Title
Overview of the Groundwater Monitoring Regulatory Program Fee Study.
(Staff Presenting: Amy Woodrow)
Report
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
In October 2022, the Monterey County Water Resources Agency (“Agency”) entered into a subgrant agreement with the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (“SVBGSA”) related to a Sustainable Groundwater Management Act Implementation Grant (Attachment 1). The subgrant agreement provides the Agency with grant funding to complete work on a specified set of tasks, one of which is referred to as Component 7: Compliance Reporting and Data Expansion (“Component 7”).
The workplan for Component 7 describes well registration, evaluation of well metering technologies, and initiation of well registration and groundwater extraction monitoring. Spurred by the workplan in the subgrant agreement, the Agency is collaborating with the SVBGSA to expand, refine, and enhance the Agency’s existing groundwater extraction, groundwater level, and groundwater quality monitoring programs to meet the regulatory needs of the SVBGSA for data collection within their jurisdiction. To accomplish this, the Agency is proposing adoption of a new ordinance that would affirm the Agency’s authority to perform groundwater monitoring throughout the County; establish a mechanism for outside entities with groundwater regulatory responsibilities to request monitoring services from the Agency; and establish a new regulatory fee to cover the Groundwater Monitoring Regulatory Program.
In June 2024, the Agency engaged Lechowicz & Tseng Municipal Consultants (“Consultant”) to complete a fee study that would establish a schedule of cost-based fees for the Groundwater Monitoring Regulatory Program (Attachment 2). A kickoff meeting was held in June 2024 and, over the last couple of months, Agency staff has been working with the Consultant on data gathering development of tools to manage data and support development of a fee. Upon completion, the Consultant will provide a report to the Agency that identifies the cost-basis of the proposed fee.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The SVBGSA is involved via the subgrant agreement that is providing financial support for tasks including, but not limited to, the fee study.
FINANCING:
The fee study is part of the Agency’s workplan in a subgrant agreement between the SVBGSA and Agency related to Grant Agreement Number 4600014638 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act Implementation Grant. The Agency’s Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget accounts for the estimated Fee Study expense of $25,000 in Fund 111.
Prepared by: Amy Woodrow, Senior Water Resources Hydrologist, (831) 755-4860
Approved by: Ara Azhderian, General Manager, (831) 755-4860
Attachments:
1. Subgrant Agreement between the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency and Monterey County Water Resources Agency, related to Grant Agreement Number 4600014638 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) Implementation Grant.
2. Agreement for Services between Agency and Lechowicz & Tseng Municipal Consultants.