Despite heated opposition from residents, the Paso Robles City Council voted to opt in to a collaborative effort that aims to keep the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin from potentially going dry.
At a meeting on March 4, the council heard from Public Works Director Christopher Alakel, who urged the city to join a joint powers authority (JPA) that aimed to be made up of five groundwater sustainability agencies—the city of Paso, San Miguel Community Services District, San Luis Obispo County, and the Shandon-San Juan and Estrella-El Pomar-Creston water districts.
According to Alakel, all water agencies overlying the basin except for Paso Robles and the San Simeon Community Services District had voted to join, and San Simeon was waiting on Paso’s March 4 vote before it decided to move forward.
Working jointly to ensure sustainable and collaborative management of the basin, the conglomerate hopes to address an “overdraft” of water, which averages about 13,700 acre-feet per year, according to the basin’s sustainable management plan approved by the state in 2023.
Through the JPA, Alakel said the five agencies could carry out and fund regulatory and administrative functions under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, and would allow each agency to set its own fees, which would be based on a property’s water usage.
That means that agriculture properties would have the highest usage fees, while domestic or de minimis users would be charged a fee likely around $20 per year. The fees collected would go toward the authority’s administration, water projects outlined in the sustainable management plan, and maintenance of water systems.
City Councilmember Chris Bausch took issue with this fee structure. He said the JPA shouldn’t charge “the small guy for something they didn’t sign up for,” suggesting that “the big guy” should pay the fees.
“Those that pump the most are going to be paying the most,” Alakel replied. “If you ask me, not having a [JPA] and having this groundwater basin continue its state of decline, to me that’s far greater risk to those de minimis pumpers than it is to pay a $12 to $20 a year annual fee to ensure the long-term sustainability to their water supply.”
If the city didn’t agree to join the authority, Alakel said the state could end up taking control of the basin.
During two hours of public comment at the March 4 meeting, multiple people asked the council to table the decision until more information came forward, like specific fees per property.
One resident said if the council approved joining the JPA, it defeated their oaths as public servants to protect the state and U.S., including the constitutional right to manage one’s own property and water.
Public commenters had relayed similar messages to the SLO County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 4, when it approved expanding a well-monitoring network in the Paso Robles Groundwater sub-basin.
“I will be thinking of one of the supervisors every time I flush the toilet,” said Darcia Stebbins, who spoke in opposition.
Paso’s City Council voted 4-1 to join the JPA with Bausch opposed. The San Miguel Community Services District is agendized to consider joining at its March 13 meeting. Δ
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the San Miguel Community Services District is agendized to consider joining the JPA on March 13 meeting, not San Simeon.
This article appears in Mar 13-23, 2025.