Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—at home, on the road, or on your tractor.
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The Technical Advisory Committees expressed support for developing a $129,000 groundwater model enhancement and directed consultants to prepare a detailed task order. The update will refresh the basin's model with current land use, evapotranspiration data, and improved boundary conditions to better show regulators that recent projects and land use changes are advancing sustainability, without redoing the approved GSP's historical findings.
Employee unions urged fair compensation as wages lag Santa Clara County’s $160,000 poverty line, with nearly 70% of members below that level. The board approved two resolutions of necessity for Coyote Creek Flood Protection property acquisitions, including at a low‑income housing complex, and awarded a $90.6 million Penitencia Residuals Management Project contract, with work expected to finish in 2030.
Board discussed a significant golden mussel infestation discovered and asked staff to prioritize developing treatment options. Directors approved the final 2026 budget, which uses about $500,000 of reserves to hold current assessment rates. The Frick Unit Phase 2 pipeline project was awarded to Superior Ag for $4.35 million, well below the roughly $8 million engineer's estimate, and the board reduced the typical change order allowance so larger changes must return for approval.
The groundwater use fee true-up process is advancing, with invoices expected in February 2026 and preliminary data showing the area is only 2,000 acre-feet above the 10% reduction target. Agricultural recharge projects delivered 6,100 acre-feet in the last water year, and a new technical assistance program for multi-benefit land repurposing is launching with workshops planned in January and February.
Lake Millerton is well above flood control targets, and staff indicated a Class 2 allocation in the low single digits is likely this winter to reduce storage. The Board asked staff to begin separating GSA-related financial tracking around January 1 to clarify actual GSA costs and funding needs. The CEQA review for the Southeast Service Area Lateral Project runs through December 18, with a special public hearing planned after that.
