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COUNTY OF SAN MATEOInter-Departmental Correspondence |
Board of Supervisors |
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DATE: |
April 26, 2002 |
BOARD MEETING DATE: |
May 21, 2002 |
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TO: |
Honorable Board of Supervisors |
FROM: |
Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson |
SUBJECT: |
San Francisquito Creek Levee Restoration Project |
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Recommendation |
Adopt a resolution authorizing the President of the Board to execute an agreement with the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD), City of East Palo Alto, City of Menlo Park and the City of Palo Alto for Reconstruction and Maintenance of Levees and Floodwalls in the vicinity of Highway 101. |
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Previous Board Action |
1. |
Entered into an agreement with the Santa Clara County Flood Control and Water Conservation District in September 1958 for the construction and maintenance of levees on San Francisquito Creek from Highway 101 to San Francisco Bay. |
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2. |
Authorized execution of a Joint Powers Agreement between the San Mateo County Flood Control District (SMCFCD), Santa Clara Valley Water District, City of East Palo Alto, City of Menlo Park and the City of Palo Alto for the purpose of managing the joint contribution of services and providing policy direction on issues relating to San Francisquito Creek. |
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3. |
Agreed in May 2001 to contribute $250,000 of Flood Control District Funds for the restoration of a portion of the levees on San Francisquito Creek to the 1958 design elevation. |
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4. |
Approved the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan for the San Francisquito Creek Levee Restoration and Floodwall Reconstruction Project on April 30, 2002. |
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Key Facts |
1. |
The levees on San Francisquito Creek constructed in 1958 by San Mateo County and Santa Clara County Flood Control and Water Conservation District have subsided in some areas by more than eighteen inches, thereby reducing flood protection to residential areas in East Palo Alto and properties in Palo Alto. The residential area adjacent to the Creek in East Palo Alto came very close to experiencing major flooding in the February 1998 El Niño storms. |
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2. |
The San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority (SFCJPA) has determined that restoration of the levees on the Creek is a high priority project has approved a formula for sharing the cost for the restoration of the levees. |
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3. |
The San Mateo County Flood Control Districts financial contribution to the project is contingent upon the September 1958 agreement being replaced by a new agreement for maintaining the levees in the future. |
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4. |
In order to restore the levees to the 1958 design elevation it is necessary to also construct flood walls up-stream of Highway 101 to mitigate for the increase in water surface elevation due to the levee restoration. The Flood Control District $250,000 contribution was based on a project that did not include any construction up-stream of Highway 101. |
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Discussion |
The project has two components: Levee Restoration and Floodwall Demolition and Reconstruction. San Francisquito Creek is the dividing line between San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. The Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) is responsible for construction on the Santa Clara County side and the City of East Palo Alto is responsible for construction on the San Mateo County side. These same agencies will be responsible for maintenance of the project in the future. This agreement supercedes and replaces the 1958 agreement between San Mateo County and The Santa Clara County Flood Control and Water Conservation District under which the levees were originally constructed. |
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The project objective is to increase flood flow capacity within San Francisquito Creek by restoring the levees downstream of Highway 101 to their as-built 1958 elevation, and by rebuilding an 1,100 foot section of floodwall in Palo Alto and closing a weir and "CALTRANS" gap on the East Palo Alto side upstream of Highway 101. The City of Palo Alto's bike path on top of the levee will also be rebuilt in the process. |
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The project is planned for construction between June 15 and October 15, 2002. This is the only time that construction is permitted in the Creek because of fish passage. |
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Vision Alignment |
We believe that our recommendation is consistent with the Shared Commitment "Ensure Health and Safety for All" in that the project will provide improved flood protection for people living near the Creek and Shared Commitment "Responsive, Effective and Collaborative Government" in that the project is a cooperative effort of five public agencies. |
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Fiscal Impact |
The project cost estimate is $3,500,000. The Cities of East Palo Alto, Palo Alto and Menlo Park will each contribute $50,000. All remaining costs will be paid by the SCVWD and the SMCFCD. The SCVWD is responsible for the cost of design and construction of the project on the south bank of the Creek. The SMCFCD is responsible for the cost of the design and construction of the project on the north side of the Creek (less the contributions of the Cities of East Palo Alto and Menlo Park). The cost for planning and environmental review will be shared between the SCVWD and SMCFCD in proportion to the actual construction costs on the north and south banks of the Creek. The contract includes a "not-to-exceed" amount of $500,000 for the SMCFCD share of the total project cost. |
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A form of agreement and resolution has been approved by County Counsel. |