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C. 6

To:	Contra Costa County Flood Control District Board of Supervisors
From:	Brian M. Balbas, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Date:	October 4, 2022

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Creek and Channel Safety Awareness Month and its Associated Program, Countywide. Project No. 7520-6B8311

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 10/04/2022

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:	Tim Jensen, (925) 313-2390
cc:	Allison Knapp, Deputy Chief Engineer Carrie Ricci, Deputy Public Works Director Kelly Kalfsbeek, Administrative Services Tim Jensen, Flood Control Michael Taylor, 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 4, 2022
Monica Nino, County Administrator

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ADOPT Resolution No. 2022/337 declaring October 2022 as Creek and Channel Safety Awareness Month; and


ACCEPT the following status report from the Public Works Department and the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (FC District) on the Creek and Channel Safety Awareness Program (CCSAP); and

RECOMMENDATION(S): (CONT'D)

DIRECT the Public Works Department and the FC District to continue with implementation and the annual campaign of a Countywide sustainable CCSAP, including a follow-up report to this Board in one year.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Annual notices, outreach, and maintenance of safety features for this year is estimated to cost $35,000 and will be funded by Flood Control Zone 3B.

BACKGROUND:

On March 1, 2011, the Board of Supervisors directed the FC District to develop a sustainable and impactful outreach program to promote creek and channel safety throughout the County, after the drowning of two high school students in the Walnut Creek channel. In response, the FC District formed a CCSAP team that developed a strategy to achieve this goal.

On October 4, 2011, the Board declared October 2011 as the first Creek and Channel Safety Awareness Month, accepted the status report from the FC District on the CCSAP, approved the implementation plan, and directed the FC District to continue with implementation and initiation of an annual campaign of a sustainable CCSAP, including a follow-up report to the Board in one year.

Since then, the Board of Supervisors received and approved a status report on the Annual CCSAP and declared October as Creek and Channel Safety Awareness Month in the years 2012 through 2021. The Board of Supervisors also directed the FC District to continue with implementation and the annual campaign of a Countywide sustainable CCSAP, including a follow-up report to the Board in one year.

This past year, we refreshed the warning stencils and signs in our facilities, ensured gates and fences were secured, completed the annual outreach to schools in September by sending information and banners, and worked with Walnut Creek Intermediate (WCI) School to continue sharing our CCSAP semi-virtually, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. During this seventh year of annual collaboration, students held a poster competition, while the FC District updated the web-based “StoryMap” presentation, originally created in 2020, which the student leadership class shared with the entire student body. The presentation includes an overview of the Walnut Creek watershed, key photos and video contrasting calm and stormy images showing unsafe conditions, past students’ best art posters, and the overall message to “Stay Out, Stay Alive!” While FC District personnel was not able to visit WCI in person, the FC District equipped the Leadership class with “Stay Out, Stay Alive!” bracelets, art supplies, and tools to measure the channel walls, which is a fun team building activity that emphasizes the size and danger of the channel. As in the past, several student posters were placed on fences at FC District channels in Concord, Walnut Creek, Danville, and Lafayette to spread the “Stay Out, Stay Alive!” message.

The Chief Engineer, FC District, recommends that the Board declare October 2022 as Creek and Channel Safety Awareness Month, accept the above report, and direct the Public Works Department and FC District to continue with implementation and the annual campaign of a Countywide sustainable CCSAP, including a follow-up report to this Board in one year.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

If this Resolution is not adopted, members of the public may not receive important information about creek and channel safety.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

The FC District will continue to work with the schools and youth-based groups within the County to educate children about safety regarding creeks and flood control channels.