Administrative
Report
H.7., File # 22-5254 Meeting Date: 12/20/2022
To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: TED SEMAAN, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
TITLE
APPROVE THE TRANSFER AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF REDONDO BEACH AND THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT TO SECURE $4,292,138 OF SAFE CLEAN
WATER PROGRAM, REGIONAL FUNDS, FOR THE FULTON PLAYFIELD MULTI-BENEFIT
INFILTRATION PROJECT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Fulton Playfield Multi-benefit Infiltration Project (Fulton Project) is included in the updated and City Council approved Enhanced Watershed Management Program (EWMP) as a priority project.
Staff applied for regional Measure W, also called Safe Clean Water (SCW), funding to help underwrite the costs of this multi-benefit project. The Fulton Project was selected by the Measure W South Santa Monica Bay Watershed Steering Committee to be awarded $4,292,138 of competitive SCW Regional Funding Program funds.
On November 21, 2022, the Los Angeles County Flood Control District (LACFCD) Board approved the FY 2022-23 Stormwater Investment Plan which included funding for the Fulton Project. Approval of the Transfer Agreement is needed to secure the funding and allow the City to move forward with the Fulton Project. Once the Transfer Agreement is approved, staff will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for engineering support services for CEQA assessment, planning, LAFCD connection permitting, community outreach and engineering design services. This process will commence in early 2023, with an anticipated completion in mid 2024. The project’s estimated construction start is middle to late 2024 with an estimated completion date by the end of 2026.
BACKGROUND
The City of Redondo Beach, in collaboration with the Cities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Torrance, along with the LACFCD formed the Beach Cities Watershed Management Group to develop an EWMP to comply with municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permit requirements. The City Council approved the first EWMP on June 16, 2015 and approved the updated EWMP on June 8, 2021. The updated EWMP includes the Fulton Project as a priority project for reducing the amount of pollutants discharged to the Santa Monica Bay.
Fulton Field is an open green space and playfield at the southeast corner of the intersection of Ripley Avenue and Rindge Lane. The playfield is adjacent to an 8.5-foot by 10-foot LACFCD storm drain that runs under Ripley Avenue and connects directly to the Herondo Storm Drain on 190th St, which drains to the Santa Monica Bay. An underground flood control retention basin underlies the western half of the playfield and provides approximately 6.4 acre-feet of passive storage to help relieve
H.7., File # 22-5254 Meeting Date: 12/20/2022
half of the playfield and provides approximately 6.4 acre-feet of passive storage to help relieve flooding during storm events. Drainage from approximately 440 acres in the City of Redondo Beach and 25 acres in the City of Manhattan Beach is tributary to the basin. The Fulton Project proposes to add infiltration elements to the existing flood control basin in order to transform it into a regional water quality project while maintaining its flood control capacity and function. Infiltration will be accomplished via the addition of drywells under the eastern portion of the playfield. The Fulton Project will include a control system for the inlet-outlet structure of the basin to manage and optimize the storage and infiltration capacity of the project. The total 24-hour management volume provided by these distributed best management practices (BMP) will be 29 acre-feet.
The Fulton Project will also incorporate a variety of other benefits. Parkway greening via the installation of rain gardens is proposed along the southeasterly side of Ripley Avenue to capture and treat street flows that aren’t currently tributary to the detention basin. Park enhancements at the playfield, such as playground equipment or outdoor exercise equipment, are also being considered for project eligibility.
Pursuant to the Los Angeles SCW Program Ordinance and the SCW Program Implementation Ordinance, the SCW Program’s purpose is to fund projects and programs that increase stormwater and urban runoff capture and reduce stormwater and urban runoff pollution. The Fulton Project clearly meets these objectives. Because of its strong scoring in the competitive process, the Fulton Project was selected by the South Santa Monica Bay Watershed Steering Committee to be awarded $4,292,138 from the competitive SCW (Measure W) Regional Funding Program.
On November 21, 2022, the LACFCD Board approved the FY 2022-23 Stormwater Investment Plan that included the recommended funding for the Fulton Project. Approval of the Transfer Agreement will allow the City to move forward with the Fulton Playfield Project according to the terms and requirements outlined in the Transfer Agreement and implement this portion of compliance actions outlined in the updated EWMP.
COORDINATION
Project planning has been coordinated by the Public Works Operations and Engineering Services Divisions and the Beach Cities Watershed Management Group. The City Attorney’s Office has approved the Transfer Agreement as to form.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the Transfer Agreement will provide outside funding in the amount of $4,292,138 for execution of the Fulton Project. Failure to approve the Transfer Agreement would require the City to identify other funding sources in this amount to meet compliance requirements of the City’s EWMP obligations.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
· Transfer Agreement with the Los Angeles County Flood Control District