Expert panel selects chair and approves charter; panel process and meeting schedule set

The technical panel selected its chair and approved a procedural charter that lays out quorum rules, decision guidance and a meeting schedule for the panel's work through January.

Panelists nominated Dr. Daniel Geiser for the role of panel director/chair; several panel members voiced support and the panel voted to approve his appointment. The charter was approved with two clarifications requested during the meeting: (1) an explicit requirement that the panel chair present the panel's final recommendations to the State Water Resources Control Board, and (2) a correction to a typographic date in the draft charter. The charter and meeting schedule establish three formal panel sessions plus two public listening sessions and permit smaller working groups as needed.

Why it matters: The charter defines how the panel will operate, how the panel will record majority and minority views, and what constitutes a quorum for substantive recommendations. Staff asked the panel to aim for consensus where possible, to record minority positions in the final report and to use simple-majority votes for non-substantive procedural items.

Vote and procedural details recorded in the meeting record: - Appointment of panel chair: Dr. Daniel Geiser was nominated and approved by the panel. Panelists recorded affirmative votes during the meeting (roll-call style; recorded attendees voted yes). The meeting transcript records affirmative votes from the panel members present. - Charter approval: The panel approved the charter with the two edits described above; a motion and second were recorded and the chair appointment and charter were approved by majority of members present.

Operational highlights from the charter and staff presentation: - Quorum: At least five panel members must be present for substantive recommendations. - Decision-making: Staff proposed simple-majority votes for routine actions; substantive recommendations should seek consensus and, where consensus is not possible, include clearly documented minority opinions in final deliverables. - Meeting schedule: The panel set a near-term special data-focused meeting, a formal meeting on Oct. 1 (public listening session) and remaining meetings through mid-January, plus staff-led working groups as needed.

The panel will reconvene for a technical dataset review and public listening sessions as set out in the approved charter.