APPLICATION FOR PROPOSITION A FUNDING FOR

CATCH BASIN INSERTS

Recommendation:

It is recommended that the City Council:

1. Adopt the attached resolution authorizing the application for grant funds from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works 1996 Prop A Santa Monica Bay Competitive Grant Program for Installation of Catch Basin Devices.
2. Authorize the expenditure of $19,500 as the 15% matching funds as required under Proposition A.

Background:

The Clean Water Act requires that Cities reduce the amount of pollutants in storm water runoff to the maximum extent practicable. To achieve this goal, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board has issued an NPDES permit requiring Cities to implement Best Management Practices (BMP's) to improve the quality of storm water runoff. The majority of the required BMP's result in an extensive amount of paperwork with little measurable results. Even with an aggressive program of BMP's, some degree of trash and other pollutants will still be entering catch basins and flowing out to the beaches and ocean.

Analysis:

Small treatment systems, or inserts, which are a combination of screens and filters can be installed into existing catch basins to remove trash, sediment from construction sites and organic pollutants such as oil and grease from leaking automobiles. In addition to reducing the amount of pollution reaching the beaches and ocean, the reduction in the amount of trash and litter will help meet the TMDL's or total maximum daily limits which the Regional Board will be adopting in the near future.

These inserts are considered to be structural BMP's. Under Proposition A, up to 85% of the capital cost of structural BMP's is reimbursable.

Scope of Work:

• 
  
• Prepare a survey of all City owned catch basins to determine the suitability, size and design of the insert. Approximately 45 catch basins will be affected.
• Installation of the catch basin insert.
• Inspect and test the material accumulating in the catch basins on a regular basis to establish a future cleaning frequency.
• Cleaning and disposal of materials collected by the inserts.

Fiscal Impact:

The overall cost of the insert program is $130,000. Proposition A funds will cover $110,500. The City contribution is $19,500.

The City of Hermosa Beach currently has budgeted $42,284 in the Sewer/Storm Drain Division, account number 160-3102-4201, for compliance with the NPDES Storm Water Permit ($27,284 for federal and state regulatory requirements related to NPDES, $15,000 for contract services for Santa Monica Bay Program, also related to NPDES). It is recommended that $19,500 of these funds be authorized as matching funds to install the catch basin inserts. An increased cost of catch basin maintenance is anticipated to be incurred on an annual basis.

The cleaning and maintenance costs are estimated at $10,000 annually. Proposition A funds will not cover cleaning and maintenance costs after the first year.

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