HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 14463
City of Palo Alto (ID # 14463)
City Council Staff Report
Meeting Date: 10/17/2022 Report Type: Consent Calendar
City of Palo Alto Page 1
Title: Approval of Implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency-Funded (U.S. EPA) Greening Parking Facilities for a Sustainable
Community Project and Approval of Agreement Between City of Palo Alto
and City of Santa Clara to Partner on Project, and Approval of a Budget
Amendment in the Stormwater Management Fund
From: City Manager
Lead Department: Public Works
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Approve implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-funded
(U.S. EPA) Greening Parking Facilities for a Sustainable Community Project
(Project) as part of the Stormwater Management Fund Capital Improvement
Program Green Stormwater Infrastructure project (SD-22001) in the amount of
$1,566,351;
2. Approve and authorize the City Manager or designee to execute the Agreement
(Attachment A) between the City of Santa Clara (Santa Clara) and the City of
Palo Alto (Palo Alto) to partner for the implementation of the Project and for
Palo Alto to provide reimbursement to Santa Clara in the not-to exceed amount
of $332,902 over the grant period ending December 31, 2025;
3. Authorize the City Manager or designee to approve and execute related grant
contracts with additional Project partners identified in the grant proposal (Table
1) and to approve future administrative changes to contracts between Palo Alto
and all partners regarding budgetary amendments and Project scope changes;
and
4. Amend the Fiscal Year 2023 budget appropriation (by a 2/3 vote) for the
Stormwater Management Fund by:
a) Increasing the Green Stormwater Infrastructure project (SD-22001)
appropriation by $1,566,351
b) Increasing the revenue estimate from the Federal Government by
$1,216,351
c) Decreasing the ending fund balance by $350,000
City of Palo Alto Page 2
Executive Summary
The U.S. EPA’s San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund (SFBWQIF) is a grant
program that funds water quality and watershed/wetland restoration projects to protect and
restore San Francisco Bay. A grant of $1,216,351 was awarded to Palo Alto and its Project
partners in January 2021 to conduct the Greening Parking Facilities for a Sustainable
Community: Design, Maintenance, Water Quality Benefits, and Workforce Development Project
(Project). Project partners include the cites of Palo Alto and Santa Clara, the County of Santa
Clara, and a number of non-profit organizations. The Project will provide water quality benefits
by constructing green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) in two cities, Palo Alto and Santa Clara, at
existing parking lots or alternative locations. Additionally, the Project will develop a Guidebook
for Greener Parking Facility Design based on lessons learned from the projects; establish a
certified workforce training framework for GSI maintenance; provide maintenance training to
City staff, partners, and a local service organization made up of underserved youth; and
implement community outreach opportunities.
Palo Alto entered into the grant agreement #98T20101 (Attachment B) with U.S. EPA on
September 27, 2021. The grant agreement names City of Palo Alto as the recipient and the
responsible agency for managing the grant costs and Project deliverables in accordance with
the terms and conditions set by the award agreement with the U.S. EPA. The total cost for the
Project is $2,432,703, with partners providing a 50% cash and in-kind match to the $1,216,351
award. Palo Alto staff anticipates spending considerable time serving as project manager,
serving as lead to develop work products, and conducting administrative duties over the grant
period, all of which will be counted toward the City’s portion of the in-kind match.
Grant agreements will be developed between Palo Alto and each partner to allow each partner
to receive grant funds for their contribution to the Project. All partners will provide in-kind
matches, with Santa Clara also contributing a cash match for direct use on its parking lot
retrofit. See Table 1 for details regarding grant and match amount allocations per grant partner.
The partners will submit quarterly invoices and progress reports to Palo Alto, which will then be
approved and submitted to U.S. EPA. In turn, U.S. EPA will provide payment approval and
reimbursement to Palo Alto within a few business days of receipt of the invoice. Palo Alto will
disburse invoiced amounts to each partner in arrears within 30 days of receipt of
reimbursement from the U.S. EPA. The first Agreement (Attachment A), establishing an
implementation partnership between Palo Alto and Santa Clara, must be approved to allow
Santa Clara to commence its retrofit project. As the grant recipient, Palo Alto will reimburse
Santa Clara $332,902, the grant amount received by said agency, over the course of the grant
period to end December 21, 2025.
Background
Palo Alto is subject to the requirements of the State’s Municipal Regional Stormwater National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit (#CAS612008) in the San Francisco Bay
Area (Order R2-2022-0018,) also known as the Municipal Regional Permit (MRP). The MRP
City of Palo Alto Page 3
applies to 76 municipalities and flood control agencies that discharge stormwater to San
Francisco Bay (Bay). Under the MRP, new development and redevelopment projects on private
and public property that exceed certain size thresholds are required to mitigate stormwater
quality impacts by incorporating site design, pollutant source control, and stormwater
treatment measures (also known as green stormwater infrastructure or GSI). The newly
adopted MRP (No. R2-2022-0018), effective July 1, 2022, requires Palo Alto to construct
sufficient GSI to treat 3.92 acres of impervious surface and to proactively search for
opportunities to build GSI when feasible. In order to meet this new requirement, Palo Alto staff
will need to identify opportunities on City property and its right-of-way to integrate GSI
measures into streets, roads, parking lots, roofs, and other elements.
In order to begin meeting requirements, staff submitted a grant proposal (Attachment C) to the
May 2020 solicitation round of the U.S. EPA competitive grant program, the San Francisco Bay
Water Quality Improvement Fund (SFBWQIF), which funds water quality and
watershed/wetland restoration projects to protect and restore the Bay. Although the proposal
did not receive an award at that time, the project was awarded $1,216,351 during a follow-up
granting period in January 2021.
The SFBWQIF grant funds the Greening Parking Facilities for a Sustainable Community: Design,
Maintenance, Water Quality Benefits, and Workforce Development Project (Project), which will
provide water quality benefits by constructing GSI retrofits at two existing parking lots in two
cities – one in Palo Alto and one in Santa Clara. Additionally, the Project will develop a
Guidebook for Greener Parking Facility Design based on lessons learned from the projects;
establish a certified workforce training framework for GSI maintenance; provide maintenance
training to City staff, partners, and a local service organization made up of underserved youth;
and implement community outreach opportunities. These components will pave the way for
future GSI projects, engage the public, and strengthen interagency collaboration. Finally, this
Project will reduce pollutant loads to the Bay, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and
mercury.
The Palo Alto parking lot retrofit Project construction would consist of the demolition of some
existing pavement; soil excavation and off-hauling; storm drain connection; striping and
pavement marking; electrical work for lighting; and installation of bike parking, GSI, and the
irrigation system. Extensive community engagement will be conducted.
Discussion
This report seeks approval to begin implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency-funded (U.S. EPA) Greening Parking Facilities for a Sustainable Community Project
(Project) under the existing Stormwater Management Fund Capital Improvement Program
Green Stormwater Infrastructure project (SD-22001) in the amount of $1,566,351 (this
amount includes the grant project match plus cash match from Palo Alto). The Project will
provide water quality benefits by constructing GSI in two cities, Palo Alto and Santa Clara, at
City of Palo Alto Page 4
existing parking lots or alternative locations.
Palo Alto submitted the Project grant proposal on behalf of a collaboration of five partners –
Santa Clara, Grassroots Ecology, San Francisco Estuary Institute, San Jose Conservation Corps,
the Santa Clara Valley Urban Pollution Prevent Program, and Santa Clara County. Combining the
efforts of these agencies into a single grant proposal with region-wide strategies and benefits
produced a more competitive application from U.S. EPA’s perspective. Palo Alto entered into
the grant Agreement (#98T20101) with U.S. EPA on September 27, 2021. The grant Agreement
names City of Palo Alto as the recipient and the responsible agency for managing the grant
costs and Project deliverables in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth by the
Award Agreement with the U.S. EPA. Staff anticipates spending considerable time serving as
project manager, serving as lead to develop work products, conducting administrative duties
over the grant period, and providing feedback during the CIP project design process, all of
which will be counted toward the in-kind match. As mentioned previously, Palo Alto is required
to construct these types of projects to meet regional regulatory requirements, and thus, staff
time will be applied to a valuable, priority effort.
Table 1 provides a summary for Palo Alto and its partners of Project roles, awarded grant
amounts, and in-kind matches to be provided by each partner. The grant amount for each
partner will be disbursed by Palo Alto once reimbursed by the EPA. The combination of cash
and in-kind matches from each partner and Palo Alto total the required 50% match (or
$1,216,352). Palo Alto will provide a cash match of $350,000 and $310,906 of in-kind staff time
and materials, while Santa Clara will also provide a cash match of $131,783 and $320,664 of in-
kind staff time. The remainder of the partners will each provide in-kind matches of staff time
that total the remainder of their required matches. All partners will track their matches on a
quarterly basis. Palo Alto will set up agreements with the remainder of the partners before
their Project work commences. Attachment C provides grant proposal details. Palo Alto will
create a Project workplan with partners after receiving Council approval.
This Agreement establishes the reimbursement relationship between Palo Alto and Santa Clara,
in which Palo Alto will receive quarterly invoices from Santa Clara to be submitted to the U.S.
EPA with other invoices received. Santa Clara will also provide a quarterly progress report,
which will include a project description, list of issues requiring U.S. EPA’s attention, summary of
tasks completed and in progress, milestones achieved, deliverables completed, and a summary
of budget spent and remaining. Palo Alto will submit all Project invoices and respective
quarterly reports to U.S. EPA through its required process. U.S. EPA will reimburse Palo Alto
within a few business days, and Palo Alto will then disburse to Santa Clara the invoiced amount
within 30 days of receipt of reimbursement from the U.S. EPA.
In the Agreement, Santa Clara agrees to meet U.S. EPA requirements as well as complete the
Project deliverables on time and within budget. Santa Clara will actively participate in Project
coordination meetings and workgroups and provide support to Palo Alto as needed per the in-
kind match. Any necessary administrative changes will be carried out through collaborative
City of Palo Alto Page 5
discussions and approvals of both Parties through the authority granted by Council to the City
Manager or designee.
Table 1. Grant Disbursement Details
GRANT
RECIPIENT/ ITEM RECIPIENT DESCRIPTION & ROLE GRANT
AMOUNT MATCH AMOUNT
City of Palo Alto
Grant Project Manager: ensure workplan is carried out in a
timely manner within budget and according to U.S. EPA's
Agreement terms and make administrative changes as needed.
$412,379
$660,906
($350,000 cash,
$310,906 in-kind)
City of Santa Clara
Project partner: retrofit Santa Clara parking lot and participate
in developing work products; provide quarterly reports and
invoices per requirements.
$332,902
$452,447
($131,783 cash,
$320,664 in-kind)
Grassroots
Ecology
Project partner: conduct environmental outreach and
education and serve as lead for maintenance of green
stormwater infrastructure installed as part of parking lot
retrofit in Palo Alto.
