County of Monterey  
Board of Supervisors Chambers  
168 W. Alisal St, 1st Floor  
Salinas, Ca 93901  
Meeting Minutes  
Tuesday, February 18, 2025  
8:30 AM  
SPECIAL MEETING  
Room, 1441 Schilling Place, Salinas, Ca 93901  
Water Resources Agency Board of Directors  
Mike LeBarre, Chair  
Matt Simis, Vice Chair  
Mark Gonzalez  
Deidre Sullivan  
Ken Ekelund  
Mike Scattini  
Jason Smith  
John Baillie  
Jon Conatser  
Participation in meetings:  
You may attend the Board of Directors meeting through the following methods:  
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Enter this Meeting ID number: 997 6907 9850 when prompted. Please note there is no  
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PLEASE NOTE: IF ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT IN PERSON, PUBLIC  
PARTICIPATION BY ZOOM IS FOR CONVENIENCE ONLY AND IS NOT REQUIRED  
BY LAW. IF THE ZOOM FEED IS LOST FOR ANY REASON, THE BOARD OF  
DIRECTORS MEETING MAY BE PAUSED WHILE A FIX IS ATTEMPTED BUT THE  
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a specific agenda item, please submit your comment via email by 5:00 p.m. on the Friday  
before the meeting.. Please submit your comment to the Secretary of the Board at  
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Line, the meeting body (i.e. Board of Directors Agenda) and item number (i.e. Item No. 10).  
Your comment will be placed into the record at the Board meeting.  
Participacion en Reuniones:  
Puede asistir a la reunion de la Junta Directiva a traves de los siguientes metodos:  
1. Podar asistir personalmente a la reunion; o,  
2. Asistir por Zoom (informacion a continuacion), que observe la transmisión de la reunión de  
3. Para participar for ZOOM, por favor únase for audio de computadora por:  
O para participar for teléfono, llame a culquiera de los números a continuación:  
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)  
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)  
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)  
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)  
+1 253 215 8782 US  
+1 301 715 8592 US  
Cuando se le solicite, ingrese este número de reunión: 997 6907 9850. Por favor tenga en  
cuenta que no hay código de participante, simplemente presione # nuevamente después de  
que la grabación se lo indique.  
Se le colocará en la reunion como asistente; cuando deseé hacer un comentario público si  
esta unido por la computadora utilize la opción de levantar la mano en el chat de la pantalla; o  
por teléfono presione *9 en su teclado.  
TENGA EN CUENTA: SI TODOS LOS MIEMBROS DE LA JUNTA ESTÁN  
PRESENTES EN PERSONA, LA PARTICIPACIÓN PÚBLICA DE ZOOM ES SOLO POR  
CONVENIENCIA Y NO ES REQUERIDA POR LA LEY. SI EL FEED DE ZOOM SE  
PIERDE POR CUALQUIER MOTIVO, LA REUNIÓN DE LA JUNTA DIRECTIVA  
PUEDE PAUSARSE MIENTRAS SE INTENTA UNA SOLUCIÓN, PERO LA REUNIÓN  
PUEDE CONTINUAR A DISCRECIÓN DEL PRESIDENTE.  
4. Si prefiere no asistir a la reunión de la Junta Directiva pero desea hacer un comentario  
sobre algún tema específico de la agenda, por favor envie su comentario por correo  
electrónico antes de las 5:00 p.m. el Viernes antes de la reunion.. Envie su comentario al  
Secretario de la junta al correo electronico WRApubliccomment@countyofmonterey.gov  
mailto:WRApubliccomment@countyofmonterey.gov Para ayudar al Secretario a idenficar el  
artículo de la agenda relacionado con su comentario, por favor indique en la linea de asunto  
del correo electronico el cuerpo de la reunion (es decir, la Agenda de la Junta Directiva) y el  
número de artículo (es decir, el Artículo No. 10). Su comentario se colocará en el registro de  
la reunion de esta Junta.  
Call to Order at 8:30 A.M.  
The meeting was called o order at 8:31 A.M.  
Roll Call  
Present: Mike LeBarre, Matt Simis (arrived at 8:33 a.m.), Mark Gonzalez, Deidre Sullivan, Ken  
Ekelund, Jason Smith, John Baillie, Jon Conatser.  
Absent: Mike Scattini  
Public Comments on Closed Session Items  
None  
1.  
Closed Session under Government Code section 54950, relating to the following items:  
a. Pursuant to Government Code section 54957(b)(1), the Board will provide a performance evaluation  
for the General Manager.  
