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  • IN RE: SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY OTHER CIVIL PETITIONS ( writ of mandate; declatory relief; determination of invalidity; breach of contract) document preview
  • IN RE: SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY OTHER CIVIL PETITIONS ( writ of mandate; declatory relief; determination of invalidity; breach of contract) document preview
  • IN RE: SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY OTHER CIVIL PETITIONS ( writ of mandate; declatory relief; determination of invalidity; breach of contract) document preview
  • IN RE: SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY OTHER CIVIL PETITIONS ( writ of mandate; declatory relief; determination of invalidity; breach of contract) document preview
  • IN RE: SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY OTHER CIVIL PETITIONS ( writ of mandate; declatory relief; determination of invalidity; breach of contract) document preview
  • IN RE: SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY OTHER CIVIL PETITIONS ( writ of mandate; declatory relief; determination of invalidity; breach of contract) document preview
  • IN RE: SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY OTHER CIVIL PETITIONS ( writ of mandate; declatory relief; determination of invalidity; breach of contract) document preview
  • IN RE: SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY OTHER CIVIL PETITIONS ( writ of mandate; declatory relief; determination of invalidity; breach of contract) document preview
						
                                

Preview

1 KEKER, VAN NEST & PETERS LLP JOHN W. KEKER - # 49092 2 jkeker@keker.com DAN JACKSON - # 216091 ELECTRONICALLY 3 djackson@keker.com WARREN A. BRAUNIG - # 243884 F I L E D Superior Court of California, 4 wbraunig@keker.com County of San Francisco NICHOLAS S. GOLDBERG - # 273614 5 ngoldberg@keker.com 02/22/2022 633 Battery Street Clerk of the Court BY: RONNIE OTERO 6 San Francisco, CA 94111-1809 Deputy Clerk Telephone: (415) 391-5400 7 Facsimile: (415) 397-7188 8 MARK J. HATTAM - # 173667 mhattam@sdcwa.org 9 General Counsel SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY 10 4677 Overland Avenue San Diego, CA 92123-1233 11 Telephone: (858) 522-6791 Facsimile: (858) 522-6566 12 Attorneys for Petitioner, Plaintiff, and Cross-Defendant EXEMPT FROM FILING FEES 13 SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY [GOVERNMENT CODE § 6103] 14 15 SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA 16 IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO 17 SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER Lead Case No. CPF-14-514004 18 AUTHORITY, Consolidated with Case Nos. CPF-16-515282 19 Petitioner, Plaintiff and Cross- & CPF-18-516389 Defendant, 20 SEPARATE STATEMENT OF v. UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS IN 21 SUPPORT OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT OF WATER AUTHORITY’S MOTION FOR 22 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA; ALL SUMMARY ADJUDICATION IN THE PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE 2014 ACTION 23 VALIDITY OF THE RATES ADOPTED BY THE METROPOLITAN WATER Date: April 13, 2022 24 DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Time: 2:00 p.m. ON APRIL 8, 2014 TO BE EFFECTIVE Dept.: 306 25 JANUARY 1, 2015 AND JANUARY 1, Judge: Hon. Anne-Christine Massullo 2016; and DOES 1-10, 26 Date Filed: May 30, 2014 Respondents, Defendants and 27 Cross-Complainant. Trial Date: May 16–27, 2022 28 SEPARATE STATEMENT OF UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS IN SUPPORT OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY ADJUDICATION IN THE 2014 ACTION Lead Case No. CPF-14-514004; Consolidated with CPF-16-515282 & CPF-18-516389 1806304 1 Under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 437 c(b)(1) and California Rule of 2 Court 3.1350(d), Petitioner, Plaintiff and Cross-Defendant San Diego County Water Authority 3 (Water Authority) submits this Separate Statement of Undisputed Material Facts in Support of its 4 Motion for Summary Adjudication against Respondent, Defendant and Cross-Complainant 5 Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan). The evidence cited in this 6 Separate Statement is set forth in the Declaration of Dan Jackson and the exhibits attached 7 thereto, as well as the pleadings on file in this consolidated action. Unless otherwise noted, 8 exhibit references herein refer to the Jackson Declaration. The Water Authority also requests 9 judicial notice of the exhibits in the accompanying Request for Judicial Notice. 