ONE OF the main reasons a new water supply hasn’t been developed for the Monterey Peninsula, despite decades of effort, is the tangle of state laws and agencies involved in getting any water project approved.

Carmel Mayor Jason Burnett wants to change that. Burnett, who is also vice president of the mayors’ water group, has been meeting with officials from the State Water Resources Control Board, the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Coastal Commission, to help them get on the same page.

Burnett met independently during the last two weeks with Michael Lauffer, chief counsel with the State Water Resources Control Board, and California Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird.

“With Laird,” Burnett said, “my basic request was that he and the governor’s office encourage the various state agencies to align their schedules and work together to get a project done.”

Burnett also had a conversation with California Coastal Commission executive director Charles Lester in hopes the powerful agency can begin outlining any concerns it has with the project now — rather than later.

“He fully recognizes the situation we are in and said he will encourage his staff to work with us,” Burnett said.

For instance, California American Water’s proposed desalination plant in Marina — one of three competing project proposals — would require a coastal development permit from the coastal commission.

But the commission isn’t scheduled to consider the permit until 18 months after the public utilities commission issues its “certificate of public convenience and necessity” — another crucial permit for the water project. And those are only two of at least 20 permits and government approvals the project will need.

Speeding up construction

By lining up as many ducks as possible in a row, Burnett said he believes that the gap between permits could be drastically reduced, thereby speeding up construction of whichever water project is ultimately chosen.

In late 2009, the state water board issued a water cutback order compelling Cal Am to end all unlawful diversions from the Carmel River — the Peninsula’s primary water source — by Dec. 31, 2016, or face heavy fines that would be passed down to Peninsula ratepayers.

While a consultant found that none of three projects would be able to meet the 2016 deadline, Cal Am’s plan could be up and running the quickest.
Burnett said he plans to continue the discussions, including a more formal talk with Lester.

“We will lay out the key timeline and key decision points,” Burnett explained, “and outline the sort of information that our staff could begin reviewing now.”
The water authority, composed of the six Peninsula mayors, was also scheduled Thursday night to hear presentations from backers of the three competing water projects. The group will choose which project it wants to back and will make its recommendation to the PUC in February.