Note: Continuance of Closed Session to be held at the conclusion of the Board's Regular  
Agenda, or at any other time during the course of the meeting announced by the Chairperson of  
the Board. The public may comment on Closed Session items prior to the Board's recess to  
Closed Session.  
Recess to Closed Session  
Reconvene Meeting at 9:00 A.M.  
The meeting reconvened at 9:01 a.m.  
Pledge of Allegiance  
Public Comment  
None  
Appointments  
The Board of Director Chair appointed the Committee Members for the Basin Management  
Advisory Committee: David Bunn (Pressure Subarea), Richard Ortiz (Forebay Subarea), Robin Lee  
(East Side Subarea), Patrick Breen - MCWD (Public at Large), Marc Kelley (Public at Large),  
Sophia Wendt - Cal Water(Upper Valley Subarea), Mike McCollough - M1W (Public at Large)  
2.  
Appoint committee members to the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Basin Management  
Advisory Committee.  
Public Comment  
None  
Consent Calendar  
Upon Motion by Director Ken Ekelund and Second by Deidre Sullivan the Board approved the  
Consent Calendar.  
Ayes: Mike LeBarre, Matt Simis, Mark Gonzalez, Deidre Sullivan, Ken Ekelund, Jason Smith, Jon  
Conatser  
Noes: None.  
Absent: Mike Scattini.  
Abstained: John Baillie.  
Recused: None.  
Board of Director Comments: None.  
Public Comments: None.  
3.  
4.  
Approve the Action Minutes of January 21, 2025.  
Attachments:  
Receive the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Fiscal Year 2023-24 Financial Report. (Staff:  
Nan K. Kim)  
Attachments:  
5.  
Authorize the General Manager to execute an Agreement for Services (“Agreement”) with Balance  
Hydrologics for a total contract amount not to exceed $142,300 to complete hydraulic modeling for the  
Carmel River Flooding Impacts Study; and authorize the General Manager to execute up to two  
no-cost amendments to the Agreement. (Staff: Amy Woodrow)  
Attachments:  
6.  
Authorize the General Manager to initiate support for Bill HR471, the Fix Our Forests Act. (Staff: Ara  
Azhderian)  
Attachments:  
7.  
Authorize the General Manager to initiate support for Bill HR338, the Every Drop Counts Act. (Staff:  
Ara Azhderian)  
Attachments:  
8.  
Approve an Agreement for Services with FlowWest, Inc. in the dollar amount of $275,000 for work to  
be performed related to the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Flood Emergency Response  
Project (Project). (Staff: Peter Kwiek)  
Attachments:  
9.  
Approve Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement for Services with Don Chapin Company for a dollar  
amount increase of $5,000, not to exceed $131,000 for the repair of a damaged section of culvert at  
the Blanco drainage ditch. (Staff: Jason Demers)  
Attachments:  
10.  
Approve Amendment No. 1 to the Service Agreement with A. Teichert & Son, Inc. dba Teichert  
Construction for on-call repair services for CSIP, to extend the term length to July 31st, 2027, and a  
dollar increase of $150,000 for a total contract amount not to exceed $250,000; and authorize the  
General Manager to execute Amendment No. 1. (Staff: Peter Vannerus)  
Attachments:  
11.  
12.  
Authorize the General Manager to initiate an S&P Global Credit Rating Evaluation in the fiscal-year  
ending 2026. (Staff: Ara Azhderian)  
Attachments:  
Authorize the General Manager to enter into Amendment No. 3 to the 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 Implementation Grant, to increase the subgrant eligible fund amount by $1,302 for a total contract  
amount not to exceed $3,481,302; and revise the work plan. (Staff: Shaunna Murray)  
Attachments:  
13.  
Authorize the General Manager to enter into an Amended Subgrant Agreement with the Salinas Valley  
Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency to receive funding for services in support of Sustainable  
Groundwater Management Round 2 Implementation Grants #4600015881 (SVBGSA) and  
#4600015624 (MCWDGSA), in the amount not to exceed $400,000; and recommend that the  
Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Directors authorize the General Manager to  
execute up to two no-cost amendments to the Subgrant Agreement. (Staff: Shaunna Murray)  
Attachments:  
Information Items  
14.  
15.  
2024 Annual Groundwater Elevation Contours and Cumulative Change Chart. (Staff: Guillermo  
Diaz-Moreno)  
Attachments:  
Reservoir Storage Release Update. (Staff: Chris Calderon and Peter Kwiek)  
Attachments:  
Board of Directors Comments  
Adjournment  
The meeting adjourned at 9:06 A.M.