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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04032012 - C.60RECOMMENDATION(S): AUTHORIZE the Water Agency to contribute $89,000 as Contra Costa County's local funding share for the San Francisco-to-Stockton Ship Channel Deepening Project. FISCAL IMPACT: $89,000 will come from Suisun Bay/New York Slough Assessment District funds. BACKGROUND: Contra Costa County and the Port of Stockton jointly serve as the local sponsors of the San Francisco-to-Stockton Ship Channel Deepening Project. The project, which would be implemented by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, would deepen the ship channel so that vessels with deep hulls can safely navigate the channel to and from Contra Costa shoreline industrial wharves and the Port of Stockton. There had been some initial studies for this project in the past but the project has not received any federal funding for the past several years and therefore no recent activity has occurred. APPROVE OTHER RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE Action of Board On: 04/03/2012 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER Clerks Notes: VOTE OF SUPERVISORS AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor ABSENT:Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor Contact: John Greitzer, 925-674-7824 I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown. ATTESTED: April 3, 2012 David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: June McHuen, Deputy cc: C.60 To:Board of Supervisors From:Catherine Kutsuris Date:April 3, 2012 Contra Costa County Subject:Local matching funds for $800,000 grant from Army Corps of Engineers BACKGROUND: (CONT'D) The Army Corps' San Francisco District Office in February announced it has allocated funds to restart the project by conducting some of the studies necessary for the environmental review of the project. The impact studies will include salinity impacts, economic impacts, and identification of potential placement sites for the material that is dredged from the channel to make it deeper. The studies will cover the entire channel from San Francisco Bay to the Port of Stockton. The total cost is estimated by the Army Corps of Engineers at $1,066,000, to be spent by the end of the federal fiscal year ending September 30, 2012. The Army Corps of Engineers would fund 75 percent of the cost, or approximately $800,000. They require a local match for the other 25 percent, which comes to approximately $266,000. A working group consisting of staff from the Port of Stockton, Contra Costa County, and the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) will work with the Army Corps on the project. WSPA is participating because some of its member industries own and operate wharves and would benefit from the channel deepening. The working group seeks to split the local match evenly among the Port, the County and WSPA. This means each entity would contribute an estimated $88,834. The Army Corps of Engineers has requested commitments by April 1, 2012 indicating the matching funds will be provided. The Department of Conservation and Development proposes to contribute the County's share from the Suisun Bay/New York Slough Assessment District funds, which were collected for use in dredging-related work, including studies. The Army Corps of Engineers' requested deadline of April 1 does not leave time for staff to discuss this recommendation with the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee, which next meets on April 5. The Director of Conservation and Development recommends the Board of Supervisors authorize the commitment of $89,000 in matching funds as described above. CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION: If the County, along with other agencies, do not provide the required 25% in matching funds, the Army Corps of Engineers will not provide the grant and the project will not move forward. CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT: None.