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TRANSPORTATION, WATER & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE

Meeting Date:	07/18/2019
Subject: ACCEPT report on Authorization of Grant by State Coastal Conservancy for the North Richmond Watershed Connections Project.
Submitted For:	Brian M. Balbas, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Department:	Public Works
Referral No.:	5
Referral Name:	Review projects, plans, and legislative matters that may affect the health of the San Francisco Bay, including flood control, water governance, water storage, water quality, supply and reliability.
Presenter:	John Steere, Public Works Department	Contact:	John Steere (925)313-2281

Information

Referral History:

TWIC previously received a report from the County Public Works Department (PWD)—Watershed Program to accept submittal of a Prop 1 grant application for the North Richmond Watershed Connections Project (“Project”) to the State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) on March 13, 2017.

Referral Update:

The PWD—Watershed Program, in partnership with two community-based nonprofits, the Watershed Project and Urban Tilth, submitted a Prop 1 Urban Greening grant proposal in February 2017 to the SCC for the Project. In June 2017, the SCC notified the PWD—Watershed Program that it would award the County a grant of $884,000 for the Project. The Project will implement a suite of multiple-benefit urban greening projects in the unincorporated community of North Richmond to improve water quality and enhance the health of San Pablo and Wildcat Creeks and their watersheds, while expanding the urban forest, reducing heat islands, and improving this disadvantaged community’s awareness of and safe access to their local natural resources with a 1.75-mile long “Walkable Watersheds” urban trail. See Attachment 1 for a graphic of this urban greening/green infrastructure demonstration project.

The Watershed Connections is comprised of three subprojects and is a collaboration of Contra Costa County Transportation Engineering, the PWD—Watershed Program, and two local nonprofits, including Urban Tilth and the Watershed Project. These subprojects, as shown in Attachment 1 (map/graphic), are:

1. Fred Jackson Way Raingardens — adjacent to the North Richmond Urban Farm (led by Urban Tilth).

2. Fred Jackson Way First Mile/Last Mile Urban Greening, a Green/Complete Streets project (led by PWD—Transportation Engineering).

3. Clean and Green Adopt-a-Tree and “Walkable Watersheds” (led by the Watershed Project), whose features include:
· Increasing the urban canopy by planting 30 street trees in the public right-of-way and 25 trees on private property where no tree opportunity site exists;
· Improve watershed awareness, access and walkability with wayfinding, artwork and interpretive elements along the North Richmond Watershed Connections route, including “jewel boxes” on utility boxes.

The Project grant will be going before the SCC’s Board of Directors on August 22, 2019, for its approval. (See Attachment 2 for the Project Budget by Task/subproject, along with matching funds.) It has been delayed for approval in order to allow for conducting and concluding the environmental review/CEQA requirements for its three subprojects, which have just been completed. In the interim, the Project was awarded the 2018 “Leadership in Sustainability” Award by Sustainable Contra Costa.

Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):

ACCEPT report from the PWD and REFER the North Richmond Watershed Connections to the Board of Supervisors for their resolution to accept a grant for $884,000 from the SCC.

Fiscal Impact (if any):

The approval of this grant from the SCC would obligate limited County Watershed Program/PWD staff time to administer it. (This is shown as a $48,400 and match funding in the Project budget for North Richmond Watershed Connections.)

Attachments
Attachment 1 - Project Graphics
Attachment 2 - Project Budget
NRWC Power_Point.