Public Works Agency
www.santa-ana.org/pw
Item # 24
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
September 16, 2025
TOPIC: Santa Ana Zoo and 10th and Flower Park Stormwater Capture Projects
AGENDA TITLE
Appropriation Adjustments to Recognize Orange County Transportation Authority Environmental Cleanup Program Grant for the Santa Ana Zoo and 10th and Flower Park Stormwater Capture Projects (Project Nos. 24-6604 and 26-6601) and Adopt a Resolution to Enter Into a Cooperative Implementation Agreement with Caltrans for the Santa Ana Zoo Stormwater Capture Project (Project No. 24-6604) (Non-General Fund)
RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Approve an appropriation adjustment to recognize $2,500,000 in Orange County Transportation Authority Tier 2 Environmental Cleanup Program funds for the Santa Ana Zoo Stormwater Capture and Diversion Project in the Measure M2 Competitive-Street Construction Revenue Account (No. 03217002-52332) and appropriate the same amount into the Measure M2 Competitive-Street Construction expenditure account (No. 03217663-66220). (Requires five affirmative votes)
2. Approve an appropriation adjustment to recognize $600,000 in Orange County Transportation Authority Tier 1 Environmental Cleanup Program funds for the 10th and Flower Park Stormwater Capture Project in the Measure M2 Competitive-Street Construction Revenue Account (No. 03217002-52332) and appropriate the same amount into the Measure M2 Competitive-Street Construction expenditure account (No. 03217663-66220). (Requires five affirmative votes)
3. Approve an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Capital Improvement Program to add $600,000 of Orange County Transportation Authority Tier 1 Environmental Cleanup Program funds for the 10th and Flower Stormwater Capture Project (No. 26-6601) and $2,500,000 of Orange County Transportation Authority Tier 2 Environmental Cleanup Program funds for the Santa Ana Zoo Stormwater Capture and Diversion Project (No. 24-6604).
Santa Ana Zoo and 10th and Flower Park Stormwater Capture Projects September 16, 2025
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4. Adopt a resolution authorizing the City to enter into a Cooperative Implementation Agreement with Caltrans to receive grant funds to construct the Santa Ana Zoo Stormwater Capture and Diversion Project.
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-XXX entitled A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA AUTHORIZING THE CITY TO ENTER INTO A
COOPERATIVE IMPLEMENTATION AGREEMENT WITH CALTRANS TO
RECEIVE STORMWATER REIMBURSEMENT FUNDS TO CONSTRUCT THE
SANTA ANA ZOO STORMWATER CAPTURE AND DIVERSION PROJECT
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No
DISCUSSION
Background
The Federal Clean Water Act (CWA), passed in 1972, is the primary U.S. law regulating water pollution by setting standards for surface waters and requiring permits for pollutant discharges into them. Key components include the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) for point source pollution from facilities. The CWA's goals include making U.S. waters "fishable" and "swimmable" and protecting wetlands. The California Water Resources Control Board sets additional rules and regulations to advance the goals of the CWA. Local agencies, including the City of Santa Ana, must comply with various regulations and implement projects to reduce and eliminate pollutants from reaching creeks, rivers, and wetlands.
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Tier 1 and Tier 2 Environmental Cleanup Program helps fund projects that improve overall water quality in Orange County from transportation-generated pollution. Program funds are allocated on a countywide competitive basis to assist local agencies in meeting regulations for controlling transportation-generated pollution. This program is part of OCTA’s Measure M2 Comprehensive Transportation Funding Program.
The Tier 1 Grant Program is designed to mitigate the more visible form of pollutants, such as litter and debris, that collects on roadways and in storm drains prior to reaching waterways and the ocean. Tier 1 consists of funding for equipment purchases and upgrades to existing catch basins and related Best Management Practices (BMPs) such as screens, filters, inserts, and other street-scale, low-flow diversion projects. On May 21, 2024, City Council adopted a resolution authorizing an application for funds from the Tier 1 Grant Program for the 10th & Flower Stormwater Capture Project (Exhibit 1).
The Tier 2 Grant Program consists of funding regional, potentially multi-jurisdictional, capital-intensive projects. Examples include constructed wetlands, detention/infiltration basins, and bioswales, which mitigate pollutants including litter and debris, but also heavy metals, organic chemicals, sediment, and nutrients. On May 21, 2024, City Santa Ana Zoo and 10th and Flower Park Stormwater Capture Projects September 16, 2025
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Council adopted a resolution authorizing an application for funds from the Tier 2 Grant Program for the Santa Ana Zoo Stormwater Capture and Diversion Project (Exhibit 2).
On November 1, 2024, OCTA notified the City of Santa Ana of their intent to award the City two grants under the Environmental Cleanup Program for Fiscal Year 2025/26 (Exhibit 3).
10th and Flower Park Stormwater Project
The Public Works Agency submitted a successful grant application for $600,000 of Tier 1 funding for the 10th and Flower Park Stormwater Capture Project (Exhibit 4). This project features an underground stormwater infiltration system and Bioretention Basins at the proposed park that will help improve water quality, capture trash, and reduce flooding on Flower Street and Civic Center Drive (Exhibit 5). These proposed stormwater quality improvements were envisioned and incorporated in the proposed park plans and the proposed natural landscape features will complement the recreational elements. The proposed park at the corner of 10th and Flower streets has also been awarded a grant from the State in the amount of $2.25M with a local match of $2.25M from Park Acquisition and Development funds. Together these funds will be used to construct the park and water quality improvements. Construction for the new park and stormwater improvements will be completed at the same time. Staff will return to Council in the future to award a construction contract for this work.
