Title
Adopt a resolution to approve the Fiscal Year 2026-27 (FY27) Groundwater Monitoring Program Regulatory Fees of $160.16 per well for Initial Well Registration, $21.86 per well for Annual Well Registration Renewal, $64.82 per well for Groundwater Extraction Reporting, $117.68 per well for Groundwater Level Monitoring, and $73.92 per well for Groundwater Quality Monitoring. (MOVED VIA SUPPLEMENTAL)
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution to approve the Fiscal Year 2026-27 (FY27) Groundwater Monitoring Program Regulatory Fees of $160.16 per well for Initial Well Registration, $21.86 per well for Annual Well Registration Renewal, $64.82 per well for Groundwater Extraction Reporting, $117.68 per well for Groundwater Level Monitoring, and $73.92 per well for Groundwater Quality Monitoring.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
In August 2025, the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Supervisors adopted regulatory fees to support the Agency’s Groundwater Monitoring Program (“GMP”) pursuant to Ordinance No. 5426 and the authority granted under the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Act (California Water Code, Appendix §52). These fees support a comprehensive, consistent, and Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (“SGMA”)-compliant monitoring program in coordination with the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (“SVBGSA”).
For FY27, staff recommend adopting the same GMP Regulatory Fees as the prior fiscal year. It is estimated that program costs, operational needs, monitoring responsibilities, and staffing requirements remain substantially the same as those evaluated in fiscal year 2025-26 when the regulatory fees were established. No cost increases or service level adjustments are proposed at this time.
The GMP Regulatory Fees are uniform on a per-well basis because program costs are driven by the number of wells monitored, not the amount of water extracte...
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