GROUNDWATER: Initiative

way revenues generated from groundwater-substitution transfers are distributed throughout the county. (When farmers and entities sell water they can claim through surface water rights, and then pump groundwater to make up for the difference, that’s referred to as groundwater-substitution transfers.)

As it currently stands, the agency and water pumpers are benefiting from transfers. Under Mathews’ initiative, Yuba County residents and other local agencies would get a chunk of the revenues as well.

Mathews submitted a similar initiative to the agency in 2016, but the agency did not write a title or summary – necessary for the issue to have made it on the ballot – over legal issues. The agency maintained that the groundwater belongs to the pumpers and the initiative would infringe on pumpers’ rights.

The main difference between the two initiatives is that the 2016 version benefited Yuba County residents that paid property taxes, while the new version proposes benefits in the form of reduced utility costs through PG&E. Mathews said he has not had direct conversations with PG&E on whether it would be allowed but that he was working on getting in contact with someone from the utility company. He based the idea off a precedent set by the California Public Utilities Commission.

“I think the public is becoming more aware of the initiative,” Mathews said regarding recent discussions about the initiative during Yuba County candidate forums. “That’s exactly what we need so that people understand the millions of dollars that could be benefiting the community rather than just the pumpers.”

Due to it being a standing committee, the state open meetings laws prevented Mathews from talking privately about the initiative to two other members of the Water Supply and Member Units committee – Doug Lofton and Gary Bradford.

“I asked for it to be an ad hoc committee so that we could talk amongst ourselves, but the chairman made it a standing committee,” Mathews said. “I was not able to talk to anyone at the water agency, so by resigning, I’m now able to at least talk to two members of the water agency.”

Mathews said the discussion he wants to have with board members is about formalizing the initiative and the details of it. His objective is to sway the majority of the seven-member board to push for the agency to write a title and summary for the initiative so that he can begin collecting signatures.

Board of directors Chairman Brent Hastey said the resignation came as shock to the agency after Mathews had requested he be placed on the committee in the first place. His concern with Mathews’ resignation, he said, was that the public would not be privy to discussions.

“The thing that strikes me is that with open government, we want to have these types of discussions out in front of the public

so they can be aware of what’s going on. This, to me, is Charlie saying he doesn’t want to have those talks in front of the public,” Hastey said.

Mathews argues that the agency forced him to resign. He said in the few months since the committee was formed, there has only been one meeting regarding the initiative, even though Mathews has requested more talks, he said.

He said he also requested the agency hold a workshop regarding the initiative, which was agreed to but scheduled for early June – more than a month out.

“This was their way of making sure I couldn’t talk to anyone on the water agency for months on end. So, this was a way for me to handle it, by not participating on that committee anymore, that way the Brown Act isn’t violated,” Mathews said.

Hastey said the workshop in early June is the second meeting that has been scheduled for Mathews to discuss his initiative. The first was held on March 20 and was well-attended, he said.

“I think we are giving Charlie lots of opportunities to talk about his initiative in a public meeting and to sway board members,” Hastey said. “To me, his resignation is frustrating because this is not how the system, or open government, is supposed to work. This has little to do with the actual initiative he wants to talk about.”

Aside from the committee he resigned from, Mathews serves on the Administration, Budget and Personnel committee and the Policy Review committee. The agency has a total of five standing committees.

Mathews is hoping to have the initiative on the general election ballot in November.