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Description
San Bruno City Council Meeting
December 11, 2012
4. Presentations
A
B
You
mayor
Ruane,
members
of
the
council,
my
name
is
Jim
Porter
I'm,
the
director
of
public
works
with
San
Mateo
County.
We
oversee
the
san
bruno
flood
control
channel,
which
is
the
topic
of
tonight's
presentation,
I'm
specific
I'm,
going
to
talk
a
bit
about
the
history
of
the
Flood,
Control
District,
its
revenue
sources
and
then
we'll
drill
down
to
keep
it
row
and
talk
about
some
of
the
issues
that
are
going
on
there
and
some
of
the
challenges
we
face
and
maintaining
that
channel.
B
The
san
bruno
flood
control
zone,
which
this
channel
is
of,
is
in
was
established
in
1967.
At
that
time
it
was
designed
to
handle,
what's
called
a
25-year
storm
or
something
that
in
theory,
statistically,
is
supposed
to
occur
once
every
25
years.
Practically
that
happens
a
whole
lot.
Lately
the
zone
itself
consists
of
several
segments.
One
is
the
cupid
rose
segment
which
we'll
talk
about
a
lot
today,
another
and
that
runs
from
basically
the
caltrain
caltrain
tracks
up
to
san
bruno
avenue.
B
Then
there's
the
North
Channel
and
that's
a
section
from
san
bruno
avenue
that
runs
north
of
there,
underneath
101,
380,
interchange
and
out
to
the
bay.
We
also
have
tied
gates
at
the
Bay
where
it
enters
the
bay
and
then
we
have
to
pump
stations.
We
call
them
the
Angus
pump
station
in
the
walnut
pump
station
and
they
pump
water
out
of
the
eastern
portion
of
San
Bruno
into
that
channel.
This
is
a
picture
of
the
zone.
You
can
see.
It
encompasses
primarily
the
city
of
San
Bruno.
B
There
is
a
portion
of
South
San
Francisco
in
this
zone.
This
is
a
little
bit
confusing,
but
what
you
want
to
take
out
at
this
picture
is
this
is
the
design
for
the
25-year
storm.
The
wider
channel
is
what
the
actual
design
cross
section
was
built
to
in
1968
and
what
we've
been
trying
to
maintain
to
over
those
years.
So
the
zone
receives
funding
from
a
portion
of
the
one
percent
of
property
tax.
The
zone
was
created
prior
to
prop
13
and
that
what
revenue
we
received
is
a
portion
of
that
one
percent.
B
It's
about
a
hundred
ninety-five
thousand
dollars
per
year.
In
the
last
10
years,
we've
spent
about
90,000
on
maintenance,
so
that
leaves
roughly
a
hundred
thousand
a
year
that
we're
saving
up
for
capital
and,
as
you'll
see,
the
capital
projects
are
very
expensive
for
this
type
of
work.
The
last
time
we
did
a
major
dredging
project,
it
was
roughly
500,000
and
the
cost
of
that
is
primarily
the
permitting
in
the
biological
work
that
we
do
because
of
the
presence
of
the
San
Francisco
garter
snake
and
the
red-legged
frog
in
that
channel.
B
We've
also
looked
at
upgrading
the
two
pump
stations
with
the
Angus
and
the
walnut
pump
station
for
us
to
upgrade
those
stations
both
of
them
were
looking
at
about
2.5
million
and
for
us
to
replace
those
stations
we're
in
somewhere
of
the
range
of
11
million
dollars.
So,
as
you
can
see,
the
cost
of
capital
versus
the
revenue
is
disproportionate.
There's
a
lot
more
capital
needs
than
we
have
the
dollars
for,
as
I
mentioned
earlier,
we
do
have
a
sensitive
habitat
that
we're
working
in
this
entire
channel
is
within.
B
What's
called
the
West,
the
Bayshore
property,
the
DAC,
that's
actually
owned
by
the
San
Francisco
International
Airport.
The
City
and
County
of
San
Francisco
owns
that
land
somewhere
along
the
line.
We
inherited
that
channel
without
an
easement,
so
we're
hoping
to
get
an
easement
someday,
but
but
technically
this
all
belongs
to
the
City
and
County
of
San
Francisco
and,
as
I
mentioned,
the
the
channel
runs
east-west
and
then
north-south
up
to
the
bay.
This
is
really
the
meat
of
what
we
want
to
talk
about
prior
to
the
2000
maintenance,
for
us
was
fairly
easy.
