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Board presses City of Ukiah on deferred invoicing and seeks stronger tribal outreach
Summary
Directors criticized a lack of quarterly billing transparency from the City of Ukiah (agency administrator) and asked staff for quarter‑by‑quarter accounting; tribal representatives urged the GSA to engage multiple tribes rather than rely on a single seat.
Board members at the Ukiah Valley GSA meeting raised sustained concerns about the administrative services transition to the City of Ukiah, deferred invoicing and the pace and scope of tribal engagement.
General Manager Blake Adams described the transition from the previous administrative provider, West Yost, to the City of Ukiah and said the city has been providing many administrative services since late February but has not yet invoiced the agency for those services. "The city of Ukiah has not yet billed the agency for its services yet," Adams said; "we are 9 months into that role. But, no, we have not submitted an invoice yet to the agency." Adams said the decision to delay invoicing was meant to manage fiscal impact during the transition and that staff have been tracking hours and expenses in internal spreadsheets.
Directors pressed for greater transparency and regular reporting. Director Crane urged that quarterly reports and periodic invoices would have provided the board with clearer visibility of the "burn rate," and Director Bailey asked for an accounting by quarter from the start of the administration. Adams committed to deliver a full, quarter‑by‑quarter report on City of Ukiah administration costs at the next board meeting in March.
Multiple directors also questioned prioritization and timelines for key projects. Director Bailey noted delays between contract authorization and contract signature for the Larry Walker work and asked why some projects appeared to lag; Adams said vendor negotiations, legal review and due diligence contributed to the timing.
Separately, public commenters representing tribal interests urged broader and faster outreach. Javier Silva, who has participated in SGMA efforts and tribal coordination, recommended using existing forums where tribes already engage on water issues and offered to help facilitate tribal conversations. Dakota Perez (Pinoleville Pomo Nation water resource specialist) said one person does not represent all tribes and asked the board to do due diligence and reach out to multiple tribal representatives rather than rely on a single contact.
The board agreed staff will provide the quarter‑by‑quarter fiscal report on administration costs and that Stantec and legal counsel will continue to work with the board on governance and tribal‑engagement approaches. Directors also asked that proposed changes to the JPA and bylaws be circulated in redline form and that member agencies be given time to consider updates through their own boards.
