CITY OF SAN MATEO
CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 21 Section Name: {{section.name}} Account Number: 10-4679 File ID: {{item.tracking_number}} TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Public Works Department
MEETING DATE: November 18, 2024
SUBJECT:
Wet Weather Preparations - Update
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive an update on the City’s wet weather preparations and storm response activities.
BACKGROUND:
Staff has previously updated Council on wet weather preparation activities at the August 21, 2023, September 6, 2023, November 6, 2023, February 20, 2024, and September 3, 2024, Council meetings. The following sections update Council on recent preparatory actions and storm response activities, as well as additional actions staff have been implementing that have not been covered in previous presentations. For more information on past efforts related to the actions below, refer to the agenda reports for previous presentations. Note that the categorization and lettering/numbering of the following items correlates to how they were originally presented at the August 21, 2023, meeting. Items with updates are shown in bold for ease of review.
Immediate-Term Actions (No Additional Resources Required) A. Additional Marina Lagoon Pump Station pump vibration analysis at summer lagoon levels a. This action is complete.
B. Develop Marina Lagoon Alternatives Analysis for Pumping Below 95 feet a. Staff met with Ad-hoc Lagoon Committee on November 7, 2024, to further discuss alternatives for pumping below 95’ for a dock maintenance period and potential additional flood storage capacity.
C. Install debris rack at 4000 Pacific Boulevard Pump Station a. This action is complete.
D. Provide data on City’s website for Marina Lagoon levels and pumps running a. This action is complete.
E. Implement additional safety systems for trash rack cleaning at Marina Lagoon Pump Station a. This action is complete.
F. Develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) to update the 2004 Storm Drain Master Plan and develop a prioritized implementation strategy
a. This action is complete.
G. Inspect and clean all City-owned trash capture devices a. This is an annual action item scheduled to be completed as routine maintenance throughout the year.
All downtown devices have been completed as of October 30th. Large trash capture devices at Coyote Point, Dore, and Polar Avenue are scheduled to be completed by mid-November.
H. Inspect and clean all City-owned trash racks
a. This is an annual action item. Trash racks are scheduled to be cleaned in advance of anticipated storms and monitored/cleaned before and after all significant storm events. Large trash racks at 42nd, Hillsdale,
CITY OF SAN MATEO
31st Avenue PS, Marina Lagoon are regularly cleaned. The remaining trash racks will be inspected and completed by mid-November.
I. Inspect and clean all storm pump station wet wells
a. This is an annual action item. Wet wells are scheduled to be cleaned in advance of the wet season and after all significant storm events. All wet wells will be inspected and cleaned by mid-November.
J. Prepare traffic control/closures and stage materials for roads with known flooding concerns a. This is an annual action item. Materials, including water walls and signs, are staged in key locations. A mobile trailer containing road closure materials/signage is ready for deployment, as needed.
K. Coordinate with Office of Emergency Services (OES) on wet weather planning and training a. This action is ongoing.
L. Work with community on Marina Lagoon Pump Station Standard Operating Procedures a. This action is complete.
M. Establish a Marina Lagoon Resident Flood Watch communication program a. This action is ongoing.
N. Coordinate improved public outreach and messaging on emergency preparations a. This action is ongoing. The City will continue to share safety messaging and emergency preparedness actions via City digital and print communication platforms. Staff are also working with OES on notification procedures in the event of an emergency and encourage residents to sign up for SMC Alerts and Nixle.
Immediate-Term Actions
1. Perform maintenance on all five (5) diesel engines, upgrade wiring, programming, and alarms, and purchase a spare pump lubricator system at Marina Lagoon Pump Station a. Engine maintenance is nearly complete. All five engines have been fully rehabilitated. A minor oil leak on one of the engines has been assessed and repairs are anticipated by the end of November. The engine is fully functional but will need additional oil during operation until repairs are complete.
2. Deploy up to four (4) sandbag stations throughout the City for upcoming rainy season, with focus on areas with history of flooding, and coordinate with community volunteers for filling bags, monitoring stations a. Staff has (3) locations: 1) the Anchor Road parking lot near the Bay Trail; 2) the parking lot at the City’s Corporation Yard; and 3) the parking lot of Beresford Park. Staff tried to secure a 4th location in the North Central neighborhood at the National Guard facility or San Mateo/Foster City School District facilities but have not gotten support from either entity.
3. Inspect and clean all catch basins before rainy season and recurring cleaning at hot spots throughout rainy season
a. This is now an annual maintenance action and ongoing. Two (2) maintenance staff, funded through the Stormwater Fee, are providing full-time M-F cleaning of catch basin. Additional crews for after hours and weekend shifts are being scheduled ahead wet-weather and anticipating fall leaf-drop impacts.
Short-Term Actions
4. Localized lagoon maintenance dredging under existing permit a. This action is ongoing. Staff selected a consultant, Moffatt & Nichol, to prepare final design packages for anticipated construction in Summer 2025. Review of lagoon bathymetric data has been completed and preparation of a Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) is underway.
5. Localized, small-scale drainage improvements
a. This action is complete. Five (5) locations have been repaired this season. Additional funding through the Stormwater Fee is being allocated to perform investigations on other locations next season.
6. Camera monitoring of priority creeks/trash racks
a. This action is ongoing. Procurement of cameras is complete, and installation is being scheduled at 4 locations by end of December.
7. LiDAR aerial survey (Ground surface, creeks, and lagoon bathymetric) a. This action is complete.
CITY OF SAN MATEO
Mid-Term Actions
8. Storm Drain Master Plan update
a. This action is ongoing. Current tasks include evaluation of field data, initial storm model development and condition assessments of pump station components.
9. Marina Lagoon Dredging: Design, environmental, and permitting a.This action is ongoing. On October 31, 2024, staff hosted a boat tour of the Lagoon for staff members from the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) and the offices of Congressmember Mullin, Senator Padilla, Senator Becker, and Assemblymember Papan. The Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Councilmember Hedges also attended portions of the tour. Follow-up meetings are being scheduled to discuss the best options for partnering with the ACOE on future large-scale dredging efforts. Staff will evaluate allocating funds to initiate design and permitting activities for Fiscal Year 25-26 pending discussions with the ACOE. Staff will also continue working with the City’s federal legislative advocate to pursue an earmark funding allocation.
Additional Activities
Staff met with OneShoreline on September 17 and October 8, 2024 to discuss the Community Rating System, a voluntary program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that provides tiered rate reduction benefits for flood insurance policies as agencies implement increased flood control management measures.
Staff will continue evaluating participation options for the City as a way to reduce the financial burden on property owners remaining in FEMA flood hazard zones within the City limits. Staff met with the Marina Lagoon ad-hoc committee to discuss various issues, including the alternatives analysis for safely pumping the Lagoon below 95’, preliminary design information for planned spot dredging efforts at the creek mouths, Marina Lagoon wet weather preparatory efforts, including improvements at the Marina Lagoon Pump Station, and to answer community questions.
BUDGET IMPACT:
There is no budget impact associated with this informational update.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This informational update to City Council relating to the City’s wet weather preparations and storm response activities is not a project subject to CEQA, because it is an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).)
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
None
STAFF CONTACT
Matt Fabry, Public Works Director
[email protected]
650 522-7309