BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Consider Agricultural Water Advisory Committee’s Recommendation and Associated Staff Analysis from the Committee’s Joint meeting with the Santa Clara County Farm Bureau on December 16, 2019.
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RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Consider and act on the following recommendation by the Agricultural Water Advisory Committee:
That the Board of Directors endorse the Collaborative Team (Team), that is comprised of the Agricultural Water Advisory Committee (AWAC), The SCC Farm Bureau, SCC Open Space Authority, and other external stakeholders and interested agencies/parties, in its effort to explore alternative funding for water projects that ensure groundwater agricultural water rate stability through a measure patterned after Measure P, adopted by City of Mountain View voters in November 2018. The Committee will research Measure P and return to the Committee for further discussion.
Body
SUMMARY:
At the Agricultural Water Advisory Committee’s joint meeting with the SCC Farm Bureau on Monday, December 16, 2019, the Committee took the following action:
Recommendation 1:
Voted unanimously that the Board consider the Committee’s recommendation to the Board to:
1. Endorse the Collaborative Team exploring alternative funding for water projects, in order to ensure the stability of groundwater agricultural rates through a measure patterned after Measure P, which was adopted by the City of Mountain View voters in November 2018. The Committee will research Measure P and return to the Committee for further discussion.
Background on Measure P
Measure P was a November 2018 City of Mountain View measure which will apply an annual per-employee tax to businesses based on the average number of employees over the previous four quarters at the time a report is submitted to the State of California Employment Development Department.
Businesses with 50 or fewer employees will pay a flat fee of between $100 and $400 for business registration and licensing. Businesses with more than 50 employees will also pay a flat fee, ranging from $400 for those with between 51 and 500 employees up to $584,150 for businesses with over 5,000 employees. In addition to these fees, businesses with over 50 employees will pay a tax of $75 to $150 per employee based on the company's size.
Measure P passed with 71.05% of the vote.
Staff Analysis:
Staff can provide financial data in support of the collaborative effort. Staff hours required will depend on the request but is not anticipated to be significant.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with this item. There may be a future financial impact pending the result of the negotiation.
CEQA:
The recommended action does not constitute a project under CEQA because it does not have a potential for resulting in direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Darin Taylor, 408-630-3068