Los Angeles Regional Watershed Infrastructure Funding Workgroup

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Los Angeles Regional Watershed Infrastructure
Funding Workgroup Progress Report December 9,
2004 Presentation to SCAG Water Policy Task
Force Larry Forester, Councilmember, City of
Signal Hill Member, Steering Committee,
Coalition for Practical Regulation Michael
Drennan American Society of Civil
Engineers Chair, Environment and Water Resources
Technical Group Vice President, Brown and
Caldwell
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The mission of the Los Angeles County Regional
Watershed Infrastructure Funding Workgroup
is To work cooperatively to complete an
integrated long-term regional watershed
management plan for Los Angeles County by 2007
and a voter-approved funding mechanism by 2008 to
implement the plan.
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• Background
• ASCE Held Two Water Symposiums in LA in 2003
• 1) Funding is a high priority to address various
  water needs including storm water pollution,
  flood control, groundwater recharge, wastewater
  recycling, and potentially other objectives such
  as recreation and habitat enhancement.
• 2) Multiple agencies may benefit from a joint
  funding mechanism(s) that encourage multipurpose
  projects where feasible.
• 3) ASCE may be an appropriate facilitator/coordina
  tor in the pursuit of a regional funding
  mechanism.

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Stakeholders (Partial List)
Hector Bordas, Los Angeles County Department of
Public Works Carl Blum, ASCE Mark Christoffels,
City of Long Beach Rebecca Drayse,
TreePeople Michael Drennan, ASCE Larry Forester,
City of Signal Hill, and Coalition for Practical
Regulation Mark Gold, Heal the Bay Terri Grant,
Los Angeles County Department of Public
Works Shahram Kharaghani, City of Los Angeles
Bureau of Sanitation Andy Lipkis, TreePeople Adan
Ortega, Metropolitan Water District Craig
Perkins, City of Santa Monica Tim Piasky,
Building Industry of Southern California Rita
Robinson, City of Los Angeles Bureau of
Sanitation Jim Stahl, Los Angeles County
Sanitation District Robert Tanowitz, City of Los
Angeles Bureau of Sanitation Don Wolfe, Los
Angeles County Department of Public Works
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2004 Progress Report
Identified broad cross section of
stakeholders Held four meetings in 2004 to build
trust and agreement of shared values Brought
together by common theme of stormwater
regulations Reviewed steps of other successful
funding measures Adopted mission
statementIdentified three committees, chairs,
objectives Integrated Plan Funding Public
Education Developing action plans to accomplish
objectives
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2004 Progress Report

• Integrated Water Resource Plan Committee
• Developing Comprehensive Plan to meet TMDLs
  Countywide
• Identifying Specific Capital Improvements
  Throughout County
• Developing Scope and Resource Needs for Plan
  Development
• Evaluating Existing Plans and Filling in Gaps
• Funding Committee
• Evaluating Suite of Financing Options
• Addressing Long Term Operation and Maintenance
  Costs
• Coordinating Efforts with Prop 50
• Considering Coordination with 2006 State Bond
• Public Outreach Committee
• Developing a Strategic Outreach Plan and Media
  Campaign for Various Audiences
• Developing Consistent Message
• Tangible Community Benefits Through Innovative
  Stormwater Management Solutions

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Successful New Funding of Stormwater Programs

• Napa 1998 Sales tax for city center river
  restoration (Prop 218 vote)
• Santa Clara 2000 Parcel assessment vote for
  parklands and flood protection ( 218 vote)
• Santa Barbara 2000 2 Transient Occupancy Tax
  on hotel bills for creek restoration and clean
  water programs (218 2/3 vote)
• San Clemente 2002 8/month stormwater fee with
  a Proposition 218 vote!
• Carlsbad 2003 1.95 trash fee (vote not needed)
• Irvine Ranch WD 2003 2 water surcharge
  0.50/month (vote not needed)
• City X 2004 4.07/month stormwater fee
  without a vote! (no vote taken, no challenge so
  far)

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Steps to Success

• 1) Develop a well-designed formal survey of the
  community to understand their hot buttons and
  their issues of interest.
• 2) Develop a clear, simple technical study which
  defines the problem, and evaluates alternatives
  which include costs and benefits of several
  solutions.
• 3) Create at the beginning of the study process a
  bi-partisan, community advisory committee.
• 4) Educate the public to help them understand the
  problem, the solution, the cost of the solution.

• 5) Package the solution to respond to the
  community's desires.
• 6) Design a strong media campaign.
• 7) Design solutions to accomplish multiple
  objectives.

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Los Angeles Regional Watershed Infrastructure
Funding Workgroup Progress Report December 9,
2004 Presentation to SCAG Water Policy Task
Force Larry Forester, Councilmember, City of
Signal Hill Member, Steering Committee,
Coalition for Practical Regulation Michael
Drennan American Society of Civil
Engineers Chair, Environment and Water Resources
Technical Group Vice President, Brown and
Caldwell
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