TITLE
Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager to submit a grant application to the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy for the EI Dorado Duck Pond restoration project; and execute any documents necessary for the implementation and administration of the project. (District 5)
DISCUSSION
In November 2014, California voters passed Proposition 1, the $7.545 billion Water Quality, Supplyand Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, to provide capital funding for water projects, including surface and groundwater storage, ecosystem and watershed protection and restoration, and drinking water protection. Subsequent enabling legislation authorized $30 million in Proposition 1 grant funding to the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC).
This RMC grant will fund projects that are consistent with the RMC's enabling legislation, meet the RMC's required project selection criteria, support the RMC's Common Ground Objectives, and advance the objectives of Proposition 1. Grant funds of up to $2 million may be requested for acquisition, development, rehabilitation, restoration, and protection of land and water resources. Grant funds may also be used for direct project-specific management costs, permitting, and overhead costs of up to 15 percent of the total project cost.
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine proposes to apply for $1,754,000 in grant funding through the RMC forthe restoration and rehabilitation of the duck pond in EI Dorado Park West. The project scope includes:
• Removal of accumulated sediments from the duck pond;
• Restoration of the habitat surrounding the duck pond, incorporating native trees and shrubs;
• Replacement of the concrete shoreline path around the duck pond;
• Creation of a wetland buffer between the shoreline path and the duck pond, which will treat runoff flowing into the duck pond and improve water quality;
• Reconstruction of the irrigation and pumping system to use water from the duck pond to irrigate the surrounding park; and
• Reconstruction of the adjacent parking lots to eliminate flooding, and direct runoff into treatment wetlands to improve water quality.
Planning of the project was approved by the City Council with the FY14 budget on September 10,2014, and design of the project will be complete in December 2015.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Linda Vu on November 11,2015, and by Budget Operations Administrator Grace Yoon on November 13, 2015.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on December 1, 2015, in order to submit the grant application to the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy by the December 16, 2015, deadline.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total cost of the project is estimated at $2,289,000. The FY14 Capital Improvement Budget included $1,000,000 for the project. Approximately $465,000 will be spent on project design, leaving approximately $535,000 for project construction. Therefore, a total of $1,754,000 needed for the project is currently unfunded. If awarded, the requested grant amount of $1,754,000 will fully fund the project. Should the grant application be selected for funding, a recommendation will be made to the City Council to accept the grant and appropriate the funding. Should grant funding not be approved, other funds will need to be identified to complete the project as designed, or the design will need to be modified to fit within the existing construction budget. There is no impact to jobs associated with the recommended action.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
BODY
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH APPROVING THE APPLICATION FOR GRANT FUNDS FOR THE WATER QUALITY, SUPPLY AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2014 (PROPOSITION 1), FOR THE EL DORADO DUCK POND RESTORATION PROJECT
Respectfully Submitted,
STEPHEN SCOTT
INTERIM DIRECTOR OF PARKS, REACREATION & MARINE
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER