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City of San Leandro Stormwater Fee Report Final Report 1. Introduction HF&H Consultants, LLC Page 2 March 12, 2024 1. INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW The City of San Leandro (City) has engaged HF&H Consultants, LLC (HF&H) to study, make recommendations, and assist in the implementation of an updated stormwater fee to fund the operation of the municipal stormwater system, including environmental programs, maintenance and operations, capital improvements, and compliance with all state and federal regulations associated with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System1 (NPDES) permit. In 2023, the City contracted with an engineering firm, Schaaf & Wheeler, to conduct a study to evaluate the condition of, and recommended improvements to, the City’s storm drain infrastructure .The Storm Drain Mater Plan (SDMP)2 presented options for the City to update their storm drain infrastructure to better serve the community and meet capacity requirements to prevent or minimize flooding, to achieve the goals and responsible environmental stewardship, to incorporate the costs of mandated compliance measures (i.e., installation and maintenance of trash capture devices), and guide smart investments in the City’s aging storm drain infrastructure. The City has now embarked on the second phase: implementation of a funding mechanism to fund the recommended improvements as described in the SDMP. For this stormwater fee report, the first step in the process, incorporates information from the SDMP, establishes needs and associated revenues required, and presents two options for a fee structure that are fair and meets all legal requirements in accordance with Proposition 218. Subsequent steps in this implementation phase include a public hearing and a ballot proceeding over the coming months. CITY’S FACILITIES The City operates and maintains a storm drainage system, as it is empowered to do per Government Code Sections 38900 and 38901. This complex system is comprised of integrated storm drainage pipes, inlets, outfalls. culverts, pump stations, lagoons and sea walls and perimeter levees to prevent flooding. Parts of the system date back nearly 150 years. The City ‘s storm drain system intertwines with the Alameda County Flood Control District’s (ACFCD) storm drain system; the City may only update portions of the system under their ownership. Due to this, there are areas within the City where upsizing only the City piping will not alleviate flooding as those City pipes flow directly into ones owned by ACFCD. The ACFCD owns seven of the nine pump stations in the City, which further complicates the planning and implementation of Capital Improvement Programs (CIPs). Flooding within San Leandro is caused by two basic interrelated factors: 1) major creeks and channels that overflow due to limited capacity with flood flow and 2) inadequate local drainage infrastructure. The operation and maintenance of major creeks and channels are, for the most part, outside of the City's 1 Created in 1972 by the Clean Water Act, the NPDES permit program is authorized by the Environmental Protection Agency to allow state governments to perform permitting, administrative, and enforcement aspects of the storm- water program 2 City of San Leandro Storm Drain Master Plan Study, Schaaf & Wheeler, January 2024