STATEMENT OF PROCEEDINGS  
COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO SANITATION DISTRICT  
REGULAR MEETING  
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2026, 9:00 AM  
COUNTY ADMINISTRATION CENTER  
BOARD CHAMBER, ROOM 310  
1600 PACIFIC HIGHWAY  
SAN DIEGO, CA 92101  
A.  
REGULAR SESSION: Meeting was called to order at 9:08 a.m.  
PRESENT: Directors Terra Lawson-Remer, Chair; Monica Montgomery Steppe, Vice-Chair;  
Paloma Aguirre, Chair Pro Tem; Jim Desmond; also, Ryan Sharp, Assistant Clerk of the Board  
of Directors.  
ABSENT: Director Joel Anderson  
ACTION:  
REGULAR SESSION: Meeting was called to order at 9:08 a.m.  
PRESENT: Directors Terra Lawson-Remer, Chair; Monica Montgomery Steppe, Vice-Chair;  
Paloma Aguirre, Chair Pro Tem; Jim Desmond; also, Ryan Sharp, Assistant Clerk of the Board  
of Directors.  
ABSENT: Director Joel Anderson  
B.  
C.  
Non Agenda Public Communication: Opportunity for individuals to speak to the Board on any  
subject matter within the Board’s jurisdiction but not an item on the agenda. In accordance with  
the Board’s Rules of Procedure, individuals may only speak at one Non-Agenda Public  
Communication session per meeting. The speaker may select which session (General Legislative  
or Land Use Legislative Session) to address the Board for Non-Agenda Public Communication at  
their convenience.  
Approval of the Statement of Proceedings/Minutes for the meeting of March 3, 2026.  
ACTION:  
ON MOTION of Director Aguirre, seconded by Director Montgomery Steppe, the Board of  
Directors of the County of San Diego Sanitation District approved the Statement of  
Proceedings/Minutes of March 3, 2026.  
ABSENT: Anderson  
Aguirre, Lawson-Remer, Montgomery Steppe, Desmond, Anderson  
Agenda Items  
Agenda #  
Subject  
1.  
APPROVE AND EXECUTE SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED  
REGIONAL WASTEWATER DISPOSAL AGREEMENT AND  
ADMINISTRATIVE AGREEMENT NO. 1 AND RELATED CEQA FINDINGS  
1.  
SUBJECT:  
APPROVE AND EXECUTE SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED  
REGIONAL WASTEWATER DISPOSAL AGREEMENT AND  
ADMINISTRATIVE AGREEMENT NO. 1 AND RELATED CEQA  
FINDINGS (DISTRICTS: 1, 2 AND 4)  
OVERVIEW  
The San Diego County Sanitation District (Sanitation District) provides wastewater service to  
over 36,000 customers in eight unincorporated communities in the region. Over 99% of the  
wastewater collected from residences and businesses within the Sanitation District is conveyed to  
the City of San Diego’s Metropolitan Wastewater System (Metro) for treatment and disposal.  
The Metro system is owned and operated by the City of San Diego (City) and consists of  
treatment plants and associated pipelines and pump stations used to collect, convey, and treat  
wastewater. Metro provides regional wastewater services to the City and 12 other cities and  
special districts through the Regional Wastewater Disposal Agreement (Regional Agreement)  
entered on May 18, 1998. The wastewater treatment and disposal services provided to the  
Sanitation District account for nearly 40% of the district’s annual operating budget.  
The 1998 Regional Agreement established contract rights to capacity in the Metro System for  
each of the agencies party to the agreement (Participating Agencies) and established a  
mechanism and system of charges to fund the planning, design, construction, operation and  
maintenance of the system. Several years ago, City of San Diego and the Participating Agencies  
deemed that the 1998 Regional Agreement did not adequately address the new needs of the  
system and needed to be updated. In 2020, the City of San Diego and the Participating Agencies  
agreed to the Amended and Restated Regional Wastewater Disposal Agreement (ARA) with the  
understanding that it would be amended in the future including addressing six specific issues that  
were left unresolved in 2020 amended agreement.  
Since 2021, City of San Diego and the Participating Agencies, which includes the County’s  
Sanitation District, have been negotiating the Regional Wastewater Disposal Agreement and  
have finalized the agreement which is known as Second Amended and Restated Regional  
Wastewater Disposal Agreement (SARA) and is ready for approval and execution by the  
governing body of the each of the Participating Agencies. As part of the SARA process, a new  
framework was established for specific programmatic or ministerial type changes to be  
accomplished through Administrative Agreements. This prevents the future need to alter the  
SARA due to program changes and avoids unnecessary lengthy and costly process of  
incorporating program changes in the Wastewater Disposal Agreement.  
The City of San Diego and the Participating Agencies have also finalized Administrative  
Agreement No. 1 addressing the pretreatment program conducted by the City of San Diego. The  
pretreatment program involves permitting and inspection of commercial and industrial facilities  
that have wastewater discharge and is required by the Clean Water Act. This is a request to  
approve and execute the Second Amended and Restated Regional Wastewater Disposal  
Agreement and Administrative -Agreement No. 1.  
RECOMMENDATION(S)  
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER  
1. Find that the proposed action is exempt from review under the California Environmental  
Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines  
because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the approval and  
execution of the Second Amended and Restated Wastewater Disposal Agreement and  
Administrative Agreement No. 1 may have a significant effect on the environment.  
2. Approve and Authorize the Clerk of the Board to execute the Second Amended and  
Restated Regional Wastewater Disposal Agreement between the City of San Diego and  
the Participating Agencies in the Metropolitan Sewerage System.  
3. Approve and Authorize the Clerk of the Board to execute Administrative Agreement  
No. 1.  
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT  
The San Diego County Sanitation District strives to preserve environmental resources and  
enhance quality of life for all regional residents and businesses by providing essential sanitation  
services and implementing programs and projects that improve regional community health and  
environmental quality while simultaneously complying with mandatory federal, State, and local  
regulations. The County Sanitation District’s services benefit unincorporated communities by  
reducing the risk of sewage spills and adverse impacts on water quality.  
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT  
Today’s action supports the Metropolitan Sewer Agencies, whose focus on the safe collection,  
treatment, and disposal of wastewater contributes to environmental sustainability. The  
Metropolitan Sewer Agencies function also includes wastewater recycling, creating a local,  
clean, safe, and drought-proof drinking water supply using state-of-the-art technology to purify  
recycled water, advancing San Diego County’s sustainability goal of increasing alternative water  
sources for drinking, landscaping, and agriculture. This action will help maintain a strong and  
resilient community  
FISCAL IMPACT  
There is no fiscal impact associated with today’s recommendations to approve and execute the  
Second Amended and Restated Regional Wastewater Disposal Agreement and Administrative  
Agreement No. 1. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff  
years.  
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT  
N/A  
ACTION:  
ON MOTION of Director Montgomery Steppe, seconded by Director Lawson-Remer, the Board  
of Directors of the County of San Diego Sanitation District took action as recommended, on  
Consent.  
ABSENT: Anderson  
There being no further business, the Board of Directors of the San Diego County Sanitation District  
adjourned at 5:35 p.m.  
ANDREW POTTER  
Clerk of the Board of Directors  
of Sanitation District  
Notes By: Valdivia  
NOTE: This Statement of Proceedings sets forth all actions taken by the County of San Diego Board of  
Directors of the Sanitation District on the matters stated, but not necessarily the chronological sequence  
in which the matters were taken up.