B
We
would
go
in
annually
or
as
needed,
come
in
with
heavy
equipment
and
take
out
the
sediment
and
take
out
the
vegetation.
We'd
also
maintain
the
access
road
right
about
2000
2002
time
frame,
part
came
in
and
they
extended
their
tracks
down
to
millbrae.
When
that
project
came
in
everything
changed.
The
channel
that
went
from
San
Bruno
was
was
realigned
under
and
through
the
bar
tracks
to
get
to
the
east-west
segment.
B
But
what
really
occurred
at
that
time
was
a
higher
awareness
of
the
endangered
species
in
that
area,
as
I
as
I
show
up
here,
we
weren't
allowed
to
do
any
maintenance
in
that
area
between
2000
and
2002.
This
is
an
example
of
the
maintenance
road
that
was
affected
by
the
bar
construction.
We
say
in
our
slide
that
it
was
lower.
It
was
actually
the
lowering
was
done
by
the
heavy
equipment
that
was
placed
out
there
and,
as
I
said,
we
couldn't
get
out
there
to
maintain
it.
B
So
sandbags
were
placed
along
the
edge
of
the
channel
and
in
2002
we
had
some
overtopping
at
that
time.
So
at
that,
after
Bart
left,
we
applied
for
maintenance
permits
and
now
we're
in
a
new
regulatory
environment.
We're
able
to
get
one
time
permits
the
clear
vegetation
and
sediment
when
we
did
that
in
2003.
That
cost
us
about
five
hundred
and
thirty-five
thousand
dollars
and,
as
I
said,
the
primary
cost
is
our
biologists.
B
When
we
go
in
there
and
work,
we're
either
hand
cutting
vegetation
or
when
we
dig
out
sediment,
we
have
a
biologist
standing
next
to
the
excavator.
Looking
at
that
bucket
looking
at
it
go
in
the
truck
and
making
sure
that
there's
no
frogs
or
snakes
in
there,
as
you
can
imagine,
the
labor
costs
on
these
jobs
get
pretty
expensive
after
that
from
2004
to
2008.
B
We
receive
permits
to
go
in
and
hand
cut,
and
then
we
began
working
with
the
San
Francisco
International
Airport
to
look
at
how
we
can
work
in
this
area,
but
still
maintain
the
habitat
for
the
red-legged
frog
in
the
San
Francisco
garter
snake.
So
we're
constantly
facing
this
battle
of
trying
to
preserve
the
habitat
for
these
species
while
trying
to
maintain
flood
control
and
what
came?
B
As
you
can
see
we're
dealing
with
several
different
agencies
when
we
get
permitting
and
at
times
these
agencies
have
different
comments
on
their
permits
that
are
sometimes
in
opposition
to
those
agencies
that
have
given
us
other
comments.
So
it
becomes
a
little
bit
difficult
to
to
work
sometimes,
but
this
plan
was
approved
in
2008
and
it's
to
be
implemented
in
three
phases.
B
During
that
period,
we
continued
to
work
on
the
north-south
channel
by
hand
cutting
vegetation,
but
one
of
the
conditions
of
that
permit
for
the
rap
was
that
we
could
do
no
maintenance
in
the
east-west
segment.
So,
as
you
can
imagine,
vegetation
began
to
flourish
in
that
area,
I'm
going
to
go
through
a
series
of
slides.
That
shows
exactly
what
happened
on
the
left
side.
You'll
see
the
condition
of
the
channel
in
2008
and
I
apologize
for
the
shadows,
but
that's
all
we've
got
on
the
right
side.
You'll
see
this
condition
of
the
channel
in
2009.
B
You
can
see
those
those
scallops
carved
out
of
there
well
over
time.
In
2010,
you
start
seeing
the
vegetation
really
begin
to
take
over
in
2011.
It
gets
worse
and
in
2012
it's
to
a
point
where
we're
really
restricting
our
capacity
in
that
channel
so
fast
forward
to
December
second
2012,
we
had
a
series
of
storms
that
went
through
from
Wednesday
through
Sunday
and
there
was
a
significant
amount
of
water
that
dumped
during
that
period
we've
checked
and
found
that
there
was
roughly
3.7
inches
of
rain.
B
That
fell
during
that
roughly
five
year
or
five
day
period,
and
what
happened
was
we
had
some
overtopping
of
that
channel
now
the
overtopping
from
what
we
can
tell
occurred
because
of
the
dense
cattails
that
are
right
next
to
the
area
where
it,
over
top
from
what
we
can
tell
the
flow,
came
down
that
channel
debris
and
water
hit
those
cattails
and
it
overtopped
at
that
location.
