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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-10-08 Stormwater Management Oversight Committee Agenda Packet Storm Water Management Oversight Committee 1 Thursday, October 8, 2020 1 pm to 3 pm Special Meeting ****BY VIRTUAL TELECONFERENCE ONLY*** https://zoom.us/join Meeting ID: 990 9847 5635 Phone: 1(669)9006833 Pursuant to the provisions of California Governor’s Executive Order N-29-20, issued on March 17, 2020, to prevent the spread of Covid-19, this meeting will be held by virtual teleconference only, with no physical location. Agenda posted in accordance Government Code Section 54954.2(a) or 54956. PUBLIC COMMENT Members of the public who wish to participate by computer or phone can find the instructions at the end of this agenda. To ensure participation in a particular item, we suggest calling in or connecting online 15 minutes before the item you wish to speak on. Call to Order (5 min) Oral Communications (5 min) Members of the public may speak to any item NOT on the agenda. A reasonable time restriction may be imposed at the discretion of the Committee Chair. Old Business (5 min) 1. Approval of Minutes from the August 13, 2020 Storm Water Management Oversight Committee Meeting (5 min) New Business 2. Presentation from Mexico: Enrique Lomnitz, General Director of IslaUrbana (www.islaurbana.org) (30 min) 3. Staff Presentation on Capital Improvement Program Projects (10 min) 4. Staff Presentation on Green Stormwater Infrastructure Outreach and Community Engagement Efforts (15 min) 5. Staff Presentation on Stormwater Outreach Efforts (10 min) 6. Review and Discussion of Updated Stormwater Rebate Program Website (15 min) 2 October 8, 2020 7. Announcement of the SCAP Webinars (5 min) Committee Member Comments and Announcements (10 min) Tentative Agenda Items for Future Meetings and Review Action Items (5 min) Adjournment AMERICANS WITH DISABILITY ACT (ADA) Persons with disabilities who require auxiliary aids or services in using City facilities, services or programs or who would like information on the City’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact (650) 329-2550 (Voice) 24 hours in advance. Public Comment Instructions Members of the Public may provide public comments to teleconference meetings via email, teleconference, or by phone. 1. Spoken public comments using a computer will be accepted through the teleconference meeting. To address the Council, click on the link below to access a Zoom-based meeting. Please read the following instructions carefully. A. You may download the Zoom client or connect to the meeting in browser. If using your browser, make sure you are using a current, up-to-date browser: Chrome 30+, Firefox 27+, Microsoft Edge 12+, Safari 7+. Certain functionality may be disabled in older browsers including Internet Explorer. B. You may be asked to enter an email address and name. We request that you identify yourself by name as this will be visible online and will be used to notify you that it is your turn to speak. C. When you wish to speak on an Agenda Item, click on “raise hand.” The Clerk will activate and unmute speakers in turn. Speakers will be notified shortly before they are called to speak. When called, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted. D. A timer will be shown on the computer to help keep track of your comments. 2. Spoken public comments using a smart phone will be accepted through the teleconference meeting. To address the Council, download the Zoom application onto your phone from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and enter the Meeting ID below. Please follow the instructions B-E above. 3. Spoken public comments using a phone use the telephone number listed below. When you wish to speak on an agenda item hit *9 on your phone so we know that you wish to speak. You will be asked to provide your first and last name before addressing the Council. You will be advised how long you have to speak. When called please limit your remarks to the agenda item and time limit allotted. https://zoom.us/join Meeting ID: 990 9847 5635 Phone: 1(669)9006833 Storm Water Management Oversight Committee 1 Thursday, August 13, 2020 1 pm to 3 pm Special Meeting ****BY VIRTUAL TELECONFERENCE ONLY*** https://zoom.us/join Meeting ID: 990 9847 5635 Phone: 1(669)9006833 Pursuant to the provisions of California Governor’s Executive Order N-29-20, issued on March 17, 2020, to prevent the spread of Covid-19, this meeting will be held by virtual teleconference only, with no physical location. Agenda posted in accordance Government Code Section 54954.2(a) or 54956. PUBLIC COMMENT Members of the public who wish to participate by computer or phone can find the instructions at the end of this agenda. To ensure participation in a particular item, we suggest calling in or connecting online 15 minutes before the item you wish to speak on. Committee Members Present: David Bower, Peter Drekmeier, Marilyn Keller, Hal Mickelson, Dena Mossar, Ron Owes, Bob Wenzlau Committee Members Absent: None Public Members Present: None Staff Present: Michelle Austin, Phil Bobel, Michel Jeremias, Karin North, Loretta Olmos, Jamie Perez, Pam Boyle Rodriguez, Vanessa Silva, Vicki Thai, Isabel