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April 2, 1999

AMSA Submits Joint Municipal Amicus Brief on Arizona Stormwater Case
On February 5, the Board authorized the use of up to $3000 for AMSA to file an amicus brief in support of several municipal NPDES stormwater permits in the case of Defenders of Wildlife v Browner, No. 98-71080. David Burchmore of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, as AMSA's counsel, took the lead in preparing the brief on behalf of AMSA, the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties, the American Public Works Association, the National Association of Flood & Stormwater Management Authorities and several Arizona municipal interests. The amicus brief was filed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on February 26. The brief forcefully argues that Congress never intended to impose numerical pollutant limitations on municipal stormwater discharges and that there is no legal basis from which EPA may require such restrictions. Due to the contributions of the other municipal organizations, it appears that AMSA's cost to participate will be reduced to about $2000. The brief will be distributed as a Legal Alert sometime next week.

Progress Continues on AMSA's New National Office
In response to AMSA's March 3 Request for Proposals, several construction firms have submitted bids for the performance of primarily exterior work on AMSA's new office building. The bids range from $160,000 to $174,000, which is consistent with our earlier estimate for the performance of this work. Jack Kelly, with the Loudon Group, who is serving as AMSA's representative in negotiations with the bidders, is currently engaged in follow-up discussions with three of the bidders. The successful firm will then be notified the week of April 5, with work to begin on May 1 and to conclude no later than July 31. Americans United, AMSA's tenant, has not indicated when they plan to vacate the premises, although it appears that it will be in the latter part of July. As soon as they vacate, AMSA will focus on limited renovations prior to moving, set for some time in September. We are also in negotiations with a prospective tenant, who is also likely to move into the building at that time.

Upcoming Board Elections Spark Interest in Numerous Regions
With the April 9, 1999 deadline fast approaching, the annual Board of Directors nominations process is drawing to a close. The following provides the current list of candidates nominated in response to AMSA's January 6 Member Update:

Region IV - Ray Orvin, Western Carolina Regional Sewer District
Gordon Garner, Louisville & Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District
Region V - William B. Schatz, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
Region VI - Dick Brown, Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority
Region VII - Gurnie Gunter, Kansas City Water Services Department
Dick Champion, Independence Water Pollution Control Department
Region VIII - Robert W. Hite, Metro Denver Wastewater Reclamation District
Region IX - Michele Plá, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
[Two candidates are currently nominated for the seat vacated by Susan Hamilton]
Christopher M. Westhoff, City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works
Stephen T. Hayashi, Union Sanitary District
Region X - William L. Pugh, City of Tacoma Department of Public Works
[No nominations have been received to date for the new seat in Region X]

Consideration of Water & Wastewater Leadership Institute Continues
Board reaction to the recommendation for AMSA to proceed in partnership with the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the American Water Works Association (AWWA), and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) to establish a Water and Wastewater Leadership Institute has thus far been favorable. Board members are reminded that the deadline for returning the ballot to the National Office is April 7. In addition to AWWA and AMWA, which approved the Principles attached to our earlier correspondence, the WEF Executive Committee considered and approved them in Washington on March 31.

Board Member Travel Plans Should Include May Special Events
Board members are reminded to be sure that their travel plans for AMSA's 1999 National Environmental Policy Forum & Annual Meeting include the following special leadership events. Saturday, May 22 we'll treat AMSA's leadership to an evening of fun at Chelsea's in Georgetown. The event will include dinner and a performance by The Capitol Steps, Washington's premiere political satire troupe. Immediately following the Policy Forum, AMSA's Board will convene a special joint meeting with the Board of Directors of the Association of State & Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators. The Wednesday, May 26, meeting will take place from 1:30 - 4:30 pm in Northern Virginia, with AMSA providing transportation to and from the Marriott at Metro Center. Board members are encouraged to plan their travel to allow participation in both of these special events.

AMSA's Membership Continues to Grow
We are pleased to report that nine new members joined AMSA in February and March — eight new member agencies and one new affiliate member. AMSA's newest member agencies represent a wide range of populations and hail from across the nation. Adding to AMSA's ranks are: City of Amarillo, Texas (population: 170,000); City of Corona, CA (population: 100,000); Sanitary District of Hammond, IN (population: 70,000); City of Meridian Wastewater Pretreatment, ID (population: 31,000); City of Oregon, OH (population: 80,000); Peppers Ferry Wastewater Utility, VA (population: 50,000), City of Stillwater Water Utilities, OK (population: 40,000); and Suffolk County Department of Public Works, NY (population: 380,000). Hagler Bailly Services, Inc. is AMSA's newest affiliate member.

We continue to provide potential members with the opportunity to take advantage of some of AMSA's member benefits with a limited-time guest pass to access the Member Pipeline on AMSA's web site. This introduction to AMSA has worked very well in conjunction with the current membership incentive providing agencies that join before April 30, 1999 a free membership until July 1. This incentive has brought in four new members in the last two weeks and we anticipate several more.

Kick-off for New Management Initiative Slated for April 23
On April 23 in Washington, DC representatives of AMSA's Competitive Management Committee and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies will convene for a day long meeting to launch the Associations'latest management initiative, Benchmarking Performance of Utility Support Services: A Public Sector Handbook. The document will serve as a companion document to the Thinking, Getting, and Staying Competitive handbook and will focus on the administrative side of utilities. Those in attendance will review an annotated outline and provide guidance on the project. Plans call for the release of the handbook in October 1999.