3, he says, where there are envy, strife and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? Listen, that's no support for the carnal Christian theory. That's a rebuke from the apostle Paul for acting like unbelievers. As much as you are called out, separated by God to himself for his use, you must at the same time then separate yourselves as holy. Listen brother, listen sister, you've been called out.  Then why will you entertain friendship with the world? You've been called out from sin, turn from your sin, fight sin. If by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live. Put off the old man, put on the new man in righteousness, serve the Lord Jesus Christ. You've been called out, called away from your sin. You've been called out from your rebellion. You've been called out from living life for yourself to serve the true and living God, to serve him. So think about how you spend your time. Think about those things that you desire. Are you living for him? Are you holy? Are you separated to him truly?  Here am I, God, send me. Right? Have you separated yourself to him? Do you obey the Great Commission? We are to be, we are to be a good steward of the gracious gift of God. Paul said to the Romans in chapter one, Paul said, I am a debtor. That's how Paul viewed his calling. Paul said, I am a debtor. I owe them, Paul says. I owe them. I'm a debtor to Greeks and to barbarians, to wise and to unwise. So as much as is in me, Paul says, I am ready to preach the gospel because he's a debtor. You and I are debtors. You've been given this treasure. You know it's contained in an earthen vessel, a privy pot, and you are debtors, to Jews and to Greeks, to wise and to unwise.  Paul would say in 2 Corinthians chapter four that we've been given this treasure in earthen vessels. We have the same spirit of faith. We believe, as Paul says there, and therefore we speak. We see the means of his gracious provision, the word of God. We see in verse one the stewards of his gracious provision. That is the called out church of God. Thirdly, look with me at the substance of his gracious provision in verse two, the substance of his gracious provision. Paul says in verse two, grace to you. Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that grace and peace both come or come both from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace proceed from the triune God under the operation of the spirit of God, right? There's a subtle play on words here in verse two. Greek letters, when Greek letters were written, they often began with a greeting, like we would begin a letter, and the greeting always began with a letter karein, or the word karein means greetings, karein, right? Paul changes a couple of letters of the standard greeting and he begins many of his letters with kareis, meaning grace. So when they would have expected to see greetings, Paul says grace, grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace here represents the gift and promise of God in the gospel.  The very words of Paul are the words of God. As he writes to them, he is writing to them of grace from God, peace from God and from the Lord Jesus Christ. It proceeds from our heavenly Father, not our condemning judge. If you're in Christ, God is our heavenly Father. It proceeds from the one who loved me and gave himself for me, the Lord Jesus Christ. You consider Paul's greeting, grace and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. It's apparent, isn't it? It's apparent that Paul, his heart, his mind, the way that he thinks has been dramatically changed on the road to Damascus. Paul's heart has been transformed. Grace and peace, the promise, the gift of the gospel affirms that God has done that work in Paul's heart. One who is an insolent man, a blasphemer, hostile, persecuting the church of God. He says the least of all the apostles because he persecuted the church of God. He is the chief of sinners, Paul says, because he persecuted the church of God. And yet the Lord Jesus Christ meets him on the road to Damascus in grace and in peace. And Paul is transformed. Paul is remade inside out. So when Paul says grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, he has a personal experience with that grace and peace. Paul is in awe of God's grace and God's peace in the gospel and the promise, the promise of grace and peace that Paul sees as evident in his own life. The gospel affirms that that promise of grace and peace is for the church at Corinth. Grace and peace to you, those who will turn from their sin and put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul knows that to be the case. And not only for the church at Corinth, but for the church here in Orlando. To you, God's messenger, God's appointed mouthpiece, God's herald comes to you. And he comes to you this morning, here on the pages of 2 Corinthians chapter one versus one and two. And God's herald, God's messenger who has himself experienced the forgiving grace and mercy of Almighty God to him.   He offers you grace when you have sinned against him. He offers you peace when you are sitting there as an enemy of God by your wicked works. He offers you a message of forgiveness. He offers you provision for your sin in the blood of his own son who died on the cross for sinners. He offers you love. He offers you forgiveness. He offers you hope. He offers you everlasting life. Grace and peace in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. He bids you come. That messenger of God bids you come. Turn from your sin. Turn from your adultery. Turn from your fornication. Turn from your lying. Turn from your lust. Turn from your anger. Turn from your outburst of wrath. Turn from your selfishness and turn to Christ. That same grace and peace that works at that church in Corinth who didn't deserve it. The same grace and peace at work by God's spirit in this church, and Lord knows we don't deserve it, is the same grace and peace that will work in your heart by his spirit if you will turn from your sin and trust Christ.  