____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
Council Meeting:
Disposition:
Agenda Item No: 2.m
Meeting Date: July 20, 2026
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: City Manager, Sustainability Division
Prepared by: Cory Bytof, Sustainability Program
Manager and Kate Hagemann, Climate
Adaptation and Resilience Planner
City Manager Approval: ______________
TOPIC: ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FOR ADAPTATION PROJECT
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT THE GRANT OF
FUNDS FROM THE MARIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR THE BAYFRONT
LEVEE SEA LEVEL RISE ADAPTATION PROJECT, EXECUTE ANY OTHER
DOCUMENTS NECESSARY AND INCIDENTAL TO THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE GRANT AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $250,000 IN THE CITY’S GRANT FUND (FUND 283) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026-27 FOR THIS PROJECT RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution accepting the award of grant funding from the Marin Community Foundation for the Bayfront levee sea level rise adaptation project and appropriating funds in the amount of $250,000 in the City’s Grant Fund (Fund 283) for fiscal year (FY) 2026-27 for this project.
BACKGROUND:
Today, much of the eastern portion of San Rafael is lower than high tide. A large area of the City of San Rafael was built atop historic marshes and filled land, and it has subsequently subsided (or settled) over the past several decades. Many areas continue to settle. This phenomenon has created a “bowl-shaped” area that is lower than the Bay at times and therefore at risk of flooding. This area is very densely populated and has a high concentration of jobs, transportation assets, and critical facilities. According to a national risk screening tool from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), southeast San Rafael (Census Tract 06041112202) is more at risk of flooding than 99.98% of other census tracts in the country.
Over the past several years, the City, community organizations, and other agencies have been working to understand the implications of the flood risks that are being amplified by ongoing settlement and sea level rise. Over the past four years, the City has formally collaborated with partners to better understand both the risks and potential responses. In 2022, the City and its partners were awarded grants from the State Coastal Conservancy and Marin Community Foundation to support adaptation planning. The grant was developed collaboratively by City staff, the County of Marin, the Multicultural Center of Marin, and Canal Alliance. This collaborative team then partnered with the University of California, Berkeley, and received additional funding from the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to bolster citizen science, community engagement, and technical work. More detailed information about the project, including the community engagement, can be found on the project web page.
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
On June 1, 2026, the City Council received a presentation on the findings of the community-led Technical Feasibility Study conducted by a team led by Moffatt & Nichol. This study built on prior studies and explored the implications of different adaptation options in greater detail. Given the feasibility challenges of all adaptation options studied, the engineering consultants also recommended a suite of “initial actions” that would buy time, improve safety, and support the ultimate adaptation approach.
One of these recommended “initial actions” is to do a more complete assessment of the conditions of the bayfront levee, which runs from the south to the north end of the John and Jean Starkweather Path. In June 2025, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted a Levee Review, which demonstrated that the levee was not built to modern standards and is actively deteriorating due to erosion, settlement, and animal burrows. It is vulnerable to failure, with a levee breach identified as the most likely failure scenario.
The high tides in January 2026 nearly overtopped the levee, and “seepage” (or water flowing through the levee) was observed in multiple locations.
ANALYSIS:
In May, the Marin Community Foundation invited the City to apply for funds through their Building Resilient Communities Initiative Sea Level Rise Small Grants Program. Staff submitted a $250,000 proposal to move from risk assessments to project readiness for the bayfront levee. This would help the City complete critical planning and pre-construction activities that build directly on the Feasibility Study’s findings. Specifically, funds would support a survey of the bayfront to map elevations, establish legal ownership boundaries and easements, and inspect weak points. If resources are sufficient, the project would begin conceptual design for targeted adaptation measures.
The City was notified on June 22, 2026, that it was awarded the grant. Should the City Council approve acceptance of the grant funds, the City would have until June 30, 2027, to complete the work. This would require some adjustments to the current workplan for Sustainability. However, this is aligned with Priority Area C, Sustainability and Resilience of the City Council’s Three-Year Strategic Plan, specifically objective C.2.4, which includes soliciting additional funding as a strategy to advance sea level rise adaptation planning. This grant is focused on developing a project positioned for implementation funding and would advance an “initial action” recommended in the most recent sea level rise study.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
This invitation and deadline to apply were very short, so dedicated community engagement was limited.
However, this project clearly meets community expectations from the over 150 engagements conducted throughout the recently completed Sea Level Rise Feasibility Study project.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Should the City Council accept the grant award, funds would be appropriated in the City’s Grant Fund (Fund 283) in the amount of $250,000, with an offsetting increase in grant revenue from the Marin Community Foundation.
OPTIONS:
The City Council has the following options to consider relating to this item:
1. Adopt the resolution as presented.
2. Adopt the resolution with amendments.
3. Direct staff to return with additional information.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution accepting the award of grant funding from the Marin Community Foundation for the Bayfront levee sea level rise adaptation project and appropriating SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 3
funds in the amount of $250,000 in the City’s Grant Fund (Fund 283) for fiscal year (FY) 2026-27 for this project.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution
2. MCF Grant Agreement
RESOLUTION NO.
