City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: SEPTEMBER 21, 2016
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of the Submission of a Competitive Grant Application to the Virginia Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund Advisory Committee for Funding of Educational Stormwater BMP Signs.
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ISSUE: Consideration of a competitive grant application to the Virginia Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund Advisory Committee to design, fabricate, and install educational stormwater facility best management practice (BMP) signs.
RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council:
1. Approve a competitive grant application, due October 1, 2016, to the Virginia Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund Advisory Committee, for funding in the approximate amount of $15,000 to design, fabricate, and install educational stormwater BMP signs (the exact amount to be determined by the Virginia Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund Advisory Committee by May 2017 to June 2017); and
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents that may be required under this program.
BACKGROUND: The Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund provides grants for Chesapeake Bay related education and restoration activities. The grants are funded with monies from the sale of the special Chesapeake Bay license plate “Friends of the Chesapeake.” The restoration fund establishes specific priority areas for funding. The priority areas for 2017 funding are environmental education to increase public awareness and knowledge about the Bay resulting in behavioral change, and restoration and conservation of the Chesapeake Bay.
DISCUSSION: Consistent with Eco-City Alexandria goals, the City is constantly working to improve local water quality, the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. As part of the City’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) general permit, the City must conduct public education and outreach. Public education serves to improve water quality because it can help stop pollution at the source by working to change behavior and make residents aware of the issues. Installing educational signs at stormwater BMPs would help residents and visitors learn what the City is doing to help improve local water quality to meet the Chesapeake Bay cleanup mandates. The BMP signs would be posted at two of the City’s proposed wet pond retrofit and at two Green Infrastructure projects.
The proposed locations for the educational stormwater BMP signs are:
• Lake Cook (Wet Pond Retrofit)
• Ben Brenman Pond (Wet Pond Retrofit)
• Four Mile Run Park Parking Lot (Permeable Pavement)
• Four Mile Run Farmers Market (Bioretention Filters)
Final applications are due by October 1, 2016. After applications are submitted, the Virginia Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund Advisory Committee will determine awardees, and the exact amount of the grant funding will be awarded by May/June 2017. Awarded grant funding must be spent within 12 months of dispersement.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no requirement for the City to provide a cash match or an in-kind match for the grant funds. However, if the grant is approved, the City will be responsible for administrative costs associated with the grant, which will be absorbed in staff time. Staff anticipates the signs will be designed and fabricated by a contractor (using grant funds) and City forces will be used solely for installation. If approved, all grant funding must be expended in
FY 2018. No funds are currently available in the City budget to design, fabricate, and install these educational signs so if the grant is not approved, the signs will not be fabricated or installed.
ATTACHMENT: Map Location of Proposed Stormwater BMP Educational Signs.
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Yon Lambert, Director, T&ES
William J. Skrabak, Deputy Director, T&ES, Infrastructure and Environmental Quality
Jesse E. Maines, Division Chief, T&ES, Stormwater Management