County stays with state’s sea program
The Imperial County Board of Supervisors discussed the funding request brought forward by Gary Jennings, managing partner of Jennings and Johnson Partnership to allow him to begin with engineering and permits for the water importation project from the Sea of Cortez.
The discussion of the matter took approximately about an hour during Tuesday’s meeting. Although no formal vote was taken, the supervisors did express their concerns with granting the $50,000 request form Jennings since the Natural Resources Agency Long Range Plan Committee is in the process of developing a long-term plan for the Salton Sea.
Jennings presented his project to the Long Term Committee in late February. As of now the state is in process of reviewing all nine long- term projects presented and will provide feedback by the end of May but are not expected to develop a long-range plan until the end of the year or early in 2017.
Since there will be no available funding coming from the state in at least several months Jennings approached the county to get some of the permitting and base level engineering started.
“We need to go to the next level and it costs money,” Jennings said. “The state will not put money until January or May of 2017, if ever.”
Although the total amount Jennings needed was approximately $ 2.5 million, the request was for $50,000 for one year and to be paid on a monthly basis to be able to continue on the next couple of steps for his project.
District 4 Supervisor Ryan Kelley said that although he agrees that the actions have not been moving fast enough at the state level, the priority is to get the short-term projects going.
Kelley also mentioned that the county is one of many partners involved in Salton Sea Restoration and felt that funding one particular project wasn’t the best course of action for the county.
“For us to single out one (project) and to fund it, I believe that’s inappropriate to single source somebody without reviewing what else is available,” Kelley said.
Chairman of the Board Jack Terrazas echoed Kelley’s comments and said that using the county’s funds to pay for the initial stage of a particular project could set a dangerous precedent.
“The state is on the hook and when they start seeing that we are shoving money, they’re going to back off,” Terrazas said. “We’re not ready to move forward with these expenses, we have partners in this. There is no doubt that those things are needed it’s just we can’t be the funding source.”
The supervisors stated that they are in favor of a sea to sea concept and they said they understood the urgency from Jennings but felt the county has to follow the program with all of its partners in order not to be left out on their own.
“If you want to push it to the state I would certainly understand, but if you push it to the state you’re talking years before anything happens,” Jennings said.
He further explained that getting the permits and the engineering now is a crucial step to be ready for construction in five years’ time because of the many challenges and permits and agreements that need to be in place beforehand.
“Why not start now? I may start this race and I might not finish it, but we need to start now because this stuff takes forever — it’s years in the making,” he said. “Starting the process now just keeps the ball rolling.
During the discussion District 1 Supervisor John Renison said that he would like to meet with Assistant Secretary for Salton Sea Policy Bruce Wilcox to find out more about how far along the state is in the process and discuss and make a decision in a couple of months.
“Where are they in the process? Are they ever going to support this? I would just like to know. I support it ( Sea to Sea concept) but I’m not sure I can vote today to spend county’s money, I’d have to have assurances.”
Jennings requested a meeting with county officials and Wilcox in June after the Natural Resources Agency Long Range Plan Committee completes the review process and provides feedback to all projects.
“I would encourage this board to allow that meeting to occur and then I can come to the board and talk about that meeting and address the issue at that time,” said County Executive Officer Ralph Cordova Jr. “I certainly wouldn’t want to spend valuable funds that we have at this point in time.”
Kelley said that he wasn’t in favor of that meeting taking place when asked by Jennings, he did however encourage him to submit a proposal under the request for proposal the county is moving forward with to allow the implementation of air dust mitigation pilot-projects to be done in conjunction with the landowners in the area most affected by fugitive dust.
Senior Assembly Member for the California Senior Legislature John Hernandez along with Executive Director of Comite Civico Del Valle and Executive Director of the Imperial Valley Farm Bureau all agreed with the county’s position of sticking with the state’s program.
Although the possibility of a future meeting with Jennings was discussed no direction to make it happen was given during the meeting.