Why will young person listen to me? Why will you persist one more day in your sin? Turn to Christ. You older man, older woman having rebelled against him year after year. Lord knows the long suffering and patience of God and salvation. To you he calls. Turn from your sin and trust Christ. Be forgiven. Let your sins be blotted out. He calls to you. He bids you to come. This is grace. This is the preaching of peace. And it comes by the mouth of God's own chosen apostle. God's very words. And it comes to you this morning. He bids you to come. All praise, honor, and glory be to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Let's pray. As we pray silently together, I pray that you will examine yourself before God, that you will consider God's gracious provision to you through his word by his spirit for your good for his glory.


Good afternoon. I'd like to call the meeting of the Board of Public Utilities for the city of Santa Rosa to order May we have a roll call, please? Please? Yes, thank you chair Board member right here Board member Watts board member Walsh here Board member Grable here Board member Baden-Fort Vice chair Arnone here Chair Galvin here let the record show that all board members are present with the exception of board members Watts and Baden-Fort Thank you. Good afternoon everyone Just a reminder to please mute your phones and microphones when you're not speaking and please put away your cell phones and personal computers At this point, we will move to item number two any statements of abstention by board members Okay, we'll move to we have no study session Next item is item 4.1 the minutes for the July 21st 2022 meeting will now take a public comment on the minutes approval if you wish to make a comment via zoom Please raise your hand if you're dialing in via telephone, please dial star 9 for raising your hand Secretary Manus Sure, there are no hands being raised in zoom and no members of the public wishing to make a public comment in person Thank you. The minutes will be approved and entered. We'll now move to item 5.1 Which is our staff briefing on water and recycled water? Director Burke Thank You chair Galvin and members of the board Our staff briefing as mentioned is our water and recycle water supply update making the presentation will be Peter Martin Deputy director water resources and Mike Prince deputy director regional operations And for that introduction good afternoon chair Galvin and members of the board Happy to my pleasure to be here with the water supply update for you today. Let's go to the next slide, please We'll start with and provide some storage statistics in Lake Pillsbury as of today The storage in Lake Pillsbury is about forty one thousand five hundred acre feet You know and just in general starting to see that black curve starting to flatten off You'll recall with the last update The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission did allow PG&E to reduce their minimum flows into the upper Russian River effective July 27th This allowed them to reduce releases to an absolute minimum of five cubic feet per second and My understanding is they followed that minimum pretty closely. So you starting to see storage level off in that reservoir Compared to where they were last year and so You know the order is expected at this point to last at least through mid-October Obviously PG&E is doing their best to manage their supplies like Pillsbury But obviously that comes at a cost to the upper Russian River in the meantime Next slide so in terms of storage in Lake Mendocino current storage is about forty seven thousand three hundred acre feet In terms of storage comparison the last year, that's about twenty five thousand acre feet higher Than it was this time last year So that that storage is about sixty three percent of their target water supply storage And leases are added about 92 cubic feet per second I think Sonoma is seeing about a thousand acre foot Loss per week right now. So, you know, the supplies are going down But in terms of comparison the last year, they're in much better shape in the upper watershed than they were last year I did reference PG&E's The order issued to PG&E by FERC for their minimum releases You know after that occurred on the 27th There were curtailments for a lot of the junior water right holders in the upper watershed That were a result of those reduced releases by PG&E Obviously without that additional contribution to the flows in the upper Russian River Those junior water right holders don't have water supply available anymore so You know some water did tell us recently that they will be monitoring Those curtailments in addition to obviously monitoring channel losses To make sure that they're meeting their minimum and stream flows under their existing water from the state water resource control board Just remember the state board does have enforcement authority over those upper Russian River water right holders. So You know continue to see How that plays out over the next few months, but definitely a different story this year than last year But it's still very critical in terms of water supply throughout the watershed Next slide Lake Sonoma again, just continues to track very closely with what we were last year Current storage is about 120,400 acre feet as of today. This represents a little less than 49% of the water supply pool in Lake Sonoma in general week to week it's about 1,500 acre feet in terms of losses per week. So seeing that trend Very much closely aligned with the trends over the last few years And it's for looking very much like the projection by Sonoma water that they will have more than a hundred thousand acre feet in the reservoir by the end of the water year remains You know the expectation today, so The outflow from that reservoir is at about a hundred cubic feet per second as of today Go to the next slide So in terms of continuing