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SR-505-004 (16)~_ ~ c~cy of Santa Monica~ City Council Report City Council Meeting: October 10, 2006 Agenda Item: 1 C To: Mayor and City Council From: Craig Perkins, Director - Environmental & Public Works Management Subject: Agreement with the Los Angeles County Flood Control District to Install Catch Basin Trash Excluder Devices in City-owned Catch Basins Recommended Action It is recommended that City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with the Los Angeles County Flood Control District (District) to allow the installation of 141 catch basin trash excluder devices in City-owned basins to reduce urban runoff pollution originating from City catch basins and flowing into the Santa Monica Bay. Executive Summary The Flood Control District obtained a State Proposition 50 grant to purchase and install catch basin trash excluder devices in catch basins throughout Los Angeles County. The District solicited input from a number of cities to select locations for these new devices. The City of Santa Monica (City) participated in this selection process, and its basin locations were added to the grant project. The purpose of this project is to reduce the amount of poltution entering Santa Monica Bay thereby helping the region to meet federal and state stormwater mitigation regulations. 1 The cost to the Flood Control District that is covered by the grant funds is estimated at $390,000 for construction costs and $120,000 in administration costs. The City's obtigation is to maintain these new devices for their useful life. This maintenance will be incorporated into the regular service schedule for City-owned catch basins and will not require any additional funding or staff. Discussion Background The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) of the federal Clean Water Act requires municipalities and counties to manage and control pollutants contained in urban runoff. The City of Santa Monica is signatory to and regulated under the Los Angeles County (County) NPDES permit. The permit requires both the County and Santa Monica to take steps to improve the water quality of Santa Monica Bay through the improvement of urban runoff quality discharged into the Bay. To help achieve this goal, the City has installed numerous urban runoff treatment devices, including 485 catch basin inserts and screens and three large in-line litter and pollutant- removal units, and has constructed the Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility. Along with public education and enforcement programs, these instalfations are an important component of the City's overall Best Management Practices program to remove urban runoff pollutants and meet our NPDES permit requirements. 2 In 2005, the Los Angeles County Flood Control District obtained a Proposition 50 Santa Monica Bay Restoration Grant from the State Water Resources Control Board to instafl catch basin trash excluder devices in city-owned catch basins located in various cities within Los Angeles County. The Proposition 50 grant will pay for production and installation of the devices by the County's contractor. The City of Santa Monica was contacted by the District and asked to select locations for the devices within the City. The District has approved 141 City-selected locations for these devices. Each year City crews remove pollutant-laden debris from approximately 650 City-owned catch basins (both those outFitted with inserts or screens and those without treatment devices) and other treatment units. Last year, some 20 tons of debris containing many types of pollutants were removed from the City's catch basins. In addition to the removal of visible pollutants, such as trash, sediment, oil and grease, a variety of microscopic pollutants attached to these larger pollutants are removed, such as heavy metals, organics and pathogens. The pollutants are prevented from entering the Bay, thereby improving the quality of the coastal environment and helping the City to meet its federal and state obligations to reduce urban runoff pollution. Budqet/Financial Impact The catch basin installation program does not have any budget or financial impact since it will be paid for and installation managed by the Los Angeles County Flood Control District. Ongoing maintenance costs can be absorbed within the existing City budget. 3 Prepared by: Nea! Shapiro, Sr. Administrative Analyst Approved: Craig PerkinsJ ~ Director - Ea~iironmentai and Public Works Management Department Forwarded to Council: ~~dM ont Ewell anaaer 4 e erence on rac o. .