The board held a discussion exploring a per-well fee as an alternative to the previously failed weighted-ballot assessment, but made no decision on a fee structure or legal pathway. Staff was directed to bring back an updated Prop 4 grant-writer RFP by the May meeting; DWR strongly encouraged applying. The demand management ad hoc reported that their consultant has developed a draft decision matrix with stress-level triggers, but key thresholds and water accounting methods stay unresolved.
Groundwater storage gains continued into Water Year 2024-25, though recovery remains uneven with some western boundary wells lagging behind. Subsidence has slowed but one area northwest of Arbuckle has accumulated 0.3 feet since January 2024, warranting ongoing attention. A groundwater demand management program is targeting January of next year, with legal and technical elements under development and discussion planned for the April 10 joint meeting.
A request to give two water districts permanent board seats failed on a 5-5 tie vote, with board expansion tied to unresolved questions about private pumper representation and legal hurdles. Progress was reported on a local project manager position, with a cost-sharing agreement targeting a county funding vote in late March and potential hiring by summer. The Groundwater Demand Management program continues advancing toward a required January 2027 operational deadline.
The board discussed addressing Westside Water District's request for full board membership at the February 24 meeting. Significant progress was reported on establishing a local staff position through a county partnership, with an estimated $200,000 annual cost. Chair Wallace said CGA remains financially stable for core operations despite the failed 218 funding measure.
The board discussed a request to split a shared board seat into two separate seats and asked legal counsel to bring back a possible amendment and process for member review. Directors revisited reimbursement of initial seed money contributions (roughly $750,000–$1 million total) from 2017–2019, acknowledging it must be considered in future long‑term funding talks but without a timeline. Progress was reported on creating a local program manager position, with Colusa County as the preferred ...
