IBCC Meeting Notes 10-18-06

• Title: Meeting Notes
• Date: 10/18/2006
• Interbasin CC - Doc Type: Meeting Notes

The IBCC conducted extensive discussions on the proposed Criteria and Guidelines for the
disburse ment of funds for basins and Roundtables from the Water Supply Reserve Account. Eric
Hecox reported that many of the changes recommended by the IBCC to the last draft had been
accepted and incorporated into the current document. However, the quantum amou nt allocated
for each basin, $1 million, had not been changed. He noted that the changes were made as part
of a compromise to leave the $1 million figure for each basin in place. He reported that some
members of the joint IBCC/CWBC Working Group are conc erned that the needs of various
basins for studies and funds are very different. Some basins have more people and demand,
others have more water. In addition, there is significant diversity of impacts and need for studies.
These members supported a basel ine allocation to each basin of $1 million as a starting figure, to
see how funds were used by basins and to allow funds for additional work to be in the State - wide
account. Others on the committee wanted to allocate more money to basins, but supported th e
final decision on allocations.

It was noted that Kathleen Curry and Carlyle Currier had written to the IBCC requesting that the
amount to basins and Roundtables be increased and requesting that a decision on the question be
deferred until the Committee’ s November meeting when each of them could attend.

The Committee held extensive discussions concerning both the amount of funds that should be
put in basin accounts and whether delaying a decision was in the best interest of basins who
wanted to get start ed on needs assessments and studies, as well as the IBCC as a whole. It was
noted that a delay until November to make a decision on the quantity to be put in basin accounts,
and possible revision of the Criteria and Guidelines, would mean that the CW CB co uld not
consider the changes until next year. Administratively, this would mean that monies could
probably not be allocated to basins until at least March of 2007 and possibly as late as May. It
was noted that if funds had not been spent, the Legislature might want to cut future funding.

With the above considerations in mind and the fact that there had been multiple discussions at
previous IBCC meetings of these issues, the joint IBCC/CWBC Working Group had reached an
agreement on recom mendations to the IBCC and CWBC, and t here was a quorum of IBCC, the
IBCC decided to approve the Water Supply Reserve Account Criteria and Guidelines with the
following provisos:

1) The IBCC approves the Water Supply Reserve Account Criteria and Guidelines as
written with the addition of terminology changes from “interbasin roundtables” to “basin
roundtables . ”

2) The IBCC and the CWCB shall consider and begin discussions prior to July of 2007
concerning the possible re - allocation and increase of funds to individual basins.
3) The $1 million allocation to each of the nine basins is a baseline number which will be
accepted for the first year of allocations. The amount allocated to basins will be open to
discussion in the future, for amendment and possible increase. The IBCC and
Roundtables will begin discussions in November of 2006 regarding the issue of a
prospective increase for future years.
4) The IBCC asks the CWBC to reconvene the Working Group t o reconsider the above
proposal s so that the CWCB can consider and approve th e changes as determined.

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