The committee recommended a $69,014 Watsonville Slough permitting and mitigation amendment and a recurring year-end office closure. Members took no action on increasing the management fee or changing delinquent-account enforcement. PV Water extended the Coastal Commission review window potentially to late April 2027. The committee recommended board acceptance of quarterly, financial and cash-flow reports.
The board unanimously approved revised salary ranges and selected title changes for six administrative positions, at an estimated annualized cost of $93,859, and raised the general manager’s salary to $290,000. Comments on the land-repurposing plan supported by an $8.9 million grant are due November 6; PV Water may apply for another $8.11 million in spring 2027. College Lake testing is planned through December 15, and the facility delivered about 171 acre-feet through September.
The College Lake water treatment plant is still in testing due to polymer issues, with bench testing underway on alternatives. The board approved Tanner Pacific Amendment #3 up to $390,512—only through Dec. 31, 2026 unless later reauthorized. A rate-setting public hearing is set for Sept. 16, 2026, with outreach meetings planned for early September. The board also approved a $341,897 Montgomery & Associates SGMA support agreement.
Board unanimously adopted the 2026 Cost of Service Rate Study and Resolution 2026-08, setting notice/hearing procedures for proposed delivered water and augmentation charge updates that could take effect Dec. 1, 2026 if later adopted. Delivered water would rise $501→$639/AF over five years (~5%/yr for delivered water; other categories vary). Rural residential bills may initially drop due to a 0.5→0.4 AF estimate.
Grower rate-setting work continues toward a Prop 218 process: delivered water charges are projected to rise ~5% annually over five years, and staff may bring a Prop 218 procedures resolution in June. Rural residential augmentation bills are projected to drop ~20% next year due to lower usage assumptions. College Lake is preparing to resume operations June 1 while teams address last season's water quality issues.
