The committee approved April 2 minutes and received April financial reports. Staff presented an FY 2027 amended budget shifting roughly one-third of executive staff costs to Tier Two subbasin funds, with total revenue and expenditures unchanged at $4.5 million. R1 and R2 grants are closed, with reimbursements pending; MLRP remains open. Staff outlined a possible $300,000–$400,000 year-end reserve transfer, subject to final figures and board approval.
At its May 15 special meeting, the Advisory Committee discussed three groundwater project portfolios and the costs of hypothetical pumping cuts. Staff planned further modeling of a modified smaller BGR portfolio and a mix of lower-cost measures, plus a combined-cost analysis of Portfolio 1. Members debated seawater-intrusion targets, recharge and funding. No portfolio or funding was approved. The committee approved the April 29 minutes; its next regular meeting is scheduled for June 18.
The board discussed selecting a preferred project portfolio by August 2026, and staff said a follow-up response to DWR is targeted for September 15 under a requested extension. Only the Brackish Groundwater Restoration Project meets the seawater intrusion minimum threshold in modeling, with ~$1B in estimated capital costs. Affordability concerns dominated discussion. The board directed staff not to use Tier 1 reserves, with formal fee approval expected at the June 11 meeting.
The committee reviewed three groundwater study areas, with individual capital estimates from $32 million for a limited, 18-well Castroville expansion to $1.4 billion. The $951 million brackish project was the strongest studied seawater-intrusion option, but its $3,321-per-acre-foot unit cost raised affordability concerns. Staff plan to bring portfolios May 15; an alliance is independently modeling a possible threshold change. The committee approved corrected April 16 minutes.
Water year 2025 brought the Monterey Subbasin’s first seawater-intrusion undesirable result: chloride exceeded 500 mg/L near Marina Coast wells. The Advisory Committee will review project portfolios for August board consideration; members questioned $4,000–$6,000 per acre-foot, with funding unresolved. Draft GSP amendments are planned for August and 90 days of public review. Both GSA boards will be involved before planned submission after the January 2027 board meeting.
