REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Consider Friends of Stevens Creek Trail Funding Request in Support of a Local Match for a Grant Application to the Santa Clara Valley Water District to Conduct Planning Studies to Improve Steelhead Trout Passage on Stevens Creek; Determine the amount of Funding, and Approve Budget Modification No. 26 to Appropriate up to $9,800
Report
BACKGROUND
The Friends of Stevens Creek Trail has requested in its letter of February 8, 2016 that the City of Sunnyvale "become a partner in the project and provide $1,500 to $9,800 towards the $19,140 needed as the 25% local share of the $76,237 total cost" of the proposed "Stevens Creek Fish Passage Improvement Project" (See Attachment 1). This item is being presented for Council consideration at the request of Councilmember Martin-Milius and was briefly mentioned at the February 9, 2016 City Council meeting.
The Cities of Cupertino and Mountain View have placed a similar request on their agendas for March 1, 2016 and the Friends of Stevens Creek Trail have also requested support from the Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District. At the time of drafting this report, the funding levels recommended by staff in those cities, if any, are not known. City staff will explore funding levels and report to the City Council verbally if there is anything to share or inform the City Council's deliberations on this request. City staff did not want to delay Council consideration of this request until the March 15 City Council meeting because the grant application is due on March 18 and local matches should be established prior to the submittal of the grant application.
EXISTING POLICY
General Plan, Chapter 7, Environmental Management, Goal EM-8 Protection of creeks and Bay: Assure the reasonable protection of beneficial uses of creeks and San Francisco Bay, established in the regional board's basin plan, and protect environmentally sensitive areas.
Council Policy, 1.1.7, Environmental Qual...
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