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proclamation <br />Honoring General Manager of the <br />Bay Area Yater Supply and Conservation Agency <br />Nicole Sandkulla <br />WHEREAS, Nicole Sandkulla's retirement as Chief Executive Officer and General Manager (CEO) of the Bay Area Water Supply <br />and Conservation Agency (BA WSCA) marks the end of a distinguished career spanning over three decades of dedicated service to <br />water customers in the Bay Area; and <br />WHEREAS, her tenure as CEO at BAWSCA from September 2013 through December 2024 was characterized by professionalism <br />and tenacity in managing complex multi-year efforts. Her integrity, ethics and negotiating skills were crucial in ensuring the delivery <br />of reliable, high-quality water at a fair price to 26 water suppliers, serving 1.8 million residents and over 40, 000 businesses; and <br />WHEREAS, her accomplishments include: oversight of the $4.6 billion Water System Improvement Program; development of <br />BA WSCA'sfirst Long -Term Reliable Water Supply Strategy to address future water needs in normal years and in drought; negotiating <br />two water transfers to improve regional drought water supply reliability; demonstrating astute political and technical capabilities by <br />negotiating individual drought supply allocations acceptable to all 26 member agencies; and saving water customers money by <br />securing over $1.5 million in grants for water conservation programs, enabling a 24% reduction in water use in the BAWSCA area <br />despite a 32% population increase; and <br />WHEREAS, Ms. Sandkulla was an effective advocate for regional collaboration and cooperation, representing BAWSCA member <br />agencies in negotiations with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, and State regulatory bodies. Her diplomacy, ability to <br />convey technical information clearly, and persuasive communication skills were instrumental in developing a strong coalition of <br />legislative, business, labor and local governmental bodies to include the Voluntary Agreements in the Bay Delta Plan process to <br />address critical water supply and the environmental challenges; and <br />WHEREAS, Ms. Sandkulla has built upon BAWSCA's legacy of being results driven, innovative, with a strong reputation of meeting <br />the goal of "a reliable supply of high-quality water at a fair price ". She provided strong mentorship and support to staff, guiding <br />BA WSCA through unprecedented challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, managing a remote work environment, and <br />implementing rules and regulations to enable effective public decision making at our Board of Director meetings; and <br />WHEREAS, Ms. Sandkulla's legacy at BAWSCA is characterized by her ability to establish trust among the 26 member agencies and <br />their water customers that BAWSCA represents. She created strong regional collaboration to protect the financial and water supply <br />interests of member agencies and contributed to a sustainable and resilient water future for the Bay Area; and <br />WHEREAS, her retirement in December 2024 concludes a remarkable career marked by dedication, innovation, and significant <br />contributions to the water industry in the Bay Area. <br />NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOL VED THAT I, ELMER MART%NEZSABALLOS, MAYOR OF REDWOOD CITY, on behalf <br />of the City Council and the people of Redwood City, do hereby honor Nicole Sandkulla for an astounding 11 years of dedicated <br />service to the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA), and thank her for meaningful contributions to the City <br />of Redwood City. <br />Date: January 29, 2025 <br />Elmer Mar•Nnez Saballos, Mayor <br />Kaia Eakin, Vice Jfa"r <br />Isabella Chu, Council Member <br />Je_$'Gee, Council Member <br />Diane Howard, Council Member <br />Marcella Padilla, Council Member <br />(/� <br />Chris Sturken, Council Member <br />