Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1991-04-23 - AGENDA REPORTS - DROUGHT CMTE IMPLEMENTATION (2)AGENDA REPORT City Manager Approval Item to be,Presen d Lynn HarrisT t,¢� NEW BUSINESS DATE: April 23, 1991 SUBJECT: Drought Committee Implementation DEPARTMENT: Community Development Ordinance 91-16, known as the Drought Ordinance, was adopted by the City Council on March 13, 1991. The ordinance placed restrictions on the use of water in Santa Clarita and created a Drought Committee to oversee the conditions of the drought and the level of achievement of the goal of the ordinance, namely to reduce the overall water consumption in the city by 25%. At the study session of April 3, 1991, the Council requested that implementing, procedures be returned for action at the next available meeting. MEMBERSHIP The Drought Committee will consist of 11 members, including 5 citizen members, 5 members from the Upper Santa Clara Water Committee's member agencies, and 1 City member, who will also act as Chairperson for the Committee. The members of the committee shall be as follows: City Member: Lynn Harris, Chairperson Water Agency Members: Robert Sagehorn, Castaic Lake Water Agency Bill Manetta, Santa Clarita Water Company Dan Masnada, Valencia Water Company Jim Jenks, Newhall County Water District Gary Hartley, Los Angeles County Water District No. 36 Citizen Members: Valerie Rohrer Adopted:Item: Holly A. King Richard Green Donald Froelich Edward Redd It is recommended that the term of membership on the Drought Committee be for 12 months unless a member is reappointed by the City Council, or until Ordinance 91-16 terminates, whichever comes first. In addition, the City staff will provide support for the committee. The Public Works Department will gather information from the water agencies and prepare summary reports for presentation to the committee. The Community Development Department will provide the clerical functions required by the committee, includingthe preparation of minutes of the meetings. The members of the Committee have been advised that the provisions of the Brown Act apply to their activities, deliberations and meetings. MEETINGS The meetings of the Drought Committee will be held on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, starting at 4:30 p.m. The meetings will be public meetings, and appropriate legal notices will be provided. The first meeting will be held on May 9, 1991. The agenda for the meeting will provide for a background presentation to set the stage for the work of the committee. The presentation will include an overview of the water agencies supplying water in Santa Clarita; an introduction to the history and conditions that leadto the drought; a review of the effects of the March rains. SCOPE OF WORK The scope of work has been defined in Ordinance 91-16 and includes the following tasks: 1. to review all available data on water consumption, water supply and ground water conditions; 2. to evaluate the level of compliance with the terms of Ordinance 91-16; 3. to evaluate the level of achievement of the goal of reducing overall water consumption by 25%; 4. to make recommendations to the City Council concerning the timing of and need for implementation of future additional water restrictions.as may be developed; and 5. to make recommendations to the water purveyors in the City of Santa Clarita concerning additional measures to encourage water conservation, including but not limited to: conservation goals for individual water accounts, surcharges for excessive water use and the installation of flow restriction devices in water services. The Committee will make quarterly reports to the City Council which summarize its findings and presents such recommendations as the committee deems appropriate. The first report will be presented at the July 11, 1991 City Council meeting. Some members of the City Council has also expressed a desire that the committee take an active role in promoting the development of a comprehensive ground water management program for the City of Santa Clarita. This responsibility appears to be beyond the scope of the charge set forth in Ordinance 90-16 although with clarification from the Council it could be included in the scope of work #1 indicated above. It is thereforerequested that the City Council provide further direction concerning this item. Several other areas of interest have been expressed by some members of the City Council concerning the scope and charge of the Drought Committee. Staff feels the responsibility of the committee to carefully review and discuss the 5 areas above during the first 30 days of its operation gives the Council the opportunity to hear from the committee before amending the scope of work. The committee could be requested to make specific recommendations regarding the scope of work to the City Council in its first quarterly report. TERM OF THE COMMITTEE The Drought Committee will be dissolved with the termination of Ordinance 91-16, which is currently set for January 1, 1992. The ordinance may however be rescinded earlier or renewed by the City Council as the Council deems appropriate based.upon the condition of the California Drought. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council: 1. adopt the attached Resolution No. 91-60 implementing the Drought Committee; 6 2. provide direction concerning the Drought Committee's role and responsibility regarding the issue of groundwater management. ATTACHMENTS Resolution No. 91-60 RESOLUTION NO. 91-60 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA IMPLEMENTING THE DROUGHT COMMITTEE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ORDINANCE NO: 91-16 WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Ordinance 91-16 which established the Drought Committee; and WHEREAS, the City Council appointed five citizen members of the Drought Committee; and NOW, THEREFORE BE IT. RESOLVED, that the City of Santa Clarita declares that the Drought Committee be implemented as follows: 1. The membership of the Committee shall consist of 5 citizen members, one member from each water agency belonging to the Upper Santa Clara Water Committee, and one member from the staff of the City of Santa Clarita, who shall also serve as the Chairperson for the committee. 2. The initial members of the committee shall be as follows: City.Member: Lynn Harris, Chairperson Water Agency Members: Robert Sagehorn, Castaic Lake Water Agency Bill Manetta, Santa Clarita Water Company Dan Masnada, Valencia Water Company Jim Jenks, Newhall County Water District Gary Hartley, Los Angeles County Water District No. 36 Citizen Members: Valerie Rohrer Holly A. King Richard Green Donald Froelich Edward Redd 3. The term of the members of the .Drought Committee shall be for 12 months, unless reappointed by City Council, or until the termination of the Drought Committee, whichever comes first. 4. The meetings of the Drought Committee shall be Public Meetings, duly noticed, and conducted on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 4:30 p.m., and at such other dates and times as the Drought Committee shall deem necessary and appropriate. 5. The scope of responsibilities of the Drought Committee shall be as specified;in Section 9.38.010 of Ordinance 91-16. 6. That the Drought Committee shall make quarterly reports to the City Council of its findings and recommendations. 7. The. term of the Drought Committee shall end with the termination of Ordinance 91-16. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this day of 1991. ATTEST: CITY CLERK STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss CITY OF SANTA CLARITA ) I, Donna Grindey, City Clerk of the City of Santa Clarita, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 91-60 was duly adopted and passed on the day of 1991 by the following vote: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS NOES: ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS CITY CLERK