Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council Regular Meeting of April 9, 2019
Title
APPROVAL TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF
NORTH FRANCISCA AVENUE FOR THE HERONDO DRAIN
STORM WATER INFILTRATION PROJECT
(Environmental Analyst Kristy Morris)
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Authorize Tetra Tech to explore the feasibility of North Francisca Avenue to further develop an infiltration project at this location and appropriate funding from the Storm Drain Fund for an amount not to exceed $157,719 for this analysis; and
2. Appoint an Infiltration Project Council subcommittee comprised of two Councilmembers and provide direction as needed.
Body
Executive Summary:
The Herondo Drain Infiltration Project (Project) is the highest priority project in the Beach Cities Enhanced Watershed Management Program (EWMP) that would achieve the greatest reduction in bacterial levels, at the Herondo Drain Outfall in Hermosa Beach. The City was awarded a Proposition 1 Stormwater Implementation Grant of $3,099,400 to design and construct a project beneath the Hermosa Beach Greenbelt. The grant represents approximately one half of the estimated total project cost and the cities of Hermosa Beach, Torrance, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cost-share the balance of local matching funds. In response to community concerns, and after considering alternative locations in Hermosa Beach, City Council directed staff to initiate an amendment or dissolution of the Beach Cities Watershed Management Group for cost-sharing for the design of the project and to negotiate a suitable substitute or revised MOU and project with the Beach City’s partners. The City will investigate alternatives, including a March 26, 2019 offer by Redondo Beach Mayor Bill Brand to permit a study of a North Francisca Avenue site in Redondo Beach, funded solely by Hermosa Beach, as well as other sites in Hermosa Beach. At City Council’s direction, Tetra Tech will immediately commence investigating the feasibility of the North Francisca Avenue location and prepare a feasibility report for presentation to each of the Beach Cities Watershed Management Group (WMG) respective City Council’s with a recommendation on how to proceed with the design and cost-sharing for the Project.
Background:
At their Regular Meeting on March 26, 2019, City Council considered alternative sites within the City’s jurisdiction for the Hermosa Beach Greenbelt Infiltration Project and discussed how to achieve the compliance deadlines in the EWMP and retain the Proposition 1 Stormwater Implementation Grant funding. The staff report for the March 26, 2019 City Council and accompanying attachments can be accessed here:
<https://hermosabeach.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3896702&GUID=A7A9E0D9-3922-47E3-A869-C91B8B9AF0C8>
Staff presented the following options to City Council for consideration:
1. Proceeding with a project at the existing Greenbelt location; or
2. Proceeding with a project at an alternative location within the City’s jurisdiction to capture and treat the equivalent volume of storm water; or
3. Initiating a dissolution or an amendment of the MOU and negotiate a suitable substitute or revised MOU and project with the City’s partners, relinquish the Grant and forfeit the grant funding.
These options were outlined prior to the City receiving a letter from Redondo Beach Mayor Bill Brand dated March 26, 2019, authorizing the City of Hermosa Beach to investigate the feasibility of North Francisca Avenue in Redondo Beach as an alternative location for the Project.
After significant discussion and community feedback, Council approved initiating an amendment or dissolution of the Beach Cities Watershed Management Group MOU for cost-sharing for the design of the project and to negotiate a suitable substitute or revised MOU and project with the City’s partners including the Cities of Redondo Beach, Torrance and Manhattan Beach. While an infiltration project will not be immediately sited in Hermosa Beach (Greenbelt, South Park or Herondo Street), it was recognized that a suitable solution will need to be determined quickly to comply with addressing pollution entering Santa Monica Bay from the Herondo storm drain.
Analysis:
Directly following the March 26, 2019 City Council meeting, staff convened a teleconference with Beach Cities WMG staff to discuss Council’s direction and to determine how to proceed with investigating the feasibility of the North Francisca Avenue site in Redondo Beach. The cities of Torrance, Redondo Beach, and Manhattan Beach were agreeable to exploring the feasibility of North Francisca Avenue, as this is currently the most expeditious way to meet the compliance deadlines outlined in the EWMP and retain the grant funding. However, the Beach Cities WMP partners stipulated that this study would need to be funded solely by the City of Hermosa Beach.
Alternatively, staff from each City will recommend to their respective City Council’s to abandon the Project by dissolution of the MOU and relinquish the Prop 1 Grant. The City would need to provide notice to the Regional Board that it is terminating the MOU and establish a compliance pathway that is acceptable to the Regional Board to stay in compliance with the EWMP.
On March 29, 2019, the City notified the State Board that the Beach Cities Watershed Management Group will investigate the feasibility of North Francisca Avenue to further develop a project at this location and that City Council further directed amendments to the current cost-sharing MOU as necessary to accomplish this direction and allow us to investigate alternate sites in order to accomplish the project as envisioned and to capture the requisite amount of storm water (Attachment 2). The State Board was supportive of this direction and the City submitted all of the requested materials by the April 1 deadline. The State Board will not proceed with recommendations to withdraw the Prop 1 Grant funding at this time.
Tetra Tech Inc. provided a cost proposal for the additional services that includes a site survey, utilities evaluation, and geotechnical investigation of North Francisca Avenue, and the preparation of a feasibility report for a total amount of $157,719 (Attachment 3). Previous site investigations presented in the draft preliminary design report for the adjacent Greenbelt location including geotechnical analysis and utilities research indicate that the North Francisca Avenue site is potentially a feasible location, however, concerns include future realignment plans, the number of utilities to be navigated, and potential soil contamination.
Staff recommends that City Council authorize Tetra Tech to immediately commence exploratory studies of North Francisca Avenue under the current professional services agreement with the City of Hermosa Beach, and Hermosa Beach will fund this investigation up to an amount of $157,719. Staff recommends Tetra Tech immediately address the previously identified concerns and iteratively proceed with the scope of work as each of these concerns are addressed, and if the site is determined to be infeasible, work will be discontinued.
General Plan Consistency:
PLAN Hermosa, the City’s General Plan, was adopted by the City Council in August 2017. The construction of an infiltration system to capture and infiltrate storm water supports several PLAN Hermosa goals and policies that are listed below.
1.8 Reduce storm water runoff. Reduce storm water runoff consistent with local storm water permits.
4.3 Collaboration with adjacent jurisdictions. Maintain strong collaborative relationships with adjacent jurisdictions and work together on projects of mutual interest and concern.
4.8 Holistic systems planning. Develop a comprehensive approach to water infrastructure that integrates sewer system planning with potable and recycled water systems, storm water systems, and increased conservation awareness.
5.7 Storm water permits. Strictly implement, enforce, and monitor MS4 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) Permit requirements through storm water ordinances.
Fiscal Impact:
Additional services for the Project would include a site survey, utilities evaluation, geotechnical investigation of North Francisca Avenue, and the preparation of a feasibility report at a cost of $157,719. These funds will be appropriated from the Storm Drain Fund.
Attachments:
1. MOU for cost-sharing
2. Notification Letter to State Board
3. Tetra Tech Cost Proposal for additional work
4. Link to March 26, 2019 Staff Report and Attachments
Respectfully Submitted by: Kristy Morris, Environmental Analyst
Noted for Fiscal Impact: Viki Copeland, Finance Director
Legal Review: Mike Jenkins, City Attorney
Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager