Council receives water supply update; public questions safe‑yield and Bell Canyon reserves

City staff presented the annual water supply update required by municipal code, reporting current reservoir and system capacity and projecting demand for the fiscal year. The council voted to receive the report.

During public comment, resident Mister Belt asked detailed questions about the city's water accounting. He said an updated safe‑yield analysis (prepared by West Yost, he said) indicated the city's annual safe yield could be about 1,360 acre‑feet after a 15% system loss, and he asked how a lower safe yield would affect water‑conservation phases and rate pressures.

Assistant City Manager and CIP lead Joe Leach and staff replied that Bell Canyon storage is being retained in part to assure fire flow as well as supply and that the city's formal safe‑yield report is still pending adoption; the water‑supply item presented to council did not yet incorporate a new adopted safe‑yield policy. Leach said the forthcoming safe‑yield analysis would be brought back to council after review by the water/wastewater advisory committee and other relevant groups.

Why it matters: Bell Canyon is a major local supply and is treated as part of the supply profile for both fire protection and water service. A materially lower adopted safe yield could affect how the city defines drought phases and potential rate or penalty triggers.

Council action: the council voted to receive the FY24–25 water supply update and projected demand. Council members asked staff to provide more detailed follow‑up explaining how the new safe‑yield analysis (when adopted) would affect phase declarations and rate policy.

Next steps: staff will bring the formal safe‑yield analysis through advisory committees and then to council for adoption; staff agreed to follow up with detailed written responses on the public's technical questions.