Title
Consider receiving an update on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) process.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Monterey County Board of Supervisors:
Receive an update on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) process.
SUMMARYDISCUSSION:
In September 2014, Governor Brown signed into law the SGMA, which took effect on January 1, 2015. This Act is complex, and clean-up language is expected. In the meantime, however, entities that would be required to implement the SGMA need to embark on a series of steps to meet a timeline where the clock is already ticking.
On October 27, 2014, the Board of Directors (BOD) of the Monterey County Water Resources Agency (Agency) approved a recommendation that the Agency become the Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) for "...areas of Monterey County that are not covered by another named in the SGMA." The Agency's Board of Supervisors (WRABOS) directed Agency Staff to initiate at public process to gain stakeholder input. After three meetings in January 2015, other stakeholder groups indicated their preference for a more inclusive process. In response to that feedback, a "Consortium" was developed to initiate a facilitated process that included the following entities: Monterey County, the Agency, the Cities of the Salinas Valley (represented by the City of Salinas), as well as three representatives from the agricultural industry (Grower-Shipper Association, Monterey County Farm Bureau, and the Salinas Valley Water Coalition).
A Request for Proposals for facilitation services was released and a facilitator has been selected. The facilitator has been performing interviews with key stakeholders and compiling information. The first public meeting/workshop (two hours in duration) was held on January 21, 2016 at the Monterey County Government Center, Monterey Room. A report presenting the findings from the interviews is attached to this report.
Another GSA-...
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