The Ukiah Valley Water Authority, a newly formed entity resulting from the consolidation of several water districts, recently held a special meeting to kickstart its operations on April 2, 2024. Led by Chair Adam Gaska and Vice Chair Jerry Cardoza, the committee gathered to establish its structure and plans for the future, with legal guidance from Phil Williams. Proponents argue the formation of the UVWA marks a significant step towards improving water security in the region.
UVWA is the result of Millview and Redwood Valley County Water Districts consolidating with the City of Ukiah’s Water Agency. The Executive Committee is composed of two members from each district: Douglas Crane and Juan Orozco from the City of Ukiah, Jerry Cardoza and Tim Prince from Millview, and Adam Gaska and Tom Schoeneman from Redwood Valley.
Attorney Phil Williams provided counsel throughout the special meeting to ensure that the Committee understood the legal guidelines. Also participating were attorney David Rapport, Ukiah Director of Water Resources Sean White, Millview and Redwood Valley General Manager Jared Walker, and Kristine Lawler, Ukiah City Clerk.
Adam Gaska was elected Committee Chair, with Jerry Cardoza Vice Chair. Sean White will be Secretary, with the decisions about Treasurer and Alternates being tabled for a future meeting. A majority of 4 out of 6 members is required for a quorum. If one of the two members of an agency is absent, the other member may vote by proxy for both.
UVWA will contract with the City of Ukiah for staffing and operating and management services. This will be effective January 1, 2025. White said, “We have already been working together. During the interim period between now and January 1, we will start shadowing each other in each direction.” Ukiah, Redwood Valley, and Millview staff will learn about each other’s operations. Walker said, “The next 6 to 9 months will be pretty intensive in terms of cross-training.”
White gave an update on the consolidation through the SAFER program, designed to bring water security to small communities. UVWA is working with water engineering consulting firm Carollo to guide the agency through the grant funding process at the Department of Water Resources’ Department of Financial Assistance.
White said, “It appears that a lot of SAFER money has been protected,” and that this project is high priority for SAFER. There had been concerns expressed at prior Redwood Valley County Water District meetings that the grant money might expire, but for now it looks promising. There are two grants needed: the planning grant that funds design, engineering, specifications, and CEQA; and second, the construction grant. Carollo will help UVWA apply for both grants. The details on this will be discussed at the next meeting.
The web site for the UVWA has a list of frequently asked questions and information about the agency.
The next meeting will be on May 7 at 5:00 pm.
