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City Council Meeting April 11, 2021 Santa Monica, California
RESOLUTION NUMBER 11516 (CCS)
(CITY COUNCIL SERIES)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA
MONICA AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO APPOINT THE
CITY’S ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVE TO SERVE ON THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE SANTA MONICA BASIN
GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY
WHEREAS, on September 16, 2014, the Sustainable Groundwater
Management Act (“SGMA”) (Water Code sections 10720 et seq.) was signed into
law by the Governor to provide sustainable management of groundwater by
providing local groundwater agencies with the authority to sustainably manage
groundwater through the adoption of Groundwater Sustainability Plans; and
WHEREAS, Water Code Section 10723(a) authorizes local agencies with
water supply, water management or land use responsibilities overlying a
groundwater basin to elect to become a Groundwater Sustainability Agency
(“GSA”) to manage groundwater within the basin; and
WHEREAS, the Santa Monica Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency
(“SMBGSA”) was formed in 2017 by the City of Santa Monica (“City”), the City of
Los Angeles acting through its Department of Water and Power (“LADWP”), the
City of Beverly Hills (“Beverly Hills”), the City of Culver City (“Culver City”), and Los
Angeles County (each, “a Party,” and collectively, the “Parties”) as local agencies
qualified to become a GSA as agencies that either supplies water, manages water,
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or has land use responsibilities over a portion of the Santa Monica Groundwater
Basin (Basin Number 4-11.01 DWR Bulletin 118) (“Basin”), a DWR-designated
medium-priority basin; and
WHEREAS, the Parties formed the SMBGSA through a Memorandum of
Understanding (“MOU”), effective October 17, 2017, to manage the Santa Monica
Groundwater Basin (“Basin”); and
WHEREAS, in accordance with Section 4.1 of the MOU, each Party shall
appoint one representative (“Party Representative”) to participate in the
SMBGSA on its behalf; and
WHEREAS, each Party may appoint an alternate representative
(“Alternate Representative”) in case of the Party Representative's absence or
inability to act; and
WHEREAS, and each Party may replace its Party Representative or
Alternate Representative at any time upon providing notice to the other Parties;
and
WHEREAS, the SMBGSA shall be represented by a five-member Board of
Directors (the “Board”), and each board member shall be appointed in accordance
with Section 4.1 of the MOU; and
WHEREAS, the Board will have both decision-making and advisory
responsibilities pertaining to groundwater management in SMBGSA, which DWR has
designated as a medium priority basin under SGMA; and
WHEREAS, SGMA requires that the Basin be managed under a
groundwater sustainability plan (GSP) by January 31, 2022; and
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WHEREAS, the City Council authorized either the Party Representative
(City Manager) or the Alternate Representative (Water Resources Manager) on
December 7, 2021, acting in the capacity of Board member, to approve the GSP,
subject to any minor amendments approved by the GSA Board, and act on behalf
of the City in the GSA; and
WHEREAS, Council has determined that it would be prudent to designate
a second Alternate Representative in the event that the Water Resources Manager
is either unable to attend a SMBGSA meeting or called upon to provide technical
advice in the event of any current or future litigation involving the SMBGSA.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA
MONICA DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The above recitals are true and correct.
SECTION 2. The City of Santa Monica City Manager is able to designate
a second Alternate Representative in the event that the Water Resources Manager
is not available or called upon to provide technical advice in the event of any
current or future litigation involving the SMBGSA.
SECTION 3. Either the Party Representative or an Alternative
Representative, acting in the capacity of Board member, is authorized to represent
the City in the SMBGSA.
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SECTION 4. The Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, and
thenceforth the same shall be in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
__________________
DOUGLAS SLOAN
City Attorney
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Adopted and approved this 11th day of April 2023.
__________________________
Gleam Davis, Mayor
I, Maria Dacanay, Acting City Clerk of the City of Santa Monica, do hereby certify
that Resolution No. 11516 (CCS) was duly adopted at a meeting of the Santa Monica
City Council held on the 11th day of April 2023, by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Brock, de la Torre, Torosis, Zwick
Mayor Pro Tem Negrete, Mayor Davis
NOES: None
ABSENT: Councilmember Parra
ATTEST:
_____________________________________
Maria Dacanay, Acting City Clerk
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