The State’s Proposition 68, upon passage by the voters in 2018, created a grant program with an emphasis on multibenefit green infrastructure investments in or benefiting disadvantaged or severely disadvantaged communities. The purpose of the proposed Proposition 68 grant will be to fund the engineering, landscape design, permitting, and construction of a green infrastructure project which will provide drainage to the Montarabay parking lot.  
  
The facility’s parking lot, which is 1.82 acres in size, is completely paved and does not have any drainage facilities. During much of the winter it is flooded by rainfall, restricting parking and access to the community center. The adjacent ballfield does not dry out until late summer. These flooding events limit public access to the facility during the winter months and interfere with food distribution events that are held in the Montarabay parking lot on a monthly basis. The lack of site drainage makes maintenance of the overall facility more difficult and costly. The proposed improvement will also improve the appearance of the site and reduce traffic speeds in the parking lot.  
  
Portions of the adjacent Montalvin Manor area are considered a disadvantaged community and the grant application will receive a higher score due to this fact. The grant will pay for the engineering, landscape design, permitting, and construction of the bioswales or other green infrastructure and the drainage pipeline.  
  
  

If not approved, Public Works will be unable to pursue funding for the project and ultimately will be unable to implement the green infrastructure and drainage project. The resulting winter flooding of the Montarabay parking lot will continue to limit public access to the facility.