to monitor compliance with the state water resource control boards, temperature change order Since July, Sonoma water has been tracking the differences in the diversions compared to 2020 As you know the change order does have a requirement of a 20% reduction in diversions by Sonoma water compared to 2020 And as of today or actually yesterday, excuse me, it is about 31.4% compared to 2020 so very much meeting that target and obviously that as a direct result of all the contractors doing their best to conserve water supplies and also utilize local supplies In addition to maximizing groundwater use and other uses as well Next slide in terms of Tracking our own metrics here at the City of Santa Rosa Good news last month Santa Rosa residents to reduce their water use by 25% compared to 2020 That you know obviously tracks better than our mandatory 20% Compliance measure that we have in stage three. So we're definitely meeting our targets at this point Overall water use has been reduced By 18% since those stage three went into effect last year And we're continuing to see Very much the community is responding the way that they should so Next slide So, you know, it's halfway through the year Just thought it'd be a good time to check in on some of the metrics related to You know the community response and our water use efficiency team You know, as I mentioned before last month, we had 25 target Continuing to see a long-term trend close to the 20 target that we have for the city but What we're seeing is Remaining interest by the public in a lot of the drought response measures and also The rebates and other programs we have available We're seeing pretty much the same level of interest that we saw the entirety of last year So I can you know adequately say that interest has not waned Since we began that drought declaration As of today so far this calendar year beginning in january Our staff have responded to over 220 water waste reports distributed 4300 devices And we're seeing a renewed interest in cash for grass rebates actually quite a few pre inspections and to date Over a hundred thousand square feet of turf has been removed under our cash for grass rebate program staff are out Doing quite a bit of individual water smart checkups and audits of homes and businesses We have three new student interns within last month that are Out there helping out in the public with that too as well and teaming up with our team members and getting out and Talking to the public as well and then gray water rebates, you know, we've been hosting workshops in hopes that we'll get more interest but you know, that is a bit of an investment and You know, I think though that as time goes on We have seen folks that are more curious about how to implement gray water systems And then rainwater harvesting too remains of interest to folks again starting to see an uptick In people implementing water use efficiency measures in their homes. So some good news there Next slide Just want to remind everyone that This weekend there would be a region wide Summer pop-up event We'll have be handing out devices and buckets at Six different locations throughout snowmen marine counties Santa Rosa water will be at Friedman's home improvement from 10 to 2 It's been quite a bit of advertising and media about this. I think a press release went out yesterday So we're hopeful The community will come out and participate and we're very grateful To be able to team up with Friedman's again On a drought event. So Next slide I think I think I've mentioned to this board in the past that We've had a really good opportunity to partner up with daily acts with very very small contract, but The city and other partnership Entities have been utilizing daily acts to host workshops and community engagement There will be a gray water tour in person at the city of pedaluma Next weekend. I did check today It is limited in terms of space. There are two spots left as of today. So If you want to sign up Should do so soon But you know again, uh, they'll be out touring some Homes that have gray water systems installed and directing folks to how they can implement those and rebates that are available and then In the beginning of september We'll be hosting a webinar Again with the long gone and cheap mulching webinar really just focusing on how folks can swap out turf and institute low water use gardens as well, so You know definitely When we have these workshops, it's a great opportunity to start these conversations About resources that are available some of the design elements to become Very efficient outdoors So next slide That concludes my portion of this presentation. I'll have to hand it over to deputy director prince Good afternoon chair gallin members of the board Mike prince deputy director of regional operations. Just giving you a quick sort of in summer update on recycled water supply status next slide This is a curve you've seen different versions of this in the past It's a smoothed curve showing our recycled water production Shows our average in gray and current production in black and last year's production in blue Slightly higher production at this point in time relative to last year And you can see on the left hand side a pretty high spike At the end of last calendar year a lot of that is associated with The big storm in october and some subsequent rain But things have dropped off considerably Slight rebound and now are slightly above last year in terms of daily production next slide This is a chart that I I don't know if it's ever been shown to the board before but I Stumbled upon it recently and I thought it would be interesting to show the board going back really 20 years to show the general relationship between rainfall And recycle water production or influence flow effluent flows essentially the same From the plant and show Generally speaking, there's a pretty good correlation between rainfall and recycle water production This hasn't been updated yet for this year. It will be updated at the end of the water year But I suspect it's going to show a relatively low production because of the low rainfall I think it's just an interesting chart to to show we do track this and there is a pretty direct correlation between rainfall And recycle water production Next slide This is our current uh, water supply storage curve It's kind of a busy chart want to steer your attention to the red line That's the storage trend for this current water year There are a number of other lines on this chart the horizontal line at the top the red Horizontal line is our maximum storage We actually would never want to get there and we would be discharging prior to getting to that point at any point in time There is a gray line sort of central in the chart area. That's our average and then there are light blue lines that show our historical maximums and historical minimums And then the black line is last year. So you can kind of see two years current storage um At a time here Right now we're a little bit higher than the average We are uh as of the writing of this presentation We weren't considering really any adjustments However, we are getting to the time of year where we want to start targeting Where we want to wind up at the end of the year and we really want to wind up somewhere in the 250 to 300 million gallon range So uh as of the preparation of this presentation We weren't anticipating operational adjustments But we are starting to consider whether or not we want to make any For the balance of the year to get our storage levels really where we want them to be to get ready for wet weather Um, but anyway, uh, this is a pretty standard chart I'll also mention that there are two other lines kind of uh straight And angular lines the orange line shows sort of the upper limit of our operating envelope And then the yellow line shows the the lower limit of our normal operating envelope. Um, those are just target zones Ultimately, we're looking at the historical maximums and minimums as as good guides to measure where we are in general Next slide This is a chart that uh shows the distribution of storage between our ponds In my last recycle our storage update I showed you the chart on the left And the the large gray portion of the pie chart is essentially empty volume And you can see how when you look at the current state on the right the um Light gray portion has decreased substantially. That's because water has been delivered Um to agricultural customers our urban customers and calpine And then you'll also notice a big change in the orange portion of the pie chart And that's because we are emptying delta pond. It's essentially empty right now um The majority of the emptying or redistribution of volume is to get ready for the start of the geysers delta connection project And just general consumption throughout the summer Um, and I thought there would be some value in showing you um sort of a snapshot of today's storage distribution versus My last recycle water storage update. So next slide Um, here are a couple of statistics related to our agricultural allotments Um, we started out with a 900 million gallon allotment in january, which is about 53 percent of normal We increased an additional 50 million gallons in april and then a whole 200 million gallons in july So the total allotment for 2023 is looking to be 1.15 billion gallons Um, we're not anticipating any increases at this late stage Increases at this late stage in the summer. Um, or the season I should say Doesn't necessarily help a lot if people have been as conservative with their allotments as has been the case so far But as I mentioned as of the writing of this powerpoint, we weren't anticipating changes in operational Flow rates essentially, but we are starting a conversation about that So I suspect my next recycle water update will reflect Any changes that we may decide to make over the next month or so next slide That's really it happy to entertain any questions if you have any about uh recycle water storage And I'm sure deputy director martin will be happy to entertain questions about water supply Thank you to both the deputy directors for your reports. I'll open it up now for any board member questions or comments Vice chair arononi I just wanted to say concerning the chart showing the correlation between rainfall and Recycled water availability. I think that's a very helpful chart in explaining why sometimes we don't have as much recycled water as people might wish Seeing that direct correlation shows how little is actually under our control in terms of how much Recycled water we can produce so I I'm glad to see that chart in the deck and I think it's helpful as we go forward Thank you, and I want to highlight that that really underscores the weather dependency of this operation in general right Other board member questions or comments I just had one question for deputy director, um martin the 109 Square feet of turf. Is that just this year that's been removed? Yeah, that's that's accurate. That's just this year We saw I believe somewhere around 150 50,000 square feet last year too. So um, definitely uh substantially higher than we've seen in the past few years, so You know, obviously we increased the rebate amount. So that that drove some traffic there, but uh, We've been really pushing hard. Um and furthermore, um, if you'll recall Uh, there was the uh state requirement For the non-functional turf irrigation bin When we did do outreach to those irrigation customers We reminded them that we had programs available and we've seen some commercial and landscapes Contact us recently about some large landscape conversions Great. Thank you. Uh, any other board member questions or comments board member battenfort Uh, thank you both a quick question for deputy director Martin um one. Thank you for the, um the outlay of the drought response metrics. It's really helpful. Um Generally, of course not asking for, um