ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE
1.	CONSIDER APPROVAL OF MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR INTEGRATED REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE GREATER MONTEREY BAY AREA
Meeting Date:		July 18, 2005	Budgeted:	N/A
From:		David A. Berger,	Program/	N/A
		General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:		Larry Hampson	Cost Estimate:	N/A
General Counsel Approval: N/A
CEQA Compliance: N/A

SUMMARY: At their March 31, 2005 Special Meeting, the Board directed staff to establish a planning region (Region) in the Monterey Bay area for integrated water resource management and to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with local resource management agencies to develop an Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) for the Region. Subsequently, four Planning Regions were defined based on geographical and jurisdictional boundaries. The local agencies that formed these regions are the County of Santa Cruz (SC County), Monterey County Water Resources Agency (MCWRA), Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA), and MPWMD.

The management staffs of these four agencies have held discussions about linking together the Integrated Regional Water Management Plan for each Planning Region to form a comprehensive plan for the greater Monterey Bay area. Attached as Exhibit 1-A is a final draft of an earlier version of the MOU presented to the Board on March 31, 2005. This final draft incorporates changes requested by MCWRA and PVWMA and includes several changes made by MPWMD staff to clarify the MOU. It is anticipated that this final draft version will be approved in the near future by the respective Boards of MCWRA and PVWMA. It is not known when the SC County Board of Supervisors will review and approve this MOU.

If this item is adopted as part of the Consent Calendar, the General Manager will be authorized to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of a comprehensive Integrated Regional Water Management Plan for the greater Monterey Bay area.

RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Board:

1. Direct the General Manager to request that the County of Santa Cruz, the Monterey County Water Resources Agency, and the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency join MPWMD in signing a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of a comprehensive Integrated Regional Water Management Plan for the greater Monterey Bay area.

2. Authorize the General Manager to make minor modifications to the MOU presented to the Board (Exhibit 1-A, attached) in order to accommodate requests made by the signatories prior to signing the MOU or to delete references to parties that may decline to participate in the development of a comprehensive plan.

3. Authorize the General Manager to sign the final MOU on behalf of MPWMD.

BACKGROUND: The MOU describes the goals and development of a comprehensive plan that will incorporate the IRWMPs being developed by each of the local resource agencies within their defined planning regions. The geographical scope of the MOU includes the watersheds and groundwater basins contributing to Monterey Bay and Carmel Bay along the coast from Central Santa Cruz County to Point Lobos. It is expected that the General Managers of the participating public agencies will agree on a detailed work program describing the contribution of staff and financial resources by each participating public agency necessary to develop the comprehensive IRWMP. A public agency signatory to the MOU may withdraw from participation upon 30 days advance notice to the other signatory agencies, provided it agrees to be financially responsible for any previously committed but unmet resource commitment.

It is likely that a comprehensive plan for water resource management for the Monterey Bay area will improve communication between agencies and may increase the greater Monterey Bay area’s ability to compete with other jurisdictions in California for State and Federal grant funds.

TIMELINE

It is anticipated that the comprehensive plan for the Monterey Bay will be developed after adoption of Integrated Regional Water Management Plans currently being developed by each of the four local resource agencies. Based on anticipated completion and adoption of these individual plans, it is likely that development of a comprehensive plan will not begin until late 2006 or early 2007.

IMPACT TO STAFF/RESOURCES

At this time, it is not known how much staff time may be needed to complete a comprehensive plan. After adoption of individual plans by local agency Boards, an estimate will be made of the time necessary to integrate these plans. Should a reprioritization of staff resources be necessary to complete the plan, staff may seek additional Board guidance.

EXHIBITS

1-A Memorandum of Understanding for Integrated Regional Water Management in the Greater Monterey Bay Area

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