Zacharczuk Call to Order (5 min): 1:10 pm by Chairperson Mickelson Oral Communications (5 min) Members of the public may speak to any item NOT on the agenda. A reasonable time restriction may be imposed at the discretion of the Committee Chair. Old Business (5 min) 1. Approval of Minutes from the May 13, 2020 Storm Water Management Oversight Committee Meeting (5 min) i. Minutes approved at 1:12 pm New Business 2. Staff Presentation on the Fiscal Year 2021 Budget for the Storm Water Management Fund and Update on Overall City Budget (20 min) 2 August 13, 2020 i. Perez: budget slide updated from FY21 Proposed Budget (May SWMOC Meeting) to Adopted Budget 1. Primary change was a compensation adjustment for management, which included savings that were achieved through wage freezes, furloughs, and reduced management benefits. ii. Perez: GSI Preliminary Plan changes: 1. $70k from FY20 requested for re-appropriation—staff won’t know if this was approved until October 2020. $130k requested for re- appropriation for GSI Plan Implementation. iii. North: budget for Rinconada Park GSI is going to Council within the next two weeks. iv. Mickelson: what are the expectations for administrative support from City staff for the Valley Water partnership for $25k per year? 1. Boyle Rodriguez: CPA staff will continue to be involved with the Rebate Program instead of fully handing off the program to Valley Water. Now, residents will only apply through Valley Water (except for pervious pavement projects) and will be eligible for both the Valley Water and City of Palo Alto rebate through that single application. Residents will have to apply directly to the City of Palo Alto for pervious pavement rebates since Valley Water does not provide rebates for pervious pavement. CPA staff will continue conducting inspections and ensure that proper building permits have been received. v. Boyle Rodriguez: staff has not yet begun the process for Bioretention Area Maintenance in the GSI Budget Plan (for $80k). vi. Bobel: the Stormwater Management Fund did not see many cutbacks for the FY21 budget since it is an Enterprise Fund. The General Fund has seen most of the cutbacks associated with the $40 million budget reduction. Staff that was laid off (70 positions) can “bump” other staff based on seniority. The Stormwater Fund did not receive any employee “bumps”. 3. Staff Presentation on Capital Improvement Program Projects (20 min) i. Thai: Loma Verde Trunk Line Improvements Project is currently under construction (started August 3, 2020, expected to last until December 2020). Upgrading from 36” pipe to 48” pipe. Some pipes need to be relocated to avoid utility conflicts. Contractor is staging materials at 2999 W Bayshore Road at the Colorado Pump Station ii. Jeremias: Rajeev is working on the next Storm Drain project for designing Corporation Way and West Bayshore Pump Stations. Schaaf and Wheeler is the consultant assisting with this project. Staff is also working on rehab projects throughout the City to identify pipe segments that need to be replaced (these projects will not be a CIP in terms of adding capacity to the storm drain system). 3 August 13, 2020 4. Staff Presentation on Green Stormwater Infrastructure Plan Implementation (Including Stormwater Rebate Program) (20 min) i. Boyle Rodriguez: funding analysis was scheduled to start in March, but will start in September due to delays with City’s overall budget. Will focus on methods to fund both construction and maintenance of GSI that are specific to the City. This effort will involve a lot of staff interviews as well as interviewing the SWMOC. ii. Boyle Rodriguez: Trash Reduction Plan was created in 2014 and is being re- visited to see how we can better meet trash reduction goals for the City. iii. Wenzlau: consider using GIS as a platform for the public to submit work requests (the City’s current system is 311). ESRI products are also beneficial for outreach materials. Staff should continue keeping in mind proprietary ESRI information to ensure that the public can still access GIS information. iv. Boyle Rodriguez: staff is in the process of finalizing the GSI Plan implementation contract. Consultant will be part of future SWMOC meeting to present on scope of work. v. Boyle Rodriguez: staff is working on quantifying the amount of impervious surface throughout the City. Urban Forestry is currently trying to develop a tool to calculate canopy cover in parallel. 1. Wenzlau: ideal scenario would be for the City to incorporate this into an overall City-wide hydrological model (including stormwater, groundwater flow, flood analysis, etc.). 2. North: City is working on a One Water approach, which looks at water holistically as a resource, including stormwater, pumped groundwater, dewatered water, recycled water, treated effluent, and imported potable water. 3. Mossar: does the City look at new and redevelopment projects as previous impervious surface and replacement impervious surface? 4. Boyle Rodriguez: the current stormwater permit has requirements for projects to install stormwater treatment. The current trigger is 10,000 square feet of impervious surface. 