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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-03-12 UVBGSA MinutesPage 1 of 4 UKIAH VALLEY BASIN GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY Special Meeting Mendocino County Board of Supervisors Chamber 501 Low Gap Road, Ukiah, CA 95482 Virtual Meeting Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86074412428 Ukiah, CA 95482 March 12, 2026 1:00 p.m. 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (UVBGSA/GSA) met at a Special Meeting on March 12, 2026, having been legally noticed on March 6, 2026. The meeting was held in person and virtually at the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86074412428. Chair Cline called the meeting to order at 1:03 p.m. Roll was taken with the following Directors Present: Adam Gaska, Ag Representative, John Bailey, Russian River Flood Control (RRFC) District; Douglas F. Crane, City of Ukiah; and Madeline Cline, County of Mendocino. Director Absent: Eddie Nevarez, Tribal Representative. Staff Present: Maya Simerson, Acting General Manager and Kristine Lawler, Clerk. Also Present: Jonathan Weldon, Legal Counsel - Kronick Moskovitz Tiedmann & Girard (KMTG). CHAIR CLINE PRESIDING. 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Presenter: Chair Cline. Motion/Second: Gaska/Bailey to approve the agenda. Motion carried by the following roll call votes: AYES: Gaska, Bailey, Crane, and Cline. NOES: None. ABSENT: Nevarez. ABSTAN: None. 3. AUDIENCE COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS No public comments were received. 4. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS a. Discussion and Possible Action Related to the Appointment of the Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency General Manager to Perform the Administrative Services per the Professional Services Agreement with the City of Ukiah. Presenter: Maya Simerson, Acting General Manager. Public Comment: Javier Silva. Motion/Second: Gaska/Bailey to approve the appointment of Maya Simerson as the General Manager of the Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency to perform the Administrative Services per the Professional Services Agreement (2526-001) with the City of Ukiah. Motion carried by the following roll call votes: AYES: Gaska, Bailey, Crane, and Cline. NOES: None. ABSENT: Nevarez. ABSTAN: None. Groundwater Sustainability Agency Minutes for March 12, 2026, Continued: Page 2 of 4 b. Receive Financial Report for Fiscal Year to Date of 2025/2026. Presenter: Maya Simerson, General Manager. No public comment was received. Report was received. c. Discussion and Possible Action Related to the Appointment of Two Board Members to Serve on an Ad Hoc Budget Committee to Work with the General Manager on Development of the FY 2026/2027 Budget and Related Financial Planning Matters. Presenter: Maya Simerson, General Manager. No public comment was received. Motion/Second: Crane/Gaska to appoint Member Gaska and Member Bailey to serve on the Ad Hoc Budget Committee to work with the General Manager on development and preliminary review of the FY 2026/2027 budget, with the committee to dissolve upon adoption of the final budget unless otherwise directed by the Board. Motion carried by the following roll call votes: AYES: Gaska, Bailey, Crane, and Cline. NOES: None. ABSENT: Nevarez. ABSTAN: None. d. Provide Water Year 2025 GSP Annual Report Results and Request Approval for Staff to Submit to DWR Pending any Requested Revisions from the Board. Presenters: Audra Bardsley, Larry Walker Associates and Maya Simerson, General Manager. Public Comment: Sean White. A PowerPoint presentation was given and an update was received. Motion/Second: Gaska/Bailey to authorize staff to submit the report to DWR pending any requested revisions from the Board, and to include direction to Staff to have conversations with DWR over the next couple of months. Motion carried by the following roll call votes: AYES: Gaska, Bailey, Crane, and Cline. NOES: None. ABSENT: Nevarez. ABSTAN: None. e. Receive Update from Larry Walker Associates on California Department of Fish & Wildlife Grant Funded Upper Russian River Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem and Interconnected Surface Water Study. Presenter: Audra Bardsley, Larry Walker Associates. No public comment was received. Update was received. f. Authorization for Chair to Execute Amendment No. 1 to the Professional Services Agreement with Larry Walker Associates in the Revised Total Amount Not to Exceed $347,000. Presenters: Maya Simerson, General Manager and/or Audra Bardsley, Larry Walker Associates. No public comment was received. Groundwater Sustainability Agency Minutes for March 12, 2026, Continued: Page 3 of 4 Motion/Second: Gaska/Bailey to authorize the Chair of the Board to execute Amendment No. 1 to the