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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 09092003 - C.120 Contra - Costa. TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS County FROM: DENNIS M. BARRY, AICD Community Development Director DATE: September 9, 2003 SUBJECT: REPORT ON PROPOSED CALFED LCIS VAQUEROS RESERVOIR PROJECT SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION AUTHORIZE Chair to sign a letter to CALFED requesting direct County involvement (via MOU or other means) in planning detail for the proposed Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion, should this project move forward. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact to the County from this action. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YESURE 1 NAT S G RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR x RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMM! EE �. APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): €Fu, I— $ ACTION OF BO ON septgnber 9, 7Qi33 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE XUNANIMOUS (ABSENTy ) AND CORRECT COPYOF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE ABSENT: ABSTAIN: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Contact: Roberta Goulart (925) 335-1226) ATTESTED septwber 9, 2403 cc: Community Development Department (CDD) JOHN SWEETEN, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY < `�� ' 4 �, DEPUTY BACKGROU'N'D/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS CALFED is a consortium of state and federal agencies dealing with water management and ecosystem restoration in the Delta. In the mid 1990's CALFED successfully brokered a fragile consensus of competing interests for water in California, in recent years completing a Framework for Action and a Record of Decision which laid out a phased approach to projects to repair the ecosystem and provide better water supply and reliability, among other things. One component to accomplish this is additional water storage. The proposed Los Vaqueros Reservoir was one of several alternatives considered in the Framework and in CALFED's programmatic environmental review. In the past two years, CALFED has been working with the Contra Costa Water District on some $7 million in project specific studies to flesh out an expanded reservoir project. On June 25, 2003, after two hearings on the matter, the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) Board of Directors voted unanimously to schedule an election for their ratepayers to decide whether to proceed on planning and environmental documentation for the proposed CALFED Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project. The vote is scheduled for March 2004. A ratepayer vote was specified as a condition for CCWD support for any CALFED proposal to expand the reservoir, and is required before an expanded project could be built. Also approved by CCWD's Board was a resolution containing assurances and conditions of CCWD's participation in an expanded reservoir project. The timing of this vote in relation to the specific environmental review for the project has become somewhat controversial. County staff has participated on the CCWD/CALFED Customer/Stakeholder Feedback Group for the past two years, which has received numerous reports (both written and verbal) on the proposed expansion project. Staff's focus, has been directed at our ability to be closely connected to the planning process, and to help direct that process if the expansion project moves ahead, so that the County's interests are addressed. For example, to mitigate project impacts, CALFED is considering a region-wide approach to mitigation of impacts occurring within Contra Costa County boundaries, which runs counter to long-established County policy. In addition, CALFED is considering enhancement of areas previously purchased by CCWD for mitigation(of the original reservoir),which may be less expensive, but may be inappropriate and/or inadequate mitigation of impacts incurred. As a result, staff has recommended that should the expanded reservoir project move ahead,the County should be able to be directly involved in planning activities and have the ability to review and comment on information throughout the planning and environmental documentation process (above and beyond that allowed as a commentator during the environmental review process). Staff recommends that the Chair of the Board sign a letter to CALFED, requesting a seat at the 'CALFED table' through an existing or future MOU among agencies for the purposes described above. The County, if successful in taking this action, may be able to convey to CALFED concerns expressed by other responsible parties as well. 2 The' Board of SupervisorsContra John Sweeten Clerk of the Board Costa County Add County Administration Building Administrator 651 Pine Street, Room 106 (525)335-1900 Martinez,California 94553-0095 County John Gioia, District i Gayle B.llllkema,District 11 Millie Greenberg,District 111 Maris DeSaulnler,District IV Federal D.Glover, District V O a , Mr. Patrick Wright Director CALFED Bay-Delta Program September 16,2003 650 Capitol Mall, 5t" floor Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Mr. Wright: On September 16,2003,the Board of Supervisors authorized this letter to enable Contra Costa County and/or the Contra Costa County Water.Agency to request a greater level of involvement in planning activities for the proposed expanded Los Vaqueros Reservoir Project, should it move forward. The Board requests that the County, and/or its Water Agency,become a party to the Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) for the Project. The proposed reservoir expansion project lies within the boundaries of Contra Costa County and within the boundaries of its Water Agency. The existing MOU for the proposed project could benefit from inclusion of the local land use planning authority and perhaps from some level of representation of local groundwater users in close proximity to the proposed expanded reservoir,not already represented by the Contra Costa Water District. Inclusion of the County, a general purpose agency,in conjunction with the regional agencies and water districts already party to the MOU, may help insure more complete and comprehensive planning activities. The County's involvement as a party to the MOU could include aid in management of future studies,participation on the Technical Committee or other relevant committees, and to provide a local land use and local water user perspective not otherwise represented. The County could help in addressing relevant local concerns about the project, and insuring that local commitments are made and respected as part of the process. The County,to the extent practicable, could also provide additional, increased interaction with other local entities. The Board of Supervisors has historically supported CALFED's work on water management and ecosystem restoration in the Delta and has great respect for the consensus process on which it was based. The Board has not taken a position, either on the proposed Los Vaqueros Expansion Project, nor any of the projects proposed as Stage One projects in CALFED's Record of Decision. We look forward to working with you on comprehensive planning for this proposed project. If you have questions,please contact Roberta Goulart,our staff, at(925) 335- 1226. Sincerely, Mark DeSaulnier Chair,Board of Supervisors cc: Mr.Mike Spear,Acting Director,Department of Water Resources