Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management JPA Payment January 21, 2025
DATE: January 21, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Paul Cranmer, Public Works Services Director
By: Briget Arndell, Environmental Services Manager
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE PAYMENT TO THE RIO HONDO/SAN GABRIEL RIVER
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY FOR THE
REASONABLE ASSURANCE ANALYSIS (“RAA”) UPDATE AND
ENCANTO PARK PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $557,486.54
CEQA: Not a Project
Recommendation: Authorize and Approve
SUMMARY
To meet state mandated stormwater requirements, the City of Arcadia became a member of the Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management Joint Powers Authority (“JPA”), consisting of the Cities of Arcadia, Bradbury, Duarte, Monrovia, and Sierra Madre. As part of the JPA, the City of Arcadia is responsible for paying its fair share for annual membership fees, monitoring costs, and program expenses. The JPA is currently working on completing the Reasonable Assurance Analysis (“RAA”) update for the Encanto Park Project, which will advance the vision of the JPA by creating a stormwater capture and cleaning system to recharge the local groundwater.
It is recommended that the City Council authorize payment to the Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management Joint Powers Authority for the RAA Update and the Encanto Park Project, in the amount of $557,486.54.
BACKGROUND
In 2012, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board adopted the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit (“MS4 Permit”), which established waste discharge requirements for stormwater and non- stormwater discharges within the watersheds of Los Angeles County. Since then, the Cities of Arcadia, Bradbury, Duarte, Monrovia, and Sierra Madre have formed a Joint Powers Authority (“JPA”), in cooperation with the County of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County Flood Control District, to fulfil the requirements of the MS4 Permit for the Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River watershed. The JPA submitted a Watershed Management Plan (“WMP”) to the Water Quality Control Board, which was approved in 2016.
Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management JPA Payment January 21, 2025
The JPA manages logistics for projects in the WMP, which includes the Arcadia Wash Ecosystem Restoration and Groundwater Recharge, the Rio Hondo Ecosystem Restoration located at the Peck Road Lake Park, the Encanto Park Stormwater Capture Project located in the City of Duarte, and Basin 3E Enhancements located at the Santa Fe Spreading Grounds. Furthermore, the JPA is handling all membership fees, payments for stormwater studies, and all projects and programs in the WMP. Each member city of the JPA, the County of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles County Flood Control District has agreed to pay a proportional share of the total costs.
DISCUSSION
A key required element of the WMP is the Reasonable Assurance Analysis (“RAA”), which is used to quantitatively demonstrate that the implementation strategies effectively address water quality priorities. The RAA supports the WMP by identifying which control measures need to be implemented for the MS4 Permit, as it relates to best management practices. The RAA needs to be re-evaluated and renewed to meet watershed requirements given the most updated information was provided in 2016. The RAA update includes watershed models, plans, and projects to meet objectives. The RAA is a compliance measure.
The Encanto Park Stormwater Capture Project has been approved to support stormwater capture and management and improve water quality in the Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed. Encanto Park is a public recreational facility maintained by the City of Duarte and is located adjacent to the San Gabriel River. The project’s purpose is to decrease the pollutants in stormwater and dry-weather runoff that enters the San Gabriel River, which is part of the City of Arcadia’s watershed. The project entails constructing and operating a stormwater capture and treatment facility on the western side of Encanto Park, as well as other ancillary park improvements to benefit park users. The treatment facility would intercept stormwater and dry-weather flow from existing underground storm drain pipelines within the park and pump the water to a shallow underground reservoir beneath the multi-use field, for infiltration into the groundwater basin. Craftwater, Inc. has completed the design of the Encanto Park Project. Craftwater is carrying out the RAA with an amended amount of $470,000. The total cost estimate for the Encanto Park Project is $6,600,000. The JPA must now commit to sharing the cost of construction to move forward with completing the project.
The individual agency cost was calculated with a cost-sharing formula originally established for shared expenses based on 10% of the total fee being evenly distributed between the five JPA cities and County of Los Angeles, and the remaining 90% of the cost being calculated based on the agency’s total acreage. The City of Arcadia accounts for 11 acres of land use in the Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Area, which equates to 34% of the cost share. Therefore, the City’s share for the RAA Update will be $152,336.44 and the share for the Encanto Park Project will be $405,150.10. The total payment for FY 2024-25 will be $557,486.54.
Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management JPA Payment January 21, 2025
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The proposed action of authorizing a payment to the JPA does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), as it can be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the environment. Any environmental reviews that might be necessary would be overseen by the JPA, acting as lead agency for all efforts of the JPA.
FISCAL IMPACT
For Fiscal Year 2024-25, the City of Arcadia’s contribution for the RAA Update is $152,336.44. Arcadia’s contribution for the Encanto Park Project is $405,150.10. Both amounts total to $557,486.54. Sufficient funds are budgeted in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Capital Improvement Program for these expenses. Additionally, the City of Arcadia is expected to receive approximately $1,015,000 in local return from the Safe Clean Water Program (Measure W) annually, and these funds have been allocated in the CIP.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended the City Council determine that this action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and authorize payment to the Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management Joint Powers Authority for the RAA Update and the Encanto Park Project in the amount of $557,486.54.
Attachments: Fiscal Year 2024-25 Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management JPA Reasonable Assurance Analysis Update and Encanto Park Project Invoices
INVOICE
DATE: December 12, 2024
INVOICE NO.: RAA-24-01
PAYMENT IS DUE UPON RECEIPT
To: City of Arcadia
Attn: Dominic Lazzaretto
Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management Authority Reasonable Assurance Analysis Update
Fiscal Year 2024-2025
Description Amount
Land Use Amount (90% of Total Cost * Percent of Area) $144,503.11 Base Fee (10% of Total Cost/6 Agencies) $7,833.33
Total Due $152,336.44
Please remit payment to:
(via ACH)
Wells Fargo
Account Name: RHSGR Checking
Routing Number: 121000248
Account Number: 4831818000
- or -
(via check)
Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management Joint Powers Authority Attn: Koa Consulting, Inc.
419 Main Street, No. 320
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
WMP Page from the FY 24-25 Budget (Approved on July 17, 2024)
INVOICE
DATE: December 12, 2024
INVOICE NO.: ENC-24-01
PAYMENT IS DUE UPON RECEIPT
To: City of Arcadia
Attn: Dominic Lazzaretto
Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management Authority Encanto Park Stormwater Capture
Fiscal Year 2024-2025
Description Amount
Land Use Amount (90% of Total Cost * Percent of Area) $384,316.77 Base Fee (10% of Total Cost/6 Agencies) $20,833.33
Total Due $405,150.10
Please remit payment to:
(via ACH)
Wells Fargo
Account Name: RHSGR Checking
Routing Number: 121000248
Account Number: 4831818000
- or -
(via check)
Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management Joint Powers Authority Attn: Koa Consulting, Inc.
419 Main Street, No. 320
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Encanto Park Stormwater Capture Page from the FY 24-25 Budget (Approved on July 17, 2024)