Preparation of this report cost $12,000, which was funded by FC District Funds. Implementation of the recommended action plans and assessment studies over the next 12 years will cost approximately $7,900,000 to be funded by FC District and Flood Control Zone Funds, with ongoing efforts to offset expenses with grant funds.

On November 5, 2013, the FC District presented to the Board its first annual report on flood protection infrastructure in order to understand its history, condition, and future needs. In February of 2014 and 2015, we presented the Board with the FC District’s Annual Reports. The 2016 Annual Report is provided to update the Board on the FC District’s accomplishments in 2016 as well as future challenges and next steps.  
  
In summary, our community outreach events were successful, our capital programs made progress, and our studies of aging infrastructure and unsustainable service levels continued to highlight some major concerns, primarily regarding lack of funding.  
  
Highlights of 2016 included our fourth successful “Giving the Natives a Chance” community planting day, over $2 million grant funding secured to expand the scope of the Three Creeks Project, productive legislative meetings and field trips with our state and federal representatives, completion of our feasibility and stakeholder outreach phase for the Lower Walnut Creek Project, our second week-long “Stay Out, Stay Alive” campaign at Walnut Creek Intermediate School, disseminating rain/flood preparedness information to the community, new rainfall tracking tools for residents, and Accreditation by the American Public Works Association.  
  
We continue working with the California State Association of Counties and the County Engineers Association of California on a Statewide Stormwater Funding Initiative to exempt stormwater agencies from Proposition 218 voter requirements, which is similar to the exemption that water and wastewater utility districts have. The goal is to prepare a stormwater funding measure for the November 2018 ballot. We recommend that the County continue to support the legislative effort to get this funding measure into place, as it will go a long way toward providing sustainable funding to meet the FC District’s needs.  
  
The FC District will continue implementation of the action plans outlined in the 2016 Annual Report. The key action for the next few years will be to focus on developing sustainable funding for regional flood protection and community drainage. For the full report, visit www.cccounty.us/5815/Annual-Reports.  
  
Staff recommends that the Board accept the 2016 Annual Report from the FC District, direct the Chief Engineer to continue with the Action Plans recommended in the Report, with a follow-up report to this Board annually, and refer the effort to develop sustainable funding for regional flood protection and community drainage to the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee.

If the Board does not accept this report, the County’s flood protection and community drainage infrastructure issues will not be adequately addressed, which will lead to lower levels of flood protection for our communities in the future.