Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council Meeting
Date: July 13, 2023
Time: 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Russian River Health Resiliency Center
16385 First Street
Guerneville, CA 95446
Registration Required: No
Attachments:
A recording of this meeting can be found here.
- Call to Order
- Pledge of Allegiance
- Roll Call
- Approval of Agenda, Chair Pip Marquez de la Plata
- Statement of Conflict of Interest
This is the time for the Chair, Vice Chair and Council Members to indicate any statements of conflict of interest for any item listed on this agenda. - Oath of Office for newly appointed Rio Nido alternate, Jennifer Otten
- Consent Agenda
These items are expected to be routine and non-controversial. The LRRMAC will act upon them at one time without discussion. Any Representative, staff member or interested party may request that an item be removed from the consent agenda for discussion.- June 8 Minutes
- County Report
Supervisor Lynda Hopkins and / or Program Manager Elise Weiland will give updates from the County - Council Member Comment: on Matters not listed on the agenda
Discussion Comments are restricted to matters within the Board’s jurisdiction. Please be brief and limit spoken comments to one minute. - Public Comments Discussion On Matters not listed on the agenda:
Comments are restricted to matters within the Board’s jurisdiction. Please be brief and limit spoken comments to two minutes. - Presentation from Sonoma Water regarding potential effects to Russian River due to Potter Valley Dam decommissioning
The Russian River Water Forum (RRWF) was established in 2021 in response to concerns over the potential decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project (PVP) in California. Operated by PG&E, the PVP diverts water from the Eel River to the Russian River, playing a vital role in the water supply of the Russian River basin and surrounding areas. The RRWF's main objective is to preserve this water flow while fostering collaboration to ensure water supply resilience in the Russian River watershed.
Efforts such as the Two Basin Solution Partnership, initiated by Congressman Jared Huffman in 2019, aimed to develop a plan that meets the needs of communities in the Russian and Eel River basins while also restoring fisheries. However, PG&E decided not to renew its license, and a missed deadline for a new license application led to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) instructing PG&E to surrender the license by the end of 2024.
The RRWF formed a Planning Committee comprising representatives from various stakeholder groups. These include local and tribal governments, water suppliers, environmental organizations, agricultural groups, and recreational interests. The committee's role is to collaborate and find solutions, as well as identify feasible funding sources to maintain the water diversion.
Active stakeholder participation is crucial in determining the future of the county's water supply. It is essential to understand the potential implications of different options and contribute to funding a viable solution, even when faced with differing perspectives. Participation involves attending multiple meetings per month, including committee and work-group meetings.
https://russianriverwaterforum.org/ - Committee Reports
- Communications Ad Hoc, Report from Chair Joe Rogoff
- Community Clean Up Ad Hoc, Report from Chair Lisa Nahmanson
- Pocket Canyon area renaming Ad Hoc, Report from Chair Betsy Van Dyke
- Land Acknowledgement Ad Hoc, Report from Chair Lisa Nahmanson
- Adjournment
Open Meetings: Except as expressly authorized under the Ralph M. Brown Act (the State’s local agency open meeting law), all meetings of the River Municipal Advisory Council are open to attendance by interested members of the public.
Agenda Comments: The Chair will invite public comment for agenda items as they are taken up by the Committee. If you wish to speak, you may do so upon receiving recognition by the Chair. Please state your name and limit your comments to the agenda item under discussion. Speakers are limited to three minutes each; available time for comments is determined by the Committee Chair based on agenda scheduling demand and total number of speakers.
Public Comments on Items not on the Agenda: At any Regular Meeting, any member of the public may address the Committee on a matter not listed on the agenda as long as the subject matter is within the jurisdiction of the Committee. If you wish to speak, you may do so upon recognition by the Committee Chair. While members of the public are welcome to address the Committee, under the Brown Act open meeting laws, Committee members may not deliberate or take action on items not on the agenda. Speakers are limited to two minutes each; available time for comments is determined by the Committee Chair based on agenda scheduling demands and total number of speakers.
Documents related to open session agendas: Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council regarding any item on this agenda after the posting of this agenda and not otherwise exempt from disclosure will be made available for public review at 575 Administration Drive, Room 100-A, Santa Rosa, CA, during normal business hours.
Disabled Accommodation: If you have a disability and require a sign language interpreter, assistive listening device, material in an alternate format, or other accommodation to attend, please contact District5@sonoma-county.org or 1-707-565-2241 at least 72 hours prior to the meeting in order to facilitate arrangements for accommodation.