Blogs

Small Steps, Big Impact

By Morgan Leskody posted yesterday
By: @Kristin Withrow In advance of his keynote address at the CSDA Annual Conference & Exhibitor Showcase in Palm Desert this August, keynote speaker Ben Nemtin explained what he’s learned about tackling big goals - and how it can have big impact on public sector agencies. At its core, Nemtin’s philosophy is simple: big goals aren’t achieved in giant leaps. They’re achieved through consistent, incremental action. When Nemtin and his friends created a list of “impossible” dreams—everything from playing basketball with the President to delivering a baby—they weren’t just chasing adventure. They made a commitment that for every item they crossed off ...

SDRMA August Recommended Safety Talk– Hazard Communication

By Morgan Leskody posted yesterday
Submitted by SDRMA. For more information email memberplus@sdrma.org If your employees work with or may be exposed to hazardous chemicals, it’s important to understand the Cal/OSHA requirements outlined in CCR 5194 , which include, but are not limited to: Developing a written Hazard Communication Program Conducting a hazard assessment to identify the chemicals employees may be exposed to during their work activities. Obtaining Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) and ensuring they are readily accessible for each hazardous chemical in the workplace. Conducting annual employee training on the hazards of the chemicals they work with, how to read ...

Sacramento Suburban Water District Purchases Groundwater Well Contractor to Secure Scarce Expertise

By Morgan Leskody posted yesterday
Submitted by Sacramento Suburban Water District Move brings specialized well maintenance capability in-house to strengthen system reliability. Sacramento Suburban Water District ( SSWD ) announced that it has purchased Kirby’s Pump and Mechanical (KPM), a California Class A General Contractor that specializes in mechanical work on groundwater well pump systems. Licensed groundwater well contractors are in short supply in California. Adding KPM’s expertise allows the District to maintain pumping capacity and respond quickly to repairs, both reactively and proactively. SSWD entered into an exclusive agreement with KPM in 2023 to maintain and repair ...

Federal Update: Week of August 3, 2026

By Morgan Leskody posted yesterday
The Senate is in session. The Senate returns today to consider the CR. The House will return on August 31, 2026. FY27 Appropriations: Today, the Senate will hold a cloture vote on the motion to proceed on the legislative vehicle for a continuing resolution (CR). On Sunday, the Senate Appropriations Committee released CR text that would fund federal agencies through December 11, 2026. The Senate’s CR includes language that would delay the implementation of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) proposed rule through December 11, 2026, and provides a clean extension of surface transportation reauthorization through the same date. If the Senate ...

Grants Update: Week of August 3, 2026

By Morgan Leskody posted yesterday
New Grant Opportunities Department of the Interior FY 2026 BLM Forest and Woodlands Resource Management - Bureau wide WHAT DOES IT FUND? The purpose of this program is to maintain and improve the resilience of forest and woodland ecosystems to wildfire, insects, disease, and drought through density management using timber sales, stewardship agreements, and other agreements. Click here for more information. WHO'S ELIGIBLE? Eligible applicants are state, local, and special district governments; public, private, and state-controlled institutions of higher education; Tribal governments and organizations; and nonprofits with or without 501c3 ...

Make Your Voice Heard: Submit a 2027 Legislative Proposal

By Morgan Leskody posted yesterday
By: @Ophelia Szigeti CSDA is now accepting legislative proposal submissions for the 2027 legislative year. Districts are encouraged to submit ideas to create new laws or improve existing laws that affect special districts statewide, regardless of geographic location or the services they provide. Submissions will be reviewed by CSDA staff and assessed for political implications, potential consequences, cost of implementation, likelihood of success, and other relevant factors. Proposals will then be presented to the CSDA Legislative Committee for consideration. CSDA members are invited to submit a proposal by September 2. Share your legislative proposal ...

CSDA Supports Effort to Preserve Goat Grazing for Wildfire Prevention

By Morgan Leskody posted yesterday
By: @Ophelia Szigeti For decades, goats have played an important role in California's wildfire prevention efforts by reducing vegetation and managing hazardous fuels. From protecting critical infrastructure to clearing overgrown open space, prescribed grazing has become an increasingly valuable tool for local governments working to reduce wildfire risk. However, a recently expired labor provision now threatens the economic viability of many commercial goat grazing operations. Why it matters to special districts Special districts of all types rely on prescribed grazing to manage vegetation, reduce wildfire fuels, and maintain defensible space around ...

