FISCAL IMPACT:
If awarded, $52,000 of the total grant award amount ($618,300) would be allocated to the County, which will offset the cost of Department of Conservation and Development and Public Works Department staff time spent on activities related to shoreline adaptation and governance. No County match is required.
BACKGROUND:
Staff proposes the County join the West County Wastewater District and The Watershed Project to submit an application to the California Office of Planning and Research, Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program for grant monies to fund the North Richmond Shoreline Adaptation Governance and Collaboration Framework (Project). The Project proposes to bring together community members, private landowners, county, city, park district, and wastewater representatives to create a model and strategies for long-term governance, management, collaboration, and funding to further nature-based sea-level rise (SLR) shoreline adaptation. This Project will build upon over six years of community outreach and most recently resulted in the North Richmond Shoreline Adaptation Project started in 2021.
Collaborating on this grant application will further the County’s sea level rise resiliency efforts funded by Measure X. The County is a proposed to be a co-applicant on the Project’s grant application, in partnership with the West County Wastewater District (lead applicant) and The Watershed Project (co-applicant). County staff from the Department of Conservation and Development and Public Works Department would be working with the co-applicants to complete the Project work plan, which includes facilitating workshops, organizing meetings
among the stakeholders, and hiring sub-consultants to provide their expertise and experience in the fields of governance, design and real estate law.
If grant monies are awarded, the County would receive approximately $52,000 of the total $618,300 grant. Those funds will be used to cover the Department of Conservation and Development and Public Works Department staff participation in workshops and meetings that will help set the priorities for identifying and establishing a governance structure for the 5-mile stretch of shoreline in North Richmond, as shown in the attached Project Boundary map. County staff would use this experience and lessons learned during this process to determine the County’s long-term role in shoreline adaptation, and to develop potential governance models for the 92-mile Contra Costa County shoreline.
Staff recommends the Board approve the County’s participation in the North Richmond Shoreline Governance and Collaboration Framework project.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The County would not receive funding to participate in the North Richmond Shoreline Governance and Collaboration Framework process. County staff participation in workshops, meetings and legal review would need to be funded through another source or not performed.