Commissioners reviewed five FY 2026-2027 proposals and voted to recommend three to the Board: high school water education, a creek cleanup, and resource kits for homeless youth. Teams expect to start in early December, subject to Board approval. Staff introduced Aaron Baker ahead of a January 4, 2027, leadership appointment. There is no November meeting; the next is January 27, with a flood preparedness discussion planned.
Seven of nine Safe, Clean Water audit recommendations are complete; IMC recruitment and a San Francisquito Creek performance indicator remain open. The committee closed the 2020 Real Estate Services audit after four outstanding recommendations were implemented. Acquisitions involving owners’ appraisals can cost 10% or more above Valley Water’s appraisals. A district-wide risk assessment will inform 2027 audit planning; contractor spending controls were raised for possible consideration.
Valley Water’s committee discussed SBE proposals for small purchases, project-specific goals, designated SBE work and stronger good-faith reviews, plus a possible rotation list. Staff will return with options and resource needs; no SBE change was adopted. The committee approved September 30 minutes, voted to recommend Board Ethics and Code of Conduct edits to the full board, and confirmed November 17 as its next meeting.
Staff reported agricultural water use near 25,000 acre-feet annually and recommended no change to the overall Water Supply Master Plan strategy. The committee approved its July 20 minutes and discussed sharply varying imported-water allocations. Pure Water Silicon Valley remains a recommended drought-resilient project; desalination is a costlier backup under study, with environmental concerns unresolved.
Valley Water and San José reviewed preparedness for a stronger-than-normal El Niño, including creek maintenance and joint emergency planning. The City Council approved a prioritized flood-risk hotspot analysis with Valley Water, ideally for presentation before the rainy season. Staff said the Anderson Dam Tunnel and Coyote Creek Phase 1 mitigation are complete; the tunnel is in testing. The Pure Water update was deferred.
