Ian Buck-Macleod

The committee meeting addressed several financial and administrative matters, including the review and recommendation for the Third Quarter, Fiscal Year 2026 General Membership Call-for-Funds, and the ratification of bills paid. Discussions also covered the Budget-to-Actuals and Cash Activity Reports, the status of the ERP system implementation, and the fiscal year 2025 audit. Additionally, the committee engaged in a closed session regarding real property negotiations.

The Executive Committee meeting agenda includes the appointment and confirmation of the Water Quality Committee Chair. Discussion topics scheduled include updates on water operations, covering hydrologic conditions, reservoir storage, inflow forecasts, Delta operations, and allocations. Additionally, the committee will review the Golden Mussel strategy, including control, planning, and monitoring efforts, as well as receive updates regarding the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, covering allocation, flow targets, and salmon populations.

The agenda for the Board of Directors meeting included a Closed Session covering public employee employment (specifically the Chief Executive Officer employment agreement), conferences with legal counsel regarding six existing litigation cases, anticipated litigation, initiation of litigation, and real property negotiations concerning the Friant-Kern Canal facilities and the Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project Cost Share and Repayment Agreements. The Open Session agenda included approval of the agenda, public comment, a Consent Calendar covering approval of prior minutes (January 22, 2026), ratification of bills and acceptance of financial reports through January 31, 2026, and approval of various proposed purchases and agreement amendments. Action Items included the selection of Stantec Consulting Services Inc. for a Special Study and discussion on a proposed Board of Directors Meetings Venue Change. General Updates covered Water Operations, External Affairs Activities, O&M, San Joaquin Valley Blueprint, SLDMWA updates, and a CEO Report.

The Executive Committee meeting agenda included a Closed Session covering Public Employee Employment regarding the Chief Executive Officer's employment agreement, and multiple Conference with Legal Counsel items concerning existing litigation (including NRDC v. Rogers and several cases involving Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency and Terra Bella Irrigation District), as well as the initiation of one potential litigation matter. The Open Session agenda featured discussions on the Water Operations Update, which detailed low snowpack, Port Chicago requirement impacts, and Friant Division Class 2 allocations. Other key discussions included the Golden Mussels Strategy Update, which outlined coordination, permitting, control plan development, treatment implementation, and systematic monitoring, with a draft budget presented. Finally, an update was provided on the Revised Draft Sacramento/Delta Bay-Delta Plan, summarizing the Authority's formal comments submitted on February 2, 2026, which focused on retaining the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program, clarifying details of the Friant Voluntary Agreement, addressing flexibility brackets, incorporating Enforcement Agreements, and challenging the baseline assumptions in the SacWAM modeling.

The Finance & Human Resources Committee meeting agenda included several significant items for recommendation to the Board of Directors. Key discussions and potential actions involved reviewing and considering recommendations for purchases related to the Pump-Back Grant Project, specifically pump-rehabilitation activities and the purchase of custom switch gears. The committee also addressed the initial plan, budget, and contract actions for the Golden Mussels Strategy and Contracting to address their presence in the Friant-Kern Canal. Other topics included proposed amendments to agreements for the conveyance of recaptured water with Banta-Carbona Irrigation District and Patterson Irrigation District, the proposed purchase of a heavy-haul tractor and a dual-purpose trailer from the FY 2026 OM&R Budget, a proposed contract amendment with Villines Group, LLC to increase their monthly retainer, a request to ratify the Second Quarter, FY 2026, General Membership Call-for-Funds, and a recommendation for the Board of Directors' meeting venue change for calendar year 2026. Discussion items also covered the ERP System Implementation status and the FY 2025 Audit Status.