FOR THE COUNCIL MEETING OF JUNE 4, 2024
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
TO: City Council
FROM: Interim City Manager Alex Posada
BY: Interim Director of Community Development Dana Eady
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing an Application to Santa Barbara Local Agency Formation Commission For An Out -Of-Agency Domestic Water Service Agreement with Santa Maria Bonita School District
Description:
The City Council will consider approving a request to apply to Santa Barbara County Local Agency Formation Commission for an out-of-agency domestic water service agreement with the Santa Maria Bonita School District to provide water to the District’s Bonita Elementary School site.
Environmental Notice: Environmental Review for this project was completed by the Santa Maria Bonita School District through the preparation of an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH #2024010761) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines. The Santa Maria-Bonita School Board of Education adopted the MND on May 8, 2024.
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a Resolution authorizing and approving an application to the Santa Barbara Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) for an out-of-agency water service agreement with Santa Maria Bonita School District for their Bonita Elementary School site.
BACKGROUND:
Bonita Elementary School is located at 2715 West Main Street in an agricultural area and is approximately three miles from the nearest City boundary (see Attachment A – Vicinity Map). The school is a transitional kindergarten through 6 th grade public school with approximately 600 students and staff members. Domestic water for the school is provided by a water well.
The Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health Environmental Health Services (SBCEHS) issued a citation of noncompliance on June 20, 2017, for exceedances of state maximum contaminant levels in the water supply for the school. The water supply currently exceeds the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for nitrate and the recommended and upper secondary MCLs for total dissolved solids. The school has been utilizing bottled water for domestic purposes due to these issues. The citation required a 2 written explanation of the situation and a plan for corrective action. An operations plan for the school’s water system was put in place with a water monitoring schedule, and a Water Quality Emergency Notification Plan was subsequently issued by SBCEHS.
MKN and Asso ciates, Inc. (MKN) completed a feasibility study evaluating water supply options to serve Bonita Elementary School. Of the options analyzed, t he requested out- of-agency domestic water service agreement would allow the school to connect to the City of Santa Maria’s water supply to mitigate the water violations and ensure that students and staff have access to safe drinking water. The City of Santa Maria’s provision of water to properties outside the City boundary requires approval from LAFCO for an out-of-agency service agreement.
DISCUSSION:
The applicant is requesting a domestic water connection with the City of Santa Maria water system, involving the connection of a new two-inch diameter service line for 1.7 - miles north along Black Road from the City of Santa Maria Wastewater Treatment Plant to the intersection of Black Road and West Main Street, and then extending west to the intersection of West Main Street and Bonita School Road. This solution also involves the installation of a hydropneumatic tank to address peak demands and maintain the existing storage tank and wells for fire suppression and irrigation.
Bonita Elementary School would connect via a meter to the City’s water d istribution system in front of the W astewater Treatment Plan t. All water lines and associated infrastructure after the meter would be private and would be the responsibility of the Bonita Elementary School (Santa Maria Bonita School District) to operate and maintain.
The connection would provide a cl ean, reliable long -term water source to Bonita Elementary School students and staff.
Government Code Section 56133 states that LAFCO may authorize a city or district to provide new or extended services outside its jurisdictional boundary to respond to an existing or impending threat to the health and safety of the public or the residents of the affected territory, if the entity applying for approval has provided LAFCO with documentation of a threat to the health and safety of the public. The Santa Barbara County Environmental Health citation serves as the documentation of the threat.
Alternative(s)
The City Council can choose not to submit an application to LAFCO for an out-of-agency water service agreement; however, the applicant would need to pursue one of the other alternatives to address the violation of safe drinking water standards occurring at the Bonita Elementary School site.
Environmental Review
The SMBSD is the Lead Agency responsible for the completion of environmental review.
The SMBSD has p repared an Initial Study -Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS -MND) for the project pursuant to the State California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15000 et seq. The document was circulated for public review from January 26, 2024, to February 26, 2024, and was adopted by the SMBSD Board of Education on May 3 8, 2024 . The IS-MND includes mitigation measures for the environmental impacts identified in the initial study in the topic areas of Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, Hydrology and Water Quality, Noise and Transportation. The Final IS-MND is included for reference as Attachment C.
Fiscal Considerations
All costs for the project will be paid by the SMBSD. The SMBSD is seeking Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) grant funding through the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Division of Financial Assistance to fund the construction of a long-term, affordable solution to mitigate further water quality violations. The grant funding would cover the capital and associated startup costs. Operating and maintenance costs will be funded by the SMBSD.
Impact to the Community
The project would have a positive impact on the community by providing clean drinking water to elementary school age students and staff at Bonita Elementary School. No known impacts to capacity for City facilities are anticipated to occur.
Other Agency Review
If LAFCO approves the out -of-agency service agreement, Caltrans will require an encroachment permit for the water line extension work to occur within Main Street (State Route 166). Funding for the project will require approval from the S WRCB. The specific scope of this project, the Out-of-Agency Service Agreement , requ ires approval from LAFCO as discussed above.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A – Vicinity Map
Attachment B – Compliance order dated June 20, 2017, from SB County Environmental Health Services Attachment C – Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration