FOR: City Council Meeting [January 23, 2024]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Arron Brown, Acting City Manager
FROM: Stephen Dopoudja, P.E., Interim Utilities Manager
Toyasha Sebbag, Assistant to the City Manager
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Recommend that the City Council and Rialto Utility Board Authorize the release of Bids for the Rialto Habitat Nature Center; 1) Plant Propagation and Procurement; 2) Community Facility Building; 3) Shade Structures and Public Seating; and 4) Soil Retention Wall.
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BACKGROUND:
The City of Rialto has secured $5.20 million to date in state and federal grant funds to construct the Rialto Habitat Nature Center (RHNC). The grant funds, secured by Senator Leyva in June 2022 under California's 20th State Senate District Priorities for $1,050,000 must be utilized by May 1, 2024.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
The RHNC (Project) is proposed to be located adjacent to and south of the city’s Water Treatment Plant. The Project’s scope includes:
• Constructing approximately 10 acres of wetlands/vegetation, with an estimated 41 acre-feet of total seasonal recycled water storage.
• A lake that will be filled with recycled water from the city’s adjacent water treatment plant. Currently, this tertiary treated effluent is discharged into a concrete-lined flood control channel that flows into the unlined Rialto Channel.
• Reengineering an existing dry pit to create a shallow marsh wetland (3 to 4 acres) that receives tertiary treated effluent and a deeper lake (6 acres) that receives cleaned effluent once it has passed through the bio-filtration system, thereby providing water temperature and nutrient management benefits.
Besides being aesthetically pleasing, the Project has the additional benefit of water quality improvements to water temperature and nutrient management. Before releasing effluent from the city’s Water Treatment Plant into the flood control channel, the effluent will be stored in the Project area for several days, allowing the water temperature to lower to a suitable temperature for native fish and other aquatic species. Two native fish that thrive in cooler temperatures reside immediately downstream of the point of discharge - the federally threatened Santa Ana sucker and the Arroyo chub. Nutrient management occurs through nitrogen and phosphorus bioremediation, which removes microplastics and creates a habitat that benefits native wildlife. The Project will benefit the Upper Santa Ana River Habitat Conservation Plan (regional watershed) and promote the recovery of multiple species.
A component of the RHNC is a community facility and education center. The grant funds of $1,050,000 secured by Senator Leyva will be used to purchase 1) Plant Propagation and Procurement; 2) Community Facility Building; 3) Shade Structures and Public Seating; and 4) Soil Retention Wall and must be utilized by May 1, 2024.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This request is not a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include: (5) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
Approval of this action complies with the following:
Our City government will lead by example and will operate in an open, transparent, and responsive manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.
Rialto is committed to environmental sustainability, which means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
In addition, approval of this action complies with the City of Rialto General Plan Goals and Related Policies:
Policy 3-6.3: Requires an increasing level of public safety infrastructure and service capability tied to population increase and increasing service demand.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed and supports the staff report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The proposed action will not impact the Capital Improvement Budget. The grant funds of $1,050,000 secured by Senator Leyva will be used to purchase 1) Plant Propagation and Procurement; 2) Community Facility Building; 3) Shade Structures and Public Seating; and 4) Soil Retention Wall.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommend that the City Council and Rialto Utility Board Authorize the release of Bids for the Rialto Habitat Nature Center; 1) Plant Propagation and Procurement; 2) Community Facility Building; 3) Shade Structures and Public Seating; and 4) Soil Retention Wall.