Staff reported true-up collections just under $5M, with about $2M outstanding and 70 accounts headed to county tax rolls. July 14 minutes were deferred (not distributed) to September. Staff previewed targeted Version 4 Rules and Regulations cleanup edits headed to the board. Growers were reminded cover cropping and fallowing must be re-reported for 2026 by Sept. 30.
Groundwater use fees were adopted for FY 2026-2027 / current reporting period (Nov 1, 2025–Oct 31, 2026), with Category 3 rising to $316.94/AF above 1.6 AF/acre. The board authorized unpaid fees to go on county tax rolls and reviewed draft meter/electrical/recharge guidelines; staff will refine them.
Non-payment notices were sent to 71 accounts; most invoices are due by end of July, with some corrected invoices due August 9, and unpaid amounts may be added to the county tax roll. Staff reviewed draft meter/electrical guidelines (0.81 factor; 5-year meter calibration; 3-year pump tests). Staff recommended shifting MLRP timing by potentially deferring earthwork-heavy basin work and potentially advancing vegetative projects to reduce March 2027 grant risk.
Board approved the FY 2026/27 Projects & Management Actions budget (~$12M), including $7.7M for TID transitional water, and agreed to revisit cash flow in Sept. 2026. Three fee appeals were decided; staff noted a standing-trees/fallow policy gap and intends to bring rule updates. $1.9M remains unpaid across 92 accounts; unpaid invoices may go to the tax roll after July 30.
Staff discussed proposed guidelines for using electrical meter data in groundwater-use estimates, including annual pump efficiency tests each July–September starting in 2026, and planned an outreach notice next week. Recharge credit estimation would phase from soil-based estimates (2025) to improved methods over ~3 years. Staff reviewed a draft FY 2026/2027 budget with ~$9M revenue and a proposed $2.5M transitional water prepayment for board review.
