Agenda Item No. 9
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council DATE: December 5, 2022 FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Greg Ray, Public Works Director/City Engineer SUBJECT: Formal Adoption of the 2019 San Luis Obispo County Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Plan for the San Luis Obispo County Region
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the Resolution formally adopting the 2019 San Luis Obispo County Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Plan and find that the Project is exempt from Section 21000 et seq. of the California Public Resources Code (CEQA).
BACKGROUND
Senate Bill 1672 established the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Act in 2002, intended to promote collaborative, integrated management of water resources. California voters passed a series of propositions, thereby establishing and funding efforts under the State’s IRWM Program. These propositions authorized the Legislature to appropriate grant funds for IRWM plans and projects, and to establish eligibility requirements. The IRWM Program is administered by the State’s Department of Water Resources (DWR).
As a regional collaboration, local IRWM efforts are conducted under the auspices of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with 29 local agencies, including the County of San Luis Obispo Flood Control District (District), Cities, Community Services Districts, Resource Conservation Districts, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s), who support multiple water resource efforts. The District is the lead agency under the MOU, and collectively, the agencies are referred to as the Regional Water Management Group (RWMG). The District is also responsible for development and implementation of San Luis Obispo County (SLOCo) Region’s IRWM Plan (Plan). The Plan was initially developed and adopted by multiple agencies in the county in 2005 and updated in 2007, 2014, and 2019. The following page shows a table of the grants that have been awarded to the SLOCo Region since the adoption of the initial plan in 2005.
Staff Report: Adoption of the 2019 San Luis Obispo County IRWM Plan Page 2 December 5, 2022
Grant Funding
Source Funded Projects
Grant
Funding
Allocation
Year
Awarded
Prop 50 Planning Four (4) Planning Studies $500,000 2005 Prop 84
Implementation
Los Osos Wastewater Project
Flood Control Zone 1/1A
Nipomo Supplemental Water Project
$10,401,000 2011
Prop 1E
Implementation
Flood Control Zone 1/1A –Waterway Management
Program $2,800,000 2011
Prop 84 Planning IRWMP Update
Five (5) Planning Studies $1,000,000 2012
Prop 84 Expedited
Drought
CSA 23-AMWC-Garden Farms Emergency
Intertie
Emergency Turnout
Emergency Water Supply
$6,323,610 2014
Prop 84
Implementation
Upper Salinas River Basin Conjunctive Use
Well Head Treatment
Water Resources Reliability Program, Planning
$3,702,762 2015
Prop 1 Planning IRWM Update & Region-Wide Stormwater
Resource Plan $204,183 2016
Prop 1
Disadvantaged
Community (DAC)
Involvement
DAC Needs Assessment
Water Resource Reliability Program, Phase 2
Turnout Pump Station Design and Water Master
Plan Update
Wastewater Plant Upgrade Study and Recharge
Basin Study
$877,563 2017
Prop 1 Round 1
Implementation
One Water SLO, MBR/UV Upgrade
Nipomo Supplemental Water Project, Final Phase
8th Street Well Construction
Water Resource Reliability Projects 1-1 and 1-9
$2,782,130 2020
Prop 1 Round 2
Implementation (Application in process) $3,782,129 2023* Total IRWM Grant Successes in SLO County IRWM Region $29,091,248 * Award for Round 2 Implementation is expected in Spring 2023.
To comply with the Proposition 1 IRWM Implementation Grant requirements and to meet DWR eligibility requirements, the 2014 IRWM Plan needed to be updated to meet current State standards. The plan update has been completed. The IRWM Plan has been developed in accordance with State standards and with extensive participation from the RWMG, the WRAC and the general public. The IRWM Plan is on file with the County Clerk’s office, and available at slocounty.ca.gov/IRWM by clicking on the IRWM Plan link.
Through its governance, goals and objectives and project review process sections, the IRWM Plan provides a united framework among SLOCo Region stakeholders for sustainable water resource management. The IRWM Plan also provides a “one stop shop” for information on the water resources of the county, and related planning and project efforts. The IRWM Plan is intended to be a “living” document, with the ability to update information and the project list within it as needed. A detailed discussion of IRWM Plan implementation and update efforts are described in Section 8 (Plan Performance and Monitoring) and Section 2.5 (Plan Implementation).
One of the eligibility requirements of the IRWM Program is that an IRWM Plan be formally adopted, as evidenced by a resolution or other written documentation, by the governing bodies of each Staff Report: Adoption of the 2019 San Luis Obispo County IRWM Plan Page 3 December 5, 2022
agency that is part of the RWMG responsible for the development of the Plan and have responsibility for implementation of the Plan (California Water Code Section 10543). Staff realized that the 2019 update had not been formally adopted by the Council and such action is needed this year for future grant funding opportunities including Central Coast Blue. Therefore, staff recommends that the Council approve the attached resolution adopting the 2019 San Luis Obispo County IRWM Plan for the Flood Control District and the County. The MOU for the RWMG is attached to the resolutions since the IRWM Plan needs to demonstrate the governance under which the SLOCo regional efforts are conducted.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to this action.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:
1. Approve the Resolution formally adopting the 2019 San Luis Obispo County Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Plan and find that the Project is exempt from Section 21000 et seq. of the California Public Resources Code (CEQA); or
