GSA general manager previews annual report, desktop water‑system survey and demand‑management workshops; minutes adopted

The Groundwater Sustainability Agency’s general manager delivered a status report at the board meeting, saying there were no action items but several items the board should track, including a fast‑track annual report due April 1 and planned public workshops on demand management.

"Again, we don't have any action items to consider today," the General Manager said, and warned that much of the coming budget relies on grant funding "that’s not gonna last forever," creating the risk of ongoing program costs once grants end.

The manager described an upcoming desktop survey to review existing domestic small systems "outside of the city of Greenfield's boundary" but within the Arroyo Seco management area to evaluate potential consolidation. He emphasized that the task "is not really a study of groundwater quality" but a survey of small system records to identify options for consolidation.

The report covered changes discussed at the Salinas Valley Basin GSA board meeting, where staff corrected omissions in the proposed work plan during that meeting. The General Manager said he has worked to ensure implementation‑subcommittee comments were incorporated into the annual report narrative, including references to last year’s cold irrigation season and discrepancies between reported pumping and available hydrogeologic data.

On project framing, the General Manager said he edited draft language to move the California Sustainable Infrastructure Project (CSIP) discussion into a broader "reservoir release" context to include flood releases, conservation releases and recharge so the material better fits the forebay discussion.

The board was briefed on demand‑management planning and outreach. The Salinas Valley Basin GSA will run a series of workshops intended to present demand‑management concepts and collect public input; the General Manager listed scheduled sessions beginning April 12 in Castroville, April 19 in Gonzales, May 3 in Greenfield City, May 10 in King City and May 11 in Salinas and encouraged signups.

Tom Versik, a public commenter, urged board members and implementation committee participants to attend at least one session and noted the facilitator and consultant team will tailor content to different areas. "They will be recorded," Versik said, and "they will be somewhat tailored, perhaps more than somewhat tailored to the different areas." He also identified Dave Cepos as the facilitator and noted Cepos' regional experience with demand‑management work.

Procedurally the board approved the consent calendar, including adoption of the minutes from Feb. 27, 2024, after a motion and second and a recorded voice vote of 'Aye' by attendees; the chair announced "Minutes are adopted." The meeting adjourned with no further business.

The board received the status report for information and scheduled outreach and workshop signups are available on the Salinas Valley Basin GSA website; no formal board direction or binding actions beyond the consent vote were recorded at the meeting.