2024 Q1 Legislative Action Summary
Below is a summary of the actions that were taken during 2024 Q1 as they align with the City of Santa Clara’s 2024 Legislative Advocacy Positions (LAPs), guiding principles for legislative advocacy, approved City policies (e.g., City Council Goals and Priorities), and/or Council action.
Council Pillar: Deliver and Enhance High-Quality Efficient Services and Infrastructure
• February 15, 2024 Letter of Support for the City’s State Budget Requests to Assemblymember Evan Low
• March 12, 2024 Letter of Support for the City’s Federal Appropriations Requests to Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler
Water Supply and Conservation LAP
• March 26, 2024 Letter of support for Santa Clara Valley Water District’s FY25 Congressionally Directed Spending Request – Purified Water Demonstration Facility to Senators Patty Murray and Susan Collins
Multiple Legislative Priorities
• January 4, 2024 Letter of support for the CREST Bay Area Proposal – Valley Water Calabazas/San Aquino Creek-Marsh Connection Program to the California State Coastal Conservancy (Sustainability and Environmental Protection and Water Supply and Conservation LAPs)
• January 18, 2024 Letter of support for the Valley Water Pond A4 Resilient Habitat Restoration Project Application to the State Coastal Conservancy Grant Program to the California State Coastal Conservancy (Sustainability and Environmental Protection LAP/
Enhance Community Sports, Council Pillar:
Recreational and Arts Assets)
• Co-signed letter regarding FY 2024 Proposed Budget Cuts to Funding for State Coastal Conservancy to Address Sea Level Rise California State to President Pro-tempore Mike McGuire (CA Senate), Speaker Robert Rivas (CA Assembly), Senator Scott Wiener (CA Senate Budget Committee), Assembly Member Jesse Gabriel (CA Assembly Budget Committee), Senator Josh Becker (CA Senate Budget Committee Subcommittee 2), and Assembly Member Steve Bennet (CA Assembly Budget Committee Subcommittee 4) (Regional Issues and Collaboration and Sustainability and Environmental Protection LAPs)
1500 Warburton Avenue ● Santa Clara, CA 95050 ● Phone: 408-615-2200 ● Fax: 408-241-6771 ● www.SantaClaraCA.gov Mayor
Lisa M. Gillmor
February 15, 2024
Honorable Evan Low
California State Assembly, 26th District
1021 O Street, Suite 6110
Sacramento, CA 95814
Re: 2024 State Budget Requests from the City of Santa Clara
Dear Assembly Member Low:
On behalf of the City of Santa Clara, I want to express my gratitude and appreciation to you and your staff for your leadership and support over the years. You have been an integral part of our many successes, and the City is grateful for all that you’ve done.
As the State Legislature continues the process of shaping the state budget and evaluating where the state’s resources are best invested, I understand things are uncertain at best. If the opportunity arises for community requests to be included in the Legislature’s budget, I would like to respectfully present a list of priority funding needs for the City and request your partnership to help secure these critical dollars.
Below are the City’s priority projects for consideration, along with a brief description and dollar amount. The City appreciates the state’s fiscal situation and has tried to select projects that will have significant local and regional impacts, thereby maximizing the return on the state’s investment. We are happy to provide more in -depth details and discuss each of these projects further.
I am proud that our values and priorities align and look forward to our continued partnership to serve the residents of Santa Clara. Our advocate, Casey Elliott from Townsend Public Affairs, will follow up with your office to schedule a time to discuss our projects in greater detail. Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to continuing our work together.
Sincerely,
Lisa M. Gillmor
Mayor
City of Santa Clara
Honorable Evan Low
Re: 2024 State Budget Requests from the City of Santa Clara
Title: Temporary to Permanent Community Aquatics Facility Amount: $2,000,000
Description: Built in 1967, the George F. Haines International Swim Center (Swim Center) is one of the most historic venues in American sports having produced numerous world records and Olympic swimmers. The Swim Center has also been the home of the world-renowned Santa Clara Aquamaids (now ca lled Santa Cla ra A rtistic S wimming). Under t he leadership of C hris Carver (Team USA coach for three Olympics and member of the San Jose Sports Authority Hall of Fame), the Aquamaids are the most deco rated synchronized swim team in the world, having produced 24 Olympians. The 2024 U.S. Olympic Team will include four members of Santa Clara Artistic Swimming, including Santa Clara resident Bill May, wh o will be t he first male athlete to compete in team syn chronized swimming since Olympic rules were changed last year to allow men to compete in this traditionally-female dominated sport.