exact comparisons Does it represent a Noticeable increase in the grass turf the checkups and rebates noticeably higher this year um than in previous years and If so, is anything needed to ensure that that's available for the remainder of the year? Yeah, um Gosh, I wish I had I presented a pretty in-depth evaluation of the past few years to the climate actions of committee um Recently, uh, just more on metrics related to the climate action plans But it included a lot of these kind of year-to-year Graphics I could come back with that same graphics if it's helpful so that this board could really see That increase over the past few years. Um, I don't know that I have those numbers readily available to compare Gosh, I wish I'd printed it out ahead of time. So, um if director Burke uh could You know, I could bring it back If that would be helpful too I'm certainly not not asking for a whole analysis. I was just asking generally in that Um, and that if so, is there anything that's needed from this board to consider? um Stabilizing and fortifying that Um throughout the rest of the year. Thank you. I get the question. Yeah. Thank you. So yeah, um, obviously we do have a capital outlay that kind of, you know, um, obviously is dedicated to making sure that There's funding for these rebates We're always obviously of course looking for grants too as well There's a lot out there right now and we're hoping to secure some of those but right now There is plenty of funding to continue to support those programs In the meantime, uh, you know, of course, we'll look and forecast ahead For the next fiscal year Which I understand will be starting to look at budgets very early this year. So we're definitely tracking that so Fantastic. Thank you Okay, any other board member questions or comments? If not, we will open it up for public comment on item 5.1 If you wish to make a comment via zoom, please raise your hand if you're dialing in via telephone Please dial star nine to raise your hand secretary manis Chair galvin, there are no hands being raised in zoom and No public comments being provided from council chamber Very good. Thank you. Thanks for the again for the presentation We'll now move to uh, the consent calendar. We have two matters on the consent calendar item 6.1 And item 6.2 I'll move adoption of the consent calendar second Okay, we have a motion by vice chair Arnone and a second by board member battenfort to approve the consent calendar Are there any board member questions or comments at this point? Very well. We'll now take public comments on item 6.1 and 6.2 If you wish to make a comment via zoom, please raise your hand If you're dialing in via telephone, please dial star nine to raise your hand secretary manis There are no hands being raised via zoom and no one in the council chamber wishing to make a In-person comment. Thank you. May we have a roll call vote, please? Thank you board member right Uh, yes, aye Board member walsh Board member grable Aye Board member battenfort, aye Vice chair Arnone, aye And chair galvin, aye Let the record show that this consent calendar passed with six affirmative votes Thank you. That'll take care of the consent calendar. We'll move to item 7.1 director Burke Thank you chair galvin and members of the board item 7.1 is a report item authority to issue design build request For proposals for the lano trunk rehabilitation phase one And making the presentation will be uh, rachela mayeda who's our associate civil engineer on the capital projects team Thank you. Director burt. Good afternoon. Chair galvin and members of the board as director burt mentioned My name is rachela mayeda and i'm an engineer for the public works department Today i am seeking authorization to issue a design build request for proposals for the lano trunk rehabilitation phase one I also want to note that in attendance today is mark kindhouse with skanska and skanska has been the city's Advisor as we navigate through several projects using design build So if there are any questions after the project specific about design build that i cannot answer he will be available to weigh in Next slide, please I'll start off with a little bit of project background I'll give some background on how design build works And then i'll discuss considerations for using design build procurement method for this project and then i will end with the recommendation Next slide, please As part of the 2021 sanitary sewer master plan update An engineering firm inspected and assessed approximately 13 miles of large diameter trunk sewers throughout the city's collection system And the assessment provided the city with rehabilitation priorities for its trunk sewers, which are shown here So all of those colorful segments indicate trunk sewers that were assessed as part of that effort And so the the red lines represent trunk sewers that are high priority for being rehabilitated And then orange represent Being slated for rehab in the near term yellow in the mid term green in the long term And then those blue segments represent current lining or rehabilitation projects If you look towards the bottom of your screen near that blue pentagon that represents where the laguna treatment plant is And so lano road just to the north of that You can see a high density of red and orange segments meaning that there's a high need for rehabilitation in that area Next slide, please zooming into that area This looking at the graphic on the right is the project extents for the lano trunk rehabilitation phase one shown in green And again towards the bottom of your screen. You can see the treatment plant and towards the top top road runs east west The project will include trenchless technology for lining approximately 7500 linear feet of 66 inch reinforced concrete pipe and then also rehabilitate rehabilitating 12 manhole structures Options for lining or rehabbing this section of pipe include cured in place pipe lining and spiral wound lining For the manholes rehab will vary from whole hydrogen sulfide protection to structural trenchless lining Plant staff estimate that the peak dry weather flow for this trunk line is approximately 16 million gallons a day So this is a flow that would need to be bypassed while the line is being rehabilitated I also want to point out that the lano trunk line here conveys approximately two thirds of the city's wastewater flow So while the bypass is in operation, it would need to be monitored 24 seven We do anticipate needing county permits for the bypass which will cross toad and lano roads And since we are in california tiger salamander territory We will we do anticipate needing a permit through the california department of fishing wildlife Um, we may need an additional permit through them and then also the water board Depending on how the bypass system passes and or crosses colgan creek Which is located just to the north of the treatment plant Next slide, please Here you can see the team organization for the traditional design bid build on the left and then design build on the right So under design bid build the city has two separate contracts one with the designer and one with the builder and each of them has their own consultants and subcontractors Under design build the city would have a single contract with a design builder who then has their own team of consultants subs and designers And then an important element that's not shown here is is the element of time And so with design bid build the city first contracts with the designer who then develops the construction documents And then after that the city contracts with the builder and the project is constructed With design build on the other hand from project initiation The city would be under contract with the design builder So we would have the designer and the builder under contract from the start of the project Next slide, please in 2014 city council adopted ordinance 4 0 2 1 which outlined regulations for the award use and evaluation of design build contracts And per that ordinance prior to issuing a design build request for proposals for a major contract A department must obtain approval from either city council or the board of public utilities To determine that the use of design build procurement is in the best interest of the city As part of the design build process We would have a selection committee to evaluate the design builders who propose on the job And this would be a two-step selection process So first the city would release a request for qualifications to pre-qualify design builders And the select the selection committee would then use pre-qualification criteria that are outlined in that ordinance And then also any other project specific criteria to review and range design builders Next only the top ranked design builders would receive a request for proposals And again the selection committee would review and rank those proposals based on predetermined performance criteria Once the selection committee makes a selects a design builder We would then seek approval from the board to award the contract As I mentioned before the city would have a contract with the designer and the builder from the start of the project And so this setup really allows for more upfront collaboration between all parties which can help reduce project unknowns early on And then also result in a more buildable project So for example for large lining projects like this one the bypass system has been a challenging component of construction in the past And it could be more than the actual cost of lining or rehabilitation itself So by using design build for this contract We can openly discuss with the builder how the bypass system will be configured in the early stages of design Rather than figuring out those details during construction where we could run into large design changes And then instead of a designer focusing on developing buildable documents They can work with the builder to develop a more buildable and innovative project that meets the city's needs Next slide please It was recommended by the transportation and the public works department and the water department that the board by motion Authorize issuance of a request for proposals for the design build procurement method for the lano trunk rehabilitation phase one Thank you for your time, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have Thank you, miss maida. I'll open it now for any questions or comments by the board board member right Uh two questions one question is uh, do we have a schedule that you know an attentive schedule? Uh, and then the second question is So you have this pre-qualifications period where you interview and do all this kind of stuff At the end of the day the award is based on a proposal or is it based on an actual bed of pre-qualified folks that Those are my question. Thanks Yeah, thank you for your questions. Um, we do have a tentative schedule And if you'd like I can get that email to you as of now, I know that construction isn't slated until about summer of 2024 Um, and then as far as the proposals go It'll be when we when we put out the request for qualifications. They will submit You know the team that will be working on it in any prior experience with similar projects And then also with design build projects and then their proposals will actually consist of almost Um preliminary design for the project and what they think will meet the city's needs as far as how the project needs to be constructed And as part of that review process Um with design builds you can actually have these one-on-one conversations with the proposal the design builders that are proposing and discuss with them What kind of design elements would help? You know help meet the project's needs as far as um, you know bypassing and any environmental needs Does that answer your questions we can also ask mark kindhouse to weigh in a little bit more if you'd like So when they do their proposal, obviously