Locunity/Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside, CA
SAM is a joint powers authority (JPA) created by its three member agencies: City of Half Moon Bay (HMB), Granada Community Services District (GCSD), and the Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD). The JPA is a separate, independent, public agency created by the member agencies to perform functions and share powers common to the member agencies. Those powers are outlined in a joint exercise of powers agreement (Agreement). The Agreement creating SAM can be found on the Documents page. Each Agreement identifies how the independent agency will be governed. In the case of SAM, each member agency appoints two members from its governing board to represent it on the SAM Board of Directors, for a total of six directors. The Agreement also establishes the weight of each director’s vote. The vote by each representatives from the City is given the weight of two votes. The vote by each representative from GCSD and MWSD is given the weight of one vote. The total number of possible votes is eight. A quorum is a minimum of five votes and resolutions require at least six votes to pass.
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Recent updates from Governing Board
Staff plans to bring a solar power purchase agreement to the board on March 23, but the expired easement could delay action past a July 4-5 tax credit deadline.
Why it matters: The tax credits make the solar project economically viable; missing the deadline could eliminate the financial case for alternative energy at the plant.
Staff discovered the 40-year easement granting SAM rights to operate on Half Moon Bay-owned land expired in 2022, complicating planned solar and electrical projects.
Why it matters: Without a new easement, SAM cannot enter the power purchase agreement needed before July 4-5 tax credit deadlines, and planned electrical building and federal grant-funded projects are also blocked.
Board members warned that Middle East conflict and surging petroleum costs could push the consent-decree-mandated Montara force main well beyond current $10M estimates.
Why it matters: SAM faces a court-ordered June 2027 deadline to complete this project; failure to secure affordable contractor pricing by May could force costly delays or alternative procurement.
Board authorized the general operations budget for member agency review, featuring a 15% overall increase and a new $404K equipment maintenance line item to improve budget transparency.
Why it matters: Separating capital repair costs from infrastructure spending addresses years of muddled accounting, while the looming Montara force main could require a mid-year budget adjustment of up to $12.5 million.
Board unanimously authorized sending the collection services budget to member agencies, with a 20% increase driven by new union wage and benefit costs.
Why it matters: The Local 39 MOU is pushing personnel costs up 19%, flowing through to all three member districts' sewer assessments with Half Moon Bay and GCSD each seeing a 42% allocation increase.
The Harbor District waived $130,000 in fees to let SAM stage force main construction equipment on the Burnham Strip, surprising nearby residents.
Why it matters: The Burnham Strip was the center of a community fight over a parking lot last year; using it for construction staging without adequate notice reignited neighborhood concerns about future non-conforming uses.
A director reported that the county is restarting work on the Local Hazard Mitigation Program and that One Shoreline will be circulating surveys to cities about hazards to address. The director noted that special districts were not explicitly mentioned and recommended SAM get on the radar, likely piggybacking on a city submittal as done previously.
Attorney Jeremy reported that Andrew Packard, legal counsel for ERF (Earth Resource Foundation or similar environmental entity), contacted him for an update on the Montero Force Main replacement. Under the second amended consent decree, SAM must provide ERF with updates regarding funding for the force main replacement at budget time (April) and again before June 30 each year. The project must be completed in its entirety by June 30, 2027. Deadlines have been pushed out twice previously. The attorney did not sense hostility from ERF but characterized the inquiry as a routine request for updates.
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SAM Board Advances Budgets as Montara Force Main Costs Loom, Expired Easement Threatens Solar Plans The Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM) board unanimously sent two budgets to its member agencies Monday night — a coll...
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SAM Board Celebrates End of Half Moon Bay Legal Fight, Confronts Steep OPEB Funding Gap The Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside Board (SAM) of Directors opened its Feb. 23 meeting with rare good news — the end of a costly leg...
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SAM Board Sets Solar Hearing but Kills Proposed Site Over Environmental Barriers The Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM) board wants solar power — just not on conservation land teeming with endangered frogs. In a marath...
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