HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08142012 - C.08RECOMMENDATION(S):
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Chief Engineer, Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation
District, or designee, to execute an Interagency Agreement with the Regents of the University of California (UC
Berkeley), in the amount of $55,000, to perform research on homeless encampments to better understand the reasons
for homeless persons encamping in the creeks and potential solutions to reduce or eliminate, for the period beginning
August 14, 2012 through November 30, 2015, Concord and Pleasant Hill area.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This project is funded by Flood Control Zone 3B (100%).
BACKGROUND:
Contra Costa County, like many counties in the Bay Area, is grappling with the issue of how to deal with homeless
populations living near creeks. Under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), a primary
concern for the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (FC District) is to address the
issues of trash and pollutants caused
APPROVE OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
Action of Board On: 08/14/2012 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
Clerks Notes:
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
AYE:Candace Andersen, District II
Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III
Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV
Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V
Supervisor
ABSENT:John Gioia, District I
Supervisor
Contact: Mark Boucher (925)
313-2274
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: August 14, 2012
David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
By: STACEY M. BOYD, Deputy
cc: M. Boucher, Flood Control, C. Windham, Flood Control
C. 8
To:Contra Costa County Flood Control District Board of Supervisors
From:Julia R. Bueren, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Date:August 14, 2012
Contra
Costa
County
Subject:APPROVE Interagency Agreement with the Regents of the University of California, Berkeley (100% Flood Control
Zone 3B Funds) Project No. 7520-6B8324
BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)
by homeless encampments. Safety, social, and environmental issues also arise with these encampments.
Therefore, reducing trash at homeless encampments in the creek areas is an important issue that needs to be
addressed. Reducing the occurrence of encampments in the creek areas would likely have a direct effect on the
reduction of trash. Given economic trends and the population projections for California, it is not difficult to
imagine that this issue is one that will continue to arise. As the U.N. 2009 Habitat report notes, informal
settlements are a growing part of our landscape and require new modes of governance. They suggest that
“partnerships with informal economic actors to manage public space and provide services have helped to address
the challenges of informality.”
While a review of various solutions implemented elsewhere may be informative, every jurisdiction must contend
with its specific geography and local demographics. Therefore, any proposed solution to the homeless issues
should be specifically and locally situated.
The aim of this project is to determine a long-term, viable solution for reducing the pollution caused by homeless
encampments in and near creeks. An effective strategy must respond to the root causes and will, therefore, require
an understanding of the populations inhabiting these encampments. Additionally, any strategy should be drafted
with an understanding of the other factors at play in Contra Costa County and involve an assessment of some of
the ways in which Contra Costa County and other local government agencies can and have managed informal
settlements.
To this end, preliminary research of the area population and a needs assessment will be conducted. This
information can be used to inform decisions about any mitigation strategies and designs.
The trash and other environmental impacts of encampments are reason enough to be compelled to perform this
research. However, the fiscal impacts can be clearly measured. The FC District’s costs for cleaning up homeless
encampments have risen over the years. For fiscal years 2001-2002 through 2010-2011, the FC District spent over
$300,000 in Zone 3B (San Ramon/Walnut Creek watershed) and nearly $424,000 district-wide. The budget costs
for fiscal year 2011-2012 were $85,000. These costs are for encampment cleanups only and do not include
homeless-related fence repairs, vandalism issues, other debris removals, investigations, or meetings, which would
add 20-30%. Prior to 2001, we did not separately track homeless abatement costs.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If the agreement is not approved, the FC District will not benefit from a better understanding of homeless
encampments and will continue to work on the same assumptions that we have been in dealing with the
environmental issue (trash) and costs of the encampment.
CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
Interagency Agreement