$69,990 $20,000
San Francisco
Estuary Institute
Project partner: conduct pre and post-project water quality
monitoring to evaluate effectiveness of green stormwater
infrastructure and prepare follow-up report.
$209,925 $10,408
San Jose
Conservation
Corps
Project partner: support Grassroots Ecology in maintenance,
receive maintenance training and environmental education and
career support.
$42,770 $6,500
Santa Clara Valley
Urban Runoff
Pollution
Prevention
Program
Project partner: support in development of Guidebook for
Greener Parking Facility Design and participate in development
of other work products.
$30,800 $42,680
Santa Clara
County
Project partner: participate in development of other work
products. 0 $23,411
Supplies and
materials
Items to include community engagement materials, plants and
project signage. $117,585 $0
$1,216,351 $1,216,352
PROJECT TOTAL $2,432,703
Resource Impact
The City of Palo Alto has received a grant in the amount of $1,216,351, with Palo Alto receiving
$412,379 toward a GSI retrofit project and additional funding for the project that will be
distributed to the partners shown in Table 1, which will include maintenance training for Palo
Alto staff and partners and pre and post-construction sampling and analysis at both Palo Alto
and Santa Clara projects. The U.S. EPA SFBWQIF’s 50% match requirement will be provided with
a cash match of $481,783, with $350,000 from Palo Alto and $131,783 from Santa Clara. The
remainder of the match amount, $734,569, will be provided through in-kind staff time,
equipment, and materials from Palo Alto, Santa Clara, and the remaining partners. Staff time
hours will be contributed to various activities, including project team and committee
participation, document review and preparation, community engagement activities, mileage,
City of Palo Alto Page 6
maintenance equipment, and materials. The contribution from each partner is provided in the
“Match Amount” column in Table 1.
This grant requires a budget amendment in the amount of $1,566,351 in the Stormwater
Management Fund Capital Improvement Program Green Stormwater Infrastructure project
(SD-22001). The revenue estimate from the Federal Government is to be increased by
$1,216,351 and the Stormwater Management Fund ending fund balance will decrease by
$350,000. Staff will return to council with a budget amendment once Palo Alto’s project is
designed if requested budget does not suffice.
Policy Implications
This project supports the implementation of the Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Plan
accepted by Council in May 2019 (Staff Report #9883) and meets requirements of the SF Bay
Area MRP (No. R2-2022-0018) effective July 1, 2022. In addition, this project supports the City’s
Sustainability and Climate Action Plan Goals and Key Draft Sustainability and Climate Action
Plan Goals and Key Actions.
Stakeholder Engagement
Palo Alto’s community engagement will be conducted as part of Project implementation and
design, during which input will be sought from residents, schools, businesses, and other entities
located in the project vicinity. Engagement plans include door-to-door outreach to nearby
businesses and entities; a minimum of three public meetings; a drop-in information table at the
project location (or if not feasible, a public event to reach residents); utility bill inserts, and
postings to social media. In addition, staff will provide updates to the City’s Stormwater
Management Oversight Committee (which oversees use of funds from Palo Alto’s Stormwater
Management Fee) and Parks and Recreation Commission as well as City Council.
Environmental Review
Council action on the proposed agreement, and the work to be performed by consultants and
staff in connection with these programs is categorically exempt from CEQA under section 15301
of the CEQA Guidelines in that the projects to retrofits to parking lots are minor alteration to
existing structures; and under section 15308 in that the outreach, educational, and planning
activities around green stormwater infrastructure are actions taken by regulatory agencies to
assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment.
Attachments:
• Attachment A. EPA Project_Santa Clara Agreement_100322_FINAL DRAFT
• Attachment B: EPA Award Grant Agreement
• Attachment C: Grant Project Proposal
PAGE 1 OF 6
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PALO ALTO AND THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA FOR THE GREENING PARKING FACILITIES FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES GRANT PROJECT THIS AGREEMENT, is made and entered into this ______ day of __________, 2022, (“Effective Date”), between the City of Palo Alto, a Chartered California municipal corporation of the State of California, referred to herein as “PALO ALTO”, and the City of Santa Clara, a Chartered California
municipal corporation referred to herein as “SANTA CLARA”. PALO ALTO and SANTA CLARA
may be referred to individually as a “Party” or collectively as the “Parties” or the “Parties to this
Agreement.”
RECITALS
1. PALO ALTO submitted a grant application with several partners, including SANTA CLARA, called The Greening Parking Facilities for a Sustainable Community: Design, Maintenance, Water Quality Benefits and Workforce Development (“GRANT PROJECT”) to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 (U.S. EPA) for the San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund (SFBWQIF) in Fiscal Year 2020.
2. The GRANT PROJECT was selected as an FY 2021 SFBWQIF grant recipient and received U.S. EPA funding of $1,216.351 with a 50-percent match from recipients as memorialized by an award agreement executed between U.S. EPA and PALO ALTO (Exhibit A).
3. PALO ALTO is acting as the lead agency and administrator for the GRANT PROJECT and will process all invoices and provide grant fund reimbursement for co-grantees, including SANTA CLARA. A grant amount of three hundred thirty-two thousand and three hundred fifty-two dollars ($332,902) shall be disbursed to SANTA CLARA during the GRANT
PROJECT period ending March 2026. 4. PALO ALTO and SANTA CLARA shall complete tasks in accordance with the U.S. EPA Grant Agreement #W9-98T20101-0 CFDA 66.126 (GRANT PROJECT). The scope of the GRANT PROJECT includes retrofits of two existing parking lots in PALO ALTO and
SANTA CLARA (one in each city jurisdiction), the development of a Guidebook for Greener Parking Facility Design based on lessons learned, establishment of a certified workforce training framework for Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) maintenance, and implementation of community outreach opportunities associated with the project sites (Exhibit C).
5. The City of Santa Clara’s Bowers Park Parking Lot Rehabilitation Project (herein shall be referred to as the “PROJECT”) will support the GRANT PROJECT’s water quality objectives, engage the public and strengthen interagency collaboration.
6. PALO ALTO and SANTA CLARA recognize that there is a local cost-share requirement of the grant and there may be expenses that are not eligible for the grant reimbursement. PALO
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ALTO and SANTA CLARA shall pay for all costs of their respective projects not paid by the grant as specified in this AGREEMENT.
SECTION I
SANTA CLARA AGREES: 1. To complete all required tasks, as identified in Exhibit C, by the Grant Agreement deadline and adhere to U.S. EPA’s terms and conditions. 2. Per U.S. EPA requirements, to provide PALO ALTO with Quarterly Reports two weeks
before the report due date. Quarterly Reporting schedule is as follows:
October 1 – December 31 report due by January 30
January 1 – March 31 report due by April 30 April 1 – June 30 report due by July 31 July 1 – September 30 report due by October 31 Quarterly Report shall, at a minimum, include a project description, list of issues requiring U.S. EPA’s attention, summary of tasks completed and in progress, milestones achieved,
deliverables completed, and a summary of budget spent and remaining.
3. To provide PALO ALTO with quarterly invoices and supporting documents in accordance
with procurement policies of SANTA CLARA and PALO ALTO. SANTA CLARA shall be
reimbursed with grant funds throughout the PROJECT for a total amount not to exceed three
hundred thirty-two thousand and three hundred fifty-two dollars ($332,902).
4. To provide an in-kind match of $452,447, of which a minimum of $131,783 shall be directed to the SANTA CLARA parking lot retrofit by SANTA CLARA. 5. SANTA CLARA shall be paid for quarterly invoices within 30 days of receipt of reimbursement from U.S. EPA by PALO ALTO. Additional costs beyond specified in this
section shall be handled per Section III, Paragraph 3 of this AGREEMENT.
6. To pay all PROJECT costs not paid by the GRANT PROJECT incurred within SANTA
CLARA jurisdiction and for the benefit of SANTA CLARA. SECTION II
PALO ALTO AGREES: 1. To administer the GRANT PROJECT in accordance to the terms and conditions set by the Award Agreement with U.S. EPA, serve as primary contact to U.S. EPA, and provide appropriate coordination with partners, including SANTA CLARA.
2. To ensure all GRANT PROJECT products are developed within submitted project schedule
and coordinate task implementation with SANTA CLARA as needed.
PAGE 3 OF 6
3. To compile and submit quarterly and annual progress reports of the GRANT PROJECT on
behalf of SANTA CLARA and co-grantees.
4. To process requests for reimbursement for the grant funds for PROJECT expenditures and
provide a quarterly accounting of the grant disbursements and cost share under this AGREEMENT. PALO ALTO shall pay SANTA CLARA for quarterly reports and invoices
in arrears and within 30 days of receipt of reimbursements from U.S. EPA. Additional costs
beyond specified in this section shall be handled per Section III, Paragraph 3 of this
AGREEMENT.
5. To manage and secure all approvals needed to proceed with the GRANT PROJECT as
required by the award agreement.
6. To submit a final report of expenditures to U.S. EPA and share it with co-grantees including
SANTA CLARA within 120 days after completion of all work associated with the GRANT
PROJECT.
7. To use its best efforts to complete the GRANT PROJECT within the grant specified
deadlines, or any officially approved sequential extension thereof.
SECTION III
IT IS MUTUALLY AGREED: 1. PALO ALTO is the lead agency for the GRANT PROJECT, and upon execution of this
AGREEMENT, will meet with SANTA CLARA staff or designee in order to maintain close
coordination and interaction between the agencies throughout PROJECT development.
2. In accomplishing PALO ALTO responsibilities, PALO ALTO may retain consultants, to perform all aspects of the GRANT PROJECT including, but not necessarily limited to water
quality monitoring, guidebook development, workforce training, public outreach, and
management for the GRANT PROJECT as PALO ALTO determines to be necessary. PALO
ALTO agrees to coordinate communication with SANTA CLARA regarding consultant
selection. 3. SANTA CLARA and PALO ALTO shall not be required to pay, other than the contributions
for their respective PROJECTs, with their own funds any costs incurred in carrying out the
duties outlined in this AGREEMENT. SANTA CLARA and PALO ALTO shall not perform
any work beyond the amount of funds provided in the last approved GRANT PROJECT
estimate until an amendment to this AGREEMENT is executed adding funds to cover the
current GRANT PROJECT cost estimate. The Parties shall meet and confer if change
order(s) is/are required that affect the schedule and division or allocation of joint funding for the GRANT PROJECT which require an amendment(s) to this AGREEMENT.
4. Both PALO ALTO and SANTA CLARA agree to prioritize the completion of their respective
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parking lot retrofit improvements. Reallocation of grant funds from other non-construction
tasks will be discussed among and agreed upon by PALO ALTO, SANTA CLARA and co-
grantees if considered necessary by all grantees.
