HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06111985 - WC.1 Contra'`
T0: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Costa. sta
CountyFROM: WATER COMMITTEE
DATE: JUNE 10, 1985
SUBJECT: WATER COMMITTEE REPORT - LEGISLATION
Specific Requests or Recommendations & Background & Justification
RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. The Board of Supervisors, as Governing Board of the Contra Costa County Water Agency,
take the following positions on the legislation listed below:
SB 210 - Water Quality Enhancement Bonds (5/14/85) - Oppose
AB 955 - Delta Levee Failure Plan (5/20/85) - Oppose, unless amended
AB 617 - Fish and Game: Revenues and Funding (5/20/85) - Oppose
FINANCIAL IMPACT
None.
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS/BACKGROUND
The Water Committee, at its June 10, 1985 meeting, considered each of the proposed legisla-
tive bills and examined the rationale that justified the above-stated positions for consis-
tency with the County's established water policy. Attached is a summary of the bills and
the rationale for County positions.
Continued on attachment: yes Signature:
Recommendation of County Administrator Recommendation of Board Committee
Approve Other:
Signature(s): L42L
Tom Torlakson Sunne Wright McPeak
Action of Board on: 1 ! l 9 Approved as Recommended Other
Vote of Supervisors I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
Unanimous (Absent ) AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE
Ayes: Noes: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON DATE SHOWN.
Absent: Abstain:
DBOcl - wc.bo.legis.10.t6 Attested
Orig. Div.: Community Development PHIL OATCHELOR, CLERK
cc: County Administrator OF THE BOARD AND COUNTY
County Legislative Delegation (via CDD) ADMINISTRATOR
Cressey Nakagawa, Water Agency Atty. (via CDD)
By
DEPUTY LER
Contra Costa Community Development
Conservation Programs
S-21
Summary Report #5
POSITIONS OF THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY WATER AGENCY
ON SELECTED 1985-1986 WATER LEGISLATION
(Approved June 18, 1985)
SB 210 - AYALA - WATER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT BONDS - 5/24/85
Summary
This bill would authorize the issuance of $900 million of General Obligation
bonds for the purposes of purchasing rights to stored water from the Central
Valley Project for purposes of meeting specified water quality standards and
certain additional purposes. The bond act would be subject to voter approval in
the 1986 General Election.
Recommended Position
.Oppose.
Rationale
It has been the position of the Contra Costa County'Water Agency that the Federal
Central Valley Project has a legal obligation to meet water quality standards set
by the State Water Resources Control Board. This bill would allow for the
purchase of water from the Central Valley Project to meet State Water Resources
Control Board standards. This bill would result in the Central Valley Project
not paying its "fair share" to meet water quality standards, at the expense of
the people of the State of California.
AB 955 - PEACE - DELTA LEVEE FAILURE PLAN - 5/20/85
Summary
This bill would require an emergency plan to continue exporting water from the
Delta in the event of a levee failure. The emergency plan would designate which
levees are critical for the maintenance of export water quality and shall evaluate
the levels of risk for failure for those critical levees. The emergency plan
would be designed to respond to short-term consequences of levee failure and
shall not be designated to respond to long-term Delta water transfer issues or to
long-term levee reconstruction issues. The bill also would include findings that
the Legislature recognizes that it may not be economically justifiable to maintain
all Delta islands.
Recommended Position
Oppose, unless amended.
r
t
2
Rationale
Although this bill has the shortcoming of not addressing the long-term needs of
Delta levees, an emergency plan would benefit the Delta. However, the finding
that "it may not be justifiable to maintain ail Delta Islands" is currently
unfounded and premature. Also, it may be unnecessary for this bill to be approved
by the legislature. The Department of Water Resources should not need specific
legislation to conduct such a study. This bill could be supported by the Board
if the language concerning the change in policy of maintaining all Delta islands
were deleted and if the bill were simplified to only direct the Department to
develop an emergency plan.
AB 617 - KELLEY - FISH AND GAME: REVENUES AND FUNDING - 5/20/85
Summary
This bill increases various hunting and sport fishing fees, including the fishing
license fee from the .current rate of $13.75 to $19.00 in 1986. The bill also
reiterates the requirement that funds from hunting and fishing fees should only
be used for "game" purposes. Non-game activities are to be funded through other
sources, principally the State General Fund.
Recommended Position
=Oppose.
Rationale
The intent of the bill is supportable, however, there appears to be past mismanage-
ment of funds in the Department of Fish and Game. Inadequate General Fund
appropriations have resulted in hunting and fishing fees being used to fund
non-game activities. The Board should oppose this bill until additional informa-
tion and guarantees are available from the Department of Fish and Game that
would ensure that adequate General Fund appropriations will be secured so that
hunting and fishing fees will only be used for game purposes, and all non-game
activities will be funded from other sources.
DBOcl 10jun85
wa.leg.rpt5.8586