TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to approve three separate Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with the Los Angeles Gateway Region Integrated Regional Water Management Joint Powers Authority (GWMA) to develop Watershed Management Programs for the Lower Los Angeles River, Los Cerritos Channel, and Lower San Gabriel River Watersheds. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The City of Long Beach is situated in four watersheds: the Lower Los Angeles River Watershed; the Los Cerritos Channel Watershed; the Lower San Gabriel River Watershed; and the Dominguez Channel Watershed, resulting in the storm drain system that services the City (see attached map). The operation of this system is regulated through a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4), National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit that is issued by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LARWQCB). This permit is renewed approximately every five years by the LARWQCB. This recommendation involves the first three of the Watersheds named above; the Dominguez Channel Watershed MOU will be covered at a later date, once finalized.
The current permit for the Los Angeles Region and the newly adopted City of Long Beach permit, require that Long Beach, along with other participating cities located within the three Watersheds named above, develop Watershed Management Programs (WMP). The permits mandate stringent storm water quality regulatory requirements that could result in fines of $5,000 to $10,000 per day of violation should the City fail to comply with the permit. The primary goal of this recommendation to the Council is to allow the City to work with regionally affected cities within each of the watershed groups to reduce the overall cost of compliance through a multi-agency cooperative effort, as opposed to each city addressing these mandated regulatory requirements separately at a much greater cost.
For the development of the WMP, the Gateway Water Management Authority used consultants previously selected through a competitive process to prepare the Watershed Management Programs, and engaged in a separate competitive bid process for the specialized computer modeling analysis. These WMPs provide a comprehensive analysis of pollutant sources within the watershed areas, strategies for reducing or treating pollutants from those sources, computer modeling to substantiate the strategies and extensive monitoring of the water bodies within the named watersheds to verify compliance. These WMPs must be completed and approved by the LARWQCB prior to June 20, 2014.
The overall regional cost for FY14 is $2,077,000, which consists of $677,000 for the Lower Los Angeles River Watershed, $650,000 for the Los Cerritos Channel Watershed, and $750,000 for the Lower San Gabriel River Watershed. These costs include both the costs to develop the WMP, as well as the monitoring costs for FY14. Each of the partnering cities equally share 20 percent of the overall costs; the remaining 80 percent is divided up based on their percentage of area with each watershed. The FY 14 participation cost for the City of Long Beach is $428,700, which consists of $228,000 for the Lower Los Angeles River Watershed, $168,000 for the Los Cerritos Channel Watershed, and $32,700 for the Lower San Gabriel River Watershed. Long Beach's share of the three watersheds equals 20.2% of the total cost.
The ongoing monitoring costs for each of the remaining four years would have a not to exceed cost of $250,000 per watershed. The City's participation cost for FY15 to FY18 is estimated at $188,730, which consists of $93,500 for the Lower Los Angeles River Watershed, $84,030 for the Los Cerritos Channel Watershed, and $11,209 for the Lower San Gabriel River Watershed.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Amy Webber on March 3, 2014 and by Budget Management Officer Victoria Bell on February 28, 2014.
SUSTAINABILITY
Various TMDLs have been established for setting a maximum limit for a specific metals and bacteria that can be discharged into a water body without exceeding water quality standards and impairing beneficial uses. Participation in these MOU's and implementation of the subsequent capital improvement projects will help to isolate and abate these pollutants, which will lead to improved water quality.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action on this item is requested on March 11, 2014, to secure the City's participation in the development of the Watershed Management Programs to reduce the amount of pollutants and improve water quality in Long Beach.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City's FY 14 cost of $428,700 for development of watershed management programs and coordinated monitoring plans is a General Fund expense that will be managed within current appropriation in the Public Works Department. Funding for the FY 15 cost of $188,730 will be addressed during the FY 15 budget preparation process. There is no local job impact associated with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
ARA MALOYAN, PE
ACTING DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER