The Yuba County Water Agency board unanimously waived the annual 2.5% surface-water rate increase for member units at its July 7 meeting, according to the agency’s draft minutes and agenda packet, while also continuing emergency contracting authority for the ongoing Colgate Penstock response.
Staff told the board the rate waiver was tied to anticipated delivery shortfalls from the penstock failure and the added cost of substitute groundwater pumping for the member units. The agenda packet said the maximum fiscal impact of waiving the increase was estimated at $21,395.25, based on 237,725 acre-feet, though the actual effect was expected to be lower because shortages were anticipated.
The member units covered by the request were Brophy Water District, Browns Valley Irrigation District, Cordua Irrigation District, Dry Creek Mutual Water Company, Hallwood Irrigation Company, Ramirez Water District, South Yuba Water District and Wheatland Water District, the packet said.
At the same meeting, the board also unanimously continued emergency contracting under Public Contract Code section 22050 for Colgate Penstock repairs. The draft minutes said the Colgate incident remained the agency’s central operational issue and that debris removal work at the Colgate powerhouse tailrace had progressed, with final cleaning and flushing still underway.
The board met first at the Yuba County Government Center Board Chambers in Marysville and then reconvened at Yuba Water Agency headquarters on F Street for closed session on litigation and employee performance evaluations, according to the agenda notice.
July 7 agenda packet summary and draft minutes support the board actions and fiscal figures.
