EXHIBIT 17-E
FINAL MINUTES
Technical Advisory
Committee of the
Monterey Peninsula
Water Management District
The meeting was called to order at 9:40 AM.
City of
City of
City of
City of
City of
City of
Airport District Bennie Stuth
Darby Fuerst, General Manager
Stephanie Pintar, Water Demand Manager
No comments.
1. Receive Presentation from Eric Zigas
and Andrew Barnsdale of Environmental Science Associates and Discuss the Draft
EIR on the Coastal Water Project
Eric Zigas,
Environmental Science Associates, and Andrew Barnsdale, Energy Division of the
Public Utilities Commission (PUC), provided an overview of the EIR and
responded to questions from the committee.
Mr. Barnsdale described the schedule for
certification of the EIR. He explained
that the public is invited to submit comments on the environmental issues
raised in the EIR by April 1, 2009. Topics
not related to environmental issues will be addressed through a formal, legal
process established by the court, whereby organizations or persons that have
formally intervened to become parties to the case may comment. When the PUC issues a decision on
certification of the EIR or approval or denial of a water supply project, only
official parties to the case can appeal or ask for a rehearing. Public hearings on the EIR will be held in
May, June or July and a decision on the EIR is expected to be issued in
December 2009.
Mr. Barnsdale also
explained that since the PUC regulates CAW, the PUC has the authority to
certify the EIR and approve construction of the Coastal Water Project. The PUC does not regulate Marina Coast Water
District (MCWD). If CAW and MCWD were to
propose a joint project, the PUC could decide to certify the EIR so it would be
available to any other entity that would ultimately be responsible to approve
or deny that project. Under that
scenario, the PUC would also have the option to set a timeline for the project
proponents to present the PUC with agreements between the participating
agencies. If the agreements are
completed and presented in the required timeline, the PUC could approve the
project and authorize CAW to participate.
If CAW could not complete the agreements in the required time period,
the PUC could approve construction of a CAW-only 12,500 acre-feet replacement
water only project.
Chair Hardgrave submitted for review a memo
to the Pacific Grove City Council, dated March 4, 2009 (on file at the District
office), outlining issues raised in the EIR that the Council could consider
presenting in a comment letter to the PUC.
She urged the committee members to review the four topics outlined in
the memo, and encouraged each jurisdiction to submit comments on the EIR to the
PUC. Chair Hardgrave, spoke to Topic #3
of the memo, which proposes that the water supply project selected by the PUC
should include water to facilitate construction of the fair share housing
allocation for each community that has been mandated by the State of
Public Comment: Catherine Bowie, California American Water, noted
that the Phase 1 project includes 2,700 acre-feet of water for MCWD, but it is
considered to have no growth impacts because the growth is included in the
general plan of the service area. She
asked if it would be possible to provide 4,500 acre-feet from the Phase 1
regional project and describe it as having no growth impacts because the 4,500
acre-feet of water is included in the jurisdictions’ general plans. Mr. Zigas replied that the answer was
no. It is not clear that 4,500 acre-feet
matches the general plan requirements. The
PUC could order that the 4,500 acre-feet project be constructed with the
understanding that the social needs of the community outweigh the impacts of
growth.
Adjournment
The meeting was
adjourned at 11:15 AM.
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