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Home My Public Portal About20190724 - Agenda Packet - Board of Directors (BOD) - 19-19 SPECIAL AND REGULAR MEETING BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT Administrative Office 330 Distel Circle Los Altos, CA 94022 Wednesday, July 24, 2019 Special Meeting starts at 5:30 PM* Regular Meeting starts at 7:00 PM* A G E N D A 5:30 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT – CLOSED SESSION ROLL CALL 1. PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION. Government Code Section 54957(b)(1) Title of Employee: General Counsel 2. PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION. Government Code Section 54957(b)(1) Title of Employee: General Manager ADJOURNMENT 7:00 REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT ORAL COMMUNICATIONS The Board President will invite public comment on items not on the agenda. Each speaker will ordinarily be limited to three minutes; however, the Brown Act (Open Meeting Law) does not allow action by the Board of Directors on items not on the agenda. If you wish to address the Board, please complete a speaker card and give it to the District Clerk. Individuals are limited to one appearance during this section. ADOPTION OF AGENDA CONSENT CALENDAR All items on the Consent Calendar may be approved without discussion by one motion. Board members, the General Manager, and members of the public may request that an item be removed from the Consent Calendar during consideration of the Consent Calendar. Meeting 19-19 Rev. 1/3/19 1. Approve July 10, 2019 Minutes 2. Claims Report 3. Contract Amendment with Timmons Group Inc., for Work Order and Asset Management Software Implementation Services (R-19-105) Staff Contact: Casey Hiatt, IST Manager, Information Systems and Technology Department General Manager’s Recommendation: Authorize the General Manager to amend a contract with Timmons Group Inc., for an additional $42,450 to provide professional services for Phase Two of the work order and asset management implementation, for a total amount not-to-exceed $179,450. 4. Amendment to the Agreement with Grassroots Ecology for Native Planting and Interpretive Work at Cooley Landing (R-19-106) Staff Contact: Tina Hugg, PLA, ASLA, Senior Planner, Planning Department General Manager’s Recommendation: Amend the agreement with Grassroots Ecology in the amount of $90,470 to install native plants at Cooley Landing Park and portions of Ravenswood Open Space Preserve during a three-year period beginning July 2019, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $180,470. 5. Contract Award to Ecological Concerns, Inc., for vegetation management services under the Revitalizing Stream, Upland, and Wetland Habitats grant program funded by the Santa Clara Valley Water District (R-19-101) Staff Contact: Tom Reyes, Integrated Pest Management Coordinator, Natural Resources General Manager’s Recommendations: 1. Award a contract with Ecological Concerns, Inc., of Santa Cruz, California to provide vegetation management services in Santa Clara County for a base contract amount of $107,990 for Fiscal Year 2019-20. 2. Authorize the General Manager to extend the contract for three additional consecutive years, if the program is successful, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $431,960 over the four-year term (amount fully reimbursable through a Valley Water grant). 3. Authorize an additional allowance of $25,000 per fiscal year for materials, supplies, and associated labor costs (up to a total of $100,000 for four years), to be expended as needed at the District’s sole discretion, for a total not-to-exceed contract price of $531,960. The total contract price (all four years of work) is reimbursable through a Memorandum of Understanding and grant from the Santa Clara Valley Water District. 6. Amendment to Saratoga-to-the-Sea Trail Partnership Agreement between the City of Saratoga and the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (R-19-103) Staff Contact: Tina Hugg, PLA, ASLA, Senior Planner, Planning Department General Manager’s Recommendations: 1. Authorize the General Manager to amend the Partnership Agreement with the City of Saratoga to provide funding assistance for the permitting and construction phase of the Saratoga-to-the- Sea Trail. 2. Find that the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, acting as a Responsible Agency, concurs with the City of Saratoga’s Certification of the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Saratoga-to-the-Sea Trail Project. Rev. 1/3/19 7. Award Contract with Wagner & Bonsignore Consulting Civil Engineers for District-wide Water Rights and Water Engineering Services (R-19-102) Staff Contact: Aaron Hébert, Water Resources Specialist, Natural Resources General Manager’s Recommendation: Authorize the General Manager to enter into a contract with Wagner & Bonsignore Consulting Civil Engineers of Sacramento, California to provide water rights and engineering services for a base contract amount of $100,000. 8. Adopt a resolution to submit an application for the rehabilitation of Alma College to the County of Santa Clara’s Historic Grant Program, administered through the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department (R-19-97) Staff Contact: Melanie Askay, Grants Program Manager General Manager’s Recommendation: Adopt a resolution by roll call vote authorizing the General Manager to file an application and execute a funding agreement with the County of Santa Clara for funding to assist with the rehabilitation of Alma College. 9. Wetland Creation Credits as Mitigation for the Ravenswood Bay Trail Project (R-19-99) Staff Contact: Scott Reeves, Senior Capital Project Manager, Engineering and Construction Department General Manager’s Recommendation: Authorize the General Manager to enter into an agreement to purchase 0.050 acres of wetland creation credits for $75,000 with the San Francisco Bay Wetland Mitigation Bank to mitigate for wetland impacts resulting from the Ravenswood Bay Trail Project. BOARD BUSINESS The President will invite public comment on agenda items at the time each item is considered by the Board of Directors. Each speaker will ordinarily be limited to three minutes. Alternately, you may comment to the Board by a written communication, which the Board appreciates. 10. Dog Waste Compliance Program (R-19-100) Staff Contact: Michael Jurich, Land and Facilities Manager General Manager’s Recommendations: 1. Approve an incremental adaptive management approach to improve visitor compliance of dog waste regulations at Preserves that are open to dog use, as set out in this staff report. 2. Direct the General Manager to return to the Board in the spring of 2020 to share results of the dog waste compliance program and present any other recommendations to further improve compliance. 11. Award of Contract to Granite Rock Company for Construction of the Ravenswood Bay Trail Connection Project (R-19-107) Staff Contact: Scott Reeves, Senior Capital Project Manager, Engineering and Construction Department General Manager’s Recommendations: 1. Award a contract to Granite Rock Company of San Jose, California for $3,305,356, which includes bid alternates #1 and #3. 2. Authorize a 15% construction contingency of $495,800 for the contract to be reserved for unanticipated issues, for a not-to-exceed contract amount of $3,801,156. Rev. 1/3/19 3. Separately award bid alternate #4 of $250,000 for a total not-to-exceed contract amount of $4,051,156; this fixed charge has been excluded from the 15% contract contingency calculation. 12. Grant Awards for the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Grantmaking Program (R-19-98) Staff Contact: Melanie Askay, Grants Program Manager General Manager’s Recommendation: Approve the recommended grant awards for the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Grantmaking Program. 13. Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve Public Opening Summary (R-19-104) Staff Contact: Mike Kahn, Public Affairs Specialist II General Manager’s Recommendation: Receive an informational report on activities related to the public opening of Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space, including preserve previews, ribbon-cutting event, and opening weekend visitation. No Board action required. INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM • Legislative Actions Update to Board • District-wide Strategic Communications Plan INFORMATIONAL REPORTS – Reports on compensable meetings attended. Brief reports or announcements concerning activities of District Directors and staff; opportunity to refer public or Board questions to staff for information; request staff to report to the Board on a matter at a future meeting; or direct staff to place a matter on a future agenda. Items in this category are for discussion and direction to staff only. No final policy action will be taken by the Board. Committee Reports Staff Reports Director Reports ADJOURNMENT *Times are estimated and items may appear earlier or later than listed. Agenda is subject to change of order. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the District Clerk at (650) 691-1200. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the District to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. Written materials relating to an item on this Agenda that are considered to be a public record and are distributed to Board members less than 72 hours prior to the meeting, will be available for public inspection at the District’s Administrative Office located at 330 Distel Circle, Los Altos, California 94022. CERTIFICATION OF POSTING OF AGENDA I, Jennifer Woodworth, District Clerk for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD), declare that the foregoing agenda for the special and regular meetings of the MROSD Board of Directors was posted and available for review on July 18, 2019, at the Administrative Offices of MROSD, 330 Distel Circle, Los Altos California, 94022. The agenda and any additional written materials are also available on the District’s web site at http://www.openspace.org. Rev. 1/3/19 Jennifer Woodworth, MMC District Clerk July 10, 2019 Board Meeting 19-18 REGULAR MEETING BOARD OF DIRECTORS MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT Administrative Office 330 Distel Circle Los Altos, CA 94022 Wednesday, July 10, 2019 DRAFT MINUTES REGULAR MEETING President Siemens called the regular meeting of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District to order at 7:01 p.m. ROLL CALL Members Present: Jed Cyr, Larry Hassett, Yoriko Kishimoto, Pete Siemens, and Curt Riffle Members Absent: Karen Holman, Zoe Kersteen-Tucker Staff Present: General Manager Ana Ruiz, General Counsel Hilary Stevenson, Assistant General Manager Susanna Chan, Assistant General Manager Brian Malone, Chief Financial Officer/Director of Administrative Services Stefan Jaskulak, Executive Assistant/Deputy District Clerk Maria Soria, Visitor Services Manager/Chief Ranger Matt Anderson, Land & Facilities Services Manager Michael Jurich, Management Analyst II Gordon Baillie, Management Analyst II Deborah Bazar, Natural Resources Manager Kirk Lenington, Senior Resources Management Specialist Coty Sifuentes- Winter, Integrated Pest Management Coordinator Tom Reyes ORAL COMMUNICATIONS No public comments. ADOPTION OF AGENDA Motion: Director Cyr moved, and Director Riffle seconded the motion to adopt the agenda. VOTE: 5-0-0 (Directors Holman and Kersteen-Tucker absent) Meeting 19-18 Page 2 SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY • Proclamation Honoring Gordon Baillie on his Retirement CONSENT CALENDAR Public comment opened at 7:11 p.m. No public comments. Public comment closed at 7:11p.m. Motion: Director Hassett moved, and Director Kishimoto seconded the motion to approve the Consent Calendar. VOTE: 5-0-0 (Directors Holman and Kersteen-Tucker absent) 1. Approve June 26, 2019 Minutes 2. Claims Report 3. Award of Contract with Forrest Telecom Engineering, Inc., to provide Radio Communications System Assessment and Master Plan Services for the Radio System Assessment and Upgrade Project (R-19-92) General Manager’s Recommendation: 1. Authorize the General Manager to enter into contract with Forrest Telecom Engineering, Inc., to provide services in support of the Radio System Assessment and Upgrade project for a not-to-exceed base amount of $106,500. 2. Authorize a 4% contingency of $4,500 to be awarded if necessary to cover unforeseen conditions, for a total contract amount not-to-exceed $111,000. 4. Award of Demolition and Site Cleanup Contract for Removal of Dilapidated and Defunct Structures at the former Lysons Property and Stevens Canyon Ranch (R-19-93) General Manager’s Recommendation: 1. Determine that each of the recommended actions are categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, as set out in the staff report. 2. Authorize the General Manager to enter into a contract with Coastwide Environmental Technologies, Inc., of Watsonville, California for a not-to-exceed base amount of $327,320. 3. Authorize a 15% contingency of $49,098 to be reserved for unanticipated issues, thus allowing the total contract amount not-to-exceed $376,418. 5. Contract Amendment for Environmental Services to Support the Ravenswood Bay Trail Project (R-19-94) General Manager’s Recommendation: 1. Authorize the General Manager to execute a contract amendment with H.T. Harvey and Associates for additional environmental consulting services to support the Ravenswood Bay Meeting 19-18 Page 3 Trail Project in an amount of $385,827 for a period of five years, for a new base contract amount of $604,027. 2. Authorize a 15% contingency of $57,874 to cover unforeseen conditions and annual rate increases in the event of Project delay, for a total not-to-exceed contract amount of $661,901. 6. Fiscal Year 2019-20 Annual Claims List (R-19-96) Staff Contact: Andrew Taylor, Finance Manager General Manager’s Recommendation: Approve the Fiscal Year 2019-20 Annual Claims List, including debt service payments. 7. Establish the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Tax Levy for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District’s General Obligation Bonds - Series 2015A, Series 2015B and Series 2018 (R- 19-95) Staff Contact: Andrew Taylor, Finance Manager General Manager’s Recommendation: Adopt Resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District for each of San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties to establish an ad valorem property tax levy of $1.60 per $100,000 (or $0.0016 per $100) in assessed value for the General Obligation Bonds – Series 2015A, Series 2015B and Series 2018 (Measure AA). BOARD BUSINESS 8. Annual 2018 Calendar Year Report and Proposed Updates to the Integrated Pest Management Program (R-19-90) Integrated Pest Management Coordinator (IPM) Tom Reyes presented the fourth year of pest management activities prescribed under the Integrated Pest Management program summarizing pest problems, pest control treatments and their effectiveness, and pesticide use. Pest problems are addressed by three departments: Natural Resources, Land & Facilities, and Visitor Services. In addition to staff time, volunteers and District contractors also participate in pest management practices, such as hand pulling, mowing, herbicide, cutting, etc. Since the 2017 annual report, the number of hours for IPM/resource management work increased due to an increase in contractor and volunteer hours. In 2018, the District’s IPM Coordination Team identified and began seven new high priority pest control projects on District lands. Mr. Reyes and Senior Resources Management Specialist Coty Sifuentes-Winter explained the modifications to the IPM Program consist of adding DEET and Permethrin to the List of Approved Pesticides, which will allow the District to distribute insect repellent to staff. Mr. Sifuentes-Winter stated the District will shift land management work and increase acreage designated in the Fuels Management category to perform additional fuels management activities while remaining within the current CEQA analysis. This shift will bridge the time gap for certification of the Wildland Fire Resiliency Program EIR. Additionally, Mr. Reyes stated that the District, after conferring with the San Mateo County Resources Conservation District (RCD), proposes changing the emphasis of the regional Slender False Brome (SFB) program from eradication to ongoing control, outreach, education, and mapping. Lastly, Mr. Reyes reported the District proposes to expand the partnership with RCD to combat additional invasive species on private lands that threaten biodiversity on District Preserves. Meeting 19-18 Page 4 Director Riffle asked if the District has any outreach efforts to educate our neighbors on the danger of using harmful pesticides. Mr. Reyes mentioned that the Public Affairs Department has added information on our website of the rodenticides the District uses. Director Riffle suggested conservation grazing should be formally incorporated into the IPM Program and define conservation grazing as a tool to control invasive species and assist with the District’s Fuel Management Plan. General Manager Ana Ruiz commented that in public outreach and education efforts for the Fuels Management Program, the Grazing Program is also mentioned because it is a tool to control our invasive species. Director Siemens agreed with Director Riffle on adding a section to the IPM Program on conservation grazing. Public comments opened at 8:27 p.m. Cleopatra Tuday, Conservation Program Coordinator from the San Mateo Resources Conservation District, stated that she is the Slender False Brome project manager there and is pleased to continue with our partnership. Ms. Tuday also acknowledged the work of residents from Grandview Neighborhood Association on their work removing SFB. A member of the public from the Grandview Neighborhood Association spoke in favor of the SFB Program and was concerned that the District would shift away from the program nullifying the work they have conducted for the last ten years. Mr. Reyes stated the SFB program is continuing and shifting from eradication to control as a top priority weed. Mr. Reyes also thanked the residents of Grandview for their work and support removing invasive species. Public comments closed at 8:28 p.m. Director Kishimoto expressed her appreciation of the IPM Program and of the work that staff, neighbors, and volunteers have provided in support of the IPM Program. Director Cyr asked if the IPM report with the suggested modification to include conservation grazing would be available on the District’s website. General Manager Ruiz reported she will work with the Natural Resources staff to add the verbiage in the IPM report to include conservation grazing and post the revised IPM report on the District’s website. Motion: Director Kishimoto moved to: 1. Approve the proposed changes to the Integrated Pest Management Program. 2. Approve the proposed changes to the Slender False Brome Program and associated partnership with the San Mateo County Resource Conservation District. Meeting 19-18 Page 5 Friendly Amendment: Director Riffle seconded the motion and offered a friendly amendment to incorporate conservation grazing into the IPM Program and continue ongoing neighbor education to encourage program participation in our program and alert them of the dangers of rodenticide use. Director Kishimoto accepted the friendly amendment. VOTE: 5-0-0 (Directors Holman and Kersteen-Tucker absent) The Board recessed at 8:38 p.m. and reconvened at 8:46 p.m. with Directors Cyr, Hassett, Kishimoto, Riffle, and Siemens present. 9. Authorization to Purchase Capital Equipment for Fiscal Year 2019–20 (R-19-91) Management Analyst II Deborah Bazar provided the staff presentation on the proposed vehicle purchases that include one patrol vehicle, four maintenance vehicles, and one administrative office pool vehicle. Ms. Bazar noted the District’s Replacement Guidelines were updated in March 2019 to increase the mileage threshold for vehicle retirement. Finally, Ms. Bazar reviewed the different mileage and age standards for field and administrative vehicles. Director Siemens inquired regarding the range of the electric Chevy Bolt the District proposes purchasing and whether there are other cars with a higher range. Ms. Bazar noted the Chevy Bolt range is 238K miles, and the only other long range vehicle would be a Tesla. Public comments opened at 8:55 p.m. No public comments. Public comments closed at 8:55 p.m. Director Kishimoto suggested the Administrative vehicles mileage should be raised to 200,000 miles. Ms. Bazar thanked Director Kishimoto’s for her input and stated she would evaluate the suggestion. Motion: Director Kishimoto moved, and Director Cyr seconded the motion to: 1. Authorize the General Manager to execute a purchase contract with the California Department of General Services and associated contract dealers for one patrol vehicle, four maintenance vehicles, and one administrative office pool vehicle for a total cost not-to- exceed $391,500. 2. Authorize the General Manager to execute a purchase contract with the California Department of General Services and associated contract dealers for one mowing tractor for a total cost not-to-exceed $188,000. VOTE: 5-0-0 (Directors Holman and Kersteen-Tucker absent) Meeting 19-18 Page 6 INFORMATIONAL REPORTS A. Committee Reports Director Riffle reported the Board Appointee Evaluation (BAE) committee met and reviewed the BAE schedule that has been subsequently distributed to the Board and Board appointees. B. Staff Reports Assistant General Manager Susanna Chan reported staff and Directors Siemens and Riffle will be attending a meeting on August 7 with Santa Clara County Deputy County Executive Sylvia Gallegos and Director of Planning Jacqueline Onciano to discuss a partnership opportunity for the Bear Creek Stables. Ms. Chan also reported on a partnership with the City of Half Moon Bay for the District to host another contractor outreach event at the City of Half Moon Bay’s Emergency Operations Center of July18. Assistant General Manager Brian Malone provided an update on AB1788. General Manager Ana Ruiz briefed the Directors on the meeting she attended with the Peninsula Working Group and her upcoming meeting with San Jose Water Company. Executive Assistant/Deputy District Clerk Maria Soria reminded the Directors to turn in their annual Form 470 by July 31. C. Director Reports The Board members submitted their compensatory reports. Director Hassett reported he and Director Siemens attended the July 9 Public Information meeting on Highway 17 Regional Trail Connections Study, which was positive and well attended. Director Hassett reported he attended the first Contractor Outreach event that was held at the District office and is pleased the District is partnering with the City of Half Moon Bay and is appreciate of staff efforts on these events. Lastly, Director Hassett reported he attended the June 27 Public Information Workshop held at the District office regarding the Bear Creek Stables Plan. Director Riffle announced he, and Directors Kishimoto and Hassett will be requesting a meeting with the Mayor and Vice Mayor of Portola Valley in regards to the Hawthorns Mansion and potentially the Whites to discuss the Whites’ proposal. Director Riffle commented that this is an informational meeting and no actions will be taken. Once the meeting has occurred, Director Riffle will report to the Board. Meeting 19-18 Page 7 ADJOURNMENT President Siemens adjourned the regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District at 9:10 p.m. ________________________________ Maria Soria, CMC Executive Assistant/Deputy District Clerk page 1 of 4 MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT CLAIMS REPORT MEETING # 19-19 MEETING DATE: July 24, 2019 Fiscal Year to date EFT:48.30% Payment Number Payment Type Payment Date Notes Vendor No. and Name Invoice Description Payment Amount 996 EFT 07/19/2019 *10205 - CALIFORNIA JOINT POWERS INSURANCE AUTHORITY Annual Contribution & Retro Adj, Liab. & WC/All Risk Prop./Pollution Ins Prem 2019-20 639,097.00 1010 EFT 07/19/2019 11352 - HAMMER FENCES Completion of Riparian Fence at Bluebrush Ranch (Contingency - 9,050.00)57,757.00 1008 EFT 07/19/2019 10005 - GRASSROOTS ECOLOGY Nursery Plants for Revegetation Proj - Seed Collection/Vol Stewardship 43,098.96 952 EFT 07/05/2019 10546 - ECOLOGICAL CONCERNS INC Invasive Species Mgmt - LH Thistle Manual May 2019/IPM Implementation - BCR 42,112.00 80334 Check 07/12/2019 12005 - Yerba Buena Engineering & Construction Inc.Replace water line at 12049 LH Road/Drainage/Retention Pits at 4411 Alpine Rd 40,940.58 960 EFT 07/05/2019 12002 - NOLL & TAM ARCHITECTS Professional Services -New Admin Offices (AO) Facility May 2019 39,910.50 956 EFT 07/05/2019 10005 - GRASSROOTS ECOLOGY Hendrys Creek Restoration Project 1/1/19 - 06/15/19 39,412.86 1025 EFT 07/19/2019 12002 - NOLL & TAM ARCHITECTS New Administration Offices (AO) Facility Prof Services June 2019 37,592.00 970 EFT 07/05/2019 10978 - VOLLMAR NATURAL LANDS CONSULTING, LLC Botanical Surveys & Riparian Impact Assessments Feb - May 2019 32,169.40 997 EFT 07/19/2019 10723 - Callander Associates RV Bay Trail Connection Design & Construction Mgmt May 2019 30,516.49 987 EFT 07/12/2019 11751 - STILLWATER SCIENCES Bio monitor for St Cr Bridge Const./Johnston Ranch Hydrology 4/1/19 - 6/2/19 26,199.27 961 EFT 07/05/2019 10925 - Papé Machinery Masticator Brush Mower for Vegetation Management 23,081.84 80304 Check 07/05/2019 11216 - SANTA CLARA COUNTY-LAFCO Annual LAFCO Fees FY19-20 22,012.11 80337 Check 07/19/2019 11396 - AGCO HAY LLC Completion of Driscoll Pasture 1 water line & trough placement 21,447.00 80294 Check 07/05/2019 10463 - DELL BUSINESS CREDIT 10 Laptops, 10 Pens, 10 Chargers and 10 Monitors 21,134.87 995 EFT 07/19/2019 10012 - BIOSEARCH ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING Western Pond Turtle Population Study - 4/1/19 - 6/28/19 18,576.67 80302 Check 07/05/2019 11523 - PGA DESIGN, INC.Alma College Site Rehab Implementation Prof. Srvs - May 2019 18,273.75 951 EFT 07/05/2019 *10214 - Delta Dental July 2019 Dental Premium 17,638.50 1026 EFT 07/19/2019 10099 - SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY American Badger/ Burrowing Owl Habitat Suitability Study 5/1/19 - 6/30/19 16,952.39 1019 EFT 07/19/2019 12051 - Landis Communications, Inc.PR Services Phase 3 - 5/16/19 - 6/14/19 16,533.00 80326 Check 07/12/2019 11005 - SAN MATEO COUNTY PLANNING & BUILDING DEPT Proposed Text Amendments - Permit 15,549.00 1027 EFT 07/19/2019 11432 - SAN MATEO COUNTY RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT Control of Slender False Brome - 4/1/19 - 6/30/19 15,478.22 80341 Check 07/19/2019 11371 - CALFLORA DATABASE Weed Manager 2.0 Development 15,000.00 966 EFT 07/05/2019 10099 - SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY American Badger & Burrowing Owl Habitat Suitability Study May 2019 14,664.03 80376 Check 07/19/2019 11915 - VERONICA YOVOVICH Livestock Protection Policy Literature Review 14,630.00 80375 Check 07/19/2019 11820 - TOP LINE ENGINEERS, INC.Harkins Bridge Replacement - Install Bridge Anchor Bolts 13,252.50 968 EFT 07/05/2019 *10216 - VALLEY OIL COMPANY Fuel for District vehicles 12,917.48 80351 Check 07/19/2019 10304 - LA HONDA PESCADERO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT LHPUSD July 2019 Semi-Annual Tax Compensatory Fee 12,761.46 975 EFT 07/12/2019 11539 - BELZ CONSTRUCTION Bathroom Remodel at 1195 Skyline 11,300.00 80349 Check 07/19/2019 11501 - HARRIS DESIGN BCR Phase 1 Construction Admin & Restroom Design 10,687.38 80327 Check 07/12/2019 10697 - SANDIS Beatty Property Survey Project Professional Services - May 2019 10,158.00 1003 EFT 07/19/2019 10546 - ECOLOGICAL CONCERNS INC Implementation of IPM at South Pasture Expansion Area 10,000.00 1009 EFT 07/19/2019 11593 - H.T. HARVEY & ASSOCIATES RV Bay Trail Environ. Consult./Nesting Bird & Roosting Bat Survey 5/2019 9,567.39 80357 Check 07/19/2019 11930 - R Brothers Painting Inc Paint Exterior & Replace Back Wall of residence at 13130 Skyline Blvd.9,368.00 80312 Check 07/12/2019 11772 - AHERN RENTALS, INC.Equipment Rentals - Excavators for Oljon Trail 6/3/19 - 7/1/19 9,246.48 994 EFT 07/19/2019 11539 - BELZ CONSTRUCTION Girder replacement at 1195 Skyline Boulevard 9,056.60 1017 EFT 07/19/2019 11887 - KOOPMANN RANGELAND CONSULTING Professional Srvs - Prep of Rangeland Mgmt Plan May-Jun 2019 (Johnston Ranch)8,486.00 1022 EFT 07/19/2019 10190 - METROMOBILE COMMUNICATIONS Install Base Station at Deer Hollow Farm 8,304.38 958 EFT 07/05/2019 11778 - LCI - LETTIS CONSULTANTS INTERNATIONAL, INC.BCR Public Access Project Phase II Fault Investigation 8,222.50 984 EFT 07/12/2019 11432 - SAN MATEO COUNTY RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT San Gregorio Stream Gage WY19 8,000.00 953 EFT 07/05/2019 11748 - ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY CONSULTING State Funding Consulting and Lobbying Services & Legislative 7,500.00 80328 Check 07/12/2019 12061 - Sara Grove Pesticide Literature Review 5/1/19 - 6/30/19 7,500.00 979 EFT 07/12/2019 10791 - LSA Associates, Inc.CEQA/permitting for Alpine Road & LHC Loop Trail thru May 31,2019 6,792.31 986 EFT 07/12/2019 11399 - SANTA CLARA VALLEY WATER DISTRICT Costsharing Agreement for Guadalupe River Coordinated Monitoring 6,484.66 80329 Check 07/12/2019 11948 - SEAN E. MCALLISTER Marbled Murrelet Surveys in La Honda OSP 6,359.00 80372 Check 07/19/2019 11961 - Telepath Corporation Install Code 3 on P120 6,341.37 80338 Check 07/19/2019 11772 - AHERN RENTALS, INC.Roller for roadwork in SFO 5,907.85 80323 Check 07/12/2019 11924 - Nomad Ecology King Mtn Manzanita Mitigation Site - Botanical Surveys May 2019 5,817.02 990 EFT 07/12/2019 *11118 - Wex Bank Fuel for District vehicles 5,582.73 980 EFT 07/12/2019 11617 - MIG, INC.ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan - MIG 5,570.74 Finance has started to roll out electronic funds transfer (EFT) for accounts payable disbursements to reduce check printing and mailing, increase payment security, and ensure quicker receipt by vendors page 2 of 4 MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT CLAIMS REPORT MEETING # 19-19 MEETING DATE: July 24, 2019 Fiscal Year to date EFT:48.30% Payment Number Payment Type Payment Date Notes Vendor No. and Name Invoice Description Payment Amount Finance has started to roll out electronic funds transfer (EFT) for accounts payable disbursements to reduce check printing and mailing, increase payment security, and ensure quicker receipt by vendors 80289 Check 07/05/2019 11772 - AHERN RENTALS, INC.Equipment Rental - Dozer for Oljon 06/03/19 - 07/01/19 5,500.04 80291 Check 07/05/2019 10141 - BIG CREEK LUMBER CO INC Complete Upper St. Cr. Trail - Concrete & Lumber/PCR Bridge Lumber 5,335.43 80313 Check 07/12/2019 11863 - ALBION ENVIRONMENTAL INC Mitigation Avoidance Planning & Monitoring - May 2019 (BCR)4,973.06 981 EFT 07/12/2019 10031 - MILLS DESIGN Printing - Brochures, Maps, Posters (BCR)4,970.00 80308 Check 07/05/2019 10387 - WEST-MARK Install Pumper on P122 4,968.87 80321 Check 07/12/2019 10058 - LIEBERT CASSIDY WHITMORE Bay Area Employment Relations Consortium with Subscription 4,715.00 80344 Check 07/19/2019 11420 - DOUG EDWARDS Mow thistles on October Farm 06/30/2019 4,320.00 80315 Check 07/12/2019 11368 - CITY OF CUPERTINO 2019 Santa Clara County Leadership Academy 4,200.00 80295 Check 07/05/2019 11973 - ECOSYSTEMS WEST CONSULTING GROUP Professional Srvs -Biological & Construction Monitoring May - June 2019 4,104.24 80364 Check 07/19/2019 11484 - SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION Grant for Fire Weather Outreach - Monitoring Fire Weather 4,079.00 1001 EFT 07/19/2019 11445 - CROSS LAND SURVEYING INC.Solar easement work with Holley in SA - Kennedy Trail 3,999.00 80370 Check 07/19/2019 10472 - Sommer, Sandra G California Riding and Hiking Trail Research 4/15/19 - 6/30/19 3,992.78 998 EFT 07/19/2019 12036 - Citygate Associates, LLC Planning Department Organizational Project 3,857.93 80322 Check 07/12/2019 12072 - NetFile, Inc.Sub chg for Agency Srvs for Form 700 System 06/28/19 - 06/28/20 3,750.00 1012 EFT 07/19/2019 11859 - Horizon Water and Environment, LLC Programmatic Environmental Permitting Services May 2019 3,674.38 1013 EFT 07/19/2019 10043 - HOWARD ROME MARTIN & RIDLEY LLP Litigation services & strategic advice-Scranton May 2019 3,647.77 1031 EFT 07/19/2019 11780 - TERRY J MARTIN ASSOCIATES SAO (Cristich) Design Dev - Landscape Architect & Doc June 2019 3,359.55 80343 Check 07/19/2019 10463 - DELL BUSINESS CREDIT 2 Laptops 3,277.92 80301 Check 07/05/2019 11129 - PETERSON TRUCKS INC.Vehicle Inspections - WT01, M220, M27, T47, M31, T46, M231, M232 3,225.00 80373 Check 07/19/2019 10307 - THE SIGN SHOP Signage - South Post/BC Stables Equestrian Parking/BCR 3,191.21 977 EFT 07/12/2019 10187 - GARDENLAND POWER EQUIPMENT Materials - Safety helmet, brushcutter & line trimmer & battery packs 3,128.20 80366 Check 07/19/2019 11603 - SAN MATEO COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT Fire Service Fee July 2019 Payment 3,108.27 80320 Check 07/12/2019 11701 - ERIC GOULDSBERRY ART DIRECTION Design and Production of 2019 Budget Action Book 3,037.50 80339 Check 07/19/2019 10706 - BAY AREA NEWS GROUP (MERCURY NEWS)Ad for Bid - Lysons Demo & RV Bay Trail 2,987.76 80354 Check 07/19/2019 11924 - Nomad Ecology King Mtn Manzanita Mitigation Site Botanical Surveys 2,926.75 80358 Check 07/19/2019 11518 - RANCHING BY NATURE Replace water trough in field near residence/Driveway gravel - Toto 2,860.00 1006 EFT 07/19/2019 12016 - EVAN BROOKS ASSOCIATES Grant Writing Services June 2019 2,460.00 967 EFT 07/05/2019 10152 - Tadco Supply Janitorial Supplies (RSA & RSACP)2,437.40 950 EFT 07/05/2019 11975 - CONSOLIDATED ENGINEERING LABORATORIES BCR Public Access-Material Testing and Construction Inspections 2,347.80 974 EFT 07/12/2019 11799 - AZTEC LEASING, INC.Printer/Copier Leases - 6 machines - 06/01/19 through 06/30/19 2,326.07 80353 Check 07/19/2019 11962 - LIVE OAK ASSOCIATES, INC.Beatty Trail Botanical Surveys Services - June 2019 2,290.99 1007 EFT 07/19/2019 11612 - GOODWIN CONSULTING GROUP, INC.GO Bond & Continuing Disclosure Services 2,168.75 1011 EFT 07/19/2019 10222 - HERC RENTALS, INC.Equipment Rental (BCR)1,987.15 972 EFT 07/12/2019 11470 - AECOM TECHNICAL SERVICES, INC.Brush Encroachment - Reporting & Management Plan Lobitos 1,952.88 963 EFT 07/05/2019 *10212 - PINNACLE TOWERS LLC Tower Rental - Skeggs Points July 2019 1,945.05 973 EFT 07/12/2019 *10128 - AMERICAN TOWER CORPORATION Site lease Coyote Creek 1,932.28 80306 Check 07/05/2019 10302 - STEVENS CREEK QUARRY INC Base Rock - ( BCR )1,809.77 80309 Check 07/05/2019 12080 - Wooding Electric Sump Pump Power connection at BCR Upper Lake 1,782.15 80310 Check 07/05/2019 12068 - Champion Cleaning Specialists, Inc.PG & E required video of BCR ped crossing trenching 1,750.00 982 EFT 07/12/2019 11282 - PROELIA DEFENSE AND ARREST TACTICS, LLC Defensive Tactics Training for Patrol Staff 1,749.96 80340 Check 07/19/2019 10830 - BIMARK INC.Silk screen 4-color lapel with Bear Creek Redwoods icon - 500 1,696.13 965 EFT 07/05/2019 12031 - Ray & Jan's Mobile Truck Service 5K SERVICE - A102, P102, M210, M223, M72, M208, M219, P117, M214 1,695.47 80290 Check 07/05/2019 10428 - ALLIANT INSURANCE SERVICES Crime Insurance Premium 2019-20 1,620.00 80346 Check 07/19/2019 10344 - GREG'S TRUCKING SERVICE INC Delivery of Rock (BCR)1,610.00 80331 Check 07/12/2019 10112 - TIMOTHY C. BEST Mindego Pond Review 1,547.50 80305 Check 07/05/2019 *11730 - STANDARD INSURANCE COMPANY RV Basic Life /Supplmental Insurance July 2019 1,529.32 969 EFT 07/05/2019 *10213 - VISION SERVICE PLAN-CA Vision Premium July 2019 1,451.24 989 EFT 07/12/2019 11780 - TERRY J MARTIN ASSOCIATES SAO (Cristich) Design Development - Engineering Consultants 1,400.00 999 EFT 07/19/2019 10352 - CMK AUTOMOTIVE INC Service / Repair - P105, P115, P119 1,387.39 80342 Check 07/19/2019 11318 - CONFLUENCE RESTORATION Bear Creek Redwoods Plant Installation and Maintenance 1,320.00 page 3 of 4 MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT CLAIMS REPORT MEETING # 19-19 MEETING DATE: July 24, 2019 Fiscal Year to date EFT:48.30% Payment Number Payment Type Payment Date Notes Vendor No. and Name Invoice Description Payment Amount Finance has started to roll out electronic funds transfer (EFT) for accounts payable disbursements to reduce check printing and mailing, increase payment security, and ensure quicker receipt by vendors 976 EFT 07/12/2019 11949 - Comcast Business Internet Service June 2019 1,307.23 80374 Check 07/19/2019 10146 - TIRES ON THE GO New tires (P105), Tire Repairs (P119, P112, M205)1,128.56 80330 Check 07/12/2019 11614 - Sequoia Union High School District Transportation from Woodside HS to PCR - 3 trips 1,116.95 80365 Check 07/19/2019 *10136 - SAN JOSE WATER COMPANY Water Service (RSACP)1,085.08 80292 Check 07/05/2019 11379 - CALTRANS Hwy 17 Wildlife Crossing CalTrans Cooperative Agreement 05/19 1,084.07 1014 EFT 07/19/2019 10452 - IFLAND SURVEY Folger Access Easement - June 2019 1,000.00 992 EFT 07/19/2019 10001 - AARON'S SEPTIC TANK SERVICE Septic Tank Service (SA-MtUm)950.00 954 EFT 07/05/2019 11151 - FASTENAL COMPANY Personal Protective Equipment 935.50 80368 Check 07/19/2019 11268 - SANTA CLARA COUNTY PLANNING OFFICE SCC Staff Review Time for Alma Rehab Project 918.00 80303 Check 07/05/2019 11054 - SAN MATEO COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT Training - Essentials of Proj Mgmt, Proposals, Communication Process 915.00 80345 Check 07/19/2019 10654 - DUTRA MATERIALS Rock (BCR)872.15 80299 Check 07/05/2019 10649 - LOS GATOS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Balance due for Planning event 07/09/19 865.00 80371 Check 07/19/2019 10302 - STEVENS CREEK QUARRY INC Rock for stock & Bear Creek Redwoods 834.87 80314 Check 07/12/2019 10815 - AMERICAN RED CROSS Training CPR/AED/BP/First Aid 834.00 80333 Check 07/12/2019 10403 - UNITED SITE SERVICES INC Restrooms for Bear Creek Redwoods Opening Events 763.04 1002 EFT 07/19/2019 11699 - DAKOTA PRESS Printing Services - Highway 17 Postcards 750.00 1005 EFT 07/19/2019 10524 - ERGO WORKS Ergonomic Sit/Stand Monitor Arm & accessories 742.67 1023 EFT 07/19/2019 10031 - MILLS DESIGN Design of Hwy 17 postcard/BCR Brochure/Cooley Landing Legis. Invite 725.75 80369 Check 07/19/2019 10793 - Sherwood Design Engineers Engineering Services for LHC Loop Trail 720.00 948 EFT 07/05/2019 10001 - AARON'S SEPTIC TANK SERVICE Septic Tank Service (RSA & DHF)700.00 949 EFT 07/05/2019 11483 - Cartwright Design Studio Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve Signboard Design 680.00 80363 Check 07/19/2019 10324 - RICH VOSS TRUCKING INC Delivery of Rock (BCR)662.50 80348 Check 07/19/2019 10423 - HARRINGTON INDUSTRIAL PLASTICS Water Filters 615.73 964 EFT 07/05/2019 11519 - PRICE, POSTEL & PARMA LLP Legal Services - Litigation 574.72 80359 Check 07/19/2019 10589 - RECOLOGY SOUTH BAY Garbage Service (RSA)565.92 80317 Check 07/12/2019 11530 - COASTSIDE.NET SFO Internet Service 7/01-7/31/19 550.00 80355 Check 07/19/2019 10578 - OLD REPUBLIC TITLE CO Add'l Fees Due to remove Deed of Trust & Leasehold Subordination 533.00 988 EFT 07/12/2019 10152 - Tadco Supply Janitorial Supplies (RSA & RSACP)522.58 80316 Check 07/12/2019 11792 - CMAG ENGINEERING, INC.Webb Creek Bridge Final Observation & Testing Letter 515.00 80325 Check 07/12/2019 10935 - RICE TRUCKING-SOIL FARM Gravel fill potholes Toto Ranch 2019 driveway repairs 511.62 1030 EFT 07/19/2019 10107 - SUNNYVALE FORD Equipment installation 492.00 1015 EFT 07/19/2019 11041 - INTERSTATE ALL BATTERY CENTER - SILICON VALLEY Batteries for handheld radios 489.96 80362 Check 07/19/2019 10935 - RICE TRUCKING-SOIL FARM Gravel for corral at McDonald Ranch 468.75 1000 EFT 07/19/2019 10544 - CORELOGIC INFORMATION SOLUTION Property research services - June 2019 463.50 955 EFT 07/05/2019 10187 - GARDENLAND POWER EQUIPMENT Linetrimmer heads & blades 434.32 962 EFT 07/05/2019 11144 - Peninsula Motorsports Annual Service - P19, P18 434.03 1004 EFT 07/19/2019 10038 - ERGO VERA Ergonomic Evaluation 418.44 80360 Check 07/19/2019 10195 - REDWOOD GENERAL TIRE CO INC M07 Trailer Tire 417.16 1020 EFT 07/19/2019 11906 - LAW OFFICES OF GARY M. BAUM Special Legal Counsel Services June 2019 392.00 983 EFT 07/12/2019 11479 - Rootid, LLC Website maintenance - 4 retainer hours 378.00 80319 Check 07/12/2019 10184 - CONTINUING EDUCATION OF THE BAR CA Civil Proceed Before Trial 4th Upp 356.96 80335 Check 07/19/2019 12041 - A T & T Mobility (FirstNet)Mobile Device Service 7/3/19 - 8/2/19 352.81 80297 Check 07/05/2019 12079 - Hayward Rubber Stamp 9 Metal Door Signage 334.64 80361 Check 07/19/2019 10093 - RENE HARDOY AO Gardening Services 325.00 80307 Check 07/05/2019 10527 - WASTE MANAGEMENT Debris Disposal (BCR)301.78 80324 Check 07/12/2019 11526 - REPUBLIC SERVICES Monthly Garbage Service - 16060 Skyline 276.13 985 EFT 07/12/2019 11042 - SANTA CLARA COUNTY-OFFICE OF THE SHERIFF Live Scan Service - May 2019 276.00 957 EFT 07/05/2019 10173 - GREEN WASTE SFO Recycle & Garbage 245.66 80352 Check 07/19/2019 10189 - LIFE ASSIST First Aid Supplies 227.50 80318 Check 07/12/2019 **10850 - COMPLETE PEST CONTROL Rodent Eradication at Hawthorn Historic Complex - 6/4, 6/18 200.00 page 4 of 4 MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT CLAIMS REPORT MEETING # 19-19 MEETING DATE: July 24, 2019 Fiscal Year to date EFT:48.30% Payment Number Payment Type Payment Date Notes Vendor No. and Name Invoice Description Payment Amount Finance has started to roll out electronic funds transfer (EFT) for accounts payable disbursements to reduce check printing and mailing, increase payment security, and ensure quicker receipt by vendors 1021 EFT 07/19/2019 11326 - LEXISNEXIS Subscription Service June 2019 198.00 1028 EFT 07/19/2019 10447 - SIMMS PLUMBING & WATER EQUIPMENT Bimonthly water system chlorination at Lobitos Houses 168.23 80288 Check 07/05/2019 12047 - Advantage Utah Business cards - 3 names 161.96 80336 Check 07/19/2019 12047 - Advantage Utah Business cards - 3 names 161.96 993 EFT 07/19/2019 10240 - ACE FIRE EQUIPMENT & SERVICE INC Extinguisher Maintenance 161.47 80296 Check 07/05/2019 10186 - FEDERAL EXPRESS Shipping Charges AO & A02 158.75 80347 Check 07/19/2019 10267 - HALF MOON BAY REVIEW Ad for RFB for Toto Hwy 1 perimeter fence run 6/12 & 6/19 156.00 959 EFT 07/05/2019 10288 - Mission Valley Ford Truck Sales, Inc.M226 Supplies - Oil and Filters 100.65 80293 Check 07/05/2019 11989 - CONIFER CREATIVE, INC.Design Projects completed through 06/11/19 100.00 80332 Check 07/12/2019 12064 - U.S. Mobile Health Exams, Inc.Hearing Evaluation 85.00 991 EFT 07/12/2019 12081 - Wolff, Elena Mileage and parking expenses 64.08 1029 EFT 07/19/2019 10143 - SUMMIT UNIFORMS Sew Patches to Uniform 54.63 1024 EFT 07/19/2019 10288 - Mission Valley Ford Truck Sales, Inc.Vehicle Light/Lens - M26 53.05 80367 Check 07/19/2019 11059 - SAN MATEO COUNTY HEALTH DEPT Tick Test 50.00 80300 Check 07/05/2019 11037 - Occupational Health Centers of Calif. (Concentra)Respiratory Fit Test 47.00 80350 Check 07/19/2019 10421 - ID PLUS INC Ranger Aide name tags 36.50 978 EFT 07/12/2019 10394 - INTERSTATE TRAFFIC CONTROL PRO Supplies for Signs / Counter (BCR)32.67 1016 EFT 07/19/2019 10394 - INTERSTATE TRAFFIC CONTROL PRO Supplies for Signs (BCR)32.67 1018 EFT 07/19/2019 11991 - Kunz Valley Trash, LLC CAO Trash and recycle 19.80 80298 Check 07/05/2019 10421 - ID PLUS INC Ranger Aide name tag 14.50 80356 Check 07/19/2019 10253 - PETERSON TRACTOR CO Tractor Part 8.37 Grand Total 1,673,477.12$ *Annual Claims **Hawthorn Expenses A### = Administrative Office Vehicle GP = General Preserve PCR = Purisima Creek Redwoods SCNT = Stevens Creek Nature Trail AO2, AO3, AO4 = Leased Office Space HR = Human Resources PIC= Picchetti Ranch SCS = Stevens Creek Shoreline Nature Area BCR = Bear Creek Redwoods LH = La Honda Creek PR = Pulgas Ridge SFO = Skyline Field Office CAO = Coastal Area Office LR = Long Ridge RR = Russian Ridge SG = Saratoga Gap CC = Coal Creek LT = Los Trancos RR/MIN = Russian Ridge - Mindego Hill SJH = Saint Joseph's Hill DHF = Dear Hollow Farm M### = Maintenance Vehicle RSA = Rancho San Antonio SR= Skyline Ridge ECdM = El Corte de Madera MB = Monte Bello RV = Ravenswood T### = Tractor or Trailer ES = El Sereno MR = Miramontes Ridge SA = Sierra Azul TC = Tunitas Creek FFO = Foothills Field Office OSP = Open Space Preserve SAO = South Area Outpost TH = Teague Hill FOOSP = Fremont Older Open Space Pres.P### = Patrol Vehicle SAU = Mount Umunhum TW = Thornewood Abbreviations R-19-105 Meeting 19-19 July 24, 2019 AGENDA ITEM 3 AGENDA ITEM Contract Amendment with Timmons Group Inc., for Work Order and Asset Management Software Implementation Services GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION Authorize the General Manager to amend a contract with Timmons Group Inc., for an additional $42,450 to provide professional services for Phase Two of the work order and asset management implementation, for a total amount not-to-exceed $179,450. SUMMARY Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (District) entered into a contract with Timmons Group Inc., in November 2017 to configure and implement a work order and asset management system (Cityworks) for the Land and Facilities Department for a total amount not-to-exceed $137,000. Cityworks went live in May 2019. The recommended contract amendment of $42,450 will allow the Information Systems and Technology Department to implement Phase Two of this project, which includes the expansion of Cityworks to the Natural Resources Department, additional customizations for the Land and Facilities Department, and integration of ADA Transition Plan barrier removal data. There are sufficient funds in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 Budget for expenses in the current fiscal year. Additional funds would be budgeted in FY2020- 21 to complete the work. DISCUSSION The District recently implemented a work order and asset management system, as recommended in the District’s Information and Technology Master Plan. The Land and Facilities Department (L&F) is now transitioning from paper-based work order management to digital. Using Cityworks software, L&F now has the ability to efficiently schedule, plan, manage, and track maintenance activities. The recommended contract amendment would allow the expansion of Cityworks to include other business processes. In August 2017, the District released a RFPQ for professional services to implement and configure this system. Staff identified Timmons Group Inc., (Timmons) as the top vendor due to their robust implementation approach and excellent onsite interview. In November 2017, the District entered into contract with Timmons and the new system went live on May 20, 2019 with L&F. Timmons provided excellent professional services with configuration, implementation, and training. This recommended contract amendment will allow Timmons Group Inc., to provide professional services through Fiscal Years 2019-20 and 2020-2021 to expand the use of Cityworks in the District. Phase Two will include: R-19-105 Page 2 • Natural Resources Department (NR) Integration Step 1: NR will begin implementing Cityworks to schedule, track, and report on resource management activities. This initial stage will focus on configuring Cityworks to automate mitigation maintenance, monitoring, and reporting. Staff will determine next steps for Phase Three by assessing current manual processes and identifying workflows to automate with Cityworks. • Further customization of L&F Workflows: L&F is in the process of converting from paper-based work order management to digital. During the first year post go-live, refinements are anticipated to ensure the system’s ability to support L&F’s daily workflows in a seamless manner. • ADA Transition Plan data migration: Staff will use Cityworks to schedule, track, and report on all ADA barrier removal work. There are over 1,000 ADA barrier removal actions, and Timmons will migrate these data into Cityworks. As the District integrates Cityworks into business processes, further customization may be required to support specialized workflows and new implementations into other departments. These tasks may require additional professional services. Staff will continue to evaluate District business needs as Cityworks is integrated into our IST systems to determine if additional IT services are recommended for future Board consideration. FISCAL IMPACT There are sufficient funds in the adopted FY2019-20 IST department budget to cover the cost of the recommendation. This fiscal year’s cost estimate is equal to the amount budgeted. Additional funds would be budgeted in FY2020-21 to complete the work. BOARD COMMITTEE REVIEW This item was not previously reviewed by a Board committee. PUBLIC NOTICE Public notice was provided as required by the Brown Act. CEQA COMPLIANCE The award of contract is not a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act. NEXT STEPS Following Board approval, the General Manager will amend the contract with Timmons to conduct Phase Two of the Work Order and Asset Management Implementation project. Responsible Department Head: Casey Hiatt, IST Manager, Information Systems and Technology Department Prepared by: Casey Hiatt, IST Manager, Information Systems and Technology Department Rev. 1/3/18 R-19-106 Meeting 19-19 July 24, 2019 AGENDA ITEM 4 AGENDA ITEM Amendment to the Agreement with Grassroots Ecology for Native Planting and Interpretive Work at Cooley Landing GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION Amend the agreement with Grassroots Ecology in the amount of $90,470 to install native plants at Cooley Landing Park and portions of Ravenswood Open Space Preserve during a three-year period beginning July 2019, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $180,470. SUMMARY In September 2016, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District’s (District) Board of Directors (Board) approved an agreement with Grassroots Ecology for native plant restoration and interpretive work at Cooley Landing Park (Cooley Landing) over a three-year period for a total not-to-exceed amount of $90,000 (R-16-116). Grassroots Ecology’s work implements a conceptual planting scheme that was originally developed as part of the overall vision for Cooley Landing. The container planting augments the erosion control hydroseeding that the City of East Palo Alto (City) installed in the first two phases of construction. With the current contract reaching the end of its third and final year, Grassroots Ecology submitted a letter, dated February 26, 2019, to the District’s General Manager requesting an additional $90,470 to support another three years of restoration planting. As before, this next phase of work will continue to enhance and restore habitat at Cooley Landing, provide opportunities for interpretation, expand visitor and volunteer diversity, and encourage stewardship within the community. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 budget includes sufficient funds to cover expenses through June 2020. If approved, future fiscal year budgets would include funds to continue Grassroots Ecology’s work through June 2022. This work is eligible for reimbursement under Measure AA. BACKGROUND In February 2010, the Board authorized a Partnership Agreement with the City for the construction and operation of improvements in the Cooley Landing Area of Ravenswood Open Space Preserve (Preserve) with the goal of developing the site into a city park (R-10-29). Cooley Landing includes portions of the Preserve that extend along the Cooley Landing peninsula. The City completed Phases I (site remediation), II (road and site improvements), III (Education Center), and Phases IV and V (additional park amenities, secondary trails) of the Cooley Landing Vision Plan. The most recent improvements associated with Phases IV and V include a new standalone restroom, street lights, a picnic area, an outdoor classroom and shade structure, interpretive signage, and new seating and pathways around the site. With recent completion of Phases IV and V, the area around the Education Center has re-opened to the public. R-19-106 Page 2 Grassroots Ecology is a local environmental nonprofit that focuses on a broad range of programs, from habitat restoration and native plant propagation to carbon reduction. Their emphasis is on teaching people how to become effective environmental change agents in their communities, neighborhoods, workplaces, and schools. They serve as an outdoor steward of Cooley Landing under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City, allowing Grassroots Ecology to organize community workdays to implement habitat restoration activities, conduct site clean ups, and host interpretive walks and other events that educate youth and community members about bayland ecology. DISCUSSION Since 2016 and over the last three years , Grassroots Ecology has conducted over 70 work events at Cooley Landing with over 2,000 students and volunteers. Volunteers installed hundreds of plants in various locations around the site. As part of their scope of work, Grassroots Ecology completed revegetation of bioswales along the existing drive into Cooley Landing, added native plants at key focal areas around the Cooley Landing Education Center and throughout the site, and coordinated with construction activities associated with Phases IV and V. Under a separate contract with the City, Grassroots Ecology also installed native plants around a new picnic area and restroom. As part of their current contract, Grassroots Ecology also worked with a local artist, Linda Gass, to convert a temporary land art installation into a more permanent interpretive feature using native plants. In 2015, Ms. Gass was selected to participate with three other artists in the Palo Alto Art Center and Junior Museum and Zoo's Creative Ecology Art and Science Residency. During her residency, she worked with art and science educators and the community to explore Cooley Landing, and together created a temporary land art installation loosely depicting the original shoreline before dumping activities created what is now the Cooley Landing peninsula. Building on the success of the installation and its educational value, the temporary land art has become a unique, interactive, three-dimensional feature with two new interpretive panels. The proposed amendment between the District and Grassroots Ecology spans three years beginning in July 2019 and includes installation of native plantings at focal points around the park, a native plant trash screen by the parking lot, and an ethnobotany garden (Attachment 1). This work will continue to enhance, beautify and restore habitat at Cooley Landing while also expanding visitor and volunteer diversity, providing educational opportunities, and encouraging stewardship within the community. Grassroots Ecology continues to pursue new grant opportunities to enhance their work at Cooley Landing. District funding has been instrumental in securing other grants because Grassroots Ecology can leverage it as matching funds. Some of the grantors include the Packard Foundation, Bohannon Foundation, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. FISCAL IMPACT The FY2019-20 adopted budget includes $35,000 for the Cooley Landing Interpretive Facilities Design and Implementation project (MAA02-001). There are sufficient funds in the project budget to cover the recommended action and expenditures through June 2020. Additional funds would be requested in future year budgets as part of the annual Budget and Action Plan process. R-19-106 Page 3 Cooley Landing Interpretive Facilities Design and Implementation MAA02-001 Prior Year Actuals FY2019- 20 Projected FY2020- 21 Projected FY2021- 22 Projected Estimated Future Years TOTAL MAA02-001 Budget: $869,569 $35,000 $30,000 $25,470 $0 $960,039 Spent-to-Date (as of 06/24/19): ($869,569) $0 $0 $0 $0 ($869,569) Encumbrances: ($488,561) $0 $0 $0 $0 ($488,561) Grassroots Ecology Contract Amendment: $0 ($35,000) ($30,000) ($25,470) $0 ($90,470) Budget Remaining (Proposed): ($488,561) $0 $0 $0 $0 ($488,561) The following table outlines the Measure AA Portfolio #02, Bayfront Habitat Protection and Public Access Partnerships, budget, costs-to-date, and the fiscal impact related to the Cooley Landing Interpretive Facilities Design and Implementation project (MAA02-001). This project supports wetland restoration and associated interpretive facilities MAA02 Portfolio Allocation: $5,052,000 Life-to-Date Spent (as of 06/24/19): ($1,670,552) Encumbrances: ($564,991) Grassroots Ecology Contract Amendment: ($90,470) Portfolio Balance Remaining (Proposed): $2,725,987 BOARD COMMITTEE REVIEW This item was not previously reviewed by a Committee. The previous agreement with Grassroots Ecology was approved by the full Board on September 27, 2016 (R-16-116). PUBLIC NOTICE Public notice was provided as required by the Brown Act. CEQA COMPLIANCE In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Cooley Landing Vision Plan was certified by the East Palo Alto City Council on February 15, 2011. No further CEQA review is required. NEXT STEPS Pending Board approval, the District will execute the amendment with Grassroots Ecology. Attachment 1. Grassroots Ecology letter dated February 26, 2019 and proposed planting plan Responsible Department Head: Jane Mark, AICP, Planning Manager R-19-106 Page 4 Prepared by: Tina Hugg, PLA, ASLA, Senior Planner, Planning Department February 26, 2019 Board of Directors Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District 330 Distel Circle Los Altos, CA 94022 Re: Cooley Landing Native Planting Project Dear Members of the Board: Thank you for this opportunity to share our proposal for Measure AA funds to support community-based implementation of native plantings at Cooley Landing to further implement the 2010 Vision Plan for Cooley Landing. This request is in alignment with one of the goals of the Measure AA funds: to restore and enhance open space lands. Grassroots Ecology has been working with the City of East Palo Alto and the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District over the last three years to carry out native plantings at key locations at Cooley Landing. This capital improvement work could not have happened without the support of a prior round of Measure AA funding from the District. Now, with the latest construction at the site complete, we are ready to implement the next round of planting projects to enhance habitat value, beautify the site for all users, and support educational activities at the park. Over the last 3 years we have involved 2,200 students and volunteers in hands-on activities at Cooley Landing. We are requesting a total of $90,470 over the next three years to support the capital aspects of our stewardship work, as outlined in the attached proposal. Other elements of our program, including interpretive events, education, trash cleanups, and invasive plant removal, will be funded by other sources. District funding is instrumental in securing other grants because we can leverage it as matching funds. We greatly appreciate your consideration of the Cooley Landing Planting Project for inclusion in the FY 2019-20 Budget and Action Plan. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. We look forward to continuing our partnerships with the District at this important open space. Sincerely, Alex Von Feldt Executive Director Attachment 1 Cooley Landing Native Planting Project Proposed Scope of Work February 20, 2019 Grassroots Ecology requests Measure AA funding to continue to implement elements of the Vision Plan for Cooley Landing (City of East Palo Alto, 2010), as outlined below. Background Grassroots Ecology is currently serving as Outdoor Steward of Cooley Landing under a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of East Palo Alto. Under the MOU, Grassroots Ecology is authorized to organize community workdays to carry out habitat restoration and trash cleanups and to host interpretive walks and other events that educate youth and community members on bayland ecology. District Measure AA funding to date has supported the habitat restoration and capital improvement portions of this work. We have now completed the following: ●Installed plantings at focal point sites as shown in Figure 1, attached. These sites included the area around a seating plaza near the main parking lot, and the “central swale,” a low point in the landscape where hydroseed had been overtaken by invasive Italian thistle and mustard. ●Worked with local artist Linda Gass to install an approximately 200-foot long line of Juncus patens that marks the historic shoreline prior to the landfill operation at Cooley Landing. The artist also designed an interpretive panel about the installation, which was produced and installed by the City of East Palo Alto as part of their overall signage program for the site. ●Prepared, planted and established native species in the 600-foot long bioswale along the access drive. These planting projects were implemented through workdays with community volunteers, service groups, and schools, with the goal of involving as many people as possible in hands-on restoration and learning. Since the beginning of the project in July 2016, Grassroots Ecology worked with 2,200 volunteers at the site, with about 75% youth. We have connected with local community and youth groups including College Track, Eastside Prep, East Palo Alto Charter School (EPACS), East Palo Alto Stanford Academy (EPASA), Menlo-Atherton High School, Woodside High School Green Academy, The Primary School in East Palo Alto, California WorkAbility Program, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Youth Community Service Summer Program (YCS), and numerous other middle and high schools in the area. One of our key partnerships is with San Mateo County’s Youth Exploring Sea Level Rise Science (YESS) program, which brings high school students to Cooley Landing to learn about sea level rise issues and participate in hands-on restoration. County staff have provided the educational element while Grassroots Ecology took students out to install plants. Eleven field trips were held through this partnership, bringing 311 students to the site. Using the Measure AA funds as “seed funding” for the capital improvement components of site stewardship, we were able to raise additional money from other sources to offer a full range of programs at this site, including Coastal Cleanup Day trash cleanups, interpretive programs such as bird watching and scavenger hunts, and invasive plant removal with volunteers throughout the preserve. These efforts were supported through other (non-Measure AA) funding sources secured by Grassroots Ecology and are integral to the overall stewardship effort at Cooley Landing. Attachment 1 Project Goals Our overall goal is to establish a diversity of native plants that will enhance the basic erosion control hydroseeding at Cooley Landing in order to support wildlife, to beautify the park for visitors, and to support educational activities that occur at the park. We will work towards this goal by following the Cooley Landing Vision Plan that was laid out for the park through a public process. That process identified “explore locally relevant environmental and historical topics,” “protect native habitat,” and “become a showpiece by and for East Palo Alto” among its priorities for the park. Figure 1, attached, shows completed and proposed future planting areas using the conceptual site plan from the Vision Plan document as a base. In addition to planting at “focal point” trail junctions and viewing areas, Grassroots Ecology proposes to further enhance native habitat with additional planting in the marsh-upland transition zone boundary, strategic planting to mitigate trash blowing into the bay, and a traditional plant uses garden to support educational programs. We will also continue to pursue other funding sources to support our interpretive programs, education, and preserve-wide invasives removal. Proposed Project We propose to carry out the following tasks over the next three years: Task 1: Project Planning, Outreach, and Coordination ●Reporting to MROSD on a quarterly basis ●Coordination with the City of East Palo Alto ●Public outreach, including presentations to MROSD Board of Directors and the East Palo Alto City Council as needed ●Budget tracking and project management Task 2: Native Planting of Trail Junctions and Marsh Transition Zones ●Continue to implement the Cooley Landing Vision Plan with the installation of native plantings at trail junctions and focal points. The latest phase of construction included a new segment of trail that is closer to the bayshore; we have not planted in this area before because we were waiting for construction to finish. ●Enhance upland refugia immediately adjacent to marsh habitat by installing appropriate native species to provide cover during high water events. Task 3: Native Plant Trash Screen by Parking Lot ●The first (west) parking lot is a site that we have observed to be heavily impacted by litter. In order to reduce the trash that is likely blowing into the bay, Grassroots Ecology proposes to plant the 3,000-square foot area adjacent to the parking lot with native plants that can help to capture the trash. We often incorporate trash pickup as part of our volunteer workdays as it is also a good point of education for people to see where trash is coming from and how it can impact waterways. By using a diverse palette of native plants, this zone will also support many native insects and birds as well as provide additional transition zone refugia in high tide events. Task 4: Ethnobotany Garden ●Design and install an ethnobotany garden area to showcase plants used for traditional purposes. The purpose of the garden would be for education and use in Grassroots Ecology’s interpretive programs as well as by community partners. Often native plant installations focus on the benefits of wildlife and the natural environment. This garden would be an opportunity for the community to learn about and connect with native California plant species on a cultural level. The location of the garden will be determined in partnership with the City and MROSD. We would like to see how the recently hydroseeded areas perform, as it is possible that some sections could be a good site for a garden. Grassroots Ecology will seek input from the local community of East Palo Alto in designing the garden. Attachment 1 Budget Total budget for the above tasks is $90,470 over 3 years (July 2019 - June 2022) Task 1: Project Planning, Outreach and Coordination $17,820 Task 2: Native Planting of Trail Junctions $23,750 Task 3: Native Plant Trash Screen by Parking Lot $26,250 Task 4: Ethnobotany Garden $22,650 Total $90,470 Photos of Volunteer Events Community Workday Great Backyard Bird Count Planting the Living Shoreline Eastside Prep at Coastal Cleanup Day Youth Exploring Sea Level Rise Science (YESS) Earth Day Community Event on the Bioswale Attachment 1 COO G CITY OF EAST PALO ALTO June 10, 2010 CALLANDER ASSOCIATES THE ACORN GROUPRON YEO FAIA ARCHITECT 09058ConceptPlan_100113.indd © 2010 Callander Associates Landscape Architecture, Inc. 0 15’ 30’ 60’ (12) Gravel Stalls (2) Motorcycle Stalls (4) Accessible Stalls Turnaround and Parking Área de Retorno de Carros Concept Plan - Alternative Parking Conﬁ guration Bay Road Existing Parking (partially dedicated to Ravenswood Open Space Preserve) Estacionamiento Existentes (parte dedicada a la Ravenswood Open Space Preserve) Expanded Parking Estacionamiento Ampliado Secured Access Gate Puertas de Acceso Seguro Secondary Unpaved Trail Camino Secundario sin Pavimento Historical Dredge Interpretive Area and Windbreak Área Interpretativo de Dragado Histórica y Cortavientos Overlook Puesto de Observación Viewing Pier Muelle de Observación Flexible Use Zone (exhibits, events, etc.) Zona de uso ﬂ exible (exposiciones, eventos, etc.) Restored Tidal Marsh Pantano de Marea Restaurado Boat House Building Ediﬁ cio de Casa de Bote Open Meadow Prado Abierto Alignment presented at Community Workshop #2 Gravel Overﬂ ow (20 Stalls) Cantilevered Overlook/ Fishing Pier Vista Voladizo / Muelle de Pesca Outdoor Classroom Aula al Aire Libre Picnic Tables Mesas de Picnic Viewing and Interpretive Area Área de Vistas y Rótulos Interpretativos Security Lighting with Non-Glare Fixture, Typ. Iluminación de Seguridad con Pantalla Anti-reﬂ ectiva Main Paved Trail (Approx. 1/3 mile) Camino Principal Pavimentado (aprox. 1/3 de milla) Split-Rail Fencing Esgrima de división-ferroviario Bay Trail A A’ B B’ Overﬂ ow Parking Area Área de Estacionamiento Extra RestroomsBaños Existing Pedestrian Bridge Puente peatonal existente Picnic Tables Mesas de Picnic Entry Plaza and Gathering Area Plaza de Entrada y Área para Reuniones Viewing and Interpretive Area Área de Vistas y Rótulos Interpretativos Bike Racks Porta- bicicletasSeating Area Zona de asientos Grass Overﬂ ow Parking (25 stalls) Mowed for Events Wetland Pantanos/homedales Existing Tree, Typ. Árbol existente MROSD Parking Expansion (7 Stalls) Trash Enclosure Family Water Access Area Área del acceso del agua para las familias City of East Palo Alto City of Menlo Park City of East Palo Alto City of Menlo Park Ravenswood Open Space Preserve Owned by MROSD; City of Menlo Park Jurisdiction Baylands Nature Preserve Owned by City of Palo Alto; City of East Palo Alto Jurisdiction Owned by MROSD; City of East Palo Alto Jurisdiction Attachment 1 Rev. 1/3/18 R-19-101 Meeting 19-19 July 24, 2019 AGENDA ITEM 5 AGENDA ITEM Contract Award to Ecological Concerns, Inc., for vegetation management services under the Revitalizing Stream, Upland, and Wetland Habitats grant program funded by the Santa Clara Valley Water District GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Award a contract with Ecological Concerns, Inc., of Santa Cruz, California to provide vegetation management services in Santa Clara County for a base contract amount of $107,990 for Fiscal Year 2019-20. 2. Authorize the General Manager to extend the contract for three additional consecutive years, if the program is successful, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $431,960 over the four-year term (amount fully reimbursable through a Valley Water grant). 3. Authorize an additional allowance of $25,000 per fiscal year for materials, supplies, and associated labor costs (up to a total of $100,000 for four years), to be expended as needed at the District’s sole discretion, for a total not-to-exceed contract price of $531,960. The total contract price (all four years of work) is reimbursable through a Memorandum of Understanding and grant from the Santa Clara Valley Water District. SUMMARY This contract will allow the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District’s (District) to implement a portion of the five year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water), funding the removal of non-native, invasive plants and revegetate habitat with native species as needed at multiple District open space preserves (OSP) in Santa Clara County. The project will restore degraded habitat located between revegetated sites to create a contiguous habitat corridor for wildlife. The invasive species management work under the recommended contract consists of manual, mechanical, biological, and chemical treatments that are consistent with the District’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program. The cost for these services is $107,990 per fiscal year, for a total contract amount of $431,960. In addition, an allowance of $25,000 per fiscal year ($100,000 total over four years) for materials and supplies would increase the total not to exceed contract amount to $531,960. The entire contract amount is reimbursable under a grant received from Valley Water for revitalizing stream, upland, and wetland habitats. The adopted Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 budget includes sufficient funds for this contract. R-19-101 Page 2 DISCUSSION Background The District manages invasive plants on OSPs “to protect and restore the natural environment,” with the goal of safeguarding the diversity and integrity of the natural resources and ecological processes. District field staff, contractors, non-government organizations (e.g. San Jose Conservation Corps and the Student Conservation Corps), and volunteers all assist in management of vegetation on OSPs. The District uses contractors most frequently for large infestations and for invasive species that have very specific treatment timing. District staff oversee the work of contractors, which includes monitoring by District-approved biologists when contractors are working near sensitive areas such as ponds with rare aquatic species. The District uses IPM practices when managing invasive plants and weeds, and contractors are required to follow thirty-six (36) best management practices to protect the environment and human health. Valley Water provides funding for this program through its Measure B, the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program. Valley Water established this 15-year program to provide a long-term safe and reliable water supply within Santa Clara County. In June of 2017, the Board of Directors (Board) authorized the General Manger to enter into a five year MOU with Valley Water under the D2: Revitalize Stream, Upland and Wetland Habitat Program (R-17-79). This program is one of five priority programs under Measure B. Funding under this program is directed towards removing non-native, invasive plants, revegetating habitat with native species, and educating the public about the impacts of invasive species and benefits of native species. The full contract amount of $531,960 is eligible for reimbursement. Contractor Selection The District issued an RFB on May 20, 2019 and advertised in local newspapers and on the District website. Staff notified sixteen (16) firms known to have experience providing vegetation management in natural area environments. Two (2) firms attended the mandatory pre-bid tour on June 4, 2019. Staff issued addendums on June 7 and June 19 of 2019 clarifying questions on the RFB during and after the pre-bid tour. Bids were due on June 24, 2019. The results are as follows: Bidder Location Annual Base Bid Percent of Cost Estimate of $125,000 1 Ecological Concerns, Inc. Santa Cruz, CA $107,990 86% 2 Triangle Properties Sacramento, CA $128,975 103% District staff deemed Ecological Concerns, Inc. the lowest responsible and responsive bidder for the project. The duration of the contract will be for a one-year term for at the base bid of $107,990 with an option for both parties to extend the contract annually up to a total of four years, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $431,960. In addition, District staff recommend a $25,000 per fiscal year allowance ($100,000 total over four years) for materials, supplies, and associated labor costs, bringing the total contract amount to $531,960. This allowance will facilitate the District’s ability to quickly respond to and mitigate potential ecological concerns, such as by authorizing the installation of erosion control or revegetation where large areas of R-19-101 Page 3 invasive plants are removed. It will also allow the District to fully utilize the grant funds for the purposes intended by Valley Water. FISCAL IMPACT There are sufficient funds in the adopted FY2019-20 Budget to cover the cost of the recommendation. The Valley Water grant will cover the entire cost of the Ecological Concerns contract. Grant funds will be applied to cover Fund 10 operating expenses at multiple District OSPs within Santa Clara County and the Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve Plan Invasive Weed Treatment and Restoration project (MAA21-007). The table below identifies how the grant funds will be utilized between Funds 10 and 30, followed by project and portfolio funding tables. There are sufficient funds in the MAA21-007 project budget to cover the Measure AA-eligible expenditures. Ecological Concerns Contract (100% funded by Valley Water grant) FY 2019-20 FY 2020-21 FY 2021-22 FY 2022-23 TOTAL Fund 10 (Multiple preserves*) $32,990 $82,990 $107,990 $132,990 $356,960 Fund 30 (MAA21-007) $100,000 $50,000 $25,000 $0 $175,000 Total: $132,990 $132,990 $132,990 $132,990 $531,960 *Multiple preserves may include: Sierra Azul, Fremont Older, El Sereno, Rancho San Antonio, Bear Creek Redwoods, and Picchetti Ranch. Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve Plan Invasive Weed Treatment and Restoration MAA21-007 Prior Year Actuals FY2019-20 Adopted Estimated Future Years TOTAL District Funded: $419,880 $76,807 $45,000 $541,687 Grants Awarded: $307,042 $100,000 $75,000 $482,042 MAA21-007 Budget: $726,922 $176,807 $120,000 $1,023,729 Spent-to-Date (as of 07/09/2019): ($726,922) $0 $0 ($726,922) Encumbrances: $0 $0 $0 $0 Ecological Concerns Contract: $0 ($100,000) ($75,000) ($175,000) Budget Remaining (Proposed): $0 $76,807 $45,000 $121,807 The following table outlines the Measure AA Portfolio 21 allocation, costs-to-date, and the fiscal impact related to the Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve Plan Invasive Weed Treatment and Restoration project (MAA21-007). MAA21 Portfolio Allocation: $17,478,000 Grants awarded to date: $3,924,500 Life-to-Date Spent (as of 07/09/19): ($7,646,979) FY2019-20 Encumbrances: ($3,382,512) Ecological Concerns Contract: ($175,000) Portfolio Balance Remaining (Proposed): $10,198,009 R-19-101 Page 4 BOARD COMMITTEE REVIEW The Board approved the MOU between the District and Valley Water on June 28, 2017 (R-17- 79). A Board Committee has not reviewed this item. PUBLIC NOTICE Public notice was provided as required by the Brown Act. Public notice was sent to interested parties and tenants by postal or electronic mail. CEQA COMPLIANCE The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prepared for the District’s IPM Program, which the Board approved on December 10, 2014 (R-14-148), analyzed the vegetation management activities in the recommended contract. On February 27, 2019, the Board approved an addendum to the Final EIR for the IPM Program (R-19-11). The associated mitigation measures and BMPs from the environmental review documents are incorporated into the project and the contract documents. NEXT STEPS Upon approval by the Board, the General Manager will enter into a one-year contract with Ecological Concerns, Inc., of Santa Cruz, CA. If the program is successful in the first year, the District will extended the contract annually for a contract duration of up to four years. Responsible Department Head: Kirk Lenington, Natural Resources Prepared by: Coty Sifuentes, Senior Resource Management Specialist, Natural Resources Contact person: Tom Reyes, Integrated Pest Management Coordinator, Natural Resources Rev. 1/3/18 R-19-103 Meeting 19-19 July 24, 2019 AGENDA ITEM 6 AGENDA ITEM Amendment to Saratoga-to-the-Sea Trail Partnership Agreement between the City of Saratoga and the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION 1. Authorize the General Manager to amend the Partnership Agreement with the City of Saratoga to provide funding assistance for the permitting and construction phase of the Saratoga-to-the-Sea Trail. 2. Find that the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, acting as a Responsible Agency, concurs with the City of Saratoga’s Certification of the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Saratoga-to-the-Sea Trail Project. SUMMARY On June 27, 2018 the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District’s (District) Board of Directors (Board) approved a Partnership Agreement to support the City of Saratoga’s (City) Saratoga-to- the-Sea Trail project (Project), an approximately 3-mile regional trail connecting people from downtown Saratoga to the Pacific Ocean (R-18-73). The District has provided technical support and committed $265,000 towards the initial phase of work (engineering design and environmental review), which is in the final stage of completion. The City is now poised to move the project into permitting and the first phase of construction. The current cost estimate puts the project at $2.23 million, and through this amendment, the District would provide an additional $1.1 million towards the permitting and construction of the trail and bridges that will occur in two phases. The District’s total contribution would be $1.365 million; all expenses are eligible for Measure AA reimbursement. The City is providing the remaining $1.127 million as a local match. DISCUSSION The City obtained a trail easement on San Jose Water Company lands to construct the approximately 3-mile regional trail that will connect Saratoga Quarry Park and Sanborn County Park. Since July 2018, the City initiated engineering design and environmental review, and both are nearing completion. The District provided technical support and funding during the process. Over the last year, the City, District, and Santa Clara County Parks have met to discuss the trail design and environmental review process. Timothy Best, the City’s Engineering Geologist consultant, took District field staff on a site tour to review the proposed trail alignment and observe the locations of four bridge crossings. In addition, Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian has convened quarterly meetings with the City, District, and Santa Clara County Parks R-19-103 Page 2 staff to provide, in his capacity, support from the County Board of Supervisors and monitor progress. County Parks is committed to constructing a trail segment in Sanborn County Park to connect to the City’s new trail into Saratoga Quarry Park. The target date for opening the trail is Labor Day 2020. Due to the ambitious timeline, the City proposes to construct the trail and bridges in two phases. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20, the first phase would include construction of the trail and permitting for the bridges. In FY2020-21, after the City secures permits, the second phase would include construction of the bridges. The current cost estimate for both phases of work is approximately $2.23 million due to the construction of four bridges and existing steep topography that will make access and construction challenging. The City, as the Lead Agency of the project, prepared an Initial Study and Mitigate Negative Declaration (IS/MND) and posted the IS/MND for 30-day public review period from May 17, 2019 to June 17, 2019. The IS/MND is available on the City’s web page for the July 3, 2019 City Council meeting at https://www.saratoga.ca.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07032019-480. As stated in the Partnership Agreement, the District is a Responsible Agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The City shared the draft IS/MND with the District; District staff reviewed and provided comments on the project description and reviewed the IS/MND . On July 3, 2019, at the conclusion of the 30-day public review period, the City of Saratoga’s City Council certified the IS/MND. The City adopted mitigation measures to mitigate the project’s potential impacts related to biological and cultural resources, geology and soils, and construction-related noise to a less than significant level. On January 22, 2019, in advance of the District’s annual Budget and Action Plan cycle, and the first Board retreat on February 28, 2019, City Manager James Lindsay sent a letter to the District’s General Manager requesting additional funding towards the permitting and construction phase of the project. The City requests funding assistance in the amount of $1.1 million to continue the project into permitting and construction. The City would provide $1.127 million as a local match. Proposed terms of the Amendment between the District and the City include the following: • The District contributes up to $1.1 million toward the funding of construction; • The City consults and keeps the District informed during design and construction; and • The City retains responsibility for patrol, operation, maintenance and management of the Project. FISCAL IMPACT The adopted FY2019-20 budget includes $550,000 for the Saratoga-to-Sea Regional Trail Connection project (MAA18-002). The District’s total contribution for this project is projected at $1.365 million, including $265,000 from General Fund Capital Fund 40 (VP18-001) and $1.1 million from Measure AA Fund 30 (MAA18-002). The District continues to monitor opportunities for applicable grants that the City may apply for. The City has budgeted an additional $1,127,353 in its FY2019-20 Capital Program towards the project’s permitting and construction phase. R-19-103 Page 3 The following table outlines the Saratoga-to-Sea Regional Trail Connection project budget: Saratoga-to-Sea Regional Trail Connection Prior Year Actuals FY2019- 20 Adopted FY2020- 21 Projected FY2021- 22 Projected Estimated Future Years TOTAL VP18-001 Budget: $265,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $265,000 MAA18-002 Budget: $0 $550,000 $550,000 $0 $0 $1,100,000 Total Project Funding $265,000 $550,000 $550,000 $0 $0 $1,365,000 Spent-to-Date (as of 7/01/19): ($123,919) $0 $0 $0 $0 ($123,919) Encumbrances: $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Budget Remaining (Proposed): $141,081 $550,000 $550,000 $0 $0 $1,241,081 The following table outlines the Measure AA Portfolio 18 budget, costs-to-date, and the fiscal impact related to the Partnership Agreement amendment. MAA18 Portfolio Allocation: $1,365,000 Life-to-Date Spent (as of 07/01/19): ($3,850) Saratoga-to-Sea Regional Trail Connection (MAA18-002) Partnership Agreement: ($1,100,000) Encumbrances (as of 07/01/19): $0 Portfolio Balance Remaining (Proposed): $261,150 BOARD COMMITTEE REVIEW The Action Plan and Budget Committee reviewed the terms of the Agreement on May 30, 2018 (R-18-51). PUBLIC NOTICE Public notice was provided as required by the Brown Act. CEQA COMPLIANCE Consideration of partnership agreements is not a project subject to CEQA. The City of Saratoga’s City Council has certified the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Saratoga to the Sea Trail, for which the City is using the title “Saratoga to Sanborn Trail” to more accurately reflect the physical connection to the Santa Clara County Parks’ Sanborn County Park. The District, acting as a Responsible Agency, concurs with the City’s certification of the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Project (Attachments 3 and 4). NEXT STEPS Following the City of Saratoga’s City Council and Board approval of the proposed Amendment, the City will continue work towards permitting for the bridges and initiating trail construction in Fall 2019. District staff will provide ongoing support to the City. R-19-103 Page 4 Task City’s Current Schedule City Council certifies IS/MND July 3, 2019 District Board of Directors approves Amendment to the Partnership Agreement July 24, 2019 City Council approves the Amendment August 21, 2019 City begins trail construction Fall 2019 City begins bridge construction Spring 2020 Trail opens to the public September 2020 Attachments 1. City of Saratoga funding request letter dated January 24, 2019 2. Amendment to Partnership Agreement 3. City of Saratoga Resolution 4. City of Saratoga Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program Responsible Department Head: Jane Mark, AICP, Planning Department Prepared by: Tina Hugg, PLA, ASLA, Senior Planner, Planning Department Attachment 1 ENGINEERING GEOLOGY  GEOMORPHOLOGY  HYDROLOGY TIMOTHY C. BEST, CEG ENGINEERING GEOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY 1002 Columbia Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (831) 425‐5832 ● Fax: (831) 425‐5830 ● e‐mail: timbest@coastgeo.com MEMORANDUM DATE: December 26, 2018 (revised) TO: Emma Burkhalter John Cherbone City of Saratoga – Public Works SUBJECT: PLANNING LEVEL CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATE: SARATOGA TO THE SEA TRAIL This memo presents two planning level construction cost estimates for the 2.9 mile long Saratoga to the Sea multi‐use trail. The first estimate (TCB/MIDPEN) is generated using information provided to us by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MIDPEN) pertaining to their 2018 construction of the Oljon Trail coupled with our past experience working on other similar trail projects. This estimate is summarized in Appendix 1. We also requested Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBOSC) provide a preliminary construction estimate for trail construction exclusive of the trail bridges. We reviewed the trail alignment with Drew Perkins (MBOSC) earlier this week. Their cost estimate is summarized in Appendix 2. MBOSC has considerable trail building experience and has recently constructed a similar trail in Scotts Valley. Because we have only recently received their estimate we have not had time to review it in detail. An overview of the two cost estimates are listed in Table 1. It appears that the difference in the two cost estimates is primarily due to differences in anticipated rates of trail construction, particularly across the steeper side slopes and rocky terrain. TABLE 1: COMPARISON OF COST ESTIMATES ITEM TCB/MIDPEN MBOSC TRAIL CONSTRUCTION ONLY $1,101,079 $382,243 BRIDGE INSTALLATION ONLY $479,750 ‐ SIGNAGE $30,000 ‐ CONTRACTOR OVERHEAD AND ADMIN $158,083 $152,897 CONSTRUCTION OBSERVATION (4%) $63,233 ‐ CONTINGENCY (25%) $395,207 ‐ TOTAL $2,227,353 $535,140* Attachment 1 Page 2 December 26, 2018 (revised) S2S Planning Construction Cost Estimate TIMOTHY C. BEST, CEG Don Mackessy (MIDPEN) reported that the District’s crew (3 laborers and 1 equipment operator) was able to construct an average of 70 feet of trail per day including retaining walls, fords, and puncheons but excluding the bridges and mobilization. MBOSC reports that their production rate with a similar size crew and across similar terrain is nearly twice the rate of MIDPEN. We plan to discuss the differences in cost estimates and rates of trail construction with both MIDPEN and MBOSC to gain greater clarity on the most appropriate production rate to use for the Saratoga to the Sea project. Limitations on cost estimate In addition to the uncertainty as to rates of trail production stated above, there are several other factors that can affect trail construction costs which will need to be considered. 1. Presence of rocky substrate: Portions of the proposed trail will need to traverse slopes underlain by rocky substrate (bedrock) at a shallow depth. Depending on the characteristics of the shallow bedrock this can significantly affect the rate of trail construction. We have made an estimate from field observations as to areas where shallow bedrock is most likely to be encountered and where that may affect trail construction. IF additional rock is encountered the cost of trail construction could be higher. 2. Modifications in trail alignment: Any modifications to the current alignment could increase construction costs. Moreover, the current length of trail is based on a GIS measurement which may differ from a final field measurement. 3. Biological monitoring: It is unknown if there will be biological restrictions (e.g. exclusion fencing) or if biological monitors will be required. These cost estimates do not capture these costs. 4. Contracting: How the construction contract is executed can affect contractor bid costs. Contact factors include but are not limited to time of bidding, contract terms, payment schedule, contract environment, bonding requirements, and construction window. 5. Future construction costs escalation: Construction costs in the Bay Area have continued to escalate significantly, and future construction costs could be much higher based on this trend. I look forward to our meeting on December 21 where we will discuss these findings. Sincerely, Timothy C. Best Attachment 1 Page 3 December 26, 2018 (revised) S2S Planning Construction Cost Estimate TIMOTHY C. BEST, CEG APPENDIX 1: TCB/MIDPEN PRELIMINARY COST ESTIMATE and UNIT PRICE ASSUMPTIONS APPENDIX 1: TCB/MIDPEN PRELIMINARY COST ESTIMATE CATEGORY ITEM QUANTITY UNIT UNIT RATE COST MOBILIZATION 3% LS ‐ $38,557 CLEARING AND GRUBBING Included in trail construction cost ‐ ‐ ‐ $‐ TREE REMOVAL Remove root wad > 8 inch DBH 12 EACH $590 $ 7,080 TRAIL CONSTRUCTION <30% slopes (easy) 1693 LF $26 $43,172 TRAIL CONSTRUCTION 30% to 50% slopes (easy ‐ mod) 4784 LF $41 $195,187 TRAIL CONSTRUCTION 50% to 65% slopes (moderate) 5232 LF $64 $333,540 TRAIL CONSTRUCTION >65% Slopes (mod ‐ hard) 3005 LF $85 $255,425 TRAIL CONSTRUCTION >50% Rocky or > 80% Slopes (hard) 538 LF $146 $78,394 RETAINING WALLS Retaining wall < 24" 150 LF $126 $18,825 RETAINING WALLS Retaining wall with Tieback <30" 150 LF $169 $25,298 RETAINING WALLS Rock Buttress <30" 200 LF $216 $43,200 SWITCHBACKS Standard 10 EACH $ 2,040 $20,400 SWITCHBACKS Hard 8 EACH $ 4,080 $32,640 BRIDGE Abutments 3 EACH $35,700 $107,100 BRIDGE 40 FT ‐ Installed 1 EACH $84,244 $84,244 BRIDGE 50 FT ‐ Installed 1 EACH $105,391 $105,391 BRIDGE 80 FT ‐ Installed 1 EACH $162,137 $162,137 EROSION CONTROL 2% LS $ 30,240.64 SUBTOTAL $ 1,580,829 SIGNAGE 1 LS $30,000 $ 30,000 CONTRACTOR OVERHEAD AND ADMIN 10% $158,083 CONSTRUCTION OBSERVATION 4% $ 63,233 CONTINGENCY 25% $395,207 TOTAL $ 2,227,353 Attachment 1 Page 4 December 26, 2018 (revised) S2S Planning Construction Cost Estimate TIMOTHY C. BEST, CEG TCB UNIT PRICE ASSUMPTIONS TRAIL CONSTRUCTION DESCRIPTION MIDPEN Production Rate LF/DAY Design Production Rate LF/Day HOURS UNIT COST $/LF SUPERVISOR LABOR MINI EX $120 $95 $200 <30% slopes (easy) 0.0 250.0 8 16 8 $16.32 30% to 50% slopes (easy ‐moderate) 166.7 175.0 8 16 8 $23.31 50% to 70% slopes (moderate) 111.1 120.0 8 16 8 $34.00 >65% Slopes (moderate ‐ Hard) 55.6 65.0 8 16 8 $62.77 >80% Slopes (hard) 0 35.0 8 16 8 $116.57 >50% Rocky (hard) 13.3 35.0 8 16 8 $116.57 >65% Rocky (very hard) 6.7 10.0 0 16 8 $312.00 RETAINING WALL DESCRIPTION UNIT LF MATERIALS HOURS UNIT COST $/LF SUPERVISOR LABOR MINI EX $120 $95 $200 Low <24" retaining wall 10 $ 375.00 1 8 0 $125.50 Moderate <30" retaining wall with tie back 10 $ 46.50 1 16 0 $168.65 Rock buttress <30" (onsite rock) 15 $ ‐ 1 16 8 $216.00 SWITCHBACK DESCRIPTION UNIT MATERIALS HOURS COST SUPERVISOR LABOR MINI EX $120 $95 $200 Standard Switchback EACH $ ‐ 4 8 4 $2,040.00 Hard Switchback EACH $ ‐ 8 16 8 $4,080.00 Attachment 1 Page 5 December 26, 2018 (revised) S2S Planning Construction Cost Estimate TIMOTHY C. BEST, CEG BRIDGE COSTS DESCRIPTION QUANTITY UNIT LABOR HOURS MATERIALS TOTAL COST cost/lf SUPERVISOR LABOR MINI EX $120 $95 $200 BRIDGE ABUTMENT 1 EACH 30 300 8 $2,000.00 $35,700.00 0 FIBERGLASS BRIDGE 40' 1 EACH 41 410 0 $40,373.84 $84,243.84 $2,106.10 FIBERGLASS BRIDGE 50' 1 EACH 53.5 535 0 $48,145.54 $105,390.54 $2,107.81 FIBERGLASS BRIDGE 80' 1 EACH 67.5 675 0 $89,912.16 $162,137.16 $2,026.71 BRIDGE LENGTH 40 50 80 Bridge $26,510 $32,710 $66,030 Stamp $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 Shipping $3,300 $3,300 $3,300 tax 9% $2,863 $3,421 $6,420 Markup 15% $5,201 $6,215 $11,662 Scaffolding for installation $500 $500 $500 TOTAL BRIDGE COST $40,374 $48,146 $89,912 BRIDGE ASSEMBLY AND INSTALLATION BRIDGE LENGTH 40 50 80 TRANSPORT LABOR HOURS 160 160 300 ASSEMBLY LABOR HOURS 250 375 375 TOTAL HOURS 410 535 675 Attachment 1 Page 6 December 26, 2018 (revised) S2S Planning Construction Cost Estimate TIMOTHY C. BEST, CEG APPENDIX 2: PRELIMINARY COST ESTIMATE (EXCLUSIVE OF BRIDGES) MOUNTAIN BIKERS OF SANTA CRUZ Work labor work days burdened hourly burdened 8hr day Total burdened cost Brushing 29.7 $79.01 $632.08 $18,776.52 Excavation 89.8 $79.54 $636.29 $57,142.43 Finish Work 82.3 $68.66 $549.26 $45,208.40 Switchback excavation 32.0 $79.54 $636.29 $20,361.15 Switchback laborer 57.7 $68.66 $549.26 $31,691.01 Switchback masonry 121.2 $83.52 $668.14 $80,996.64 412.7 $254,176.14 Other Labor Supervision/oversight/PM costs 0.2 $50,835.23 Mobilization/demob 16 $549.26 $8,788.15 Equipment/Materials $62,257.43 Crew Size 4 Work days 103 Vehicles 2 Direct Mileage cost @ IRS rate $6,186.01 Total Job Costs $382,242.97 Overhead (portion of owners salary, insurance, facilities, etc) 0.2 $76,448.59 Profit 0.2 $76,448.59 Total for trail construction (no bridges) $535,140.16 Attachment 1 1 AMENDMENT ONE TO THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF SARATOGA AND THE MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT FOR THE SARATOGA-TO-THE SEA PROJECT This Amendment One to the Partnership Agreement (“Amendment One”) is entered into by and between the City of Saratoga, a municipal corporation (“City”), and the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, a public district under the laws of California (“District”), dated (“Effective Date”). WHEREAS, the City and District are parties to a Partnership Agreement for the Saratoga-To-The Sea Project (“Project”) dated July 11, 2018 (“Agreement”), attached hereto as Exhibit A; and WHEREAS, as contemplated in the Agreement, the City has obtained a permanent trail easement from the owner of the property on which the Project will be constructed; and WHEREAS, as contemplated in the Agreement, the City has completed the Project design and environmental review as described in the June 19, 2019 resolution of the Saratoga City Council attached hereto as Exhibit B; and WHEREAS, the cost estimates based on the completed Project design indicate that construction of the trail will cost approximately $2.23 million due to steep terrain and multiple clear-span bridge crossings; and WHEREAS, in addition to the funding contributed by the District pursuant to the Partnership Agreement, the District agrees to provide funding for $1.1 million of the construction costs and the City intends to fund the remaining costs with $1.127 million of City funds and the balance with grants from outside funders; and WHEREAS, District and City desire to enter into this Amendment One to describe each Party’s respective roles in the design and construction of the Project; and WHEREAS, except where specifically stated, the terms and conditions set forth herein shall supplement those terms and conditions set forth in the Agreement. NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises, covenants and obligations contained herein, City and District agree to this Amendment One as follows: 1. Recitals. The recitals above are incorporated by reference as though fully stated herein. 2. Construction. District and City agree that the City will consult with and keep the District informed during design development and construction of the project. City will provide District the opportunity to review the final bid package for the Construction prior to public release. 3. Funding for Construction. District will contribute an amount not to exceed one million one hundred thousand dollars ($1,100,000.00) in Measure AA funds toward the funding for construction. District will reimburse City upon receipt of proof of payment of costs and expenses for Project work. 4. Maintenance and Management of Project and Related Infrastructure. City shall retain responsibility for the patrol, operation, maintenance and management of the Project. Attachment 2 2 5. Partnership Agreement Remains in Effect. The Agreement, except as amended from time to time, shall continue in full force and effect with all other terms and conditions unchanged. If a conflict arises between terms in the Agreement or its previous amendments and those in this Amendment One, the provisions of this Amendment One shall control the construction and interpretation thereof. 6. Counterparts. This Amendment One may be executed in duplicate counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original. 7. Authority. Each of the parties represent and warrant that they have the right, power, legal capacity and authority to enter into and perform their respective obligations under this Amendment. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment One on the day and year shown below the name of each of the parties. For the CITY OF SARATOGA By: _______________________ Date: ________________ City Manager Attest: _______________ Approved as to form for CITY:___________________________ City Clerk City Attorney For the MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT By: _______________________ Date: ________________ General Manager Attest: _______________ District Clerk Approved as to form for DISTRICT:___________________________ General Counsel 1111910.3 Attachment 2 1 RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SARATOGA APPROVING THE SARATOGA TO SANBORN TRAIL PLAN AND ADOPTING A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND A MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM The City of Saratoga City Council finds and determines as follows with respect to the project described below and the proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration regarding that project. I. Project Summary The City of Saratoga City Council has reviewed the Saratoga to Sanborn Trail Plan (also known as the Quarry Park-Sanborn Connector Trail) proposed by the City Department of Public Works shown in Exhibit “A” and incorporated by this reference. This Project would construct an approximately 3 mile public recreational trail connection from Saratoga Quarry Park to Sanborn County Park in western Santa Clara County (“connector trail”) or (“trail”). The proposed trail would occur on City-owned and privately-owned land in Saratoga and Santa Clara County. The trail is envisioned to eventually connect to existing County trails within Sanborn County Park and to serve as part of a trail system linking trails in Saratoga to the Skyline- to-the-Sea Trail to form a Saratoga-to-the-Sea trail. The Saratoga-to-the-Sea trail is included as a proposed trail in the City of Saratoga General Plan in Circulation and Scenic Highway Element and also in Open Space and Conservation Element. The proposed alignment for the trail was selected based on a feasibility study conducted in May 2015 and based on input from the City’s Trails Advisory Committee, the affected private landowner (San Jose Water Company), the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department staff, and the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District staff. The proposed trail would emphasize the Project site’s natural features, connections to adjacent open space, and opportunities for hiking and horse-back riding. The foregoing is collectively described as the “Project” in this Resolution. II. Environmental Review 1. An Initial Study (IS) and Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) were prepared for the Project by the City of Saratoga, pursuant to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA, Public Resources Code sections 21000-21177), CEQA Guidelines (14 California Code of Regulations sections 15000-15387), and other applicable requirements. Attachment 3 2 2. The IS and a notice of intent to adopt a MND were duly noticed and circulated for a 30-day public review period from May 17 – June 17, 2019 and was revised in response to public comments. 3. All interested parties desiring to comment on the MND were given the opportunity to submit written and oral comments on the adequacy of the MND up to and including the close of the Public Hearing on the Saratoga to Sanborn Trail Plan project before the City Council on July 3, 2019. 4. The IS and MND represents the City’s independent judgment and analysis. 5.On July 3, 2019 the City Council considered the Project, at a duly noticed public hearing during which opportunity was given to address the adequacy of the MND. All comments on the IS and MND raised during the public and agency comment period and during the Council’s consideration of the Project were considered by the City Council. 6. The City Council was presented with and/or had the opportunity to review all of the information in the administrative record; and 7. After the conclusion of public testimony at the July 3, 2019 public hearing, the City Council considered all oral and written comments and a staff recommendation for adoption of the MND and reviewed and considered the information in the IS and MND, public and agency comments on the IS and MND, the administrative record, and the staff report for completeness and compliance with CEQA, the CEQA Guidelines, and any and all other applicable requirements. 8. The Project has been the subject of a Mitigated Negative Declaration (“MND”) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant Section 15070 and following of Title 14, Division 6, Chapter 3 (“CEQA Guidelines”). The MND has been completed in compliance with the intent and requirements of CEQA, CEQA Guidelines and any and all other applicable requirements. The City Council has considered the information contained in the MND and the record in considering the Project and related actions. 9. The documents constituting the record of proceedings upon which this decision is based are located in the City of Saratoga Department of Public Works and are maintained by the Director of that Department. 10. Mitigation measures as listed in the MND have been incorporated in the conditions of approval for the Project, and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan dated June 25, 2019 (“MMRP”), which has been attached to this Resolution, has been prepared for the Project, and the City Council has reviewed the MMRP, finds it legally adequate, and in order to ensure compliance hereby adopts said MMRP for reporting on or monitoring the changes which it has either required in the Project or made a condition of approval to mitigate or avoid significant environmental effects. Attachment 3 3 11.Pursuant to CEQA and CEQA Guidelines, the City Council finds on the basis of, and after review of, the whole record before it (including the Initial Study, the Mitigated Negative Declaration, any and all comments received, and in light of expert and other evidence submitted), that there is no credible, substantial evidence that the Project as revised and mitigated may have a significant effect on the environment as to any issue raised. III. Adoption of Mitigated Negative Declaration After careful consideration of the matter, the City Council hereby adopts the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Project, which was presented to the City Council on July 3, 2019 and is on file with the City Public Works Department. IV. Adoption of Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan The City Council hereby adopts the MMRP and directs the Public Works Director to monitor compliance with the mitigation measures required in the Project as specified in the MMRP to mitigate significant environmental effects, as described in the MND. V. Adoption of the Saratoga to Sanborn Trail Plan The City Council hereby adopts the Saratoga to Sanborn Trail Plan attached to the July 3, 2019 staff report accompanying this resolution and directs staff to proceed with final design and construction of the improvements shown on the Plan and to take such other actions as may be required to implement the Plan and MMRP. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Saratoga, this 3rd day of July, 2019, by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ___________________________________ Manny Cappello, Mayor ATTEST: ___________________________________ Debbie Bretschneider, City Clerk 1129607.3 Attachment 3 MMRP-1 SARATOGA-TO-SANBORN TRAIL PLAN MITIGATION MONITORING REPORTINGPROGRAM June 25, 2019 This Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) has been formulated based upon the findings of the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the proposed Quarry Park-Sanborn County Park Connector (project) in the City of Saratoga. The MMRP lists mitigation measures recommended in the IS/MND for the proposed project and identifies monitoring and reporting requirements. The MMRP specifies the City department responsible for implementing and monitoring each measure. Table 1 below presents the mitigation measures identified for the proposed project. Each mitigation measure is numbered with a symbol indicating the topical section to which it pertains, a hyphen, and the impact number. For example, AIR-1 is the first mitigation measure identified in the Air Quality analysis of the IS/MND. The first column of Table 1 identifies the mitigation measure. The second column, entitled “Timing,” identifies the time the mitigation measure should be initiated. The third column, “Responsible for Implementing,” names the party responsible for carrying out the required action. The last column “Responsible for Monitoring,” names the party ultimately responsible for ensuring that the mitigation measure is implemented. Attachment 4 MMRP-2 QUARRY PARK-SANBORN COUNTY PARK CONNECTOR MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM Table 1 Mitigation Measure Timing Responsible for Implementing Responsible for Monitoring AIR QUALITY Mitigation Measure AIR-1: The Project will implement BAAQMD’s Basic Control Measures for fugitive dust control during future construction to reduce fugitive dust emissions (PM10 and PM2.5). The Project contractor shall prepare a dust control plan prior to commencement of construction activities. Specification of the approved dust control measures shall be included in all construction documents and implemented during construction activities. The dust control plan shall include the following BAAQMD Basic Control Measures listed below: Water all active construction areas at least twice daily, or as often as needed to control dust emissions. Watering should be sufficient to prevent airborne dust from leaving the site. Increased watering frequency may be necessary whenever wind speeds exceed 15 miles per hour (mph). Reclaimed water should be used whenever possible. Cover all trucks hauling soil, sand, and other loose materials or require all trucks to maintain at least 2 ft of freeboard (i.e., the minimum required space between the top of the load and the top of the trailer). Apply water twice daily or as often as necessary, to control dust, or apply (non-toxic) soil stabilizers on all unpaved access roads, parking areas, and staging areas at construction sites. Sweep daily (with water sweepers using reclaimed water if possible), or as often as needed, with water sweepers all paved access roads, parking areas and staging areas at the construction site to control dust. Sweep public streets daily (with water sweepers using reclaimed water if possible) in the vicinity of the Project site, or as often as needed, to keep streets free of visible soil material. Hydroseed or apply non-toxic soil stabilizers to inactive construction areas. Enclose, cover, water twice daily or apply non-toxic soil binders to exposed stockpiles (dirt, sand, etc.). Limit vehicle traffic speeds on unpaved roads to 15 mph. Vehicle idling times shall be minimized either by shutting equipment off when not in use, or reducing the maximum idling time to 5 minutes (as required by the California airborne toxics control measure Title 13, Section 2485 of California Code of Regulations [CCR]). All construction equipment shall be maintained and properly tuned in accordance with During Construction Construction Contractor Public Works Department Attachment 4 MMRP-3 Mitigation Measure Timing Responsible for Implementing Responsible for Monitoring manufacturer’s specifications. All equipment shall be checked by a certified visible emissions evaluator. Post a publicly visible sign with the telephone number and person to contact at the lead agency regarding dust complaints. This person shall respond and take corrective action within 48 hours. The Air District’s phone number shall also be visible to ensure compliance with applicable regulations. Replant vegetation in disturbed areas as quickly as possible. Install sandbags or other erosion control measures to prevent silt runoff from public roadways. BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES Mitigation Measure BIO-1: Pre-Activity Surveys for Special-Status Plants. Prior to initial ground disturbance and during the appropriate blooming period (i.e., bent-flowered fiddleneck, June – July; Loma Prieta hoita, June – July; woodland woolythreads, March – July; and white-flowered rein orchid, May - September), a focused survey for these four potentially occurring special-status plant species will be conducted within suitable habitat in the project footprint and a minimum 20-ft buffer around the project footprint. This buffer may be increased by the qualified plant ecologist depending on site-specific conditions and activities planned in the areas, but must be at least 20 ft wide. Situations for which a greater buffer may be required include proximity to proposed activities expected to generate large volumes of dust, such as grading; or potential for project activities to alter hydrology supporting the habitat for the species in question. Surveys are to be conducted in a year with near-average or above-average precipitation. The purpose of the survey will be to assess the presence or absence of the potentially occurring species. If none of the target species are found in the impact area or the identified buffer, then no further mitigation will be warranted. If bent-flowered fiddleneck, Loma Prieta hoita, woodland woolythreads, or white- flowered rein orchid individuals are found in the survey area, then Mitigation Measures BIO-2 and BIO-3 will be implemented. Before and During Construction Public Works Department Public Works Department Mitigation Measure BIO-2: Avoidance Buffers. To the extent feasible, and in consultation with a qualified plant ecologist, the project proponent will design and construct the project to avoid completely impacts on all populations of special- status plant species within the project site or within the identified buffer of the impact area. Avoided special-status plant populations will be protected by establishing and observing the identified buffer between plant populations and the impact area. All such populations located in the impact area or the identified buffer, and their associated designated avoidance areas, will be clearly depicted on any construction plans. In addition, prior to initial ground disturbance or vegetation removal, the limits of the identified buffer around special-status plants to be avoided will be flagged or fenced. The flagging will be maintained intact and in good condition throughout project-related construction activities. If complete avoidance is not feasible and more than 10% of a population (by occupied area or Before and During Construction Construction Contractor in consultation with a qualified plant ecologist Public Works Department Attachment 4 MMRP-4 Mitigation Measure Timing Responsible for Implementing Responsible for Monitoring individuals) would be impacted as determined by a qualified plant ecologist, Mitigation Measure BIO-3 will be implemented. Mitigation Measure BIO-3: Preserve Off-Site Populations of Special-Status Plant Species. If avoidance of CRPR 1 or 2 special-status plant species is not feasible and more than 10% of the population would be impacted, compensatory mitigation will be provided via the preservation, enhancement, and management of occupied habitat for the species. To compensate for impacts on CRPR 1 or 2 special-status plants, off-site habitat occupied by the affected species will be preserved and managed in perpetuity at a minimum 1:1 mitigation ratio (at least one plant preserved for each plant affected, and at least one occupied acre preserved for each occupied acre affected), for any impact over the 10% significance threshold. Areas proposed to be preserved as compensatory mitigation for special-status plant impacts must contain verified extant populations of the CRPR-ranked plants that would be impacted. Mitigation areas will be managed in perpetuity to encourage persistence and even expansion of the preserved