Board members present: Chair, Kris Lindstrom - Division 4

Vice Chair, Zan Henson - Division 5

Molly Erickson - Division 3

Alvin Edwards - Division 2

Judi Lehman - Division 1

David Pendergrass - Mayoral Candidate

David Potter - Monterey County Board of Supervisors

Board members absent: None

Staff members present: Ernesto A. Avila, General Manager

Stephanie Pintar, Water Demand Manager

Rick Dickhaut, Chief Financial Officer

Andy Bell, Planning & Engineering Manager

Henrietta Stern, Project Manager

Joseph Oliver, Water Resources Manager

Darby Fuerst, Hydrologist

Arlene Tavani, Executive Assistant

District Counsel present: David C. Laredo

II. Pledge of Allegiance

Chair Lindstrom let the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.

III. Oral Communications

No comments were directed to the Board during Oral Communications.

IV. Review Discussion and Action Items from January 16, 2002 Strategic Planning Session

General Manager Avila explained that the discussion that evening would focus on addressing concerns about the strategic planning initiatives that were expressed at the January 16, 2002 session. The initiative on completion of the EIR/EIS is not centered on studying a long-term water supply project, but rather to immediately implement aquifer storage and recovery and desalination water supply projects. The associated policy issues that the Board should provide direction on are the time line and cost to study these projects. Based on direction received that evening, a scope of work for completion of environmental studies will be developed and brought to the Board for consideration in March 2002. District staff is proposing a short time line in order to certify an EIR/EIS on aquifer storage and recovery and a desalination project before November 2003.

V. Review Revised Time Line and Scope for Preparation of EIR/EIS on a Long-Term Water Supply Project

Henrietta Stern's presentation to the Board is on file at the District office. The Board discussed preparation of a Basin Management Plan (BMP) as part of the effort to develop the aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) project. Staff advised that a BMP would define how an ASR project would be operated, how much water is being pumped from the Seaside Basin and the source of that water. It does not need to describe how water from the basin will be allocated. The Board briefly discussed how to quantify project yield. District staff has assumed a yield of 12,000 acre-feet which would meet the 10,730 acre-foot shortfall identified in SWRCB Order 95-10, and provide water for lots of record as defined in the August 2000 Vacant Legal Lot Study. The Directors discussed the possibility of working with other entities on development of a large-scale, desalination project with a regional scope. The District could work to bring together groups interested in a regional project, however, it would not be necessary for the District to serve as lead agency or fund a regional project. There was also a discussion concerning the District's options, should Cal-Am decide not to withdraw its application for an amendment to its water distribution system for the construction of the Carmel River Dam project. District Counsel Laredo explained that the Board could deny the application in advance of completion of the EIR/EIS. If the Board chose not to deny the application, the project must be analyzed in the EIR/EIS. During their discussion, the Board agreed on the following items: (1) The project performance goal should be 12,000 acre-feet for planning purposes; however, the performance goal will be the topic of a future public hearing; (2) they agreed to water rights assumptions outlined in Plan B; (3) the EIR/EIS will study offstream storage, reclamation and storm water reuse at a programmatic level; (4) ASR will be studied at a project level; (5) desalination will be considered again in 30 days, after Cal-Am has responded to the District's request to abandon the Carmel River Dam Project; (6) the scope of work will include plans to conduct 10 public workshops; and (7) the scope of work will be developed for completion of certain tasks under Phase I and then amended in June or July 2002.

VI. Work Plans for Strategic Planning Initiatives

A. Revise Water Permit Processes - Review Addendum

Stephanie Pintar's presentation to the Board is on file at the District office. The Board directed staff to begin the process of contacting consultants in order to reaffirm the cost of implementing the strategic planning initiative.

B. Increase Innovative and Effective Conservation Practices - Review Work Plan

There was no discussion of this initiative. The item will be discussed at a future strategic planning session.

VII. Discuss Scope of Work for Development of Seaside Basin Ground Water Management Plan

Joe Oliver's presentation to the Board is on file at the District office. The Board discussed the options for preparation of a Basin Management Plan. It was generally agreed that it would take too much time to develop of a Seaside Basin Ground Water Management Plan. As an alternative, the Board directed staff to prepare an ordinance specific to Seaside Basin management. Stakeholders should be included in the ordinance review process with the goal of reaching consensus with those stakeholders. It was suggested that a good model for creation of a stakeholders group would be the Carmel River Watershed Council.

VIII. Public Comment

The following comments were directed to the Board during the public comment period. (1) Darryl Kenyon requested that the Board postpone consideration of the second reading of Ordinance No. 102 so that all seven Directors could be present for the discussion, and to allow more time for the public to learn about the issues and make plans to attend the public hearing. (2) John Fischer advised the Board that recently he heard a representative from the Monterey Bay Sanctuary group express support for one regional desalination plant. At a recent FORA meeting, a speaker stated that he had participated in discussions with Mr. Avila and the Pajaro Valley Water Management District on desalination. Mr. Fischer suggested that the State Water Resources Control Board might be willing to relax Order 95-10 if progress were made on a regional desalination project and ASR.

IX. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 10:15 PM.

_________________________________

Ernesto A. Avila, Secretary to the Board

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