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Home My WebLink About2024-01-31; Agricultural Conversion Mitigation Fee Committee Ad Hoc; ; Grant UpdatesMeeting Date: Jan. 31, 2024 To: Agricultural Conversion Mitigation Fee Citizens Advisory Committee From: Nicole Piano-Jones, Senior Program Manager Staff Contact: Nicole Piano-Jones, Senior Program Manager nicole.pianojones@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-2191 Subject: Grant Updates District: All Recommended Action Receive an update regarding ongoing Agricultural Conversion Mitigation Fee (ACMF) projects. Executive Summary This agenda item summarizes projects that were previously deemed eligible and approved by the ACMF Committee and City Council that remain ongoing. This agenda item is meant to provide a high-level status update and there are no recommended actions, unless directed by the Committee. Explanation & Analysis The Carlsbad Municipal Code 21.202.060 regulates the conversion of coastal agricultural property to urban uses. The municipal code allows the conversion of specific parcels located within the Coastal Zone only upon payment of a mitigation fee. Over time, the mitigation fees accumulate and are then made available as grants to organizations proposing coastal-focused improvement and restoration projects. Per Carlsbad Municipal Code 21.202.060.D.2., Agricultural Conversion Mitigation fees collected may be used to fund projects meeting one of four eligibility criteria: •Restoration of the coastal and lagoon environment including but not limited to acquisition, management and/or restoration involving wildlife habitat or open space preservation •Purchase and improvement of agricultural lands for continued agricultural production, or for the provision of research activities or ancillary uses necessary for the continued production of agriculture and/or aquaculture in the city’s coastal zone, including but not limited to farm worker housing •Restoration of beaches for public use including, but not limited to local and regional sand replenishment programs, vertical and lateral beach access improvements, trails AGRICULTURAL CONVERSION MITIGATION FEE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE Jan. 31, 2024 Item #1 Page 1 of 7 Staff Report and other beach related improvements that enhance accessibility and/or public use of beaches •Improvements to existing or proposed nature centers Discussion The purpose of this agenda item is to provide an overview of five projects that were approved in prior years. Below is a general description of the projects with funding detail, followed by a more detailed discussion of each project. PROJECT NO ORGANIZATION PROJECT FUNDING STATUS APPROVED & APPROPRIATED EXPENDED AGP 22- 01 Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Discovery Center Door/Floor Replacement $62,000 $62,000 Project completed –January 2024 AGP 22- 02 Buena Vista Audubon Society Nature Center Improvements $30,687 $14,385 Expected completion: Early 2024 AGP 22- 03 Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch Recycled Water Trial $50,000 $14,136 Expected completion: December 2024 AGP 22- 04 Carlsbad Aquafarms, Inc. Living Shoreline Project $230,000 $28,090 Expected completion: 2025 RSBP III San Diego Regional Association of Governments Regional Beach Sand Project $64,677 $0 Expected completion: Phase 1 through 2025 TOTALS $437,364 $118,611 At its last meeting on Dec. 14, 2022, the Agricultural Conversion Mitigation Fee (ACMF) Citizens Advisory Committee recommended that the City Council approve the appropriation of $372,687 for four new projects. On March 7, 2023, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2023-068, approving the appropriation of $372,687 in ACMF funds. The city entered into agreements with each organization for use of funds, and status reports are discussed further in this report. Additionally, on May 9, 2023, the City Council approved Resolution No. 2023-126 which approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the city and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) for an appropriation of $64,677 in ACMF funds. The funds are for the third iteration of the Regional Beach Sand Project III – Phase I. The Regional Beach Sand Project began in 2001 to initially place 2.1 million cubic yards of clean sand onto 12 beaches from Imperial Beach to Oceanside. The second iteration of this project was in 2012, which placed 1.5 million cubic yards of sand to Imperial Beach, Oceanside, Encinitas and Carlsbad beaches. For both prior iterations, the City of Carlsbad entered an MOU with SANDAG and ACMF funds were used for the city’s contribution. The third project iteration is being completed in three phases: I) preliminary planning, II) engineering and environmental, and III) construction and monitoring. The MOU with SANDAG for $64,677 covers Carlsbad’s share in the regional planning activities. The City Council resolution authorized the remaining $162,875 in prior unused ACMF project funds, to be available for further phases of the project. Jan. 31, 2024 Item #1 Page 2 of 7 PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS Grant: AGP 22-01 Organization: Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation (AHLF) Project: Discovery Center Doors and Flooring ACMF funds: $62,000 Appropriated / $62,000 Expended Project category: Improvements to existing lagoon nature centers Project description: This project replaces the exterior and internal doors as well as in the internal flooring of the Discovery Center. This project began in April 2023 and was implemented in three