Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Ann M. Stillman, Director of Public Works
Subject: Amendment to the Funding Agreement Between the City of Belmont, City of San Carlos, and County of San Mateo for the Belmont Creek Restoration, Water Quality Improvement, and Flood Protection Project in Twin Pines Park
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing Amendment No. 1 to the Funding Agreement between the City of Belmont, City of San Carlos, and County of San Mateo to share costs and responsibilities related to the California Department of Water Resources Grant Funding Belmont Creek Restoration, Water Quality Improvement, and Flood Protection Project in Twin Pines Park.
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BACKGROUND:
Belmont Creek (Creek) originates in the City of Belmont (Belmont), flows through the Harbor Industrial Area (HIA), and forms the border between the City of San Carlos (San Carlos) and unincorporated County of San Mateo (County) before reaching Belmont Slough and the San Francisco Bay. The Creek within Belmont’s Twin Pines Park (Park) has degraded over time due to increased urban runoff, channelization, invasive species, and other factors, causing bank erosion, tree fall, and loss of riparian vegetation and habitat, impairing water quality and exacerbating downstream flooding.
Because these concerns impact Belmont, San Carlos, and the County, the three agencies have been collaborating to address the issues. As an initial step, the agencies jointly funded the 2019 Belmont Creek Watershed Management Plan (WMP). The WMP and other studies have completed technical analyses of the Creek and determined that the Park reach of the Creek will continue to experience bank failures unless an engineered solution is implemented. The WMP identified restoration of the Creek within the Park as a priority project as it will reduce sediment being transferred downstream.
The Twin Pines Park Belmont Creek Restoration Project (Project) will restore the banks and channel bottom of approximately 500 linear feet of the Creek within the Park. The Project includes, but is not limited to, removing invasive vegetation, regrading and revegetating eroded creek banks, and stabilizing the Creek banks and Creek bottom to minimize future erosion. The Project will improve water quality and habitat, help minimize downstream flooding, and enhance the Park experience through educational and Creek viewing opportunities.
The WMP also identified that construction of a detention basin in the Creek watershed would be beneficial and would reduce downstream flooding during storm events. The Twin Pines Park Stormwater Detention Basin Project (Detention Basin Project) is planned to be constructed in the Belmont City Hall Parking Lot. The Detention Basin Project is a future project that will take water from the Creek downstream of the Project, retain water in the basin to its capacity, remove sediment, and return the water to the Creek.
The Project and the Detention Basin Project are being managed and constructed by Belmont. The San Mateo County Flood and Sea Level Rise Resiliency District (OneShoreline) applied for and was granted a $1,000,000 Proposition 68 Urban Streams Restoration Grant from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) for the Project on behalf of Belmont. Belmont accepted the funding and executed a grant agreement with DWR in 2021. The grant requires a $600,000 match, which has been funded by Belmont at 50 percent ($300,000) and San Carlos and the County at 25 percent each ($150,000 each). The grant deadline for the completing the Project is December 31, 2025. A Funding Agreement between the City of Belmont, City of San Carlos, and County of San Mateo to Share Costs and Responsibilities Related to the California Department of Water Resources Grant Funding Belmont Creek Restoration, Water Quality Improvement, and Flood Protection Project in Twin Pines Park (Funding Agreement) was executed in 2022, which agreed to the aforesaid contributions. The County and San Carlos have each provided $150,000 to Belmont in accordance with the Funding Agreement.
DISCUSSION:
The Project includes a tree removal contract to ready the site for work in the Creek that will include grading the Creek banks, raising the channel bottom, installing natural creek stabilization methods including logs, root wads, and boulders, and extensive replanting of the newly graded banks with native riparian trees and other vegetation with a temporary irrigation system.
Prior to bidding the Project, Belmont estimated the construction costs for the Project to be greater than originally anticipated and indicated that additional funding would be necessary. Belmont projected that an additional $1,665,000 in funding would be required and requested the additional funding be shared at the same percentages as those stipulated in the Funding Agreement. Based on this information Amendment No.1 to the Funding Agreement was drafted, with Belmont’s additional funding share being $832,500 and San Carlos and the County each contributing $416,250 in additional funding. Belmont executed Amendment No. 1 on November 26, 2024. San Carlos and the County have not yet executed Amendment No. 1.
Belmont received bids for the Project, which were less than their estimated costs, and have resulted in anticipated contributions from San Carlos and the County to be $235,294 each. Because Amendment No. 1 was drafted and executed by Belmont before bids were received, the maximum contributions from San Carlos and the County are listed as $416,250 each. It is anticipated the County’s contribution will be less than stipulated in Amendment No. 1; however, execution of Amendment No. 1 provides for contribution of additional funding should unforeseen conditions arise during construction which require additional payments to the contractor.
The County Attorney has reviewed and approved the Resolution and Amendment No. 1 to the Funding Agreement as to form.
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
The Project will improve the water quality, restore Creek habitat, and reduce the amount of sediment that may otherwise be delivered to the Creek, which can impact the Creek capacity and contribute to downstream flooding. The Project will enhance the Park user experience through educational and Creek viewing opportunities.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The County approved $6,200,000 in General Fund funding in 2016 to support improving flood control in areas outside of the County’s flood control zones and in collaboration with other cities/towns. Most of this funding was used for staff positions and consultants to support this effort and complete several studies or projects. The County’s portion of the WMP was supported by this funding. The County’s payment for the Funding Agreement was from, and Amendment No. 1 is proposed to be from, this funding allocation. Sufficient funding exists for the County’s portion of the Amendment No. 1 and the County’s contribution to the Detention Basin Project as described in the Funding Agreement. The County’s funding commitment to the Detention Basin Project will be presented to this Board at a future date and prior to construction.
There is no impact to the General Fund.