Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—on the road, on your tractor, or at home.
The district successfully managed a major snowstorm with minimal service disruptions, though roughly 19 homes lost water for about a week due to inaccessible main breaks. A compensation study found salaries run 5-6% below market average, while benefits remain competitive — findings that will inform upcoming labor negotiations. The annual audit was accepted with a clean opinion and no material findings, aside from a prior-period adjustment of $431,000.
Committee voiced support for proceeding with groundwater model calibration in 2026 rather than waiting, a perspective Vice Chair Lucchesi will bring to the JPA Board meeting the following Monday. Significant basin‑wide pumping data discrepancies were flagged, with a push for more consistent estimation methods across GSAs. Staff also noted the State Water Board is scheduled April 7 to act on returning the subbasin's GSP to DWR, increasing pressure to have defensible data and tools in place.
The committee discussed a budget amendment request to cover a director's conference attendance costs, but ruled out transferring unused funds between directors due to policy concerns. Instead, the committee discussed forwarding a recommendation that the full board vote on increasing the conference and training line item from $10,000 to approximately $22,000 for the current fiscal year. Draft minutes from the prior meeting were approved unanimously.
Well registration is moving toward a mandatory program, with the committee favoring an option that could zero out allocations for non-compliant growers and asking staff to draft policy and hold stakeholder workshops; staff will begin rolling out a fast‑track registration process to reduce grower burden as notices go out with upcoming invoices.
Staff reported plans to expand Domestic Well Mitigation Program to cover full replacement costs within the existing $35K cap, with no formal action taken. A new tiered demand management and subsidence mitigation program for the Chowchilla Subbasin was presented as informational, with more public input expected before adoption.
