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Home My WebLink AboutAGENDA REPORT 2016 1019 CCSA REG ITEM 10E ITEM 10.E. CITY OF mOORPARK,CALIFORNIA Leat Council Meeting of /0-/9-ago/(o ACTION:YiAe MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT Y: 4 TO: The Honorable City Council FROM: Jeremy Laurentowski, Parks and Recreation Director�L- BY: Jessica Sandifer, Program Manage it DATE: October 3, 2016 (CC Meeting of 10/1 '116) SUBJECT: Consider Status Update on Turf Conversion Projects and Resolution Amending FY 2016/17 Budget to Fund Additional Water Conservation Projects at Mountain Meadows Park and Peach Hill Park BACKGROUND On July 1, 2015, the City Council approved a Drought Action Plan (DAP) outlining the various actions the City should take to meet the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) mandated water conservation reduction target of 32%. The DAP not only outlines how the City should conserve water within City operations but also to promote water conservation City-wide. Both components of the DAP are critical to meet the water conservation standard mandated by SWRCB. At the time of adoption of the DAP, the City Council approved funding to complete Phase I of the turf conversion projects at City parks. On August 19, 2015, staff requested funding to complete Phase I of the turf conversion projects at the Landscape Maintenance Districts (LMD) and various City properties and on March 16, 2016, staff requested funding to complete Phase II of the turf conversion projects in the City parks. Completion of Phase II would allow the City to apply for turf rebates from the Metropolitan Water District (MWD). On November 13, 2015, Governor Brown signed an executive order directing the SWRCB to extend the restrictions on urban water use until October 2016, if January was a dry month. The SWRCB extended the restrictions in February 2016. On May 9, 2016, Governor Brown issued Executive Order B-37-16, requiring the SWRCB to adjust its emergency water conservation regulation through the end of January 2017 in recognition of improved urban water supply conditions across the state and, separately, take action to make some of the requirements of the regulation permanent. The Board adopted the revised regulation on May 18, 2016. June was the first month under the revised regulation which made the following prohibitions against certain water uses permanent: watering down a sidewalk with a hose instead of using a 204 Honorable City Council October 19, 2016 Page 2 broom or a brush, or overwatering a landscape to where water is running off the lawn, over a sidewalk and into the gutter. Prohibitions directed to the hospitality industry also remain in place, as well as those prohibitions against homeowners associations taking action against homeowners during a declared drought. DISCUSSION The City of Moorpark's operational water use was reduced by 52% from June through December 2015, as compared to the same time period in 2013 per the requirements of the SWRCB. The City's operational water use includes all City parks, landscape maintenance districts and the various City owned buildings and properties, such as the Civic Center buildings and Community Center, Library, the Police Services Center, the Moorpark Public Services Facility, the Ruben Castro Human Services Center, and Arroyo Vista Recreation Center. A comparison of the City's annual operational water usage between calendar years 2013 and 2015 shows a 45.6% reduction in water use. The total annual water savings was 101,714 hundred acre feet (HCF), which is equivalent to approximately 76,082,670 gallons of water. The items implemented by the DAP have directly contributed to the City's ability to exceed the 32% reduction goal required by the SWRCB. The City of Moorpark has established a long standing goal of water conservation that really got underway in FY 2009/10, when the City accomplished an overall water savings of 16.5% in the City parks and LMD's by simply adjusting irrigation schedules and minimizing water use. In addition, in 2010 the City installed forty-four WeatherTrak irrigation controllers in several landscape maintenance districts and City Parks. This project reduced water use in the districts and parks where the controllers were installed by approximately 9.5% overall. At this point in time, any further reductions in water use would be difficult to achieve without removing additional turf in the parks, or the removal of high water use landscaping, such as the landscaping on Tierra Rejada Road. However, recreation adds value to the quality of life and some turf acreage is necessary for field sports and general recreational activities. The majority of all the turf has already been removed in the landscape maintenance districts and various City owned properties. The Tierra Rejada Road streetscape renovation project is currently under way and staff anticipates an update for the City Council in November 2016. The Council will recall that action items A.2.a and A.2.b of the DAP called for the turf removals at the City parks as well as in the LMDs and various City facilities. For both items, staff prepared a phased approach that