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Home My WebLink About09/22/1992, 3 - NACIMIENTO RESERVOIR ��IIIIIgIIIltlllllllllllU� III r MEETING DATE: "J I��I ci or Sark _ass oBIspo Sept. 22 1992 COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT ITEM NUMBER: FROM: William T. Hetland Utilities Director SUBJECT: Nacimiento Reservoir CAO RECOMMENDATION: Authorize the Mayor to sign a joint letter to the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors regarding the Nacimiento Reservoir Project. BACKGROUND The City of San Luis Obispo's Water and Wastewater Management Element identified the ! Nacimiento Reservoir Project as one of its primary water supply alternatives. The City Council has previously expressed strong support for the project and has gone on record requesting 4390 acre feet of water supply and encouraged the Board of Supervisors to expedite the feasibility study and environmental impact report. The City of San Luis Obispo, City of Paso Robles, Atascadero Mutual Water District and j the Templeton Community Services District staffs have met and discussed issues of joint interest associated with the proposed Nacimiento Project. One of the primary concerns is the current organizational structure of the project with the County Board of Supervisors having complete and sole control. This has resulted in significant delays in the prosecution of the project studies. In addition, the Board is proposing to request the various local agencies interested in participation in the project fund the initial feasibility study and environmental impact report while not providing a mechanism for local input. Staff is also very concerned the Board may also want to place restrictions on the agencies that want to participate in the Nacimiento Project similar to the groundwater restrictions they attempted to place on the State Water Project contracts. For the above reasons, the four agencies have developed a letter to the County Board of Supervisors making the following points: o Encourage the continued and expedient prosecution of the feasibility study, planning efforts and the environmental impact report. o Establish an oversight committee composed of potential project participants to provide review and comment on the studies. o Consider the development of a Joint Powers Agency made up of project participants to be responsible for the final planning, construction and operation of the project. Over the next two weeks, each of the four agencies mentioned above will be considering this letter and authorizing their appropriate representative to execute the letter and forward 3-/ �iu��1�n��►�►illillillli° IUIII city of San l._,S OBISpo COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT Nacimiento Reservoir Page 2 it to the County Board of Supervisors. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact associated with sending the letter. Additional fiscal.impacts as yet undefined, will occur when the County requests reimbursements for funding the planning studies and ultimately construction and operation of the Nacimmento Reservoir Project. Those costs should become availableprior to the City having to take any formal action on the participation in the project. I I September 10, 1992 (draft date) County Board of Supervisors San Luis Obispo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District County Government Center San Luis Obispo, CA 93408 Honorable Supervisors: We are writing on behalf of each of our jurisdictions to express our continued support of the Nacimiento water project. Each of us have previously expressed an interest in securing Nacimiento water for our respective communities. We also share common interests in that we 1) represent a significant proportion of the total tentative subscription for Nacimiento water; 2) have close geographic proximity; and 3) represent possible common economic and engineering considerations. We therefore, suggest a process that we believe will be in the best interest of all participating agencies. First, we feel that it is important that all interested participants be involved with the planning process that is currently underway. The County has contracted with an engineering firm for an initial planning study and it is our understanding that the County's intent is to ask participating agencies to share in the cost of these studies. It is very important that this planning process proceed quickly, and with review and participation from all interested agencies. We suggest an overview committee be established. This committee should be comprised of representatives from all agencies who have indicated they will participate in the project and who will be held financially accountable for the cost of planning. Recommendations of the committee should be considered by the Supervisors and County staff befor any decisions are made that significantly affect the study's scope, timing, cost or conclusions. Second, we feel that it is in the best interest of all involved County residents and communities to begin to develop a joint powers agency for the final planning, construction and operation of the Nacimiento water project. 3-3 County Board of Supervisors September. 10, 1992 Page 2 We thank you for your consideration of these recommendations. We look forward to working with the County and commend you for taking a much needed first step in securing the future water needs of the residents of the County. City of San Luis Obispo Atascadero Mutual Water Company Mayor President of the Board City of Paso Robles Templeton Community Services District Mayor President of the Board