5. In the event that the GRANT PROJECT does not proceed, PALO ALTO and SANTA
CLARA agree not to proceed with the GRANT PROJECT and their respective PROJECTs.
In this case, PALO ALTO and SANTA CLARA will meet to determine further course of action.
6. U.S. EPA reserves the right to audit the expenses incurred in the performance of this
AGREEMENT. PALO ALTO and SANTA CLARA shall retain all records related to the
GRANT PROJECT for three (3) years after its completion. During this period, PALO ALTO
and SANTA CLARA shall make these records available to each Party or its agent for
inspection within ten (10) working days upon a written request.
7. The Public Works Director of PALO ALTO or his designee is hereby made the representative
of PALO ALTO for all purposes under this AGREEMENT.
8. The Public Works Director of SANTA CLARA or his designee is hereby made the
representative of SANTA CLARA for all purposes under this AGREEMENT.
9. SANTA CLARA and PALO ALTO will be responsible for maintaining their respective
PROJECTS once constructed. 10. In lieu of Government Code 895.6 which might be imposed between the Parties pursuant to
Government Code Section 895.6, the Parties agree that all losses or liabilities incurred shall
not be shared pro rata but instead the Parties agree that pursuant to Government Code Section
895.4, each of the Parties hereto shall fully indemnify, defend and hold the other Party, its
officers, employees and agents, harmless from any damage or liability imposed for injury (as
defined in Government Code Section 810.8) occurring by reason of the negligent acts or
omissions or willful misconduct of the indemnifying Party, its officers, employees or agents,
under or in connection with any work, authority or jurisdiction delegated to such Party under
this AGREEMENT. Neither Party, nor any officers, employees or agents, under or in
connection with any work, authority or jurisdiction are delegated to such other Party under
this AGREEMENT.
11. The failure of either Party to insist upon the strict performance of any of the terms, covenant
and conditions of this AGREEMENT shall not be deemed a waiver of their right to require
strict performance of all of the terms, covenants, and conditions thereafter.
12. Any notice required to be given by either Party, or which either Party may wish to give, shall
be in writing and served either by personal delivery or sent by certified or registered mail,
postage prepaid, addressed as follows:
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TO PALO ALTO: Brad Eggleston, Director of Public Works City of Palo Alto, Public Works Department 250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
TO SANTA CLARA:
Craig Mobeck, Director of Public Works
City of Santa Clara, Public Works Department
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
13. If a question arises regarding interpretation of this AGREEMENT or its performance, or the
alleged failure of a Party to perform, the Party raising the question or making the allegation
shall give written notice thereof to the other Party. The Parties shall promptly meet in an
effort to resolve the issues. If the Parties fail to resolve the issues raised, alternative forms of
dispute resolution, including mediation or binding arbitration, may be pursued by mutual
agreement. It is the express intent of the Parties that litigation be avoided as a method of
dispute resolution.
14. This AGREEMENT constitutes the entire AGREEMENT between the Parties pertaining to
the subject matter contained therein and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous agreements,
representations and understandings of the Parties relative thereto.
15. Future amendments to this AGREEMENT shall be processed by mutual agreement of the
Parties. Mutual consent shall be reached through negotiations. Notice to amend this
AGREEMENT shall be provided thirty (30) calendar days prior to the desired effective date
of such amendment.
16. This AGREEMENT shall be effective until the completion of the one-year warranty
following the completion and acceptance of the GRANT PROJECT.
WITNESS THE EXECUTION HEREOF the day and year first hereinabove set forth. “SANTA CLARA” City of Santa Clara
a municipal corporation
By: Rajeev Batra Interim City Manager
“PALO ALTO” City of Palo Alto
a municipal corporation
By: Ed Shikada City Manager
PAGE 6 OF 6
Attest: By: City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM: By:
City Attorney
APPROVED AS TO FORM: By: Molly Stump City Attorney
APPROVED AS TO CONTENT: By:
Brad Eggleston Director of Public Works
Attachment:
A: U.S. EPA Award grant agreement
B: Grant Project Budget Details
C: Grant Project Scope of Service (Narratives)
W9 - 98T20101 - 0 Page 1
RECIPIENT TYPE:Send Payment Request to:
Municipal Contact EPA RTPFC at: rtpfc-grants@epa.gov
RECIPIENT:PAYEE:
98T20101GRANT NUMBER (FAIN):
W9
PAYMENT METHOD:
ASAP
DATE OF AWARD
MAILING DATE
ACH#
10/04/2021
PEND
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY
Grant Agreement
MODIFICATION NUMBER:
PROGRAM CODE:09/27/2021
TYPE OF ACTION
New
0
EIN:
City of Palo Alto
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
94-6000389
250 Hamilton Avenue
City of Palo Alto
Palo Alto, CA 94301
PROJECT MANAGER EPA PROJECT OFFICER EPA GRANT SPECIALIST
Pamela Boyle Rodriguez Erica Yelensky Danielle Carr
2501 Embarcadero Way 75 Hawthorne Street, WTR-2-2 Grants Branch, MSD-6
Palo Alto, CA 94303 San Francisco, CA 94105 75 Hawthorne Street
pamela.boylerodriguez@cityofpaloalto.orgE-Mail:San Francisco, CA 94105E-Mail:yelensky.erica@epa.gov
650-329-2421Phone:Phone:E-Mail:415-972-3021 carr.danielle@epa.gov
Phone:415-972-3871
The project will provide water quality benefits by constructing green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) retrofits at two existing parking lots in Palo Alto and Santa
Clara, CA. Additionally, the Project will develop a Guidebook for Greener Parking Facility Design and a certified workforce training framework for GSI
maintenance, and provide community outreach and maintenance by trained partners and city staff. Anticipated deliverables include training materials, a quality
assurance Project plan, quarterly reports, and as built drawings. Expected outcomes include providing an average of 282,000 gallons per year of stormwater
retention and treating 13.4-20 mg/year of PCBs, 18-25 mg/year of Hg, and 1.9-2.8 million particles per year of microplastics. The intended beneficiaries
include the cities of Palo Alto and Santa Clara California and improved water quality in San Francisco Bay.
This assistance agreement provides full federal funding in the amount of $1,216,351.00.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT FUND
PROJECT TITLE AND DESCRIPTION
$2,432,703.00
TOTAL PROJECT PERIOD COSTBUDGET PERIOD
10/01/2021 - 12/31/2025 $2,432,703.0010/01/2021 - 12/31/2025
TOTAL BUDGET PERIOD COSTPROJECT PERIOD
NOTICE OF AWARD
Based on your Application dated 05/13/2020 including all modifications and amendments, the United States acting by and through the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) hereby awards $1,216,351.00. EPA agrees to cost-share 50.00% of all approved budget period costs incurred, up to and not
exceeding total federal funding of $1,216,351.00. Recipient's signature is not required on this agreement. The recipient demonstrates its commitment to carry
out this award by either: 1) drawing down funds within 21 days after the EPA award or amendment mailing date; or 2) not filing a notice of disagreement with
the award terms and conditions within 21 days after the EPA award or amendment mailing date. If the recipient disagrees with the terms and conditions
specified in this award, the authorized representative of the recipient must furnish a notice of disagreement to the EPA Award Official within 21 days after the
EPA award or amendment mailing date. In case of disagreement, and until the disagreement is resolved, the recipient should not draw down on the funds
provided by this award/amendment, and any costs incurred by the recipient are at its own risk. This agreement is subject to applicable EPA regulatory and
statutory provisions, all terms and conditions of this agreement and any attachments.
U.S. EPA, Region 9 Grants Branch, MSD-6
San Francisco, CA 94105
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
ISSUING OFFICE (GRANTS MANAGEMENT OFFICE)
ORGANIZATION / ADDRESS
75 Hawthorne Street
AWARD APPROVAL OFFICE
ORGANIZATION / ADDRESS
09/27/2021
DATECarolyn Truong - Grants Management Officer
U.S. EPA, Region 9, Water Division, WTR-1
R9 - Region 9
Digital signature applied by EPA Award Official
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EPA Funding Information
FUNDS FORMER AWARD THIS ACTION AMENDED TOTAL
$0 $1,216,351EPA Amount This Action $1,216,351
$0 $0EPA In-Kind Amount $0
$0 $0Unexpended Prior Year Balance $0
$0 $0Other Federal Funds $0
$0 $1,216,352Recipient Contribution $1,216,352
$0 $0State Contribution $0
$0 $0Local Contribution $0
$0 $0Other Contribution $0
$0 $2,432,703Allowable Project Cost $2,432,703
Clean Water Act: Sec. 32066.126 - San Francisco Bay Water Quality
Improvement Fund
Statutory Authority Regulatory AuthorityAssistance Program (CFDA)
2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 1500 and 40 CFR 33
Fiscal
Site Name Req No FY Approp.
Code
Budget
Oganization
PRC Object
Class
Site/Project Cost
Organization
Obligation /
Deobligation
-$1,216,351-4158000BK409L2B21222109W32011-
$1,216,351
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Total Approved Allowable
Budget Period Cost
Budget Summary Page
$939,814
$1,216,351
$2,432,703
$1,216,351
$0
$0
$0
$10,686
$1,028,666
Table A - Object Class Category
(Non-Construction)
$0
$446,366
$7,171
$1,216,351
$2,432,703
$0
1. Personnel
2. Fringe Benefits
3. Travel
4. Equipment
5. Supplies
6. Contractual
7. Construction
11. Total (Share: Recipient ______ % Federal ______ %)
8. Other
9. Total Direct Charges
12. Total Approved Assistance Amount
13. Program Income
14. Total EPA Amount Awarded This Action
15. Total EPA Amount Awarded To Date
10. Indirect Costs: 0.00 % Base
50.0050.00
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Administrative Conditions
General Terms and Conditions
The recipient agrees to comply with the current EPA general terms and conditions available at:
https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-general-terms-and-conditions-effective-november-12-2020-or-later.
These terms and conditions are in addition to the assurances and certifications made as a part of the award and the terms,
conditions, or restrictions cited throughout the award.
The EPA repository for the general terms and conditions by year can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/grants/grant-terms-
and-conditions#general.
A. Federal Financial Reporting (FFR)
For awards with cumulative project and budget periods greater than 12 months, the recipient will submit an annual FFR (SF
425) covering the period from "project/budget period start date" to September 30 of each calendar year to the EPA Finance
Center in Research Triangle Park, NC. The annual FFR will be submitted electronically to rtpfc-grants@epa.gov no later
than December 30 of the same calendar year. (NOTE: The grantee must submit the Final FFR to rtpfc-grants@epa.gov
within 120 days after the end of the project period.)
B. Procurement
The recipient will ensure all procurement transactions will be conducted in a manner providing full and open competition
consistent with 2 CFR Part 200.319. In accordance 2 CFR Part 200.324 the grantee and subgrantee(s) must perform a
cost or price analysis in connection with applicable procurement actions, including contract modifications.
State recipients must follow procurement procedures as outlined in 2 CFR Part 200.317.
C. MBE/WBE Reporting, 40 CFR, Part 33, Subpart E (EPA Form 5700-52A)
The recipient agrees to submit a “MBE/WBE Utilization Under Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreements” report (EPA
Form 5700-52A) annually for the duration of the project period. The current EPA Form 5700-52A with instructions can be
found at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-form-5700-52a-united-states-environmental-protection-agency-minority-business
This provision represents an approved exception from the MBE/WBE reporting requirements as described in 40 CFR
Section 33.502.
Reporting is required for assistance agreements where funds are budgeted for procuring construction, equipment, services
and supplies (including funds budgeted for direct procurement by the recipient or procurement under subawards or loans in
the “Other” category) with a cumulative total that exceed the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT) currently, set at
$250,000 (the dollar threshold will be automatically revised whenever the SAT is adjusted; See 2 CFR Section 200.1),
including amendments and/or modifications. When reporting is required, all procurement actions are reportable, not just the
portion which exceeds the SAT.
Recipients with expended and/or budgeted funds for procurement are required to report annually whether the planned
procurements take place during the reporting period or not. If no budgeted procurements take place during the reporting
period, the recipient should check the box in section 5B when completing the form.
When completing the annual report, recipients are instructed to check the box titled “annual” in section 1B of the form. For
W9 - 98T20101 - 0 Page 5
the final report, recipients are instructed to check the box indicated for the “last report” of the project in section 1B of the
form. For section 2B, the Region 9 EPA DBA Coordinator is Fareed Ali, email: GrantsRegion9@epa.gov, phone: 415-972-
3665.
The annual reports are due by October 30th of each calendar year and the final report is due within 120 days after the end
of the project period, whichever comes first. The recipient will submit the MBE/WBE report(s) and/or questions to
GrantsRegion9@epa.gov and the EPA Grants Specialist identified on page 1 of the award document.
D. Indirect Costs
The Cost Principles under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E apply to this award. Since there are no indirect costs included in the
assistance budget, they are not allowable under this Assistance Agreement.
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Programmatic Conditions
a.] Performance Reporting and Final Performance Report
The recipient shall submit submit quarterly progress reports to the EPA Project Officer within 30 calendar days after the end
of each Federal fiscal quarter (January 31, April 30, July 31, and October 31).The progress reports should include:
- a discussion of the activities conducted during the two quarters (including a comparison of actual accomplishments
with the anticipated outputs and outcomes specified in the workplan),
- progress towards milestones,
- problems encountered with achieving outputs and outcomes, and their resolution,
- activities planned for the next two quarters,
- a financial accounting of costs incurred during the reporting period,
- cumulative project costs (EPA and match amounts) since the beginning of the project, by task, and
- identification of any special EPA assistance needed, and an explanation of any cost overruns.
The recipient will notify the EPA Project Officer if something materially impairs their ability to complete the tasks and deliver
the products, outputs and outcomes identified in the workplan. Within 120 days of the end of the project period, the
recipient must submit 1 hardcopy of the final report, documenting project activities over the entire project period and the
recipient's achievements with respect to the project's purposes and objectives. The final report must also be submitted
electronically (by Email) to the EPA Project Officer.
Subaward Reporting
The recipient must report on its subaward monitoring activities under 2 CFR 200.331(d). Examples of items that must be
reported if the pass-through entity has the information available are:
1. Summaries of results of reviews of financial and programmatic reports.
2. Summaries of findings from site visits and/or desk reviews to ensure effective subrecipient performance.
3. Environmental results the subrecipient achieved.
4. Summaries of audit findings and related pass-through entity management decisions.
5. Actions the pass-through entity has taken to correct deficiencies such as those specified at 2 CFR 200.331(e), 2 CFR
200.207 and the 2 CFR Part 200.338 Remedies for Noncompliance.
b.] Grant Source Recognition
The recipient should publicly acknowledge the US EPA San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund as the funding
vehicle for the projects when the grantee is asked by public entities, federal agencies or state and local agencies about the
projects and on-going results.
c.] Competency of Organizations Generating Environmental Measurement Data
In accordance with Agency Policy Directive Number FEM-2012-02, Policy to Assure the Competency of Organizations
Generating Environmental Measurement Data under Agency-Funded Assistance Agreements, recipient agrees, by entering
into this agreement, that it has demonstrated competency prior to award, or alternatively, where a pre-award demonstration
of competency is not practicable, the recipient agrees to demonstrate competency prior to carrying out any activities under
the award involving the generation or use of environmental data. The recipient shall maintain competency for the duration
of the agreement’s period of performance, and this will be documented during the annual reporting process. A copy of the
Policy is available online at http://www.epa.gov/fem/lab_comp.htm, or a copy may also be requested by contacting the EPA
project officer for this award.
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d.] Quality Assurance Project Plan
In accordance with 2 CFR 1500.11, the recipient must develop and implement quality assurance and quality control
procedures, specifications and documentation that are sufficient to produce data of adequate quality to meet project
objectives. Recipients implementing environmental programs within the scope of the assistance agreement must submit to
the EPA Project Officer an approvable Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) at least 60 days prior to the initiating of data
collection or data compilation. The Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) is the document that provides
comprehensive details about the quality assurance, quality control, and technical activities that must be implemented
to ensure that project objectives are met. Environmental programs include direct measurements or data generation,
environmental modeling, compilation of date from literature or electronic media, and data supporting the design,
construction, and operation of environmental technology. The QAPP should be prepared in accordance with EPA QA/R-5:
EPA Requirements for Quality Assurance Project Plans. No environmental data collection or data compilation may occur
until the QAPP is approved by the EPA Project Officer and Quality Assurance Regional Manager. When the recipient is
delegating the responsibility for an environmental data collection or data compilation activity to another organization, the
EPA Regional Quality Assurance Manager may allow the recipient to review and approve that organization's QAPP.
Additional information on these requirements can be found at the EPA Office of Grants and Debarment Web Site:
https://www.epa.gov/grants/implementation-quality-assurance-requirements-organizations-receivingepafinancial
e.] Cybersecurity
(a) The recipient agrees that when collecting and managing environmental data under this assistance agreement, it will
protect the data by following all State or Tribal law cybersecurity requirements as applicable.
(b)(1) EPA must ensure that any connections between the recipient’s network or information system and EPA networks
used by the recipient to transfer data under this agreement, are secure. For purposes of this Section, a connection is
defined as a dedicated persistent interface between an Agency IT system and an external IT system for the purpose of
transferring information. Transitory, user-controlled connections such as website browsing are excluded from this definition.
If the recipient’s connections as defined above do not go through the Environmental Information Exchange Network or
EPA’s Central Data Exchange, the recipient agrees to contact the EPA Project Officer (PO) no later than 90 days after the
date of this award and work with the designated Regional/Headquarters Information Security Officer to ensure that the
connections meet EPA security requirements, including entering into Interconnection Service Agreements as appropriate.
This condition does not apply to manual entry of data by the recipient into systems operated and used by EPA’s regulatory
programs for the submission of reporting and/or compliance data.
(b)(2) The recipient agrees that any subawards it makes under this agreement will require the subrecipient to comply with
the requirements in (b)(1) if the subrecipient’s network or information system is connected to EPA networks to transfer data
to the Agency using systems other than the Environmental Information Exchange Network or EPA’s Central Data
Exchange. The recipient will be in compliance with this condition: by including this requirement in subaward agreements;
and during subrecipient monitoring deemed necessary by the recipient under 2 CFR 200.332(d), by inquiring whether the
subrecipient has contacted the EPA Project Officer. Nothing in this condition requires the recipient to contact the EPA
Project Officer on behalf of a subrecipient or to be involved in the negotiation of an Interconnection Service Agreement
between the subrecipient and EPA.
***** END OF DOCUMENT *****
May 13, 2020
Proposal for US EPA San Francisco Bay Water Quality
Improvement Fund, FY 2020
US EPA Region 9
EPA-R9-SFBWQIF-20-01
Greening Parking Facilities for a
Sustainable Community
Proposed by
In partnership with
Greening Parking Facilities for a Sustainable Community US EPA San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund, FY2020 Proposal Narrative
May 2020 1
Greening Parking Facilities for a Sustainable Community Project: Proposal
1. Abstract
The Greening Parking Facilities for a Sustainable Community: Design, Maintenance, Water Quality Benefits, and Workforce Development (Project) will provide water quality benefits by constructing green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) retrofits at two existing parking lots. Additionally, the Project will develop a Guidebook for Greener Parking Facility Design and a certified workforce training framework for GSI maintenance and provide community outreach and maintenance by trained partners and city staff. These components will pave the way for future GSI projects, engage the public, and strengthen interagency collaboration.
Over the Project’s four-year timeframe, outcomes will include two multi-benefit GSI projects in the Cities of Palo Alto and Santa Clara, reducing stormwater runoff and associated pollutant transport. The Project will capture 80% of the runoff from the treatment area, provide 282,000 gallons per year of stormwater retention on average, reduce pollutant loading to the Bay by 13.4-20mg/year PCBs, 18-25 mg/year Hg, and 1.9-2.8 million particles/year microplastics (dependent on final designs). Public engagement events will be conducted, and an active collaboration of six agencies and nonprofits will achieve Project outcomes. The Project benefits will be amplified throughout the region and state as other agencies draw on this Project to model their own future GSI projects.
2. Water Quality Improvement
Watershed and Project Location Description
The two proposed parking lot GSI retrofit projects, one in the City of Palo Alto (Palo Alto) and the other in the City of Santa Clara (Santa Clara), are located in two different watersheds within the Basin, the portion of Santa Clara County that drains to the San Francisco Bay (Bay). Rainfall in the parking lots of both cities average 15-17 inches per year.
The Palo Alto parking lot is in the San Francisquito Creek watershed, which covers 47.5 square miles in northwestern Santa Clara County and southeastern San Mateo County. The parking lot is located on Lytton Avenue and Emerson Street in one of the older neighborhoods of Palo Alto that are designated as ‘regional/community commercial use’ within the Downtown district (primarily surrounded by restaurants, with a Caltrain station about 0.2 miles away). The existing lot contains 68 stalls. The drainage management area (DMA) is 20,310 square feet (sq. ft.), with an impervious area of 17,560 sq. ft. within the parking lot. PCB and Hg loading rates are expected to reflect general urban sources associated with a long developed urban area (built in early 1900s) well before the peak use periods of those in the 1970s.