allowed immediate water savings to be achieved, while allowing time to design a drought tolerant or low water use plant palette for the designated renovation areas. Phase I in the parks eliminated the turf by utilizing chemical herbicides approved by the County of Ventura, Agricultural Commissioner's office, mowing the remaining turf down to the subgrade, removing the turf adjacent to sidewalks and other hardscape areas and covering the areas with wood chips. Phase II in the parks included the installation of California native and drought tolerant plantings. This was a requirement of MWD and necessary in order to obtain the turf removal 205 Honorable City Council October 19, 2016 Page 3 rebates. The work in the parks was completed in April, 2016. In the LMD areas, Phase I of this work included killing the turf and allowing the dead turf to remain in place, modifying the irrigation so that only the trees are watered, and placing bark mulch only around the trees. The dead turf and associated subgrade will be removed as a part of the larger renovation projects completed in Phase II of this work. This work will be completed at a later date as funding allows. FISCAL IMPACT To date $352,302 has been spent on the work required to remove the turf in the Parks and install trees and shrubs in the turf removal areas to allow for submittal of the rebates. The work was paid for out of the General Fund. The costs for the turf removal project in the City's LMD's and various City properties has cost approximately $275,357 to date, with the General Fund Reserve covering approximately 55% or $152,227. The remaining $123,130 was paid out of the relevant LMD funds. All total, the City received $527,504 in turf rebates, with a balance of $22,975, which covers all General Fund costs for this work. Staff recommends utilizing the balance of the rebate funding to make additional improvements to several parks. Staff anticipated that a fair amount of the landscaping that was installed adjacent to sidewalks and popular amenities, such as playgrounds, would be subject to repair due to pedestrian traffic. In addition, certain conditions, such as landscaped parkways with adjacent parking have not held up well to foot traffic. Staff recommends utilizing the balance of the funding to make the following improvements. • Mountain Meadows Park: Remove the parkway landscaping and install a sidewalk adjacent to the curb ($17,250). • Mountain Meadows Park: Underground drip irrigation in high traffic areas and adjust plantings as.needed ($2,000). • Peach Hill Park: Remove turf adjacent to the south parking lot and adjust turf heads as needed ($2,000). • Peach Hill Park: Underground drip irrigation in high traffic areas and adjust plantings as needed ($1,725). Funding for these additional projects is not included within the FY 2016/17 budget. An amendment from the General Fund (1000) in the amount of $22,975 is being requested to fund these projects. STAFF RECOMMENDATION (ROLL CALL VOTE) Adopt Resolution No. 2016- amending FY 2016/17 budget for additional water conservation projects as outlined in the staff report. Attachment: Resolution No. 2016- 206 RESOLUTION NO. 2016- A RESOLUTION OF CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2016/17 BUDGET BY APPROPRIATING $22,975 FROM THE GENERAL FUND (1000) FOR ADDITIONAL WATER CONSERVATION PROJECTS AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS PARK AND PEACH HILL PARK WHEREAS on June 15, 2016 the City of Moorpark adopted the Operating and Capital Improvement Projects budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016/17; and WHEREAS, a staff report has been presented to City Council requesting an appropriation of $22,975.00 from the General Fund (1000) for additional water conservation projects at Mountain Meadows Park and Peach Hill Park; and WHEREAS, Exhibit "A", attached hereto and made a part hereof, describes said budget amendment and the resultant impact to the budget line item. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MOORPARK DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. A budget amendment in the amount $22,975.00 from the General Fund (1000), as more particularly described in Exhibit "A", attached hereto, is hereby approved. SECTION 2. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this resolution and shall cause a certified resolution to be filed in the book of original resolutions. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 19th day of October, 2016. Janice S. Parvin, Mayor ATTEST: Maureen Benson, City Clerk Exhibit A— Budget Amendment 207 Resolution No. 2016-3549 Page 2 EXHIBIT A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR GENERAL FUND (1000) FOR WATER CONSERVATION PROJECTS AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS PARK AND PEACH HILL PARK FISCAL YE,•,R 2016/2017 FUND B •{LANCE ALLOCATION: Fund Title Fund-Account Number Amount GENERAL FUND 1000-5500 $ 22,975.00 Total $ 22,975.00 EXPENDITURE APPR�•PRIATION: Amended Account Number Current Budget Revision Budget 1000.7800.7808.9252 $ - $ 3,725.00 $ 3,275.00 1000.7800.7810.9252 $ - $ 19,250.00 $ 19,250.00 Total $ 22,975.00 $ 22,975.00 Finance Approval: gort- 208