TO: Napa County Groundwater Sustainability Agency
FROM: Brian D. Bordona - Director of Planning, Building and Environmental Services
REPORT BY: Jamison Crosby - Natural Resources Conservation Manager
SUBJECT: Draft Fee Structure in Support of GSP Implementation
RECOMMENDATION
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Receive a presentation on a potential rate and fee structure to fund the management and implementation of the Napa County Groundwater Sustainability Agency and Groundwater Sustainability Plan and provide direction to staff regarding the implementation of a fee program. (No Fiscal Impact)
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BACKGROUND
Under Agreement No. 230312B, SCI Consulting Group (the "SCI Team") was retained by the County to evaluate and provide a range of options for the establishment of fee, special tax or benefit assessment to fund Napa County Groundwater Sustainability Agency (NCGSA) management and Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) implementation and related programs. Initial planning was conducted throughout 2023, including stakeholder outreach and the preparation of a Funding Options Technical Memorandum. At the September 24, 2024, Board of Supervisors meeting, the Funding Options Technical Memorandum was presented, and direction was provided to pursue a fee program based on estimated groundwater extraction in accordance with California Water Code section 10730.
Staff and the SCI Team proceeded to develop a methodology for calculating estimated groundwater extraction on agricultural properties, given it represents most of the groundwater use within the Subbasin. The development of applied water use estimates for various property types in the Subbasin centered around the fact that for most stakeholders, groundwater use would have to be estimated due to a lack of parcel-scale groundwater extraction and use data. The exception to this is public water systems, as they are required to report their groundwater extraction to the Division of Drinking Water in the California State Water Resources Control...
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