Agenda

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C. 45

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Transportation Water and Infrastructure Committee
Date:	October 8, 2019

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

ADOPT Resolution for Grant Acceptance with State Coastal Conservancy for the North Richmond Watershed Connections Project.

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 10/08/2019

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:	John Steere, (925) 313-2281
cc:	Laura Strobel, County Administrator's Office Allison Knapp, Deputy Public Works Director Tim Jensen, Flood Control Michelle Mancuso, County Watershed Program John Steere, Flood Control Catherine Windham, Flood Control

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: October 8, 2019
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ADOPT Resolution No. 2019/584 authorizing the Public Works Director, or designee, to accept the grant award from the State Coastal Conservancy (“Conservancy”) to receive an amount not to exceed $884,000 for the North Richmond Watershed Connections (“the Project”), as recommended by the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee (TWI Committee), Richmond area.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The grant award and agreement with the Conservancy will provide funding up to $884,000 for the installation of rain gardens and bioswales, street trees, and other watershed-focused public trail amenities along Fred Jackson Way in North Richmond. Because of the Project’s location in a disadvantaged community, the grant program does not require matching funds, though there is a total match of $224,000 from various funds. The approval of this grant from the Conservancy would obligate limited County Watershed Program/PWD staff time to administer it. (100% State Coastal Conservancy)

BACKGROUND:

The Public Works Department (PWD)—Watershed Program, in partnership with two community-based nonprofits, the Watershed Project and Urban Tilth, submitted a Prop 1 Urban Greening grant proposal in February 2017 to the Conservancy for the Project. In June 2017, the Conservancy staff notified the PWD—Watershed Program that it had nominated the County to receive a grant of $884,000 for the Project. On August 22, 2019, the Conservancy’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to award this grant to the County PWD. The Project will implement a suite of multiple-benefit urban greening projects in the unincorporated community of North Richmond to improve water quality and enhance the health of San Pablo and Wildcat Creeks and their watersheds, while expanding the urban forest, reducing heat islands, and improving this disadvantaged community’s awareness of and safe access to their local natural resources with a 1.75-mile long “Walkable Watersheds” urban trail. See Attachment 1 for a graphic of this urban greening/green infrastructure demonstration project.

The Project is comprised of three subprojects and is a collaboration of Contra Costa County Transportation Engineering, the PWD—Watershed Program, and two local nonprofits, including Urban Tilth and the Watershed Project. These subprojects, as shown in Attachment 1 (map/graphic), are:

1. Fred Jackson Way Raingardens — adjacent to the North Richmond Urban Farm (led by Urban Tilth).

2. Fred Jackson Way First Mile/Last Mile Urban Greening, a Green/Complete Streets project (led by PWD—Transportation Engineering).

3. Clean and Green Adopt-a-Tree and “Walkable Watersheds” (led by the Watershed Project), whose features include:
· Increasing the urban canopy by planting 30 street trees in the public right-of-way and 25 trees on private property where no tree opportunity site exists.
· Improve watershed awareness, access and walkability with wayfinding, artwork and interpretive elements along the North Richmond Watershed Connections route, including “jewel boxes” on utility boxes.

The Project was previously reviewed, accepted, and referred to the Board by the TWI Committee on July 18, 2019.

The Project grant went before the Conservancy’s Board of Directors on August 22, 2019, and received its unanimous approval. See Attachment 2 for the Project Budget by Task/subproject, along with matching funds. It has been delayed for approval in order to allow for conducting and concluding the environmental review/CEQA requirements for its three subprojects, which have just been completed. In the interim, the Project was awarded the 2018 “Leadership in Sustainability” Award by Sustainable Contra Costa.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

Without the Board’s approval, the County will void the receipt of $884,000 in grant funds for implementation of an important green infrastructure and urban greening project in North Richmond.