DATE:
December 10, 2024
TO:
Adam Politzer, Interim City Manager
FROM:
Chadrick Smalley, Community Development Director
SUBJECT:
Resolution Of The City Council Of The City Of Emeryville Authorizing The Mayor To Sign A Letter Of Commitment For The San Francisco Estuary Partnership’s Senate Bill 1 Grant Application For The East Bay Crescent Community Engagement and Climate Adaptation Project
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution authorizing the Mayor to sign a letter of commitment for the San Francisco Estuary Partnership’s application for a California Senate Bill 1 grant for the East Bay Crescent Community Engagement and Climate Adaptation project to study potential sea level rise adaptation and mitigation strategies in the Emeryville Crescent and areas north along the Alameda County shoreline.
Background
The Senate Bill 1 (California Sea Level Rise Mitigation and Adaptation Act of 2021, or “SB 1”) grant program provides funding for local, regional, and Tribal governments to develop sea level rise (SLR) adaptation plans and projects to build resilience to SLR along the coast of California, including San Francisco Bay. The program has two funding tracks: “Track One” is for pre-planning and planning phases of SLR work, and “Track Two” is for the project phase. The proposed letter of commitment is in reference to the San Francisco Estuary Partnership (SFEP) Track One funding application to study potential adaptation and mitigation strategies for SLR in the Emeryville Crescent and areas north along the Alameda County shoreline.
Discussion
SLR is a global concern, and in the San Francisco Bay, responses to it are necessarily regional. The Emeryville Crescent is centrally located within the Bay Region, and it is not only important wildlife habitat administered by the East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD), but it is also directly adjacent to critical regional infrastructure including a heavily traveled section of Interstate 80 leading to the Bay Bridge, East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) facilities, and land owned by the Port of Oakland.
In keeping with General Plan goals, City staff have been working with SFEP staff to develop a regional approach to mitigating and adapting to SLR in the Emeryville Crescent. SFEP has convened a group of critical partners for this effort, including staff from the Cities of Emeryville, Oakland, Albany and Berkeley and staff from Caltrans, EBRPD, San Francisco Estuary Institute, EBMUD, the Association of Bay Area Governments, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Funding for study and planning, including visioning work with community stakeholders including community-based organizations serving marginalized communities, Tribes, arts organizations, and recreation, environmental, and open space groups is a necessary next step, and the SB 1 grant program is very well matched to the need.
SFEP’s application for SB1 funding requires participating Cities to commit resources in the form of staff time to support community and tribal consultation, working group participation, and coordinate review of project deliverables including an Exposure Analysis, a Vulnerability Assessment, and Planning Pathways for SLR in the East Bay Crescent. SFEP has indicated that for the City of Emeryville this commitment would amount to approximately $100,000 in staff time, which SFEP will reimburse to the City through a Subrecipient Agreement, the form of which will be provided to the City in the event the SFEP’s application for SB 1 funds is awarded. The assessments and collaboration built in the proposed SB1-funded work will provide the basis for required project planning under the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP) process and coordinate the risk assessments with the work previously done in the Oakland Estuary.
Fiscal Impact
As noted above, the proposed Letter of Commitment commits the City to providing staff support to the SFEP’s project. This support is expected to equate to $100,000 of costs in the form of staff time, which is proposed to be reimbursed by SFEP through a subrecipient agreement, therefore the Letter of Commitment creates no fiscal impact. Further, the staff resources required for the City to align with BCDC’s RSAP Guidelines will be reduced by this effort.
Staff Communication with the Public
There has been no formal public communication on this project to date.
Conclusion
The multitude of agencies with interest and/or jurisdiction in the Emeryville Crescent means that a regional approach will be necessary to adapt to and mitigate SLR. SFEP is uniquely situated to lead the broad effort that will be necessary to ensure that critical infrastructure, protected wildlife, cultural assets, and the residents of Emeryville are all included in adaptation and mitigation plans.
PREPARED BY: Amber Evans, Community and Economic Development Coordinator II Approved and Forwarded to the
City Council of the City of Emeryville:
Adam Politzer, Interim City Manager
Attachments
Draft Resolution, including
Exhibit A - Letter of Commitment
SFEP Grant Application Letter of Commitment
City Council Meeting | December 10, 2024
City of Emeryville
CALIFORNIA
MEMORANDUM