Undergrounding work within Undergrounding Utility District No. 31, as amended, will be funded under California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Rule 20A Program. Navy Mitigation Funds will be used for staff time to conduct community outreach, pre-construction project planning, and engineering. No general fund monies are involved.

On September 10, 2013, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 2013/351 and formed Underground Utility District No. 31 (UU 31), Willow Pass Road/Bailey Road (Bay Point Area). The formation of UU 31 allows the use of Public Utilities Commission Electric Rule 20A and Telecommunications Rule 32 funding for undergrounding certain utilities within UU31.   
  
After UU 31 was formed, Public Works staff and PG&E representatives surveyed the site and identified an additional three utility poles, and the corresponding parcels, that should be added to UU 31. The three parcels of property are more particularly identified on the attached UU 31 boundary map. Public Works Department staff have contacted the owners of those parcels. The owners of those parcels have expressed an interest in having their parcels added within UU 31.  
  
Adding these three parcels to UU 31 will enhance the purposes of the project, which are: (1) ensuring that these areas will be prepared for future pedestrian and bicycle improvements along Bailey Road; (2) improving aesthetics and street enhancement to encourage persons to walk from the Bay Point BART station to downtown Bay Point; (3) promoting foot traffic and corresponding decreases in motorized travel along the busy Bailey Road/Willow Pass Road corridor.  
  
Adding these three parcels to UU 31 will ensure that utilities on and adjacent to these parcels can be undergrounded using Rule 20A funds administered by PG&E. Public Works Department staff have determined that the addition of three parcels within UU 31 is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3).   
  
Pursuant to Contra Costa County Ordinance Code Section 1008-2.004, at least 10 days before this hearing notice of the date and time of this hearing was mailed to the owners of the three parcels to be added to UU 31, as shown on the last equalized assessment role. For the above reasons, Public Works Department staff recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve the amendment of the UU 31 boundaries to include the three additional parcels identified on the attached boundary map.  
  

Failure to approve the amendment of the boundaries of Underground Utility District No. 31 will result in the Project being restricted to the original boundary.  
  

CLOSED the public hearing; ADOPTED Resolution 2016/682 to amend the boundaries of Underground Utility District No. 31, Willow Pass Road/Bailey Road to include the three additional parcels and three additional utility poles depicted on Exhibit 1 to the resolution;    DETERMINED that amending the boundaries of Underground Utility District No. 31 is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Article 5, Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines; and   DIRECTED the Director of Conservation and Development to file a CEQA Notice of Exemption with the County Clerk; and  AUTHORIZED the Public Works Director to arrange for payment of a $25 fee to Conservation and Development for processing, and a $50 fee to the Contra Costa County Clerk for filing, the CEQA Notice of Exemption.