10 Undisputed Material Facts Warranting Summary Adjudication 11 A. Issue 1 (see Memorandum of Points and Authorities § III.A) 12 Issue 1: Metropolitan’s first cause of action in its 2014 cross-complaint, for declaratory relief regarding the Water Stewardship Rate, is barred by issue preclusion. 13 14 The Water Authority’s undisputed Metropolitan’s response and supporting material facts and supporting evidence: 15 evidence: On April 24, 2014, this Court issued its 16 1. “Statement of Decision on Rate Setting Challenges” in CPF-10-510830 and 17 CPF-12-512466 (the “prior cases”). (Ex. 18 1.) On August 28, 2015, this Court issued its 19 2. second “Statement of Decision” in the prior cases. (Ex. 2.) 20 The California Court of Appeal, First 3. District, Division 3, issued its decision in 21 San Diego County Water Authority v. 22 Metropolitan Water Dist. of Southern California (2017) 12 Cal.App.5th 1124 23 (SDCWA I), as modified on denial of rehearing on July 18, 2017. (Ex. 5.) 24 On remand from SDCWA I, this Court 4. issued its Judgment in the prior cases on 25 or about August 13, 2020. (Ex. 6.) 26 On or about August 14, 2020, this Court 5. issued its Peremptory Writ of Mandate in 27 the prior cases. (Ex. 7.) 28 2 SEPARATE STATEMENT OF UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS IN SUPPORT OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY ADJUDICATION IN THE 2014 ACTION Lead Case No. CPF-14-514004; Consolidated with CPF-16-515282 & CPF-18-516389 1806304 1 On September 21, 2021, the California 6. Court of Appeal, First District, Division 2 3, affirmed this Court’s Judgment and 3 Peremptory Writ of Mandate in San Diego County Water Authority v. 4 Metropolitan Water Dist. of Southern California (Cal. Ct. App., Sept. 21, 5 2021, No. A161144) 2021 WL 4272331 (SDCWA II). (Ex. 8.) 6 The Court of Appeal stated (in SDCWA 7. II) that its prior determination (in 7 SDCWA I) regarding Metropolitan’s 8 Water Stewardship Rate “concerned a particular category of costs (‘water 9 stewardship rate’) which did not vary from year to year”; that “there was no 10 need nor did we intend to limit our 11 determination to any particular rate year.” (Ex. 8 at p. *5.) 12 The Court of Appeal stated (in SDCWA 8. II): “That Metropolitan apparently 13 believes that in some future rate year it 14 can recover a water stewardship rate as a cost subcomponent of its transportation 15 costs in its wheeling rate or the transportation rates charged under the 16 exchange agreement, thereby contravening our prior opinion, supports 17 the trial court’s continuing jurisdiction to 18 assure compliance with its judgment.” (Ex. 8 at p. *6.) 19 B. Issues 2–15 (see Memorandum of Points and Authorities § III.B) 20 Issue 2: Metropolitan has an enforceable duty under the Wheeling Statutes and the 21 Exchange Agreement to charge no more than “fair compensation,” which is defined as “including reasonable credit for any offsetting benefits for the use of the conveyance system.” (Wat. Code, § 22 1 1811, subd. (c).) 23 The Water Authority’s undisputed Metropolitan’s response and supporting 24 material facts and supporting evidence: evidence: 25 1 26 As discussed in Section III.B of the Water Authority’s accompanying Memorandum of Points and Authorities, several of Metropolitan’s cross-claims and affirmative defenses fail for the same 27 fundamental reasons. Each of those is specifically and separately addressed in Issues 3 to 14 below, per Rule of Court 3.1350, but note, for convenience’s sake, that the facts and evidence for 28 Issues 3 to 15 are the same as those set forth below for Issue 2. 3 SEPARATE STATEMENT OF UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS IN SUPPORT OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY ADJUDICATION IN THE 2014 ACTION Lead Case No. CPF-14-514004; Consolidated with CPF-16-515282 & CPF-18-516389 1806304 1 Paragraph 5.2 of the 2003 Amended and 9. Restated Exchange Agreement states that 2 “the Price shall be equal to the charge or 3 charges set by Metropolitan’s Board of Directors pursuant to applicable law and 4 regulation and generally applicable to the conveyance of water by Metropolitan 5 on behalf of its member agencies.” (Ex. 3, ¶ 5.2.) 6 In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal stated: 10. “A water agency’s payments to its 7 members to encourage water 8 conservation is outside the scope of recoverable costs contemplated by the 9 wheeling statute,” and therefore, Metropolitan’s “water stewardship rate 10 used to fund conservation programs” is 11 not “recoverable as ‘fair compensation’ for use of the conveyance system.” (Ex. 12 5, SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at pp. 1150–51.) 