Catch up on the latest GSA board meeting recaps anytime—on the road, on your tractor, or at home.
Drought Resilience Interagency & Partners (DRIP) Collaborative Meeting: California's drought preparedness efforts are shifting focus from long-term recommendations to emergency response planning for 2026 due to potential consecutive dry years and limited weather forecasting accuracy. The state faces a critical challenge with dry well response, currently spending $2 million monthly to support over 1,000 homes without water after relatively average water years. Officials remain concerned...
The Board approved a draft groundwater allocation policy for public comment, establishing sustainable yield allocations of 0.66 acre-feet per acre with transitional periods and trading mechanisms. Staff presented preliminary implementation costs of approximately $28 per acre-foot annually, totaling $1.82 million, with the largest expense being $960,000 for domestic well mitigation. The agency continues coordinating closely with neighboring groundwater authorities on outreach and policy...
The board voted to eliminate all remaining Tier 1 water allocations by November 2025 and established a $500 per acre-foot penalty for groundwater overdraft, the maximum allowed under state law. Growers can still purchase available recharge water to avoid penalties, with the district continuing to offer water that hasn't sold out in recent years at current rates around $126 per acre-foot.
The water district completed extensive community outreach on proposed rate increases and will hold a public hearing on October 20th to consider new rates effective February 2026. Two major construction projects experienced setbacks with bid rejections - a septic-to-sewer conversion project lost state funding eligibility and a sewer/water line replacement project had bid complications, requiring both to be re-advertised. The board also discussed finalizing a new policy for unclaimed...
The board's previous vote to change meeting times from 8 AM to 9 AM requires a formal resolution to be legally valid, creating uncertainty about the final schedule. The October 21st meeting will address this issue with either a resolution formalizing the 9 AM time or a motion to maintain the current 8 AM schedule. Additionally, labor negotiations with the union will be discussed in closed session, potentially impacting operational costs and service delivery.
