TITLE
Recommendation to appoint City Engineer Mark Christoffels as the appointed member to the Los Angeles Gateway Region Integrated Regional Water Management Authority, and Parks, Recreation and Marine Manager of Planning and Development Dennis Eschen to serve as the authorized alternate; and authorize City Manager to designate in writing a representative if neither the member nor alternate member can attend. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The State of California, through the State Water Resources Board, has been encouraging regional water management planning through the incentive of grants from State Water Resources development bonds (i.e., Proposition 50 in 2002 and Proposition 84 in 2006). The concept is to integrate water resource planning that has typically been done on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction and function-by-function basis into a unified process encompassing entire watersheds. This would include water supply, storm water runoff, sanitation system, water quality improvements, and habitat restoration in a single plan that proposes multi-use projects that transcend jurisdictions or functions.
Los Angeles County, south of the ridgeline of the San Gabriel Mountains, is the watershed that was defined as the planning group in which Long Beach is located. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has been leading the effort to coordinate and plan with over 200 local agencies, single functional departments within agencies, and special districts. Because of the massive population and number of jurisdictions and special districts in the area, the planning effort was further divided into five sub-regions, with Long Beach included in the Lower Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers sub-region.
On July 24, 2007, the City Council authorized the City Manager to execute an agreement to create a Joint Powers Authority to create the Los Angeles Gateway Region Integrated Regional Water Management Authority (Authority). The Authority was created to develop integrated plans for submittal into the sub-regional planning process, as many of the cities in the Gateway Cities Council of Governments believe that the Lower Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers grouping is still too large for effective integration of multi-use planning efforts.
By joining the Authority, the City of Long Beach is responsible for a prorated share of the expenses for creating and operating the Authority and the development of a plan for the participating areas. At the time the Council authorized the formation of the Authority, those costs were not known. These costs are now estimated at $15,000 per member organization. These administrative costs will help the region apply for the $215 million that has been allocated to projects through this process in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties through Proposition 84. Those funds are expected to become available in FY 2008.
To participate in the newly formed JPA, the Long Beach City Council must appoint a member and alternate to the Governing Board. The Long Beach Water Commission has already appointed Kevin Wattier, General Manager of the Department, to serve as their representative. It is recommended that City Engineer Mark Christoffels serve as the appointed member and Parks, Recreation and Marine Manager of Planning and Development Dennis Eschen as the authorized alternate. For more information on the composition of the Authority and a summary of the bylaws, please see the attached document.
This letter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Gary J. Anderson on November 27, 2007, and Budget Management Officer Victoria Bell on November 28, 2007.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on December 4, 2007, to ensure that the City is represented on the Los Angeles Gateway Region Integrated Regional Water Management Authority.
FISCAL IMPACT
Participation in the Authority will cost $15,000 in order to help share the expenses of the administration of the Authority. These funds will be shared equally by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine and the Department of Public Works and absorbed within existing resources.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER