Agenda Packet_2023-11-21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Public Works Agency www.santa-ana.org/public-works Item # 7 ram`' City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Staff Report November 21, 2023 TOPIC: Grand Jury Report: Historic Rain, Yet Drought Remains AGENDA TITLE City's Response to Orange County Grand Jury Report: Historic Rain, Yet Drought Remains RECOMMENDED ACTION Approve the City of Santa Ana's response to the findings and recommendations of the 2022-2023 Orange County Grand Jury Report, Historic Rains, Yet Drought Remains, pursuant to Penal Code Sections 933 and 933.05. GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No DISCUSSION On June 9, 2023, the Orange County Grand Jury released a report entitled ``Historic Rain, Yet Drought Remains". The report presents information about the current state of water planning, existing projects to increase the supply of non -potable water for irrigation, and storage issues. Of note, the report makes recommendations for a reliable source of potable water through desalination of ocean water. In their report, the OC Grand Jury concludes that existing water agencies in Orange County are not adequately structured or managed to implement strategies necessary to create a new source of potable water, specifically through desalination. Further, the OC Grand Jury suggests that a merger of two or more public agencies could assist the county with securing desalinated water, but notes that it might be challenging for such an agency to do so because the agencies would already be performing the functions for which they were created and it might be difficult to assimilate new functions. To that end, the Orange County Grand Jury concludes that the creation of a new agency, a Climate Resiliency District, should be established to develop and manage countywide water resources, while taking into consideration the ongoing statewide drought conditions. City Council 7-1 11/21/2023