Title
Consider receiving an update on the grant opportunities from the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act for Agency projects and provide direction to staff.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Directors:
Receive an update on the grant opportunities from the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act for Agency projects and provide direction to staff.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
On September 5, 2019 Agency staff, CAO office staff, and the County’s state and federal lobbyists held a conference call with Bureau of Reclamations (BOR) staff in the Division of Planning to discuss the likelihood of Agency projects being eligible as a State-led storage project under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act.
BOR staff stated that the San Antonio Emergency Spillway Project would not be a good fit for this as dam safety is not applicable to this section of the WIIN Act.
The Interlake Tunnel and Spillway Raise Project (ILT) would be eligible under this program. To be considered for funding the project would need a feasibility study completed by July 31, 2020. Substantial design and environmental review must be complete to meet the feasibility study deadline.
The Agency has evaluated the ILT project against the feasibility determination checklist to identify a schedule, work plan and budget to complete the feasibility study.
Based on the complexity of these tasks, several things need to be completed for the Agency to meeting the July 2020 deadline.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County of Monterey Legislative Committee
FINANCING:
Preliminary costs associated with the feasibility study and environmental review tasks will be funded out of Fund 426 and are estimated at $150,000.
Prepared and approved by: Brent Buche, General Manager, (831) 755-4860