CalPERS Relaunches Rulemaking for Retired Workers Regulation

By Morgan Leskody posted yesterday
By: @Aaron Avery The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) has recently reinitiated its rulemaking for its Regulation Defining Limited Duration for Post-Retirement Appointments. The purpose of the rulemaking is to provide a definition of “limited duration” that includes restrictions on the duration for which CalPERS retired annuitants may work in retirement at a CalPERS-covered employer (this regulation is limited to the period of time constituting “limited duration” not the number of hours that may be worked each year or other requirements for working in retirement). CalPERS previously advanced its regulation in a 2022 rulemaking . (See ...

Brown Act Bill Grants Relief to Eligible Legislative Bodies

By Morgan Leskody posted yesterday
By: @Marcus Detwiler Senate Bill 1187 (Durazo) , a bill that has nearly reached the Governor’s desk, would make major revisions to the obligations placed on “eligible legislative bodies” that were enacted as part of last year’s Senate Bill 707 by the same author . Specifically, for those special districts whose boards met statutory criteria designating them as eligible legislative bodies – a fraction of the special districts in California – the obligations connected to translating materials or facilitating translations as a part of the Brown Act would cease to exist. Because SB 1187 contains an urgency clause, the elimination of these translation obligations ...

CARB Submits Finalized ACF Regulations to Office of Administrative Law

By Morgan Leskody posted yesterday
By: @Brittney Barsotti On July 30, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) submitted the final Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulations to the Office of Administrative Law (OAL), which are posted online . The application and scope of the regulations have retained some language from the most recent 15-day draft , stating the regulations apply to any fleets that contract with a state or local government. The inclusion of the contractor language is concerning because this could sweep in private fleets – this issue is discussed more below. This issue is further detailed in CSDA’s 2nd 15-day comment letter which can be viewed here . CSDA’s repeated ...

Special Districts at the Intersection of AI and Infrastructure

By Morgan Leskody posted 8 days ago
By; Robert Dugan, Director, Placer County Water Agency On data readiness, supply chain transformation, and the governance advantage districts already have Special districts exist because communities decided that certain infrastructure responsibilities are too important, too technical, and too long-term to be managed well by general government. Water. Sanitation. Fire protection. Recreation. Resource conservation. The governance model is built on the premise that focused accountability produces better outcomes than diffuse responsibility. Artificial intelligence is about to test that premise in a new way — and I think special districts are better positioned ...

CSDA Board of Directors Election Results – Seat C

By Morgan Leskody posted 8 days ago
The results are in! Congratulations to our newly elected and re-elected CSDA Board of Directors members for Seat C. We are pleased to announce that our incumbent directors have each been re-elected to serve another three-year term, and we are excited to welcome a new board member representing the Northern Network. 2027–2029 CSDA Board of Directors – Seat C Bay Area Network Antonio Martinez Board Vice President, Contra Costa Water District (Re-elected) Central Network Curtis Jorritsma General Manager, Hilmar County Water District (Re-elected) Coastal Network Vincent Ferrante Commissioner, Moss Landing Harbor District (Re-elected) Northern ...

Grants Update: Week of July 27, 2026

By Morgan Leskody posted 8 days ago
New Grant Opportunities Grants for Buses & Bus Facilities Program and Low-No Program Are Now Open! The Federal Transit Administration just released a joint Notice of Funding Opportunity for two programs: the Low or No Emission Grant Program and the Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program. Together, approximately $610 million is available for transit bus and facility projects this cycle. FTA encourages applicants to apply to both programs when a project is eligible under each. If a dual-submitted project is selected for funding, FTA will determine which program funds the award. Both programs are open to local government entities that operate ...