The Santa Clara parking lot is located within Bowers Park in the Saratoga Creek subwatershed of the San Tomas Aquino Creek watershed, covering approximately 45 square miles. The parking lot is located off Cabrillo Avenue in one of the older neighborhoods of Santa Clara. The existing lot contains 15 stalls and has one entrance off Cabrillo Avenue, and due to its park location, there is adequate vegetation nearby. The DMA, 26,750 sq. ft., is an entirely impervious parking lot (7,750 sq. ft.). Loads of pollutants in the area likely reflect general urban sources associated with developments from the 1950s.
Water Quality Impairments
Receiving water quality in the Santa Clara Basin is threatened by urbanization, stormwater runoff and legacy pollutants, leading to stream channels altered for flood control purposes, riparian forests converted to urban land uses, and limited opportunities for stormwater infiltration, increasing peak rates of runoff. Stormwater runoff conveys trash, sediments, nutrients, pesticides, and metals directly to receiving waters. Historic mining operations, a cement plant, and air deposition have released mercury into the watershed, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been detected at high concentrations in old industrial and old urban areas. Furthermore, recent studies1 have shown that storm drains discharge a significant amount of the microplastics and microparticles found in San Francisco Bay, as runoff picks up plastic litter, rubber debris from tires, and other sources and carries it to the Bay.
Discharges of stormwater and dry weather runoff from municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) in the watershed are covered under the San Francisco Bay Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit (MRP) and associated waste discharge requirements. The MRP contains requirements for implementing urban runoff controls consistent with four Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) that apply to the Basin: the Bay and Guadalupe River Watershed Mercury TMDLs; the San Francisco Bay PCBs TMDL; and the TMDL for Diazinon and Pesticide-Related Toxicity for Urban Creeks. The MRP also contains provisions for trash load reduction and copper site-specific objectives.
Greening Parking Facilities for a Sustainable Community US EPA San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund, FY2020 Proposal Narrative
May 2020 2
Approach to Addressing Water Quality Impairments: Green Stormwater Infrastructure
The Project will implement GSI measures, specifically bioretention and potentially pervious pavement, in two impermeable parking lots that drain directly into the storm drain system. A study of the performance of a bioretention system located along a major urban corridor in El Cerrito during 2012-2017 showed that the bioretention system achieved significant pollutant reductions. Comparing effluent to influent samples, PCBs and suspended sediment were reduced by over 90%, total mercury and methyl mercury were reduced by 37% and 49%, respectively, and total copper was reduced by 68%. In addition, analyses of microplastics and microparticles showed that over 90% of these materials in urban stormwater were retained by the bioretention system.2
Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Plans
The MRP requires permittees to develop and implement GSI Plans (Plans), which are the guiding documents for how agencies will include “low impact development drainage design into storm drain infrastructure on public and private lands, including streets, roads, storm drains, parking lots, building roofs, and other storm drain infrastructure elements.” Plans identified and prioritized potential GSI project locations based on their feasibility and ability to provide multiple benefits. Both of the identified parking lot sites, Palo Alto Parking Lot A (Lot A) and the Santa Clara Bowers Park parking lot (Bowers Park), are located on parcels that were prioritized for potential GSI projects within each of the cities’ individual GSI Plans3. Completed in 2019, these plans identify how the agencies intend to implement GSI measures to improve water quality and develop a more sustainable storm drain system.4 These projects are also posted in the Stormwater Resource Plan (SWRP) for the Santa Clara Basin5.
Lot A is 15,350 sq. ft., of which 86% is impervious. The bioretention systems are expected to treat 87% of the impervious area, or about 11,485 sq. ft. If it is assumed that an older urban commercial area produces about 40 ng/L runoff of PCBs, 63 ng/L runoff of Hg and 5 particles/L runoff annually, with bioretention capturing 80% PCBs, 65% Hg ad 90% microplastics on average6. About 20% bypass could be expected due to high rainfall intensity during some storms or trash blockages. It is anticipated that 9.4 mg/ year of PCBs, 12 mg/year of Hg and 1.3 million particles per year of microplastics may be retained and not discharged to the Bay.
The Bowers Park parking lot has approximately 7,750 sq. ft. of impervious area and receives runoff from adjacent roofs (19,000 sq. ft.). The entire parking lot will be regraded and repaved. The feasibility of two bioretention systems will be evaluated to treat solely the parking lot, or in addition, to also treat the adjacent roofs, which would treat approximately 68% of the impervious area and 100% of the roof runoff. Using the same style of estimation and assumptions specific to old urban residential area, it is anticipated that 4-20 mg/year of PCBs, 6-25 mg/year of Hg, and 0.6-2.8 million particles per year of microplastics will be retained and not discharged to San Francisco Bay. The pollutant reductions will be tied to the selected bioretention design.
Link to EPA’s Strategic Plan
Based on the expected outcomes, the Project directly supports the following goals and objectives of EPA’s FY 2018-22 Strategic Plan:
• Goal 1: A Cleaner Healthier Environment, Objective 1.2: Provide for Clean and Safe Water. The Project will improve the quality of runoff that ultimately reaches surface water bodies and the Bay.
• Goal 2: More Effective Partnerships, Objective 2.2: Increase Transparency and Public Participation. The Project will implement public outreach, education and community events to allow for public participation and meaningful engagement as the Project is implemented.
3. Project Activities
Task 1: Parking Lot Retrofits
Implementing Agency: Palo Alto (lead), partnering with Santa Clara, San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI), and Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP)
Description: The Parking Lot Retrofits task will retrofit two surface parking lots with GSI and other sustainable features. Preliminary design work for the parking lot retrofits has been completed by SCVURPPP. As the grant recipient, Palo Alto will release a request for proposals to complete the design and construction of both projects. However, both cities intend to be involved in the consultant review and selection in order to maximize resources. Both cities will adhere to EPA procurement, hiring and grant requirements, with Palo Alto providing oversight.
One Project site will be Lot A in downtown Palo Alto. This site is used for parking and also by local restaurants that store their refuse and waste oil on-site, all of which create pollutants that can discharge to stormwater and have resulted in several illicit discharges due to neglected storage. The retrofit is anticipated to include GSI (bioretention areas and pervious paving); bike parking; new trees and improvement of existing trees retrofitted with soil cell systems to increase root space; interpretive signage;
Greening Parking Facilities for a Sustainable Community US EPA San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund, FY2020 Proposal Narrative
May 2020 3
electric vehicle charging stations; energy-efficient lighting; and safe pedestrian circulation elements. In addition, a refuse management area is planned that includes design features to minimize illicit discharges. Finally, feasibility of designing the lot as a weekend event space and resource for the community and local businesses will be evaluated. The two-block distance from this lot to a commuter rail line increases its viability as a community asset. Project construction would consist of demolition of some existing pavement; soil excavation and off-hauling; storm drain connection; striping and pavement marking; electrical work for lighting; and installation of bike parking, GSI and the irrigation system.
The second Project site will be Bowers Park parking lot in Santa Clara. Bowers Park is located near the Youth Activity and Teen Center, Bowers Elementary School, and Cabrillo Middle School, which make this GSI Project a viable candidate for a watershed education program with the local schools. Schools had been identified to be of moderate trash generation level. Activities include design and construction of the parking lot retrofit and improvements to an access driveway. Project construction is planned to involve removal of existing pavement; regrading; soil excavation and off-hauling; utility relocation; installation of bioretention areas, plantings and irrigation system; curb and wheel stops; interpretive signage; and safe pedestrian circulation elements.
Finally, SFEI will conduct water quality monitoring at each parking lot site to assess water quality outcomes per a monitoring plan and statement of procedures. Water quality will be monitored at inflows of each parking lot during two wet seasons after construction is complete, providing data on water quality runoff into the bioretention units, allowing analysis of bioretention effectiveness. Following the methods developed in the El Cerrito bioretention study previously mentioned, soil profile coring will be conducted at both sites after construction and after water quality monitoring of the inlets. Soil profile coring provides the necessary information to estimate mass capture in bioretention units as well as provides important information about maintenance requirements. At the Santa Clara lot, since it is anticipated that there will be a water quality improvement associated with pavement replacement, data will be collected before the retrofit from storm drain inlets and compared to samples taken at the inlet after the retrofit is completed. This will allow for not only an estimate of performance of the bioretention cells but also an estimate of mass reduced from the pavement replacement. The data collected will be quality assured, submitted to California Environmental Data Exchange network statewide database (CEDEN) and interpreted in the context of the other performance studies so far completed in the Bay Area. Additionally, SFEI will train city staff in procedures to ensure long-term monitoring continues.
Deliverables:
• Final Design
• As-built plans
• Photographic documentation of Project progression
• Monitoring Plan
• Quality Assurance Project Plan
• Documentation of water quality results
Task 2: Guidebook for Greener Parking Facility Design
Implementing Agency: Palo Alto (lead), partnering with SCVURPPP, Santa Clara, SFEI, County of Santa Clara, Grassroots Ecology (Grassroots), and San Jose Conservation Corps (SJCC)
Description: Palo Alto and partners will develop the Guidebook for Greener Parking Facility Design (Guidebook), which will include resources and lessons learned that could be applied to other parking lots throughout the Bay Area and California. The Guidebook will contain parking lot GSI design elements and guidelines; description and methods for quantifying benefits of sustainable features; model guidelines and policies; and documentation of the two retrofit pilots. Documentation will include design details, maintenance and capital costs, estimated life cycle costs, water quality outcomes, multiple benefits provided, cost-benefit analysis, and lessons learned. The Guidebook will also include evaluation of the installation and maintenance feasibility (by staff, contractors and participating partners) of available products and vendors. SFEI will serve as an advisor regarding the monitoring component and will analyze results. Grassroots Ecology, a location habitat restoration organization, will serve as an advisor regarding native plant selection, installation and maintenance, and SJCC, a local organization focusing on teaching soft skills and outdoor career skills to members of disadvantaged communities, will provide feedback regarding the feasibility of maintenance by its crews.
Deliverables:
• Guidebook document and as fact sheet (electronic format for posting and dissemination and limited printed copies)
Task 3: GSI Maintenance Training and GSI Maintenance Work Force Program Framework (Framework)
Implementing Agency: Palo Alto (lead), partnering with SCVURPPP, Santa Clara, County of Santa Clara, Grassroots, and SJCC
Description: Both cities use two different models of GSI maintenance (Palo Alto using a contractor and Santa Clara using staff); however, neither current framework allows maintenance of GSI measures at optimal levels, as GSI maintenance requires more labor-intensive techniques and different expertise than traditional landscape maintenance. An advisory committee of local municipalities,
Greening Parking Facilities for a Sustainable Community US EPA San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund, FY2020 Proposal Narrative
May 2020 4
local workforce development organizations and other interested stakeholders will evaluate existing GSI maintenance training programs and models in North America, select a program to test during this Project period, and investigate the feasibility of creating a regional workforce training program for maintenance of GSI measures. The cities will then host a training program/organization, and attendees would be able take an exam to pass the training and obtain a certification in GSI Maintenance, if feasible.
