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News Blog

Seaside, Del Rey Oaks, Monterey Join Water JPA

The cities of Seaside, Del Rey Oaks and Monterey have joined Carmel-by-the-Sea, Sand City and Pacific Grove in the new Monterey Peninsula Regional Water Authority.

The JPA, hatched by the six Peninsula mayors, may fill the vacuum of the now-defunct Regional Desalination Project.

On Wednesday, Jan. 25, the Monterey City Council voted 4-1 to join the JPA. The vote also included conditions proposed by Councilwoman Libby Downey:

1) That the first JPA meeting include consideration of a tech advisory committee, which will to put together a white paper outlining options for an initial focus, including funding. Effort should be made to avoid overlap of effort and costs by local agencies like the Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency and the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District.

2) Appoint an interim, three-member management team be made up of the general managers of MPWMD, MRWPCA and one city manager. The interim team will function for 3-6 months or until a permanent staff is developed, working with the chair and vice-chair of new JPA to develop agendas and staff reports.

Councilwoman Nancy Selfridge dissented, saying she wasn't happy with the process of the JPA formation.

Two days earler, on Jan. 23, the Seaside City Council voted 4-1 in favor of the joint powers authority at a special meeting. But some of the concerns aired by council members echoed those raised in Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea, which approved the JPA earlier this month.

Like Downey in Monterey, Seaside Mayor Felix Bachofner plans to write a letter to the other members of the mayors' group outlining those concerns. Carmel Mayor Sue McCloud also wrote a letter along those lines after her city's approval.

Del Rey Oaks' Jan. 24 approval was unanimous.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the Regional Project's failure, the California Public Utilities Commission ordered California American Water to come up with a new water plan by March.