MCPHERSON TOWN HALL WATER MEETING
On March 13, Senator Bruce McPherson hosted a Town Hall meeting on the non-binding advisory vote on Measure B to dissolve the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (MPWMD). Senator McPherson opened the meeting by stating that there are four options to respond to that advisory vote:
- Leave the District intact.
- Establish a joint powers authority with repre-sentatives appointed by local elected officials.
- Have the Monterey County Water Resources Agency assume the MPWMD responsibilities.
- Have each jurisdiction have their own water management agency (which the Senator did not consider a viable alternative).
Summarizations of the panel members' remarks:
- The Honorable Dan Albert, Mayor of Monterey and the cities' representative: Does not consider leaving the District intact an option, given the advisory vote. Supports a joint powers agency with each city and the County having a representative.
- Steve Leonard, Vice President and General Manager of CalAm: Considers it inappropriate to comment on the dissolution of an agency which currently regulates CalAm. CalAm is willing to work with any solution which will move forward with addressing the water supply issues.
- Darryl Kenyon, Board President of the Monterey Commercial Property Owners Association: Supports increased urbanization growth to answer the acute housing shortage and does not believe MPWMD can provide solutions to that problem.
- Robin Tokmakian, LWVMP representative: Summarized the relationship between the governance options and the voters. The League believes the best citizen representation would be provided by maintaining the MPWMD. See Robin's complete statement.
- Gillian Taylor, Conservation Chair of the Ventana Chapter of the Sierra Club: Does not support dissolution because only the MPWMD would have directly elected, accountable members.
- Zan Henson, Chair of the Board of Directors of the MPWMD: "There have been three advisory votes in recent years, and one was for a dam. If there was an advisory vote on dissolving the IRS, it would succeed overwhelmingly." "No one is suggesting removing the 'body;' (the staff, oversight, and functionality) of the District. Only removing the 'head' (the directly elected governance) is being discussed. The voters have the power to do that with the MPWMD, as three of the five elected members will be up for re-election."
- Curtis Weeks, General Manager, Monterey County Water Resources Agency: Provided historical information on the composition of the MCWRA and the projects they have completed to address water issues in their jurisdiction.
- Bob McKenzie, Government Affairs Director, Monterey County Hospitality Association: Supports a joint powers agency or a combination of joint powers and the MCWRA. He believes such an agency would have accountability to the voters and would have a more vested interest in finding solutions.
The general tenor of the questions and comments which followed the panelists' remarks was frustration that a solution would be found with any agency. Several of the approximately 125 audience members noted that the growth issue needs to be separated from any water solution for the voters to support a proposal.
There seemed to be support on both sides of the issue of dissolving the MPWMD. A former elected member of the MPWMD stressed how important it was (whatever the resolution to the dissolution of the District) that any project that goes forward be financed by the public, not CalAm, to keep the financing costs within reason.
Senator McPherson has introduced SB149 to provide an alternative to the District. SB149 will be brought before the Senate Committee on Local Government on May 7th.