Santa Ana Zoo Stormwater Project
Staff has been developing a project to capture and treat stormwater runoff in the vicinity of the Santa Ana Zoo. Existing stormwater runoff from Santa Ana streets and the I-5 freeway drain into a City-owned storm drain located at Zoo Lane and Chestnut Ave. that outlets to the Upper Newport Bay wetlands. The proposed project would remove trash, debris, and other pollutants from the stormwater and infiltrate the stormwater into the ground. This project is being developed in close coordination with the Santa Ana Zoo and features the construction of a new 0.25-acre passive pocket park in the west end of the Zoo’s main parking lot, as well as 24 pervious parking stalls in the Zoo’s overflow parking lot. This project provides several benefits to the City and community, including assisting with NPDES Permit compliance, improving water quality, enhancing local water supplies, reducing flooding, providing new recreational opportunities for the community, and new paving, signage, and striping in the Zoo parking lots (Exhibit 6).
The proposed project will be closely coordinated with Zoo staff and construction will be phased in a manner to minimize impacts to the Zoo. These improvements are in conformance with the adopted Zoo Master Plan (Exhibit 7). Staff submitted a successful grant application for $2,500,000 of Tier 2 funding from OCTA for the Santa Ana Zoo Stormwater Capture and Diversion Project (Exhibit 8).
Additionally, because existing stormwater runoff from the I-5 freeway flows through City street to the project location and will be captured and treated by the project, staff engaged Caltrans to contribute additional funding for the proposed Zoo stormwater Santa Ana Zoo and 10th and Flower Park Stormwater Capture Projects September 16, 2025
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project. Staff successfully negotiated with Caltrans and they have agreed to contribute an additional $3,700,000 towards the construction of the Zoo stormwater project to mitigate pollution generated from the freeway that currently flows through City streets.
The proposed resolution authorizes staff to enter into a Cooperative Implementation Agreement with Caltrans to receive funding, on a reimbursement basis, and assures the commitment to regulatory stormwater obligations and support of a regional solution that benefits the City through stormwater capture and trash reduction (Exhibit 9). Ongoing routine maintenance costs for the stormwater infrastructure, once completed, will be paid through the City’s Stormwater Program.
The proposed Santa Ana Zoo Stormwater Capture and Diversion Project has also previously been awarded a State Proposition 1 Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) grant in the amount of $2,603,525 for design and construction phases. The $2,500,000 of OCTA Tier 2 funding and $3,700,000 of Caltrans funding will be used solely for the construction phase of the project. Together, these three funding sources will be used to construct the stormwater and related improvements at the Zoo. Staff will return to Council in the future to award a construction contract for this work.
Approval of the recommended actions will recognize the awarded OCTA funds, amend the fiscal year 2025/26 Capital Improvement Program to include these new funds, authorize the City to enter into the Caltrans Cooperative Implementation Agreement, and allow staff to proceed to implement the proposed projects. If approved, staff will finalize the construction bid documents for both projects, initiate the bid phase, and return to Council for award of construction contracts. A tentative schedule for project completion is provided below:
Milestone Date
OCTA Grant Appropriation Adjustment and
Caltrans Resolution September 16, 2025
Caltrans Cooperative Implementation
Agreement (CIA) October 2025
Award Construction Contract December 2025
Project Construction March 2026 – March 2027
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
There is no environmental impact associated with this action.
FISCAL IMPACT
With approval of the requested appropriation adjustments, the funds will be budgeted and available for this item in the accounts below. Once the Caltrans Cooperative Implementation Agreement is executed and bids are received for construction of the project, staff will return to Council to authorize the appropriation adjustment to add Santa Ana Zoo and 10th and Flower Park Stormwater Capture Projects September 16, 2025
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$3,700,000 of Caltrans funding to the Santa Ana Zoo Stormwater Capture and Diversion Project with the award of the construction contract.
Fiscal
Year
Accounting
Unit - Account
No.
(Project No.)
Fund
Description
Accounting Unit,
Account No.
Description
Amount
Appropriation Adjustments
2025-26 03217663-66220
(26-6601)
Measure M-
Street
Construction
Measure M2 Competitive
Street, Improvements
Other Than Buildings
$600,000
2025-26 03217663-66220
(24-6604)
Measure M-
Street
Construction
Measure M2 Competitive
Street, Improvements
Other Than Buildings
$2,500,000
Total $3,100,000
EXHIBIT(S)
1. Resolution 2024-016
2. Resolution 2024-017
3. OCTA M2 CTFP Master Funding Agreement No. 22
4. 10 th and Flower Stormwater Capture Project FY 2025-26 Capital Improvement Project Worksheet
5. 10 th and Flower Park Project Exhibit
6. Santa Ana Zoo Stormwater Capture and Diversion Project Exhibit
7. Zoo Master Plan Exhibit
8. Santa Ana Zoo Stormwater Capture and Diversion Project FY 2025-26 Capital Improvement Project Worksheet
9. Resolution Authorizing Caltrans Cooperative Implementation Agreement Submitted By: Rodolfo Rosas, P.E., Acting Executive Director – Public Works Agency Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, City Manager