WATER DEMAND COMMITTEE
ITEM:		ACTION ITEM
3.	CONSIDER LAWN REMOVAL REBATE REQUEST FROM MONTEREY PENINSULA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR SCHOOL
Meeting Date:			January 24, 2017	Budgeted: Yes
From:			David J. Stoldt,	Program/	4-2-4-C
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Stephanie Kister	Cost Estimate:	$19,969
General Counsel Review: N/A
Committee Recommendation: N/A
CEQA Compliance: N/A

SUMMARY: Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) has enacted a District Wide Master Water Conservation Plan which includes the removal of large quantities of irrigated turf area across the District. In 2015-2016, MPUSD is implementing a 5^th grade Eco-Ambassador program in partnership with Return of the Natives, Pacific Grove Museum and the Monterey Art Council. The goals of the program include educating the students about water conservation, create a native plant garden, and installing active rainwater catchment.

The Eco-Ambassador program is tied to the lawn conversion project. The designs for the new gardens were inspired by the professional landscape designs created for Ord Terrace Elementary who received a grant from MPWMD in 2014. MPUSD’s goal is to reduce ornamental turf by 65% and to retrofit every field with water efficient irrigation systems by 2021. In 2015, MPWMD approved lawn removal rebates for two Cal-Am schools totaling $56,642.  Now, MPUSD is requesting a $19,969 rebate for Martin Luther King Jr. School (which is served by the Seaside Municipal Water System) in Seaside. The estimated savings is more than 4 million gallons/year or 12 Acre-Feet.

• Martin Luther King Elementary – Sports Complex
• $19,969 requested for the removal of 88,750 sq-ft of turf
• They will remove 39% of the turf and install a new irrigation system to improve efficiency on the remaining sports fields
• Estimated water savings is 4,516,941 gallons/year
• MPUSD’s proposed portion of the cost is $146,764

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. The total requested for one Seaside Muni school is $19,969 (see Exhibit 3-A). This amount is non-reimbursable and would be funded by the non-Cal-Am Rebate Fund in the current budget. That fund has approximately $40,000 available and given that the fiscal year is nearly half over, it is highly unlikely that funding this request would result in denial of rebates this fiscal year.

RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Board approve the request and recommend to the Board that the requested Lawn removal rebate be granted for the MPUSD project.

EXHIBIT

3-A MPUSD Proposal

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