target species. Mitigation lands cannot be located on land that is currently held publicly for resource protection unless substantial enhancement of habitat quality will be achieved by the mitigation activities. The mitigation habitat will be of equal or greater habitat quality compared to the impacted areas, as determined by a qualified plant ecologist, in terms of soil features, extent of disturbance, vegetation structure, and dominant species composition, and will contain or successfully re-establish at least as many individuals of the species as are impacted by project activities. The permanent protection and management of mitigation lands will be ensured through an appropriate mechanism, such as a conservation easement or fee title purchase. A habitat mitigation and monitoring plan (HMMRP) will be developed and implemented for the mitigation lands. That plan will include, at a minimum, the following information: a summary of habitat impacts and the proposed mitigation; a description of the location and boundaries of the mitigation site and description of existing site conditions; a description of measures to be undertaken to enhance (e.g., through focused management that may include removal of invasive species in adjacent suitable but currently unoccupied habitat) the mitigation site for the focal special-status species; a description of measures to transplant individual plants or seeds from the impact area to the mitigation site, if appropriate (which will be determined by a qualified plant or restoration ecologist); proposed management activities to maintain high-quality habitat conditions for the focal species; a description of habitat and species monitoring measures on the mitigation site, including specific, objective final and performance criteria, monitoring methods, data analysis, reporting requirements, monitoring schedule, etc. At a minimum, performance criteria will include demonstration that any plant population fluctuations over the monitoring period Before and During Construction Public Works Department Public Works Department Attachment 4 MMRP-5 Mitigation Measure Timing Responsible for Implementing Responsible for Monitoring do not indicate a downward trajectory in terms of reduction in numbers and/or occupied area for the preserved mitigation population that can be attributed to management (i.e., that are not the result of local weather patterns, as determined by monitoring of a nearby reference population, or other factors unrelated to management); and contingency measures for mitigation elements that do not meet performance criteria. The HMMRP will be prepared by a qualified plant or restoration ecologist. Approval of the HMMRP by the City will be required before the project impact occurs. Mitigation Measure BIO-4: Worker Environmental Awareness Program. Before any construction activities begin, the City will hire a qualified biologist who will conduct a training session for all construction personnel. At a minimum, the training will include descriptions of all special-status species potentially occurring on the project site and their habitats, the importance of these species, the general measures that are being implemented to conserve them as they relate to the proposed project, and the boundaries within which project activities may be accomplished. Before and During Construction Construction Contractor in consultation with a qualified biologist. Public Works Department Mitigation Measure BIO-5: Avoidance. Because dusk and dawn are often the times when the red-legged frog is most actively moving and foraging, to the maximum extent practicable, earthmoving and other project activities will cease no less than 30 minutes before sunset and will not begin again prior to 30 minutes after sunrise. Further, to the extent practicable, ground-disturbing activities will be avoided from October through April because that is when red-legged frogs are most likely to be moving through upland areas. When ground-disturbing activities must take place between November 1 and March 31, the following measures will be implemented. During Construction Construction Contractor Public Works Department Mitigation Measure BIO-6: Pre-activity Survey. A qualified biologist will conduct a preconstruction survey for the California red-legged frog prior to initial ground disturbing activities within 100 ft of any stream crossing and will remain on-site to monitor during all initial ground-disturbing activities within this area. If a California red-legged frog is encountered in the work area, all activities with the potential to result in the harassment, injury, or death of the individual will be immediately halted and will not resume until the individual leaves the project site of its own accord. Before Construction Construction Contractor in consultation with a qualified biologist. Public Works Department Mitigation Measure BIO-7: Pre-activity Survey. A qualified biologist will conduct a preconstruction survey for special-status amphibians and reptiles prior to initial ground disturbing activities within 100 ft of any stream crossing and will remain on-site to monitor during all initial ground-disturbing activities within this area. If a species of special concern is encountered in the work area, all activities with the potential to result in the harassment, injury, or death of the individual will be immediately halted and the following measures implemented: If eggs or larvae are found, the qualified biologist will establish a buffer around the location Before Construction Construction Contractor in consultation with a qualified biologist. Public Works Department Attachment 4 MMRP-6 Mitigation Measure Timing Responsible for Implementing Responsible for Monitoring of the eggs/larvae and work may proceed outside of the buffer zone. No work will occur within the buffer zone. Work within the buffer zone will be rescheduled until the time that eggs have hatched and/or larvae have metamorphosed. If an adult is found, the individual will be captured and relocated to a safe location outside of the work area by a qualified biologist, after which work may proceed. Mitigation Measure BIO-8: Preconstruction Surveys and Avoidance or Nest Relocation. Prior to any clearing of, or work within, woodland, riparian, and scrub habitats, a qualified biologist will conduct a survey for San Francisco dusky-footed woodrat nests. If active nests are determined to be present within or very close to the impact areas, the following measures will be implemented. Dusky-footed woodrats are year-round residents. Therefore, avoidance measures are limited to restricting project activities to avoid direct impacts on woodrats and their active nests to the extent feasible. Ideally, a minimum 5-ft buffer will be maintained between project activities and each nest to avoid disturbance. In some situations, a smaller buffer may be allowed if, in the opinion of a qualified biologist, removing the nest would be a greater impact than that anticipated as a result of project activities. If avoidance of active nests is not feasible, then the woodrats will be evicted from their nests prior to the removal of the nests and onset of any clearing or ground-disturbing activities to avoid injury or mortality of the woodrats. The nests will be dismantled and the nesting material moved to a new location outside the project’s impact areas so that it can be used by woodrats to construct new nests. Prior to nest deconstruction, each active nest will be disturbed by a qualified wildlife biologist to the degree that all woodrats leave the nest and seek refuge out of the impact area. Whether the nest is on the ground or in a tree, the nest will be nudged to cause the woodrats to flee. The nest will then be dismantled and the nest material piled at the base of a nearby hardwood tree or shrub (preferably with refuge sites among the tree roots or with dense vegetation or other refugia nearby) outside of the impact area. The spacing between relocated nests will not be less than 100 ft, unless a qualified biologist has determined that the habitat can support higher densities of nests. Before and During Construction Construction Contractor in consultation with a qualified biologist. Public Works Department Mitigation Measure BIO-9: Protect Bat Colonies. To minimize impacts on pallid bats the following measures will be implemented: A pre-activity survey for roosting pallid bats will be conducted prior to the onset of ground- disturbing activities. A qualified bat biologist will conduct a survey to look for evidence of bat use within suitable habitat. If evidence of use is observed, or if high-quality roost sites are present in areas where evidence of bat use might not be detectable (such as a tree cavity), an evening survey and/or a nocturnal acoustic survey may be necessary to determine if a bat colony is present and to identify the specific location of the bat colony. If no active maternity colony or non-breeding bat roost is located, project work can Before Construction Public Works Department in consultation with a qualified biologist. Public Works Department Attachment 4 MMRP-7 Mitigation Measure Timing Responsible for Implementing Responsible for Monitoring continue as planned. If an active pallid bat maternity colony or non-breeding roost is located, the project work will be redesigned to avoid disturbance of the roosts, if feasible. If an active maternity colony is located and project work cannot be redesigned to avoid removal or disturbance of the occupied tree, disturbance will be scheduled to take place outside the maternity roost season (March 15–July 31), and a disturbance-free buffer zone (determined by a qualified bat biologist) will be implemented during the maternity roost season. If an active non-breeding bat roost is located and project work cannot be redesigned to avoid removal or disturbance of the occupied tree, the individuals will be safely evicted between August 1 and October 15 or between February 15 and March 15 (as determined by a Memorandum of Understanding with CDFW). Bats may be evicted through exclusion after notifying CDFW. Trees with roosts that must be removed will first be disturbed at dusk, just before removal that same evening, to allow bats to escape during the darker hours. Mitigation Measure BIO-10 (Provide Alternative Bat Roost Habitat) may need to be implemented subsequently. Mitigation Measure BIO-10: Provide Alternative Bat Roost Habitat. If, after implementation of Mitigation Measure BIO-9, a qualified bat biologist identifies a tree containing a pallid bat maternity roost that is to be removed by project activities, a qualified bat biologist will design and determine an appropriate location for an alternative roost structure. If a tree containing a pallid bat maternity roost is not removed, but project-related disturbance causes the abandonment of the roost site (even during the non-breeding season), then the City will either monitor the roost site to determine whether the affected species returns to the roost, or construct an alternative roost. If the City elects to monitor the roost and bats do not return within one year, then an alternative roost will be constructed. Before Construction Public Works Department in consultation with a qualified biologist. Public Works Department Mitigation Measure BIO-11: Best Management Practices for Work within Sensitive Habitats. The following measures will be implemented to reduce impacts on mixed riparian forest and the associated streams. Additionally, the project will acquire permits from CDFW and RWQCB and follow all requirements and avoidance and minimization measures listed therein. Personnel will prevent the accidental release of chemicals, fuels, lubricants, and non-storm drainage water into channels. Spill prevention kits will always be in close proximity when using hazardous materials. No equipment servicing will be done in the stream channel or immediate flood plain, unless equipment stationed in these locations cannot be readily relocated (i.e., pumps, generators). Personnel will use the appropriate equipment for the job that minimizes disturbance to the stream bottom. Appropriately-tired vehicles, either tracked or wheeled, will be used During Construction Construction Contractor Public Works Department Attachment 4 MMRP-8 Mitigation Measure Timing Responsible for Implementing Responsible for Monitoring depending on the situation. Temporary fills, such as for access ramps or scaffolding, will be completely removed upon finishing the work. Existing native vegetation will be retained by removing only as much vegetation as necessary to accommodate the trail clearing width. If riparian vegetation is to be removed with chainsaws, consider using saws currently available that operate with vegetable-based bar oil. Control exposed soil by stabilizing slopes (e.g., with erosion control blankets) and protecting channels (e.g., using silt fences or straw wattles). Control sediment runoff using sandbag barriers or straw wattles. Stabilize site ingress/egress locations. Temporary disturbance or removal of aquatic and riparian vegetation will not exceed the minimum necessary to complete the work. Vehicles operated within and adjacent to streams will be checked and maintained daily to prevent leaks of materials that, if introduced to the water, could be deleterious to aquatic life. Potential contaminating materials must be stored in covered storage areas or secondary containment that is impervious to leaks and spills. All disturbed soils will be revegetated with native plants suitable for the altered soil conditions upon completion of construction. Local watershed native plants will be used if available. All disturbed areas that have been compacted shall be de-compacted prior to planting or seeding. Cut-and-fill slopes will be planted with local native or non-invasive plants suitable for the altered soil conditions. Mitigation Measure BIO-12: Mitigation Plantings for Permanent Loss of Riparian Trees. All trees removed within mixed riparian forest habitat will be replaced at a ratio of 1:1 (mitigation stems: impacted stems). Trees to be removed likely consist of only California bay, a tree which is very abundant within riparian areas in the study area and the vicinity. Replaced trees will preferably consist of the same species which was removed during project implementation, and be planted within the same reach where impacts occur. Irrigation will not be installed, so the replacement trees must be planted low enough on the riparian banks to anticipate intercepting seasonal groundwater. Replacement trees will be monitored annually for three years and replaced to 100% survivorship through Year 3. After Construction Public Works Department Public Works Department Mitigation Measure BIO-13: Protection Measures for Nesting Birds. Avoidance. To the extent feasible, construction activities should be scheduled to avoid the nesting season. If construction activities are scheduled to take place outside the nesting season, all impacts on nesting birds protected under the MBTA and California Fish and Game Code would be avoided. Before and During Construction Construction Contractor in consultation with a qualified biologist. Public Works Department Attachment 4 MMRP-9 Mitigation Measure Timing Responsible for Implementing Responsible for Monitoring The nesting season for most birds in the project region extends from February 1 through August 31. Preconstruction Surveys. If it is not possible to schedule construction activities between September 1 and January 31 then preconstruction surveys for nesting birds should be conducted by a qualified ornithologist to ensure that no nests will be disturbed during project construction. We recommend that these surveys be conducted no more than seven days prior to the initiation of construction activities. During this survey, the ornithologist should inspect all trees and other potential nesting habitats (e.g., trees, shrubs, ruderal grasslands, buildings) in and immediately adjacent to the impact areas for nests. Buffers. If an active nest is found sufficiently close to work areas to be disturbed by project activities, the ornithologist should determine the extent of a construction-free buffer zone to be established around the nest (typically 300 ft for raptors and 100 ft for other species), to ensure that no nests of species protected by the MBTA and California Fish and Game Code would be disturbed during project implementation. CULTURAL RESOURCES Mitigation Measure CULT-1: Prior to commencing site preparation and trail construction, the City shall hold a preconstruction meeting with the construction crew to inform them with a description of the types of resources that could be discovered and the steps to take in the event of a find. Before Construction Public Works Department Public Works Department Mitigation Measure CULT-2: If archaeological and/or paleontological materials are encountered during the field review, all work within 25 ft of the discovery would be redirected until a qualified archaeologist assesses the finds, consults with City staff, and makes recommendations for the treatment of the discovery. Adverse effects to archaeological and paleontological resources shall be avoided by project activities. Project personnel shall not collect or move any historical or archaeological resources. If avoidance of the deposit is not feasible, the deposit should be evaluated for eligibility for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources. If the deposits are not eligible, mitigation is not necessary. If the deposits are eligible, they shall be avoided by project construction activities, or recovered in accordance with a data recovery plan (see CEQA Guidelines §15126.4(b)(3)(C)) and standard archaeological field methods and procedures. Upon completion of the archaeological assessment (i.e., archaeological excavation and laboratory analysis), the archaeologist shall prepare a report documenting methods and results of the assessment, and shall provide recommendations for the treatment of archaeological materials discovered. The report shall be submitted to the City of Saratoga and the Northwest Information Center. Before and During Construction Construction Contractor in consultation with a qualified archaeologist if necessary. Public Works Department Mitigation Measure CULT-3: If human remains are encountered during construction that results from approval of the proposed Project, work shall be temporarily halted in the vicinity of the discovered remains and workers shall avoid altering the materials and their context. Once the county coroner is contacted, if it is determined that the remains are Native American, the coroner will contact the Native American During Construction Construction Contractor Public Works Department Attachment 4 MMRP-10 Mitigation Measure Timing Responsible for Implementing Responsible for Monitoring Heritage Commission (“NAHC”). The NAHC would then identify the person or persons believed to be most likely descended from the deceased. These descendants will make recommendations regarding the treatment of the remains with appropriate dignity. GEOLOGY AND SOILS Mitigation Measure GEO-1: Erosion Control. Any grading for the Project after October 1 shall be completed in dry weather or low rainfall (less than ½ inch per 24 hour period). A minimum of 200 linear ft of straw wattle and erosion control blankets shall be available at staging areas or on site at all times. In the event of 25% chance of forecast inclement weather (greater than ½ inch of rainfall in 24 hour period), temporary erosion control measures (e.g. straw wattles, silt fence, erosion control blankets, etc.) shall be installed to protect the section of trail under construction. Before and During Construction Construction Contractor Public Works Department Mitigation Measure GEO-2: Stormwater Pollution Prevention. The contractor will develop and get approval for a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) for the Project. The SWPPP shall include an erosion control plan and best management practices that will ensure that erosion and sedimentation will be minimized. Construction shall be monitored per SWPPP requirements to ensure that stormwater is being managed to prevent soil erosion and water quality impacts. Before and During Construction Construction Contractor Public Works Department Mitigation Measure GEO-3: Incorporation of Geologic and Geotechnical Recommendations. The Project will incorporate all recommendations in the Best Report to ensure that impacts related to unstable soil, and potential landslides, subsidence, liquefaction and collapse are minimized. Before and During Construction Construction Contractor and Public Works Department Public Works Department NOISE Mitigation Measure NOI-1: The Santa Clara County Municipal Code limits construction activities to 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday and prohibits construction on Sundays and legal holidays. However, the City of Saratoga’s Noise Ordinance is more restrictive and limits construction activities to 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Therefore, Project construction shall be limited to times specified in the City’s Noise Ordinance pursuant to Article 7-30 of the City’s Municipal Code. During Construction Construction Contractor Public Works Department 1130013.2 Attachment 4 Rev. 1/3/18 R-19-102 Meeting 19-19 July 24, 2019 AGENDA ITEM 7 AGENDA ITEM Award Contract with Wagner & Bonsignore Consulting Civil Engineers for District-wide Water Rights and Water Engineering Services. GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION Authorize the General Manager to enter into a contract with Wagner & Bonsignore Consulting Civil Engineers of Sacramento, California to provide water rights and engineering services for a base contract amount of $100,000. SUMMARY Wagner & Bonsignore Consulting Civil Engineers have provided water rights monitoring, reporting, and engineering services for Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (District) since 2014. These services have been critical in protecting and retaining the District’s numerous water rights for the benefit of local wildlife and to continue operating onsite facilities and the conservation grazing program. The proposed contract of $100,000 provides these services for a new four-year period. There are sufficient funds in the adopted Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 budget to cover the cost of the recommendation. DISCUSSION In May and June of 2014, a request for proposals and qualifications (RFPQ) was circulated for water rights services. Proposals from Wagner & Bonsignore Consulting Civil Engineers (WBE) (Sacramento), Stetson Engineers (Marin), and BSK Associates (Fresno) were received. WBE was selected as the most qualified consultant to serve the District’s water resource consulting needs, at a fair and reasonable price (R-14-127). The contract was later extended and amended for a not-to-exceed total of $160,000 (R-16-131). WBE assisted the District in broad water rights matters prior to the hiring of the District’s Water Resources Specialist. WBE’s work to date has been critical to maintaining the District’s water rights and has identified a number of areas that require additional work. Their current work involves general strategic advice concerning water rights and the State Water Resources Control Board administrative process, and the annual data interpretation and reporting required to maintain the District’s water rights. Future work for WBE is likely to include the filling of new water rights applications on recently acquired properties, particularly those with small ponds, and resolving ambiguities with older water rights. WBE’s previous contract expired on June 30, 2019. WBE has cost effectively performed these services on an ‘as needed’ basis. R-19-102 Page 2 Staff has determined WBE is uniquely qualified to perform these services for a fair and reasonable price and therefore is recommending a sole-source contract. WBE familiarity with the District as a client and the region’s water rights (particularly the San Gregorio adjudication), their unmatched position within California’s niche water rights administrative program, and a strong working relationship with the District’s special water law counsel meet the criteria of special circumstances; no other firm is as qualified or capable. Board Policy 3.03, “Public Contract Bidding, Vendor and Professional Consultant Selection, and Purchasing” provides for sole source contracts under special circumstances when it is “appropriate and in the best interest of the District under the specific circumstances of the project at issue,” including circumstances such as here, where “services are of a unique type, or are for purposes of maintaining consistency and operational efficiency, so as to be available from only one source.” In this case, WBE’s familiarity with the District’s water rights and reporting requirements is unique and no other firm would provide the same level of service and efficiency to meet the District’s needs to assist staff in keeping the water rights program running smoothly for the next several years. FISCAL IMPACT There are sufficient funds in the adopted FY2019-20 Budget to cover the costs of the recommendation. The total cost estimate is equal to the amount budgeted. Future fiscal year budgets are projected and will be adopted as part of the annual Budget and Action Plan process. The recommended action is not funded by Measure AA. BOARD COMMITTEE REVIEW This item has not been reviewed by a Board committee. PUBLIC NOTICE Public notice was provided as required by the Brown Act. CEQA COMPLIANCE This item is not a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act. NEXT STEPS Upon authorization by the Board of Directors, the General Manager will enter into a four-year contract with WBE of Sacramento, CA. Responsible Department Head: Kirk Lenington, Natural Resources Manager Prepared by: Aaron Hébert, Water Resources Specialist, Natural Resources Rev. 1/3/18 R-19-97 Meeting 19-19 July 24, 2019 AGENDA ITEM 8 AGENDA ITEM Adopt a resolution to submit an application for the rehabilitation of Alma College to the County of Santa Clara’s Historic Grant Program, administered through the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department. GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION Adopt a resolution by roll call vote authorizing the General Manager to file an application and execute a funding agreement with the County of Santa Clara for funding to assist with the rehabilitation of Alma College. SUMMARY The Historic Grant Program is a new grant opportunity established by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Clara with the purpose of celebrating history in Santa Clara County. Competitive projects will acknowledge and celebrate untold stories and/or underrepresented/disadvantaged communities. The County of Santa Clara Parks and Recreation Department (Parks Department) will administer this program and a total of $5 million is available in funding, with a total of $1 million available for each of the five Supervisorial Districts in the county. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (District) plans to submit an application in the amount of $322,750 for the rehabilitation of Alma College. Adoption of a resolution by the Board of Directors (Board) is required to meet the grant requirements and execute the grant agreement. DISCUSSION The Historic Grant Program is a new grant opportunity established by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Clara with the purpose of celebrating history in Santa Clara County. Competitive projects will acknowledge and celebrate untold stories and/or underrepresented/disadvantaged communities. Eligible projects must be located or take place in Santa Clara County, must involve something of historical significance related to Santa Clara County residents or communities, and must be completed within three year from the date the grant is awarded. Projects can include capital improvement, non-capital improvement, and events. District staff are preparing an application to offset Alma College rehabilitation costs. The funding request will focus on Alma College as a cultural landscape and the compelling features that celebrate the history of numerous eras, dating back to Native American use of the site. The District’s financial commitment to this project, the suite of public access opportunities at Bear R-19-97 Page 2 Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve that dovetail with this historic site, and the compelling historic and cultural value of this resource, make this project proposal highly competitive. Grant Requirements Capital improvement projects must extend the useful life of an asset at least 20 years or adapt it to new uses, and must maintain the project and provide for continual public use for the same time period on a non-discriminatory basis. Grantees must provide at least a 50% match based on the total proposed project budget and applicant type. If awarded, grantees must submit written progress reports to the Parks Department annually by June 1st of each year during the grant performance period. Grantees are further required to publicly acknowledge the funding source with a permanent plaque affixed to the building exterior or another prominent location and by crediting the County in other project-related materials. The attached resolution (Attachment 1) certifies that the project is located on property owned by the District, that the District is ready and willing to carry out the terms of the grant agreement, and delegates the General Manager to execute the grant agreement and any necessary grant amendments. FISCAL IMPACT A Historic Grant Program grant would represent a positive fiscal impact, totaling $322,750 beginning in FY2019-20. Total project costs for the MAA21-006 Bear Creek Redwoods – Alma College Cultural Landscape Rehabilitation project are estimated to be $5.4 million, of which the County of Santa Clara would be contributing 6%. The District will contribute the remaining balance through its Measure AA funds. BOARD COMMITTEE REVIEW This item was not previously reviewed by a Board Committee. PUBLIC NOTICE Public notice was provided as required by the Brown Act. CEQA COMPLIANCE Submitting grant applications to secure funding is not subject to CEQA. Rehabilitation of Alma College was evaluated in the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve Plan adopted in January 2017 (State Clearinghouse #2015062029). NEXT STEPS Near-term next steps for the project include: • Application submittal (July 19) • Document design and planning (August 2017 – June 2019) • Permitting (April 2018 – October 2019) R-19-97 Page 3 • Grant awards announced (December 2019) • Bid documents and award contract (October 2019 – April 2020) • Construction (April 2020 – October 2020) Attachments: 1. Resolution authorizing the District’s grant application for Historic Grant Program. Responsible Department Head: Stefan Jaskulak, CFO/Director of Administrative Services Prepared by: Melanie Askay, Grants Program Manager RESOLUTION NO. 19-__ RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT APPROVING MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT’S APPLICATION FOR A COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA HISTORIC GRANT FOR THE ALMA COLLEGE PROJECT IN LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA; DELEGATING AUTHORITY TO AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE TO SIGN AND SUBMIT THE GRANT APPLICATION TO THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA; SIGN THE GRANT AGREEMENT AND ADMINISTER THE PROJECT ON BEHALF OF THE MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT; AND, COMMITTING THE PROJECT PROPERTY TO THE PROJECT USE FOR A PERIOD OF AT LEAST TWENTY YEARS WHEREAS, the County of Santa Clara (“County”) has established the Historic Grant Program to acknowledge and celebrate untold perspectives of underrepresented communities within Santa Clara County (“Grant Program”); and, WHEREAS, the County funds the Grant Program; and, WHEREAS, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (the “Applicant”) submitted a Grant Application to the County in order to seek Grant Program funds for the following Project: Rehabilitation of Alma College (the “PROJECT”); and, WHEREAS, the PROJECT will be located at Bear Creek Road, Los Gatos, CA 95033 (the “Property”), and said Property is owned or controlled by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (the “Property Holder”); and, WHEREAS, if the County-funded PROJECT is for a capital improvement of a structure or building of historic significance, then the County requires that the property on which the grant-funded capital- improvement PROJECT is located be continually used for a minimum of 20 years and be open to all Santa Clara County residents on a non-discriminatory basis; and, WHEREAS, the Property Holder is the Applicant and will use the Property for the PROJECT for the period of time (“Term”) set out in the Grant Application, and said consent is evidenced by an attached grant deed, lease, license or other agreement granting such rights to the Applicant (Exhibit A); and, WHEREAS, Applicant is required pursuant to the Historic Grant Program Procedural Guide to designate a legally authorized representative to administer the PROJECT and to execute the Grant Agreement, along with any amendments thereto, on behalf of the Applicant; and WHEREAS, Applicant is an independent special district formed pursuant to California Public Resources Code section 5500 et seq, and consequently the PROJECT will be subject to a public works construction bidding process awarded by Applicant’s Board of Directors as set forth in California Public Resources Code section 5594. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Directors of Midpeninsula Attachment 1 Regional Open Space District hereby makes the following determinations: 1. The PROJECT is located on the Property that will be continually used for the PROJECT for the Term as set out in the Grant Application; The Board of Directors of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District hereby delegates authority to the General Manager, to sign and submit the Grant Application to the County of Santa Clara, to negotiate, execute, amend, or terminate the Grant Funding Agreement (“Grant Agreement”) and any other agreements in relation to the Historic Grant Program, and authority to administer and carry out all terms and conditions of the Grant Agreement and related agreements including but not limited to taking any all other necessary actions to complete the PROJECT, except as such authority is limited by state law and the policies of the District. 2. By delegating such authority to the General Manager, the Board of Directors of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District acknowledges, agrees, represents and warrants that the execution of the Grant Agreement and any and all other agreements or amendments by the General Manager binds and obligates the Board of Directors of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District to comply with all terms and conditions of such agreements, without the necessity of additional approvals or conditions; 3. The Board of Directors of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District has had the opportunity to seek the advice of its own legal counsel and other professionals in connection with the Grant Agreement and the Historic Grant Program Procedural Guide. 4. The Board of Directors of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District agrees that the terms and conditions of the Grant Agreement and the requirements of the Historic Grant Program Procedural Guide are acceptable and the Board of Directors of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is ready, willing and able to carry out the terms and conditions of the Grant Agreement without any amendment thereto. 5. The Board of Directors of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District hereby approves the Grant Application submitted on its behalf to the County of Santa Clara in relation to the PROJECT and the request for Grant funds. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District on _______, 2019, at a regular meeting thereof, by the following roll call vote: AYES: NOES: ABSTAIN: ABSENT: ATTEST: APPROVED: Attachment 1 Secretary Board of Directors President Board of Directors APPROVED AS TO FORM: General Counsel I, the District Clerk of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy of a resolution duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District by the above vote at a meeting thereof duly held and called on the above day. District Clerk Attachment 1 Exhibit A Exhibit A Exhibit A Exhibit A Exhibit A Exhibit A Exhibit A Exhibit A Exhibit A Exhibit A Exhibit A Exhibit A Rev. 1/3/18 R-19-99 Meeting 19-19 July 24, 2019 AGENDA ITEM 9 AGENDA ITEM Wetland Creation Credits as Mitigation for the Ravenswood Bay Trail Project GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION Authorize the General Manager to enter into an agreement to purchase 0.050 acres of wetland creation credits for $75,000 with the San Francisco Bay Wetland Mitigation Bank to mitigate for wetland impacts resulting from the Ravenswood Bay Trail Project. SUMMARY The Ravenswood Bay Trail Project (Project) (MAA 02-002) will close a critical 0.6-mile gap in the San Francisco Bay Trail, linking Ravenswood Open Space Preserve (Preserve) with University Avenue in East Palo Alto and Menlo Park. The Project is located adjacent to and within the baylands, a sensitive habitat area that is highly regulated. The Project was designed to minimize impacts; however, the Project will result in some unavoidable impacts to wetlands. A Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (MMP) was prepared to describe this mitigation approach to support the permit applications for the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The RWQCB, USACE, and USFWS have conditioned their project permits to require the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (District) to fully mitigate all project impacts, including the implementation of wetland enhancement and revegetation activities and the purchase 0.050 acres of tidal wetland creation credits from the San Francisco Bay Wetland Mitigation Bank at a cost of $75,000. The budget includes sufficient funds for the recommended action. DISCUSSION The Ravenswood Bay Trail Connection is a 1.3-mile trail construction and repair project that includes closing a 0.6-mile critical gap in the existing Bay Trail system. The project consists of an asphalt trail with decomposed granite shoulders, wood boardwalk and a prefabricated steel bridge. Although project impacts on habitats under the jurisdiction of USACE, RWQCB, BCDC and species under the jurisdiction of USFWS have been minimized to the greatest extent possible, the project will result in minimal permanent and temporary impacts to wetlands due to the project’s construction. To mitigate for these impacts, an MMP was prepared by the District’s environmental consultant, H.T. Harvey & Associates, in consultation with the permitting resource agencies. The MMP details the overall mitigation approach and describes how enhanced habitats will be established, maintained, and monitored, along with standards for success and the required course of action if R-19-99 Page 2 mitigation goals are not achieved. Habitat impacts will be mitigated concurrently with project impacts through a combination of on-site habitat enhancement to benefit the salt marsh harvest mouse and California Ridgway’s rail and purchase of wetland creation credits. While the majority of mitigation provided by the project will enhance existing wetlands and waters, the permanent loss of 13 square feet of wetlands due to the placement of the boardwalk piers is conditioned to be mitigated at a ratio of one to one through the purchase of compensatory credits at the San Francisco Bay Wetland Mitigation Bank (Bank) to fulfill requirements of the RWQCB’s no-net-loss policies. The Bank utilizes mitigation funds to create tidal wetlands within privately owned land in Redwood Shores, CA. The minimum acreage available for purchase is 0.050 acres, or 2,178 square feet. Therefore, the project is ultimately creating a net gain of 2,165 square feet of wetlands within the baylands. The cost for purchasing this wetland creation credit through the Bank is $75,000. FISCAL IMPACT The Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 adopted budget includes $1,976,760 for the Ravenswood Bay Trail Project (MAA02-002). There are sufficient funds in the project budget to cover the recommended action. Ravenswood Bay Trail MAA02-002 Prior Year Actuals FY2019-20 Adopted Budget Estimated Future Years Total District Funded (Fund 30): $256,826 $551,849 $1,589,452 $2,398,127 Grants and Donations Amount: $512,374 $1,424,911 $818,043 $2,755,328 Project #MAA02-002 Budget: $769,200 $1,976,760 $2,407,495 $5,153,455 Spent-to-Date (as of 06/30/2019): ($769,200) $0 $0 ($769,200) Encumbrances*: $0 ($1,901,760) ($2,407,495) ($4,309,255) Wetland Mitigation Bank Credits: $0 ($75,000) $0 ($75,000) Budget Remaining (Proposed): $0 $0 $0 $0 *Includes year 1 of recently approved H.T. Harvey and Associates Contract and proposed Ravenswood Bay Trail Granite Rock Company Contract. The following table outlines the Measure AA Portfolio 02 allocation, grants and donations awarded, costs-to-date, and the fiscal impact related to the Ravenswood Bay Trail project (MAA02-002). MAA02 Portfolio Allocation: $5,052,000 Grants and Donations Awarded: $2,755,328 Life-to-Date Spent (as of 07/01/2019): ($1,638,769) Encumbrances (as of 07/01/2019)*: ($4,309,255) Wetland Mitigation Bank Credits: ($75,000) Portfolio Balance Remaining (Proposed): $1,784,304 *Includes year 1 of recently approved H.T. Harvey and Associates Contract and proposed Ravenswood Bay Trail Granite Rock Company Contract. R-19-99 Page 3 BOARD COMMITTEE REVIEW The Real Property Committee held a meeting on February 16, 2016 in the City of East Palo Alto to provide committee members and the public with a status update on the Project and trail easement acquisition from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to close the Bay Trail gap. On November 16, 2016, the Board of Directors (Board) approved the conceptual trail alignment and certified the Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) (R-16- 146). PUBLIC NOTICE Public notice was provided as required by the Brown Act. CEQA COMPLIANCE The Project was evaluated as part of the IS/MND and is consistent with the IS/MND, certified by the Board on November 16, 2016 (R-16-146). NEXT STEPS If approved, and once all project approvals have been secured, the General Manager will enter into a purchase agreement for $75,000 with the Bank to purchase 0.050 acres of wetland creation credits to mitigate for wetland impacts resulting from the Ravenswood Bay Trail Project. Responsible Department Head: Jane Mark, AICP, Planning Manager Prepared by: Gretchen Laustsen, Planner III, Planning Department Scott Reeves, Senior Capital Project Manager, Engineering and Construction Department Contact person: Scott Reeves, Senior Capital Project Manager, Engineering and Construction Department Rev. 1/3/18 R-19-100 Meeting 19-19 July 24, 2019 AGENDA ITEM 10 AGENDA ITEM Dog Waste Compliance Program GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Approve an incremental adaptive management approach to improve visitor compliance of dog waste regulations at Preserves that are open to dog use, as set out in this staff report. 2. Direct the General Manager to return to the Board in the spring of 2020 to share results of the dog waste compliance program and present any other recommendations to further improve compliance. SUMMARY Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (District) regulations require visitors to properly dispose of dog waste at District preserves that are open to dog use. These regulations are noted at trailhead entrances, on regulatory signs, preserve brochures, and the District’s website. However, dog waste left on trails and at trailheads continues to be an issue that affects the visitor experience, impacts staff time for cleanup, and poses potential public health and environmental concerns. The General Manager asked staff to develop an incremental adaptive management approach that gradually ramps up education, outreach, and enforcement actions to improve compliance. If these multiple measures are insufficiently effective, the program includes as a measure the installation of dog waste receptacles on a pilot basis. Throughout implementation of the program, staff will monitor and collect data to measure the success against target compliance levels of a 75% reduction in dog waste from baseline measurements. In early 2020, the General Manager will return to the Board with an update on results and present any other options and next steps in the program. The adopted Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 Budget includes sufficient funds to cover the cost of the recommendation. BACKGROUND Since the District’s formation in 1972, visitors have been required to pack out any waste they generate during their visit. In general, the practice has been successful with the exception of dog waste. In 2011, the District began requiring visitors to remove dogs waste instead of just moving it off trails. (Attachment 1, Memo to Board - June 8, 2011). Since this time, the problem has changed, from loose dog waste being left in the Preserves to bagged waste being left along trails, in parking areas, and deposited in restroom vaults. As part of the 2018 Preserve User Survey conducted by the Public Affairs Department, visitors identified reducing dog waste bags along trails as one of the top five ways to improve District preserves and the visitor experience. R-19-100 Page 2 Prior public input on this topic demonstrates strong public support for finding a solution to the dog waste problem. The District’s general information email received 23 concerns or complaints about dog waste between July 2014 and July 17, 2019. The majority of the complaints were regarding dog waste issues at Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve, followed by Windy Hill, Fremont Older, and Thornewood Open Space Preserves. 70% of the complaints included a recommendation to provide trash cans in the preserves and 30% requested better signage or enforcement of the ordinance to prevent dog waste littering (3 of these visitors also requested trash cans). In addition, visitors have been creative in trying to help the District spread the message to remove dog waste. Handmade signs have been posted at both Pulgas Ridge and Windy Hill Open Space Preserves, humorous notes have been tied to individual dog waste bags, and dog waste bags have been piled next to and on top of signs that communicate the rules for removing dog waste from the Preserve. Field staff regularly pick up bagged dog waste left on trails, and piled in restrooms and trailheads. Perhaps the most disturbing impact that field staff deals with is when visitors throw bagged dog waste into the vault toilets. These bags clog the pumping units used to remove human waste from the vault toilets, requiring bagged dog waste to be individually picked out of the human waste. DISCUSSION During the District’s first 2018 internal Leadership Academy, an internal staff project team researched the dog waste compliance issue that exists at District preserves. The Leadership Academy team identified the following options to manage dog waste: • Status quo • Awareness campaign • Dog waste composter • Dog waste disposal in vault toilet • Restrict dog access • Dog waste receptacles The status quo has not been effective, particularly in high use areas where bagged dog waste is frequently left in the preserve. Dog waste composters are designed for home use and ineffective for the volume of dog waste generated by dogs visiting preserves. The only way disposal in the vault toilet would work would be if visitors placed dog waste in the toilet without a bag since decomposable bags can clog toilet pumping units. In addition, both composters and disposal in vault toilets present environmental and regulatory challenges. Restricting dog access where compliance is low would set a significant policy reversal of use where popular dog access now exists. This leaves two options that can be incorporated into a broader incremental and adaptive management approach to improve dog waste compliance: an awareness campaign and consideration of dog waste receptacles. Awareness Campaign and Expanded Enforcement Santa Clara County Parks and the City of Santa Cruz both use humorous signs to remind the public “there is no poop fairy” and that each visitor is responsible for picking up after their pet. Using a similar lighthearted approach in communications may be more effective in gaining public attention and improving compliance. The combination of new signage and an information awareness campaign will allow staff to measure the efficacy of increasing visitor knowledge of R-19-100 Page 3 the proper way to dispose of dog waste. Targeted enforcement and communication of the rules and regulations by staff and volunteers may also help raise further awareness of District regulations. This type of contact and communication would help visitors understand why dog waste removal is important for protecting open space values and sensitive natural resources, and providing a quality visitor experience that is protective of public health and safety. Pilot Dog Waste Receptacle If awareness and enforcement are insufficient to improve compliance, the Leadership Academy team identified dog waste receptacles as a new site amenity to manage dog waste, noting that “St. Joseph’s Hill Open Space Preserve provides an excellent example of success with dog waste compliance due to the presence of waste receptacles. The Preserve’s dog friendly trails connect with trails managed by the Town of Los Gatos at one end and Santa Clara County Parks at the other end, where both agencies provide and service waste receptacles. Field staff observations and the lack of public complaints indicate that dog waste compliance is high”. If all other awareness, outreach, and enforcement efforts are ineffective at reducing baseline levels of dog waste by 75%, the next recommended step would be to install pilot dog waste receptacles at Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve. This pilot would be monitored over the course of one year to determine the level of effectiveness in raising compliance levels. The data would be used to inform whether to continue providing waste receptacles at Pulgas Ridge and potentially provide similar waste receptacles at other Preserves that are open to dog use. Dog Waste Compliance Program Given the ongoing low compliance issues related to dog waste at District Preserves, the General Manager directed staff to develop an incremental adaptive management approach that gradually ramps up education, outreach, and enforcement actions to improve compliance. Based on prior research, including information collected on this topic by the District’s internal Leadership Academy team, the following Dog Waste Compliance Program (Program) is recommended. The General Manager recommends implementing this Program at two locations with the highest dog waste compliance issues: Windy Hill and Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserves. Prior to proceeding with the first step listed below, staff would gather baseline data at both preserves, counting the amount of dog waste near trails, at trailheads, and inside our restrooms to numerically establish baseline levels from which to track and report on the changes and improvements in compliance. Staff would incrementally implement each step listed below and track compliance levels to determine whether to continue ramping up the District’s education, outreach, and enforcement actions. 1. Create an informational posting for preserve signboards, post on social media, and post information on the District web site; replace or supplement existing dog waste signage with new signs. (Attachment 2) 2. Host informational stations at both preserves to contact and educate preserve visitors. 3. Include information on dog waste removal as part of docent-led hikes at Pulgas Ridge and Windy Hill Open Space Preserves. Encourage docents to offer additional “doggy docent hikes” to help further disseminate the information. 4. Conduct focused ranger patrols to educate visitors and enforce dog regulations; also solicit assistance by the Volunteer Trail Patrol to remind visitors of District ordinances. R-19-100 Page 4 5. If target compliance levels are not met with prior actions, install pilot dog waste receptacles (Attachment 3) at Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve. 6. Continue weekly counts of dog waste bags left at both preserves to measure compliance and effectiveness of the informational campaign (Windy Hill) versus using dog waste receptacles (Pulgas Ridge). 7. Based on compliance levels, determine the effectiveness of continuing the use of dog waste receptacles at Pulgas Ridge and potentially providing similar receptacles at other Preserves that are open to dog use. 8. Return to the Board in early 2020 with an update on results and any other recommendations. FISCAL IMPACT The FY2019-20 adopted budget includes sufficient funds in the Land & Facilities operating budget to cover the cost of signs, printing services, and waste receptacles for this program. BOARD COMMITTEE REVIEW This item was not previously reviewed by a Board Committee. PUBLIC NOTICE Public notice was provided as required by the Brown Act. CEQA COMPLIANCE This item is not a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act because it does not have the potential to result in significant physical changes to the environment within the meaning of California Public Resource Code section 2100 et seq. NEXT STEPS In early 2020, the General Manager will return to the Board with an update on results and present any other options and next steps in the program. Attachments 1. 2011 Memo to Board from Operations Manager 2. Proposed informational dog waste sign (two versions) 3. Photo of typical dog waste collection station Responsible Department Head: Land and Facilities Department, Michael Jurich Prepared by: Michael Jurich, Land and Facilities Manager R-19-100 Page 5 Leadership Academy Project Team: Andrew Verbrugge, Lead Ranger Don Mackessy, Maintenance Supervisor Grant Kern, Maintenance Supervisor Gretchen Laustsen, Planner III John Lloyd, Supervising Ranger Scott Cotterel, Lead Open Space Technician Steve Gibbons, Supervising Ranger Contact person: Michael Jurich, Land and Facilities Manager Graphics prepared by: Melissa Borgesi, Planner I DATE: June 8, 2011 MEMO TO: Board of Directors THROUGH: Steve Abbors, General Manager FROM: David Sanguinetti, Operations Manager SUBJECT: FYI - Dog Waste on District Lands _____________________________________________________________________________________________ In early 2010, I was notified by the San Mateo County Director of Environmental Health of their concern about dog waste being left in District Preserves. In November of 2010, after researching the Health Department requests and requirements , I advised District Management and the Board of Directors that the Operations Department would implement a requirement that dog walkers “bag dog waste and take waste with you” at the El Sereno, Fremont Older, Pulgas Ridge, St. Joseph Hill, and Windy Hill preserves. The dog waste requirement has now been in effect at the four preserves for approximately six months. Although field staff have experienced visitors leaving bagged waste in parking lots (which field staff pickup and remove, similar to any waste left by visitors), the problem as described by the Environmental Health Department has improved significantly. Therefore, I am expanding the program to the five remaining preserves that permit dog use: Coal Creek, Foothills, Long Ridge, the Kennedy-Limekiln Area of Sierra Azul, and Thornwood. In the future, when a new location is opened to dog use, the Operations Department will recommend that the “bag dog waste and take waste with you” regulation be implemented, so that the District maintains control of this issue and does not find itself in a similar position with the Environmental Health Department. The following measures will be implemented to inform dog owners of the dog waste removal requirement and facilitate enforcement by District rangers: 1. Notify staff, volunteers and the public of this change through the District Web Site, e-mail, District Newsletter, and by updating all dog literature and maps. 2. Post and enforce the District Regulation requiring dog waste removal from District preserves as it can pose a health hazard and is considered a public nuisance as covered under MROSD Regulation 701.5, Removal of Animal Excrement. 3. Continue the practice of not providing waste cans, which has been a District practice for over 39 years. This has served the District well by keeping costs down and educating users of their environment responsibility. Staff will begin signing and enforcing the “bag dog waste and take waste with you” rule for the remaining dog use preserves over the next couple of weeks. Attachment 1 DOG WALKER REQUIREMENT Bag Dog Waste Take Waste With You No Trash Service Provided 93-1, Sec. 701.5 Attachment 2 DOG WALKER REQUIREMENT Bag Dog Waste Take Waste With You No Trash Service Provided 93-1, Sec. 701.5 THERE IS NO POOP FAIRY - Pet waste does not biodegrade like horse or wild animal waste, it sticks around a long time. - It contains harmful bacteria, pollutes groundwater and creeks, and smells disgusting. - Please help keep the Preserve free of poop by picking up your pet’s waste and disposing of it properly. Attachment 2 Attachment 3 R-19-107 Meeting 19-19 July 24, 2019 AGENDA ITEM 11 AGENDA ITEM Award of Contract to Granite Rock Company for Construction of the Ravenswood Bay Trail Connection Project GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Award a contract to Granite Rock Company of San Jose, California for $3,305,356, which includes bid alternates #1 and #3. 2. Authorize a 15% construction contingency of $495,800 for the contract to be reserved for unanticipated issues, for a not-to-exceed contract amount of $3,801,156. 3. Separately award bid alternate #4 of $250,000 for a total not-to-exceed contract amount of $4,051,156; this fixed charge has been excluded from the 15% contract contingency calculation. SUMMARY The Ravenswood Bay Trail Project (Project) will construct or improve 1.3 miles of Bay Trail, which will close a critical 0.6-mile gap in the San Francisco Bay Trail. The scope of work includes construction of a concrete sidewalk, asphalt trail, decomposed granite shoulders, wood boardwalk, prefabricated steel bridge, fencing, gates, signage, striping, restoration seeding, and associated appurtenances. Concurrently, under a separate contract, a restoration project will construct island refuges within Cooley Marsh, and berm enhancements along the existing Bay Trail to address impacts related to construction of the boardwalk. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (District) issued a Request for Bids (RFB) on May 15, 2019 and received (3) bid proposals on June 26, 2019. Granite Rock Company is the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The General Manager recommends awarding a contract to Granite Rock Company in the amount of $3,305,356; authorizing a 15% construction contingency of $495,800 for a not-to-exceed contract amount of $3,801,156; and separately awarding bid alternate #4 for $250,000 for a total not-to-exceed contract amount of $4,051,156. Bid alternate #4 is a fixed cost from Granite Rock to postpone construction one year if all permits are not issued prior to the 2019 seasonal restriction construction window (September 1 – January 31). The Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 budget includes sufficient funds to cover construction expenses through June 2020. Pending issuance of all regulatory permits, construction is anticipated to begin in September 2019, and be completed spring 2020. R-19-107 Page 2 DISCUSSION The Ravenswood Bay Trail Connection is a 1.3-mile trail construction and repair project that includes closing a 0.6-mile critical gap in the existing Bay Trail system. This route is known as a commuter trail; therefore, the trail will be open from 5am to 10pm daily. The Project is partially located on District land within the Ravenswood Open Space Preserve (Preserve) and partially within an open space trail easement across City and County of San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) land. Due to the proximity to the San Francisco Bay, the Project has a seasonal restriction, requiring construction activities within 700 feet of Cooley Marsh to occur between September 1 and January 31. Furthermore, given the proximity to special interest species, all work within the marsh will be under direct supervision of a bio-monitor. The Project is still awaiting final issuance of regulatory permits. Staff has been working diligently with regulatory agencies to secure the permits and will provide a status update at the July 24, 2019 Board meeting. The Project is located within the jurisdiction of the City of East Palo Alto (EPA) and the City of Menlo Park. Under a Joint Permitting Agreement, EPA will be the lead agency issuing all permits. The Joint Permitting Agreement was approved by the Board on May 15, 2019 (R-19- 61). The pending local permits include a Tree Demolition Permit, Encroachment Permit, and Building Permit. Staff anticipate receiving these permits prior to the commencement of construction. The Project will construct a sidewalk along University Avenue between Purdue Avenue and the new trailhead to connect the Preserve to the neighboring 4-Corners Neighborhood. This sidewalk is within Caltrans Right-of-Way, and the District has already obtained the Encroachment Permit. The boardwalk will traverse under existing PG&E high voltage towers; the District received PG&E approval on May 8, 2019. In summary, the scope of work under the recommended contract includes the following: • 380 linear feet (lf) of concrete sidewalk along University Avenue; • Multi-use trailhead improvements at University Avenue; • 1,845 lf of asphalt multi-use trail; • 1,054 lf of redwood boardwalk, including 3 overlook areas; • 86 lf of prefabricated steel bridge; • 2,000 lf of ornamental and chain link fencing; • 1 acre of restoration seeding; • Bid Alternate #1: resurfacing 800 lf of asphalt path along Bay Road to the Ravenswood parking lot to correct ADA cross-slope barriers; • Bid Alternate #3: resurfacing 3,700 lf of asphalt path on the existing Bay Trail; • Bid Alternate #4: (alternate schedule) postponing the project construction to July 2020 through spring 2021. This schedule would be necessary if all permits are not issued in time to begin work during the seasonal restriction window (September 1 – January 31). The portion of work not recommended for award is Bid Alternate #2 to upgrade all boardwalk hardware from galvanized steel to stainless steel. This bid alternate price was higher than anticipated. R-19-107 Page 3 As mitigation for construction of the boardwalk over the marsh, a concurrent project will occur to construct 750 square feet of island refuge habitat within Cooley Marsh, and 1,750 lf of berm restoration plantings along the existing Bay Trail. Pending issuance of all regulatory permits, construction of the mitigation project is scheduled for fall 2019 and will occur under a separate contract. Contractor Selection A Request for Bids was issued on May 15, 2019 via BidSync and released to five builders’ exchanges. Legal notices were posted in the San Jose Mercury News and the San Mateo County Times, and an Invitation to Bid was posted on the District website. Mandatory pre-bid site walks were held on May 29, 2019 and June 5, 2019 with 13 total contractors in attendance. The detailed breakdown of the (3) bids received is as follows: Bidder Location Total Base Bid % of Base Bid Estimate ($3,300,000) Total Bid Alternates #1 – #4 1. Granite Rock Company San Jose, CA $2,811,321 85% $1,494,035 2. Vortex Marine Construction, Inc. Antioch, CA $3,559,852 108% $881,241 3. McGuire & Hester Alameda, CA $4,556,900 138% $714,409 Upon review of the Bid Proposals and confirmation of the contractors' qualifications, the General Manager recommends awarding the contract to Granite Rock Company, as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The contract value includes the Base Bid and the following optional Bid Alternates: Bid Alternate #1: Asphalt Bay Road to Parking Lot $ 38,100.00 Bid Alternate #3: Existing Bay Trail Asphalt Paving $ 455,935.00 Bid Alternate #4: Alternate Project Schedule 2020-2021* $ 250,000.00 *This is a fixed cost and not included in the 15% construction contingency calculation FISCAL IMPACT The adopted Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 budget includes $1,976,760 for the Ravenswood Bay Trail Project (MAA02-002). There are sufficient funds in the project budget to cover the recommended action and expenditures through June 2020. Sufficient funds will be requested in future years as needed during the annual Budget and Action Plan process. The following table outlines the fiscal impact for the recommended actions and the overall budget for the Ravenswood Bay Trail Project (MAA02-002). The Fiscal Year 2019-20 Budget includes $1,424,911 in grant funds for this project from multiple sources (San Mateo County Measure K, Santa Clara County Stanford Mitigation, Urban Greening Grant Program and a gift from Facebook Donation). R-19-107 Page 4 Ravenswood Bay Trail MAA02-002 Prior Year Actuals FY2019-20 Adopted Budget Estimated Future Years Total District Funded (Fund 30): $256,826 $551,849 $1,589,452 $2,398,127 Grants and Donations Amount: $512,374 $1,424,911 $818,043 $2,755,328 Project #MAA02-002 Budget: $769,200 $1,976,760 $2,407,495 $5,153,455 Spent-to-Date (as of 06/30/2019): ($769,200) $0 $0 ($769,200) Encumbrances (1): $0 ($333,099) $0 ($333,099) Granite Rock Company Contract (2): $0 ($1,643,661) (1,911,695) ($3,555,356) 15% Contingency (3): $0 $0 (495,800) ($495,800) Budget Remaining (Proposed): $0 $0 $0 $0 (1) Includes year 1 of recently approved H.T. Harvey and Associates Contract and proposed Ravenswood Bay Trail Wetlands Credit Purchase. (2) Contract includes bid alternates 1, 3 and 4. (3) Contingency excludes bid alternate #4 from the calculation. The need to use contingency funds will be determined once construction commences. The following table outlines the Measure AA Portfolio 02 allocation, grants and donations awarded, costs-to-date, and the fiscal impact related to the Ravenswood Bay Trail project (MAA02-002). MAA02 Portfolio Allocation: $5,052,000 Grants and Donations Awarded: 2,755,328 Life-to-Date Spent (as of 07/01/2019): (1,638,769) Encumbrances (as of 07/01/2019): (333,099) Granite Rock Company Contract: (3,555,356) 15% Contingency: (495,800) Portfolio Balance Remaining (Proposed): $1,784,304 BOARD COMMITTEE REVIEW The Real Property Committee held a meeting on February 16, 2016 in the City of East Palo Alto to provide committee members and the public with a status update on the Project and trail easement acquisition from the SFPUC to close the Bay Trail gap. On November 16, 2016, the Board approved the conceptual trail alignment and certified the IS/MND (R-16-146). PUBLIC NOTICE Public notice was provided as required by the Brown Act. CEQA COMPLIANCE The Project was evaluated in a Mitigated Negative Declaration and Initial Study, certified by the Board on November 16, 2016 (R-16-146). R-19-107 Page 5 NEXT STEPS If approved, the General Manager will enter into a contract with Granite Rock Company. Final contract signature is subject to meeting all District requirements, such as having all required insurance and bonding in place. Construction will begin August 2019 and be completed by Spring 2020. Attachment 1. Project Site Map Responsible Department Head: Jason Lin, PE, Engineering and Construction Department Manager Prepared by: Scott Reeves, Senior Capital Project Manager, Engineering and Construction Department E A S T PA L O A LT O S F P U C D O N E D W A R D S N W R PA L O A LT O B AY L A N D S S F B a y R AV E N S W O O D O P E N S P A C E P R E S E R V E University Ave E A S T P A L O A L T O M E N L O P A R K Fordham St Illinois St T u l a n e A v e Purdue Ave Stevens Ave Drew Ct Purdue Ave Notre Dame Ave Temple Ct Ka van aug h Dr Gonzaga St O 'b ri en D r Georgetown St Xavier St Adams Dr Farrington W y Emmett Wy Baylor St Annapolis St Hunter St Pulgas Ave Tara St U n i v e r s i t y A v e B a y R d M id p e ni n su la Reg i on a l Op e n S p a c e D i st r ic t (MRO S D) O ct o ber 2 0 18 E x h i b i t B : Ra v en s w o o d B a y Tr a i l I m p r o v e m e n t s Path: G:\Projects\Ravenswood\BayTrail_UrbanGreeningGrant\BayTrail_UrbanGreeningImprovements_20181009.mxd Created By: ngreig 0 1,000500 FeetI MR O SD P r es er ves While the Distric t strives to use the best av ail able digital data, these data do not represent a legal su r vey and are merely a graphic illustration of geographic f eatures. Wa ter s h ed La nd San Francisco Oakland San Jose Vallejo San Rafael Santa Cruz Area of Detail Oth er P ro t ec ted Lan ds Oth er P u bl ic A gen c y Ex is t ing B ay Tra il Tra il Resu r fa c ingWetlandPaved Tra il SF P UC S er v ic e Ro ad/Pa ved Tra il B oa r dw al k B ri dge Tr a i l Im p r ov e m e nt s É É ÉÉÉ É City B o u nd ar y Rev. 1/3/18 R-19-98 Meeting 19-19 July 24, 2019 AGENDA ITEM 12 AGENDA ITEM Grant Awards for the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Grantmaking Program GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION Approve the recommended grant awards for the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Grantmaking Program. SUMMARY Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (District) staff released the first grant program solicitation under the District’s Grantmaking Policy, as approved and revised by the Board of Directors (Board) in 2018. The solicitation focused on three funding priorities outlined in the policy: Applied Science; Networks and Partnership Support; and Access, Interpretation, and Education. A total of $250,000 is available for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-19 funding round. The District received 21 proposals totaling $762,853 in funding requests. Fourteen of the applicants applied to the Access, Interpretation, and Education Program; five to Applied Science; and two to Partnership and Network Support. Based on the application evaluation and scoring by the staff-composed Grantmaking Advisory Committee, the General Manager recommends funding seven (7) proposals, which will allocate the funding as follows: four grants under Education, Access, and Interpretation; two under Applied Science; and one under Networks and Partnership Support. Grantees include Environmental Volunteers, Groundswell Coastal Ecology, San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (one Applied Science grant and one Education, Access, and Interpretation grant), Thrive Alliance, University of California at Santa Cruz, and Vida Verde Education Center. In addition, two additional proposals from the Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network and Bay Area Older Adults, will be funded separately as contracts through the Natural Resources and Public Affairs Departments, respectively. The Legislative, Funding, and Public Affairs Committee (LFPAC) forwarded these recommended projects to the Board of Directors, and if approved, the Grants Program will execute grant agreements September 2019. Grantees will then have three years to complete the projects. DISCUSSION In 2018, the Board approved a revised Grantmaking Policy, which set forth a renewed commitment to provide funding under a wide set of funding priorities to external organizations that support the District’s mission. The purposes of this program are to a) expand the District’s reach b y furthering its mission through outside partnerships, b) build and deepen existing R-19-98 Page 2 relationships with partners, and c) learn from partners. With these goals in mind, the revised policy established three funding priorities: Applied Science; Networks and Partnership Support; and Access, Interpretation, and Education. These funding priorities reflect both the District’s mission and priorities as well as the funding need within the community. A total of $250,000 was available in this funding round. The solicitation outlined the funding priorities as well as other program parameters, including two grant funding levels, “Sprouts” at up to $25,000 and “Roots” at up to $50,000 (Attachment 1). By having two funding levels, the District will encourage smaller organizations to apply by simplifying reporting requirements for smaller grants. Eligible organizations included public agencies, K-12 schools or academic institutions, non-profits, and private organizations with an established fiscal sponsor. Projects do not need to take place on District land but do need to support the District’s mission. Project terms are up to three years. District staff broadly distributed the grant solicitation to a range of potentially interested groups and public listservs, and shared the information through a press release, the District’s website, and social media. From this solicitation, the District received 21 proposals, including 14 Education, Interpretation, and Access proposals; five Applied Science proposals; and two Network and Partnership Support proposals (Attachment 2). In aggregate, applicants requested a total of $762,853 in funding. Once the solicitation period closed, District staff conducted an administrative review to ensure all applicants and projects were eligible under the solicitation guidelines. To score the applications, District staff created an Advisory Committee, which included the Grants Program Manager and one or two representatives from Natural Resources, Visitor Services, and Planning to ensure subject matter expertise. The Grants Program Manager and an applicable Advisory Committee member with relevant expertise then scored each application. Scoring criteria included: • Fit with program priorities and overall project impact • Project readiness • Organizational capacity • Leadership and innovation • Additional project characteristics (e.g., multiple benefits) • New District grantee • Project sustainability after funding ends (Roots proposals only) • Collaboration and partnership (Roots proposals only) Scorers ranked the proposals against the stated criteria and reviewed them to ensure District staff resources were available to support the proposals that required collaboration with the District. The Grants Program Manager and Advisory Committee subsequently shared the list of recommended projects with the Executive Management Team for review and input. Due to the high number of competitive proposals, District staff selected those that most closely matched the scoring priorities. Seven proposals are recommended for funding, one of which is recommended for partial funding (Thrive Alliance). Below is a summary of the projects recommended for funding (Attachment 3). All the recommended proposals will further the District’s mission, expand partnerships, and directly benefit the scientific and conservation community and District residents. R-19-98 Page 3 Environmental Volunteers - $25,000 The mission of Environmental Volunteers is to promote understanding of and responsibility for the environment through hands-on environmental science education. Environmental Volunteers is working on a collaborative interpretation project with the City of Palo Alto and the City of East Palo Alto to bring their respective communities together in the care and preservation of the marshlands of the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve. The project will focus on the installation of interpretative panels and exhibits along two miles of multi-use trails between the Cooley Landing Education Center and Lucy Evans Nature Center, and on the Evans Center’s adjoining boardwalk that extends into the marsh. The proposed multi-sensory, bilingual interpretive panels and interactive exhibits will engage baylands visitors to learn about salt marsh ecology, how citizens and cities work with local agencies to monitor biological impacts, and what steps Bay Area residents can take on their own to protect the marsh. Funding will be used for the interpretive design of the panels, with construction costs being funded through a California Outdoor Environmental Education Facilities grant. Supporting this interpretive design would enable the Cities of Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and the District to connect the visitor experience between Ravenswood Open Space Preserve, Cooley Landing Park, and the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve with interpretive and educational themes, panels and exhibits along the baylands. Groundswell Coastal Ecology - $49,025 Groundswell Coastal Ecology is a fiscally-sponsored organization under Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs. Groundswell is proposing a collaboration with Pescadero High School located in the San Mateo County Coast to engage students in a hands-on learning experience focusing on how to make the ecological and social communities of the Central California coastline more resilient. Building on curricula implemented with Central Coast schools over the past five years, students will learn about methodologies for site assessment and implementation of green infrastructure to help increase coastal resiliency. The selected site is Tunitas Creek Beach County Park, which is owned by Peninsula Open Space Trust, with the intent to transfer property ownership to San Mateo County. Students will identify coastal resilience needs and gaps at the site (with focus on development pressures, visitor impacts, and climate change) and use Design Thinking Theory to develop site-specific solutions. Students will then present the top-ranking proposals to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors or Coastal Commission. This project will increase student understanding of coastal resilience challenges and solutions, and has the potential to further on-the-ground project implementation. San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory – Restoring Transition Habitat with Bird Nests – $24,704 The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO) is dedicated to the conservation of birds and their habitats through science and outreach. The SFBBO will collaborate with Santa Clara University to examine historic bird nests collected in transitional habitat to better understand the plant composition of the surrounding ecosystem. Most transitional habitat has been urbanized and where natural habitat remains, invasive exotic plants and cessation of grazing and fire regimen have altered the habitat. Through nondestructive sampling, SFBBO will examine the molecular makeup of the nests to provide a proof-of-concept that would allow future work to reconstruct the historical plant community of transitional habitat. This information is valuable for the District and others to inform future transitional habitat restoration planning. San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory – Bird Outreach - $25,000 SFBBO will deliver free outreach programs to increase science literacy, appreciation for birds, and an understanding of issues facing birds. District funding will support an Outreach Specialist R-19-98 Page 4 to deliver the following programs: a) Birds in Your Neighborhood events in residential locations to help people embrace birds as part of their community, b) Bird, Nature and Habitat Walks, which are one to three-hour bird and nature walks focused on species identification, habitat restoration, nature journaling, data collection, and photography, c) Science Presentations, an environmental science talk series, and d) Family and Youth Science Events, one-hour children- focused events to expose participants to different aspects of being a scientist and to encourage an interest in nature and science. Ten of the Bird, Nature, and Habitat Walks will take place within the District’s jurisdiction and many of them on District preserves, and all four science talks and all eight family events will take place within the District’s jurisdiction. Thrive Alliance - $25,000 Founded in 2000, Thrive Alliance’s vision is to support and promote a network of nonprofit, government, business and community leaders with a shared commitment to strengthening the nonprofit sector, thereby improving the quality of life in our community and the San Francisco peninsula. In 2018, Thrive formed Thrive Action Groups (TAGs) in five key issues areas. The Environmental and Sustainability TAG targets leaders in the community to convene once a month to discover and discuss real-time challenges and solutions in the natural conservation landscape through the lens of equity and sustainability. Its goal is to identify areas and actions for members to collectively advocate for positive change. Thrive has 95 attendees from 68 organizations, with an average attendance of 20 per session. Meetings include one or two guest speakers within a theme around issues related to sustainability followed by open discussion. The network includes a variety of organizations, including nonprofits, government, business, and education, providing the opportunity to build cross-sector and cross-jurisdictional relationships and knowledge. District funding will support the organizational capacity and staff support for these meetings to grow the network and deliver high-quality programming that is well- facilitated, relevant to participants, and delivers focused post-meeting follow up to sustain the conversations. Supporting this network would enable the District to broaden its connections with a wide spectrum of organizations and discover new opportunities to partner. University of California, Santa Cruz - $49,375 The University of California at Santa Cruz will investigate the extent to which native forbs are pollen limited and whether pollen limitation is exacerbated by the invasion of French broom. Researchers will a) collect baseline information on pollen limitation of native forbs with a pollen supplementation experiment, b) quantify the movement of pollinators from French broom flowers to native flowers and vice versa and quantify French broom pollen on native plant stigmas, and c) assess the consequences of French broom pollen deposition on native forb reproduction by measuring seed set. The results will provide important information about pollen limitation of key native species on District preserves, and an assessment of the impact of French broom through competition for pollinators. This information could help inform invasive pest management practices within District preserves. Vida Verde Education Center - $50,000 Vida Verde’s mission is to promote educational equity by providing free overnight environmental learning experiences at their farm in San Gregorio for students who would not otherwise have the opportunity. Attendees are 99% youth of color, 85% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch programs in their schools, and none of them would otherwise have the chance to participate in outdoor education programs. District funding will support this core school-year programming as well as Vida Verde’s second year of its new Summer Leadership Camp, which engages high school students in mentoring younger children. This camp focuses on R-19-98 Page 5 alumni of Vida Verde’s core school-year program and builds on their experiences and growth as leaders. The program’s goal is to expand from 9 students and serve 30 high school aged participants from low-income Bay Area schools to build on the programming and success of the first year. Both programs have the same goal to help kids from urban neighborhoods feel comfortable in the outdoors, spark a lifelong interest in learning and exploring, and build confidence. This programming will directly benefit low income and underserved residents within the District’s jurisdiction and the surrounding communities. Partnership Contracts – separate from the Grantmaking Program In addition to recommending the above proposals for funding, two additional proposals were considered for funding through the Grantmaking Program but will instead be executed as contracts. First, the proposal submitted by the San Mateo Resource Conservation District on behalf of the Santa Cruz Mountain Stewardship Network ranked high when scored by the committee. However, rather than disburse funds through this grant program, District staff will instead expand the existing contract with the group by $30,000 over the next three years. Next, after feedback from LFPAC, funding for the Bay Area Older Adults was augmented through the Public Affairs budget up to $15,000 and will now be executed as a separate contract instead of through the Grantmaking Program. Grant Administration Once grants are awarded, the Grants Program Manager will administer the grant agreements and monitor grant progress. In addition, the Advisory Committee will select one department representative to provide subject matter expertise and gauge grant progress and build ongoing collaborative relationships with the organization. Per the grant agreement, grantees will submit reimbursement requests up to four times per year along with supporting documentation. Grant awardees will be required to identify the District during public announcements related to the project and be available to the present to the District’s Board of Directors on an annual basis. FISCAL IMPACT Grant funding will be allocated from the General Fund and will total $250,000 from FY2019-20 through FY2021-22. There are sufficient funds in the adopted FY2019-20 Administrative Services budget to cover the cost of the recommendation. It is projected that there will be sufficient funds to cover the cost of the recommendation in future fiscal years. Future fiscal year budgets will be adopted annually as a part of the annual Budget and Action Plan process. Expenditures are currently planned as followed: FY2019-20 FY2020-21 – FY2021-22 Total $184,104 $64,000 $248,104 The remaining $1,896 of the available $250,000 will be made available for Public Affairs to augment a contract to Bay Area Older Adults, which will be administered as a contract through the Public Affairs Department rather than through the Grantmaking Program. R-19-98 Page 6 BOARD COMMITTEE REVIEW This item was previous reviewed by LFPAC on June 11, 2019 and the recommended proposals were advanced to the full Board of Directors for approval, with the exception of Bay Area Older Adults, which was instead transferred to Public Affairs to be executed as a partnership contract. PUBLIC NOTICE Public notice was provided as required by the Brown Act. CEQA COMPLIANCE All funded projects have been evaluated under CEQA. Two of the seven proposals recommended for funding could result in a potential effect on the environment and are described below. Environmental Volunteers: The District determined that the installation of interpretative panels (approximate number?) along multi-use trails in the vicinity of the Cooley Landing Education Center and an adjoining boardwalk is categorically exempt under Article 19 of the CEQA Guidelines as follows: Section 15304(d): This class of projects consists of minor alterations in the condition of land, water, and/or vegetation which do not involve the removal of healthy, mature scenic trees. The proposed project consists of installation of approximately one hundred signs. It does not involve the removal of any trees. Section 15311(a): This class of project consists of the construction of minor accessory structures. San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory and University of California, Santa Cruz: The District determined that the grantee’s activities funded by the District (sampling of bird nests, and observations of plant pollen production, respectively) are categorically exempt under Article 19 of the CEQA Guidelines as follows: Section 15306: Information Collection Class 6 consists of basic data collection, research, experimental management, and resource evaluation activities which do not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource. These activities may be strictly for information gathering purposes, or as part of a study leading to an action, which a public agency has not yet approved, adopted, or funded. NEXT STEPS Pending Board approval of the applications, the Grants Program Manager will work with the grantees to execute grant agreements by September 2019. Once awarded, the Grants Program Manager will administer the grant and work with an assigned department liaison to track progress against the deliverables. Grantees will be able to submit for reimbursements on a maximum quarterly basis, and District staff will use the accompanying status reports in addition to periodic check-ins to track grant progress. District staff will annually update the Board of Directors on the status of the Grantmaking Program. R-19-98 Page 7 Attachments 1. 2019 Grant Solicitation 2. Abstracts of All Proposals Received 3. List of all Grant Proposals Received Responsible Department Head: Stefan Jaskulak, CFO/Director of Administrative Services Prepared by: Melanie Askay, Grants Program Manager Contact person: Melanie Askay, Grants Program Manager 1 Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Grantmaking Program February 2019 ATTACHMENT 1 2 Introduction and Purpose The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District’s (Midpen) Grantmaking Program will make $250,000 in funding available to public agencies, nonprofits, K-12 schools and academic institutions, and private organizations to: • Support projects that further the Midpen’s mission; • Build the capacity of academic and nonprofit institutions in order to sustain and grow the conservation field; and • Facilitate Midpen’s mission and work by building and strengthening partnerships. Who We Are Midpen is an independent special district that has preserved over 63,000 acres of public land and manages 26 open space preserves. Its purpose is to create a regional greenbelt of unspoiled public open space lands in order to permanently protect the area’s natural resources and to provide for public use and enjoyment. Midpen’s mission is: To acquire and preserve a regional greenbelt of open space land in perpetuity; protect and restore the natural environment; and provide opportunities for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education. Funding Priorities Grantmaking will be guided by an emphasis on investments that reflect a regional focus and provide avenues for partnership, both with the Midpen as well as among other stakeholders. Applicants will be directed to apply for one of the three funding categories described below, although multi- benefit projects are encouraged. 1. Applied Science Proposals under the Applied Science category should focus on academic or practitioner science projects that support the protection and enhancement of natural resources on Midpen lands. The purpose of this support is to develop and disseminate information that advances scientific understanding of natural processes. Proposals submitted in this round must focus on Our Changing Ecosystems, described below. Our Changing Ecosystems A host of challenges face our world today. Climate change is impacting ecosystems in a myriad of known and unknown ways, from increased variability in precipitation and vulnerability to fire, to changes in species distributions and dispersal patterns. As a result, ecosystems are facing a combination of accelerated and new stressors, inhibiting the ability to rebound from any one event. Proposals should focus on research that seeks to understand these changes, with an emphasis on how to improve land and resource stewardship practices in response. Types of projects may ATTACHMENT 1 3 include applied academic research or proof-of-concept, and may focus on a variety of topics relating to our changing ecosystems, including, but not limited to climate change and carbon sequestration, habitat fragmentation, fire ecology, drought and flood management or watershed function, plant pathogens, population shifts, or species responses to habitat loss or climate change. Example projects: • Research that examines the ecology and potential mitigation strategies to combat the spread of Phytophthora; • Vegetation mapping that contributes to an understanding of how ecosystems are changing (e.g., fine-scale fire risk mapping that results in a coordinated approach to vegetation management), or; • Regional carbon sequestration planning or implementation on working lands. 2. Network and Partnership Support California’s largest and most pressing challenges require working together to discover and implement innovative solutions. Landscape-scale stewardship is critical to ensuring solutions are scalable and have broad impact. Consequently, this funding category focuses on grant proposals that cultivate, sustain, or grow established conservation networks. Although future funding rounds may allow for establishment of new working groups or networks, in this round only projects submitted by established groups or networks will be considered. Groups or networks should be primarily oriented towards topics that relate to land management, conservation, or public access to outdoor recreation. Proposals should focus on developing organizational capacity or implementing projects to engage the group on working together towards developing shared priorities, exchanging best practices, or collaborating on research or educational outreach and education/interpretation, etc. Types of support can include but are not limited to meeting facilitation or other consulting support, staff time for network participation, outreach, meeting supplies, etc. Example projects: • Development of a data sharing system for a network; • Consulting and staff time support to build a strategic plan for a working group to coalesce around a shared understanding for how participants will work together; • Consulting or staff time support to build organizational capacity to devote time towards building the network and dedicate time towards regular communication and collaborate under a joint vision; or • Support to organize convenings to share research and best practices related to natural resource management. Please note that funds cannot be used for policy or advocacy and therefore lobbying support is not an eligible project type. ATTACHMENT 1 4 3. Access, Interpretation and Education Funding for access, environmental interpretation, and education will be directed towards facilitating equal opportunity for all residents to take advantage of Midpen lands while fostering an appreciation for open space protection, nature study and appreciation, cultural resource understanding, and environmental stewardship. Proposals should focus on projects that contribute understanding and appreciation of our natural systems, facilitate opportunities for outdoor engagement and nature-based experiences, especially for underserved communities, or provide nature-based educational and interpretive experiences for children or adults. Funding can be used for staff time to create or execute programming, provide transportation to opportunities for outdoor engagement or nature-based experiences, facilitate knowledge of outdoor recreational opportunities, access to the outdoors, environmental stewardship activities, etc. However, transportation-related projects must be to and from Midpen preserves. Example Projects: • Public access or educational programs for families or students; • Develop and/or improve interpretive signs and services along trails; • Complete gaps in a regional trail system that connect communities to trails and open space; or • Outreach and activity programs that encourage outdoor engagement and nature-based experiences in underserved communities. Funding A total of $250,000 in grant funding is available in FY18-19. Two funding tiers are available in this round: • Sprouts Program for projects up to $25,000; and • Roots Program for projects up to $50,000. Applicants should select the program that matches the amount of funding requested. All three funding priorities are eligible for either the Roots or Sprouts Programs. Application and reporting requirements will vary between the two programs, with the Roots Program requiring additional detail in the proposal during proposal development and reporting (see Grant Agreement and Reporting for detail). General Requirements and Grant Restrictions Eligible organizations Eligible applicants must be a public agency, K-12 school or academic institution, or non-profit organization (501(c)(3). Applicants with eligible projects that are not one of these entities such as a private organization may work through a fiscal agent to apply as long as the fiscal sponsorship is established before application submittal and the project has a primarily charitable, scientific, or educational purpose. ATTACHMENT 1 5 Faculty at accredited academic institutions must sponsor research-related projects; practitioner science projects may require faculty sponsorship and will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the Grants Officer prior to application submittal to establish whether a faculty sponsorship will be required. Project Location Projects without a field work component need not take place within the Midpen’s boundaries but all projects must support the Midpen’s mission. All proposed field work must take place on Midpen preserves and transportation-related projects must be to and from Midpen preserves. Please work with the Midpen staff prior to application submittal to discuss potential projects. Grant period The project performance period is three years after the grant agreement is executed (anticipated September 2019). Eligible Costs and Funding Restrictions Eligible Costs Grant funds may be used to cover expenses related to the implementation of proposed events or programs. Matching funds are not required but we encourage applicants to look for creative ways to combine funds to create a more complete or effective project. Project costs must be consistent with the approved project and incurred during the performance period as specified in the grant agreement. Below illustrates examples of eligible costs: Budget Item Eligible Cost Required Documentation Salaries, wages, and benefits Salaries and wages of employees employed by the Grantee who is directly engaged in the execution of the grant project. Benefits include employer contribution of fringe benefits. Timesheets or similar documentation detailing days and hours worked on the project. Consultants and contractors Direct consultant and contractual services necessary to achieve the objectives of the grant. Invoices from consultant/contractor identifying expenditure, services performed and period of services. Travel Travel costs associated with travel to and from project sites, meetings, etc. directly related to the grant project. Costs must be considered reasonable and necessary for the completion of the project. Receipts identifying travel costs (i.e. lodging, rental cars). Mileage must be documented by either employee travel claims or vehicle mileage logs for vehicles owned by the Grantee. Equipment and supplies Supplies required for project or program execution. Receipts identifying item purchased, cost, and date of ATTACHMENT 1 6 purchase. Use of Grantee equipment must be substantiated with an equipment usage log that identifies the equipment used, rate, and total rental cost. Indirect and other Indirect Costs are costs associated with doing business that are of a general nature and are incurred to benefit two or more functions within the Grantee organization. See indirect cost policy below. Applied on a percentage basis of direct costs. Ineligible costs: The following activities and costs will not be covered by this funding: • Conducting lobbying, carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation or political decision making; • Influencing the outcome of any specific election through any means; • Purposes other than those that are charitable, scientific, or educational; • Fundraising purposes; • Budget shortfalls or endowment funds; • Scholarships, fellowships, or grants to individuals; • Land acquisition or real estate purchases; • Costs incurred before or after the project performance period; or • Late fees, penalties, and bank fees. Indirect cost policy: A maximum of 15% of each grant may be allocated toward indirect costs. Direct costs include all of the expenses that are required for project execution and can be directly linked to the project. This includes, but is not limited to personnel, consultants, equipment, and capital expenditures. Indirect costs are those expenses that cannot be linked directly to the project. Indirect costs can be a separate line item in the budget but the 15% allocation must exclude the following direct costs: consultants, contractors, and sub-grants; equipment and capital expenditures; fee-for-service charges; and fiscal sponsor fees. Application Process and Submittal All application submittals will take place through the AmpliFund online platform at: https://www.gotomygrants.com/Public/opportunities/midpeninsula-regional-open-space- district Applicants will be directed to create a username and password and upload the required information online. When beginning an application users will be directed to select from either the Sprouts or Roots Programs and then select the applicable funding priority. See Appendix A for application requirements. ATTACHMENT 1 7 Midpen is not soliciting, does not wish to receive, and will not treat any information received as part of a grant application as proprietary or confidential information. If you need help with the online portal contact Melanie Askay at maskay@openspace.org. Timeline Timeline is approximate and is estimated as follows: Activity Date Application period opens Feb. 11, 2019 Applications due March 25, 2019 Board of Directors Review June 26, 2019 Award notification June 27, 2019 Approximate earliest date project can begin Sept. 1 2019 Deadline for executed grant agreement December 2019 Project end date September 2022, or three years following agreement execution Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria Applications will be reviewed by Midpen staff according to the Evaluation Criteria outlined below. Grant awards may be less than the full amount requested in the proposal. Evaluation Criteria Sprouts Program (up to $25,000) Criteria Points Fit with program priorities and overall project impact 30 Project readiness – is the project timeline feasible and is it likely to be completed within the grant performance period? 20 Organizational capacity – does the applicant have demonstrated capacity to take on this type of project and does the organization have a track record for success? 15 Leadership and innovation – is the organization taking the lead in establishing a new methodology, program, or management technique? 5 Additional project characteristics (e.g., multi-benefits) 5 New Midpen Grantee 5 Maximum points 80 ATTACHMENT 1 8 Roots Program (up to $50,000) Criteria Points Fit with program priorities and overall project impact 20 Project readiness – is the project timeline feasible and is it likely to be completed within the grant performance period? 15 Project sustainability after funds are expended - is this project likely to continue after the funding is complete? Has future funding been identified 10 Organizational capacity – does the applicant have demonstrated capacity to take on this type of project and does the organization have a track record for success? 10 Collaboration and partnership - will this project establish new external relationships or deepen existing relationships? 10 Leadership and innovation – is the organization taking the lead in establishing a new methodology, program, or management technique? 5 Additional project characteristics (e.g., multi-benefit project) 5 New Midpen Grantee 5 Total 80 Grant Agreement and Reporting Invoicing and reimbursement: Funds can be disbursed after a fully executed grant agreement is in place. Midpen will issue payments on a reimbursement basis, barring exceptions for projects with demonstrable need (see below). Reimbursement requests can be submitted as frequently as quarterly but at least annually if reimbursable expenses are accrued. Advance payments may be considered at the Midpen’s discretion and with demonstrable need. No advance payment shall exceed 25% of the total grant award. Advances must be fully utilized within a six-month period unless additional time is approved by Midpen. Reimbursement requests must be accompanied by documentation that details the work performed over the reporting period, a budget report that demonstrates which funds are being requested for reimbursement against the fund balance, and appropriate receipts or other necessary documentation. Loss of funding: The following are examples of actions that may result in loss of funding: ATTACHMENT 1 9 • Grantee fails to obtain a grant agreement; • Grantee fails to complete the funded project (conform substantially to the agreement); • Grantee fails to submit all documentation within the time periods specified in the grant agreement; • Grantee fails to secure CEQA or other necessary project permits; • Grantee changes the project scope without the concurrence of Midpen; or • Grantee terminates the project by written notice 30 days in advance. Reporting: The Grantee is required to keep Midpen appraised of the project’s progress throughout the project performance period. Roots Grantees must submit annual reports detailing project progress along with a financial report to describe how the funds were spent based on the budget submitted. Sprouts Grantees will not be required to submit annual narrative reports but will be asked for periodic updates. Roots Program Grantees should submit an annual narrative report (5 pages or fewer) that includes answers to the following questions: • List your SMART objectives and progress made against each of the objectives; • List any other highlights from this period that are important to share (e.g., new opportunities discovered, partnerships developed/deepened); • Were any anticipated activities or milestone delayed? If so, describe the reason for the delay and how this might impact the project’s goals, budget, or timeline; • Explain any proposed changes to the approach, project, timeline, or budget for the upcoming year; and • Project budget against total expenditures. Changes or amendments: Grantees seeking changes to the scope or budget (greater than 10% from a budget category) must obtain Midpen’s approval. Changes in project scope must continue to meet the need cited in the original application. Grantee will jeopardize funding should changes be made without prior notice to and approval by Midpen. Audit and Accountability: Projects are subject to audit annually and for three years following the final payment of grant funds. If the project is selected for audit, Grantee will be contacted in advance. The audit shall include all books, papers, accounts, documents, or other records of Grantee, as they relate to the project. All project expenditure documentation should be available for an audit, whether paid with grant funds or other funds. Grantee must maintain an accounting system that accurately reflects fiscal transactions, with the necessary controls and safeguards to provide an adequate audit trail. Project Recognition: Grantees will be required to identify the funding source during public announcements relating to the project. Printed or web-based public materials relating to the project should acknowledge Midpen as a funding source. In addition, if the Grantee uses social media, the Grantee should acknowledge the project and Midpen funding at major milestones, ATTACHMENT 1 10 as well as other sources of public outreach, such as newsletters or blog posts whenever possible. In addition, the Grants Program will prepare an annual report to the Board of Directors on the Grantmaking Program that details the proposals received as well as those selected for funding, and the results of research received. Grantees must be available to present to the Board annually, if requested. Public announcements relating to the project should be listed in the Grantees annual grant reports to Midpen (Roots Grantees), or in disbursement requests (Sprouts Grantees). Restrictions: Eligible projects must not result in permanent damage and/or impairment to habitats or natural resources on Midpen lands and will be in compliance with Midpen’s Permit to Enter procedures (required for each research project). Questions and Contact Research projects are required to consult with Midpen staff prior to application submittal to determine whether faculty sponsorship is required. Other applicants are also encouraged to consult with Midpen staff prior to application submittal. For questions, please contact Melanie Askay, Grants Specialist, at maskay@openspace.org, or 650-691-6507. ATTACHMENT 1 11 Appendix A – Grant Application Applicants will select the appropriate funding program (Sprouts Program for proposals requesting $25,000 or less and Roots Program for proposals requesting between $25,001 to $50,000). Basic Information • Organization name, address, and tax status • Contact information • Applicable funding priority • Executive summary • Required documents • Project budget that includes other sources of funding, along with a short narrative describing how the funds will be spent. • Project workplan that includes a timeline • Bios of key members of project team • Map of project location (if applicable) • Two years of audited financial documents or documented relationship with fiscal sponsor. If audited documents are not available then non-audited financial documents will be accepted. • Documentation of relationship with faculty sponsor (if applicable) Sprouts Program The proposal narrative should be no more than three pages, with bulleted answers acceptable, and answer the following questions: • Describe the project, including the purpose, goals, and how it fits into Midpen’s mission and priorities. • Describe your organization, including the mission and vision. Describe the organization’s capacity to achieve these goals. • If applicable, list all other organizations that will be involved in the project, including Midpen. • Describe the expected results and how they will advance the goals set forth by the applicable funding priority. Roots Program The proposal narrative should be no more than six pages and include answers to the following questions: • Describe the project, including the purpose, goals, and how it fits into Midpen’s mission and priorities. Include answers to the following questions: ATTACHMENT 1 12 • How does the program/project fit into the long-term goals of your organization? • What makes the program/project well positioned to succeed? What results are you currently achieving in this area? • Explain how you will implement the program/project, including key steps/stages, activities, and milestones, the timeline for implementation, and how it will be staffed. • If applicable, what partnerships do you have or will you develop to support your effort? • Describe your organization, including the mission and vision. Describe the organization’s capacity to achieve these goals. • If applicable, list all other organizations that will be involved in the project, including Midpen. • Provide a short, bulleted list of target results for this grant. These should be structured as SMART objectives (specific, measurable, attainable, results-focused, and time-specific). Note: SMART objectives will form the basis of grant expectations and will be included in the grant agreement and reporting requirements. • What challenges do you expect to encounter, and how will you address them? • How will you measure the success of your effort? What indicators will you track, what methods will you use, and how will you use/share what you learn? ATTACHMENT 1 2019 Grantmaking Program proposal summaries Amah Mutsun Land Trust Celebrating Indigenous Culture Through Education and Stewardship Request Amount: $50,000 This project supports work at the Cultural Conservation Easement on the Mount Umunhum property (Mt. Umunhum) that was granted to the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band (AMTB) in December of 2017. This landmark easement represents a unique learning partnership for not only the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (the District) and members of the AMTB, but also an important outreach tool for the public to see, learn about and experience what ancestral management of this land entailed. The Cultural Conservation Easement for Mt. Umunhum outlines a series of activities to accomplish the purposes of the easement and preserve the unique conservation values of the property. The requested funding will strengthen Amah Mutsun Land Trust’s (AMLT) capacity to undertake a selection of these activities, including designing an educational tribal garden, promoting the application and sharing of indigenous land stewardship practices, and providing educational services about traditional cultural and ecological knowledge for tribal members, MRSOD staff, and the public. This works builds on existing conservation efforts at Mt. Umunhum and adds a valuable, tribal-led education and outreach component. This project will support sustained and authentic tribal member access, environmental interpretation, and public and tribal education on the Mt. Umunhum property. Furthermore, it will strengthen existing partnerships between the District and the AMTB and will foster a new partnership between AMLT and the Golden Hour Restoration Institute. By integrating traditional ecological knowledge and contemporary practices in ecosystem restoration, it increases the District’s capacity to preserve, protect, restore, and celebrate open-space land in perpetuity. With a focus on promoting cultural resource understanding, environmental stewardship, and meaningful engagement with nature by both tribal members and the broader public, this project is well- aligned with the District’s goals of improving access, education, and ecologically sensitive public use and enjoyment on District lands. Proposed education and outreach activities on Mt. Umunhum will reach at least 100 tribal members, at least 100 members of the public, and at least 20 District staff and docents. Specific activities include: environmental stewardship and education volunteer days for the public led by the Native Stewardship Corps; two public story-telling events led by tribal leaders; bringing at least 80 members of the AMTB to the summit to participate in the tribal garden visioning process; training members of the Native Stewardship Corps and District staff to interpret natural and cultural resources on Mt. Umunhum; developing a comprehensive implementation plan and interpretive materials for the Mt. Umunhum tribal garden; and seed collection and invasive species removal. Bay Area Older Adults Bay Area Open Space Access Program Request Amount: $50,000 THE PROBLEM: There are currently than 320,000 adults age 60+ in Santa Clara County. Based on census estimates: 50% percent live in poverty and are likely to be sedentary • 20% live alone and are likely to be sedentary • 68% are obese, increasing their risk of diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer • 77% have two or more chronic health conditions THE SOLUTION: The CDC and other researchers have proven that lifestyle changes such