The proposed rate charge for the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin failed to pass.
On Friday’s special meeting for the Paso Robles Groundwater Authority, the protest ballots against the rates were counted. Over 50% of impacted parcels submitted protests.
The fees were initially proposed to bring the basin into compliance with the state’s sustainable groundwater management act, with the rates funding SGMA compliance practices. Farmers would have paid between $58.71 and $73.12 per acre foot of water for the next five years, and commercial groundwater users would have paid between $28.65 and $35.55 per acre foot.
However, the authority will consider funding alternatives. Among the three proposed from staff, they are recommending to follow the proposition 26 process to levy fees on basin pumpers without permission from property owners. A special meeting will be held in mid August to discuss these fees.
Friday’s meeting was also interrupted online, as multiple individuals joined the Zoom call and began drawing swastikas, racial slurs, and other inappropriate images on the screen.
The online portion of the meeting was no longer broadcast as a result of this intrusion.
