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Stakeholders press board on SIGMA fee reporting and temporary internal loan; staff expects May reporting to clarify finances
Summary
Participants pressed staff about a loan used to bridge SIGMA program staffing costs and asked what happens if expenses exceed revenues; staff said the loan is internal and temporary and that the first SIGMA reports arrive May 1, with possible fee adjustments after review and at the June meeting.
Stakeholders pressed State Water Resources Control Board staff for clarity about the fiscal future of the SIGMA Enforcement Unit and a loan intended to support the program while reporting data arrives.
At the stakeholder meeting, a participant identified as Bob asked whether staff had planned for the SIGMA unit’s fiscal future, including revenue flow and staffing levels, and what would happen if expenses exceeded revenues. David Rose, a staff speaker, responded that the loan is an internal measure to ensure staff continue to be paid and that staff expect incoming reporting to provide necessary data. “We are trying with the loan to simply make sure that we can pay the staff who are doing the work that are supposed to be paid for through the sigma fees,” Rose said, adding that staff hope not to rely on the loan once reporting and fees are clear.
A staff speaker identified by initials as AB emphasized that the loan was “never intended to be anything more than… an internal loan to make sure that the work continues” while reporting data becomes available. Natalie Stork, director of the board’s Office of Sustainable Groundwater Management, said the agency will receive its first round of SIGMA reporting on May 1, and that staff will evaluate the data and potentially propose updates to SIGMA fees at the June meeting. “Since the board designated basins probationary for the first time, we’ve noticed an unexpectedly high workload associated with requests for exclusion from reporting and fees,” Stork said; she added staff have no formal proposal yet but expect to have one in June if warranted by the new data.
Stakeholders, including Steve Hogan of the Kings River Water Association, pressed staff for details about how percent changes in the budget might translate to actual fee bills and for a detailed breakout of prior‑year expenses and position counts. Staff said they will provide those expense breakdowns and updated fee estimates once May reporting and revised budget letters are processed.
The key near‑term milestone is incoming SIGMA reporting on May 1 and a follow‑up discussion at the June 12 stakeholder meeting; staff encouraged stakeholders to share input in the meantime.
