Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Dave Pine, District 1
Subject: Measure K: Sign Hill Habitat Restoration Project
RECOMMENDATION:
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Measure K: Adopt a resolution authorizing a one-time grant of district-specific Measure K funds, not to exceed $75,600, to the City of South San Francisco for the Sign Hill Habitat Restoration Project, and authorizing the County Manager, or his designee, to prepare and execute the grant agreement.
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BACKGROUND:
Measure K is the half-cent general sales tax initially approved by San Mateo County voters in November 2012 and extended in November 2016 for a total of thirty years. The Board of Supervisors (“Board”) and County staff have conducted study sessions and community outreach efforts to inform priorities for Measure K spending for FY2017-19.
On May 16, 2017, the Board approved the FY 2017-19 Measure K allocation plan in which the County anticipates Measure K receipts of approximately $81.6 million annually. The plan included $7 million in one-time loans or grants during FY 2017-19, divided equally among the five supervisorial districts, for district-specific needs and projects. District 1 has submitted a request to use its district-specific Measure K funds as shown below and described in the Project Summary section of this memorandum:
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District/Project |
Amount |
|
District 1 (Supervisor Dave Pine) - City of South San Francisco: Sign Hill Habitat Restoration Project |
$75,600 (37,800 x 2) |
This item is consistent with the criteria for district-specific Measure K funds, which were developed during the initial round of district-specific allocations and approved by the Board in April 2015.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
This is a request to authorize a grant to the City of South San Francisco, and resulting grant agreement in an amount not to exceed $75,600 to provide for the payment and acquisition of resources for the Sign Hill Habitat Restoration Project. The County Manager’s office will administer and manage the proposed agreement.
Sign Hill, geographically located in South San Francisco and geologically a part of San Bruno Mountain, is home to over 70 endangered and ecologically critical species of botanical life. The presence of several species of invasive plants threatens the existence of the existing Sign Hill ecosystem, which also is a habitat for several species of endangered butterfly. Threats to biodiversity are compounded by consequences of drought, inappropriate species planted by volunteers in years past, and impassable terrain. A team of volunteers in coordination with the South San Francisco Parks and Recreation department has been working to stem the spread of these invasive species, but lacks sufficient resources to adequately conserve and protect threatened vegetation; thus, in its current condition, the spread of invasive species is uncontained.
This proposal appropriates a two-year total of $75,600 -- $37,800 in Year 1 and $37,800 in Year 2 -- in Measure K grant funding to restore and maintain the Sign Hill habitat. The City of South San Francisco will oversee the hiring of a project coordinator responsible for the identification of species to be replaced, and a park aide to conduct maintenance of the facilities and complete the removal of invasive species and planting of natives. These part-time employees hired to complete the project will be paid using grant funding. All administrative functions will be managed by the City of South San Francisco as an in-kind service. Much of the labor will be completed by high-school and college volunteers -- recruited by the City via Improving Public Places, a local volunteer organization - who would operate periodically under the direction of hired staff.
The two years of the project for which funding would be allocated will be divided into two phases, each to be conducted in 50 week, twice a week, three hours per day increments. Remediation will target areas of Sign Hill identified as containing threatened habitats and plant species with ecological significance. Further areas of rehabilitation will depend upon the availability of funding and the degree of success of previous phases.
In addition to covering the acquisition of 1,000 native plants to replace invasive species, Measure K funding would also cover the purchase of various necessary equipment, gear, and tools for staff and volunteers, and would pay for the part-time employment of a Project Coordinator and Park Aide to oversee the remediation process. Attached is a funding breakdown of individual allocations for staff salary and the purchase of equipment.
Total Measure K Request: Not to Exceed $75,600
The release of funds will be contingent on the execution of an agreement providing for the County’s confirmation of the expenditure of funds during FY 2018-19 for the purposes stated herein. The County will disburse the funds to the following organization for the purposes described above:
City of South San Francisco
400 Grand Ave
South San Francisco, CA 94080
City Manager Mike Futrell
(650) 829-6609
mike.futrell@ssf.net
www.ssf.net
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
Performance will be measured on an ongoing basis and information will be aggregated annually. The program coordinator will be responsible for compiling a log of treatment areas containing information regarding the date, level of success, participating volunteers, before/after photographs, and action taken. Phase one of the project will target an area of the hill that has been identified as particularly vulnerable for remediation. Additionally, the City will compose an annual report detailing what has been accomplished in each phase of the project and whether efforts to curb invasive species have been successful. This report will contain a year-end summary of how many volunteers were trained, the number of volunteer hours spent on invasive eradication, and the degree of success achieved. Attached to this report will be the individual treatment logs.
|
Description |
Target |
|
Number of volunteers trained per year |
15 |
|
Number of volunteer labor hours invested per year |
540 |
|
Number of volunteer sessions per year |
12 |
|
Native species planted in remediation area |
1,000 |
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the resolution as to form.
Funding for the Sign Hill Habitat Restoration Project contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of a Healthy Community because it provides for a healthy and safe, prosperous, livable, environmentally conscious, and collaborative community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are sufficient Measure K funds for this specific FY 2018-19 Measure K request. These funds are budgeted in the Non-Departmental Services FY 2018-19 Approved Recommended Budget.