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Home My WebLink About0208.095TO: FROM: . ;--- -"-;-."'-.' --~ . ~ : 12> G City of Palo Alto City Manager's Summary Report --- HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PIa.ning ODd Comm IUIlry Elviro"m ... t AGENDA DATE: April 10, 1995 CMR:2!18: 95 SUBJECT: REQUEST Comprehensive PI .. Update -N.I .... ) E.,irollm."t! CouoeD Requesb for Rewording liD Sekct Draft Programs aad P,,6des IUd brarmatioll abolt Stat. IUd Federal Water AH"".tio .... The purpose of this report is 10 ""'pond 10 Council requests at their April 3, 1995 meeting. Council requested that staff: 1) reword the "V"slon" statement roc this sectioo, 2) reword Goal NE-l and Policy NE-IA; 3) provide a&litlonal information about the City's participatlon in State and Federal ",ater allocations. and 4) provide addi'Jooal inbmation regar<fiog r«:ommendarlons roc the Baylands 10 Ridgeline Trail coonectioos and coctlicts ,.ith competing uses. The f.rst lib"" issues ore addressed in this reporL The las! issue. regarding trails, will re!um 10 Coun<:i1 at • later date. Staff bas scheduled an interdepOItmalta! meeting to coordinate infOrmation for Council pri<Jc 10 reporting back. RECOMMENDA TI.J:lli£. Staff recommends Ihat the City Council incoq>orate this r .. i",d ?lording into the lext of the Draft Natural Environment Section and utllize the informatiQa about State and Federal Water aIlocations 10 further their decisioo-maldng 00 water resource issues on April 10. !9\lS. POLICY IMPLICATIONS The (;omprehensive Plan Ad\'isory Coounlttee (CPAC), Board and Commission, and staff recommeodatioos contain numerous City policy implications. The in-depth .. .aff report on the Natura! Environment Section (CMR:197:9S) and the: previous City Manager's Report on the Comprehensive Plan Phase II process (CMR:496:94) provide iufOrmatiQa on policy changes. Pac-lof( ", ,~ , .. ' ~, .. \'-.~ 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ',," ~,' - During their revie\>' 0( IIle Natural Env',ronment Section of Ih<' Poficies and Pwgrants Document on A;.<iI 3, 1995, Ih<' City CJunciJ requested that ,,'Ie vision statement be redrafted by staff. It was requested that the vision statement reliect an. integrated natural and hum." ea,ironment, rather than db1inguishing between them and "balancing" them. It was also asked that development of a new >15ioo include coosmention of. slatement provided by Emily Renzel in her written cooununicatlon rece1ved on April 3, 1995. It was further requested that the SUltement distinguish between the need fOr stewardship of Ih<' environ.'ll<!tII and the traditioru>J Safety Element subject matter related 10 natural and buman m.!-.Ked disaster> and emerge"OC)' preparedness. Staff has drai'.ed the following .... is;oo statem<:nt: Palo Alto will meet today', needs without compromising the needs of !iltIm generatioos. Healthy natural S)lstems, includ"mg tiea-... air, piJl"e water and femle soil., are esseati.1 fOr the protection of the natural ecosystem and human health and welfare. Thus, Pala Alto ",ill respect and manage natura! resources in • "'11)1 that sustains the natural environment and prote<:ts our foothills, b.y!ands. creeks, parks, wildlife and open space legacy. Likewise, the community should be prolecled from ur.reasonab!e risks asoociated with naturalth,ealS, sud. as earthquakes, floods, ,.1ld fires, and landslides. Human carelessness """ th.,..,..teIi the C<Kl1rnurut\" with ..man fires, exposure 10 excessive noise, and llazard<>us materiais 0< wastes. Threats I<> people should be reduced by avoiding known risks and preparing the community fOr unavoidable e=rgencles. The Council further requested !hat the staff redraft Goal NE-l and Palir.y NE·IA. They referred 10 «xrespondence received from Linda Elkind, received April 3, 1995. in pro\iding direetioo 10 staff Staff recommends the ronuwing replacement wording: Goal NE·l -The natural environment shan be