The Paso Robles area Groundwater Authority held a special meeting yesterday afternoon at the Paso Robles Culinary Arts Academy.
The meeting’s primary topic of discussion was a timeline of the rate study, and a review of the revised budget option. The rate study will follow proposition 218 when it is released, and if 50+1% of affected landowners protest the rate study, it cannot take effect.
The draft rate study will be released prior to the next regular meeting of the groundwater authority on May 28th. Board members reiterated at yesterday’s meeting that their goal is to not charge de minimis users in the cost of service rates.
For the staff-revised budget, board members agreed to keeping the cuts made by staff to the program administration items, but director Matt Turrentine of the Shandon-San Juan water district asked to have some of the potential funding restored to projects. The board proposed to increase the project budget to 1.8 million dollars each fiscal year for the next 5 years. The initial total for the first fiscal year was 625 thousand dollars, increasing to 1.3 million dollars for the final fiscal year.
The draft rate study will be procured based on these changes, and release for public review.
