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Council hears updates on Potter Valley Project; staff outlines water options, answers questions about recent mailer
Summary
Council members received updates on Potter Valley Project timing, possible water supply options including a proposed Cloverdale Water Supply Agreement (up to 1,500 acre-feet per year) and a conceptual Lake Sonoma second outlet; members and residents asked for more details and staff answered questions about a $430.13 mailer tied to outreach.
Cloverdale's City Council used its July 8 meeting to review ongoing developments around the Potter Valley Project and to respond to public questions about a city mailer. Council members and staff described multiple active tracks of work, emphasized that PG&E's surrender application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) was due July 29, and outlined conceptual and contractual options that Sonoma Water has presented.
A staff summary listed two options discussed by Sonoma Water: a proposed Cloverdale Water Supply Agreement that could provide up to 1,500 acre-feet per year to fill local supply gaps, and a conceptual second outlet at Lake Sonoma (a "straw" concept) that could add up to 40,000 acre-feet per year regionally by allowing re-use rather than releases to the ocean. Staff described these as conceptual and at an early stage; no purchase agreements or final commitments were adopted by the council.
A resident asked about a mailer she had received and the related cost. Council staff read a public comment from Shirley Davis, who asked who was paid and who designed the flyer; staff responded that the payment related to the mailer was $430.13, that the city designed and produced the flyer, and that the factual resources used included Sonoma Water, Sonoma County, and state and federal government sources. Staff also said the flyer had been reviewed by the council prior to use.
Council members and staff discussed possible local responses to the decommissioning timeline, including applying for state or federal grant funds. Staff noted preliminary conversations about a potential $50,000 grant for a groundwater study and a $100,000 grant to study the effects on Cloverdale of Potter Valley Project decommissioning. A council member suggested exploring wells between the airport and First Street and routing any required pipeline under a planned river trail while constructing other infrastructure.
Public commenters asked how to follow the technical materials and where to find source documents; staff directed residents to Sonoma Water and to the city's Potter Valley Project information page at cloverdale.net/pvp. No formal council action or vote was taken on the Potter Valley Project at the meeting; council members said they would seek further briefings and may place follow-up items on future agendas.
