ITEM:		ACTION ITEMS
17.	APPOINT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE Monterey Bay Regional Water Solutions LEADERSHIP Task Force
Meeting Date:			August 20, 2007	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			David A. Berger,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Same	Cost Estimate:	N/A
General Counsel Approval: N/A
Committee Recommendation: See below
CEQA Compliance: N/A

SUMMARY: On June 18, 2007 the MPWMD Board approved the then-current draft of a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form the Monterey Bay Regional Water Solutions Leadership Task Force (Task Force). The Board also approved a $5,000 contribution for technical engineering analysis required to support the Task Force. The derivation and proposed function of the Task Force, and updated status regarding local entities’ consideration of the Task Force MOU, are described in the Background section below. At the July 23, 2007 meeting of the Chair/Vice Chair Committee, Chairman Pendergrass and Vice Chairman Edwards discussed and unanimously recommended that the Board Chairperson serve as the District’s representative on the Task Force.

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the Board consider the Chair/Vice Chair Committee recommendation to appoint its Chairperson to serve on the Monterey Bay Regional Water Solutions Leadership Task Force.

BACKGROUND: On July 23, 2007 a meeting to review and finalize the draft Task Force MOU was held among the chief elected officials, or their designees, of the 16 cities, water and wastewater agencies/districts, and other public entities that have or indicated an intention to consider the MOU. At that meeting, the elected officials took note of the table created by MPWMD staff, which showed that that many, but not all, of the effected local agency governing boards had reviewed and approved the then-current draft MOU, or had scheduled its consideration (the current, updated table is shown as Exhibit 17-A. The final draft of the MOU, which reflects the mostly non-substantive changes made to its recital (i.e. “whereas”) clauses at the July 23 meeting, is attached as Exhibit 17-B. Diana Brooks of the CPUC Division of Ratepayers Advocates (DRA) described the purpose and status of the series of DRA-facilitated meetings on regional water supply alternatives that begun last January among public and private water purveyors, other public entities, interested citizens and interest groups. She urged that the Task Force be formed as quickly as possible to coordinate with the CPUC’s desired timetable for considering the outcome of the DRA process to be addressed in the Coastal Water Project draft EIR, which currently is anticipated to be released late in 2007 or first quarter 2008. Thus, the consensus outcome of the elected leaders at the July 23 meeting was that those few entities not yet having approved the draft MOU, or which require re-approval of the final draft MOU, should expedite that process to enable the initial MBRWS Leadership Task Force meeting to be held during the last week of August.

Further background information related to the derivation and development of the MBRWS Leadership Task Force is in the staff report prepared on this subject for the June 18, 2007 Board meeting. A copy of that report can be seen by clicking on the following web link: http://www.mpwmd.dst.ca.us/asd/board/boardpacket/2007/20070618/25/item25.htm

IMPACT TO DISTRICT STAFF/RESOURCES: None; sufficient monies are budgeted to cover this additional Board-authorized external committee meeting.

EXHIBITS

17-A Summary Table of Status of Task Force MOU Consideration by other Local Agencies

17-B Monterey Bay Regional Water Solutions Leadership Task Force Memorandum of Understanding (7/24/07 final draft)

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