Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Groundwater Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Madera council backs proportional approach and asks staff to seek 1% initial DWMP share
Summary
Council gave staff direction Aug. 20 to pursue a proportional cost‑sharing approach to the Groundwater Sustainability Agencies' Domestic Well Mitigation Program and signaled support for recognizing a 1% initial city share for the first year, with a plan to revisit the allocation within a year.
The Madera City Council on Aug. 20 directed staff to pursue a proportional cost‑sharing approach among Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) for a Domestic Well Mitigation Program (DWMP) required by the Groundwater Sustainability Plan and signaled acceptance of staff's recommendation to recognize an initial 1 percent city share for the first year.
Director of Engineering Keith (named in the meeting) summarized the DWMP purpose and mechanics: when completed the program would provide temporary drinking water and up to $35,000 toward drilling a new private well, and it would remain in effect until the subbasin attains sustainability (target 2040). Staff presented consultant tables showing a range of cost distributions based on modeled net recharge, which put the county and irrigation district at the majority of first‑year capital responsibility and the city at roughly 2 percent under the consultant's baseline.
Keith said the city favors recognizing completed projects and rounding to the nearest whole percent, which staff believed would justify a 1 percent recognition for the city initially. He described a backlog of roughly 220 previously reported dry wells in the subbasin and model projections of several hundred additional dry wells over five years; staff recommended including administrative cost participation for an initial term and revisiting the share after one year rather than locking in a five‑year allocation.
Council members pressed on operational details — who reviews eligibility, whether $35,000 will cover well replacement costs in practice, and how temporary water deliveries will be provided. Keith cautioned that $35,000 is generally intended toward drilling and may not cover all ancillary costs (pumps, electrical, laterals) and that eligibility will require careful verification.
Council gave staff general guidance (thumbs up) to pursue the proportional approach, negotiate an initial 1 percent city share for the first year, remain flexible on funding timing and mechanism, and return with a formal agreement after public comment and refinement. The council subsequently moved to formalize the direction and approved the motion unanimously.