All training program participants will take pre- and post-surveys to evaluate GSI knowledge and understanding, which the advisory committee will use in its evaluation of effectiveness of the effort. Staff from both Cities will also evaluate the work conducted to determine if appropriate practices and skills are taught through the training program and how they are subsequently applied at the retrofitted sites. At the same time, the Committee will assess available workforce development programs focusing on GSI maintenance to determine a Framework for the Bay Area and which organizations and stakeholders should be involved in program development. At the end of the Project period, partners will be clear about next steps and will have planned how to move forward with the Framework in hand.
Deliverables:
• Copies of training materials and curriculum
• Final Report, including lessons learned and documentation of evaluation (hard copy and in electronic format for posting and dissemination)
Task 4: Community Engagement and Education
Implementing Agency: Palo Alto (lead), partnering with SCVURPPP, Santa Clara, SFEI, County of Santa Clara, Grassroots Ecology (Grassroots), and San Jose Conservation Corps (SJCC)
Description: This task will include community engagement and education efforts, both in the classroom and field, for various ages by Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Grassroots, and SJCC.
During design of the Lot A retrofits, Palo Alto plans to conduct a community engagement process to solicit and incorporate input from residents and businesses located in the Downtown district. This process will include introducing the Project concept to the Downtown Business Improvement District and Chamber of Commerce; door-to-door outreach to nearby businesses; a minimum of three public meetings; discussions with nearby businesses to solicit input and provide education on stormwater pollution and refuse management; and a drop-in information table at the parking lot. In addition, staff will provide updates to the City’s Stormwater Management Oversight Committee (which oversees use of funds from Palo Alto’s Stormwater Management Fee) and Parks and Recreation Commission as well as City Council. During design of the Bowers Park parking lot, Santa Clara expects to conduct a community engagement process to solicit and incorporate input from stakeholders, which will include public meetings and outreach to park users.
In Santa Clara, Grassroots will conduct public outreach to the neighboring schools to provide hands-on service-learning projects. Over a period of two years, Grassroots will work with 10 classes conducting activities that may include students learning about stormwater pollution, planting of native plants, and pollinator observations. Furthermore, Grassroots will lead on-site training days on GSI maintenance with a crew of SJCC and Santa Clara staff.
Palo Alto and Grassroots will hold annual community educational workshops about stormwater quality, pollution prevention, GSI, and native plants and a monitoring educational event at the Project site, where SFEI will give a demonstration of water quality data collection. Staff will join Grassroots to provide classroom presentations at the SJCC Charter High School and will also hold a career panel with guest speakers from various stormwater management fields at the SJCC campus.
Deliverables:
• Copies of outreach and educational materials (electronic format for posting and dissemination and limited hard copies)
• Copies of presentation materials (electronic format for posting and dissemination and limited hard copies)
• Documentation of outreach event advertisements
4. Resiliency
Climate change is expected to affect the Bay Area in many ways, including an increase in dry and wet extremes, more intense winter storms, and increases in annual maximum temperature. The Parking Lot Retrofits task will reduce impervious surface area and facilitate infiltration of stormwater. Trash, sediment, metals, PCBs, and microplastics, which harm downstream ecosystems, will be captured, increasing the Bay ecosystem’s resilience to climate change stressors.
GSI measures such as trees with soil cells will be installed to allow greater root growth, and therefore, increase shade for the area. The retrofits will reduce these urban heat island impacts, which are expected to be exacerbated by climate change. Task 1 will also
Greening Parking Facilities for a Sustainable Community US EPA San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund, FY2020 Proposal Narrative
May 2020 5
include landscaping with drought-tolerant native plants, which will reduce the water needs of the site compared to existing landscaping. Climate change impacts on California’s water supply are expected to be significant and will be exacerbated by more frequent and intense drought events. Through use of carefully selected plant species, the retrofits will help reduce outdoor water demands on the site and preserve limited water supplies for essential household uses. In terms of energy use, the Project will install energy-efficient lighting to reduce electricity demands and the associated carbon footprint. Electric vehicle charging stations will be installed, which are each estimated to reduce emissions by 2.75 metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year. The parking lots will also include bike parking in order to encourage biking, which will reduce travel-related emissions.
The Project will also develop reference materials and programs that will facilitate construction and maintenance of GSI projects in the Bay Area, California, and potentially nationwide, and ensure associated resiliency benefits are maintained into the future. Community and institutional support are key to successful GSI implementation. Through multiple Program components (Guidebook, Framework, and Community Engagement and Education), Palo Alto and partners will develop tools that other agencies can use to streamline implementation of their own GSI projects. Palo Alto will also conduct extensive community outreach to educate the public on GSI benefits and garner support for GSI projects. Palo Alto citizens are particularly engaged in public projects, so community education about GSI will help smooth the way for construction of future projects. This will benefit land use planning in the cities by promoting future GSI projects which will improve watershed management.
5. Timeline
The following timeline assumes a Project award date of September 1, 2020 and a period of four years. Preliminary concept planning has been conducted, though site visits were limited due to the Coronavirus pandemic. A design consultant will need to be selected in order to conduct site visits and create a detailed design. The design process will be adapted in each city to meet community needs and culture. In Palo Alto, a comprehensive public input process will be conducted, which may result in the two retrofits not being aligned during the construction process. However, every attempt will be made to carry out the bid process for both retrofits in a coordinated manner to support costs efficiency. In both cities, local city officials, residents, and businesses are aware of these Project locations through respective GSI Plans, which were completed in September 2019. In addition, both cities have confirmed the 50% matches (see attached grant project form from Palo Alto and letter of support from Santa Clara), and based on this information, the Project has a high likelihood of implementation.
Task 1: Parking Lot Retrofits
• Parking Lot Retrofit (approximate schedule for both cities)
o Design:
RFP preparation, including site visits, and City Council approval: September 2020 – November 2020
Purchasing process to post RFP: November 2020 – January 2021
RFP and Consultant Selection for Design: January – February 2021
Retrofit Design, including internal review and public process: March 2021 – September 2021
o Construction:
Bid Preparation and Advertisement: October - November 2021
Contract Award and Contracting, including City Council Approval: December 2021 – February 2022
Project Permitting and Construction: March – October 2022 o Monitoring, pre and post-construction: November 2021 – March 2024 (pre-construction sampling in Santa Clara)
Task 2: Guidebook for Greener Parking Facility Design
• Gather Committee: January 2021
• Committee Meetings: March 2021 – March 2023
• Develop Guidebook Outline: May 2021 – August 2021 & Committee Review: August – September 2021
• Develop 1st Draft of Guidebook: October 2021 – April 2022 & Committee Review: May - June 2022
• Develop 2nd Draft of Guidebook: July – December 2022 & Committee Review: January – June 2023
• Finalize Guidebook: May 2024 (to allow for monitoring results)
• Presentations to City Committees/Commissions: November 2023 – February 2024
• Presentation at CASQA or other water quality conference: Approximately Fall 2024 (if CASQA) or to be determined
Task 3: GSI Maintenance Training and GSI Maintenance Work Force Program Framework
• Gather Committee: September 2020
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• Committee Meetings: October 2020 – October 2023
• Evaluate and Select GSI Maintenance Training Program: January 2021 – May 2021
• Training Conducted: Summer 2021
• Evaluate GSI Maintenance Work Force Programs: June 2021 – June 2022
• Develop Framework for South Bay/Bay Area program: July 2022 – December 2022
• Draft Final Report: January 2023 – June 2023
• Presentations to City Committees/Commissions: September – October 2023
• Presentation at CASQA or other water quality conference: Approximately Fall 2023 (if CASQA) or to be determined
Task 4: Community Engagement and Education
• Conduct community presentations and outreach: September 2020 - September 2023
• Conduct community educational workshops: September 2021 – September 2023
• Conduct community events to replant bioretention areas: September 2021 – September 2023
6. Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
The Project’s contribution to the San Francisco Estuary Partnership’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) Objectives and Actions is summarized in the following table.
Objective/ Action Description of Implementation
Obj. A Project will reduce impervious surface area to reduce pollutant loading from runoff.
Obj. B Project will reduce pollutant loading to the Bay, thereby protecting the natural community.
Obj. C Project will include monitoring to assess efficacy of parking lot retrofits and track benefits.
Obj. G Project will improve flow patterns by adding pervious pavement to reduce surface runoff.
Obj. H Project will reduce transport of pollutants from urban environments to natural communities.
Obj. I Project will educate and engage public at numerous educational meetings and events.
Obj. J Project will engage stormwater practitioners across agencies and governing bodies.
Obj. K Project will coordinate among agencies to produce resources that will streamline implementation of future projects.
Action 18 Project will slow and infiltrate urban runoff.
Action 21 Project will replace existing landscaping with native drought-tolerant vegetation.
Action 24 Project will construct LID retrofits at existing parking lots.
7. Outputs and Outcomes
The following table summarizes outputs and outcomes resulting from implementation of the Project.
Outputs & Outcomes Summary Table OUTPUTS (activity, effort, and/or work product during project period)
OUTCOMES (quantitative environmental results) SHORT-TERM (1-5YRS) LONG-TERM (5-20+YRS)
Task 1: Parking Lot Retrofits
Activity: Design and retrofit two priority parking lots with GSI, implementing bioretention areas, potentially pervious pavement, tree plantings and refuse containers.
Work Product: Two (2) GSI retrofitted parking lots
• Treat surface water from 23,100 ft2 of impervious parking lot prior to discharge to storm drains that drain to the Bay
• 4-20 mg/year of PCBs, 6-25 mg/year of Hg, and 0.6-2.8 million particles per year of microplastics
• Reduce heat islands/increase resiliency by planting trees as part of the project design and approximately retrofitting 14 trees with soil cells for improved root growth and additional shading
• Reduce pollutant loading to the Bay, including those associated with the variety of uses in Palo Alto parking lot
• Reduce stormwater runoff, reduce urban temperatures, and increase carbon storage and rainfall interception
• Continued support of the San Francisco Bay PCB and Mercury TMDLs
• Reduce heat islands/increase resiliency
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Outputs & Outcomes Summary Table OUTPUTS (activity, effort, and/or work product during project period)
OUTCOMES (quantitative environmental results) SHORT-TERM (1-5YRS) LONG-TERM (5-20+YRS)
Task 2: Guidebook for Greener Parking Facility Design
Activity: Develop guidance for retrofitting parking lots
Work Product: Guidebook posted online and disseminated via email distribution lists for widespread use
• Posted to a minimum of 7 City and partner websites
• Disseminated to Partner distribution lists, reaching >1,000 residents and practitioners
• Announced to cities’ Facebook and Twitter pages
• 6 Advisory Committee meetings
• 50 hard copies disseminated to City Committee and Commission members and partners
• Two presentations to regional groups and committees
• One presentation at the California Stormwater Quality Association or other water quality conference
• Guidebook posted to partner websites
• Guidebook replicated and used by other agencies.
