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Recommendation to direct City Manager to identify immediate one-time resources available to implement a Parks, Open Space and Median Drought Response Plan to preserve the City's trees and landscaping through the summer months and the end of Fiscal Year 2018.
DISCUSSION
According to a June 4, 2018 memo from the Interim Director of Parks, Recreation and Marine, an average of 47 inches of water is needed annually to sustain the vegetation in our Southern
California climate.
The City currently budgets $2 million for landscape irrigation, which provides approximately 45 percent of the water needs of the 996 acres of parks, open space and landscaped medians throughout the City. Annual rainfall is relied upon to provide the remainder of the water needs. In Fiscal Year 2018, Long Beach has received only 1.9 inches of rainfall, which is 4 percent of the total water needed from rain. By comparison, Long Beach received close to 18.8 inches of rain in FY 2017.
As a result of the significant shortage of water for citywide landscaping, many parks are experiencing a widespread "browning" of the grass and trees are becoming further compromised and in danger of dying.
The Parks, Recreation and Marine Department is utilizing identified budget savings to try to make up for the water shortage and prioritizing usage, but there are not the funds currently available in the budget to make up for the significant shortage.
As we enter the summer months the City's parks will be seeing a significant increase in usage, including for the events in the popular "100 Days of Summer.," The increased usage will only further expedite the deteriorate the condition of the parks, and will result in greater budget costs down the road for tree and turf replacement.
This is an issue that requires immediate attention and cannot wait until the next fiscal year to be addressed. If adequate resources to maintain our parks, open space and medians are not identified at this time, it will have grea...
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