PROSPERITY UPDATE: Monterey County Board of Supervisors Votes 3-2 to Consider Legalizing Public-Private Partnerships to Operate Desalination Facilities
At the August 31 Monterey County Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor John Phillips asked to schedule a future meeting agenda item to repeal a provision in Monterey County law that prohibits desalination facilities from operating under a public-private partnership. Monterey County is the only county among the 58 counties in California that prohibits this kind of ownership arrangement for desalination facilities. Staff has not determined the reason why this prohibition was added to the county code in 1989.
Supervisor Phillips and business leaders argued that more flexibility for how desalination plants are owned and operated would open up more options for supplying enough water to fulfill demand. Also, a law should not remain in place if no one knows the reason why it was enacted in the first place.
Supervisors Luis Alejo, John Phillips, and Chris Lopez voted YES. Supervisors Wendy Root Askew and Mary Adams voted NO based on the argument that the county needs to do more research and collect more input from stakeholders. Reality is that some influential groups and individuals on the Monterey Peninsula bluntly oppose corporate ownership of water supply facilities and also oppose seawater desalination. The Board of Supervisors vote will occur on September 21.
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