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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/09/79 AGENDA WATER BOARD - CITY OF BAKERSFIELD WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1979 4:00 P.M. Call meeting to order , Roll Call - Board Members: Barton, Chairman; Payne, Ratty, Bergen, Hoagland 1. Approve minutes of regular board meeting of May 2, 1979. 2. Scheduled public statements. 3. City of Bakersfield Water Board's letter of response to Stanley M. Barnes, President; Henry Miller Water District in~ regard to Mr. Barnes letter of April 25, 1979 to Thomas M. Stetson. - FOR BOARD CONSIDERATION. 4. Staff Comments 5. Board Comments 6. Adjournment MINUTES WATER BOARD - CITY OF BAKERSFIELD WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1979 4:00 P.M. The meeting was called to order by Vice-Chairman Payne in the City Hall Caucus Room. The secretary called the roll as follows: Present: Payne, Vice-Chairman, Ratty, Bergen, Hoagland Absent: Barton Staff Present: Chafin, Hansen, Hostmyer, Needham, Oberholzer The minutes from the regular meeting of March 28, 1979, were approved as presented. A Statement On Behalf Of The City Of Bakersfield Water Board For Presentation Before The State Water Commission By Thomas M. Stetson, Consulting Engineer was presented to the Board for consideration. After review, and discussion of the Position Paper,Mr. Hoagland made a motion that it be adopted by the board and presented to the Commission on Friday, May 4, 1979 at the hearings in the City Hall Council Chambers. The motion was passed. At this time a letter from Thomas M. Stetson to Stanley M. Barnes, President; Henry Miller Water District regarding the City of Bakers- field Water Board's Statement of Policy Regarding Water Resources Management in the Kern County Portion of San Joaquin Valley was presented to the board for information by Water Manager Chafin. An Agreement between Southgreen Partners; Cutbirth, Sill, Caratan, and Camp; and City covering installation of 12-inch A.C. water main on the north side of Ming Avenue from New Stine Road west for 1,327 feet was presented to the board by John Hansen, Domestic Water Superintendent for consideration. After a brief discussion, upon a motion by Mr. Bergen which was passed, the Agreement was approved and the Vice-Chairman authorized to sign. Mainline Extension Agreements with Tenneco Realty Development Corporation for the following Tracts was presented~ to the board for consideration: TRACT NUMBERS 3883 3884 PM4110 3942 3940 3941 3893 3894 3900 390~ 394~ 3887 3955 At this time a brief explanation of the above was given by John Hansen. Mr. Hoagland made a motion that the Agreements be approved and the Chairman authorized to sign, also, that the Agreements be approved as to form by the City Attorney and Countersigned by the Finance Director. The motion was passed. Mr. Hoagland made a motion that in the future the Agreements ~be executed administra- tively and sig~ed by Mr. Needham, Fire and Development Services Director. The motion was passed. Staff Comments At this time a short review of activities relating to the Fair- haven Fire Protection District and the area immediately adjacent south of Rosedale Highway was given by Mr. Needham. At this time the Domestic Water Enterprise 3rd Quarter Operat- ing Statement fiscal year 1978-79 was presented to the board for review. The City of Bakersfield Domestic Water Enterprise Budget Fiscal Year 1979-80 was, also, presented to the board by John Hansen. Mr. Hansen distributed for the board's review an article from the Herald Examiner showning a comparison of water rates for the City of Bakersfield which were incorrect. Mr. Bergen at this time suggested that the staff send a letter to the Herald Examiner pointing out that their facts were erro- neous and that the actual figures for the City of Bakersfield' and California Water Serive be reprinted. At this time after a detailed outline of the budget was given by Mr. Hansen, upon a motion by Mr. Ratty which was passed, the budget was approved and copies are to be submitted to the City Council. There being no further business to come before the board, Vice- Chairman Payne adjourned the~meeting at 5:05 P.M. James J. Barton, Chairman City of Bakersfield Water Board Linda Hostmyer, Secretary City of Bakersfield Water Board May 8, 1979 Stanley M. Barnes, President Henry Miller Water District P. O. Box 9759 Bakersfield, CA 93389 Dear Mr. Barnes: It has been brought to our attention that you have recently sent a letter to Mr. Thomas M. Stetson expressing concerns about a statement of policy issued by the City of Bakersfield Water Board regarding water resources management in the Kern County portion of the San Joaquin Valley. Should you ever have any questions regarding documents which are explicitly stated to be policies of our Board, we would be appre- ciative if you would communicate your concerns directly to us. Mr. Stetson is a valued and capable consultant of the City. He has a variety of responsibilities and carries out many important duties on behalf of our ~'Tater Board. When he expresses positions and policies for the City, he