Title
Consider receiving an update on the Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) formation process; and recommending that the Board of Supervisors of the County of Monterey appoint a Primary and Alternate representative to the Initial GSA Board of Directors from the Monterey County Water Resources Agency for the GSA-eligible Board seat.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Directors:
Receive an update on the Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) formation process; and recommend that the Board of Supervisors appoint a Primary and Alternate representative to the Initial GSA Board of Directors from the Monterey County Water Resources Agency for the GSA-eligible Board seat.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was established to provide local (newly-formed) GSAs the tools and powers needed to develop, implement and monitor groundwater in a sustainable manner. The SGMA defines sustainability as a 50-year horizon, and through the use of Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs), the GSA has the ability to manage and regulate the use of groundwater within the groundwater basin for which it is responsible.
As the GSA formation process moved forward, it was deemed that a facilitated process was necessary to establish a GSA for the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin (Basin). The process then began holding large stakeholder meetings to provide information to the public regarding SGMA, GSAs, etc. In addition, a smaller “Collaborative Working Group” (CWG) began meeting approximately once or twice a month to work through focused issues that then are brought back to the larger stakeholder meetings. The CWG has met 16 times to date.
This CWG process (over 18 months) has worked through a number of issues, and has resulted in the development of a governance structure for the GSA-a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) with an 11-member Board of Directors with the following seats:
1) City of Salinas
2) Disadvantaged Community/Small Public Water System
3) Public Member
4) South County City
5) Environmental Representative
6) CPUC Regulated Water Utility
7) GSA-eligible Entity
8) Four Agriculture Seats
By law, the GSA needs to be formed by June 30, 2017, and a GSP needs to be developed by 2020 for the Basin. The County of Monterey and City of Salinas approved the JPA agreement on December 13, 2016. On January 31, 2017, the Agency Board of Supervisors also approved the Joint Powers Authority agreement, thereby joining the JPA. Under the terms of the JPA agreement, an Initial Board of Directors will be appointed to initiate and undertake startup actions before the June 30, 2017 deadline. The Initial Board will be in place until September 30, 2017, with the permanent GSA Board of Directors being seated October 1, 2017.
Monterey County has asked if the Monterey County Water Resources Agency (Agency) would like to nominate a Primary and Alternate representative to fill the GSA-eligible seat for the Initial GSA Board. The nominee can be a current Agency Board of Director (BOD) member or the Agency General Manager.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Monterey County Administrative Office, including County Counsel has been a part of the GSA formation facilitated process.
FINANCING:
The financial impact to the Agency from this action is unknown at this time. The impact is dependent on the person/persons appointed for the Initial Board seat.
Prepared by: Robert Johnson, Deputy General Manager, (831) 755-4860
Approved by: _______________________________________________
David E. Chardavoyne, General Manager, (831) 755-4860
Attachments:
Board Order