ITEM:		CONSENT CALENDAR
3.	CONSIDER PUBLIC LAWN REMOVAL REBATE REQUEST FROM MONTEREY PENINSULA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF MONTEREY
Meeting Date:			May 20, 2019	Budgeted: Yes
From:			David J. Stoldt,	Program/	Rebate Program
			General Manager	Line Item No.:	4-2-3-C
Prepared By:			Stephanie Kister	Cost Estimate:	$25,067
General Counsel Review: N/A
Committee Recommendation: The Water Demand Committee reviewed this item on April 23, 2019 and recommended approval (3-0). The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on May 13, 2019 and recommended approval (2-1).
CEQA Compliance: This action does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines section 15301

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. Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) has requested $25,067 for the removal of 25,067 square feet of Lawn located at the International School of Monterey (ISM) at 1720 Yosemite Avenue in Seaside (Exhibit 3-A).

The Water Demand Committee considered this item in September 2018. Based on the staff recommendation, the committee postponed action on this request until after the recently completed disadvantaged community grant project (High Efficiency Applied Retrofit Targets or HEART). The HEART project used some of the District-funded Rebate funds and the extent of demand was not known in September. The HEART Project has been completed making Rebate funds available for this request.

ISM’s lower field has 46,799 square feet of irrigated play grass, and there is 4,053 square feet of non-essential turf in front of the school. The current 50,852 square feet of turf uses approximately 4.9 Acre-Feet (of irrigation water) Annually (AFA). The proposed project will convert the existing irrigated play field of 50,852 sq. ft. into a walking track and multi-play area sized for pinto league baseball, grass volleyball, or a U10 soccer. The play area project will remove 21,014 square feet of turf. The turf area in the front of the school (4,053 square feet) will be converted into drought tolerant landscape.

The proposal abandons the current irrigation and focuses irrigation on the area of play. This area’s size will be decreased, and irrigation efficiency improved. The new field area of 25,785 square feet is anticipated to use 1.8 AFA. This proposal will reduce water use by approximately 3.1 AFA, a 63% reduction. The field irrigation would also have a flow sensor and master valve reducing Water Waste caused by irrigation breaks.

As the school is served by the Seaside Municipal Water System, Rebates are funded by the MPWMD funded Rebate account. The District funded Rebate account had $50,000 available for fiscal year 2018-19, most of which is still available. There will be enough remaining funds in the account after this expenditure to respond to applications received between now and the end of the fiscal year.

RECOMMENDATION: When adopted with the Consent Calendar, MPUSD’s Lawn removal Rebate will be approved in the amount of $25,067.

BACKGROUND: Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD), with assistance from MPWMD and others, 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, MPUSD retrofitted all District properties to meet our indoor water efficiency requirements and have removed 150,642 square feet of non-essential turf. MPUSC records for December 2012 through March 2017 indicate cumulative water savings from these projects of 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, creating 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.

EXHIBIT

3-A MPUSD Proposal

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