Town of Paradise
Town Council
Special Meeting Agenda
2:00 PM or Immediately Following the Special
Successor Agency to the Paradise Redevelopment
Agency Meeting– May 24, 2023
Town of Paradise Council Chamber – 5555 Skyway, Paradise, CA Meeting Procedures
I. The Mayor is the Presiding Chair and is responsible for maintaining an orderly meeting. The Mayor calls the meeting to order and introduces each item on the agenda.
II. The Town staff then provides a report to Council and answers questions from the Council.
III. Citizens are encouraged to participate in the meeting process and are provided several opportunities to address Council. Any speaker addressing the Council is limited to three minutes per speaker - fifteen minutes per agenda item A. If you wish to address the Council regarding a specific agenda item, please complete a “Request to Address Council” card and give it to the Town Clerk prior to the beginning of the meeting. This process is voluntary and allows for citizens to be called to the speaker podium in alphabetical order.
Comments and questions from the public must be directed to the Presiding Chair and Town Council Members (please do not address staff.) Town staff is available to address citizen concerns Monday through Thursday at Town Hall between the hours of 8am and 5pm.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance, persons who need special accommodations to participate in the Town Council meeting may contact the Town Clerk at least three business days prior to the date of the meeting to provide time for any such accommodation.
Interim Town Manager, Marc Mattox
Town Attorney, Scott E. Huber
Town Clerk/Elections Official, Dina Volenski
CDD, Planning & Onsite, Susan Hartman
CDD, Building & Code Enforcement, Tony Lindsey
Finance Director/Town Treasurer – Aimee Beleu
Public Works Director/Town Engineer, Marc Mattox
Division Chief, CAL FIRE/Paradise Fire, Patrick Purvis
Chief of Police, Eric Reinbold
Recovery & Economic Development Director, Colette Curtis Human Resources & Risk Management Director, Crystal Peters Information Systems Director, Luis Marquez
Mayor, Greg Bolin
Vice Mayor, Rose Tryon
Council Member, Steve Crowder
Council Member, Steve “Woody” Culleton
Council Member, Ron Lassonde
1 1. OPENING
1a. Call to Order
1b. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America 1c. Roll Call
2. COUNCIL CONSIDERATION
2a. 1. Consider adopting Resolution No. 2023-__, A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Paradise Authorizing a Financial Assistance Application to The State Water Resources Control Board for the Paradise Sewer Project and Designating the Town Manager or Designee to Sign and Submit the Application; and, 2. Direct staff to formulate appropriate policy recommendations which guide implementation of the Paradise Sewer Project relating to new and existing septic systems within the Sewer Service Area; or, 3. Provide alternative action (ROLL CALL VOTE)
3. CLOSED SESSION
3a. Pursuant to Government Code section 54957(b)(1), the Town Council, Interim Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Human Resources and Risk Management Director will meet in closed session concerning the appointment for the position of Town Manager.
3b. Pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9(d)(4), the Town Council will meet with the Town Manager and Town Attorney to consider initiation of potential litigation - one (1) case.
4. ADJOURNMENT
2 Town of Paradise
Council Agenda Summary
Date: May 24, 2023
Agenda Item: 2(a)
ORIGINATED BY: Marc Mattox, Public Works Director &Town Engineer Ashley Stanley, Engineering Division Manager
REVIEWED BY: Marc Mattox, Interim Town Manager
SUBJECT: Paradise Sewer Project – Inter-Municipal Agreement
LONG TERM
RECOVERY PLAN:
Yes, Tier 1 “Sewer”
COUNCIL ACTION REQUESTED:
a) 1. Consider adopting Resolution No. 2023-__, A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Paradise Authorizing a Financial Assistance Application to The State Water Resources Control Board for the Paradise Sewer Project and Designating the Town Manager or Designee to Sign the Application and Subsequent Funding Agreements; and
b) Direct staff to formulate appropriate policy recommendations which guide implementation of the Paradise Sewer Project relating to new and existing septic systems within the Sewer Service Area; or
c) Provide alternative action (ROLL CALL VOTE)
Background:
Since its incorporation in 1979, the Town has sought a formal wastewater treatment solution for the community, with service for commercial and densely populated residential areas being a priority. Failed and failing septic systems create public health and environmental concerns and have limited economic growth. Prior to the Camp Fire, which almost completely destroyed the town in 2018, Paradise was the largest unsewered community in California. The Town has prepared numerous studies to address its need for a centralized wastewater treatment solution, and in its most recent study, the Town identified a proposed sewer service area. The proposed sewer service area includes the Town’s commercial corridors, and as described in the 2017 feasibility study, it represented the area that had the most septic systems that had failed or were projected to fail by 2022.
The Paradise Sewer Project consists of three primary components: Core Collection System, Export Pipeline System, and Extended Collection System. The Core Collection System would support the centralized businesses and housing in Town, including approximately 1,500 parcels along the Skyway, Clark Road, and Pearson Road corridors. The proposed Export Pipeline System would start at the southern end of the Core Collection System as a gravity sewer line and would continue southwest approximately 18 miles to the City of Chico for connection to the Chico Water Pollution Control Plant. Other than the Town of Paradise flow, no other connections will be allowed to the export pipeline. The Extended Collection System would be an extension of the Core Collection System that would allow collection of sewage from parcels outside the Core Collection System, but within the Town limits.