2. Do not approve the Resolution formally accepting the 2019 IRWM; or
3. Provide additional direction to staff.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act.
Attachments
1. Resolution No. 22-__
RESOLUTION NO. 22-XX
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GROVER BEACH, CALIFORNIA FORMALLY ADOPTING THE 2019 SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
INTEGRATED REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN AND FINDING THAT THE PROJECT IS EXEMPT FROM SECTION 21000 ET SEQ. OF THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC
RESOURCES CODE (CEQA)
WHEREAS, the State of California has established an Integrated Regional Water Management grant program pursuant to the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 (Water Code Section 79700 et seq.) (also known as “Proposition 1”); and WHEREAS, a Memorandum of Understanding (Attachment “1”), which has been signed by the agencies listed in Attachment “2” and who constitute the Regional Water Management Group for the San Luis Obispo County Region as of the date of this Resolution, designates the San Luis Obispo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District as the lead agency responsible for plan development and adoption but also provides for the adoption of the plan by each member of the Regional Water Management Group; and
WHEREAS, the concepts, direction and approach to water resources management embodied in the State’s Integrated Regional Water Management program guidelines closely match those of the City of Grover Beach and
WHEREAS, previous versions of / updates to the San Luis Obispo County Integrated Regional Water Management Plan were developed and adopted by multiple agencies in the County, including the City of Grover Beach, in coordination with the San Luis Obispo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, in 2005, 2007 and 2014 prior to development of the version known as 2019 San Luis Obispo County Integrated Regional Water Management Plan; and WHEREAS, the updates reflected in the 2019 San Luis Obispo County Integrated Regional Water Management Plan are needed in order to effectively and efficiently integrate the region’s water resources management planning objectives and implementation strategies in the following five key areas: Water Supply, Groundwater Monitoring and Management, Flood Management, Ecosystems and Watershed, and Water Resources Management and Communications; and
WHEREAS, similar to prior versions, the 2019 San Luis Obispo County Integrated Regional Water Management Plan has been developed in coordination with the Regional Water Management Group and in accordance with current (2016) State standards; and
WHEREAS, the 2019 San Luis Obispo County Integrated Regional Water Management Plan identifies goals, objectives, strategies and projects designed to improve regional water supply reliability, water recycling, water conservation, water quality improvement, stormwater capture and management, flood management, recreation and access, wetland enhancement and creation, and environmental and habitat protection and improvement; and
Attachment 1
Resolution No. 22-XX Page 2 of 11
WHEREAS, the 2019 San Luis Obispo County Integrated Regional Water Management Plan is not subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq.) because it involves only a planning study, as defined in Section 15262 of the State CEQA Guidelines.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AND ORDERED by the City Council of the City of Grover Beach, California, does hereby approve that:
1. The 2019 San Luis Obispo County Integrated Regional Water Management Plan for the San Luis Obispo County Region is hereby formally adopted, and Staff of the City of Grover Beach, is hereby authorized and directed to implement actions consistent with updating the Plan on a five-year cycle as described within the Plan.
2. Adoption of the 2019 San Luis Obispo County Integrated Regional Water Management Plan for the San Luis Obispo County Region is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15252 of the State CEQA Guidelines because the Plan consists of a planning study which identifies potential projects and policies for possible future actions subject to future approval.
3. The Staff of the City of Grover Beach is hereby directed to file a Notice of Exemption in accordance with provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act.
On motion by Council Member _____, seconded by Council Member ____, and on the following roll-call vote, to wit:
AYES: Council Members –
NOES: Council Members –
ABSENT: Council Members –
ABSTAIN: Council Members –
RECUSED: Council Members –
the foregoing Resolution was PASSED, APPROVED, and ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Grover Beach, California this 5th day of December 2022.
JEFF LEE, MAYOR
Attest:
WENDI B. SIMS, CITY CLERK
**DRAFT**
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Attachment 2
Memorandum of Understanding Signatories for
San Luis Obispo County Region IRWM Participants
Agency or Organization
San Luis Obispo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District County of San Luis Obispo
Avila Beach Community Services District
California Men's Colony
Cambria Community Services District
Central Coast Salmon Enhancement
City of Arroyo Grande
City of Grover Beach
City of Morro Bay
City of Paso Robles
City of Pismo Beach
City of San Luis Obispo
Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District
Estrella-El Pomar-Creston Water District
Heritage Ranch Community Services District
The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County
Los Osos Community Services District
Morro Bay National Estuary Program
Nipomo Community Services District
Oceano Community Services District
Templeton Community Services District
San Miguel Community Services District
San Miguelito Mutual Water Company
San Simeon Community Services District
Shandon-San Juan Water District
South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District
S&T Mutual Water Company
Upper Salinas - Las Tablas Resource Conservation District