Paso Robles council approves joint groundwater authority after lengthy public hearing

The City of Paso Robles on March 4 approved a joint-powers agreement (JPA) to create the Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority, authorizing the interim city manager to sign either a four- or five-party version of the contract. The vote was 4-1: Council members Gregory, Beal and Strong and Mayor Mary Hammond voted yes; Council member Chris Bausch voted no.

The JPA formalizes long-running cooperation among the five locally designated Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) that cover the Paso Robles subbasin to implement the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) required by the state'level Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Utilities Director Christopher Luckle presented the agreement and said the authority would handle administrative tasks, regulatory compliance, and specific GSP implementation actions delegated by member GSAs.

Why it matters: SGMA requires local agencies to end chronic groundwater declines or risk state intervention. The JPA is designed to create a single governance body to manage implementation, share technical and legal costs among pumpers and agencies, and adopt extraction-based fees to pay for monitoring, demand management and potential projects.

Key points from staff and council discussion

- Scope and limits: The authority…