Federal Update: Week of July 27, 2026

By Morgan Leskody posted 8 days ago
The Week Ahead 7.27 – 7.31 The Senate is in session. The Senate returns today to consider nominations. The House will return on August 31, 2026. Congress FY27 Appropriations: Last week, the House passed a stopgap CR measure in a 220-205 vote to fund the government through December 4, 2026. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has reportedly told appropriators that he wants to finalize a Senate version of the CR this week. Unlike the House measure, the Senate CR is expected to include most, but not all, of the White House’s requested anomalies . OMB Proposed Rule: Democratic appropriators, including Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), ...

Restoring the Source: Protecting the San Gabriel Valley’s Watershed

By Morgan Leskody posted 9 days ago
By: Patty Cortez, Assistant General Manager, Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District On a bright Saturday morning, volunteers gather in the Angeles National Forest with a shared purpose: restoring and protecting the watershed that supports the San Gabriel Valley. Traveling from across the region, participants range from Girl Scout troops and college students to seniors, all ready to spend the day planting trees, collecting trash, and making a tangible difference through the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District’s (Upper Water) Watershed Restoration Program. Safeguarding the Source of Local Water The Watershed Restoration Program ...

July 30 Mid-Summer Federal Advocacy Update for CSDA Members

By Morgan Leskody posted 9 days ago
CSDA is a founding member of NSDA and all CSDA members receive full access to NSDA benefits and services, including webinars. Don’t miss out on timely updates, policy insights, and advocacy priorities directly affecting your district operations and funding landscape. Register here: https://www.nationalspecialdistricts.org/training-webinars-on-demand (Use CSDA Member Access Code: CSDA8068) #AdvocacyNews #FeatureNews

Panel Elevates Special Districts Among Business Leaders

By Morgan Leskody posted 9 days ago
Photo Description: Panel participants from left to right included Whitney Robare, Deputy Director - Monterey Peninsula Airport District, Richelle Noroyan, Public Affairs Field Coordinator – CSDA, James Derbin, General Manager - Castroville CSD, Kelli Gutierrez, Clerk of the Board, Monterey County Mosquito Abatement District, and Felipe Melchor, General Manager, Monterey Regional Waste Management District aka ReGen Monterey By: @Richelle Noroyan As part of the Monterey Peninsula Chamber’s Business Insights Breakfast series, the Chamber partnered with CSDA to present a program focused on special districts. CSDA Coastal Network Public Affairs ...

Advisory Committee Discusses Draft California Gate Regulations – Cost Estimates Needed

By Morgan Leskody posted 9 days ago
By @Brittney Barsotti On July 23, CSDA participated in the second convening of the Cal/OSHA advisory committee on potential sliding and swinging gate regulations. CSDA and other partners from the employer community were present to share concerns based on the discussion draft Cal/OSHA had prepared. You can find the full list of invited participants here . Following robust conversation about the need to limit the scope of the regulation and its definitions, the committee agreed to spend the remainder of the meeting on the draft language pertaining to sliding gates only. Cal/OSHA did not expressly say that swinging gates will be excluded from the regulation. ...

Finding a Neighbor in Water 7,000 Miles Away

By Morgan Leskody posted 9 days ago
By: Erin LaCombe, President & CEO, CV Strategies A casual conversation in a hallway grew into a partnership across the Pacific and carried a daughter full circle, home to the Philippines and the profession her mother had mastered. It began the way the things that change a life often do, with a few words in a hallway. Tom Coleman, Rowland Water District’s General Manager, does not waste a word, even in passing. What he says carries weight. He stopped his Director of Finance with an opportunity: helping a water utility in the Philippines, at no cost to customers, sponsored by the highly esteemed Asian Development Bank. Neither may have understood ...

Federal Update: Week of July 20, 2026

By Morgan Leskody posted 15 days ago
Congress Congress is in session. The Senate returns today to consider nominations. The House returns today to consider the NDAA, a short-term CR, and the third reconciliation package. The House Rules Committee will hold a business meeting on Monday to consider six bills, including the House’s NDAA ( H.R.8800 ), short-term CR ( H.R.9770 ), and Reconciliation 3.0 measure . FY27 Appropriations: House Republicans released a stopgap CR measure on Friday, July 17, to fund the government through December 4, 2026. The House Rules Committee is scheduled to consider the measure on Monday, July 20. The bill would temporarily extend current ...