as regular physical and mental activity and social engagement can reduce the risk of diabetes by 71%, heart disease by ATTACHMENT 2 2019 Grantmaking Program proposal summaries 40% and mortality by 50%. The proposed regional program serves Santa Clara County residents age 60+, a majority of whom are low-income, live alone or are otherwise socially isolated and don’t feel safe venturing out in the community alone. This program fulfils our mission to provide educational outdoors physical activity programs that improve older adults’ physical and mental health, and social well-being so they can continue independent living and is in strict alignment with MROSD’s mission to “provide opportunities for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education” and offer underserved communities outdoor engagement, nature-based education and environmental stewardship when out on MROSD lands. The program has six important components: 1. Outreach to and engagement with underserved community 2. Transportation to MROSD lands 3. Hiking at MROSD lands 4. Education about nature, culture, history 5. Healthy food and socialization 6. Survey to measure outcomes, data collection and analysis PAST RESULTS: Bay Area Older Adults has expertise in outreach and engagement of the underserved older adult community. Our online community referral resource provides dedicated informational webpages for each park in Santa Clara and San Mateo County to facilitate park access. This resource is used by 120,000 San Francisco Bay Area seniors and their caregivers each year, and we have grown to more than 5000 members (membership is free) from Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. BAO has taken more than 3100 seniors who have walked more than 9400 miles in more than 30 parks in Santa Clara County. Past funded walking programs surpassed goals set for both service levels and outcomes performance on two Santa Clara County, two Open Space Authority, one Santa Clara Valley Water District and one City of San Jose grants. Also, in keeping with MROSD’s mission to educate about the parks, a survey of 133 seniors on past BAO hikes indicated that 100% of participants strongly agreed that the hikes increased their knowledge of the nature and history of the parks they visited. Choosing BAO's hiking program will fulfill MROSD’s mission to provide opportunities for public enjoyment of and education about MROSD lands. When you consider the results we have achieved with our hiking program, you must conclude that MROSD will get significant benefits in selecting BAO to get older adults to access MROSD lands. Environmental Volunteers Request Amount: $25,000 PROJECT TITLE Bridging Communities by Caring for a Salt Marsh PROJET PURPOSE This is a new collaborative project between the City of Palo Alto, City of East Palo Alto and Environmental Volunteers designed to bring together the communities of Palo Alto and East Palo Alto in the care and preservation of the marshlands of the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve through the installation of interpretive panels and exhibits along two miles of multi-use trails between the Cooley Landing Education Center and the Lucy Evans Nature Center and on the Evans Center’s adjoining boardwalk that extends into the marsh. The proposed multi-sensory, bilingual interpretive panels and interactive exhibits will engage Baylands visitors to learn about the ecology of its salt marsh, how citizens and cities work with local agencies to monitor biological impacts and what steps Bay Area residents can take on their own to protect the marsh. PROJECT NEED The existing signage along the two mile trail at the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve is limited to 10 information-focused signs only which include: gateway sign (2), trail sign (2), trail marker, building identification, wayfinding sign, traffic sign, regulatory sign and miscellaneous sign. There is a need to reach out to and educate people who come to the Baylands ATTACHMENT 2 2019 Grantmaking Program proposal summaries but may not choose to visit the two nature centers while there. By building outdoor interpretive experiences in the Baylands to complement the indoor interpretation of the Baylands centers, we will provide multiple points of entry for the very broad range of visitors who come to the Baylands for educational and/or outdoor recreational reasons. POPULATION SERVED The project will serve residents in Silicon Valley and East Palo Alto—a combined population of over three million. PROJECT GOALS 1. Bring together the communities of Palo Alto and East Palo Alto in the care and preservation of the salt marsh located in the Baylands 2. Help visitors develop an understanding of and appreciation for the Baylands ecosystem 3. Inspire visitors to take action to protect the Baylands EVALUATION With input and assistance from Stanford University’s Education Department, we will develop a formative and summative evaluation questionnaire to determine the positive impact of the project. Staff and volunteers will engage trail users to complete the same questionnaire before (formative) and after (summative) the signage/interpretive program is installed. EXPECTED RESULTS * Increase in annual visitors to the Baylands * Increase in visitors’ knowledge and appreciation for the Baylands salt marsh * Increase in visitors’ desire to support and protect the Baylands BUDGET & USE OF FUNDS The total project cost is $217,000, of which $187,000 has already been secured. A grant of $25,000 from Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District will be utilized to support costs related to design of overall plan, interpretive elements, message development/writing and graphics design. Golden Hour Restoration Institute Identifying Restoration Opportunities for Biodiversity and Water Resources Request Amount: $9,000 A critical but often overlooked component of conservation is the management of protected landscapes. Often, landscapes are expansive, variable and in a state of change contributing complexity to decisions about how to spend restricted stewardship dollars. We provide a GIS- driven spatial analysis which allows a specific region (or spatial extent) to the prioritized for restoration. Although many analyses, such as BayAreaLands.org, provide input into reserve design and conservation priorities over a larger landscape, no other analysis distills critical factors to restoration and analyzes a larger landscape in terms of value added from a restoration and stewardship standpoint. Our analysis helps answer the question of “if we could fund restoration, where should be devote our resources and for what outcomes and benefits?” Our analysis combines fine scale metrics on top of a coarser scale number of landscape metrics, including climate, water quality, and reserve design principles. Our analysis utilizes the following input parameters: significant regional vegetation, climate resilience areas, diverse landscape structure areas (vegetation diversity), floodplain mapping, groundwater recharge zones (whole watershed benefits) which are all combined with a heat map of biodiversity and modeled indicator species. Each parameter is weighed and preliminary results are created. These results are then reviewed based on site visits and an on-the-ground assessment of the site. Model parameters are adjusted and the analysis is re-run. A final map of top priority restoration is presented after data is field-truthed. The following analysis is an extension of prioritization work underway with the East Bay Regional Park District and the County of Alameda. Each of these analyses are being completed on different scales for different outcomes. Final maps and all non- restricted information will be presented to the District, along with a final report written in semi- ATTACHMENT 2 2019 Grantmaking Program proposal summaries technical analysis. Project Funding Ask from MidPen: $9000, or $6,500 if Tom Robinson’s analysis is removed. Grassroots Ecology Stulsaft Youth Stewards Request Amount: $48,500 Grassroots Ecology is seeking funding to support our Stulsaft Stewards Program, an outdoor after school program for high school students that we have been running since 2014. The program operates at Stulsaft Park, a 42-acre urban park and nature preserve in Redwood City that is home to rare and endemic native plant species as well as a perennial creek. Stewards learn about the park’s diverse ecosystems and participate in hands-on land stewardship activities such as planting native plants, removing invasive weeds, and water quality monitoring on the creek. They also run an educational activity for younger students at Roosevelt Elementary School, and complete a capstone project of their choosing. The program primarily serves students attending Woodside High School in Redwood City, many of whom are part of the school's Green Academy. Under this proposal, we will provide the program for 3 years, with two 10-week sessions each school year (one in fall and one in spring). Approximately 20-35 students have typically participated in the program each session. To meet some of our past stewards, please see this link for a 2-minute video: https://youtu.be/qb_0swu-v2U Groundswell Coastal Ecology Teaching Design Thinking for Coastal Resilience Request Amount: $49,025 The resiliency of coastal resources is increasingly threatened by the combined stresses of development, heavy visitorship, and climate change. Land managers are working towards solutions that protect natural resources and promote access while preserving the cultural identity of tight knit coastal communities. This process traditionally engages community through public meetings and comments. However, despite the best of intentions, it often results in alienation local residents. We propose a more holistic approach: Teaching Design Thinking for Coastal Resilience. This educational model works by engaging local youth in design/build for coastal resource protection and enhancement. By educating our next generation in this process, we empower youth as active informed stakeholders and leverage local knowledge for better conservation outcomes. Teaching Design Thinking for Coastal Resilience is a next step for hands- on learning on how to make the ecological and social communities of the Central California coastline more resilient. Here Pescadero High School students will be introduced to the stressors and problems that impact coastal resources. Building on curricula we have implemented with Central Coast schools over the past 5 years, students will learn about methodologies for site assessment and implementation of green infrastructure that can help to increase coastal resiliency. The curricula will include lessons on ecological restoration that teach students about local ecology and the process of coastal restoration. This will kick start an on-campus restoration and youth stewardship program. Following background lessons, students will form small working groups and be guided through the Design Thinking Process to develop their own solutions to coastal resiliency problems. Projects will focus on one of four categories: Engineering Green Infrastructure, Engineering Green-Grey Hybrid Coastlines, Building Social Resilience, or ATTACHMENT 2 2019 Grantmaking Program proposal summaries Financing Resilience. Students will dialog with a panel of scientists, teachers, land managers, and government. The panel will then review and select top projects. Student authors will present their work to agency partners, County Supervisors and/or at a local Coastal Commission meeting. We will work with agencies and funders to implement components of top-ranking student projects. During this first year we will focus on engaging students on the design and planning of the Tunitas Creek Coastal Access Project. This location has a long history of coastal trashing and poor visitor management. Despite a checkered past, it is rich in natural resources and represents aflagship opportunity for educating you the about coastal resource protection, enhancement, and well- designed public access. Build out of this keystone property is tied to the adjacent MidPen property and future developments will form the basis for public access to surrounding conservation matrix including MidPen lands. Hidden Villa Stewardship and Discovery and Action Request Amount: $25,000 Hidden Villa fosters educational experiences that build connections and inspire a deeper appreciation and respect for nature, food, and one another. The school-based environmental education programs for children in pre-K through 12th grade inspire a sense of wonder while promoting environmental stewardship through exploration of our natural world. Over 26,000 young people participate each year and take the Hidden Villa challege- try something new, take care, and have fun! La Honda Pescadero Unified School District Request Amount: $24,816 Environmental Service Learning (ESL) at Pescadero High School (PHS) is a curricular program involving a series of field study trips during which students engage in academic and service learning projects, from habitat restoration and trail building to bilingual interpretive app development and field science data collection. This interdisciplinary program will engage at least 40 students per year from our small high school, and perhaps other students from throughout San Mateo County. PHS staff will work with MROSD and other local partners to develop project details by cross-referencing standards-based curricula with the needs and opportunities at particular preserves. The results of our project will be documented in student portfolios and assessments, in work done at MROSD preserves, in open source curricula and bilingual interpretive materials, and in Citizen Science data collection systems. Ideally, this two-year proposal will result in powerful hands-on learning for our students, significant improvements to MROSD preserves, and a catalyst, a prototype for more field studies programs throughout San Mateo County, perhaps even a mobile Outdoor Education program for High School and Community College students to complement the San Mateo County Office of Education’s Outdoor Ed. program for 5th & 6th graders. The proposal also serves La Honda Pescadero Unified School Districts mission & vision of using our outstanding local resources and MROSD’s mission of providing ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education. Latino Outdoors New Lideres Outdoors ATTACHMENT 2 2019 Grantmaking Program proposal summaries Request Amount: $23,200 In partnership with community-based organizations working with underserved youth, women, and/or seniors, Latino Outdoors (LO) will design, coordinate, and deliver a series of nature-based experiences aimed at building outdoor skills, leadership, and resilience. The goal of this project, New Líderes Outdoors, is to nurture new outdoor recreation leaders from underserved populations by facilitating their knowledge of the outdoor recreation opportunities offered by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) and complementing that knowledge with training in the planning and delivery of outdoor programming. LO expects this project to result in new outdoor leaders with awareness for and understanding of the recreational, educational, and environmental value of Midpen lands and open space protection, in general. These leaders will be representative of underserved communities and will have the opportunity to connect other members of these communities with the outdoors. LO is working to make the outdoors more accessible to members of Latino/a/x and other communities who are underrepresented in this space. Founded in the Bay Area in 2013, LO has grown into a national, volunteer-powered organization that in 2018 delivered over 110 outings for the benefit of 2,000 participants, across thirteen states plus Washington DC, including 11 outings to Midpen lands that achieved 177 total participants. Marine Science Institute Discover our Bay and Coast Request Amount: $25,000 Marine Science Institute (MSI) will provide nature- and science-based, hands-on environmental education programs for schools in Northern California. We invite MidPeninsula Regional Open Space District to partner with us to broaden the reach of in-school science education, Discover Our Bay and Coast, and environmental literacy for kindergarten through high school students during the 2019-20 program year. • We are requesting a grant of $25,000 from MidPen to provide marine science education programs that will build the environmental literacy for 1,000 students. • A minimum of 50% of the programs funded by MidPen in 2019-20 will be delivered to schools with primarily low-income families, as determined by the average number of students in the school who are eligible for the National School Lunch Program’s free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL). Within Discover Our Bay programs, students have the opportunity to take a ship out onto the San Francisco Bay, engage in experiments and stewardship projects in the waters surrounding Bair Island, visit and study the tide pools or beach environments with their class, and touch living sharks and other marine creatures. MSI provides these experiences and more, with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)-aligned curriculum delivered by expert educators that can spark a long-lasting interest in science, nature and environmental stewardship. Olimpico Learning Request Amount: $25,000 LEARN TODAY, LEAD TOMORROW Olimpico Learning - a 501(c)(3) organization - believes in bringing this opportunity to Bay Area low-income underserved students, from kindergarten to grade 12, by providing high-quality and affordable STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) summer camps and school programs to prepare them for success in higher learning and their future careers. We aim to help develop the next generation of researchers in environmental sciences, developers of solutions for environmental issues, and conservationists, ATTACHMENT 2 2019 Grantmaking Program proposal summaries stewards, and activists who advocate for understanding of our natural environment and appreciation of open space. Environmental sciences play a major role in our summer camp programs. Specifically, we have implemented and delivered classes in Ecology, Meteorology (weather science), Plant & Animal Biology, and Zoology among the 6 existing courses (the other two are Astronomy and Chefology). For 2020, we want to continue offering these camps at an affordable rate for the families, and expand our summer camp curriculum to new topics in the areas of Animation, Hydrology and Oceanography. Studies show that during the summer break, students lose some of the learning gained during the school year. For English learners (approximately 60% of the population we serve) trying to gain English proficiency, this loss poses a double hardship as they work to improve their English and catch up on academic subjects. This situation creates a significant achievement gap, leaving them unprepared for success in high school, college and careers. Olimpico serves Title 1 schools and teachers by providing professional technological development and curriculum. Students in the elementary school summer camps and the at/after- school programs learn by doing exciting and creative hand-on activities and projects, in a safe and structured environment. Classroom learning is also meant to re-enforce math and language literacy learned during the regular school semesters, and help bring students to state-level standards for their grade level. We include teacher training on new lesson plans and technology when we run our summer camp program. We deliver to the schools our curriculum in the hopes that teachers will continue to teach STEAM-based projects throughout the school year. Our goal is to provide these schools with the experience, skill-set and curriculum needed to independently run our program the following summer. And that been the case in past years. By modeling our organization in this way, we can scale, positively impacting a greater number of underserved youth, further developing the next generation of teachers, and increasing the number of STEAM- based lessons during the school-year. Note1: The 2017 financial document is uploaded to “Map of project location.” Note2: The bio the project lead is a separate doc uploaded to ”Documentation of relationship with faculty sponsor.” San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory Outreach Education Expansion Request Amount: $25,000 The San Francisco Bay Area is home to a diverse range of plant and animal species. The Bay is also one of the most heavily developed estuaries in the world. Maintaining and restoring a sound ecosystem that serves the needs of people and wildlife requires a carefully-planned effort by qualified people; the application of sound science to land use decision making; and community- wide commitment and support. The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO) is a nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of birds and their habitats through science and outreach. Since 1981, we have been the local authority on Bay Area birds. We envision a Bay Area of healthy bird populations and ecosystems. We believe the best way to reach that vision is to base resource use decisions on sound science. We understand this can only happen with strong community support. Our Outreach Program builds strong community support for this work by providing educational experiences to Bay Area communities that increase science literacy, appreciation for birds, and understanding about the issues birds face. We engage the public through citizen science ATTACHMENT 2 2019 Grantmaking Program proposal summaries opportunities as well as a variety of educational events that highlight our avian science and habitat restoration work and share information about the issues birds face and how people can get involved in protecting them. Looking ahead to 2020, we will build upon this success by executing a comprehensive strategy for delivering four of our free outreach event series programs to an audience that better reflects the diversity of our Bay Area communities, and creating metrics to better assess how well we meet our goals of increasing science literacy, appreciation for birds, and an understanding of the issues birds face. In order to do this we would like to hire a part time Outreach Specialist, working under the direction of the Outreach Director, who will focus on these goals. This will meet Midpen’s goals of supporting environmental education and interpretation programs that foster an appreciation for open space protection, nature study and appreciation, and environmental stewardship to for under-served communities. San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory Restoring Transitional Habitat with Bird Nests Request Amount: $24,704 Transitional habitat between the tidal marsh and adjacent uplands of the San Francisco Bay estuary is important to many endangered and threatened vertebrates. Climate change, specifically the rising sea level, will threaten these species and their persistence in the estuary will depend on the restoration of transitional habitat which provides cover from predators during high tides. Since 2011, the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory has been a leader in restoring over 20 acres of transitional habitats. A major challenge to creating functional habitat is that all pristine stands of transitional habitat were lost by the early 20th century, leaving us with little understanding of the plant species that formerly occurred in this habitat. To circumvent this problem, we propose an innovative approach which entails identifying plants that were used in 100 year old bird nests collected before transitional habitat was lost. With a molecular approach we can identify plants through DNA analysis that were used in nests of birds formerly nesting in transitional habitat. This will allow some of the more common species to be identified and the habitat to be reconstructed. With support from Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, we will be able confirm a proof- of- concept from subset of nests in museums before applying the approach more broadly across hundreds of nests available from institutions across the United States. Results from this work will help SFBBO and other practitioners improve our ability to restore and create transitional habitat, which will become increasingly valuable to many vulnerable species as climate change progresses. San Jose Conservation and Charter School Youth Researchers Request Amount: $50,000 The San Jose Conservation Corps (SJCC), in association with Ecological Concerns Incorporated (ECI), proposes to develop and implement a practitioner science project associated with an educational program focusing on a research project related to habitat restoration on MidPen property. The proposed scientific project is to test the hypothesis that “Installing plants under the canopy of a nurse plant will lead to greater survival and/or growth than installing plants without nurse plant overstory”. A “nurse plant” is an existing shrub or tree that provides cover for a seedling that grows nearby. Although this technique has been shown to be effective in many regions around the world, we have seen little evidence of it being ATTACHMENT 2 2019 Grantmaking Program proposal summaries used on restoration projects on the Central Coast of California. Eighteen at risk youth aged 17 ½ to 27 years old who attend the SJCC Charter School will be offered a paid internship to perform the restoration planting and collect data for the project. Specific training will include: 1. In class training focused on habitat restoration, ecology, and the scientific method 2. In field training on native plant identification, restoration planting, and basic data collection 3. Training in the use of spreadsheets for data analysis and in scientific report writing Students will be expected to write and submit a final report discussing the project, in a scientific format. A final report will be submitted to MidPen written by ECI that summarizes the results of the data collected, along with appropriate analysis of scientific results. San Mateo County Parks and Recreation Foundation San Mateo Parks Friends’ Groups Environmental Education Collaborative Request Amount: $25,000 San Mateo County Parks Foundation is pleased to submit this Sprouts grant application under Midpen’s third priority: access, interpretation and education. Parks Foundation is part of a team of environmental education (EE) providers who are working together to enhance EE programming in San Mateo County parks and preserves. This team includes Friends of Edgewood, Friends of Huddart & Wunderlich Parks, and San Mateo County Parks with these advisors: San Mateo County Office of Education, Environmental Volunteers, experienced docents, and local educators. Our project directly supports Midpen’s mission and priorities to facilitate opportunities for outdoor engagement and nature-based experiences, especially for underserved communities, and to provide nature-based educational and interpretive experiences for children. The project responds to unprecedented educational reforms underway in our schools to increase environmental literacy and implement Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). This new approach to science education has students engaging in hands-on experiential learning with natural phenomena; for example, turret spiders, dusky-footed woodrats, checkerspot butterflies, redwood understories or serpentine rock formations. Phenomena bring science to life and support students’ investigative, inquiry-based learning. Our goal is to enhance EE programming to be more relevant for students and educators and increase the number and diversity of students who are exposed to nature locally, by focusing on improving training for and helping to expand the pool of specially-trained docents to deliver programming. Activities include: 1) connecting local natural phenomena content to NGSS and to local open space areas, 2) reviewing best practice training materials, 3) developing a docent trail toolkit and docent training materials, and 4) recommending ways to improve and coordinate docent training among EE providers. As a result, we will strengthen and expand EE occurring in local parks and preserves. Our work can be shared with and benefit all EE providers who deliver programming in parks and open spaces. Two new training modules, connected to the NGSS, will be produced to deepen docents’ understanding of how to use natural phenomena as a source of inspiration for students’ science learning and stewardship. The project will also lay the groundwork for expanding the pool of trained EE docents. We have a tight, cost-effective work plan with a grant request of $25,000, matched by in-kind contributions from project team and advisor organizations valued at $23,750. Project team members are committed and engaged. Coming together now is a great opportunity to educate the next generation of environmental stewards and takes advantage of the new push for environmental literacy. ATTACHMENT 2 2019 Grantmaking Program proposal summaries San Mateo Resource Conservation District Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network Request Amount: $50,000 The Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network (SCMSN), fiscally sponsored by the San Mateo Resource Conservation District, requests $50,000 to support network coordination capacity. The SCMSN is a partnership of 22 organizations, including Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, that own, manage, or steward land in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The SCMSN has proved to be an effective mechanism for collaboration between land management organizations, producing formal network projects that address issues like fire, invasive species, climate permitting and so on, and in addition, creating the conditions in which network members self- organize collaborative stewardship projects – over 100 to date. The success of the network requires coordination. In the SCMSN’s case this function takes the shape of a Network Manager. Should the SCMSN receive support from the MROSD Grantmaking Program, the funds will be used for a portion of the Network Manager’s salary over two years. During the grant period, the following objectives will be met: • Design, facilitate, and event plan six convenings over two years • Design, event plan, and moderate eight Salon Conversations over two years • Bring 20-40 participants through Spotlight Stewardship course over two years. • Shepherd Network Atlas Project such that there is a workable draft of the tool by 2021. • Create the capacity to move network projects forward as needed. The success of the network will be assessed on a yearly basis via member-surveys and other mechanisms. The Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network has been a valuable tool for land managers in the region for the last several years. Without the SCMSN, there isn’t another available mechanism to bring the regions land managers together in such a consequential way. We hope you will see the unique opportunity this grant represents to keep the SCMSN providing value for MROSD and the whole region. San Mateo Resource Conservation District Lobitos Creek Fish Passage Project Request Amount: $50,000 The Lobitos Creek Fish Passage Restoration Project (Project) will assess, design and develop permit documents for the remediation of two key fish passage barriers located in lower Lobitos Creek watershed, and identify other high priority habitat enhancement and instream flow improvement opportunities. The barriers at Highway 1 and Verde Road crossings have been identified by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the San Mateo Resource Conservation District (RCD), and Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MIDPEN) as high priority migration barriers for steelhead trout (CDFW PAD database, Taylor 2004). The goal of the Project is to develop designs and permit documents for the two priority fish passage barriers to restore unrestricted access to approximately 4.5 miles of Lobitos Creek and identify additional instream habitat enhancement and instream flow improvement projects. Siena Youth Center of St. Francis Request Amount: $35,000 Our program is best qualified for this program because we will be running programs right in the community as a provider through our Siena Youth Center space. Our director of programs, professional development coach and physical education teacher is an integral piece to our ATTACHMENT 2 2019 Grantmaking Program proposal summaries success. Rafael Avendano will be completing his masters in organizational leadership at the University Of San Francisco in May of 2017. Rafael has been strongly implementing resources for our school and organization to improve. Rafael has a deep connection with civic leaders in the county offices and has been able to get support from county departments that normally would not be available. In addition our program plans to activate our parents with resources and opportunities to continue to be outdoors with our partnership with the San Mateo County Shuttle Hiking bus to Wunderlich and Edgewood Park. With our wilderness first aid certified staff members and volunteers we will continue to provide access and opportunities for our youth and adult community members to be engaged in the great outdoors that our county has to offer. In a recent Visitor Use/Non-Use Study conducted for the San Mateo County in 2016 by San Francisco State professors Turalba, Tierney, Tachibana and March stated, “A multitude of outreach methods and channels were identified by focus group participants. For example, participants recommended building upon existing community resources as a place of outreach. These include schools, churches, and community events and centers. In addition, social media was also identified as a way of reaching communities. Finally, various recommendations were made to address the language and cultural barriers experienced in Spanish speaking communities”(26). Our staff will continue to garner trust to resource and educate our families on the great outdoors in their local neighborhood as well as opportunities. Thrive Alliance Application Thrive Alliance E&S TAG Request Amount: $50,000 The Environmental & Sustainability (E&S) Thrive Action Group (TAG) targets leaders in the community to convene once a month to discover and discuss real-time challenges & solutions in the natural resource conservation landscape though the lens of equity and sustainability. Its goal is to identify areas and actions for members to collectively advocate for positive change by harnessing the group’s wisdom and power. Thrive Alliance’s desire is to increase its capacity to attract more attendees and increase the value of each TAG event through additional planning and promotion, and skilled meeting facilitation and follow-up. This additional capacity will lead to stronger member partnerships, collaboration, and community action. Thrive is confident that a moderate increase in staff time and materials can achieve these goals. University of California, Santa Cruz Does French broom invasion limit the success of native forbs in annual grasslands? Request Amount: $49,375.00 Most ecologists believe that California grasslands were historically dominated by flowering annual forbs, and grasses were relatively sparse. These native forbs have largely been displaced by exotic annual grasses. The loss of their once-grandiose floral display is one of the most devastating consequences of historical grass invasions in California. The conservation of what remains of these flowering forbs should be given the highest priority. An important conservation challenge is to understand and protect species interactions that are important to the maintenance of native plant diversity. For many native flowering plants in California, pollination is required for reproduction. For these species, a lack of sufficient pollination can limit reproductive success. Pollen limitation may be a factor contributing to the continuing decline of native forb abundance ATTACHMENT 2 2019 Grantmaking Program proposal summaries and diversity. With the substantial declines seen in bee abundance due to climate change, pathogens, pesticides, and other factors, pollen limitation may be increasing. Invasive species represent an additional threat to native plant reproduction by altering the frequency and effectiveness of animal pollination. Plant-pollinator interactions can be disrupted by exotic plant invasions in several ways. Invasive plants can compete for pollinators if they attract pollinators and reduce the visitation rates of native plants. Invasive plants may also reduce pollen quality and quantity when their pollen finds its way onto pollinators and from there onto the stigmas of native plants. This can reduce the chances of native species receiving adequate conspecific pollen and increase the likelihood of receiving pollen from the wrong species. Some plant species will self- fertilize when there is not sufficient pollen transferred from other plants, which can impact the fitness of the offspring and ultimately the population. French broom is an invasive forb that produces large floral displays and poses a threat to pollination of remnant grassland forbs. In this study we will evaluate both the extent to which native forbs are pollen limited, and whether pollen limitation is exacerbated by the invasion of French broom. To do this, we will use a combination of field and greenhouse studies. First, we will collect baseline information on pollen limitation of native forbs with a pollen supplementation experiment. Second, we will determine which insects are pollinating French broom and native flowers, addressing the potential for pollinator competition. Third, we will quantify the movement of pollinators from French broom flowers to native flowers, and vice versa; and quantify French broom pollen on native plant stigmas. Finally, we will assess the consequences of French broom pollen deposition on native forb reproduction by measuring seed set. Taken together these studies will determine whether pollen limitation of native plants increases in the presence of French broom. Vida Verde Education Center Multi-day Environmental Education Experiences for Students from Low-Income, Bay Area Schools Request Amount: $50,000 Vida Verde’s mission is to promote educational equity by providing FREE overnight environmental learning experiences for students who don’t otherwise have the opportunity. The organization was founded in 2001 by two former Teach for America classroom teachers who saw a pressing need for youth experiencing poverty to have meaningful educational experiences outside of the classroom. Their original vision has been carefully developed into a highly effective and acclaimed educational program. Now in its 18th year, Vida Verde has provided our core program for over 11,500 students and teachers from low-income Bay Area schools. At least 750 students in fourth through sixth grades take part in our programs each school year. Vida Verde students travel to our site from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. 