LA County Board

19. Progress and Adaptive Management of the Safe Clean Water Program\nRecommendation as submitted by Supervisor Horvath: Instruct the Director of\nPublic Works to report back to the Board in 90 days , on the progress and\ntimeline for completion of the following, with a target date no later than June\n2025:\nIndicators and targets for the Safe, Clean Water Program (SCWP), to\nbe developed with the Regional Oversight Committee (ROC), that can be\nused to measure achievement of SCWP goals, guide watershed\nplanning, and inform project development, solicitation, and evaluation\nefforts;\nPrecise metrics, updated definitions of Local Water Supply Benefit,\nNature-Based Solutions, Disadvantaged Community Benefit, and Local\nWater Supply Benefit, dry- and wet-weather water quality, and scoring\ncriteria that better align with the SCWP goals;\nWatershed planning efforts, including data and a gap analysis,\ncommunity needs assessment, including engagement with the Watershed\nArea Steering Committee (WASC), and alignment with the plan to\ncapture 300,000 acre-foot per year of new stormwater by 2045;\nRevised Regional Program application processes, feasibility study\nguidelines, and scoring criteria to account for additional performance\nindicators and distinct project phases, including the required public\nprocesses and input from the governing bodies as appropriate;\nRevised Regional Program Transfer Agreements , to better align with\ndistinct project phases like design, construction, and maintenance, and\nwith the transfer Agreement revisions to be brought back to the Board for\napproval;\nUpdated or new guidance documents, tools, and information for\ngovernance bodies and project developers to facilitate achievement of\nperformance indicators and targets;\nUpdated strategies for monitoring of completed projects towards meeting\nstated project goals and a regular update with cumulative findings on\nimpacts, including any related recommendations for adaptive\nmanagement of the program to maximize program outcomes;\nGuidance and recommendations to WASCs for managing cost overruns\nand project modification requests in the context of watershed planning\nand constrained funding availability in certain watersheds;\nAn assessment of community engagement processes to date and how\nthey could be improved upon, including strategies to better engage small\ncities, tribal interests, community -based organizations, and others who\nhave been less involved or underrepresented;\nAn assessment of viability and potential responsibilities of a scientific or\ntechnical advisory committee for the SCWP, specifically for review and\nrecommendations for scientific studies;\nAn assessment of viability and a strategy to fund scientific studies that\nhave Countywide significance without requiring approval of every\nWASC;\nCollaboration with, and funding of, the Department of Economic\nOpportunity to design and implement Workforce Development program(s)\nto support SCWP goals, with corresponding workforce requirements to\nbe integrated into Feasibility Study Guidelines, Project Modules, and\nTransfer Agreements;\nDistrict Public Education programs, including progress of Public\nEducation and Community Engagement Grants Program and investments\nin school curricula;\nA report back to the Board on strategies and best practices for engaging\nschool campuses in implementing stormwater capture projects that help\nachieve schoolyard transformation, greening, cooling, and other benefits\nin concert with the water supply, water quality, and multi-benefit goals of\nthe SCWP, including best practices for integration of school projects with\nschool curriculum, such as those being developed and/or funded as part\nof the District Education Programs; and\nOngoing communication and consultation with the WASCs and ROC in\nthe development of new policies and programs;\nInstruct the Chief Engineer of the County Flood Control District to work with\nCounty Counsel to prepare amendments to the Safe Clean Water Program\nOrdinance to amend Section 18.07 of the Safe, Clean Water Implementation\nOrdinance to authorize the Chief Engineer to request proposals for new\nprojects, project concepts, and scientific studies for inclusion in Stormwater\nInvestments Plans on either an annual or biennial basis; amend Sections 18.07,\n18.08 and 18.09, to change the frequency of progress and expenditure\nreporting from quarterly to semi-annually, and to clarify that certain County\nFlood Control District’s responsibilities are carried out by the Chief Engineer;\nInstruct the ROC to provide further recommendations to the Board to improve\nthe efficacy and accelerate project delivery of the SCWP by the end of 2024;\nand\nThank the members of the ROC, Scoring Committee, and nine WASCs, for\ntheir service during the first four years of the program , and congratulate the\nnewly appointed community leaders that will help to actively manage the\nprogram moving forward. (24-1010)