To: The Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors
From: Warren Lai, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Report Title: Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement with the California Department of Water Resources: Flood Emergency Response Projects Grant Program - Statewide.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Acting as the governing body of the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (Flood Control District), APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Chief Engineer, or designee, to execute amendment no. 2 to the agreement with the California Department of Water Resources: Flood Emergency Response Projects Grant Program - Statewide, to extend the term through April 29, 2025, and adjust budget allocations, with no change in the grant amount, Concord, Danville, Martinez, Pacheco, Pinole, Pleasant Hill, Rodeo, San Pablo, Richmond, and Walnut Creek areas.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The amendment will modify the agreement term only and not change the amount of the grant. Any incidental costs associated with the project and not covered by the grant will be paid for by Flood Control District funds (Project No. 7505-6F8117).
BACKGROUND:
In 2014, Contra Costa County (County) applied for and received a grant from the Department of Water Resources for $206,500 under the first round of the Flood Emergency Response Projects Grant Program - Statewide: State Contract No. 4600012938. This grant paid to install 11 stream gauges in the nonlegal Delta streams and for our RainMap webpage (www.cccounty.us/RainMap). The work on that project was completed in December 2017.
On February 4, 2020, the Board of Supervisors approved a second grant agreement with the State of California in the amount of $374,000 for the establishment of flood-stage elevations at 12 of our stream gauges (including all 11 installed by the first grant). On December 6, 2022 the Board of Supervisors approved an amendment to this grant to extend the term through March 29, 2024.
We are continuing to work to establish the elevations at each stream gauge where we estimate flooding could occur in the general area upstream and downstream of the stream gauges. The established flood-stage elevations will be shown on plots on our RainMap where the public will be able to view the stream stages and compare them to flood stages. It will heighten the public’s awareness of the stream conditions during areawide flood watches. Part of the grant pays for our time to communicate the flood stages and stream gauge information with the County Office of Emergency Services and other jurisdictions, such as cities and park districts.
The State Department of Water Resources suggested, and the Flood Control District agreed, that the agreement be amended to extend the term one year because of an earlier COVID-19 related start delay, staffing attrition, and staffing changes that reduced the availability of qualified staff to work on the project.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Without the Board of Supervisors’ approval, the Flood Control District may not be able to complete work in the project scope adequately or the project may miss the deadline and may be required to return grant funds already received for the project.
cc: Allison Knapp, Deputy Chief Engineer, allison.knapp@pw.cccounty.us
Tim Jensen, Flood Control, tim.jensen@pw.cccounty.us
Mark Boucher, Flood Control, mark.boucher@pw.cccounty.us
Catherine Windham, Flood Control, catherine.windham@pw.cccounty.us