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT THE GRANT OF FUNDS FROM
THE MARIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR THE BAYFRONT LEVEE SEA LEVEL RISE
ADAPTATION PROJECT, EXECUTE ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS NECESSARY AND INCIDENTAL
TO THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE GRANT AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $250,000 IN THE CITY’S GRANT FUND (FUND 283) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026-27 FOR THIS
PROJECT
WHEREAS, the Marin Community Foundation invited the City of San Rafael to apply for funding through their Building Resilient Communities Initiative Sea Level Rise Small Grants Program; and WHEREAS, the City of San Rafael applied for and was notified on June 22, 2026, that it had been selected to receive grant funds in the amount of $250,000; and WHEREAS, the City of San Rafael’s recent Sea Level Rise Adaptation Feasibility Study identified the bayfront levee as at risk of failure and recommended taking immediate steps to better understand the risk and prepare to improve it; and
WHEREAS, should the City Council accept the grant award, funds would be appropriated in the City’s Grant Fund (Fund 283) in the amount of $250,000, with an offsetting increase in grant revenue from the Marin Community Foundation; and
WHEREAS, this grant funding will allow the City to conduct critical planning and pre-construction activities to develop project readiness for future implementation funding opportunities.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of San Rafael hereby authorizes the City Manager to accept the award of grant funding from the Marin Community Foundation for the project, to execute any other documents necessary and incidental to the grant; and appropriates funds in the amount of $250,000 in Fund 283 for Fiscal Year 2026-27 to be spent on the grant work plan.
I, LINDSAY LARA, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of San Rafael, held on Monday, the 20th day of July 2026, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: Councilmembers:
NOES: Councilmembers:
ABSENT: Councilmembers:
Lindsay Lara, City Clerk
July 6, 2026
John Stefanski
Assistant City Manager
City of San Rafael
1400 Fifth Avenue
San Rafael, CA 94901
Re: Grant # 2026-07432 (Buck Family Fund of MCF)
Dear John:
I am pleased to inform you that a grant in the amount of $250,000 to City of San Rafael has been approved to provide catalyst funding for the bayfront levee sea level rise adaptation project in San Rafael, Marin County. The period of this grant is 13 months, from June 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
Initiation of payment(s) is contingent on applicable terms and conditions as stated in this agreement.
To confirm your formal acceptance, please accept the terms and requirements listed below by checking the box at the base of this page and clicking the Submit button.
If you have any questions about the implementation of this grant or about MCF procedures, please feel free to contact Patti Juachon, the Senior Program Director responsible for overseeing this grant, or Renee Lazzareschi, Program Assistant.
We greatly value your partnership in helping to create equity of opportunity for every resident of Marin.
Sincerely,
Rhea Suh,
President & CEO
5 Hamilton Landing, Ste. 200 | Novato CA 94949 | ph: 415.464.2500 | fax: 415.464.2555 | www.marincf.org Attachment 2
Terms
1. As a condition of the grant, you are committing to report on the specified dates regarding your organization's progress relative to the metrics listed in this agreement. (Please note that any payments scheduled for release after the due date of a progress report will be held by the Foundation until the report has been submitted.)
2. It is important to note that funding from this grant and any accrued interest may be used only to carry out activities in and/or for the benefit of Marin County residents, and only for the charitable purposes and activities set forth in this document.
3. Funds not used for the charitable purposes of the grant, including any unspent balance of greater than $5,000 at the conclusion of the grant period, must be returned to the Foundation.
4. If you would like assistance when referencing this grant from the Foundation in any of your publications or releases, please feel free to call upon our Director of Communications.
5. In accepting this grant, you are agreeing that your organization will maintain accurate financial and operational records regarding your use of grant funds and that you will make those records available to the Foundation promptly upon request for the Foundation's review, except to the extent prohibited by applicable law.
6. In accepting this grant, you are agreeing that your organization does not discriminate against employees, volunteers, vendors, or any members, clients or students it serves, on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, medical condition, veteran status, economic status, disability, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, and beyond these, any other characteristic protected by law.
7. Finally, you are agreeing to make any publications, media presentations, studies, or research funded by this grant available to the public in a manner acceptable to the Foundation. Any tangible or intangible property, including copyrights obtained or created by your organization with funding from this grant, shall remain the property of your organization, but your organization agrees to grant the Foundation a royalty-free license to use, reprint, or distribute any such copyrighted materials for informational or promotional purposes that do not conflict with your organization's charitable purposes.
8. The terms of this Agreement may be revised or modified only with the prior written consent of both the Foundation and your organization.
Reporting Requirements & Due Dates
Building Resilient Communities > Demonstration Projects > Sea Level Rise -
$250,000
Report Due Date(s)
Final Report: 7/31/2027 covering 6/1/2026 - 6/30/2027
Question(s):
1. Provide a summary of your progress towards grant objectives.
2. To what extent did activities supported by this grant advance projects toward implementation? This may include milestones such as feasibility assessments, project design to 30/60/90%, environmental review, permitting, critical stakeholder engagement, or other pre-construction steps.
Please describe specific progress achieved during the grant period as well as key/barriers or challenges.
3. Did work supported by this grant help secure or position your project to secure additional funding from public sources? Please describe any funding that has been secured, committed, or is currently being pursued, including dollar amounts and funding sources. What barriers, if any, have limited your ability to leverage additional resources?
4. Is there any additional information you would like to share to help MCF better understand your progress, challenges, or emerging opportunities? Payment Schedule
June 22, 2026: $250,000