MID Board Report Archive

Modesto Irrigation District (MID) Board Meeting of Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Media contact: MID Public Affairs Department, Kate Hora, 209 526-7454
The next MID Board meetings will be March 18 and April 8 and 22.

Announcement following closed session

Tuolumne County APN: 064-210-028

The MID Board voted unanimously to join the Turlock Irrigation District (TID) in acquiring the parcel identified above, located in the vicinity of Don Pedro Reservoir. Costs will be shared with TID on a 35/65 percent basis.

 2008 Irrigation water allocation policy and water rates

Following a public hearing, the Board by majority vote set the 2008 base irrigation water allocation at 36 inches at $23.50 per acre irrigated water service charge, with a minimum irrigated water service charge of $117.50, regardless of acreage.  An additional 36 inches of water, from 36 to 72 inches, will be available at $11.75 per acre-foot. The facilities maintenance charge was set at $11.75 per acre with a minimum charge of $58.75 per account, regardless of acreage. Landowners pay either an irrigated service water charge or a facilities maintenance charge, not both. The 2008 irrigation water rates represent a 10 percent increase compared to 2007 rates and will also apply to the raw water charge paid by the City of Modesto. The raw water charge is only a small component of City drinking water rates. The Modesto City Council establishes drinking water rates

Start of 2008 irrigation season

Walt Ward, Assistant General Manager of Water Operations, reported that the 2008 irrigation season is scheduled to begin on March 16, subject to Board of Directors approval. Water is expected to be available for irrigation deliveries starting on March 19. The schedule is subject to change depending on weather.

Staff reports

Water Report

With upper Tuolumne River reservoirs down to only 49 percent of capacity, there is plenty of room for runoff in the Hetch Hetchy system later this summer. No appreciable accumulation of snow occurred last week. Snowpack in the Central Sierra so far this season is average. The latest California Dept. of Water Resources forecast for April-July runoff is 100 percent of normal . On the valley floor, rainfall has almost reached the average for the entire year at 11.62 inches, with three months left to go in the season. March, typically a wet month in Modesto, has been very dry so far.

Approved by unanimous vote

• A resolution directing the Human Resources Division to contract a consultant to conduct a benchmark salary study and internal equity analysis.  Human Resources will proceed with a request for proposals (RFP) to qualified consultants and report back to the Board following the RFP process. This action was triggered by a request from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in preparation for contract negotiations later this year. 
• An agreement to enter into a contract with a qualified consultant for contract reliability compliance services to help the Electric Resources Division with new federal reliability mandates in an amount not to exceed $175,000 per year. The services will likely be needed for at least 18 months.

Approved by majority vote

• An encroachment agreement with the Oakdale Traction Company and a budget augmentation of $161,500.

Renewable energy workshop

Resource Planning & Development Manager Greg Salyer reviewed the Renewable Portfolio Standard adopted by the MID Board (20 percent by 2017) and the renewable resources presently in MID’s current electric resource portfolio. He then outlined potential changes in state of California requirements (could be 20 percent by 2010 and 33 percent by 2020, or as much as 50 percent by some future date) and explained how much more renewable energy MID would need to acquire to meet higher mandates. He also discussed the pros and cons of various types of renewable energy, including costs and reliability concerns.  Lastly, he emphasized the need to match renewable energy with fast-starting local power resources such as pumped storage or reciprocating engines to provide MID customers reliable electric service. Over the next year, the Electric Resources Division will recommend several renewable energy choices for the Board to consider. Renewable energy mandates will push MID electric rates up by at least 20 percent over the next few years. Other previously approved state and federal mandates will add another 30 percent to MID electric rates over the next 10 years.

MWh = megawatthour