DEPARTMENT: Transportation & Capital Improvements
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Mike Frisbie, P.E.
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT: Interlocal Agreement: San Antonio River Authority
SUMMARY:
An ordinance authorizing the execution of an Interlocal Agreement between the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) and authorizing payment to SARA to complete the "Outfall Mapping Project", and the "Drainage Master Plan" payable to SARA in an amount not to exceed $2,400,000 for services supporting sustainable land use and for the development, management, and operation of storm water related programs, projects, and appropriating $2,000,000.00 from the Storm Water Regional Facility Fund.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City of San Antonio (City) and San Antonio River Authority (SARA) have collaboratively worked with other local governmental entities since 2004 as part of an Interlocal Agreement that formed the regional management program known as the Bexar Regional Watershed Management Program (BRWM) to deliver regional flood control, drainage, storm water and water quality projects and services to more effectively address associated public safety and resource management issues.
Over the past 10 years the BRWM collectively, as well as each governmental entity individually, has worked to apply resources to effectively reduce flooding risks and address threats to water quality through the use of watershed master plans that integrate capital projects, operations, land use, Low Impact Development (LID) and Green Infrastructure (GI) methods for maximum results and community benefits. LID and GI are cornerstone concepts of land sustainability in the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability section of the City of San Antonio's 2020 Vision.
ISSUE:
A. Interlocal Agreement
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has shown, through recent studies that storm water pollution is the leading cause of water quality contaminants in the nation. Currently, there are three river segments in Bexar County that are listed in Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act with an impairment for bacteria. These river segments are along the Salado Creek, Walzem Creek, and the upper San Antonio River. The City and SARA through the BRWM, collaboratively have worked to address threats to storm water quality through:
· the identification and implementation of project-specific best management practices;
· the joint development of technical manuals for LID and other GI methods;
· Natural Channel Design (NCD);
· the creation of regional master plans for each watershed addressing, flood mitigation, water quality, and stream degradation issues;
· the establishment of water quality monitoring programs and modeling tools to target sources of contaminants;
The City and SARA seek to expand the application of sustainable practices, such as LID, GI, and NCD, along with conservation subdivision development in land use and development practices, to respond to the trends within Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits to develop improvements to water quality in streams in Bexar County.
Targeting the technical and operational resources of each entity shall better equip the City to improve storm water quality, in an effort to minimize the fiscal and operational impact of future MS4 trends. Furthermore, collaboration of expertise, resources and projects have the potential to reduce duplication in the utilization of public resources and the development of more effective and efficient tools and programs to meet the current requirements of the MS4 permit as well as prepare the City for future measures to reduce pollutants.
This agreement between City and SARA will establish and promote cooperative and collaborative development, management and operation of storm water related programs, projects and activities promoting the use of sustainable storm water management practices and leverage current program funding, improve the management of public funding sources and ensure coordination of governmental resources and functions. This agreement will also describe roles and responsibilities between the City and SARA, ensure cooperation and coordination on implementation of programs, projects, and activities, and establish procedures to allocate specific funding to support programs, projects and activities identified to support sustainable storm water practices.
B. Task Order #1 "Outfall Mapping Project"
As part of the City's MS4 permit, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) will require the City to identify all MS4 storm water outfalls (discharge locations) to include the name and location that receive discharges from these outfalls. SARA currently collects similar data for portions of the San Antonio River and the City wishes to expand the data collection to cover the MS4 requirements. The City will partner with SARA to photograph and document up to an estimated 1,300 miles of outfalls along the rivers, creeks, and drainage channels within the city limits of San Antonio and will be completed by September 2015.
C. Task Order #2 "Drainage Master Plan"
The City will partner with SARA to develop a Drainage Master Plan for the major watersheds within the San Antonio city limits, to include Leon Creek, Salado Creek, and Upper San Antonio River and will completed by December 2015. In conformance with the Regional Storm Water Management Program, the proposed Drainage Master Plan will utilize a watershed-wide approach to analyze potential flooding problems across the city. For this project, SARA will dedicate staff and resources, and implement a comprehensive planning approach by comparing its Regional Watershed Master Plans with an inventory provided by City of all known local drainage problems within each watershed. This will allow SARA to analyze the relationship between the regional and local drainage problems, identify the types of drainage infrastructure needed to address specific concerns, and prioritize an initial list of capital drainage projects. SARA will also identify applications for sustainable storm water practices and other activities to reduce the risk to life and property from flooding, and mitigate the impact of storm water on water quality and stream degradation.
ALTERNATIVES:
An alternative is that Council could not approve the Interlocal Agreement or the two task orders. However, the City would lose the opportunity to leverage program funding, improve the management of public funding sources and ensure coordination of governmental resources and functions to support sustainable land use and storm water programs and practices.
FISCAL IMPACT:
A. Interlocal Agreement
There is no fiscal impact associated with the authorization of this ordinance. Approval of this ordinance will authorize the City of San Antonio to issue task orders pursuant to this agreement and established procedures to allocate specific funding to support programs, projects and activities identified to support sustainable storm water practices.
B. Task Order #1 "Outfall Mapping Project"
This ordinance authorizes payment to SARA in an amount not-to-exceed $400,000. Funding was allocated as part of the Fiscal Year 2015 Storm Water Operating Fund.
C. Task Order #2 "Drainage Master Plan"
This ordinance authorizes payment to SARA in an amount not-to-exceed $2,000,000.00. Funds will be appropriated from the Storm Water Regional Facility Fund.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this ordinance authorizing the execution of an Interlocal Agreement and two task orders between the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio River Authority for services supporting sustainable land use and storm water programs and practices.