City of Sacramento
City Council - 5PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2024-01915 12/3/2024 Consent Item 13.
Agreement: Third Amendment to the Sacramento Central Groundwater Authority Joint Powers Agreement
File ID: 2024-01915
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Pass a Motion authorizing the City Manager or the City Manager’s designee to sign the Third Amendment to the Sacramento Central Groundwater Authority (SCGA) Joint Powers Agreement to expand the fiduciary responsibilities to multiple parties.
Contact: Brett Ewart, Supervising Engineer, [email protected], (916) 808-1725; Sherill Huun, Engineering & Water Resources Division Manager, [email protected], (916) 808- 1455; Pravani Vandeyar, Director, [email protected], (918) 808-3765; Department of Utilities
Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Joint Powers Agreement Amendment
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: Staff recommends Council approve an amendment to the Sacramento Central Groundwater Authority (SCGA) Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) between the City of Elk Grove, the City of Folsom, the City of Rancho Cordova, the City of Sacramento, and the County of Sacramento.
The Agreement is being modernized to reflect changes in the law around groundwater management, to make minor administrative edits, and to provide more flexibility around fiduciary services. Any amendments to the Agreement must be approved by each of the five signatory agencies.
A draft of proposed amendments is provided.
Policy Considerations: The amendment to the SCGA JPA has no direct impact on the City. This action is consistent with the 2040 General Plan Policy HCR-2.6 to coordinate with other entities.
File ID: 2024-01915 12/3/2024 Consent Item 13.
Economic Impacts: None.
Environmental Considerations: The proposed activity is not a project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2 and 5). The activity is an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment and is not subject to CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3).
Sustainability: This change is necessary to maintain the structure of the agency that manages groundwater and the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
Commission/Committee Action: Not applicable.
Rationale for Recommendation: The SCGA board unanimously recommended approval of the amendment, but to be effective, the proposed Third Amendment to the JPA needs to be approved and adopted by each of the five signatory governing bodies. The City of Sacramento is one of the five JPA signatory bodies.
Financial Considerations: There is no financial impact to the City.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
Background: The SCGA is a joint powers agency formed on August 29th, 2006, to manage groundwater in a portion of Sacramento County between the American and Cosumnes Rivers. The County of Sacramento and the Cities of Elk Grove, Folsom, Rancho Cordova and Sacramento are signatories to the Joint Powers Agreement (Agreement) and appoint representatives to the 14- member board of directors.
The JPA established the composition of the SCGA governing board as follows:
• City of Elk Grove
• City of Folsom
• City of Rancho Cordova
• City of Sacramento
• County of Sacramento
• Florin Resource Conservation District/Elk Grove Water Service (FRCD/EGWD) • Golden State Water Company
• California American Water Company
• Agricultural Interests
• Agricultural-Residential users
• Commercial/Industrial self-supplied
• Conservation Landowners
File ID: 2024-01915 12/3/2024 Consent Item 13.
• Omochumne-Hartnell Water District
• Public Agency self-supplied
• Rancho Murieta Community Services District
• Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District
On December 14, 2016, the SCGA Board unanimously adopted Resolution No. 2016-10 recommending that the governing bodies of the signatories to the JPA consider and approve an amendment to allow a designated employee of the FRCD/EGWD, Omochumne-Hartnell Water District, and Rancho Murieta Community Services District to be appointed as a SCGA Board alternate member.
The SCGA Board, at its August 14, 2024, meeting, voted unanimously to recommend additional changes to the Agreement. These modifications are prompted by the desire of Sacramento County to discontinue services as treasurer and controller for SCGA. These fiduciary services are being bid out as a service through public contracting policies.
In addition to making the change to the treasurer role, other amendments include:
• Additional references to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) as a defining purpose of SCGA
• Reflecting the revised name of Sacramento Area Sewer District • Reflecting the correct name of the Elk Grove Water District • Clarity where the term “Board” refers to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors • Removal of the requirement that the Sacramento County Water Agency concur with the Board’s choice of an executive director (Section 14)
• Removal of language referring to the 2006 Groundwater Management Plan (Section 19) • Removal of language referring to the Well Protection Program (Section 20).