FINAL MINUTES

Special Meeting

Board of Directors

Monterey Peninsula Water Management District

March 16, 2009

 

 

CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL

The meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM in the District conference room.

 

Directors Present:

Alvin Edwards – Division 1

Judi Lehman – Division 2

Regina Doyle, Vice Chair – Division 4

Bob Brower – Division 5

David Pendergrass – Mayoral Representative

 

Directors Absent:

Kristi Markey, Chair -- Division 3

David Potter – Monterey County Board of Supervisors

 

General Manager present:  Darby Fuerst

 

District Counsel present:  David C. Laredo

 

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

The assembly recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

ORAL COMMUNICATIONS

No comments were presented to the Board during Oral Communications.

 

ACTION ITEMS

1.             Schedule Date for Hearing on Apparent Insufficient Physical Supplies to Serve Ryan Ranch Water Distribution System and Determination as to Whether, and to What Extent, System Capacity and/or Expansion Capacity Limits Should be Modified

                This item was deferred to the March 26, 2009 meeting of the Board of Directors.

 

DISCUSSION ITEM

2.             Technical Review of Draft Environmental Impact Review on California American Water’s Proposed Coastal Water Project

                On a motion by Director Brower and second by Director Lehman, the Board directed staff to prepare a letter to the PUC that includes staff comments on the Draft EIR (DEIR) and comments expressed by the Board during their discussion on March 16.   The letter should be distributed to the Board for review on March 31, 2009.  The Directors should submit additional comments to staff by April 8, 2009.  A final letter incorporating those comments will be developed and submitted to the PUC by April 15, 2009.  The motion was adopted unanimously on a vote of 5 – 0.  Directors Brower, Doyle, Edwards, Lehman and Pendergrass voted in favor of the motion.  Directors Markey and Potter were absent.

 

                Andrew Barnsdale, Energy Division of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), reviewed the schedule for submitting comments on the Draft EIR (DEIR), and described the PUC process for reaching a decision on certification of the DEIR.   Eric Zigas, Environmental Science Associates,  described the water supply alternatives analyzed in the DEIR.  He and Mr. Barnsdale responded to questions from the Board.   Andy Bell, MPWMD Planning and Engineering Division Manager, reviewed comments proposed by District staff and responded to questions from the Board.

 

                George Riley, representing Citizens for Public Water, addressed the Board during the public comment period on this item.  He expressed a concern that the PUC is focused on moving forward quickly to certify the DEIR, without allowing time to adequately analyze the projects in terms of cost to the ratepayer.   He asked the Board to include a comment in its letter to the PUC stating that if there is a cost effective project alternative, extra time should be taken to analyze that project.

 

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9 PM.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                ______________________________

                                                                                    Darby Fuerst, Secretary to the Board

 

 

 

 

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