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WATER DEMAND
COMMITTEE |
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ITEM: |
ACTION ITEM |
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3. |
CONSIDER
LAWN REMOVAL REBATE REQUEST FROM MONTEREY PENINSULA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR SCHOOL |
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Meeting
Date: |
July 31, 2017
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Budgeted: Yes |
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From: |
David J.
Stoldt, |
Program/ |
4-2-4-C |
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General
Manager |
Line Item No.: |
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Prepared
By: |
Stephanie Kister |
Cost
Estimate: |
$10,508 |
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General Counsel Review: N/A |
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Committee Recommendation: N/A |
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CEQA Compliance: This action does not constitute a project as defined by
the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines section 15378. |
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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 3-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 5th
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.
EXHIBITS
3-A MPUSD Proposal
U:\staff\Board_Committees\WaterDemand\2017\20170731\03\Item-3.docx