Dillon McGregor

The committee will review and provide recommendations regarding amendments to the Groundwater Sustainability Plan concerning land subsidence management criteria and the approach for addressing interconnected surface water. Additionally, the agenda includes an update on the timeline for the Periodic Evaluation and a report from the Program Manager covering water well ordinance updates and interbasin coordination.

The meeting included an update on the status and timeline for the Groundwater Sustainability Plan Periodic Evaluation, a review of SGM grant-funded projects, and a discussion regarding the development of a Well Mitigation Program in the Vina Subbasin. The committee made recommendations to the Board regarding the structure of the Well Mitigation Program and funding for its development in the upcoming fiscal year. Additionally, the Program Manager provided updates on the proposed budget and fees, requests for proposals for implementation support, and a vacancy for a stakeholder representative.

The committee discussed the anticipated timeline for the Periodic Evaluation of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan, reviewed the status of grant-funded projects, and deliberated on a potential Well Mitigation Program for the Vina Subbasin. The discussion included the development of an active versus a trigger-based standby framework for mitigation and the need for a comprehensive domestic well inventory.

The board meeting agenda includes consideration of a contract for Fiscal Year 2026/27 tax roll services, an update on the Vina Groundwater Sustainability Plan periodic evaluation, and a presentation on potential well mitigation programs in the Vina Subbasin. Additionally, the board will receive an update from the Financial and Administrative Systems Ad Hoc Committee, discuss scenarios for the Fiscal Year 2026/27 annual operations budget, and review program manager communications. The meeting will conclude with a closed session to discuss existing litigation and potential litigation exposure.

The board discussed the development of a Domestic Well Mitigation Program for the Vina Subbasin. Key topics included reviewing domestic well impact analyses using 2022 and 2025 datasets, examining eligibility criteria and mitigation programs used by other groundwater sustainability agencies, and considering capacity and timing for implementation. Following stakeholder recommendations, the board reached a consensus to include the intent to develop this program in the upcoming Periodic Evaluation and to dedicate funding in the 2026-2027 annual budget to initiate the planning process in early 2027.