Question: What is the ACWA Strategic and Business Plan?

Answer: The ACWA Strategic and Business Plan is a road map to guide the association’s activities and resource commitments over the next two years.

The plan includes a suite of strategic actions to accomplish ACWA’s policy goals, which were identified in ACWA’s 2005 Blueprint. It also creates a system of accountability to ensure all ACWA activities are linked to the policy goals and generate benefits for members in all 10 ACWA regions.

Question: What action has the ACWA Board of Directors taken on the plan?

Question: What does the plan call for ACWA to do?

Answer: The plan commits ACWA to two key areas of action: 1) providing leadership in the Delta, and 2) raising the bar on member services.

Question: What actions will ACWA take to provide Delta leadership?

Answer: The plan recognizes that ACWA is in a unique position to advance solutions at a critical time in California water. As the only statewide organization that represents water agencies above the Delta, in the Delta and below the Delta, ACWA has the ability to unite the water community for the first time on a comprehensive solution.

Actions will focus on advancing a comprehensive water package to meet the co-equal goals of ecosystem health and a reliable water supply for the economy. The package must include improved Delta conveyance, additional water storage both above ground and below ground, and investments in water use efficiency and other local resource development programs. ACWA will insist that any comprehensive solution protect the interests of those who now use Delta water and protect the water rights of those above the Delta.

ACWA will also insist that solutions address potential local impacts of restoration actions in the Delta, improve water quality and assure that the costs of Delta conveyance

Question: What will ACWA do to improve member services?

Answer: The plan equips ACWA to significantly increase the level of assistance and service it provides its members on key local and regional concerns, including local resource development strategies such as water recycling and water use efficiency. It adds critical resources to the budget so ACWA can provide these services on a sustained basis.

ACWA will also take on new policy initiatives in the following areas to provide assistance that goes beyond the individual capabilities of smaller member agencies.

• Protecting pocketbooks by fending off property tax shifts and other raids on local dollars

• Protecting water rights

• Preserving local control of groundwater basins and facilitating local efforts to better manage those resources

• Facilitating better decisions by the California Coastal Commission

Other key areas of the plan include:

• Climate Change: The plan includes actions to help members adapt to changing hydrology and implement policy responses to reduce carbon emissions and save ratepayer dollars.

• Communications and Outreach: The plan includes strategies and programs to advance ACWA’s priorities and generate benefits for all 10 regions. Actions include outreach on Delta solutions, public education and outreach programs such as the “California’s Water” series and focused efforts on drought, climate change / energy, water rates and other topics, and issue-specific programs to position ACWA as part of the solution and support policy initiatives identified in the plan.

Question: Does the plan change ACWA’s priorities?

Answer: The plan does not fundamentally change ACWA’s focus on advancing a comprehensive package of investments in California’s water infrastructure and providing top-notch service to its members.

However, it does reflect a new commitment for ACWA to take a leadership role in the Delta that it has not had in the past but is ideally positioned to assume today. It also represents a significant shift toward sustainability for the environment and the economy as the overarching policy goal ACWA will work to achieve.

In addition, the plan reflects an increased commitment to assist ACWA members with non-Delta related activities and issues of concern to member agencies. It institutionalizes critical resources in ACWA’s operating budget to ensure these services are provided on a sustained basis.

Question: Why a strategic plan now?

Question: Who has been involved in developing the plan?

Answer: The initial draft was developed by staff. The draft plan was first reviewed by the Board of Directors in January 2008 and has been revised several times based on input from the Board and regions. Region membership meetings were held throughout the summer and fall to gather further input. The plan was approved by the Board in September and incorporated into the 2009 ACWA budget.

Question: How much is the plan going to cost?

Implementation will be phased over a two-year period. To ensure fair allocation of costs to members, the plan includes several protective measures:

A small agency adjustment is included to minimize the cost impact on ACWA’s smallest 174 members.

To assure fair distribution of growing Delta-related costs, the plan includes a new Delta Sustainability Assessment to recover a portion of ACWA’s Delta-related costs from agencies that rely directly or indirectly on water from the Delta.

Other revenue sources such as increased conference and seminar registration fees also are included to minimize the impact on dues. 

Question: Are my dues going to go up as a result of the plan?

Question: How many new staff positions are included in the plan?

Regulatory Affairs

• New staff position with expertise in climate change and energy issues

• New staff position with expertise in regulatory arena and local resources development

Communications and Outreach

• New staff position dedicated to outreach with external audiences

• Addition of a third regional affairs representative to better serve regions and facilitate increasing level of activity

State Legislative

• New legislative advocate position to increase effectiveness of lobbying team

• New legislative analyst position to help manage work load

Meetings and Membership

• New half-time position to assist with planning and conducting meetings.

Question: When does the plan take effect?

If approved by the Board, dues increases stemming from the plan will be reflected in the dues statements mailed to member agencies in fall 2008.

Question: How can I comment / provide input on the plan?

Members also are encouraged to call or e-mail ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn with specific comments or questions at timq@acwa.com or 916.441.4545.