To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Regional Parks
Staff Name and Phone Number: Elizabeth Tyree, 707-565-2041, Hattie Brown, 707-565-2041
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): First
Title:
Title
Larson Park Renovation and Sonoma Valley Fire Resiliency Specified Grant Correction
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a corrected Resolution authorizing the Director of Regional Parks to apply for Specified Grant Funds from the Budget Act of 2023 in the amount of $1,250,000 for Larson Park Renovation and Sonoma Valley Fire Resiliency, and to execute all documents necessary to carry out and administer the grants.
end
Executive Summary:
A total of $1,250,000 in State Parks funding has been specified for Sonoma County Regional Parks for two projects in Sonoma Valley. The County is to receive $1 million for the Larson Park Renovation project, and $250,000 for wildfire mitigation in park and preserve land in the Sonoma Valley area. This specified grant was approved by the Board of Supervisors in April 2024, but State Parks recognized a budget reference and project title error in their resolution template. This is corrected in the accompanying resolution.
Discussion:
This $1,250,000 Local Assistance Specified Grant originated from a line item in Senate Bill Number 104, an act to amend the State of California Budget Act of 2023, designating $1 million for Larson Park Renovation and $250,000 for Sonoma Valley Fire Resiliency. In April, based upon State Parks’ resolution template, this line item was incorrectly referenced as Assembly Bill Number 102 with the same amount but only listing the Larson Park Renovation project. In July, State Parks provided a corrected resolution template.
State Parks requires a resolution authorizing applications for this grant funding specified for Larson Park Renovation and Sonoma Valley Fire Resiliency projects. This resolution also designates the Director of Regional Parks to execute all documents that may be necessary to carry out and administer the grant. The following provides background for these projects.
Larson Park Renovation
Larson Park is nestled in the vibrant Springs neighborhood north of Sonoma. Improvements contemplated using this grant funding were already reviewed for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) purposes during the Board’s approval of the Larson Park Master Plan Update in May 2021. The project includes renovating the existing park facilities, modest expansion of the existing picnic and play areas, replacing the permanent restroom building, and improving the overall safety and user experience.
Construction documents are being finalized, and the project will go out to bid soon. The total estimated construction cost is $4 million. This State Parks $1 million grant funding will contribute to constructing these improvements. Additional funding includes $2 million from First District Community Infrastructure funds, $140,000 from Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation, $60,000 from County Service Area 41, $25,000 from Park Mitigation Fees - Sonoma Valley Area, and $800,000 from Parks for All Measure M Category 2 funding.
Construction is anticipated to begin this year with completion in summer 2025. Following construction, ongoing park operations costs are not anticipated to increase, and maintenance costs are expected to decrease. Regional Parks would continue managing this park facility.
Sonoma Valley Fire Resiliency
The Sonoma Valley Wildlands Collaborative (Collaborative) consists of a group of six conservation organizations and land management agencies, including the County of Sonoma (Regional Parks), Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, Audubon Canyon Ranch, the State Department of Parks and Recreation, Sonoma Land Trust, and Sonoma Mountain Ranch Preservation Foundation. The Collaborative manages over 18,000 acres of park and preserve lands in the Sonoma Valley region including lands that have been recently and repeatedly impacted by extreme wildfire. The Collaborative aims to maintain and improve ecosystem health, increase resilience to wildfires and climate change, and reduce future impacts of wildfire to communities in the Sonoma Valley.
This $250,000 for Sonoma Valley Fire Resiliency work included in the Specified Grant
will be used for continued vegetation management in the Sonoma Valley to create healthier and more fire-resistant ecosystems. Vegetation management projects will include fuel reduction, perimeter fuel reduction, roadside fuel breaks, defensible space, and fuel break maintenance as well as forest management planning in ecosystems that have experienced repeated severe wildfire. Projects within the Sonoma Valley Wildfire Resiliency include:
1. $100,000 to Regional Parks for forest management planning and vegetation management implementation.
2. $150,000 to the Sonoma Land Trust on behalf of the Collaborative for vegetation management implementation.
Work is anticipated to begin this year with completion anticipated by late 2025.
California Environmental Quality Act: Compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act for land management activities carried out with funding for Sonoma Valley Fire Resiliency will be determined on a project-by-project basis. Receipt of the funds is not a commitment to any specific project.
Next Steps
The first step toward approval of this Specified Grant is submitting a corrected resolution approving applications for specified grant funds to State Parks. This resolution also designates the Director of Regional Parks to execute all documents that may be necessary to carry out and administer grant funds.
Upon receipt of the approved resolution, State Parks will issue the revised grant contract and Regional Parks will prepare the required forms to file with State Parks for project applications. Regional Parks will administer the Sonoma Valley Fire Resiliency projects and the Larson Park Renovation project as two separate projects. Reimbursement will be requested after the projects are approved by State Parks and the work completed. The performance period for this Specified Grant started July 1, 2023, and work is to be completed by December 31, 2026.
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 1: Continue to invest in wildfire preparedness and resiliency strategies
Objective: Objective 3: Leverage grant funding to support sustainable vegetation management program.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
April 30, 2024, by Resolution 24-0157 approved application(s) for Specified Grant Funds for the Larson Park Renovation Project. <https://sonoma-county.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6646034&GUID=C4502E66-CB67-409F-BF40-D9FA6EB64E12>
September 12, 2023, accepted the County of Sonoma Capital Project Plan 2023-2028, including subject Larson Park Improvements project. <https://sonoma-county.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6338140&GUID=A3F15C55-75F2-41F9-8BDF-51C6629A66C7>
April 19, 2022, by Resolution 22-0160, Regional Parks received and distributed wildfire prevention funding to Sonoma Valley Wildlands Collaborative. <https://sonoma-county.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5552451&GUID=8BC426C9-24A5-4CC3-97CB-2F1164FEA6F0>
May 11, 2021, by Resolution No. 21-0194 approved Larson Park Master Plan Update and authorized filing a Notice of Exemption pursuant to CEQA. <https://sonoma-county.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4935387&GUID=119D1870-78BE-4586-AF28-2D1D6B1CCE6B>
March 23, 2021, by Resolution No. 21-0117 approved application for Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Grant Funds, round four. <https://sonoma-county.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4853126&GUID=F0D51CC9-DE4D-4033-8D98-026CF0FCEA69>
August 6, 2019, by resolution No. 19-0317 approved application for Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Grant Funds, round three. <https://sonoma-county.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4074853&GUID=8F9771C7-81C2-41E1-9036-D3D584867AA8>
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY24-25 Adopted |
FY25-26 Projected |
FY26-27 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$1,250,000 |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
$1,250,000 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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|
|
|
State/Federal |
$1,250,000 |
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Fees/Other |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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General Fund Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$1,250,000 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
This $1,250,000 in funding from State Parks is included in the FY 24-25 Larson Park Renovation capital project budget.
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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):
None
Attachments:
Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None