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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/13/2001, A1 - APPOINTMENTS TO THE REGIONAL WATER AGENCIES PLANNING GROUP council mla j acjcnba REpoat 1� N"A 1 CITY OF SAN LUIS O B I S P O FROM: John Moss, Utilities Directo A-11 SUBJECT: Appointments to the RegionalWater Agencies Planning Group CAO RECOMMENDATION (1) Appoint Vice Mayor John Ewan and Utilities Director John Moss as the City's elected and technical representatives to the Regional Water Agencies Planning Group. (2) Appoint Mayor Allen Settle and Water Division Manager Gary Henderson as alternates. DISCUSSION The City of San Luis Obispo has been seeking to develop additional water supplies to meet our General Plan needs for a considerable time. In doing so it has become increasingly obvious that we will not be successful in achieving this goal on our own and that our plans both impact and rely heavily upon other agencies,particularly our neighboring agencies in the North County. Following several years of posturing and disagreement, culminating with the Salinas Reservoir permit hearings before the State Water Resources Control Board, in which Paso Robles was a protestant to the City's requested time extension, the time has come for the agencies to put aside our differences and focus on what our common needs are and how we can best facilitate meeting those needs. The City's Utilities Director has met with the Mayor of Paso Robles to discuss what our agencies could do to facilitate stronger working relationships. The Utilities Director has also had similar discussions with the General Manager of the Atascadero Mutual Water Company. From those discussions, the concept of forming a small and focused working group, the Regional Water Agencies Planning Group (Group), of agency representatives was developed.,After a couple of meetings on an ad-hoc basis, we are now ready to formalize the Group with appointments, a statement of purpose, and to establish a public presence of our agencies working together. The primary projects of mutual concern are the Nacimiento Pipeline and Salinas Reservoir Expansion. In addition, the Study of the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin by the County is a key piece of information in planning our future water resource needs and options. One of the key premises of the Group is that we will not try and force our other members to take a position on a given project until they feel they have adequate information in order to take a position. Therefore, a primary focus of the Group will be to support each other in the development that information. In this way we can foster improved relationships, develop a greater understanding of each other's issues, provide the information required to assist in developing public support for these costly and often controversial projects, and provide a positive image to the public of our agencies working in cooperation. Council Agenda Report—Regional Water Agency Planning Group Appointments Page 2 The Group has identified the following statement of purpose and representation: Purpose • To undertake a cooperative effort by major water purveyors (Members)in the development of regional water resources. • To provide support to Members in the planning and development of water resources that benefit participating Members. . • To facilitate and maintain progress on studies and projects which are presently underway. • To identify the needed information and studies that will finther the progress on regional water solutions and facilitate the completion of those needs. Membership,Representation and Meetings Membership in the Group will include water purveyors that can possibly benefit.from regional solutions to water needs. Membership includes: • Atascadero Mutual Water Company • City of Paso Robles • Templeton Community Services District • City of San Luis Obispo • County of San Luis Obispo Each Member is to appoint an elected official and a technical staff member to the Group as their representatives. For the last several years, Mayor Settle has taken the lead in working with the North County representatives. Due to other commitments, and a feeling that a "fresh face" might be beneficial to this new approach, the Mayor supports the appointment of the Vice-Mayor as the City's lead representative. It is important to remember that the primary mission of the Group is to facilitate development of a cooperative working relationship and shared understanding. Therefore, from time to time, it might be appropriate for one of the other Council member to accompany the City's representatives to the meetings in order to facilitate a greater spirit of support for the work of the Group and demonstrate a desire to work cooperatively. Meetings of the Group will be open to the public, will be held on a regular basis and will be advertised by the Members in the manner they deem appropriate. At this time, no action or recommendations are being forwarded as to what actions the group may take or how voting is to be accomplished or if it is even necessary. This Group will differ from the North County Water Forum in that its membership will be limited to only those agencies actually responsible for the provision of water services (purveyors). The Forum is open to all members of the public and really is as the name implies, a forum for receiving and discussing information relative to the water resources of the North County. While the Group anticipates receiving information from any number of individuals and representatives or"advisors," the membership of the Group is proposed to remain limited in order to facilitate maintaining a focused,hopefully non-political approach to our efforts. . Council Agenda Report—Regional Water Agency Planning Group Appointments Page 3 Goal and Policy Link Fostering improved relations with the North County Agencies relative to our efforts to develop additional water supplies has been a component part of our Water Supply Major City Goal for some time. The confirmation of the City's representatives and our participation on the Regional Water Agencies Planning Group was identified as a component of the Major City Goal for Water Supply identified by Council as a part of the 2001-03 Financial Plan Goal Setting process. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action.