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ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT AND APPROPRIATE GRANT FUNDING FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES TO REHABILITATE THE STOCKTON CHANNEL BUBBLER SYSTEM AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution to:
1. Accept and appropriate funds in the amount of $3,000,000 from the California Department of General Services - Office of Public School Construction.
2. Approve the allocation of funds in accordance with the requirements of the Grant Agreement (Exhibit 1 to the Resolution) for the rehabilitation of the Stockton Channel Bubbler System and other related improvements.
It is also recommended that the City Manager is authorized to take all appropriate and necessary actions to carry out the purpose and intent of this resolution.
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Summary
The California Department of General Services, through the Office of Public School Construction (OPCS) and Senate Bill No. 102, has awarded the Municipal Utilities Department a grant for $3,000,000 to help rehabilitate the Destratification System (Bubbler System) in the Stockton Channel. Installed in 2006, the Bubbler System provides aeration to improve water quality and reduce harmful algal blooms in McLeod Lake and the Stockton Channel. The Bubbler System has been in operation, particularly in the summer months, for nearly 20 years and requires significant restoration and upgrades.
Staff recommends the City Council adopt a resolution accepting and appropriating the $3,000,000 grant from the Department of General Services, OPCS to the Municipal Utilities Department Stormwater Utility State grant account.
DISCUSSION
Background
On December 13, 2005, by Resolution 05-0553, the City Council approved the construction of the Destratification System (Bubbler System). The Bubbler System was installed in the Stockton Channel in 2006 to improve water circulation, quality and to mitigate harmful algal blooms (HABs). Pilot tests showed a forced-air bubbler system was the most cost-effective solution for controlling HABs. For several years the Bubbler System has experienced reduced effectiveness due to structural deterioration and mechanical damage to the equipment. The Municipal Utilities Department (MUD) will evaluate the extent of the damage and identify how to repair and improve the system to restore operating efficiency.
In addition to the rehabilitation of the Bubbler System, the appropriation will also provide funding for the installation of a trash containment boom across the lower end of Mormon Slough near Morelli Park. The homeless encampments along Mormon Slough have led to an increase in the amount of trash deposited in the waterway.
Tidal flows and prevailing winds move this trash to the east end of the Stockton Channel and McLeod Lake, where it is trapped at the Center Street bridge and the Dean DeCarli Waterfront Plaza seawall. The trash is not only an eye-sore in our downtown area, but also poses a risk to water quality, the public, and the environment. When installed, the boom will provide a method to capture and collect the trash and help improve the quality of McLeod Lake and Stockton Channel.
Present Situation
As a former City councilmember, Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman has been an advocate for financial assistance to fund various infrastructure improvement programs in Stockton. Senators are granted a limited amount of discretionary spending from the State’s General Services fund. Senator Eggman successfully advocated for a $3,000,000 grant to rehabilitate the Bubbler System at McLeod Lake and Stockton Channel and install a trash boom near Morelli Park. The grant was approved by Senate Bill No. 102 and allocates $3,000,000 for the acquisition and construction of a Bubbler System and trash boom at Morelli Park. Application for the grant was approved in the City’s FY 2023-24 state funding appropriation efforts.
Staff recommends adopting a resolution accepting and appropriating the $3,000,000 grant award to rehabilitate the Stockton Channel Bubbler System and other related improvements.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The grant will help fund the engineering feasibility and design and construction to rehabilitate the Stockton Channel Bubbler System and to install a trash boom near Morelli Park. Allocation of the $3,000,000 grant will be appropriated in the Municipal Utilities Department Stormwater Utility State Grant account.
There is no financial impact to the General Fund, or any other unrestricted fund, from this action.