In addition to being a major regional hub for swimming events, the Swim Center also plays a vital role in serving the needs of the local Santa Clara community. Located in the City’s Central Park, the Swim Center offers a variety of learn- to-swim, competitive swim, lap swim, diving and water aerobic programs that contribute to the health and well-being of Santa Clara residents of all ages.
In January 2024, the City was forced to close the Swim Center when a facility conditions assessment report identified major deficiencies in the administrative building, dive tower, pools, deck and viewing stands due to the age of the 56-year old facility. The City and local partners are committed to identifying a long- term solution to continue the tradition of excellence at the Swim Center, which will require a coordinated community approach and significant investment. In the interim, the long and proud tradition of swimming in Santa Clara is in jeopardy as t he swim community is not able to train its athletes and Santa Clara families face severely limited access to community swim programs.
At this time, the City is working to implement a temporary pool f acility, using a modular system that allows for the temporary facility to be repurposed into a permanent facility . This solution will benefit the Santa Clara community and swim club activities , during the years that it will take to design, permit, and construct a permanent replacement for the Swim Center. The initial estimate for the temporary facility is $5,000,000.
Ti
tle: Santa Clara Fire Department Mobile Command Vehicle A
mount: $2,000,000 (can be scaled down to $1,300,000 if necessary) D
escription: The Santa Clara Fire Department provides All -Hazards emergency response to a residential population of 130,000, plus thousands who work in or visit Santa Clara, and up to 70,000 people during events at Levi’s Stadium. There are major developments underway in the City that will add tens of thousands more. The City will also host Super Bowl LX and six World Cup 2026 matches at Levi’s Stadium in 2026. The Fire Department does not have a Command Vehicle suitable for supporting even moderate incidents like multi -alarm fires. State investment would help the City purchase a vehicle that would address these needs.
Honorable Evan Low
Re: 2024 State Budget Requests from the City of Santa Clara
Ful
l funding of this request would allow the Fire Department to secure a 42-44-foot, dual axle (fire truck chassis) capable of supporting large- scale, regional emergencies with Unified Command.
This vehicle includes a large conference room with video monitors, plus a second room with multiple workstations, as well as satellite, cellular and radio communications, Thermal and HD video, teleconferencing, and is a full -scale mobile command center that could be used as a resource to benefit the entire South Bay region.
Thi
s request could be scaled down to $1,300,000, which would secure a 34-36-foot, single axle (RV chassis) capable of serving as the Fire Incident Command Post for large-scale incidents. This vehicle includes multiple workstations and advanced communications equipment, plus video (Thermal & HD) and is well-equipped for incidents that do not require Unified Command.
Ti
tle: Cupertino- Santa Clara On -Demand Micro- Transit Shuttle Project (Silicon Valley Hopper)
A
mount: $2,000,000
D
escription: The City of Santa Clara has partnered with the City of Cupertino to implement an on-demand micro-transit shuttle project (also known as Silicon Valley Hopper) to serve those who live and work in Cupertino and Santa Clara. With support from a California State Transportation Agency State Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) 4- year grant, the goal is to continue Cupertino’s existing On-Demand Micro-Transit Shuttle program and expand service into Santa Clara with a fleet of zero-emissions vehicles. Service is being designed to focus on offering improved and affordable connections between local Caltrain, Amtrak, VTA stations to job centers and other key destinations in Cupertino and Santa Clara while providing increased transit access for disadvantaged communities, high poverty zones, and senior populations.
The im
plementation of Silicon Valley Hopper service in Santa Clara will be completed in two phases. The first phase, which launched in November 2023, provides service for the southern half of Santa Clara (area south of the existing Caltrain tracks) for a period of 2 years. The funding that is being requested would allow for the second phase of service to be implemented in Santa Clara. This phase will extend the program for an additional 2 years , as well as expand service into northern Santa Clara.
1500 Warburton Avenue ● Santa Clara, CA 95050 ● Phone: 408-615-2200 ● Fax: 408-241-6771 ● www.SantaClaraCA.gov Mayor
Lisa M. Gillmor
March 12, 2024
The Honorable Alex Padilla
United States Senate
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Laphonza Butler
United States Senate
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
RE: Letter of Support for Fiscal Year 2025 Congressionally Directed Spending Requests from the City of Santa Clara
Dear Senator Padilla and Senator Butler:
On behalf of the City of Santa Clara, I want to express my gratitude and appreciation to both of you, and your staff, for your leadership and support. We appreciate the opportunity to work with your offices to bring investments and improvements to the residents, businesses, and visitors to our region.