3 The Project’s Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (Final PEIR) assessed the potential environmental impacts of the proposed Project on the physical, human, and natural environment. A wide variety of resource areas were studied to identify potential impacts, including aesthetics, agriculture and forestry resources, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, biological resources, cultural resources, energy, geology and soils, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use and planning, noise, population and housing, public services, recreation, transportation, tribal cultural resources, utilities and service systems, wildfire, and additional topics as required by the CEQA Guidelines including significant irreversible environmental changes, growth inducement, cumulative impacts, and alternatives. Measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate any potential adverse impacts were identified and evaluated in the Draft PEIR.
The Town published the required documents for availability, distribution, and comments on the Draft PEIR, including a 45-day public review and comment period (July 14, 5pm, to August 29, 2022) and held three public meetings (August 8 (6:00pm), August 10 (12:30 and 6:00 pm), 2022).
Responsible and trustee agencies, involved federal agencies, interest groups, and members of the public were invited to provide input on the Draft PEIR. Comments were submitted in person, at Town Hall and through www.paradisesewer.com. All input received was documented and addressed in the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (FPEIR). A Public Hearing for the FPEIR was held on November 7, 2023 and was approved by the Paradise Town Council. A Notice of Determination was filed with the Butte County Recorder’s Office with final certification complete on December 8, 2022.
Analysis:
The Paradise Sewer Project is the most critical project for the Town’s long-term recovery from the 2018 Camp Fire by improving environmental quality and availability of affordable housing. The Town’s ability to secure Construction grant funding will largely dictate project viability.
Town staff have been coordinating extensively with the State Water Resources Control Board relating to a one-time $650 million allocation in the State Budget Act of 2022 for a Septic-to-Sewer Conversion Program. The program may be able to allocate up to $150,000 per connection converted. The projected funding request for the Paradise Sewer Project is $182,000,000.
The Town is working to finalize its funding application for the Paradise Sewer Project and a resolution is put forth for action by the Council, affirming authority to proceed with the funding request and necessary obligations associated with it.
Separately, at Council direction, staff needs to prioritize policy creation for the Paradise Sewer Project as it relates to:
1. Any septic failures within the SSA will be required to connect to the sewer,
2. Any proposed development, redevelopment or discretionary building permit approval will be required to connect to the sewer,
3. Any parcel within the SSA that is currently on septic can apply to be served by the sewer (even if no failure on existing septic system)
4. Any parcel in the SSA developed after approval of construction funding but before construction of the Paradise Sewer Project is complete shall be required to construct a service lateral for system connection. The conversion to Sewer shall be made at this of completion and operation of the Sewer Project
4 Financial Impact:
To date, all project costs within the prior three years have been secured through various grants with $30 million secured for anticipated design and right-of-way phases. Further, the Town of Paradise has pledged an additional $15 million of Disaster Recovery Infrastructure funding to the construction phase of the project.
As noted, the Town of Paradise is seeking additional grant funding for project construction. 5 TOWN OF PARADISE
RESOLUTION NO. 2023-__
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF PARADISE AUTHORIZING A
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE APPLICATION TO THE STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL
BOARD FOR THE PARADISE SEWER PROJECT AND DESIGNATING THE TOWN
MANAGER OR DESIGNEE TO SIGN THE APPLICATION AND SUBSEQUENT FUNDING
AGREEMENTS
WHEREAS, the Paradise Sewer Project (Project) is the most critical project for the Town’s long-term recovery from the 2018 Camp Fire by improving environmental quality and availability of affordable housing;
WHEREAS, the Town desires to finance the costs of constructing and/or reconstructing certain public facilities and improvements relating to its wastewater collection and export system, including the Paradise Sewer Project; and
WHEREAS, the Town intends to finance the construction of the Project or portions of the Project with grant funding ("Project Funds") provided by the State of California, acting by and through the State Water Resources Control Board ("State Water Board"); and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT resolved by the Town Council of the Town of Paradise, as follows that:
1. The above recitals are true and correct, and are incorporated herein by reference.
2. The TOWN MANAGER or designee (“Authorized Representative”) is hereby authorized and directed to sign and file, for and on behalf of the Town, a Financial Assistance Application for a financing agreement from the State Water Resources Control Board for the planning, design, and construction of the Paradise Sewer Project.
3. This Authorized Representative, is designated to provide the assurances, certifications, and commitments required for the financial assistance application, including executing a financial assistance agreement from the State Water Board and any amendments or changes thereto.
4. The Authorized Representative is designated to represent the Town in carrying out the Town’s responsibilities under the financing agreement, including certifying disbursement requests on behalf of the Town and compliance with applicable state and federal laws.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a Special Meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Paradise on the 24th day of May 2023, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTION:
By:________________________________
Greg Bolin, Mayor
ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
____________________________ ___________________________________ Dina Volenski, CMC, Town Clerk Scott E. Huber, Town Attorney 6