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: Funding Options for Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) Implementation
RECOMMENDATION
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Receive a presentation on funding mechanisms to fund Groundwater Sustainability Agency management and Groundwater Sustainability Plan implementation and provide direction regarding funding options. (No Fiscal Impact)
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BACKGROUND
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was signed in 2014 and provided a framework for the sustainable management of groundwater resources in California. The Napa County Groundwater Sustainability Agency (NCGSA) was formed in 2019 to manage groundwater resources consistent with SGMA for the Napa Valley Subbasin and received a $2M grant from Department of Water Resources (DWR) to develop a GSP which was submitted to DWR in January 2022 and approved in January 2023.
To date, the work of the NCGSA has been funded entirely from the County General Fund (for a total of approximately $8.7M) and the DWR grant. Complying with SGMA is a requirement and continuing to manage groundwater at the county level has significant advantages for groundwater users (as opposed to State control if the Subbasin does not achieve sustainability).
Recognizing the need to explore options for a stable, dedicated source of funding for the future, the NCGSA entered into Agreement No. 230312B with SCI Consulting Group to evaluate options and make recommendations for the establishment of fee, special tax or benefit assessment to fund GSA management and implementation of the GSP and related programs. Depending on the outcome of the evaluation and direction from the NCGSA, SCI will prepare a comprehensive Fee Report for the proposed programs and improvements to be funded. Initial planning and engineering were conducted throughout 2023, including initial s...
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