Task 3: GSI Maintenance Training and GSI Maintenance Work Force Program Framework
Activity: Develop a training program for GSI maintenance to ensure the GSI performs at optimal levels. Also develop a framework for a GSI work force development program
Work Product: Training materials and curriculum for GSI maintenance, Report of maintenance workforce framework
• 36 people trained from both Cities, Grassroots and SJCC
• 36 people pass training exam and receive certification, where feasible
• 216 volunteer hrs
• 10 workdays for SJCC,10-12 members each workday; for retrofitted parking lots
• 16 bioretention areas replanted (approximately 5,200 SF), leveraged through Valley Water grant (also under Task 4)
• 30 SJCC educated about GSI as well as stormwater management careers
• Two presentations to regional groups and committees
• One presentation at the California Stormwater Quality Association or other water quality conference
• Continued implementation of the GSI maintenance training program
• Trained staff from both cities that will serve as maintenance leads and trainers for future staff and contractors
Task 4: Community Engagement and Education
Activity: Conduct community engagement about stormwater quality and management, conduct watershed education outreach to students.
Work Product: Outreach and educational materials, and community events to replant bioretention areas
• 10 classes of students educated in classroom and at site over a period of 2 years
• 600 volunteer hrs
• 16 bioretention areas replanted (approximately 5,200 SF), leveraged through Valley Water grant (also under Task 3)
• One bioretention area (approx. 1,700 SF in Bowers Park) planted.
• Ongoing community engagement in and support of GSI projects
• Ongoing volunteer support to maintain bioretention areas
8. Metrics
Palo Alto staff will hold meetings on a quarterly basis (at minimum) with partners to ensure the Project is being conducted according to the timeline and will track all outcomes through a process of regular surveys and spreadsheets and document results and progress in quarterly reports to EPA and Project partners. The above described outputs will be accurately tracked and reported and are expected to provide beneficial outcomes that will both directly and indirectly improve environmental water quality in the short and long term. The following discussion provides a summary of the context, timeframe, and tracking that will be achieved to measure the outcomes described above.
Task 1: Parking Lot Retrofits Context: Task 1 is expected to provide surface water treatment, pollutant load reductions, reduction of heat islands, and increase resiliency in the quantities described above in the short- and long-term outcomes. Surface water treatment and pollutant load reductions will contribute towards achievement of the TMDLs over 20 years. Santa Clara County has pollutant load reduction requirements under the San Francisco Bay PCB and Mercury TMDLs and is mandated to meet set targets for capturing stormwater that will be supported through implementation of the Project. Timeframe: Parking lot GSI retrofits are expected to provide these outcomes over the long-term (20 years), particularly in combination with the maintenance training program to be developed under
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Task 3 of this Project. Tracking: Stormwater monitoring program will be implemented, including a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP), quarterly progress reports and CEDEN data uploads. Post-construction performance tracking will occur for three years after construction completion, with the first two years conducted during the grant period and the last fully supported by each city agency. Once the project performance has been evaluated, continued performance will be ensured through implementation of the maintenance training program described under Task 3 of this proposal. In addition, each retrofit will become part of each city’s asset management program, which will ensure long-term maintenance and tracking of life cycle costs. Task 2: Guidebook for Greener Parking Facility Design Context: The Guidebook to be developed under Task 2 will provide valuable information for the sustainable design of parking facilities. This information will be made publicly available through posting on agency and organization websites and distributed electronically and in limited hard copies, which will be key to producing the outcomes listed above. Timeframe: The Guidebook is expected to provide these outcomes over the long term (20 years) and will be ensured through posting on multiple agency and organization websites. Tracking: Review and reporting by City of Palo Alto Stormwater Compliance Program Manager. Task 3: GSI Maintenance Training and GSI Maintenance Work Force Program Framework Context: Development of the Framework will allow for ongoing, effective maintenance of GSI constructed through this Project as well as other GSI in the Bay Area by trained professionals. Given that there are plans in place that identify priority areas for GSI implementation and that the Committee membership will be diverse to ensure meeting stakeholder(s) needs, it is expected that this Program will be used into the future to ensure long-term effectiveness of GSI. Timeframe: The training program and Framework are expected to provide these outcomes over the long term (20 years) as materials will be developed for public use, and will support GSI maintenance to be implemented through this Project and beyond this period, as well as other GSI in the Bay area that are already in place or will be developed. Tracking: Review and reporting by City of Palo Alto Stormwater Compliance Program Manager.
Task 4: Community Engagement and Education Context: Community engagement and education will encourage community ownership of GSI projects as well as the larger idea of water quality in the Bay Area. By conducting outreach and education presentations as well as hosting community planting events, the outcomes described above will allow for both short-term and long-term public participation. Timeframe: Community engagement and education outcomes are expected to continue into the long term (20 years) as programs continue. Tracking: Review and reporting by Palo Alto Stormwater Compliance Program Manager.
9. Geographic Location
The attached maps (see Attachment C) provide a City-wide overview for both Lot A and Bowers Park, as well as a parcel-view of each of the retrofit locations and proposed components.
10. Budget Detail
The matching and grant requests for each Project task are shown in Table 1. The total match is 50%.
Table 1: Budget Detail
Task Match Grant Request Total
Task 1: Parking Lot Retrofits $629,483 $991,768 $1,621,251
Task 2: Guidebook for Greener Parking Facility $272,633 $45,565 $318,198
Task 3: GSI Maintenance Training & Framework $133,357 $122,363 $255,720
Task 4: Community Engagement and Education $180,879 $56,655 $237,534
Total $1,216,352 $1,216,351 $2,432,703
Task 1: Parking Lot Retrofits
Parking lot construction costs were estimated by City engineering staff at Palo Alto and Santa Clara to include both design and construction. Palo Alto’s parking lot retrofit estimated cost is $764,423. This includes design and construction of all retrofit components, including demolition, excavation, offhauling, soil media, underdrain installation, irrigation, curb installation, utilities, trees, planting, and mulch. The total construction cost for the Santa Clara parking lot retrofits are estimated at $471,185. Activities conducted
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will include lot and driveway demolition and repaving, soil excavation and offhaul, soil media, irrigation, and curb and gutter replacement. A 10% contingency is included in the construction costs. GSI educational signage will be installed at both locations.
Personnel costs for the parking lot retrofits include 612 City of Palo Alto staff hrs (hrs) at a rate of $106.11/hour (fully-loaded rate). This includes staff time for overall grant management and reporting progress (11 hrs per quarter for four years), contract management (16 hrs per quarter for four years), monitoring plan preparation (20 hrs), QAPP preparation (20 hrs), and a community monitoring event (time to prepare and conduct event, 60 hrs). Santa Clara would devote 360 hrs of staff time at a fully-loaded rate of $155.77/hour for water quality monitoring and reporting activities (e.g., monitoring plan preparation, QAPP development, contract and grant management, and community monitoring event). Grassroots would assist with the community monitoring event (25 hrs at a fully-loaded rate of $65/hour) hosting an estimated 14 volunteers at a value of $30/hour. Consultant costs were estimated using a fully-loaded rate of $220/hour. Over the 4-yr period, consultant time was estimated at 9 hrs/quarter for grant management and 6 hrs/ quarter for contract management. The budget includes $134,274 for support from San Francisco Estuary Institute for preparation of the monitoring plan and procedures, sampling training of City staff, sampling activities and final reporting. Lab analysis costs were estimated at $74,220, based on typical testing rates and 16 sampling events. Costs for monitoring supplies were estimated at $2,000.
Task 2: Guidebook for Greener Parking Facility Design
Development of the Guidebook is expected to require 984 hrs of Palo Alto staff time (at $106.11/hour), 135 hrs of SCVURPPP member time (estimated at $220/hour), 480 hrs of Santa Clara staff time (at $155.77/hour), 105 hrs of County of Santa Clara staff time, and 610 hrs from Project partners (includes staff from various SCVURPPP agencies and other organizations). 189 hrs of contract time (Grassroots and SJCC, each at $65/hour) will be provided toward this task. This staff time will cover: gathering a Palo Alto advisory committee; 4 Palo Alto committee meetings; gathering a Project Advisory Committee; preparing for and conducting 6 Advisory Committee meetings; developing the Guidebook outline; committee and partner review of the outline; first and second drafts; preparation of the public draft Guidebook; dissemination of the Guidebook for public review; development of final Guidebook; partner and committee review of final Guidebook; design of final Guidebook; and preparation of hard copy Guidebooks.
Costs for mileage for meeting attendance are estimated at a total of $86.25 (57.5 cents/mile, a total of 150 miles across all meetings). Costs for printing meeting materials, draft Guidebooks, and designing and printing the final Guidebook are estimated at $8,250.
Contractor costs for this task include 24 hrs of consultant support at meetings (at $220/hour), 40 hrs for the first draft Guidebook, 30 hrs for the second draft Guidebook, 30 hrs for the final Guidebook, and approximately 18 hrs to assist with design of the final Guidebook (including taking photos) in order to be able to share Project information broadly.
Task 3: GSI Maintenance Training and Evaluation of Development of GSI Maintenance Work Force Program Framework
Development of the training program is expected to require 615 hrs of Palo Alto staff time (at $106.11/ hour), 45 hrs of SCVURPPP member time (estimated at $220/hour), 419 hrs of Santa Clara staff time (at $155.77/ hour), 1,606 hrs of time from Project partners (Grassroots and SJCC, each at $65/hour), and 216 hrs of volunteer time (at $30/hour). This time will cover: research on existing programs and models; phone interviews/surveys; gathering an advisory group; preparing for and conducting four advisory group meetings; drafting a documentation manual; review of the draft manual by partners; preparation of final documentation manual; preparation for training events; training events; certification/completion exams; maintenance field training; and maintenance at retrofit sites. In addition, the following hours are leveraged by this grant beyond the 50% match, broken down as the following: 240 from Santa Clara, 120 from County of Santa Clara, 120 from Grassroots, and 240 from partners.
Costs for mileage for meeting attendance are estimated at a total of $202.40 (57.5 cents/mile, a total of 352 miles across all meetings). A total of $3,520 in consultant costs (16 hrs at $220/hour) were included for attendance at committee meetings. Other costs total $32,000; these include completion tests for 30 people, training supplies, and miscellaneous maintenance supplies for GSI sites. Palo Alto will cover the venue rental.
