1. A pumping-based groundwater system was discussed, not adopted. Staff said Tule Subbasin coordination may eventually move groundwater accounting from evapotranspiration (ET) consumption toward actual pumping. Under the example discussed, a grower pumping 100 acre-feet would be charged for the full 100 under a pumping-based system, rather than only the portion counted as consumed under the current approach. Staff estimated that Vandalia’s current safe-yield figure of 0.15 acre-feet per acre could correspond to approximately 0.27 acre-feet per acre of pumped water under a future system. That is a hypothetical equivalent, not an adopted allocation increase. A director asked to see proposed policy language well ahead of any decision.
2. The initial 2027 budget has a $71,934 gap and will be revised. Initial proposed expenses total $951,059, up 15.16% from FY 2026, against projected revenue of $879,125. A director suggested that a water-rate increase of about $35 per acre-foot could close the initial gap without building reserves; no rate change was approved. The draft assumes $42,940 in electricity savings with both solar facilities operating for half a year. Staff will revisit that assumption because one installation may require a transformer upgrade and a review of its power-purchase agreement pricing. The board did not adopt the budget; staff will bring revisions back in November.
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