ITEM: VII ACTION
ITEMS
MEETING
DATE: FEBRUARY 27, 1997
A. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A POLICY STATEMENT PROHIBITING THE
FUTURE ALLOCATION OF WATER PREVIOUSLY SET ASIDE FOR DROUGHT RESERVE FROM THE
PARALTA WELL AND RECOMMENDING THAT A DISTRICT RESERVE FOR REGIONAL PROJECTS
PROVIDING COMMUNITY BENEFIT BE
ESTABLISHED
SUMMARY: At
its January 23, 1997 meeting, the District Board directed staff to develop a
policy statement that would prevent future allocation of the water previously
set aside for drought protection from the estimated yield of
California-American Water Company’s (Cal-Am’s) Paralta well in the Seaside
Basin. This statement is included as Exhibit A-1. The Board also directed staff to provide
criteria for a community benefit allocation.
“Regional Projects” or projects that would be eligible to receive water
from a community benefit allocation are defined by District Rule 11 as
“non-profit endeavors which provide for the health, safety and/or welfare of
the community, and provide regional non-denominational benefit to the residents
of the greater Monterey Peninsula
area.” Examples of projects that
received water from the District’s previous reserve for regional projects are
listed in Exhibit A-2. Last, the Board directed staff to develop a
recommendation to establish a District reserve of 50 acre-feet for regional
projects. The Board specified that the
water for the reserve should come from the savings that have accrued as a
result of the District’s water conservation program. If the water is not used by regional projects, it should be
returned to the conservation savings.
RECOMMENDATION:
Following staff’s introduction, the
Board should receive public comments and:
(1) consider
approval of the proposed policy statement prohibiting the future allocation of
water previously set aside for drought protection from the Paralta well yield,
(2) review
the current definition of “regional projects” and direct staff regarding any
modifications to the criteria for distributing water from the proposed
community benefit allocation, and
(3) direct
staff to develop a conceptual ordinance establishing a District reserve for
regional projects that provide community benefit for consideration by the Board
in April 1997. Water for the reserve
will come from the savings that have accrued
as a result of the District’s water conservation program. Fifty (50) acre-feet will be placed in the
reserve and, if not used by regional projects, returned to the conservation
savings.
It should be noted that implementation of an ordinance establishing a District reserve for regional projects from conservation savings could be affected by the vote on Measure A. If Measure A is approved by the voters within the District on March 4, 1997, no unallocated water could be allocated until the criteria to end the water shortage declared by Measure A are met. In addition, before any allocation could be established, a supplement to the District’s Water Allocation Program EIR would need to be prepared and certified by the District Board.
BACKGROUND: In
January 1997, the Board considered whether or not a policy should be developed
that would prevent future allocations of water previously set aside for drought
protection or water conservation. The
policy would address the portion of the annual yield from the Paralta well in
the Seaside Basin that was set aside for drought reserve in 1993, the water conservation
savings that have accrued since the District’s water conservation program began
in 1987, and the District’s share of the water made available by operation of
the CAWD/PBCSD Reclamation Project.
Presently, no formal policy exists that states the Board’s intent to
retain or release water from these sources for the benefit of the community.
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