Mendocino County supervisors holding special meeting on “critical water shortage” Tuesday Aug. 24

MENDOCINO Co., 8/19/21 — A special meeting of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors has been called for this Tuesday, Aug. 24 at 1 p.m. to address the ongoing drought and water crisis around the county, particularly on the Mendocino Coast. In an official press release announcing the meeting, District 5 Supervisor Ted Williams, whose district includes the town of Mendocino, is described as wanting “to reiterate ‘Shit is getting real’ in the town of Mendocino.”

The town’s water shortage has made national news over the last several weeks; much of the reporting has centered on the drought’s noticeable impact on small business owners during peak tourist season. The agenda for Tuesday’s meeting, which will be held virtually at 1 p.m. and streamed on the county’s Youtube channel, includes two items: one focused on allocating funds to reimburse a water hauling program for the coast, and to put out bids to implement the “Mendocino County Community Water Supply Replacement Project,” in part with money from PG&E disaster settlement funds. The full agenda items can be found below, and the relevant documents at this link. Our previous coverage of this year’s drought can be found here. And here’s the official meeting announcement from the county, in full, followed by the agenda items:

On Tuesday, August 24, 2021, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors will conduct a special meeting regarding the critical water shortage emergency in the town of Mendocino. Water experts will be present to speak with the Board about the extreme water shortage in the 5^th District heightened by this severe, historic drought. The agenda will feature discussion and possible action including direction to staff to allocate budget for drought assistance and other immediate funding opportunities. 

Ted Williams, 5^th District Supervisor and Vice-Chair, wants to reiterate “Shit is getting real” in the town of Mendocino. Water is scarce and citizens are scrambling for solutions. “It’s at times like this that we need to come together as a community to solve critical problems,” added Glenn McGourty, 1^st District Supervisor. 

The Special Board meeting is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. Meetings are live streamed and available for viewing online on the Mendocino County YouTube page, at https://www.youtube.com/mendocinocountyvideo or by toll-free, telephonic live stream at 888-544-8306. 

For a complete list of the latest available options by which to engage with agenda items, please visit: https://www.mendocinocounty.org/government/board-of-supervisors/public-engagement. 

For more information, please contact the Executive Office at (707) 463-4441.

Agenda items for the August 24 meeting:

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• Discussion and Possible Action Including Adoption of Resolution Authorizing the Grant Application, Acceptance and Execution of Agreements by the Department of Transportation Water Agency Division for the Mendocino County Community Water Supply Replacement Project and to Advertise for Bids and Award Contracts to Implement Said Project at an Initial Estimated Cost of $3,840,000 (Countywide) And Grant Matching Funds to be Allocated From PG&E Settlement Funds to Disaster Recovery Budget Unit 2910 (Sponsor: Water Agency)
• Discussion and Possible Action Including Presentation Regarding Increasingly Dire Drought Conditions and Abrupt Loss of Coastal Water Sale to Haulers; and Direction to Staff to Allocate Budget for Immediate Assistance Including the Implementation of a Water Hauling Assistance Program, Structured for Best Success in Future Reimbursement from State and Federal Partners (Sponsor: Supervisor Williams)

Questions about the drought? the county has established a drought hotline and website, available at (707) 234-6363 and www.mendocinocounty.org/droughtwaterconservation.