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JUDGEMENT. From the Superior Court of the State of Calfornia in and for the County of Santa Clara, Department 9, Judge: Hon. Julia Alloggiamento on December 30th, 2025.
You can follow the progress of the lawsuit at this link. The link will take you to the Superior Court of California, Santa Clara Civil Case Index. In the first paragraph, there is a link for the “Case Information Portal”. Click on that and then enter Case #17CV316927. There you will find the Case Info, Parties, Events and Hearings. The documents are under “Events”.
Granada Community Services District (GCSD’s) Memoradum of Costs = $12,123.34
Montara Water and Sanitary District (MSWD’s) Memoradum of Costs = $27,444.99
The Joint Powers IPS Map (Inter-tie Pipeline System)
History of the SAM Lawsuit on Coastside Buzz
Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) was created in 1976 between City of Half Moon Bay (HMB), Granada Community Services District (GCSD) and Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD)
Original JPA 1976.
After 8 amendments and Consolidated Agreement was created in 2011.
All JPA Documents.
Timeline
2015. Mediation took place in San Jose under the supervision of a retired superior court judge.
2/2022. Santa Clara Superior Court (Judge Rudy) Summary Judgement ~ HMB responsible for repairs
10/2023. California 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Summary Judgement: reversed Judge Rudy’s decision – “We conclude the agreement is ambiguous and capable of multiple reasonable interpretations regarding what constitutes “maintenance” or a “project,” and that the extrinsic evidence is conflicting, thereby creating a triable issue of material fact precluding summary judgment. Accordingly, we reverse and remand with directions to enter a new order denying all parties’ motions for summary judgment.”
Lawsuit Posts in Chronological Order
(bolded posts highlight Court Actions)
City of Half Moon Bay Encourages Renewed Negotiation of Sewer Authority Lawsuit Issues, to Update the JPA, and to Avoid Court; February 8, 2024
6th Circuit Court of Appeal’s LIVE Oral Argument for the Lawsuit “Half Moon Bay vs Granada Sanitary District and Montara Water and Sanitary District”; October 5, 2023
Santa Clara Superior Court Sets 2024 Date for Appeal Review for Half Moon Bay vs GCSD and MWSD Sewer Lawsuit; July 13, 2023
SAM Board Continue to Disagree on 2023/2024 Budget as Staff Warns of Violations, Criminal Charges and Plant Closure; June 29, 2023
SAM Inter-tie Lawsuit Lumbers Along ~ Judge Currently Scheduled to Hear Oral Arguments in October with a Decision in 6 Months (4/2024); June 15, 2023
GCSD Chair, Nancy Marsh, Calls Out Mayor Penrose’s Sewer Inter-tie Op-Ed as Factually Incorrect and a Convenient Fallacy; May 22, 2023
Montara Water and Sanitary District Factually Rebuts Mayor Penrose’s Claim that Half Moon Bay Does Not Use the Inter-tie; May 22, 2023
Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside Attorney Warns of Contempt of Court and Receivership and GM Begs Board to Adopt a Budget; May 11, 2023
Amid HMB Lawsuit Protests, Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside Attorney Warns BOD that to Vote Against the General Budget will Violate 5C of the JPA; April 27, 2023
Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM) Directors from GCSD and MWSD Question HMB’s Budget Approval Under IPS Protest; May 19, 2022
HMB Sewer Lawsuit Dismissed, AGAIN?; April 28, 2022
Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD) Statement on Costs of City of Half Moon Bay’s Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM) Lawsuit; April 11, 2022
Three City Council Members Double-Down by Appealing Superior Court Summary Judgment Telling City to Pay for Shared Sewer Repairs; March 16, 2022
SAM sewer lawsuit … all over but the shouting?; February 10, 2022
Summary Judgment: Superior Court of California Finds HMB is Responsible for Repairs to Sewer;
City of Half Moon Bay Lawsuit Fails, Must Pay Its Share of Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside Costs; February 10, 2022
MWSD Statement on Preliminary Ruling ~ Half Moon Bay Must Pay Its Share of Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside Costs; January 19, 2022
HMB Floods Sewer Plant, and more…; January 13, 2022
Rush To Judgment… SAM Lawsuit Update; October 14, 2021
Coastside Water and Sewer Jurisdiction Map Comparison Study Session; September 1, 2021
Sewer: We Have Met The Enemy, and He Is Us.; August 19, 2021
Districts spent combined $700000 on sewer dispute; HMB Review, June 7th, 2021.
City of Half Moon Bay Responds to Midcoast Community Council’s Letter on the SAM Lawsuit; June 26, 2021
Fear and Loathing on the MidCoast; May 27, 2021
Anatomy of a Lawsuit: $6 million and counting; March 18, 2021
The History of the Relationship Between Montara Water and Sanitary District and Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside; December 16, 2020
To Protect its Ratepayers Granada Community Services District (GCSD) Rejects Tentative Lawsuit Settlement with Half Moon Bay; October 11, 2020
Montara Sanitary and Water District Responds to City of HMB’s Sewer Lawsuit; October 10, 2020
More on Granada Community Services District on Coastside Buzz
More on Montara Water and Sanitary District on Coastside Buzz
Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM) Meetings ~ 2nd & 4th Mondays @ 7:00pm
SAM Agendas and Zoom Links
Subscribe to Agendas. Watch remotely. Comments and questions by email.
SAM Meeting Videos via Pacific Coast TV
Where Does Your Poop Go ~ Virtual Video Tour!
Interactive “Story Map” Tour
Contact Us
Our regular office hours are 7:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The Authority can be reached 24-hours a day at: (650) 726-0124.
Our Address is:
Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside
1000 Cabrillo Hwy N.
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
SAM Board from left. Paul Nagengast (HMB), Nancy Marsh (GCSD), Scott Boyd (MWSD), Debbie Ruddock (HMB), Barbara Dye (GCSD), Kathryn Slater-Carter (MWSD).
The Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM) provides wastewater treatment services and contract collection maintenance services for a population of approximately 24,000 in the following areas:
- City of Half Moon Bay
- El Granada
- Miramar
- Montara
- Moss Beach
- Princeton by the Sea
SAM Directors
SAM is a joint powers authority (JPA) created by its three member agencies: City of Half Moon Bay (City), 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.
2025 SAM Directors
Deborah Ruddock ~ Chair, Representing the City of Half Moon Bay
Kathryn Slater-Carter ~ Vice Chair, Representing the Montara Water & Sanitary District
Nancy Marsh ~ Secretary/Treasurer, Representing the Granada Community Services District
Barbara Dye ~ Director, Representing the Granada Community Services District
Paul Nagengast ~ Director, Representing the City of Half Moon Bay
Scott Boyd ~ Director, Representing the Montara Water & Sanitary District
Author: mdrag
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