Stay on top of SGMA

The Board voted 3-2 to direct its president to cast the district's LAFCO vote for Jonathan Ahmadi as special district representative. The Board also entered closed session for the General Manager's performance evaluation and to consider goals for the position. The consent calendar, including the January 2026 check register and two sets of minutes, was approved unanimously.

The meeting clarified that the GSA maintains $25,000 in its account while its project funding resides with the Water District, which transfers money monthly for approved expenses. Staff emphasized the April 1, 2026 metering compliance deadline, with Mailing #4 going out the next day and a County rebate available through June 30, 2026. The draft 2025 Annual Report showed localized groundwater declines after a dry year with only 8 inches of rainfall.

The board discussed the implementation of a previously approved 15 percent water rate increase effective March 1st, created a uniform water usage rate, and noted the average bill impact is about seven dollars monthly. Director Ross was appointed to the regional Water Authority board, and staff reported on the long-term Potter Valley Project and Coyote Dam discussions.

The Board approved $1.1 million in well maintenance work and noted that Chrome 6 in the region is naturally occurring, not industrial. A contract amendment for IT services was also approved, increasing the scope to $259,616 with partial grant funding. Solar facility repairs are moving forward with bidding, with a contract award expected in March.

The Board approved a $360,000 pilot program to replace or connect four dry domestic wells to address groundwater overdraft impacts. They also adopted a revised well mitigation policy with new eligibility requirements including one-year ownership minimums and payback provisions for property sales. State staff pressed for land subsidence BMP compliance that is likely to increase costs and may affect the timeline for the GSA's exit from probation.