I also want to highlight the City of Santa Clara’s congressionally directed spending requests for the Fiscal Year 2025 Federal Appropriations process and respectfully request your support. Our projects specifically seek to facilitate the developm ent of a regional community asset, increase regional transportation opportunities, provide our community with expanded access to mental health professionals, and create safe streets for bicyclists and pedestrians.
The City’s top priority projects are:
1. Temporary to Permanent Community Aquatics Facility - $2,000,000 Built in 1967, the George F. Haines International Swim Center is one of the most historic venues in American sports having produced numerous world records and Olympic swimmers. The Swim Center has also been the home of the world-renowned Santa Clara Aquamaids (now called Santa Clara Artistic Swimming) and the Santa Clara Swim Club.
Under the leadership of Chris Carver (Team USA coach for three Olympics), the Santa Clara Artistic Swimming is the most decorated synchronized swim team in the world. The 2024 U.S. Olympic Team will include four members of Santa Clara Artistic Swimming. In addition to being a major regional hub for swimming events, the Swim Center also plays a vital role in serving the needs of the local Santa Clara community. In January 2024, the City was forced to close the Swim Center when a facility conditions assessment report identified major deficiencies in the administrative building, dive tower, pools, deck and viewing stands due to the age of the 56 -year old facility. The City and local partners are committed to identifying a long-term solution to continue the tradition of excellence at the Swim Center, which will require a coordinated community approach and significant investment. The City is working to implement a temporary pool facility that can be repurposed into a permanent facility. The funding requested will benefit the Santa Clara community and regional swim club activities, as it will aid with construction of the facility.
Letter of Support for Fiscal Year 2025 Congressionally Directed Spending Requests from the City of Santa Clara
March 12, 2024
2. Silicon Valley Hopper On-Demand Microtransit Shuttle - $2,000,000 The City of Santa Clara has partnered with the City of Cupertino to implement an on - demand micro-transit shuttle project, known as Silicon Valley Hopper, to serve those who live and work in Cupertino and Santa Clara. With support from a California State Transportation Agency State Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program grant, the goal is to continue Cupertino’s existing On- Demand Micro-Transit Shuttle Project and expand service into Santa Clara with a fleet of zero-emissions vehicles. Service is being designed to focus on offering improved and affordable connections between local Caltrain, Amtrak, VTA stations to job centers and other key destinations in Cupertino and Santa Clara while providing increased transit access for disadvantaged communities, high poverty zones, and senior populations. The implementation of Silicon Valley Hopper service in Santa Clara will be completed in two phases. The first phase, which launched in November 2023, provides service for the southern half of Santa Clara for a period of two years. The requested funding would allow for the second phase of service to be implemented in Santa Clara, which will extend the program for an additional two years and expand service into northern Santa Clara.
3. 24/7, 365 Mental Health/Crisis Response Coverage - $1,935,500 The Santa Clara Police Department’s Community Response Team (CRT) manages a caseload of "quality of life" issues and offenses. The team addresses and responds to the most concerning societal issues facing our community today, including homelessness, mental health crises, and human trafficking. The CRT has also taken a leading role in community policing and building a collaborative network inside and outside of law enforcement as reflected by its implementation of a Special Needs Awareness Program (SNAP) to provide first responders with important information when responding to calls for service that involve individual s who may have a memory disorder, hearing impairment, autism or other behavioral disability. Participation in SNAP is voluntary and confidential and allows family members/caregivers to provide a picture of the individual, details related to their condition and instructions on how to best interact with that person. The CRT also oversees the department’s oversight of businesses regulated by City, St ate, and federal laws including inspections and corresponding investigations and is a liaison to Santa Clara University for student education and enforcement on a variety of issues including drug/alcohol use and neighbor relations. The funding requested would allow the CRT to expand services to provide mental health/crisis response coverage 24- hours a day, 365 days a year.
4. Pruneridge Avenue Complete Streets Project - $2,000,000 The City of Santa Clara adopted the Pruneridge Avenue Complete Streets Plan in 2022 to implement buffered bicycle lanes along the Pruneridge Avenue corridor in Santa Clara.