13 In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal further 11. stated that “to the extent that the price 14 Metropolitan charged the Water 15 Authority for wheeling was based on an unlawful rate, there was a breach of the 16 amended exchange agreement providing for future prices ‘equal to the charge or 17 charges set by Metropolitan's Board of 18 Directors pursuant to applicable law and regulation and generally applicable to 19 the conveyance of water by Metropolitan on behalf of its member agencies.’” (Ex. 20 5, SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at p. 1154.) 21 In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal stated 12. that “the evidence sufficiently 22 establishes a violation of the contractual 23 price term, not just the wheeling rate, and actionable injury by payment of a 24 water stewardship rate unrelated to the transportation services provided.” (Ex. 25 5, SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at p. 26 1154.) In SDCWA II, the Court of Appeal 27 13. stated: “In its 2010 and 2012 actions, the Water Authority’s requests for 28 4 SEPARATE STATEMENT OF UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS IN SUPPORT OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY ADJUDICATION IN THE 2014 ACTION Lead Case No. CPF-14-514004; Consolidated with CPF-16-515282 & CPF-18-516389 1806304 1 mandamus were predicated on a claim that Metropolitan failed to act as 2 required by law in determining ‘fair 3 compensation’ for a wheeler’s use of an owner’s water conveyance system for 4 transporting water under both the Wheeling Statutes and the parties’ 5 exchange agreement under which Metropolitan had a duty to calculate 6 water rates pursuant to applicable law 7 and regulation.” (Ex. 8, SDCWA II, supra, 2021 WL 4272331, at p. *7.) 8 The Court of Appeal stated: “Thus, the 14. writ properly compels Metropolitan to 9 perform its clear and present legal obligation, pursuant to Water Code 10 sections 1810 and 1812, requiring the 11 owner of a water conveyance facility to timely determine fair compensation for 12 use of its water conveyance services for the benefit of the Water Authority, 13 which is an entity entitled to use the 14 facilities upon the payment of fair compensation.” (Ex. 8, SDCWA II, 15 supra, 2021 WL 4272331, at p. *8.) Water Code section 1811, subdivision 16 15. (c), defines “fair compensation” as “including reasonable credit for any 17 offsetting benefits for the use of the 18 conveyance system.” (See Ex. 9 at pp. 6–7, 11–12; Ex. 11 at p. 2; Ex. 12; Ex. 19 13.) In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal stated: 20 16. “Metropolitan has made several assertions on appeal denying an 21 enforceable contract and actionable 22 breach but none is persuasive.” (Ex. 5, SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at p. 23 1154; see also Ex. 4 at pp. 114–130.) The Court of Appeal stated: “Fees and 24 17. rates are ‘subject to attack’ when reenacted, even if they are essentially the 25 same as previous ones.” (Ex. 5, SDCWA 26 I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at p. 1142; see also Ex. 9 at pp. 7–10, 12–13.) 27 Issue 3: Metropolitan’s second cause of action in its 2014 cross-complaint, for declaratory relief 28 5 SEPARATE STATEMENT OF UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS IN SUPPORT OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY ADJUDICATION IN THE 2014 ACTION Lead Case No. CPF-14-514004; Consolidated with CPF-16-515282 & CPF-18-516389 1806304 1 regarding offsetting benefits, is barred because Metropolitan has an enforceable duty under the Wheeling Statutes and the Exchange Agreement to charge no more than “fair compensation,” 2 which is defined as “including reasonable credit for any offsetting benefits for the use of the 3 conveyance system.” (Wat. Code, § 1811, subd. (c).) 4 The Water Authority’s undisputed Metropolitan’s response and supporting material facts and supporting evidence: 5 evidence: Paragraph 5.2 of the 2003 Amended and 6 18. Restated Exchange Agreement states that 7 “the Price shall be equal to the charge or charges set by Metropolitan’s Board of 8 Directors pursuant to applicable law and regulation and generally applicable to 9 the conveyance of water by Metropolitan on behalf of its member agencies.” (Ex. 10 3, ¶ 5.2.) 11 In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal stated: 19. “A water agency’s payments to its 12 members to encourage water conservation is outside the scope of 13 recoverable costs contemplated by the 14 wheeling statute,” and therefore, Metropolitan’s “water stewardship rate 15 used to fund conservation programs” is not “recoverable as ‘fair compensation’ 16 for use of the conveyance system.” (Ex. 5, SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at 17 pp. 1150–51.) 18 In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal further 20. stated that “to the extent that the price 19 Metropolitan charged the Water Authority for wheeling was based on an 20 unlawful rate, there was a breach of the amended exchange agreement providing 21 for future prices ‘equal to the charge or 22 charges set by Metropolitan's Board of Directors pursuant to applicable law and 23 regulation and generally applicable to the conveyance of water by Metropolitan 24 on behalf of its member agencies.’” (Ex. 5, SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at p. 25 1154.) 26 In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal stated 21. that “the evidence sufficiently 27 establishes a violation of the contractual price term, not just the wheeling rate, 28 6 SEPARATE STATEMENT OF UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS IN SUPPORT OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY ADJUDICATION IN THE 2014 ACTION Lead Case No. CPF-14-514004; Consolidated with CPF-16-515282 & CPF-18-516389 1806304 1 and actionable injury by payment of a water stewardship rate unrelated to the 2 transportation services provided.” (Ex. 3 5, SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at p. 1154.) 4 In SDCWA II, the Court of Appeal 22. stated: “In its 2010 and 2012 actions, the 5 Water Authority’s requests for mandamus were predicated on a claim 6 that Metropolitan failed to act as 7 required by law in determining ‘fair compensation’ for a wheeler’s use of an 8 owner’s water conveyance system for transporting water under both the 9 Wheeling Statutes and the parties’ exchange agreement under which 10 Metropolitan had a duty to calculate 11 water rates pursuant to applicable law and regulation.” (Ex. 8, SDCWA II, 12 supra, 2021 WL 4272331, at p. *7.) The Court of Appeal stated: “Thus, the 13 23. writ properly compels Metropolitan to 14 perform its clear and present legal obligation, pursuant to Water Code 15 sections 1810 and 1812, requiring the owner of a water conveyance facility to 16 timely determine fair compensation for use of its water conveyance services for 17 the benefit of the Water Authority, 18 which is an entity entitled to use the facilities upon the payment of fair 19 compensation.” (Ex. 8, SDCWA II, supra, 2021 WL 4272331, at p. *8.) 20 Water Code section 1811, subdivision 24. (c), defines “fair compensation” as 21 “including reasonable credit for any 22 offsetting benefits for the use of the conveyance system.” (See Ex. 9 at pp. 23 6–7, 11–12; Ex. 11 at p. 2; Ex. 12; Ex. 13.) 24 In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal stated: 25. “Metropolitan has made several 25 assertions on appeal denying an 26 enforceable contract and actionable breach but none is persuasive.” (Ex. 5, 27 SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at p. 1154; see also Ex. 4 at pp. 114–130.) 28 7 SEPARATE STATEMENT OF UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS IN SUPPORT OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY ADJUDICATION IN THE 2014 ACTION Lead Case No. CPF-14-514004; Consolidated with CPF-16-515282 & CPF-18-516389 1806304 1 The Court of Appeal stated: “Fees and 26. rates are ‘subject to attack’ when 2 reenacted, even if they are essentially the 3 same as previous ones.” (Ex. 5, SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at p. 1142; see 4 also Ex. 9 at pp. 7–10, 12–13.) 5 Issue 4: Metropolitan’s sixth cause of action in its 2014 cross-complaint, for declaratory relief regarding fair compensation, is barred because Metropolitan has an enforceable duty under the 6 Wheeling Statutes and the Exchange Agreement to charge no more than “fair compensation,” 7 which is defined as “including reasonable credit for any offsetting benefits for the use of the conveyance system.” (Wat. Code, § 1811, subd. (c).) 8 The Water Authority’s undisputed Metropolitan’s response and supporting 9 material facts and supporting evidence: 10 evidence: Paragraph 5.2 of the 2003 Amended and 27. Restated Exchange Agreement states that 11 “the Price shall be equal to the charge or 12 charges set by Metropolitan’s Board of Directors pursuant to applicable law and 13 regulation and generally applicable to 14 the conveyance of water by Metropolitan on behalf of its member agencies.” (Ex. 15 3, ¶ 5.2.) In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal stated: 16 28. “A water agency’s payments to its members to encourage water 17 conservation is outside the scope of 18 recoverable costs contemplated by the wheeling statute,” and therefore, 19 Metropolitan’s “water stewardship rate used to fund conservation programs” is 20 not “recoverable as ‘fair compensation’ for use of the conveyance system.” (Ex. 21 5, SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at 22 pp. 1150–51.) In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal further 23 29. stated that “to the extent that the price Metropolitan charged the Water 24 Authority for wheeling was based on an 25 unlawful rate, there was a breach of the amended exchange agreement providing 26 for future prices ‘equal to the charge or charges set by Metropolitan's Board of 27 Directors pursuant to applicable law and regulation and generally applicable to 28 8 SEPARATE STATEMENT OF UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS IN SUPPORT OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY ADJUDICATION IN THE 2014 ACTION Lead Case No. CPF-14-514004; Consolidated with CPF-16-515282 & CPF-18-516389 1806304 1 the conveyance of water by Metropolitan on behalf of its member agencies.’” (Ex. 2 5, SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at p. 3 1154.) In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal stated 30. that “the evidence sufficiently 4 establishes a violation of the contractual 5 price term, not just the wheeling rate, and actionable injury by payment of a 6 water stewardship rate unrelated to the 7 transportation services provided.” (Ex. 5, SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at p. 8 1154.) In SDCWA II, the Court of Appeal 9 31. stated: “In its 2010 and 2012 actions, the 10 Water Authority’s requests for mandamus were predicated on a claim 11 that Metropolitan failed to act as required by law in determining ‘fair 12 compensation’ for a wheeler’s use of an owner’s water conveyance system for 13 transporting water under both the 14 Wheeling Statutes and the parties’ exchange agreement under which 15 Metropolitan had a duty to calculate water rates pursuant to applicable law 16 and regulation.” (Ex. 8, SDCWA II, supra, 2021 WL 4272331, at p. *7.) 17 The Court of Appeal stated: “Thus, the 32. writ properly compels Metropolitan to 18 perform its clear and present legal 19 obligation, pursuant to Water Code sections 1810 and 1812, requiring the 20 owner of a water conveyance facility to timely determine fair compensation for 21 use of its water conveyance services for 22 the benefit of the Water Authority, which is an entity entitled to use the 23 facilities upon the payment of fair compensation.” (Ex. 8, SDCWA II, 24 supra, 2021 WL 4272331, at p. *8.) Water Code section 1811, subdivision 25 33. (c), defines “fair compensation” as 26 “including reasonable credit for any offsetting benefits for the use of the 27 conveyance system.” (See Ex. 9 at pp. 6–7, 11–12; Ex. 11 at p. 2; Ex. 12; Ex. 28 9 SEPARATE STATEMENT OF UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS IN SUPPORT OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY ADJUDICATION IN THE 2014 ACTION Lead Case No. CPF-14-514004; Consolidated with CPF-16-515282 & CPF-18-516389 1806304 1 13.) In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal stated: 2 34. “Metropolitan has made several 3 assertions on appeal denying an enforceable contract and actionable 4 breach but none is persuasive.” (Ex. 5, SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at p. 5 1154; see also Ex. 4 at pp. 114–130.) The Court of Appeal stated: “Fees and 6 35. rates are ‘subject to attack’ when 7 reenacted, even if they are essentially the same as previous ones.” (Ex. 5, SDCWA 8 I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at p. 1142; see also Ex. 9 at pp. 7–10, 12–13.) 9 10 Issue 5: Metropolitan’s seventh cause of action in its 2014 cross-complaint, for declaratory relief regarding judicial estoppel, is barred because Metropolitan has an enforceable duty under the 11 Wheeling Statutes and the Exchange Agreement to charge no more than “fair compensation,” which is defined as “including reasonable credit for any offsetting benefits for the use of the 12 conveyance system.” (Wat. Code, § 1811, subd. (c).) 13 The Water Authority’s undisputed Metropolitan’s response and supporting 14 material facts and supporting evidence: evidence: 15 Paragraph 5.2 of the 2003 Amended and 36. Restated Exchange Agreement states that 16 “the Price shall be equal to the charge or charges set by Metropolitan’s Board of 17 Directors pursuant to applicable law and 18 regulation and generally applicable to the conveyance of water by Metropolitan 19 on behalf of its member agencies.” (Ex. 3, ¶ 5.2.) 20 In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal stated: 37. “A water agency’s payments to its 21 members to encourage water 22 conservation is outside the scope of recoverable costs contemplated by the 23 wheeling statute,” and therefore, Metropolitan’s “water stewardship rate 24 used to fund conservation programs” is 25 not “recoverable as ‘fair compensation’ for use of the conveyance system.” (Ex. 26 5, SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at pp. 1150–51.) 