5. North: any issues with residential single family home construction projects can be emailed to Karin and Pam. Staff is still going into the field on a limited basis during SIP and can visit these projects. vi. Boyle Rodriguez: staff plans on re-visiting Southgate neighborhood for updated bioretention projects at the end of October. 1. Owes: consider conducting outreach throughout the City since other neighborhoods may also be interested in this project. vii. Boyle Rodriguez: City is providing rebates for rain gardens as of July 1st. 1. Owes: Oregon has bee-friendly gardens. Applicable residents have signs that can be posted outside of the home confirming that this is a “bee-friendly” home. 4 August 13, 2020 2. PBR: staff is considering signs for all public GSI projects as an educational measure. 3. Wenzlau: consider conducting outreach through neighborhood associations—some are very active throughout the City. viii. Boyle Rodriguez: current stormwater permit is being updated. Draft will be out by the end of this September for review by municipalities. Some requirements will likely be onerous for cities to implement, particularly due to current times with COVID. ix. North: Sustainability Climate Action Plan was approved by Council. Staff is currently working with consultants to focus specifically on mobility and sea level rise. Staff is also developing webinars to gather additional insight on S/CAP from residents. The first webinar will be on sea level rise. 1. Boyle Rodriguez: GSI is part of both the Natural Resources and Water chapters for the S/CAP. Water will not have its own webinar, but the Natural Resources chapter will have a dedicated webinar that includes GSI. x. Wenzlau: can staff consider pitching the conceptual hydrological concept to Stanford students for development (as opposed to being developed by outside consultants)? 1. North: Palo Alto has been active with Renew-It and also contributes funding. xi. Mickelson: for the GSI funding analysis, consultant would receive direct feedback that residents will likely not be amenable to providing additional funding since residents already voted and passed the stormwater ballot measure. 1. Boyle Rodriguez: staff intends on reviewing multiple different fees, including partnering options, and revisiting other funds throughout the City, as opposed to just increasing the SWMF. 5. Staff Presentation on Grassroots Ecology Partnership (10 min) Committee Member Comments and Announcements (10 min) Tentative Agenda Items for Future Meetings and Review Action Items (5 min) • Mickelson: SWMOC is always interested in reports on on-going inspections of the storm drain system and Public Works Services maintenance. • Drekmeier: interested in rain water harvesting and practical examples. How much water does this keep out of creeks? o North: Stanford focuses on rain water harvesting, but it’s not as prevalent throughout the City of Palo Alto. • Wenzlau: There is a lot of work being done with rain water harvesting through Sister Cities program in Mexico City (i.e. low technology approaches and high technology approaches). 5 August 13, 2020 Adjournment: adjourned at 3:00 pm AMERICANS WITH DISABILITY ACT (ADA) Persons with disabilities who require auxiliary aids or services in using City facilities, services or programs or who would like information on the City’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact (650) 329-2550 (Voice) 24 hours in advance. Public Comment Instructions Members of the Public may provide public comments to teleconference meetings via email, teleconference, or by phone. 1. Spoken public comments using a computer will be accepted through the teleconference meeting. To address the Council, click on the link below to access a Zoom-based meeting. Please read the following instructions carefully. A. You may download the Zoom client or connect to the meeting in browser. If using your browser, make sure you are using a current, up-to-date browser: Chrome 30+, Firefox 27+, Microsoft Edge 12+, Safari 7+. Certain functionality may be disabled in older browsers including Internet Explorer. B. You may be asked to enter an email address and name. We request that you identify yourself by name as this will be visible online and will be used to notify you that it is your turn to speak. C. When you wish to speak on an Agenda Item, click on “raise hand.” The Clerk will activate and unmute speakers in turn. Speakers will be notified shortly before they are called to speak. When called, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted. D. A timer will be shown on the computer to help keep track of your comments. 2. Spoken public comments using a smart phone will be accepted through the teleconference meeting. To address the Council, download the Zoom application onto your phone from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and enter the Meeting ID below. Please follow the instructions B-E above. 