To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Regional Parks
Staff Name and Phone Number: Minona Heaviland, 707-565-2041
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Second
Title:
Title
Agreement with Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit to Fund Riparian Enhancements at Helen Putnam Regional Park
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a resolution authorizing Sonoma County Regional Parks to enter into an agreement with Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) to fund riparian enhancements at Helen Putnam Regional Park as mitigation for impacts from the construction of SMART’s multi-use trail, authorizing the Director to execute all documents necessary to carry out and administer the riparian enhancement monitoring and maintenance, and making findings as a responsible agency pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act. (Second District)
end
Executive Summary:
This agreement for up to $320,988.20 over an 11-year term between Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) and Sonoma County Regional Parks (Regional Parks) will fulfill SMART’s permit requirement for multi-use pathway construction and will assist Regional Parks with riparian restoration that will include erosion management and planting of native trees and shrubs along riparian areas in Helen Putnam Regional Park. The project benefits include habitat enhancement, carbon sequestration, improved water quality, and beautification of public land. The project will also facilitate the construction of a multi-use path to benefit regional bicycle and pedestrian recreational and transit opportunities.
Discussion:
SMART plans to implement a section of pathway between McInnis Road and Smith Ranch Road in San Rafael. Environmental impacts will occur as part of the planned pathway construction. Both the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Regional Water Quality Control Board have conditioned the pathway construction project with riparian mitigation requirements. In partnership with Sonoma County Regional Parks, SMART has identified riparian enhancement opportunities at Helen Putnam Regional Park to fulfill riparian mitigation requirements. Helen Putnam Regional Park in Petaluma is owned and operated by the County and is in the same watershed as the McInnis Road to Smith Ranch Road pathway project. Implementation of riparian enhancements in Helen Putnam Regional Park (Project) would satisfy both permit requirements of SMART and would make desirable site improvements at Helen Putnam Regional Park. SMART, through the attached Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), proposes to reimburse the County for its effort for riparian maintenance, monitoring, and reporting, up to $320,988.20 over the 11-year term of this agreement. SMART, through the attached MOU, would pay all costs associated with the design, permitting, and construction of the Project.
The proposed resolution authorizing execution of the MOU makes responsible agency findings pursuant to CEQA, as required by CEQA Guidelines section 15096. The project is environmentally beneficial, and no mitigation is required for any part of the project the County is proposing to carry out. However, the County is also required to make broader findings about the significant impacts of the broader project as a responsible agency relying on SMART’s environmental review. The proposed resolution makes the required findings. SMART has completed California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review and designed and constructed a passenger rail service, stations, and accompanying multi use path along an approximately 45-mile existing rail corridor which will eventually extended to 70-miles from Cloverdale in Sonoma County, California, to Larkspur, Marin County, California (the “SMART Rail and Pathway Project”). See Final Environmental Impact Report, Sonoma-Marin Rail Project SCH#2002112003 <https://scta.ca.gov/pdf/smart/final/final_eir.pdf>, Aspen Environmental Group for Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, 2006, and attached SMART Resolutions 2005-05, 2005-06, and 2008-05.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Climate Action and Resiliency
Goal: Goal 5: Maximize opportunities for mitigation of climate change and adaptation through land conservation work and land use policies
Objective: Objective 2: Develop policies to maximize carbon sequestration and minimize loss of natural carbon sinks including old growth forests, the Laguna de Santa Rosa, and rangelands. Encourage agricultural and open space land management to maximize sequestration
This project includes tree and shrub planting in riparian areas that will contribute to carbon sequestration at Helen Putnam Regional Park.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
None
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY23-24 Adopted |
FY24-25 Projected |
FY25-26 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
$56,898.82 |
$51,898.82 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
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$56,898.82 |
$51,898.82 |
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Funding Sources |
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|
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General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
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$56,898.82 |
$51,898.82 |
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Fees/Other |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
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$56,898.82 |
$51,898.82 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
This item will have no impact in the FY 23-24 Budget. All funds will be budgeted in future fiscal years.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
No staffing impacts are anticipated at this time. We anticipate staffing expansion to implement this and additional work next fiscal year. The Department will return at a future date to detail staffing requests and impacts.
Attachments:
Resolution
Memorandum of Understanding
SMART Resolutions 2005-05 and 2005-06
SMART Resolution 2008-05
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None