HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08011989 - WC.1 WC1
TO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: water Committee Contra
Supervisor Sunne McPeak
Supervisor Tom Torlakson Costa
DATE
July 24, 1989 County
SUBJECT:
water Conservation Landscaping Ordinance, CSAC California
Water Guidelines, Bay-Delta Hearings Briefing Request, Fish
and wildlife Committee vacancy, and Referral of Ground
Squirrel Levee Stability Issue
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATIONS) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
)
RECOMLU94DATION
1. Direct Community Development Department to work with County
Counsel to prepare a Water Conservation Landscape Ordinance
based upon revised landscape guidelines.
2. Authorize Chair to sign letters to cities within Contra
Costa County regarding the lack of adequate Bay-Delta
protection in the CSAC California water Guidelines.
3 . Request the Water Agency Attorney to brief the Board of
Supervisors in closed session on potential litigation
regarding the Bay-Delta hearings.
4 . Declare a vacancy on the Fish and wildlife Committee, and
request the Fish and wildlife Committee to work with the
Water Committee to fill this vacancy.
5 . Refer to the Fish and Wildlife Committee the issue of ground
squirrel impacts upon levee stability.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
None.
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND
1. Contra Costa County was the first agency in the Bay Area to
adopt water conservation landscape guidelines, in September
of 1985. Since that time, agencies such as the Committee
for Water Policy Consensus (CWPC) , and the Association of
Bay Area Governments (ABAG) , have combined. 'efforts with
related agencies and have produced a straightforward,
comprehensive set of landscape guidelines, released in May
of 1989. These model guidelines were distributed to cities
and other -agencies to encourage conservation landscaping
policies.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE J OTHER
SIGNATURE(S1: Supervisor Sunne McPeak Supervisor Tom Torlakson
ACTION OF BOARD ON August 1, 1989 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES'. AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
cc: Community Development (Orig. Dept. ) ATTESTED _ i
Catherine Kutsur] S, CDD PHIL B CHELOR. CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
Dave Okita, CDD SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
County Administrator
County Counsel �
M382/7-83 ��
BY �" ,DEPUTY
The Water Committee recommends modification of the County' s
Water Conservation Guidelines with these model guidelines
for purposes of consistency. The Water Committee also
requests that the revised guidelines be developed in
ordinance form for greater visibility, insuring compliance
and consistency, and underscoring Board commitment to water
conservation efforts.
2. The California Water Guidelines document was jointly
prepared by the County Supervisors' Association of
California (CSAC) , and the League of California Cities in
December of 1988 . This document was designed for use as an
aid for development of future water policy throughout the
state of California.
The Water Committee feels that key elements regarding
Bay-Delta protection are missing from this document, and
wishes the Board of Supervisors to communicate these
concerns to the Cities of Contra Costa County. while this
document is the product of much work and progress in many
ways, it does not provide essential elements such as
statutory safeguards for the Bay-Delta estuary. In
addition, this document does not prohibit increases in
exports until new Bay-Delta standards are set.
3 . In October of 1988, the state Water Resources Control Board
issued a draft water Quality Control Plan for the Bay-Delta
estuary after evaluation of evidence presented during
phase 1 of the hearing process on these issues. This draft
report was later withdrawn for further evaluation after its
contents created tremendous controversy.
The Water Committee has serious doubts that the new Water
Quality Control Plan will include necessary safeguards for
Bay-Delta protection.
The water Committee recommends a briefing in closed session
with the Board of Supervisors and the Water Agency attorney
to discuss potential litigation regarding the Bay-Delta
hearings.
4. A vacancy was created on the Fish and Wildlife Committee
with the departure of ,john Helfrich, who has moved to
another area. The water Committee was designated by the
Board of supervisors to appoint members to this,.•Committee.
Dan Pellegrini, Chair of the Fish and wildlife Committee,
has requested that efforts be made to try and involve a
person from the East County area. The water Committee would
request that the Fish and Wildlife Committee aid the Water
Committee in the selection process to fill this vacancy.
5. The Board of supervisors has referred the issue of the
potential threat of ground squirrel populations to levee
stability to the Water Committee for further analysis. The
Water Committee wishes to refer this issue to the Fish and
wildlife Committee for initial review, specifically to
ascertain the threat of squirrels and other animals to levee
stability, and estimate the funds necessary for a ground
squirrel control program if necessary.
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