3. Spoken public comments using a phone use the telephone number listed below. When you wish to speak on an agenda item hit *9 on your phone so we know that you wish to speak. You will be asked to provide your first and last name before addressing the Council. You will be advised how long you have to speak. When called please limit your remarks to the agenda item and time limit allotted. https://zoom.us/join Meeting ID: 990 9847 5635 Phone: 1(669)9006833 Isla Urbana is an organization that focuses on developing sustainable water access in Mexico, primarily through the use of rainwater harvesting. It has over 11 years’ experience promoting regenerative and resilience minded approaches to water management, and has directly installed over 20,000 rainwater harvesting systems, primarily in highly water-scarce homes in both urban and rural contexts. Isla Urbana’s team comprises a very diverse group of people and skill sets, working together to secure sustainable water access for as many people as possible. Given the highly complex realities of water management and scarcity, successfully doing this involves integrating many technical, social, environmental, economic, and policy considerations. Isla Urbana’s work includes direct implementation of rainwater harvesting projects, policy and program design, consulting, and education/capacity building. It has played a large role in advancing public and political acceptance for alternative water management strategies focused on sustainability, resilience and local self-sufficiency. Its core work is always focused on promoting sustainable water management that improves access for the most water-stressed people and communities. Enrique Lomnitz, General Director of IslaUrbana will provide an overview of rainwater capture in urban environments in residential and commercial settings. Most experiences are generated in Mexico City. www.islaurbana.org Rainwater Capture Experiences - Lessons from Mexico City A Presentation to the Palo Alto Stormwater Oversight Committee October 8, 2002 Professional resume Enrique Lomnitz Climent He studied industrial design at the Rhode Island School of Design where he focused his graduate work on the topic of rainwater catchment in marginalized areas of Mexico City. In 2009, he joined IRRI Mexico and co-founded the Isla Urbana project to develop the practice of rain catchment as a viable solution to water supply problems in Mexico. Through this organization, it has contributed to the development of catchment technologies designed for the Mexican context, and to the creation of projects to implement rain harvesting in various communities with different needs and problems. In 2010 he was co-creator of the Ha Ta Tukari project, an interdisciplinary project dedicated to supplying drinking water and triggering sustainable development processes with the Huichol people. Isla Urbana and Ha Ta Tukari have carried out the installation of more than 20,000 rainwater harvesting systems of all types and sizes, working in both urban and rural communities to establish models of sustainable water supply in Mexico. For his work in Isla Urbana and Ha Tatukari, Enrique Lomnitz has received multiple awards, including the prestigious recognition from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (35 young innovators of the year globally) and the Visionaris award from the UBS bank for social entrepreneurship, among others. He has been Ashoka's partner since 2012. LOMA VERDE AVENUE TRUNK LINE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT OCTOBER 8, 2020 www.cityofpaloalto.org/LOMAVERDE 1 PROJECT OVERVIEW 1 PROJECT SCHEDULE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE CONSTRUCTION 2 City of Palo Alto, Watershed Protection Group cleanbay@cityofpaloalto.org www.cleanbay.org Stormwater Program Outreach Southgate Project Outreach •October 28th and 29th workdays •Collaborative outreach with residents and Grassroots Ecology •Doorhanger distribution to neighborhood •Southgate webpage Southgate Project Flyer Additional GSI Outreach & Community Engagement •Rain and Stormwater Capture Workshop (10/3) •Green Streets for Sustainable Communities Webinar Series –Keynote speakers –Attendee turnout –City participation Outreach Channels •Online and print ads –local and regional •Social media and newsletters –City Manager’s Office, Utilities, Zero Waste, Sustainability –GSI, Stormwater Rebate Program, creek cleanup, stormwater survey, upcoming events and workshops Feb 2020 Poison Baits campaign Stormwater Utility Bill Inserts Integrated Pest Management Storm Tips and Resources GSI Utility Bill Inserts School Programs •Grassroots Ecology •COVID response –175 downloads to date •6 virtual lesson plans: 5 Elementary, 1 Middle –Problem Plastics –Bugs in Our Ecosystems –Who Dirtied the Bay? –Watershed Warriors –Mercury: Past and Present –Microbes in Sewage Public Events •City-sponsored events, corporate Earth Day and health fairs, workshops –Stormwater pollution prevention, less toxic pest management, stormwater rebates –Games, quizzes, rain barrel drawings, brochures •2019 CY: 18 events and workshops 2017 MSC Open House Creek Cleanup Month Thank you! For more information, visit cleanbay.org Stormwater Rebate Program Webpages •Purpose of webpages •External website challenges –Valley Water partner –Blue Barrel vendor Previous Rebate Homepage Previous Rebate Homepage Previous Rain Barrel Webpage Next Steps for Rebate Program •Update webpages •Post video instructions •Post workshop recording •Signage for Rebate sites •Review City beta site •Prep for updated site next year Example Signage (Seattle RainWise Program) Sustainability (S/CAP) Webinars