Agenda

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C.107

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	John Kopchik, Director, Conservation & Development Department
Date:	July 9, 2019

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Local Matching Funds for the United States Army Corps of Engineers

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 07/09/2019

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

ABSENT:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor

Contact:

Ryan Hernandez, 925-674-7824

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: July 9, 2019
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

APPROVE expenditure of $113,598.67 from the restricted Suisun Bay/New York Slough Assessment District revenues to fund the Contra Costa County Water Agency match to a Federal Army Corps of Engineers grant to conduct various studies related to the San Francisco-to-Stockton Navigation Improvement Study.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The $113,598.67 will come from the Suisun Bay/New York Slough Assessment District fund. No impact to the General Fund.

BACKGROUND:

The San Francisco Bay to Stockton Navigation Improvement Study is part of a long-term effort to improve deep draft navigation from the San Francisco Bay to Stockton, California and was originally authorized by Congress in the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1965. The Port of Stockton (Port) is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE's) non-federal sponsor for the study, and Contra Costa County and participating refineries, are contributing partners to the Port.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

USACE is responsible for preparing an integrated draft General Reevaluation Report/Environmental Impact Statement (GRR/EIS) and is the lead Federal agency for National Environmental Policy Act compliance.

When authorized, the San Francisco Bay to Stockton Navigation Improvement Study allowed for 45-foot channel depths, but the channels were only constructed to 35 feet mean lower low water (MLLW).

The study was originally scoped for a 78 mile long navigation project to include the John F. Baldwin and Stockton channels, but was rescoped in 2016 to only include improvements to a 13.2 mile length of navigation channel which spans from Central San Francisco Bay to Avon (just east of the Benicia/Martinez Bridge). This includes the study of deepening the Pinole Shoal Channel and the Bulls Head Reach portion of the Suisun Bay Channel from 35-feet MLLW to 38-feet MLLW with dredged material being beneficially used.

To continue the advancement of the project’s smaller study area that includes completion of the rescoped GRR/EIS, the County is being asked to remit the matching funds as it has done since 2011. As for prior County contributions, the Department of Conservation and Development proposes to contribute the County's share from the Suisun Bay/New York Slough Assessment District funds, which were collected from beneficiaries of the ship channel for use in dredging-related work, including studies. The County previously expended $134.215.67 per the Board’s authorization on June 16, 2015, for the larger project, which is no longer part of this navigation study.

Consistent with past Board authorizations, the navigation improvement study is a cost-shared effort between USACE (federal) and the Port of Stockton (local). The cost share split is 75% federal/25% local. The 25% local cost is then split three ways between the Port, the County and participating refineries. Thus, the County’s share of the local cost to prepare the Study is one-third of 25%.

The total estimate to finish the rescoped study is $1,585,000. USACE received funding totaling $1,118,750 over two years 2017/2018; therefore, the local cost share is $396,250. The County’s one-third share of $396,250 would be $132,083.33.

Over that two-year period, the Port provided the 25% local cost share for $340,796.01. Note, this amount is slightly less than the 25% local cost-share above but is correct per a letter from USACE dated September 4, 2018. Therefore, Contra Costa County’s one-third portion of the 25% would require a contribution of $113,598.67.

The Contra Costa County Water Agency and the Port of Stockton have a long history of working together on the San Francisco Bay to Stockton Navigation Improvement Study, and the Conservation and Development Director recommends the Board of Supervisors authorize the commitment of $113,598.67 in matching funds as described above.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

If the County, along with other entities, does not provide the required 25% in matching funds, the Army Corps of Engineers may appropriate the funds to other projects and this project will not move forward.