This east-west roadway is an important part of the County of Santa Clara’s cross -county bicycle corridor network and connects schools and employment centers to and from the region. The project will remove portions of travel lanes along Pruneridge Avenue to complete this important cross-county bicycle network and enhance intersections along the corridor with pedestrian improvements such as quick -build curb extensi ons, ADA curb ramps, and pedestrian signal enhancements. The f unding that is requested will support the City’s construction of this priority bicycle and pedestrian improvement project in Santa Clara.
Letter of Support for Fiscal Year 2025 Congressionally Directed Spending Requests from the City of Santa Clara
March 12, 2024
Thank you for your consideration in championing these projects to help secure congressionally directed spending that will support the efforts of the City and benefit the region and State of California.
Sincerely,
Lisa M. Gillmor
Mayor
City of Santa Clara
1500 Warburton Avenue ● Santa Clara, CA 95050 ● Phone: 408-615-2200 ● Fax: 408-241-6771 ● www.SantaClaraCA.gov Mayor
Lisa M. Gillmor
March 26, 2024
The Honorable Patty Murray
Chair, Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate
Room S-128, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Susan Collins
Vice Chair, Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate
Room S-128, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
RE: Support for FY25 Congressionally Directed Spending Request – Purified Water Demonstration Facility
Dear Chair Murray and Vice Chair Collins:
On behalf of the City of Santa Clara, I am writing in support of the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s (Valley Water) Fiscal Year 2025 Congressionally Directed Spending request for its Purified Water Demonstration Facility.
Valley Water has a long-term goal of producing up to 24,000 acre-feet per year of purified water for direct potable reuse by the year 2040. Developing a locally controlled, reliable, and drought resilient water supply is critical in the face of climate change. Cyclical climate changes and dry conditions have placed enormous strain on existing sources, such as imported water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and stored local water supplies. Santa Clara County faces additional water supply challenges driven by a growing population and economy. We must diversify our water supply portfolio to ensure that we meet this increased demand amid increasing uncertainties in available water supply sources.
This project, a joint effort between Valley Water and the Cities of Santa Clara and S an José, is the first phase of a full -scale facility to provide purified water for direct potable reuse in Santa Clara County, the heart of Silicon Valley. Until recently, California communities could use recycled water for drinking only if that water was first filtered through a reservoir or aquifer. New state regulations adopted in 2023, however, will allow suppliers to distribute recycled water without first putting the water into a reservoir or aquifer. As Valley Water studies the potential for a full -scale potable reuse facility in the future, it must first prove the project’s feasibility. This funding request would help support the environmental, design, and early site work for this first-phase demonstration facility.
Thank you for your consideration of this request, and I urge your support for this important drought resilience project.
Sincerely,
Lisa M. Gillmor
Mayor
City of Santa Clara
1500 Warburton Avenue ● Santa Clara, CA 95050 ● Phone: 408-615-2200 ● Fax: 408-241-6771 ● SantaClaraCA.gov Mayor
Lisa M. Gillmor
January 4, 2024
Amy Hutzel
California State Coastal Conservancy
1515 Clay St. 10
th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
RE: Letter of Support – CREST Bay Area Proposal – Valley Water Calabazas/San Tomas Aquino Creek-Marsh Connection Project
Dear Ms. Hutzel,
On behalf of the City of Santa Clara, I am writing to express my support for the California State Coastal Conservancy’s CREST Bay Area Proposal to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Resilience Regional Challenge Program. The CREST Bay Area Proposal seeks federal grant funding for several shoreline restoration projects on San Francisco Bay, including the Valley Water Calabazas/San Tomas Aquino Creek -Marsh Connection (Creeks Reconnection Project), the first creek-tidal marsh connection project in Lower South San Francisco Bay.
The Creeks Reconnection Project will restore up to 1,800 acres of tidal marsh habitat in former salt production ponds and provide resilient flood protection against sea level rise. Restored marsh will absorb storm surges and protect critical wildlife habitat and shoreline infrastructure from erosion and inundation, while benefiting endangered species such as salt marsh harvest mouse and California Ridgeway’s rail. The project will also benefit the nearby disadvantaged community of Alviso.
Additionally, the project will expand public shoreline access and contribute toward providing greater recreational opportunities to disadvantaged communities and the greater community.
The Creeks Reconnection Project is consistent with many existing regional programs and plans, and is built upon strong regional partnerships at the local, state, and federal levels. The Project supports planned restoration goals outlined the South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Project as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Tidal Marsh Recovery Plan. The project vision was developed as part of the San Francisco Estuary Partnership’s Healthy Watersheds, Resilient Baylands initiative and will promote sediment management strategies contained in the San Francisco Estuary Institute’s “Sediment for Survival” report.
