The Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency Board held a special meeting on August 19, 2024, to work out the details of transferring the administration of the UVBGSA from the West Yost consulting agency to the City of Ukiah. This is an effort to save costs and to retain local control of the agency.
In attendance were Directors Glenn McGourty representing the County of Mendocino, Vice-Chair Douglas Crane, representing the City of Ukiah, Director Adam Gaska, Agricultural Representative, Director Chris Watt, Russian River Flood Control, and Theresa McNerlin, Upper Russian River Water Agency. Director Eddie Nevarez, a Tribal Stakeholder, was absent. West Yost’s Harry Starkey currently manages the UVBGSA, assisted by Indigo Bannister. Also in attendance were Sean White, City of Ukiah, Madeline Cline, First District Supervisor-Elect, and via Zoom, Elizabeth Salomone, Technical Advisory Committee Member, Audra Bardsley, Larry Walker Associates, and Amber Fisette, County Finance Department.
The discussion focused on when and how the transition would occur. The West Yost contract expires in March 2025. The fiscal year end is June 2025. The Board wants to keep costs as low as possible. Harry Starkey’s hourly rate is close to $300 per hour, and West Yost bills approximately $4,000 to prepare for and attend each Board meeting. Sean White, already employed by the City of Ukiah as Manager of the Ukiah Valley Water Authority, covering most of the same geography as the UVBGSA, can perform the administrative duties of the GSA, with the City most likely charging less than West Yost.
Director McNerlin asked to see a written proposal with numbers from the City of Ukiah prior to approving the transition. White agreed to put together an estimate for the next Board meeting. McNerlin also questioned why the meetings are held at the County Board of Supervisors’ Chambers? She suggested that all meetings be virtual, and if not, moving them to the offices of the Willow County Water District, where a live meeting would undoubtedly cost a lot less. McGourty pointed out that it is useful to have a live meeting, especially when discussing fee assessments and budgets where members of the public may wish to attend. Bannister said that the BOS chambers is one of the most reasonably priced meeting locations in Ukiah.
McGourty wanted to confirm that White has the bandwidth to be able to prepare the annual report that the GSA needs to submit to the California Department of Water Resources. White replied, “We do mountains of compliance. I’m comfortable with that.”
Starkey agreed to put together a revised budget for administrative services through December 2024, and a proposal for West Yost’s services during the transition period, and also a separate proposal to be available as needed following the official transition to assist with issues that may arise. The post transition work would be done on a time and materials basis. Starkey said it would cost less for him to virtually attend the meetings, rather than in person, although he does not charge for travel time.
Starkey said West Yost spent a great deal of time on the budget. Post-transition, the budget and billing will be done by the City and County finance departments.
Director Crane defended the relationship with West Yost, saying, “I believe that they provide a substantial amount of value for their time. I think maintaining a relationship with them [after the official transition] would be valuable so they can provide assistance.” Starkey defended his budget, saying that “scope drift” and “budget drift” come about when any member of the Board, Ad Hoc, or Technical Advisory Committees can reach out to him with questions. Appointing one person to communicate with West Yost, would save money. McGourty replied that communication, especially from the TAC members, would get lost in translation if all questions had to funnel through one person, and it is valuable to have the members be able to ask a direct question of West Yost.
Starkey reported that the Rate and Fee Study turned out to be more work than anticipated. Bannister added that based on her experience with the County of Sonoma, adding UVBGSA fees to the property tax billing will be more time-consuming than you might think. There has to be a phone number on the tax bills that taxpayers can call and ask questions, and handling these calls is time-consuming. West Yost also built room in the budget for handling petitions in opposition to the fees from the public, and other public outreach. Another budget item is oversight of the contract with consultants Larry Walker Associates.
West Yost will come back to the October Board meeting with a proposed budget through the end of the year, and a transition budget to assist the City in taking over.
The Board then discussed and approved spending $40,000 for the initial phase of the well inventory study to be conducted by Larry Walker Associates. This is the first phase of a larger study expected to cost $250,000. The initial step, as described by a representative from LWA, is to create a database of existing information, then to identify data gaps. The well inventory is required by the California DWR in accordance with the UVBGSA’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan.
The next Board meeting will be October 10 from 10:00 am to noon.
Point of clarification- the Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency Board did not approve a contract for services with the City of Ukiah. It provided consensus to receive a proposal from the City of Ukiah for administrative services to be presented at the Board’s October meeting. The Board approved extension of the West Yost contract through June 2025 with additional funding in order to adequately cover administrative services, regardless of the potential proposal from the City of Ukiah for administrative services.
Thanks for the clarification.