does so after consultation with and direction from the Board. Please be informed that the City of Bakersfield in no way supports state-mandated or state-controlled groundwater management. The City's position in this regard has been made crystal clear to the State itself in a March 30, 1979 presentation to the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and ~ildlife made by ~4r. Thomas M. Stetson on behalf of the City of Bakersfield. Therein, the City makes the point that local entities can manage their water resources with a high degree of efficiency without the help of the State of Calif- ornia. You apparently confuse the City of Bakersfield's proposal for increasing local control over groundwater resource management ~age Two %~ith some desire for ~formalized groundwater management" which you then treat as a ~ to regional or state control. To reach such a conclusion requires a series of bewildering, illogical leaps. We would hope that your letter is not intended to suggest that water management in the San Joaquin Vally is above criticism and cannot be improved upon. We would also hope you are not suggesting that any attempt at better local management is pre- cluded because it might somehow give the state ideas about state regulation and control. We think it is self-evident, and we would hope you would concur, that improving and upgrading local water management activities is one of the few rational hopes for avoiding state control. It would appear from your letter that the City and your District are in basic accord with the conclusion that state regulation and control is unnecessary and that local regulation is the answer. We feel very strongly that the image of the water users in Kern County can only be enhanced by continuing to make attempts at improving groundwater management and control at the local level. Kern County ~ater users have much to be proud of in their past attempt to deal with this problem. We think, however, that it would be very dangerous to rest on our laurels at a time when the criticism of "inaction" is the rallying cry for state control. Consequently, we would urge you not to misconstrue the City's position as implying a "blessing" for state control, but would ask yoU to study it and understand if for what it is: a call for more coordinated local control over our own destiny. For instance, the City is convinced that there are a good many public agencies and private water users who could benefit greatly by coordinated water replenishment and extraction activity in the Kern River fan area. Because the City has acquired access to waters which can be used to partially replenish this area and has actual ownership of a large portion of the area bet~een Bakersfield and I-5 which could be utilized for spreading basins, we feel that it is appropriate to offer the City's cooperation in coordinating such activities, which will certainly have the effect of improving local water management w£thin an area which is in a condition of of significant overdraft. Page Three Now is the time, if ever there was one, for all entities who are interested in improving water conditions within the County and avoiding state regulation, to act together to accomplish improvements at the local level. We look fo~,~ard to cooperating with you in the future in carry- ing out our common goals and objectives. Very truly yours, James J. Barton, Chairman City of Bakersfield Water Board JJB: ih ~,.~:,',.-"~ ' HENRY MILLER WATEI~ DISTRIP-T ~9"ANL£Y H. BAJ~N£='- ,Mr. Tho~as M. Stetson 550 Kearny Street, Suite 650 San Francisco, California 94108 C 'W C~ '~;.:~- 'LO Dea~ Tom: We underst~_nd that you ~ere the principal author of the City of Bakersfie!d's proposed ground~-ater manage-~ent program as outlined in the recent policy statememt distributed over the signature of John Chafin. Enclosed are copies of: 1.Resolution Re Ground~-'ater Manage_nent adooced by the ,~,WA Board of Directors on ,March 23, 1979. 2. State_n~ent of Po]icy With Respect to Ground Water ?fana§-~-._enc by the San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Water Co.-~-~__ittee, adopted on April 13, 1979. Your attention is also called to the recently completed Boo]~_an-Edr_onston report on water managenent in San Joaquin Valley which, as you ~ano,~, confi~-ns the faet that water management in San Joaquin Valley is as efficient and effective as that-practiced elsewhere throughout the state. We appreciate the cooperation of the City of Bakersfield and our other neighboring water users regarding utilizaCion of Kern River ','stet, i,~-ported water ar.d ground'~-a.'_er to ?..~ximize beneficial use, in the best interests of m!l.. Ho~ever, ','e take an exceedir, g!y dim. view of any proposals which give credence and L~plied blessing to .--ore formalized ground-,-ater ..management. The obvious extension of your proposal is that if more for-~_a~!ized management is needed, then why not coordinate such r. mnagement on a regional basis or from Sacramento. We hope that we can work more closely on these matters in the future. Very truly yours, ItENRY MILLER WATER DISTRICT Stanley M, Barnes, Pr'esident S~XfB: bm Enclosures