Amy Hutzel
Re: Letter of Support – CREST Bay Area Proposal – Valley Water Calabazas/San Tomas Aquino Creek-Marsh Connection Project
January 4, 2024
For all the reasons listed above, I strongly support the Bay Area CREST application and urge NOAA to provide grant funds for this critical shoreline transformation proposal. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Lisa M. Gillmor
Mayor
City of Santa Clara
Contact:
Tel: (408) 615-2250
Email: [email protected]
1500 Warburton Avenue ● Santa Clara, CA 95050 ● Phone: 408-615-2200 ● Fax: 408-241-6771 ● www.SantaClaraCA.gov Mayor
Lisa M. Gillmor
January 18, 2024
Chairman Douglas Bosco
California State Coastal Conservancy
1515 Clay St 10th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Subject: Support for Valley Water Pond A4 Resilient Habitat Restoration Project Application to the State Coastal Conservancy Grant Program
Dear Chair Bosco,
On behalf of the City of Santa Clara, I am writing to express my support for the Pond A4 Resilient Habitat Restoration Project (Project) application to the California Coastal Conservancy Grant Program. The Project is designed to create habitat for threatened and endangered species and promote community flood resilience by constructing wetland and transitional habitat at the southern boundary of Pond A4, a former salt production pond acquired by Valley Water in 2000.
Pond A4 will beneficially reuse sediment removed from local creeks as a part of Valley Water’s Stream Maintenance Program (SMP) to build necessary staging areas and to construct the ecotone.
The Pond A4 ecotone will complement the flood protection benefits of the Sunnyvale East and West Channels, San Francisco Bay Shoreline Protection, and Calabazas/San Tomas Aquino Creek-Marsh Connection projects by establishing a tidal marsh that would dampen tidal surges and wave-runup and keep pace with projected sea level rise. The Calabazas/San Tomas Aquino Creek-Marsh Connection Project would further enhance the tidal marsh established under the Pond A4 Resilient Habitat Restoration Project by increasing tidal flows in Pond A4.
Additionally, the Project will enhance the user experience for San Francisco Bay Trail (Bay Trail) users. Currently, the segment of the recreational Bay Trail along the southern margin of Pond A4 is heavily used, but the artificial open water of Pond A4 separates the trail from more visually interesting natural bay shoreline and sloughs. By converting a portion of the open water to habitat bench, it will bring restored natural habitat closer to the Bay Trail, enhancing the trail users’ visual enjoyment and appreciation of these natural areas and the many bird species that will forage in this area. Valley Water also proposes to add interpretative/educational signage created in collaboration with indigenous communities and ecologists to the trail to improve the user experience.
Chairman Douglas Bosco
Subject: Support for Valley Water Pond A4 Resilient Habitat Restoration Project Application to the State Coastal Conservancy Grant Program
January 18, 2024
The benefits of this Project, explained above, represent the realization of goals that the City of Santa Clara shares with Valley Water and its other regional partners . Valley Water has a long- term goal of restoring the entirety of Pond A4 to tidal marsh habitat as part of the future Calabazas and San Tomas Aquino Creek -Marsh Connection Project. The infrastructure improvements included in the Project will facilitate the transport of that sediment to the pond, and at a future time, the Project restoration area will be incorporated into the larger tidal marsh. Thus, the multi - benefit Pond A4 Resilient Habitat Restoration Project will both provide near -term habitat improvement and support long-term restoration of hundreds of acres of tidal marsh habitat within Pond A4, promoting climate resiliency, biodiversity, and native sensitive species recovery. The Project is consistent with many existing regional programs and plans , and is built upon strong regional partnerships at the federal, state, and local levels . The commitment to sustainability , environmental protection and enhancing recreational opportunities , represented by this project, is a commitment that the City of Santa Clara and Valley W ater share. The long-term benefits of the project will serve our shared constituents and the region as a whole.