protected. cO!lserved and resI<>red. P<>Iley NE-I A -Prole.:t and conserve <x'.sting natural re".ourcCil and open space areas, l><>t." publk and priv.te. These resources include the footllllls, baY'.ands. riparian areas, we'Jands, and other are ... of cflSlinct ecological ~ including significant wildlife habitat. The functions of natural resource and open space are... iuclude provi<flDg ae."1betic, scenic • • dutati<lnal, scientifi<, and recrea50nal benefits; ~rosion cootrcl, water Pag. 2 0(4 ," . ','. Cf.ll!!ity and 500] p<ctection. ground water r""barge, 2nd wildlife habitat; and calaslropbic risk reduction from natural hazards due 10 '~""'e f.u1ts. llindslide and wildland fire, flood, and liquefaction. The Council also asked staff 10 respond \0 the fOllowing question related to Policy NE- 3E1. regarding Ioog-term water sume Should Palo Alto be involved and partidpatc in progroms to possibly ob!ai.I! • portion of the State and FedenJ Water allocations? Staff d<>es DOt Z'CCO!IllIIet>d specific reference 10 pursuing State and Federal Water Al1ocatioos as I Policy in Goal NE-3. In Palo Alto'. current Water Integrated Resource Plan (IRl'), dated September 1993. an analysis of an optimUlll group of water resource alternatives in a 2O-year planning horizon was .dd .... essed. This analysis was pronlpted by both "comini!menl level 10 Ille San Francisco Water Department (SFWD), as the price of1bc water increases, and an appropriate price the Water Utility is willing to pay for reclaimed waler. if developcd for ,ftstrib,,1ioo in the City. Resource Alternatives included Water from SF\VD. Demand Side Management (DSM) Programs. Noopotable Reclaimed Waler. Treated Water from the Santa Clara VaI'.ey Water District (SCV\VD). Existing Groundwater Wells, N<'W Potable Well Development, New Irrigation-Onl)' Wen Development and De..<alina&R. Faclors examined for each alternative included cost (capital, commodity, and operations and maintenance). "".llability. water quality. reliability. environmental impacts. sensitivity to regulations, and comrnunity acceptance. Based 00 Ille September 1993 WOlet IRP. the SFWD resoorce j>CO"ides the best sbon and long-leon resource for Palo Alto, ",bile pu!'>'Uing " Demand Side Management p<ograIn of permanent efficieocy improvements. The only possible flltt1re L'e to State andfor Federal Water supplies would be via the SFWD system. Indlvldually. and as a member ofllle Bay Area Water Users Association (BA WUA), staff continues 10 pum>e new e<:OOO<IIl<: water supply options, inclwiing any possible f~ture allocations of Stale and/or Federal water. A possible future oldension of the SCVWD treated water pipelme to Palo Alto would also provide. tie; however, due \0 the lllany uncertainties of this <>pIiOD !cammodity and capital costs, wBter quality and contract amounts that would be needed), it was not considered as I high level alternative. fiSCAL IMPACT Adoptjon of. new Compreb.ms;ve Plan will result in potentially significant impacts 00 City expenditures and City revenues. The p<e>io<.lsly provided CMRs and materials identify sOme fisca/ impacts, and further fiscal impact ar.aly<is will be conducted during p<eparation 0{ the draft Plan. CMR,201M5 Pag. 1 at C ".', ...... ENVIRONMENTAL A~f:SSM[NT All Environmental Impact Report will be prepared on tbe draft Plan Ibat emerges from the public review .. "ld subsequent goal, policy and program direction given by the City COWlcil. ATIACBMENTS NOlle. PREPARED BY, Nancy M LrJe. Chief Planning Official Edward Mrluk, Directoc of Utilities DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW, DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW, 7fk~44 KENNETH R. SCHREJBER Direclor 0( Planning and Community Environment CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:~' ~1i1~11~~~:------ cc: CPAC Architectural Review Board Historic Resoorces Board Human Relations Commission Planning Commissioo Public Art Commission Utility Advisory Commissioo .it