Professional Services Agreement (2526-002-A1) with Larry Walker Associates (LWA) to provide additional technical services in support of the Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP). Motion carried by the following roll call votes: AYES: Gaska, Bailey, Crane, and Cline. NOES: None. ABSENT: Nevarez. ABSTAN: None. g. Consideration Authorization of the Chair to Negotiate and Execute the Hansford Economic Consulting Fee Setting Services Contract with a Two-Year Term and Three One-Year Options, and Discuss Annual Development of the Groundwater Sustainability Fee Finder Web Map. Presenter: Maya Simerson, General Manager. No public comment was received. Board Direction to Staff to explore options as discussed. (2526-003) with Hansford Economic Consulting for an extended term and to renew the Groundwater Sustainability Fee Finder Web Map. Motion carried by the following roll call votes: AYES: Gaska, Bailey, Crane, and Cline. NOES: None. ABSENT: Nevarez. ABSTAN: None. h. Consideration and Possible Approval of City of Ukiah Invoices for FY2024/2025 and Direction on Payment for Services Processes. Presenter: Maya Simerson, General Manager. Public Comment: Amber Fissett, County of Mendocino. Board Direction to Staff on the processes for payment of services, and to make arrangements for an annual audit. Motion/Second: Gaska/Bailey to pay the invoice of $31,895.51 and moving forward to get a quarterly bill based on the $83,366 flat fee, and to include the project code tracking staff member hours. Motion carried by the following roll call votes: AYES: Gaska, Bailey, Crane, and Cline. NOES: None. ABSENT: Nevarez. ABSTAN: None. 5. CONSENT CALENDAR a. Approval of the Minutes for the December 15, 2025, GSA Special Meeting. Recommended Action: Approve the Minutes for the December 15, 2026, GSA Regular Meeting. b. Consideration and Possible Approval Related to the Appointment of Replacement Members to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Representing the City of Ukiah and the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District. Recommended Action: Accept the recommendations of the City of Ukiah and the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District to appoint Jared Walker and Erin Formaker. c. Authorize the Chair to Negotiate and Execute an Agreement with the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District to Perform Grant Funded Work Towards the Upper Russian River Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem and Interconnected Surface Water Study in an Amount not to Exceed $30,000. Recommended Action: Authorize the Chair to negotiate and execute the agreement (2526- 004) with the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District to perform grant funded work Groundwater Sustainability Agency Minutes for March 12, 2026, Continued: Page 4 of 4 towards the Upper Russian River Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem and Interconnected Surface Water Study in an amount not to exceed $30,000. d. Authorize the Chair, or Designee, to Execute the FPPC Form 602 and Any Associated Documents in Support of the Small GSA Coalition. Recommended Action: 1. Authorize the Chair or designee to execute the FPPC Form 602 designating PPG to lobby on behalf of the Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency effective February 1, 2026. 2. Direct PPG to prepare and submit the quarterly FPPC Form 635 Lobbyist Employer Reports on behalf of the Agency. Motion/Second: Crane/Gaska to approve the Consent Calendar item 5a-d, as submitted. Motion carried by the following roll call votes: AYES: Gaska, Bailey, Crane, and Cline. NOES: None. ABSENT: Nevarez. ABSTAN: None. 6. STAFF AND PARTNER UPDATES a. Updates from General Manager. Presenter: Maya Simerson, General Manager. Member Directive to Staff to post agendas and meeting dates, including specific meeting links and/or PDFs, on the UVBGSA primary website. No public comment was received. Updates were received. 7. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND SET NEXT MEETING DATE a. Discussion and Consideration of Future Agenda Items and Scheduling of Next Meeting Date with Meeting to be Held at the County of Mendocino, Board of Supervisors Chamber, 501 Low Gap Rd., Ukiah, CA 95482, at 1:00 p.m. Presenter: Chair Cline No public comment was received. Member Consensus to hold the next regular meeting on the scheduled date of June 11, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at the County offices. Member Consensus to schedule the remainder calendar dates for the year:  August 13, 2026  November 12, 2026 8. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 2:40 a.m. _______________________________ Madeline Cline, Chair ATTEST: ________________________________ Kristine Lawler, Clerk Madeline Cline (Jun 12, 2026 10:04:12 PDT) Madeline Cline