99% of the students are youth of color, over 85% qualify for free/reduced-price lunch programs in their schools, and none of them would otherwise get the chance to participate in outdoor education programs. Each class trip during the school year is an activity-packed experience that takes place at our 100-acre camp and farm and at state parks and beaches along the San Mateo County coastline. Students stay busy and engaged with dozens of hands-on activities, from milking a goat and using that milk to make fresh cheese, to exploring tide pools and playing tag with the waves, to hiking through redwoods and discovering the incredible animals and plants thriving in that ecosystem! To ensure that the ATTACHMENT 2 2019 Grantmaking Program proposal summaries students succeed, the trip is carefully structured with eye-opening, fun activities coupled with clear and attainable expectations, consistency, and opportunities to recognize and reflect upon successes. With this foundation in place, the program is a vehicle through which we achieve our overarching goal: to positively and powerfully impact our students’ academic performance, social and emotional learning, and connection to the outdoors. Vida Verde’s SLP launched with a pilot project in summer of 2018 to serve high school aged alumni of our core school year program. In the pilot year, we served 9 students. In summer of 2019, our goal is to serve two cohorts of 15 students (30 students total). As the program grows, rather than focusing solely on increasing numbers for greatest impact, we will focus on slow growth and on providing an excellent and highly impactful experience for each and every student. Vida Verde has a proven track record of achieving remarkable results with students from low-income schools through our high-quality and mission-driven outdoor education program coupled with strong organizational effectiveness and smart financial planning. We look forward to a continued and growing relationship with Midpen if we are awarded this grant, and we hope to learn of new ways we can further collaborate. ATTACHMENT 2 Recommended Organization Funding Priority Program Total Request Recommended Funding Proposal Scoring Percentage Environmental Volunteers Education Sprouts $25,000 $25,000 81% Groundswell Coastal Ecology Education Roots $49,025 $49,025 85% San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory - Applied Science Applied Science Sprouts $24,704 $24,704 76% San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory - Education, Interpretation, Access Education Sprouts $25,000 $25,000 76% Thrive Alliance Partnership Roots $50,000 $25,000 81% University of California, Santa Cruz Applied Science Roots $49,375 $49,375 76% Vida Verde Education Center Education Roots $50,000 $50,000 88% Total $273,104 $248,104 Additional Received Applications Funding Priority Program Total Request Recommended Funding Proposal Scoring Percentage Amah Mutsun Land Trust Education Roots $50,000 N/A 64% Bay Area Older Adults Education Roots $50,000 Contract 70% Golden Hour Restoration Institute Applied Science Sprouts $9,000 N/A 64% Grassroots Ecology Education Roots $48,500 N/A 67% Hidden Villa Education Sprouts $25,000 N/A 46% La Honda Pescadero Unified School District Education Sprouts $24,816 N/A 45% Latino Outdoors Education Sprouts $23,200 N/A 66% Marine Science Institute Education Sprouts $25,000 N/A 67% Olimpico Learning Education Sprouts $25,000 N/A 61% San Jose Conservation and Charter School Applied Science Roots $49,890 N/A 68% San Mateo County Parks and Recreation Foundation Education Sprouts $25,000 N/A 68% San Mateo Resource Conservation District - Lobitos Creek Fish Passage Applied Science Roots $49,343 N/A 56% 2019 Grantmaking Program Proposals San Mateo Resource Conservation District - Santa Cruz Mountain Stewardship Network Partnership Roots $50,000 Contract 84% Siena Youth Center of St. Francis Education Roots $35,000 N/A 63% Total $489,749 R-19-104 Meeting 19-19 July 24, 2019 AGENDA ITEM 13 AGENDA ITEM Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve Public Opening Summary GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION Receive an informational report on activities related to the public opening of Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space, including preserve previews, ribbon-cutting event, and opening weekend visitation. No Board action required. DISCUSSION Staff will present a summary on activities related to the public opening of Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space, including preserve previews, ribbon-cutting event, and opening weekend visitation. In May 2019, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (District) hosted multiple preview events with small groups to thank partners and stakeholders while educating them about the new public access areas and amenities. The Ribbon-Cutting and Partner Recognition Event for partners, legislators, contractors, and the media celebrated the collaborative effort to realize the vision and plan for this preserve. During the public opening weekends, District staff hosted a welcome booth. Also, District docents offered interpretation and guided hikes to help visitors learn about the preserve’s trails, amenities, and future plans, as well as the cultural and natural history of the land while introducing them to or deepening their knowledge of the District and Measure AA funding for public access. District staff from every department contributed to the success of these events, providing essential services and event assistance leading up to and during the celebrations, and volunteer docents provided significant event support. These events allowed the community to celebrate bringing the grandeur of the redwoods closer to many thousands of people in the South Bay, now and for generations to come, while shining a light on the District’s full mission in action — from acquisition to restoration to public access — and the decades-long efforts of partners, staff, and the public to make it happen. I. Preview Events In addition to the Special Park Districts Forum that visited Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve on May 7, 2019, the District hosted several preview events to communicate and recognize significant partner relationships. A late rainy season and construction activities that continued up to the public opening date made scheduling these previews challenging. a. Partner Hikes to recognize historic partnership efforts that helped protect this preserve and raise awareness for the ongoing importance of our partnerships: R-19-104 Page 2 i. Peninsula Open Space Trust – May 10, 2019 (15 donors and staff) ii. Committee for Green Foothills – May 31, 2019 (25 donors and staff) b. Bear Creek Stables – June 2, 2019 The District hosted 12 borders and Friends of Bear Creek Stables to deepen relationships and show equestrians how to access the new Upper Lake area and trails. c. Docent Trainings – June 2 and June 6, 2019 Twenty docents, both new and seasoned, were trained about the preserve and new areas opened to the public, which differ from the previously permitted areas. II. Ribbon-Cutting and Partner Recognition Event – June 7, 2019 The District welcomed about 90 attendees, including elected officials, partners, contractors/vendors, and staff, to celebrate the public opening of Phase I and thank them for their roles in saving, restoring, and opening the preserve. Speakers representing major partners and local officials included: Ana Ruiz, General Manager; Pete Siemens, Director, Ward 1; Baltazar Lopez, Senior Field Representative, Office of U.S. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo; Jonathan Perez, Senior District Representative, Office of State Senator Jim Beall; Audrey Rust, POST, former President; Megan Fluke, Executive Director, Committee for Green Foothills; Amy Hutzel, Deputy Executive Officer, California State Coastal Conservancy; and Rebecca Fris, Assistant Executive Director, California Wildlife Conservation Board. After lunch, 12 attendees participated in a guided tour of Upper Lake, 25 attendees joined three District staff on a guided hike to the old-growth redwoods and six joined a driving tour to the redwoods. The large number of attendees and the need to use some of the main parking lot for event space (to avoid trampling vegetation) required setting up off-site parking and shuttling from the Presentation Center. A post-event email survey showed a 97% satisfaction rate with communications, check in, program, info booth, hikes, appreciation gifts, and food. One key area of critical feedback was to allow more time for the Upper Lake guided tour and give more time between that tour and the redwood hike, as a number of people were eager to do both. III. Media Coverage Event coverage included the major daily newspaper in the region (San Jose Mercury News), a major TV news station (ABC7), a major regional news website (SF Gate – owned by SF Chronicle/Hearst), two regional radio stations (KQED and Alt 105.3) and the main community news outlets for Los Gatos residents (Los Gatos Weekly Times and Mountain Network News). A significant percentage of people reported hearing about the opening from the San Jose Mercury News article that published online Friday night and in print on Saturday morning. IV. Opening Weekend Activities – June 8-9 and 15-16, 2019 The District’s goal was to celebrate the opening of Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve in an appropriate scale that aligns with the mission of providing "ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education”. Due to the anticipated high demand and limited parking, the opening was lightly promoted as a series of Opening Weekends, rather than one “grand opening day”. This was a conscious decision based on prior experience from the high- profile opening events for Mount Umunhum. This sustainable approach offered visitors R-19-104 Page 3 the opportunity to explore on their own or engage with District activities to learn more about the preserve while avoiding major traffic and parking issues. For the first two opening weekends, District staffed a welcome table from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Docents also provided guided hikes to the old-growth redwoods and engaged with visitors around the Upper Lake Loop Trail. Visitors who volunteered their email addresses were sent a post-visit survey. Ninety-five percent said they would definitely return to Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve, visit another District preserve and recommend this preserve to a friend. The remaining 5% said they probably would. There was 100% satisfaction with the helpfulness of District staff and the quality of the information provided. Forty percent of respondents acknowledged learning that Measure AA helped fund the preserve and 60% said they learned about the property’s history. Suggestions and feedback from visitors verbally and from the survey included comments on the steepness of the trail and a concern from one survey respondent about people parking along Bear Creek Road, which has been shared with the Visitor Services Department for evaluation. To avoid having to turn visitors away if the parking lot filled to capacity, District staff devised a Plan B parking option for the two opening weekends to temporarily open off- site parking at the Presentation Center and shuttle visitors via a hired 10-person passenger van. This required significant advanced planning, interdepartmental coordination and resources to implement. On the first weekend, the Preserve parking lot neared capacity on both days but only completely filled for a brief period requiring shuttling of a few carloads of people. The second weekend included Father’s Day, and perhaps with the news of the opening spreading further via word of mouth and social media, the parking lot filled up before 9 a.m. on both days. Plan B shuttling was used both days and on Sunday, the second lot also filled to capacity for a short time. Based on the car counter at the entrance of the Preserve parking lot, staff estimates that the Preserve had 7,000 visitors by June 12, 2019, and is averaging about 420 people on the weekend and 120 people on weekdays. V. Additional Engagement Statistics • During opening weekends, approximately 1,175 people visited the welcome table. The audience was diverse, both ethnically and in terms of being both first time visitors and seasoned hikers. • The District collected 80 email opt-ins; 43 people signed up for the docent-led hikes to the old-growth redwoods. • The BCR web page was the most visited page on www.openspace.org from June 3, 2019 to July 7, 2019, garnering 11,860 unique website visitors (11% of all site traffic). • The BCR storymap drew 867 visits (19 links from the QR code) through July 7, 2019. VI. Staff Hours Public Affairs department staff estimates spending in excess of 825 hours on planning, R-19-104 Page 4 interdepartmental coordination, and executing the previews and partner events, media coverage and four opening weekend days (over and above creating the brochure map, web page, icon graphic and storymap). Rangers and maintenance staff spent about 255 hours staffing the ribbon-cutting and the first two weekends. VII. Budget Expenses came in at approximately $14,100, which is under the $20,000 budget allocated prior to developing the “lightly promoted” opening weekend plan. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact associated with receipt of this informational report. PUBLIC NOTICE Public notice was provided as required by the Brown Act. CEQA COMPLIANCE This item is not a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act. The Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve Plan was evaluated in an Environmental Impact Report, which was adopted by the Board of Directors in January 2017. NEXT STEPS The Public Affairs department will continue to promote Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve to the public. Responsible Department Head: Kori Skinner, Public Affairs Manager Prepared by: Mike Kahn, Public Affairs Specialist II Kori Skinner, Public Affairs Manager Staff contact: Mike Kahn, Public Affairs Specialist II DATE: July 24, 2019 MEMO TO: MROSD Board of Directors THROUGH: Ana M. Ruiz, General Manager FROM: Joshua Hugg, Governmental Affairs Specialist SUBJECT: Legislative Actions Update to Board _____________________________________________________________________________ BACKGROUND Board Policy 1.11 titled “Positions on Ballot Measures and Legislative Advocacy,” Section 2.0b, provides the General Manager the ability to take a position on pending legislation in time- sensitive situations. More specifically: b. When time is so short that neither the full Board nor LFPAC can be convened to consider positions to support or oppose local, state or federal legislation, the General Manager is authorized to take a position on behalf of the District if the legislation: i. Is related to the District’s mission; AND ii. Would directly impact the District’s business, such as project delivery, operations, finances, legal authority, or other District responsibilities; AND iii. The position being taken is consistent/inconsistent with existing District policy, past action, or District Strategic Plan; OR iv. The legislation carries other considerations that make it contrary to the District’s interests. In such instances, the General Manager or designee shall report to the Board any actions taken to support or oppose the legislation at or before the next Board meeting. DISCUSSION On behalf of the District, the General Manager has taken the following time-sensitive action: 1. SB 5 Action: At the behest of State Senator Jim Beall, the District took a SUPPORT position on SB 5 (Beall): Affordable Housing and Community Development Investment Program. A letter was drafted and sent to the Chair of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee (June 26, 2019). Senator Beall has been a consistent supporter of the District and recently assisted with the term extension for the $10 million budget appropriation for the SJWC land purchase. Bill Summary: SB 5 allows local agencies to reduce contributions of local property tax revenue to schools (ERAF) to build affordable housing and related infrastructure. NOTE: The District does not pay ERAF, so it is unaffected by this bill. State Fiscal Impact: General Fund impacts of up to $2 billion annually for up to 30 years when fully implemented, to the extent the Legislature authorizes the allocation of funding at the maximum amounts specified in the bill each year. General Fund expenditures would be up to $200 million in 2021-22, increasing by up to $200 million annually through 2025-26, then increasing by up to $250 million annually through 2029-30, to reach a cumulative annual impact of $2 billion by 2029-30. The funding mechanism in this bill requires a specified committee to make awards, to the extent authorized, and direct county officials to allocate property tax revenues from county Educational Revenue Augmentation Funds (ERAFs) to specified local entities with an approved plan of projects each year. Each ERAF shift may have a duration of up to 30 years, as specified in the approved plans. The General Fund generally backfills any reductions in the school share of local property tax revenues, pursuant to the Proposition 98 minimum funding guarantees, including amounts transferred from ERAFs. Consistency with Legislative Program: • Land Acquisition and Restoration #3 – Promotes the use of urban infill to reduce greenhouse gas generation and protect natural and working lands and enables a balance between jobs and housing • Land Acquisition and Restoration #8 – Ensures that urban growth boundaries do not expand further than their current limits. 2. AB 916 (Muratsuchi): Pesticide Use: Pesticide Action Taken: In response to the introduction of a recent gut-and-amend bill by Assemblymember Muratsuchi, the District took a position of SUPPORT IF AMENDED. The suggested amendments are consistent with glyphosate use policies adopted by the University of California. These policies restrict use with the following exceptions: agricultural operations, fuel-load management programs to reduce wildfire risk, native habitat preservation or restoration activities, and research that requires glyphosate-based herbicides. Bill Summary: This bill would, until January 1, 2025, prohibit a city, county, charter city, city and county, or a special district, as defined, from using any pesticide that contains the active ingredient glyphosate. The bill would not preclude a county, city, charter city, city and county, or a special district from adopting or enforcing stricter pesticide use policies. Consistency with Legislative Program: • Natural Resources Protection and Restoration #6 – Promotes expedited tree and brush removals by public agencies for fire protection and public access. • Natural Resources Protection and Restoration #17 - Emphasizes the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices that aligns with the District’s program 3. SB 268 (Wiener): Ballot Measures: Local Taxes Action Taken: At the behest of CSDA, the District contacted Assemblymember Berman’s office in SUPPORT of AB 268 (Wiener) in advance of the Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee. Bill Summary: This bill expands transparency for local tax measures while addressing recently enacted ballot label requirements that have proven to be problematic for bonds and tiered tax rate measures. Existing law creates significant voter confusion and limits the ability for public agencies to meet the educational, housing, health, flood protection, and other needs of California residents. Consistency with Legislative Program: • General/Midpen-wide Support of Mission #3 – Maximizes funding flexibility for use within the designated programs Attachments: 1. University of California memo: Temporary suspension of the use of glyphosate-based herbicides (May 14, 2019) 2. Sign-on letter for SB 268 (Wiener): Enhanced Transparency for Local Tax Measures (June 19, 2019) UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY • DAVIS • IRVINE • LOS ANGELES • MERCED • RIVERSIDE • SAN D IEGO • SAN FRANCISCO CHANCELLORS VICE PRESIDENT HUMISTON DIRECTOR WITHERELL MEDICAL CENTER CEOS SANTAIBARBARA • SANTACRUZ 1111 Franklin Street Oakland, CA 94607-5200 Phone: (510) 987-9074 http:/ /www.ucop.edu May 14, 2019 SUBJECT: Temporary suspension of the use of glyphosate-based herbicides Dear Colleagues: Following our discussion at the Council of Chancellors meeting earlier this month, I am hereby issuing a temporary suspension (with several excep tions) of the use of glyphosate-based herbicides at all UC locations due to concerns about possible human health and ecological hazards, as well as potential legal and reputational risks associated with this category of herbicides. The University is currently considering long-term approaches to t h e use of glyphosate-based herbicides, as well as other pesticides, and may alter or termin ate this temporary suspension after expert review. Toward this end, I am separately initiating the UC Herbicide Taskforce to provide me with guidance in the near future. All UC locations shall suspend the use of glyphosate-based herbicides starting on J une 1, 2019, subject to the following exceptions only: • Agricultural operations; • Fuel-load management programs to reduce wildfire risk; • Native habitat preservation or restoration activities; and • Research that requires glyphosate-based herbicides. If a UC location determines that alternatives to glyp hosate-based herbicides are e ither technically infeasible or ineffective in situations other than the four aforementioned exceptions, that location may submit a request to t he UC Herbicide Taskforce for a specifically tailored exception. Such requests may be granted w ithin the sole discretion of the taskforce, Attachment 1 Chancellors et al. May 14, 2019 Page 2 balancing the objective of this temporary suspension against the l ocation's demonstration of infeasibility or ineffectiveness. Where UC staff continue to use glyphosate-based herbicides pursuant to an exception, two restrictions shall apply to such operations. First, UC staff applying these herbicides shall either possess a valid license or certificate (applicable to the operation in question) from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation or receive appropriate training and/or direct supervision by a person thus licensed or certified. Second, UC staff applying these herbicides shall follow all applicable personal protective equipment recommendations of the herbicide's manufacturer and of that UC location's environment, health and safety department. Yours very truly, J(L:N~t:-- President cc: Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Office Rachael Nava Executive Vice President John Stobo General Counsel Charles Robinson Interim Vice President Craig Leasure Associate Vice President Cheryl Lloyd Director Peggy Fiedler Attachment 1 June 19, 2019 The Honorable Scott Wiener Senator, 11th District State Capitol, Room 5100 Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: SB 268 (Wiener) Enhanced Transparency for Local Tax Measures Dear Senator Wiener: On behalf of the undersigned organizations, including labor, counties, schools, special districts, and hospitals, we would like to express our support for your bill, SB 268, which will expand transparency for local tax measures while addressing recently enacted ballot label requirements that have proven to be problematic for bonds and tiered tax rate measures. The existing law is creating significant voter confusion and threatening our ability to meet the educational, housing, health, flood protection, and other needs of California residents. Background Elections Code Section 13119 has been amended in recent years to modify the local ballot label requirements for measures that impose a tax or raise the rate of a tax. The ballot label is the 75-word question that voters see on their ballot. The Elections Code now requires local tax and bond measures to state on the ballot label: x The amount of money to be raised annually; x The rate of the tax to be levied; and x The duration of the tax to be levied. Attachment 2 SB 268 (Wiener) – Coalition Letter of Support Page 2 of 5 While these provisions were enacted with the intention of increasing transparency to voters regarding the costs of proposed ballot measures, they actually have resulted in less transparency because of voter confusion. The requirements have and will continue to have a detrimental effect on the ability of communities to pass local bonds and other local revenue measures by the required super majorities, including any tiered tax rates that incorporate social justice or other important public policy goals. The Problem These new ballot label statements are confusing and misleading to voters, which is contrary to the goal of increasing transparency. The new requirements take up about one-third to nearly all of the available space on the ballot label that would otherwise be used to describe how bond proceeds will be spent in the community. Local Bonds: For local bonds, the rates fluctuate on an annual basis to pay actual principal and interest costs. Public agencies attempting to comply with the law are now forced to insert rates onto their ballot labels that are averages, projections, or statutory maximums, though that rate may not be charged in any given year. Similarly, the duration of a bond program can change over time due to economic conditions, delayed project permitting, changes in local priorities, and new state mandates. These over-simplified statements lack the explanations necessary for understanding and do not make sense in the context of bonds and ultimately mislead voters. Tiered Tax Rates: The new requirements are very problematic for tiered tax rate structures. Under such a structure, the tax has separate rates applied to different categories, such as the type of land use, the amount of assessed value, or the size of the transaction. This is an equitable approach to taxation that can limit the tax burden on low-income communities and homeowners, and incentivize local policy goals such as enterprise zones or the preservation of agricultural or natural lands. Under the new ballot label requirements, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to state all the rates of a tiered tax rate structure on the 75-word ballot label. Legal Challenges: Placing these rate and duration statements in the ballot label may create legal issues, such as a cap on the rate, duration, and amount raised annually. This could make it difficult for local agencies to access the full amount authorized by voters and could create credit concerns with bond investors. Negative Effects of Elections Code 13119 When voters receive confusing and misleading information, they ultimately vote “NO.” Numerous local agencies saw a decrease of 5 to 15 percentage points in their polling when these new statements were placed on the ballot label. This contributed to the failure of a number of bonds in the 2018 elections. Additionally, many local agencies were forced to reduce the size of their bonds or make the difficult choice not to move forward with placing bonds on the ballot. These outcomes are not a reflection of a change in voters’ personal beliefs regarding the use of bonds. Rather, this shows that voters will default to a “NO” position when they do not fully understand what they are being asked to approve. For local tiered taxation mechanisms, these new statements will force local agencies, including those that have already passed tiered tax rates, to take a simpler flat rate approach to local taxation. This shifts the Attachment 2 SB 268 (Wiener) – Coalition Letter of Support Page 3 of 5 tax burden from wealthy and large property owners and those making high cost purchases, to lower income and smaller property owners who can least afford that burden. This is a regressive approach to taxation that unnecessarily limits options in a local community and will ultimately make it nearly impossible to approve any tax mechanism that can’t be accurately described in 75 words or less. Transparency Safeguards in the Bond Tax Rate Statement Transparency and accountability are critical to ensure the success of local bond programs and the implementation of local taxes to support vital public services. It is essential that local agencies educate their communities on what projects will be funded and how tax revenues are ultimately spent. Voters already receive detailed information about the mechanics of a proposed bond measure, including potential costs to taxpayers, in the bond tax rate statement in the Voter Information Guide, as required by Elections Code Section 9401. This is the proper location for such information, as it provides space for context and a thorough explanation of cost estimates and other information. Requiring inaccurate and confusing information on the ballot label is contrary to the goal of transparency. It crowds out the public benefits of local measures and emphasizes costs that appear higher than most voters would have to pay. This confuses rather than informs voters, to the detriment of local communities. SB 268 Fixes the Problem while Expanding Transparency SB 268 would require a local measure that imposes or increases tiered tax rates, authorizes the issuance of bonds, or imposes a tax with a rate structure that cannot be accurately described in the ballot label, to include in the ballot label the words “See voter guide for information.” The local tax measure would be exempted from the requirement to provide the rate, duration, and annual revenue in the ballot label, but would be required to include in the voter information guide key financial measures that include all those in existing law and more. Specifically: x Public Benefits – How tax revenue will be spent to provide public benefits; x Rates – A list of all the tax rates that would apply; x Duration – An explanation of when or if the tax expires; x Annual Revenue – Best estimate of annual tax revenue; x Tax Amount Changes – Any factor that would change the amount of tax paid over time; x Average Tax Rate – If rates vary year to year, such as with bonds, provide an average tax rate; x Highest Tax Rate – If rates vary year to year, provide the estimated highest tax rate and the year it would apply; and x Total Debt Service for Bonds – The estimated cost of borrowing if all the bonds are issued and sold. This bill also would clarify that financial measures stated in the ballot label or in the voter information guide are estimates, and not caps above which a local jurisdiction would be subject to legal challenge. SB 268 will protect the ability of local agencies and communities to support schools, roads, hospitals, flood protection, fire protection, and other vital public services, while ensuring accurate, clear cost information is provided to voters. We thank you for authoring this important legislation and urge your colleagues in the Legislature to support its passage. Attachment 2 SB 268 (Wiener) – Coalition Letter of Support Page 4 of 5 Sincerely, Rebekah Cearley Legislative Advocate Community College Facility Coalition David Walrath Executive Director School Energy Coalition Nancy Chaires Espinoza Legislative Advocate Coalition for Adequate School Housing Dillion Gibbons Senior Legislative Representative California Special Districts Association Jean Kinney Hurst Legislative Advocate Urban Counties of California County of Santa Cruz Amber King VP, Advocacy and Membership Association of California Healthcare Districts Lizette Navarette Vice President Community College League of California Geoffrey Neill Legislative Representative California State Association of Counties Micah Ali President Compton Unified School District Bart Broome Director, State Government Relations Santa Clara Valley Water District Barrett Snider Legislative Advocate Small School Districts’ Association Cesar Diaz Legislative and Political Director State Building and Construction Trades Council of California Attachment 2 SB 268 (Wiener) – Coalition Letter of Support Page 5 of 5 Terry Brennand California State Council of SEIU Budget, Revenue and Pensions Director Jennifer Baker Legislative Advocate California Teachers Association Amie Fishman Executive Director Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH) Attachment 2 DATE: July 2 4, 2019 MEMO TO: Board of Directors THROUGH: Ana Ruiz, AICP, General Manager FROM: Korrine Skinner, Public Affairs Manager SUBJECT: District-wide Strategic Communications Plan _____________________________________________________________________________ SUMMARY The Public Affairs Department has been working with a consultant over the past six months to create a District-wide strategic communications plan. This plan identifies strategies, key message themes and target audiences to provide an organizational roadmap for District communications. The plan will be revised as necessary each fiscal year in conjunction with changes to the Board’s Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives. The Board plays an important role in this strategic communication plan by setting the District’s annual strategic goals and objectives at their regular January retreat to which the communication strategies are matched. Board members will also play a role in thought leadership and will receive training on key message themes and media relations in 2019. BACKGROUND The District-wide strategic communications plan is a natural and necessary next step in the District’s organizational shift towards a more balanced delivery of our three-part mission. The plan has been developed to support and remain consistent with the following District policies and plans. 2012 Vision Plan: The District embarked on an 18-month public visioning process to chart a course for the next 40 years and beyond. The resulting Vision Plan articulates community values and the results of extensive scientific study to focus, inspire and coordinate the District’s work. 2014 Measure AA: Voters reaffirmed their support for the District’s mission and funded the top 25 Vision Plan priority projects by passing this 30-year, $300 million bond measure. 2014-15 Strategic Plan: The Board of Directors adopted an annually updated strategic plan articulating organizational goals and objectives. 2015 Organizational Study: The District evaluated its structure, capacity and financial sustainability to ensure efficient and effective implementation of Measure AA projects while maintaining ongoing operations and programs. The resulting Financial and Operational Sustainability Model (FOSM) Report identified recommendations that the District has been implementing. OVERVIEW The District-wide strategic communications plan was created using existing data and strategic plans. With consultant help, 13 stakeholder interviews were conducted with board members, management, staff, and partner agencies. The resulting strategic communications plan identifies target audiences, key message themes, and the following five foundational communications strategies: 1. Realign public affairs department to mirror the District’s project delivery process. • Make public affairs staff communication generalists through professional development, cross-training and collaboration, while maintaining focus areas of expertise. • Increase proactive communications by assigning a public affairs staff member to manage communications for each action plan project. • Increase efficiency by standardizing communication processes and templates. 2. Make external communications more engaging and impactful. • Shift message focus from what and how, to why Midpen fulfills its mission. • Connect “why” messages to clear calls-to-action supported by data. • Refer to ourselves as a public agency and shift into first person voice (“we” and “our”) to better connect with constituency. 3. With “protect” and “access” messaging already well represented in District communications, as well as by other organizations, shift the focus of our communications toward “caring for the land” and the reciprocal benefits of healthy habitats. • Educate the public about District expertise in, and the importance of, caring for the land and wildlife, including climate change resiliency. • Connect constituency to stewardship messaging and build support through new and existing programs. • Demonstrate thought leadership by leveraging expertise. 4. Leverage additional opportunities to increase the reach and frequency of District messaging. • Increase proactive media relations. • Develop a robust digital content marketing program, including social media, search engine optimization and email. • Redesign openspace.org website to align with messaging, voice and storytelling. 5. Engage a broader base of advocates to prepare for the future of open space. • Engage nontraditional audiences by leveraging new partnerships. • Expand reach of current youth-oriented partnerships, focusing on stewardship education. • Build and leverage partnerships to empower others as District ambassadors. The successful implementation of these communication strategies will be tracked via metrics identified in the plan including a benchmark awareness study, e-newsletter list growth, website traffic, and earned media. NEXT STEPS Public affairs staff have already begun the realignment identified in the first strategy. Standardized communications processes and templates are currently being created to streamline communications for all key Fiscal Year 2019-20 action plan projects. The next step is conducting a benchmark survey in FY 2019-20 to create a baseline for measuring the successful implementation of the District-wide strategic communications plan. Moving forward, the Public Affairs Department will review the strategic communications each late winter/early spring, following Board adoption of the new fiscal year Strategic Goals and Objectives, and make any revisions as necessary to remain aligned with Board direction.