Section 60233 Of Chapter 2. Powers From California Water Code >> Division 18. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 2.
60233
. (a) A district shall establish a budget advisory committee
for purposes of reviewing a replenishment assessment, if any is
proposed, and a district's annual operating budget, including reserve
funds maintained by the district.
(b) (1) The committee shall consist of seven members who shall
serve a two-year term and who shall be elected from among
representatives of producers who are owners or operators of
groundwater producing facilities who are subject to the replenishment
assessment pursuant to Section 60317. The membership of the
committee shall be composed as follows:
(A) Two members shall be elected by vote of entities with an
annual pumping allocation of less than 5,000 acre-feet.
(B) Two members shall be elected by vote of entities with an
annual pumping allocation of at least 5,000 acre-feet but less than
10,000 acre-feet.
(C) Three members shall be elected by vote of entities with an
annual pumping allocation of 10,000 acre-feet or greater.
(2) On or before the first Tuesday in January on a biennial basis,
the district shall provide by first-class mail to each producer
notice that includes information regarding the purpose of the
committee, the categories that determine membership on the committee
as described in paragraph (1), the schedule for the election of
members, and any additional information the district determines
necessary. The notice shall include the deadline for each producer to
inform the district that it would like to serve on the committee and
the category, as described in subparagraph (A) to (C), inclusive, of
paragraph (1), for which it is eligible to serve. An eligible
producer that would like to serve on the committee and informs the
district shall be included on the election ballot.
(3) The election of committee members shall be conducted by mail
ballot not later than 90 days before the second Tuesday in May.
Producers shall be invited to witness the counting of ballots. Each
producer shall have the right to cast a total number of votes equal
to the number of acre-feet of its annual pumping allocation, rounded
to the next highest whole number, multiplied by the number of members
that may be elected for that production category, as specified in
subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of paragraph (1). Votes may only
be cast by the members in their respective production categories for
the seats in that category, as specified in subparagraphs (A) to
(C), inclusive, of paragraph (1). The members of the committee shall
be those candidates receiving the highest vote total in their
respective categories. The committee shall select a winner in the
event that there is a tie in the vote tally. The results of the
election shall be reported on the Internet Web site of the district.
(4) The committee shall hold its first meeting within 30 days of
the date the results of the election are announced by the district.
The committee shall develop rules for its operation. The committee
shall take action by majority vote of its members. Members of the
committee shall serve without compensation.
(c) No later than the second Tuesday of April of each year, a
district shall consult with the budget advisory committee for the
purposes set forth in subdivision (a). The committee shall make
recommendations to the board at least 10 days prior to the hearing
held pursuant to Section 60306. Committee recommendations shall be
included in the documents comprising the agenda packet for that
meeting.
(d) A district shall maintain records regarding the
recommendations of the budget advisory committee and the final
decisions made by the board with regard to those recommendations.
(e) This section shall become inoperative on June 30, 2019, and,
as of January 1, 2020, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute,
that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2020, deletes or
extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.