So
that
is
the
reason
why
that
happened.
Now.
B
What
we've
done
since
then
is
is
work
collaboratively
with
San
Francisco
International
Airport
to
try
to
get
some
emergency
permits
to
get
in
there.
We
are
attempting
to
get
permits
from
Fish
and
Wildlife,
that's
a
federal
agency
and
fish
and
game,
which
is
a
state
agency
to
go
in
there
within
the
next
week
or
two
and
cut
down
those
cattails
so
that
we
don't
have
that
obstruction.
I
learned
today
that
fish
one
of
the
two
agencies
has
approved
our
emergency
permit
to
go
in.
B
We
haven't
heard
from
the
other
agency
yet,
but
we
are
going
to
attempt
to
get
in
there
we're
hoping
this
weekend
we're
going
to
continue
to
push
the
other
agency
to
try
to
get
in
there
phase
two
of
the
wrath
is
going
to
involve
continuing
this
along
the
north-south
segment
of
this
channel.
But
what
we're
going
to
try
to
suggest
and
get
approval
for
in
this
phase?
Two
part
of
the
project
is
to
be
able
to
do
sediment
removal
on
that
east-west
segment,
along
with
vegetation
removal.
B
So,
in
terms
of
long-term
for
this
channel,
as
I
mentioned,
it
is
a
very
difficult
area
to
work.
We
have
very
little
revenues
and
we've
got
a
tough
regulatory
environment
and
we've
got
a
channel
that
was
designed
for
a
25-year
storm
which,
over
the
years,
we've
seen
25-year
storms
more
often.
So
what
we
would
like
to
do,
or
what
we
need
to
do
in
the
future,
is
to
upgrade
both
of
our
pump
stations
to
continue
the
channel
maintenance
in
that
area.
B
We
also
need
to
upgrade
the
floodgates
out
at
san
francisco
bay
to
keep
saltwater
intrusion
from
working
its
way
in,
and
I
think,
most
importantly,
we'd
like
to
work
with
your
city
and
your
staff
to
identify
additional
revenue
so
sources
so
that
we
can
make
these
capital
projects
happen.
The
one
percent
the
portion
of
the
one
percent
that
we're
getting
is
simply
inadequate
to
do
some
of
the
work
that
we
need
to
do
so
over
the
long
term.
We're
going
to
need
to
look
at
various
other
methods
of
getting
revenue
and
there's
several
options
available.
B
C
C
B
Sure
in
addressing
that
question,
the
purpose
of
the
tide
gates
are
to
inhibit
saltwater,
essentially
the
bay
from
getting
into
the
channel
during
high
tides,
but
the
flap
gates
open
when
there's
a
high
flow,
so
that
the
way
that
they're
designed
is
when
you
get
pressure
from
the
water,
that's
coming
from
the
channel.
Little
open
the
tide
gates
and
the
water
will
flow
in
when
you
have
low
flow
situations.
But
a
high
tide
keeps
the
water
from
going
up
into
the
channel.
B
The
trick
is
when
the
tides
up
and
the
water
is
flowing
in
if
they're
a
very
close
elevation,
you
will
get
some
a
little
bit
of
resistance
from
the
water
from
San
Bruno
flood
control
channel
going
out
into
the
bay
at
that
portion
of
the
the
channel
itself
that
we
have
a
little
bit
more
capacity
to
hold
the
water.
So
it's
not
as
influenced
up
at
the
cupid
Row
area,
but
that's
the
way
that
it's
that's
the
way
the
design
is
intended
to
work.
A
Any
other
questions
well,
thank
you
for
your
presentation.
I
understand
the
dilemma
you're.
Faced
with
with
you
know
the
lack
of
funds,
but
the
work
that
has
to
be
done.
But
of
course
the
third
leg
of
that
is
the
is
the
protection
of
the
snakes
MV
and
the
frogs.
And
you
know
my
real
concern
is
the
protection
of
the
residence
and
the
lower
part
of
san
bruno,
because
I
saw
some
of
those
pictures
and
we
have
to.
A
We
have
to
find
a
better
balance
here,
because
it
sounds
like
a
lot
of
those
snakes
and
products
could
move
over
to
sharp
spark
they're
going
to
redo
a
lot
of
that
habitat.
So
maybe
we
can
dredge
some
stuff
a
little
quicker
and
really
put
the
concentration
on
the
people
that
are
actually
paying
to
do
the
dredging.
So
thank.