phases, with final work completed in December 2023. AHLF secured $15,000 from the County of San Diego to leverage the ACMF funding. The total project cost was $77,000, including the $62,000 in ACMF funds. Grant: AGP 22-02 Organization: Buena Vista Audubon Society Project: Nature Center Improvements ACMF funds: $30,687 Appropriated / $14,385 Expended Project category: Improvements to existing lagoon nature centers Project description: This project is making several improvements to the visitor center to address energy efficiency and improve overall comfort, sustainability, and functionality of the space. The project consists of four smaller projects; replace lighting, install sliding glass door, install HVAC system, and interior paint. The total project cost is estimated at $30,687, all of which is being requested to be funded from ACMF funds. As of January 2024, three of the four projects have been completed. The final project is estimated to be completed in early 2024. Grant: AGP 22-03 Organization: CB Ranch dba The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch Project: Recycled Water Trial ACMF funds: $50,000 Appropriated / $14,136 Expended Project category: Purchase & improvement of agricultural land Project description: This project is testing the viability of recycled water for flower production. The project will mixing potable water with recycled water in a controlled area to determine if the salinity from recycled water can be reduced. Total project cost is estimated at $105,000, of which $50,000 is from ACMF funds, and CB Ranch covering the remaining $55,000. It is anticipated that trials will begin in the spring of 2024 and project is expected to be completed in December 2025. Grant: AGP 22-04 Organization: Carlsbad Aquafarms Title: Living Shoreline Restoration ACMF funds: $230,000 Appropriated / $28,090 Expended Jan. 31, 2024 Item #1 Page 3 of 7 Project category: Restoration of the coastal & lagoon environment Project description: This project aims to restore and preserve approximately 3,500 square meters of Aqua Hedionda Lagoon shoreline. Specifically, the project involves a community-stakeholder supported living shoreline restoration project, in which native Olympia oyster reefs and Eelgrass meadows are installed and monitored. The total project cost is estimated at $265,132.50, of which $230,000 is from ACMF funds and $33,407.50 is being provided through other sources. The project timeline is delineated into three categories, project planning, restoration, and post-restoration monitoring. All total, the estimated project timeline is approximately three years, through 2025. Grant: RBSP III Organization: San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) Project: Regional Beach Sand Project (RSBP) III ACMF funds: $64,677 Appropriated / $0 Expended Project category: Restoration of beaches for public use Project description: This project is the third iteration of the Regional Beach Sand Project. The first two iterations were completed in 2001 and 2012. The third iteration is comprised of three phases: I) preliminary planning, II) Engineering and environmental, and III) construction and monitoring. The MOU with SANDAG for $64,677 in ACMF represents the City of Carlsbad’s contribution towards Phase I of the project. During Phase I, SANDAG will update a feasibility study and economic analysis, which was originally completed in 2007, and estimate the total cost for the remaining two phases of RBSP III. The estimated completion for Phase I is through 2025. The City Council resolution authorized the remaining $162,875 in prior unused ACMF project funds, to be available for further phases of the project. Fiscal Analysis The ACMF program is a fully funded through mitigation fees and there is no fiscal impact on the city’s General Fund. The ACMF grant program operates on a reimbursement basis; therefore, grant recipients expend funds first and then submit reimbursement requests to the city. Funding for the projects described in this report have all been included and appropriated in the approved budget for the ACMF Fund. Environmental Evaluation Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21065, this action does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in that it has no potential to cause either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and therefore does not require environmental review. Jan. 31, 2024 Item #1 Page 4 of 7 Nicole Piano-Jones, Senior Program Manager Housing & Homeless Services Oct. 17, 2023 1 Nicole Piano-Jones, Senior Program Manager Housing & Homeless Services Jan. 31, 2024 Jan. 31, 2024 Item #1 Page 5 of 7 {city of Carlsbad GRANT UPDATES ITEM 1: GRANT UPDATES •High level update on five existing projects •Q & A with organizations, if requested 2Jan. 31, 2024 Item #1 Page 6 of 7 {city of Carlsbad ITEM 1: GRANT UPDATES 3 PROJECT NO ORGANIZATION PROJECT FUNDING STATUSAPPROVED & APPROPRIATED EXPENDED AGP 22-01 Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Discovery Center Door/Floor Replacement $62,000 $62,000 Project completed – January 2024 AGP 22-02 Buena Vista Audubon Society Nature Center Improvements $30,687 $14,385 Expected completion: Early 2024 AGP 22-03 Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch Recycled Water Trial $50,000 $14,136 Expected completion: December 2024 AGP 22-04 Carlsbad Aquafarms, Inc. Living Shoreline Project $230,000 $28,090 Expected completion: 2025 RSBP III SANDAG Regional Beach Sand Project $64,677 $0 Expected completion: Phase 1 through 2025 TOTALS $437,364 $118,611 Jan. 31, 2024 Item #1 Page 7 of 7{city of Carlsbad