MCCSD sets moratorium on new permits, declares drought

At the monthly Mendocino City Community Services District meeting, the board declared a Stage 4 drought, which automatically cuts water allotments by 40 percent, and hashed out the process for selecting the groundwater committee members.

As of June 23, rainfall totals for the current rain year are 50 percent of normal. Mendocino has received 20.32 inches during the current water year. The fortyyear average for this time of year is twice that at 40.04 inches.

The year-to-date rainfall places the district at the cusp of Stage 4 drought. However, the rainfall since February has been 5.57 inches, which is short of the 10 inches of rainfall criteria for that period. Therefore, the dis

trict is officially in a Stage 4 drought.

The average depth of Mendocino’s water table on June 23 measured at 17.03, compared to 11.31 in June of 2019. The depth is the average distance from the surface of the earth to the water from 24 monitoring wells. (A lower number indicates more water.)

At its meeting, the MCCSD board jumped straight to discussing the drought, after a rancorous series of hearings to validate the groundwater and water conservation ordinances earlier this year. Violators could face fines, penalties and the loss of their groundwater extraction permit.

So, what does that mean for MCCSD customers? The following is a list of rules that all MCCSD customers must follow.

• At Stage 4, the district restricts water use to vital functions only, which include human consumption, sanitation and fire protection. Customers should strive for 50 gallons per person per day.

• A 40 percent reduction in water usage by all property owners with GWEPS

• Prohibition of water waste (such as hose washing driveways, parking area, walkways or other paved surfaces, except as is required for sanitary purposes)

• Mandated display of conservation information by hotels and restaurants.

• Designated irrigation times.

• No vehicle washing, except with a hand-held bucket or hose equipped with a positive shutoff nozzle.

• Prohibition on refilling of decorative fountains or ponds, unless such water is part of a recycling system

• No refilling of hot tubs or swimming pools.

• Drinking water now served at restaurants only upon request.

• Irrigation audit for landscape maintenance.

• Recommended use of paper plates at restaurants to avoid dishwashing.

In addition, MCCSD will no longer consider any new groundwater extraction permits, nor allow any hydrological testing or aquifer pumping tests. Existing permits that are in the renewal process will move forward. The board will coordinate outside water deliveries through private vendors.

The board passed a resolution that sets up the process for selecting committee members. Each board member will select two members of the committee from the list of volunteers at the July 27 meeting. The resolution also set guidelines for the committee’s activities and public input meetings.

The district hired K. Mckee & Company of Fort Bragg to take over bookkeeping duties for fiscal year 2020/2021. The company had stepped in to assist the district with their bookkeeping on an emergency basis during the month of May.

Harold Hauck, president, said that the board could not comment on personnel issues to explain why the district needed emergency bookkeeping help. However, he did say later in the meeting that bookkeeping would no longer be part of employee duties.

In previous board meetings, several board members questioned the number of voided checks and lack of information in the check registry. Hauck also said that currently, the board is “flying blind,” as they do not have financials to work from. KMC was one of two vendors who provided proposals to the board.

KMC was selected because they were the only vendor that has experience with the district’s current accounting software. One of its tasks will be to convert the district’s financials to Quickbooks by the end of 2020.

As part of their Coronavirus response, the MCCSD is forgiving late fees through the month of September. Outstanding balances will still be owed once the deferment is lifted.

The district is worked with a private firm to test wastewater for coronavirus through the first week of June and did not detect the virus. The district has suspended testing for COVID-19 due to funding issues.

The district office remains closed to the public. Board meetings are being held via video and teleconference.

Construction at the plant continues slowly. Electrical work is ongoing. Parts procurement is delaying progress. The contractor has 390 days to complete the work starting from November 21, 2019. For more information about the plant upgrade, go to www.mccsd.com.