27 In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal further 38. stated that “to the extent that the price 28 10 SEPARATE STATEMENT OF UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS IN SUPPORT OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY ADJUDICATION IN THE 2014 ACTION Lead Case No. CPF-14-514004; Consolidated with CPF-16-515282 & CPF-18-516389 1806304 1 Metropolitan charged the Water Authority for wheeling was based on an 2 unlawful rate, there was a breach of the 3 amended exchange agreement providing for future prices ‘equal to the charge or 4 charges set by Metropolitan's Board of Directors pursuant to applicable law and 5 regulation and generally applicable to the conveyance of water by Metropolitan 6 on behalf of its member agencies.’” (Ex. 7 5, SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at p. 1154.) 8 In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal stated 39. that “the evidence sufficiently 9 establishes a violation of the contractual price term, not just the wheeling rate, 10 and actionable injury by payment of a 11 water stewardship rate unrelated to the transportation services provided.” (Ex. 12 5, SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at p. 1154.) 13 In SDCWA II, the Court of Appeal 40. stated: “In its 2010 and 2012 actions, the 14 Water Authority’s requests for 15 mandamus were predicated on a claim that Metropolitan failed to act as 16 required by law in determining ‘fair compensation’ for a wheeler’s use of an 17 owner’s water conveyance system for 18 transporting water under both the Wheeling Statutes and the parties’ 19 exchange agreement under which Metropolitan had a duty to calculate 20 water rates pursuant to applicable law and regulation.” (Ex. 8, SDCWA II, 21 supra, 2021 WL 4272331, at p. *7.) 22 The Court of Appeal stated: “Thus, the 41. writ properly compels Metropolitan to 23 perform its clear and present legal obligation, pursuant to Water Code 24 sections 1810 and 1812, requiring the owner of a water conveyance facility to 25 timely determine fair compensation for 26 use of its water conveyance services for the benefit of the Water Authority, 27 which is an entity entitled to use the facilities upon the payment of fair 28 11 SEPARATE STATEMENT OF UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS IN SUPPORT OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY ADJUDICATION IN THE 2014 ACTION Lead Case No. CPF-14-514004; Consolidated with CPF-16-515282 & CPF-18-516389 1806304 1 compensation.” (Ex. 8, SDCWA II, supra, 2021 WL 4272331, at p. *8.) 2 Water Code section 1811, subdivision 42. (c), defines “fair compensation” as 3 “including reasonable credit for any 4 offsetting benefits for the use of the conveyance system.” (See Ex. 9 at pp. 5 6–7, 11–12; Ex. 11 at p. 2; Ex. 12; Ex. 13.) 6 In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal stated: 43. “Metropolitan has made several 7 assertions on appeal denying an 8 enforceable contract and actionable breach but none is persuasive.” (Ex. 5, 9 SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at p. 10 1154; see also Ex. 4 at pp. 114–130.) The Court of Appeal stated: “Fees and 44. rates are ‘subject to attack’ when 11 reenacted, even if they are essentially the 12 same as previous ones.” (Ex. 5, SDCWA I, supra, 12 Cal.App.5th at p. 1142; see 13 also Ex. 9 at pp. 7–10, 12–13.) 14 Issue 6: Metropolitan’s eighth cause of action in its 2014 cross-complaint, for declaratory relief 15 regarding offsetting benefits, is barred because Metropolitan has an enforceable duty under the Wheeling Statutes and the Exchange Agreement to charge no more than “fair compensation,” 16 which is defined as “including reasonable credit for any offsetting benefits for the use of the conveyance system.” (Wat. Code, § 1811, subd. (c).) 17 18 The Water Authority’s undisputed Metropolitan’s response and supporting material facts and supporting evidence: 19 evidence: Paragraph 5.2 of the 2003 Amended and 20 45. Restated Exchange Agreement states that 21 “the Price shall be equal to the charge or charges set by Metropolitan’s Board of 22 Directors pursuant to applicable law and regulation and generally applicable to 23 the conveyance of water by Metropolitan on behalf of its member agencies.” (Ex. 24 3, ¶ 5.2.) 25 In SDCWA I, the Court of Appeal stated: 46. “A water agency’s payments to its 26 members to encourage water conservation is outside the scope of 27 recoverable costs contemplated by the wheeling statute,” and therefore, 28 12 SEPARATE STATEMENT OF UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS IN SUPPORT OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY ADJUDICATION IN THE 2014 ACTION