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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 06211988 - WC.2 THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Adopted this Order on June 21, 1988 by the following vote: AYES: NOES: See Vote Below - ABSENT: ABSTAIN: SUBJECT: Water-Related Issues The Board received the attached report dated June 13 , 1988 from the Water Committee (Supervisors Torlakson and McPeak) relative to various water-related issues. Items 3 through 6 on the attached report were discussed by the Board and were APPROVED by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Powers, Fanden, McPeak, Torlakson and Schroder NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None In referring to Item 2 on the attached report, Supervisor Nancy Fanden advised that she was not entirely satisfied with the response received regarding the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) water conservation and use policies. She commented on the lack of policy relative to recycling water used in development projects such as a cogeneration plant. Supervisor Fanden also recommended that EBMUD and the Contra Costa Water District be requested to contact the State agencies with respect to a Statewide incentive program for agricultural water users. Supervisor Fanden therefore recommended that her questions relative to wastewater reclamation and agricultural incentive policies be referred back to the Water Committee. Her recommendation was APPROVED by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Powers, Fanden, McPeak, Torlakson and Schroder NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Supervisor Tom Torlakson commented on the request for a variance of County policy on small water systems requested for Minor Subdivision 17-87 in Alhambra Valley ( Item 1) , and inquired whether or not the County' s policy on ranchettes would apply to this particular minor subdivision. Harvey Bragdon, Community Development Director, stated that since MS 17-87 consists of three lots which are 20, 50 and 90 acres respectively he did not believe that the ranchette policy would apply. Arthur C. Vohonte, 5700 Alhambra Valley Road, Martinez, owner of the subject property, advised that one well has been put in that will provide sufficient capacity for the three lots. Supervisor Torlakson commented on fire district criteria for adequate water capacity for minor subdivisions which calls for on-site wells for each parcel. 1 Mr. Bragdon advised that the ranchette policy does provide for waiver of the requirement of one well per parcel if the Board determines that such a waiver is reasonable. Supervisor Fanden commented on efforts to preserve the rural nature of Alhambra Valley, and noted that if there is only one well, further development of the property is unlikely. She therefore recommended that the Board defer action on the request. for variance for MS 17-87 until June 28, 1988 and that Community Development staff prepare specific language for such a variance. The recommendations of Supervisor Fanden were APPROVED on the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Powers, Fanden, McPeak, Schroder NOES: Supervisor Torlakson ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None cc: Community Development Environmental Health Auditor-Controller Committee for Water Policy Consensus via CDD CC Water District, via CDD County Administrator I hereby certify that this is a true and correctcopy of an nc`ion taken and entered on the minutes of the Uca'a of Supero' rs on the date shown. ATTE i3TM Piyt 3A va c", Cie"L, of the E300d of;sup ervise s and County Administrator By , Deputy 2 W TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: Water Committee Contra C )sta DATE'. June 13 , 1988 Wuly SUBJECT: Recommendations on Water'-Related Issues �� SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECCMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION 1. Determine appropriate action on request for variance of County policy on small water systems for Minor Subdivision 1 /-8 / in Alhambra Valley. 2. Accept report in response to questions raised by Supervisor Fanden regarding water conservation and use policies of East Bay MUD. 3 . Accept report on State Water Resources Control Board hearings. 4. Authorize Auditor-Controller to release on July 1 , 1988 , or as soon as possible thereafter, $19 , 000 appropriated in 1988-89 Water Agency budget (as approved by the Board on February 23 , 1988) to the Committee for Water Policy Con- sensus in accordance, with County disbursement policies. 5. Support Contra Costa Water District in its efforts to retain rights of its full water entitlement from the Bureau of Reclamation. 6 . Authorize staff to write a letter encouraging the Contra Costa Water District, the East Contra Costa Irrigation District and City of Brentwood to share their water enti- tlements and coordinate their water systems. FINANCIAL IMPACT The fiscal year 1988-89 Water Agency budget request was prepared to include a $19 , 000 allocation to the Committee for Water Policy Consensus. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): Supervisor Tom T rlakson Su ervisor Sunne Wright McPeak A ON OF BOARD ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS 1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS (ABSENT AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: NTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUP ISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. CC: ATTESTED Orig. Dept. Community Develop. PHIL BATCHELOR, K OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COU ADMINISTRATOR M382/7-83 BY ,DEPU 2. BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION i. Minor Subdivision 17-87 proposes to create three parcels of 90, 50 and 20 acres respectively off Alhambra valley Road in the Martinez area. The applicant proposes to use an exist- ing well to supply water to the three parcels. Chemical and physical analysis of the well water shows that the water quality meets all State, Federal and County standards with the exceptions of manganese and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) . Both of these constituents are secondary water Stan- dards that do not pose a threat to public health. The basic consideration is consumer acceptance, and the slightly elevated concentrations of TDS and manganese in this par- ticular well should not cause a problem in this respect. Dan Bergman, Director of Environmental Health, recommended to the Water Committee that the proposed water system be approved to serve this three-parcel minor subdivision. A number of other existing and test wells on the property provide little or no water. The one producing well has been tested and found to produce an adequate supply of water for up to five households. The Water Committee did not make a recommendation on this matter at the June 13 meeting pending review by Supervisor Fanden and a response from staff con- cerning whether the subdivision is subject to the County' s ranchette policy. Z. At the Board of Supervisors ' April 5, 1988 , meeting Super- visor Nancy Fanden raised various questions regarding several water issues related to the East Bay Municipal Utility District policies. Staff consulted with Tom Fox of East Bay MUD and utilized a technical report prepared by East Bay MUD entitled "Water Supply Management Program" dated April 1988 to respond to Supervisor Fanden' s various questions. The Committee reviewed the memo and felt no further action was necessary. 3 . At the Water Committee meeting of April 11, 1988 , the Water Committee requested that staff conduct additional investi- gations on the controversy concerning the testimony provided to the State Water Resources Control Board by the consulting team of Phil Williams/James Hollibaugh and Michael Rozen- gurt/Michael Herz. Rozengurt and others claim that Williams%Hollibaugh data and findings are not adequate to protect the Bay/Delta Estuary and may conflict with the interests of the County. Staff was requested to contact the director of the Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies and Cressey Nakagawa, Water Agency Attorney, in order to det- ermine how to resolve this controversy. Based on informa- tion gained from peer reviews, various correspondence, discussions with the Water Agency attorney and the actual data from both parties, staff determined that the findings of Rozengurt and Williams%Hollibaugh are not inconsistent. They are, in fact, complementary. Staff recommended to the Water Committee that no further action on this matter is necessary on the part of Contra Costa County. The Water Committee concurred with these findings and the recommenda- tion by staff . 4.. It was recommended by the Water Committee that funds in- cluded in the fiscal year 1988-89 Water Agency budget request be released to the Committee for Water Policy Consensus on July 1, 1988 , or as soon as possible there- after, in accordance to budget dispersal policies. This $19 ,000 allocation was appropriated in the Water Agency budget request per the Board of Supervisors approval of the February 23 , 1988 , Water Committee report requesting this action. Each year, the County allocates funding for the Committee for Water Policy Consensus. The public policy and public education benefits from the Committee for Water Policy Consensus enhance the efforts of the water Agency. - I f • e ♦. f 3 . rt 5. The Water Committee recommended that the Board of Supervi- sors support the efforts of the Contra Costa Water District to gain its whole water entitlement and to support efforts that would encourage the Bureau of Reclamation not to allo- cate the water district' s unused portion of its entitlement for other uses (i.e. resale to San Joaquin Valley farmers) . This recommendation was a result of discussions with repre- sentatives of the Contra Costa Water District at the June 13 , 1988 , meeting. Discussions with the water district also included the proposal by the Environmental Defense Fund asking the Contra Costa Water District to use the unused portion of its water entitlement for sharing with other water agencies in need or for release into the Delta to mitigate low water flows and aid in salt water repulsion. 6. Following discussions with the Contra Costa Water District regarding their water entitlement from the Bureau of Recla- mation, the Water Committee recommended that the Board authorize staff to write a letter to the Contra Costa Water District, the East Contra Costa Irrigation District and the City of Brentwood encouraging them to utilize each other' s Lull water entitlements. The Water Committee suggested that the agencies share the remaining unused portions of their water entitlements and coordinate water systems located within each agency' s service area to meet the future water needs of the East County area. EW/3'n 148 :water2 .brd And the Board adjourned to meet on June 23 , 1988 at 2 : 00 p.m. at the Bethel Island Fire Station for field trip to Delta Coves, following which the Board adjourned to meet in Adjourned Session on Monday June 27 , 1988 at 11: 30 a.m. , in the Board Chambers , Room 107 , County Administration Building. Robert I. Schroder, Chairman ATTEST: Phil Batchelor, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By Jeanne 0 . Maglio, Deputy Clerk