BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Government Code § 84308 Applies: Yes ☐ No ☒
(If “YES” Complete Attachment A - Gov. Code § 84308)
SUBJECT:
Title
Approve the Revised Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026 Federal Funding Requests.
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Approve the revised recommended funding requests for federal Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026 for Santa Clara Valley Water District-sponsored and Santa Clara Valley Water District-supported projects and priorities.
Body
SUMMARY:
On October 8, 2024, the Board approved the Recommended Funding Requests for Federal Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026, which will allow Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) staff to advocate for those priorities when they travel to Washington, DC, on November 16-20 for the annual fall advocacy trip.
Since the Board approved this item on October 8, however, staff has received additional information about the funding needs for the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Sunnyvale Study (Sunnyvale Study). Staff is therefore requesting the Board’s approval of the revised federal funding request for this project.
Sunnyvale Study Cost Update
Staff’s recommendation to the Board on October 8 included no funding request for the Sunnyvale Study (Mountain View Slough to Guadalupe River), as the study was initially funded to completion under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021 at a total of $3M over three years. However, in recent months, Valley Water and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) have discussed potentially expanding the scope of the study to maximize benefits and produce a project that could be recommended for authorization.
On October 7, the Corps notified Valley Water that the preferred path would trigger a “Mega Study” designation, which would require more time, more levels of review, and significantly greater cost. The purpose of this Mega Study would be to conduct more robust analysis up front that produces greater “design maturity,” as well as increase accountability through more frequent reviews (that will include the local sponsors). The Corps believes this effort will better help predict future project costs and hopefully avoid the kind of misestimates and overruns we experienced on the Shoreline Phase I Project. Valley Water staff and management have discussed this path since the October 7 notification and concur that Valley Water should agree to the Mega Study, as the early investment and enhanced review could produce a worthy project.
The Corps indicated that it would be requesting $1.16M in FY25 appropriations and $1.15M in the FY26 President’s Budget to continue the (newly expanded) Sunnyvale Study. Staff requests approval of this revised request in order to best advocate for the Sunnyvale Study during the upcoming trip to Washington, D.C. The revised federal funding requests are attached.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY IMPACT:
There are no direct Environmental Justice impacts associated with this item, as the Board’s position does not enact the funding requests. However, if these funds were secured, it would benefit overburdened and disadvantaged communities in Santa Clara County.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with this item.
CEQA:
The recommended action does not constitute a project under CEQA because it does not have the potential for resulting in direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Revised FY 2025/2026 Federal Funding Requests
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Marta Lugo, 408-630-2237