Receive informational update from Kristin Sicke, General Manager of the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District on 2023 Proposition 218 initiatives. (No general fund impact) (Lindbo/Sabatini)

Receive and file an informational update from Kristin Sicke, General Manager of the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District on 2023 Proposition 218 initiatives. 

In 1951, at the request of the Yolo County Supervisors, the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District ("District") was created by the California Legislature as an independent Special District. The primary purpose of the District was to seek new water sources and manage them efficiently.  Initially, the District had no water rights and operated on a very small budget generated by property taxes. Today, the District manages a small hydroelectric plant, two reservoirs, more than 150 miles of canals and laterals, and three dams including the world's longest inflatable rubber dam. The District's boundaries cover 195,000 acres of Yolo County, including the cities of Woodland, Davis and Winters, and the towns of Capay, Esparto, Madison and other small communities within the Capay Valley. The legislative act that authorizes the District's mission to manage water resources can be found here.

2023 Revenue Stabilization Program

Most of the District’s operating revenues (60%) are from annual water sales (water rates). As such, annual revenues are extremely variable. Water sales are low or nonexistent during dry and drought years, creating a substantial budget deficit for the District. This results in deferred maintenance on the system, eliminates funds for emergency repairs and regulatory compliance, and reduces long-term water system reliability. Without adequate funding, the District cannot invest in system modernization that would increase efficiencies and lower long-term maintenance costs. Due to the ongoing drought, the District is experiencing severe budget shortfalls.  

During the past two fiscal years, the District has experienced a $4.6 million budget shortfall. This is primarily due to the drought, inflation and increasing regulatory costs. Projecting average water sales for FY 2023-24 results in the District facing a $1.37 million budget shortfall. Projecting a dry year will result in a budget shortfall of $2.55 million. The District’s current and future ability to deliver surface water supplies and provide benefits to the groundwater aquifer are at risk.The budgetary shortfall has put the District's ability to provide future surface water supplies in peril.  The District is proposing a three-phased revenue stabilization program to ensure water delivery system reliability and resiliency in the near and long-term.  An additional goal is to diversify revenues in an equitable manner, since surface water customers are not the only ones who benefit from the District’s services.  The proposed program includes a property assessment, water rate increases, and a groundwater charge.

Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District