Task 4: Community Engagement and Education
Community engagement and education activities under Task 4 are expected to require 951 hrs of Palo Alto staff time (at $106.11/hour), 14 hrs of SCVURPPP member time (estimated at $220/hour), 278 hrs of Santa Clara staff time (at $155.77/hour), 507 hrs of time from Project partners (Grassroots and SJCC, each at $65/hour), and 630 hrs of volunteer time (at $30/hour).This time will cover: outreach to downtown businesses by the Palo Alto; preparing for and conducting six outreach meetings aimed at the business community; preparing for and conducting two indoor outreach meetings in Palo Alto; preparing for and conducting one onsite outreach meeting (to view GSI measures) in Palo Alto; preparing, distributing, and summarizing an online survey by Santa Clara; preparing for and conducting 12 meetings with the Storm Water Management Oversight Committee; presentation to commissions and City Councils
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(for Palo Alto and Santa Clara); preparing for and conducting three community educational workshops; conducting watershed education in schools in Santa Clara; holding a drop-in info table near GSI measures; SJCC staff presentations to college students; and a career panel held by SJCC. The cost for training and maintenance field training ($150,141) are excluded from the grant request and cost share, and will be considered additional leveraged funds.
Costs for mileage for meeting attendance are estimated at a total of $101.20 (57.5 cents/mile, a total of 176 miles across all meetings). Costs for presentation materials and other supplies were estimated at a total of $25,000. These include: production of hard copy meeting materials at various meetings; plant materials and planting supplies; and workshop materials.
11. Programmatic Capability and Past Performance History
Palo Alto’s Public Works Department has entered into the following grant funding agreements in the past three years and successfully met all objectives:
• Caltrans, Highway Safety Improvement Program, HSIPL-5100(029), awarded $946,170 for street maintenance and safety improvements. o Met all Caltrans timelines including Field Review Meeting, Right of Way Certification, Plans, Specifications & Estimate (PS&E) submittal. Currently preparing construction contract in compliance with federal requirements and Local Assistance Procedures Manual (LAPM) guidance; construction estimated to begin in Fall 2020. Project is not yet constructed therefore information regarding progress on achieving expected outputs. Project is not expected to provide monitoring related to outcomes.
• Caltrans, One Bay Area Grant 2, STPL-5100(028), awarded $1,009,000 for various street resurfacing projects.
o Met all Caltrans timelines including Field Review Meeting, Right of Way Certification, PS&E submittal. Currently preparing construction contract in compliance with federal requirements and LAPM guidance. Advertised for bids in early 2020. Project is not yet constructed (expected completion July 2020) therefore information regarding progress on meeting outputs is not available. Project is not expected to provide monitoring related to outcomes.
• Caltrans, One Bay Area Grant 2, CML-5100(027), awarded $4,350,000 for construction of bicycle/pedestrian bridge over Highway 101. o Advertised and awarded the project in accordance with the Caltrans LAPM, including obtaining necessary permit approvals from Caltrans before advertising the project (such as encroachment permit and E-76 “Authorization to Proceed”). Prepared construction contract in compliance with federal requirements and LAPM guidance. Obtained approval from Caltrans on the Source Inspection Quality Assurance Plan, a requirement of the encroachment permit. Conducted project administration and document control following Caltrans Construction Manual and LAPM guidelines. Project is not yet constructed (expected completion Summer 2021) therefore information regarding progress on achieving expected outputs is not available. Project is not expected to provide monitoring related to outcomes.
• CalRecycle, Rubberized Pavement Grant Program, TRP9-17-0065, awarded $125,300 for repaving using rubberized asphalt. o This is the City’s fourth rubberized asphalt grant from CalRecycle. Prepared technical specifications in accordance with CalRecycle material requirements, met grant deadlines, including progress reporting, payment request, and final report. Output of project (to repave using rubberized asphalt) was completed and reported, as required. Project is not expected to provide monitoring related to outcomes.
• Federal Aviation Administration, Apron Reconstruction Project, 3-06-0182-014-2018, awarded $11,049,587 for reconstructing apron at the airport, including laying conduit for future solar projects to bring the airport up to current FAA standards and regulations. o Project is underway and has thus far met all required timelines.
As demonstrated above, the City has a proven track record of completing grant-funded project activities on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with necessary requirements.
Organizational Experience
Palo Alto has extensive experience successfully completing Public Works projects, ranging from multimillion-dollar projects such as the Mitchell Park Library and Community Center to smaller efforts such as various sidewalk safety improvement projects. The City has organizational structures in place that ensure successful project implementation. For example, the City’s Storm Water
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Management Oversight Committee oversees the expenditure of its stormwater fee to ensure that projects completed with these funds achieve the intended outcomes. Palo Alto staff regularly provide project updates to this Committee. The Palo Alto Watershed Protection Group (WPG) has significant experience meeting regulatory deadlines such as those required by the MRP and has submitted all annual reports and regulatory products on time. Palo Alto staff will hold meetings on a quarterly basis (at minimum) with partners to ensure the Project is being conducted according to the timeline and will track all outcomes through a process of regular surveys and spreadsheets. Staff will also test the use of time tracking using an accounting software system and will work closely with financial management staff to ensure an appropriate and accountable process is in place for invoice and payment management. Furthermore, staff will be providing Project updates over the Project period to senior management and City Commissions. Finally, Palo Alto and Santa Clara staff will closely oversee both the design and construction consultants and hold them to their scope of work and budget as well as any contractual requirements.
Along with 13 other agencies that discharge stormwater to the lower South San Francisco Bay, both Cities of Palo Alto and Santa Clara are members of SCVURPPP, an association in Santa Clara Valley supported by significant agency fees. The SCVURPPP Management Committee, consisting of one designated representative and one alternate from each member agency, meets monthly to discuss and make decisions regarding SCVURPPP business. Member agencies jointly fund SCVURPPP program management and work tasks, as established in annual work plans, per the cost-sharing formula in the MOA. As SCVURPPP is a Project partner and provided a grant match, the association member agencies will also hold the Cities accountable.
Staff Experience
The Project will be overseen by WPG in Public Works’ Environmental Services Division, which is managed by Karin North, who has 20 plus years in the environmental field (most of them at Palo Alto) and specializes in environmental regulations that impact wastewater, stormwater, recycled water and air emissions. The primary lead will be Pam Boyle Rodriguez, Stormwater Compliance Program Manager, who has been with Palo Alto for over three years and has over 15 years of proven success in implementing, evaluating, and overseeing stormwater compliance, water quality improvement, pollution prevention, and watershed restoration programs, including eight years supporting and ensuring that Bay Area municipalities meet stormwater regulatory requirements. They will be supported by Isabel Zacharczuk, who has five years of stormwater and environmental compliance experience and became a Certified Professional in Stormwater Quality in late 2019, and Jamie Perez, the WPG’s Management Analyst, who has over three years of experience in citywide budget development and administration, revenue and expense tracking, and analyzing financial impacts. This team has an in-depth understanding of report writing, reporting requirements, progress reporting, invoicing, and contract management. Finally, additional staff from the GSI inspection and maintenance, outreach and administrative groups will also provide support.
WPG has developed strong working relationships with Palo Alto staff across the Public Works, Transportation, and Community Services Departments, who will provide a depth of experience through their Committee involvement and are available to provide support as needed.
12. Expenditure of Awarded Grant Funds
The Palo Alto Project lead, with support from staff, will be responsible for ensuring that the awarded grant funds are expended efficiently and on schedule and EPA and other federal requirements are met (including 2CFR Part 200). The City has experience with reviewing construction plans and documents, project and consultant management, as well as with public engagement projects and partnerships similar to those that will be included in the Project. The project lead will conduct regular schedule and budget tracking to assess project progress against a baseline schedule and will take steps to correct any issues that arise. In addition, a Project advisory committee will meet regularly to assess progress toward achieving the objectives and ensure that the grant scope is completed on schedule and on budget. The Management Analyst oversees all expenditures and ensures that City procedures are followed, which are in place to process and pay invoices, track matching funds, and track spending of grant funds. City staff will also track time spent on the Project, including notes on work conducted, to track in-kind match. Staff will meet regularly with the Management Analyst to ensure compliance with City procedures. Staff will also report expenditures to the City’s Accounting department for grant tracking purposes. The City has also demonstrated its commitment to providing matching funds as shown on the City’s Grant Funding Request Form, which is included as Attachment A.
13. Partnerships
Partnerships are a central element of each activity in the Project. Palo Alto will partner with other agencies and nonprofit organizations to ensure full collaboration, create work products based on a wealth of diverse expertise to be used regionally and potentially nationwide, and obtain buy-in from stakeholders. See Attachment B for 11 letters of support from Project partners and stakeholders.
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The matrix below showcases each member and expertise as well as primary roles.
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Task 1: Parking Lot Retrofits
X (Manage design & construction consultant and project)
X (Manage design & construction consultant and project)
X (Concept advisor, Committee member)
X (Monitoring Plan, QAPP, Samples)
Task 2: Guidebook for Greener Parking Facility Design
X (Co-Manage Guidebook Dev., Committee Convener and Facilitator)
X (Support Guidebook Dev., Committee Member)
X (Co-Manage Guidebook Dev., Committee Member)
X (Support Guidebook Dev., Committee Member)
X (Develop Vegetation Guidebook Section, Committee Member)
X (Support Guidebook Dev., Committee Member)
X (Develop Monitoring Guidebook Section, Committee Member)
Task 3: GSI Maintenance Training & Work Force Program Framework
X (Co-Manage Evaluation and Training Program, Committee Convener and Facilitator)
X (Co-Manage Evaluation and Training Program, Committee Member)
X (Support Evaluation, Committee Member)
X (Support Evaluation, Committee Member)
X (GSI Maint. Lead, Committee Member)
X (GSI Maint. Support, Support Evaluation, Committee Member)
Task 4: Community Engagement and Education
X (Manage Engagement Process and Activities in Palo Alto)
X (Manage Engagement Process and Activities in Santa Clara)
X (Support Community Engagement Process and SJCC Education Component)
X (Support SJCC Education Component)
X (Lead Community Activities and SJCC Education Component)
X (SJCC Lead and Support Community Activities)
X (Support Community Activities)
1 https://www.sfei.org/projects/microplastics 2 https://www.sfei.org/sites/default/files/biblio_files/El%20Cerrito%20Report%20FINAL_0.pdf
3 GSI Plans are posted on each city website.
4 http://cityofpaloalto.org/gsi
5 https://scvurppp.org/swrp/docs-maps/
6 Gilbreath et al. 2019. Multi-year water quality performance and mass accumulation of PCBs, mercury, methylmercury, copper and microplastics in a bioretention rain garden. Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment 5 (4). Editor’s Choice November 2019-January 2020. Leatherbarrow, et al.2015. Removal Efficiencies of a Bioretention System for Trace Metals, PCBs, PAHs, and Dioxins in a Semi-arid Environment. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 141(6) (June).