they have a cost in there. So it does It is in the uh, I mean, you know the cost so you're not choosing it blindly Yes, sorry. I forgot to address the cost that is correct. The cost is included in their proposal It's just that with design build the cost is not the only deciding factor um So we would establish performance criteria ahead of time and the cost would probably would be one of those things that we consider oops Board member mulch Thank you, mr. Chairman. Um, I just wanted to point out that I really appreciate the collaboration up front And how that may reduce surprises And for the builder and get the builder a chance to have communication for the designer and the And staff the project managers for this. Um, so thank you very much Um, also, uh, there's good presentation. I appreciate that And the one question is does the design build process does it reduce the number? of Of uh participants that are able to bid on designing it and then bid on building it Um, and if so, how might that impact the project in this case? Yeah, thank you for the question. Um In the beginning phases It does not limit how many people can bid on the project when we release the request for qualifications anybody that is a design builder Can submit their statement of qualifications to us And then where it would be limited potentially is after we receive those statements of qualification Then we shortlist a handful maybe three to five of those design builders And those are the the teams then that receive a request for proposals I see um I'm doing a little more specific So are there are the potential builders that would not be able to participate in the project overall because they don't both design and build E Yes, yeah, that that would be the case. So if a builder A builder would need to team up with a designer to be able to to be on this project. Yeah I say great. So as long as they're okay with the process and they've done this type of process before they should be okay Correct. Great. Thank you very much. Appreciate that Any other board member questions or comments? Vice chair Arnone I just want to say as as somebody who served on the charter review committee in 2012 um And leading to the adoption of the ordinance authorizing design build in 2014 I'm glad that in 2022. We're seeing a project come to uh, this Board to to actually use the tool that was provided low those many years ago. So I'm just glad we've made this much progress Thank you for a comment Any other board member questions or comments? All right, I will entertain a motion I will move that the board authorized the issuance of a request for proposals For the design build procurement method for the yano trunk rehabilitation phase one I will second that motion Thank you. We have a motion by a board member right seconded by board member walsh We'll now open it up for public comments on item 7.1 If you wish to make a comment via zoom, please raise your hand if you're dialing in via telephone Please dial star nine to raise your hand Secretary manis Chair galvin, I see no hands being raised in zoom and no one in council chamber wishing to make a public comment in person Thank you. Maybe we have a roll call, please Thank you board member right Uh, hi Board member walsh walsh Hi Board member grable Hi Board member badden fort Hi Vice chair anoni Hi And chair galvin Hi At the record show that this motion passes with six affirmative votes with board member walsh absent Very good. Thank you very much. That takes care of our report items 7.1 We'll now move to item eight, which is public comments on On non-agenda matters if you wish to make a comment via zoom, please raise your hand If you're dialing in via telephone, please dial star nine to raise your hand secretary manis There are no public comment hands via zoom and no one in council chamber wishing to make a in-person public comment Thank you. Uh, we have no referrals. We have no written communications We have not had any subcommittee meetings. So I don't believe there's any subcommittee reports We'll move to board member report vice chair anoni Thank you, mr. Chair. I just wanted to say I was lucky enough to attend The celebration on wednesday july 27th in which all the many participants Celebrated the successful conclusion of the north sewer trunk relocation project at the deterrent brown barn It was a lovely venue and a lot of congratulations were well deserved and A project that has now been completed in a very efficient manner with Really good communications that were Carried out between the cities and the neighbors and So I think it went very smoothly for a project of that significance That could have had that much potential to to disrupt neighborhoods So it was just a nice conclusion to a big project and I was pleased to be able to attend on behalf of the bpu I appreciate you being there since I was out of town. So thank you for making the effort Any board member questions or comments regarding the report from vice chair anoni All right, we will open up for public comments on item number 12 If you wish to make a comment via zoom, please raise your hand if you're dialing in via telephone Please dial star nine to raise your hand Secretary manis There are no hands being raised via zoom and no one in council chamber wishing to make a public comment Thank you. We'll now move to the director's report director berk Thank you chair galvin and members of the board. I have a couple items to report on to the board today Um first, um as the board may recall in addition to the funding we have Previously applied for and received From the state to assist our customers who were dealing with Uh, rearages in their water and sewer bill We have uh successfully enrolled in the low income housing assistance program So that's a new program that's being offered by the state And that program has opened and they are now accepting applications And to date we have received a little under $9,000 in funding that has been applied to seven accounts Customers must meet certain income requirements And then they need to submit their application to the north coast energy services ink That is the um organization that has been hired by the state to run this program Once processed the funds are sent directly to the city to be applied to the customer account Each qualifying customer can receive a maximum of $2,000 towards overdue bills And then we will make sure that that money is applied to either their Past due account as the board may recall what we decided to do was Basically give everyone a fresh start. So we have these Their past due amount in a separate account and we will apply that towards that past due amount first And if there's anything left over then we will apply that to their current bills So I wanted to let the board know that that is now another opportunity available for our customers I also wanted to give the board an update You may recall that a couple board meetings ago you approved an agreement with verily That is a company that is analyzing our sewage looking for various Different strains of disease and and they are actually paying us. They're compensating the city $200 per sample um, so we have uh executed that agreement and we have submitted our first samples And we did receive um our initial first data Verily is testing for uh, not only for covet and various variants of covet but also for monkeypox and um Like I said, we're very new to the program. So we have one result so far We did find that there is some monkeypox in this region But too early to have any statistical data or more information because it's literally one data point at this point If you're interested in seeing the information Our data is now up on their website and that's public health dot verily and that's spelled v As in victor e l y Dot com again, that's public health dot verily dot com And we continue to share this information with our local public health officer in office So they can track the data as well And then last um, I have uh some very sad news to share Um, it's with a very heavy heart that I let you know that one of our team members Passed away Tony Gonzalez was a utility systems operator to He was a beloved 23-year employee with the water department A couple weeks ago. He went home and passed away at his home over the weekend Tony is a piner high school alumnus. He was a huge rater fan um And he was just such an integral part of our local field operations Tony was always quick with a smile He was eager to help out always willing to share his knowledge and experience with newer employees And he really was one of our go-to experts of the crew Um, there was a lovely celebration of life held for tony on august 13th A number of water department employees attended as well as our assistant city manager Was very nice to meet his mom and his aunt and his daughter And we are just very saddened by the loss of tony and we send our best to his family Gone too soon, but won't be forgotten and um, thank you for letting me share that information with you Thank you, uh, we'll open it up for any board member questions or comments regarding the director's report All right seeing none. We will open it up for public comments on item number 13 If you wish to make a comment via zoom, please raise your hand if you're dialing in via telephone Please dial star nine to raise your hand Secretary manas There are no hands being raised in zoom and no one in council chamber for public comment in person Thank you that concludes our agenda for today's meeting So i'd like to adjourn the meeting in memory of tony gonzalez and send our prayers and condolences to his family We are now adjourned


Yeah, thank you Dottie and Jack for organizing this not only organizing this but keeping our community of poets on target you know We're so isolated oftentimes that these readings are Really significant to keep our vision of what our word is supposed to do in the world Otherwise we feel our words have no effect But together they have a very powerful effect. So thank you for that both of you To you know this year is also the 70th anniversary anniversary of the dropping of the bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and I often wonder as We all wonder when are we ever going to learn? When is it all going to stop? Wasn't that enough? No, wasn't Chernobyl enough? No, wasn't Fukushima enough? No, Abe is activating the reactors all over again against the will of his people and so we need to join in solidarity with the people of Japan because You know, they're the ones sitting right on it and that water is coming to us and there's been a die-off of dolphins and Irritated plants and marine life everything So I want to dedicate this poem to all the survivors and all of those who raised their voices against injustice All kinds of injustices evictions you name it a Moment can never happen again That is life's greatest sorrow If you've ever been to a house and Had to leave it You will know how great your sorrow when you return to it That is life's great sorrow No matter how hard you cling to it no matter how vivid the memory No matter how powerful the feeling a moment can never happen again We mourn the good old days, but then we forget the names of our friends We mourn the people of the Hoku then we never think about them again We mourn the people of Fukushima the way we mourn the people of Nagasaki and Hiroshima They called us their voices called from over the waves and Their tears through fell through empty clouds that drowned their tears But they flew up like birds over the tangle of waves over hilltops valleys lakes schoolyards buses trains factories temples over births deaths dreams and regrets over joy laughter and tears Have you seen the flowers of Fukushima? two headed daisies on one stem One headed daisy with two stems Blooming over the graves over births deaths dreams and regrets over tears joys and sorrows Over time over tomorrow. Thank you