For all the reasons listed above, I strongly support Valley Water’s grant application for the Pond A4 Resilient Habitat Restoration Project and urge you to provide grant funds for this critical project.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Lisa M. Gillmor
Mayor
City of Santa Clara
Contact:
Tel: (408) 615-2250
Email: [email protected]
TheHonorableMikeMcGuirePresidentPro-TemporeCaliforniaStateSenate TheHonorableScottD.WienerChair, SenateBudgetCommitteeCaliforniaStateSenate TheHonorableJoshBeckerChair, SenateBudgetSubcommittee2CaliforniaStateSenate TheHonorableRobertRivasSpeakeroftheAssemblyCaliforniaStateAssembly TheHonorableJesseGabrielChair, AssemblyBudgetCommitteeCaliforniaStateAssembly TheHonorableSteveBennettChair, AssemblyBudgetSubcommittee4CaliforniaStateAssembly Re:FY2024ProposedBudgetcutstoFundingforStateCoastalConservancytoAddressSeaLevelRise DearPresidentPro-TemporeMcGuire,SpeakerRivas,SenatorBecker, SenatorWiener,AssemblymemberBennett,andAssemblymemberGabriel:
ThankyouforyourcontinueddedicationtoadvancingaclimateresilientCalifornia.WewritetoyoutodayaslocalleadersintheSanFranciscoBayArea,collectivelyrepresentingmorethansevenmillionresidentsaboutamattervitaltothesafetyandqualityoflifeofthecommunitiesweserve.Sealevelriseintheregionisputtinghundredsofthousandsofresidentsinharm'swayanddirectlyjeopardizingbillionsofdollarsofassetsifimmediateactionisnottaken.Werespectfullyrequestyoursupportinrestoringtheproposedcutof$392millionfromtheFY2023-24statebudgetfortheStateCoastalConservancytoadministershovel-readyfloodprotectionandshorelinerestorationprojectsintheSanFranciscoBayArearegion.
By2030,sealevelsareanticipatedtorisehalfafoot,anddraftstateestimatesanticipatetheoceanandSanFranciscoBaytorisebyasmuchas14inchesabovetheyear2000baselineby2050.MajorstormsliketheatmosphericriversthattheBaycontinuestoexperiencewillexacerbatetheproblem.ArecentreportfoundthattheBayAreawillneedanestimated$110billiontoprotecttheshorelinefromsealevelriseandstormflooding.Failuretoactquicklyincreasesthepricetag–delayedmitigationcouldcosttheregionover$230billion.
Low-lyingcoastalregionsoftheBayAreaareparticularlyatrisk.Anestimated355,000BayArearesidentsliveina100-yearfloodplainthatalsoincludes$46.2billioninstructures;800milesofroadsandhighways;70milesofcriticalraillines;46wastewaterplants;35schools;and15hospitals.SomeoftheBayArea’sbiggestcompanies—includingGoogle,FacebookandCiscoSystems—arealsoatrisk.What’smore,coastalinundationisexpectedtoincreasethesalinityofourgroundwaterandmobilizetoxinscurrentlylocatedatcontaminatedcoastalsitesacrosstheBay–furtherjeopardizingthewatersupply, health,andlivelihoodsofBayArearesidents.
TheCaliforniaCoastalConservancyhasalreadyidentifiedapproximately$600milliondollarsinshovel-readyfloodprotectionandrestorationprojectsintheBayAreaalonethatneedimmediatefunding.Theseprojectsandrestorationeffortsneedtobeinplaceby2030toprotectvulnerablecommunitiesandcriticalhabitatfrominundation.Further, thefasterweimplementwetlandrestorationprojectsaroundtheBay, thelongerthesenaturalsystemswillhavetosequestercarbonfromtheatmosphere,providingacriticalnature-basedsolutiontosupportCalifornia’sgreenhousegasreductiongoals.
Thankyouforconsideringthisrequest.WestandreadytoworkwithyoutobooststatebudgetfundingforacceleratingurgentclimateadaptationintheBayArea.
Signed,
LisaM.GillmorMayor, CityofSantaClara
LarryKleinMayor, CityofSunnyvale
MattMahanMayor, CityofSanJosé
CarmenMontanoMayor, CityofMilpitas
PatShowalterMayor, CityofMountainView
GreerStoneMayor, CityofPaloAlto
DavidJ.CanepaSupervisor, SanMateoCountyDistrict5
NoeliaCorzoSupervisor, SanMateoCountyDistrict2
JohnGioia,Supervisor, ContraCostaCountyDistrict1
SusanGorinSupervisor, SonomaCountyDistrict1
OttoLeeSupervisor, SantaClaraCountyDistrict3
AaronPeskin,Supervisor, SanFranciscoCountyDistrict3
DavePineSupervisor, SanMateoCountyDistrict1
ElisaMarquezSupervisor, AlamedaCountyDistrict2
S.JosephSimitianSupervisor, SantaClaraCountyDistrict5
FranciscoZermenoCouncilmember, CityofHayward