ITEM:		CONSENT CALENDAR
7.	CONSIDER LAWN REMOVAL REBATE REQUEST FROM MONTEREY PENINSULA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR SCHOOL
Meeting Date:			August 21, 2017	Budgeted: Yes
From:			David J. Stoldt,	Program/	4-2-4-C
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Stephanie Kister	Cost Estimate:	$10,508
General Counsel Review: N/A
Committee Recommendation: On July 31, 2017 the Water Demand Committee recommended approval on a unanimous vote of 3 – 0. The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on August 14, 2017 and recommended approval.
CEQA Compliance: This action does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines section 15378.

SUMMARY: District Rule 141, Water Conservation Rebates, allows a lawn removal rebate at a public facility to exceed the square-footage limitation of 2,500 square-feet, subject to Board approval. Earlier in 2017, the Board approved a rebate of $19,969 for the removal of turf on the athletic field at Martin Luther King Jr. School in Seaside which is served by the Seaside Municipal Water System. The Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) is now requesting a $10,508 rebate for the removal of an additional 10,508 square feet of irrigated turf at Martin Luther King Jr. School (Exhibit 7-A).

This MPUSD project removes non-essential turf areas at the entrance to the school and in the courtyard. The turf will be replaced with drought tolerant plants partially irrigated with rainwater. As the school is served by the Seaside Municipal Water System, rebates are funded by the MPWMD rebate account. There is approximately $40,000 available in this account for Fiscal Year 2017-18. Estimated water savings for this project is 276,952 gallons/year (0.85 AFA).

BACKGROUND: MPUSD has a goal to reduce ornamental turf by 65 percent and to retrofit every field with water efficient irrigation systems by 2021. In 2015, MPWMD approved lawn removal rebates for two California American Water supplied schools totaling $56,642

The MPUSD has been a leader on the Monterey Peninsula by completing significant water and energy conservation projects in the past five years. They have enacted a District Wide Master Water Conservation Plan which includes the removal of large quantities of non-essential irrigated turf area across the District. In the last seven years, they have retrofitted all their MPWMD properties to meet MPWMD’s indoor water efficiency requirements and have removed 150,642 square-feet of non-essential turf. MPUSD records for December 2012 and March 2017 indicate the cumulative water savings from these projects totals more than 749 acre-feet! MPUSD’s goal is to reduce ornamental turf by 65 percent and to retrofit every irrigated field with water efficient irrigation systems by 2021.

In 2015-2016, MPUSD implemented a 5^th grade Eco-Ambassador Program in partnership with Return of the Natives, Pacific Grove Museum, and the Arts Council for Monterey County. The goals of the program include educating the students about water conservation, creation of a native plant garden, and installing active rainwater catchment. MPUSD has applied for lawn removal rebates at various sites over the last four years and has used the money to fast-track their conservation efforts. The Eco-Ambassador Program is tied to the lawn conversion projects. The designs for the new gardens were inspired by the professional landscape designs created for Ord Terrace Elementary School which received a grant from MPWMD in 2014.

RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Water Demand Committee approve the request and recommend to the Board that a Lawn removal rebate in the amount of $10,508 be granted for the MPUSD project at Martin Luther King Jr. School.

EXHIBIT

7-A MPUSD Proposal

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