SAFCA Board of Directors Meeting - May 24, 2024: YOLO Bypass Planning Updates and FY 2024-25 Budget Presentation
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SAFCA Board of Directors Meeting - May 24, 2024
[Note: The transcript for this meeting is dated May 16, 2024, but the provided metadata indicates the meeting took place on May 24, 2024. This summary uses the metadata date.]
The SAFCA Board of Directors convened on May 24, 2024, to receive updates on YOLO Bypass planning activities from multiple agencies, review the proposed budget for fiscal year 2024-25, and handle routine consent items. The meeting also included an executive director's report on construction milestones and a continuation of a resolution of necessity.
Consent Calendar
- Items 2 through 6 were approved unanimously with a motion and second by Directors Jennings and Hume.
Discussion Items
- YOLO Bypass Activities Update: Melanie Sassier (SAFCA principal planner), Ruth Darling (Central Valley Flood Protection Board), and Mary Jimenez (DWR) presented a comprehensive update. Key points include:
- The YOLO Bypass Cache Slough Partnership, involving 15 federal, state, and local agencies, continues collaborative planning around six pillars: flood, habitat, water supply, agriculture, recreation, and water quality. The partnership revised its vision document to include climate change and DEI.
- DWR and the Flood Board are developing the YOLO Bypass Cache Slough Master Plan (administrative draft released end of 2023) to guide multi-benefit projects. A public draft is anticipated in fall 2024, with a final version targeted for end of 2024.
- SAFCA’s Upper YOLO Bypass planning focuses on a 6,900-acre area from Fremont Weir to I-80, including 11.5 miles of Tule Canal. Local preferences are being documented through a steering committee (seven meetings) and extensive outreach (21 stakeholder meetings, two workshops). Twenty-two projects and four non-structural actions were identified; alternatives will feed into the Corps of Engineers Comprehensive Study.
- The Corps’ Comprehensive Study, authorized by WRDA 2020, aims to reduce flood risk to up to 950,000 people and $150 billion in infrastructure, improve fish passage, and enhance recreation/tribal access. The study uses a two-step approach: a comprehensive management plan and feasibility-level analysis, with a Chief’s Report expected by March 2029.
- Executive Director’s Report: Included highlights of an April 23 showcase with Congressman Matt Sui and Army Corps officials at Folsom and Natomas projects, and aerial photos of weir and fish passage construction. Also noted progress on floodwalls and other structures.
- Resolution of Necessity (APN 35271014): Continued to the August board meeting without objection.
- FY 2024-25 Proposed Budget: Deputy Executive Director Jason Campbell presented the budget. Key assumptions include receipt of $31.8 million in state funds. Total appropriations of $129.6 million, with 82% for projects. Budget covers four funds (O&M assessment district, Development Impact Fee fund, Thomas Basin, CCAD2). Salaries and benefits are 3% of budget. Discussion covered sustainability of reserves (reliance on fund balance and reserves), state reimbursement lags (backlog ranging from $15-40 million), and retirement funding (fully funded through CalPERS and PARS 115 trust). No action was taken; public hearing scheduled for June 20, 2024.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar approved unanimously.
- Resolution of Necessity continued to August meeting.
- Budget presentation received as information; final adoption set for June 20 after public hearing.
- Next regular board meeting: June 20, 2024 (noted potential scheduling conflict with board member break).
Closed Session
- The board recessed into closed session and reported nothing to report.
Meeting Transcript
May 16th, 2024 meeting of the SafeCub board of directors. Would the clerk please call the roll? Director Desmond. Director Frost. Director Whom. Good, good. Here. Chairman Kennedy. Here. Director Cernan. Director Jennings. Director Kaplan. Director Talamintes. Director Holloway. Present. Director John. Director Havdes. Here. Director Lee Reader. Thank you. We do have a quorum. Please read the announcement. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This meeting of SAFCA is being broadcast live on Metro 14 Live.gov and will be recorded and re-aired on Sunday, May 19th at 12 p.m. and will be available on SafeCa's website within 48 hours after the meeting. Members of the audience who wish to address the board should fill out a speaker form located here on the lectern and bring it to me when addressing the board. Please identify yourself for the record and limit your comments to three minutes. Thank you. Thank you very much. Would you please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible for all. Next item, please. Our first item is a separate matters information. It's an update on YOLO bypass activities. Good afternoon. Got it. Go ahead. Okay. Good afternoon, uh Chair Kennedy and members of the board. My name is Melanie Sassier, and I'm with SafeCA. I'm a principal planner. Um today we're going to give you guys a short update on the YOLO bypass activities. Um, Lindy, if you could go back to the first slide. And um, we have a couple speakers here today with us. Um, from the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, we have uh Ruth Darling. And um the next slide, Lindy, please. And then we also have from DWR uh Mary Jimenez. I don't have control over any and uh we just want to come today uh to kind of talk broadly about what's happening in the YOLO bypass, some of the activities, both federal, state, and local planning efforts. So you're gonna hear from all three of us today, and then we'll conclude a little bit uh later in uh the comprehensive study that the core has kicked off and give you guys a bit of an update on that process.
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