Mayor Hamon and Councilmember Beal named to Joint Powers Agreement Board as first meeting set for April 7
PASO ROBLES — The Paso Robles City Council has taken another step into managing the region’s groundwater by approving the appointment of Mayor John Hamon to the JPA Board and Councilmember Kris Beal as an Alternate. They also agreed to authorize the County to handle administrative tasks and call the first JPA meeting until staff is appointed.
During the Tuesday, April 1 City Council meeting, Councilman Chris Bausch was absent, allowing for four councilmembers to unanimously approve the next step in managing the City’s groundwater.
Managing the City’s groundwater was a very controversial subject during the March 4 City Council meeting, where the Paso Robles City Council voted 4-1 to join a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) to manage the Paso Robles Groundwater Sub-Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan. Despite significant public opposition, the council authorized Interim City Manager Chris Huot to sign one of two JPA versions, which the San Miguel Community Services District declined to join. The JPA would create the Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority, a legal entity overseeing groundwater management under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
Councilmember Chris Bausch opposed the agreement, advocating for a city-managed authority and expressing concerns that the JPA would unfairly burden small farmers while large water users went unchecked. He suggested alternative solutions, such as capturing stormwater and revising water regulations. However, his motion to table the decision failed.
The full story on that meeting can be found at pasoroblespress.com/news/government/city-of-paso-robles/city-council-moves-forward-with-joint-powers-agreement-for-groundwater-management/
Under JPA Section 6.1, each agency must appoint an elected official as its primary representative, with an alternate designated under Section 6.2. While the JPA does not specify term lengths, the City Council reviews appointments after each municipal election, typically every two years. The JPA’s meeting schedule remains undecided, and Board members will not receive stipends.
There was a concern from one Templeton resident who heard the first JPA meeting was scheduled to be held in San Luis Obispo. However, the first board meeting, scheduled for April 7, will be held in the Paso Robles City Council Chambers. Since no staff or officers exist yet, Brown Act notices and administrative tasks will need to be arranged.
Former Councilmember and current Planning Commissioner Sharon Roden spoke at the Tuesday night meeting as a resident in favor of the JPA.
Roden felt that the JPA would lead to irrigation efficiency, alternating crops that use less water, and a reduction of water by large pumpers, which would allow more water to be available in the basin as a whole.
“It is true that courts have not declared an overdraft in our basin, but the state has done so,” said Roden. “We can debate how much we are in decline, but the facts are that diminishing groundwater levels have created dry wells. Call it what you want, but it’s a problem. Having the JPA is the most cost-efficient and effective tool, and it will still be given limited authority by the GSA’s.”
Counicilmember Steve Gregory agreed with Roden, saying, “I believe that this is the best way to go.”
Ultimately, the four councilmembers unanimously approved to appoint Mayor John Hamon as the City’s representative to the JPA Board of Directors and appoint Councilmember Kris Beal as the City’s Alternate to the JPA Board of Directors as well as Authorize the County to take necessary administrative actions in connection with the formation of the JPA, including but not limited to the administrative tasks identified in this Report, calling the first meeting of the JPA and providing the appropriate Brown Act notice of such meeting, until the JPA appoints staff and officers.
According to staff’s report, Mayor Hamon and Councilmember Beal are currently appointed to the Paso Basin Cooperative Committee (PBCC) and are familiar with the GSP and needs of the City GSA.
The next Paso Robles City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 15 at 6 p.m.
