Flood Control and Water Conservation District - Regular Meeting

Chair Sedgley, you are live.

Thank goodness I'm alive. Well, good morning. Welcome, everyone. It's August 18th, our monthly meeting for the County Flood Control and Water Conservation District. Could we have roll call, please?

Director Gallagher? Here. Director Alessio? Here. Director Cottrell is excused today. Director DiAnatale?

Here.

Director Doering?

Here.

It appears Director Lisa Gift is excused today. Director Manfrey is excused today. Director Moeller?

Here.

Director Ramos? Here. Director Washington is excused today. Director Cruz?

Here.

And Director Coba?

Here.

Thank you.

Thank you. We will now conduct our Pledge of Allegiance. If I might ask Rick Thomasser to lead us in the pledge.

Sorry about that.

Let me move over here a little bit. We'll take every chance to put you in the spotlight while we still have you. We have on item three on your agenda no presentations or commendations today. It's kind of a light agenda. We do have two items on the consent item. Consent calendar items 4A and 4B. I have not received any indication from a director or anyone in the audience to remove a consent calendar item. Looking up and down.

I'll make a motion to approve consent.

Director Moeller moves to approve the consent.

I'll second.

Second from Director Alessio. All in favor?

May we have public comment?

Public comment on the consent. I asked them once if anybody wanted to pull an item. No public comment on the consent calendar. So we have a motion and a second to move the consent calendar. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Carries unanimously. Thank you. Now we move to public comment. Let me see if I can see this. This is time to put it in the smallest font that possibly can. But this is your time to talk on any item that's not on the agenda. Your time is limited to three minutes. Public comment? Step right up.

And if you don't mind, you can share your name. Sure. Good morning, members of the board. My name is Randy Wampler. I live on Laurel Street down in the Abajo neighborhood near the Napa River. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. I'm here again to discuss the Napa River Phase III Flood Control Project. Since the last monthly meeting, our neighborhood has seen encouraging signs from both this board and the Flood Control District, and we really appreciate the district and the increased direct engagement from county officials and staff. From our recent conversations, it appears the planning and design process for the flood wall segment from the HAP building to the Amola Bridge has slowed just enough to allow for a more thoughtful review. While this project has been in development for more than 25 years, we are now in the critical final phase. This is precisely the moment when careful evaluation of all realistic alternatives matters most. I believe there is more planning and information that can be done to ensure all realistic possibilities are considered. With some simple online research, we've identified several design concepts used successfully in other communities around the world, places that have balanced flood protection with public access, aesthetics, and long-term community value. These examples show that flood control infrastructure does not have to isolate neighbors from their riverfronts and instead can become an asset that draws residents and visitors. Strengthens strengthens local identity and supports economic vitality We understand that some of these ideas may involve additional cost But the Napa River is one of the city's most important natural and cultural resources And we should take the time to determine what those increased costs actually are investing in a design that protects the community and enhances its connection to the river will pay dividends for decades our recent interactions with county officials give us confidence that you are taking a closer look at this final phase and we appreciate that you too see the potential of this area and recognize that it should not be walled off from the community thank you for the continued engagement and for considering the full range of possibilities before finalizing the design our neighborhood looks forward to working with you to ensure this project protects napa while also strengthening strengthening its connection to the river we all value thank you

Good morning, everyone. My name is Maureen Tripp, and I am with the Abajo Riverside Neighborhood Coalition representing property owners, residents, the Napa Valley Yacht Club members, and tannery bend businesses. First, I just wanted to say thank you. We appreciate the board establishing the ad hoc committee, and we thank staff for agreeing to host a stakeholder working session. and pausing to evaluate flood wall design alternatives. Honestly, we were a little freaked out at the last meeting when we heard that we've moved from the feasibility phase to the construction phase. The pause is really necessary and very much appreciated. Clear education and some visual renderings of alternative design will turn confusion into alignment. We've heard about a five-foot wall, but there are elevations. We'd really like to see what the view would look like from all angles. We can temper any misunderstandings and build consensus by collaborating openly and showing the community what this last mile will actually look like. There's an old Chinese proverb about the hardest part of a long journey is the final stretch. So let's get this last mile right. Our request today, we ask the board to direct staff to set the date for the stakeholder working session as soon as the design alternative research is complete because we're eager to collaborate. There's one other thing, and that is about the timeline. If there is to be a 35% preliminary design meeting with the public in September, I looked at the timeline for increment two. And things seem to move rather quickly after the 35% design is presented to the public. So we'd like to have a clearer idea of what that timeline looks like. Thank you very much.

Good morning. My name is Peyton Fothery. I live at 472 Cross Street, and my property backs up onto Riverside Drive. I think before you, you have a handout. It's coming around now. So the river, I'm here on behalf of the river. The river said she'd make it, but the parking's what it is down here, and she doesn't get downtown like she used to. So the simple plan that I was advocating for is something that would allow us to continue to use the river to do restoration to the river bank. I have seen literally hundreds of trees and the mud that they were grown in fall into the river from the bank, undercutting the roadways in several places on Riverside Drive. And it needs extensive restoration if we want to preserve the river. The other thing is to put up a big wall, forget that there's a river there, and leave it open. It's funny how Napa has this beautiful river running through it, but it's not seen enough. I know we have that wonderful park, and we can see the river and everything. And I love the river. But this is an opportunity to do something in our lifetime that will be there for a long time, and that people will be able to use it and enjoy it. And I'm advocating that that gas plant site, which has probably Everybody's drooling to have be turned into a community park That the roads it's one way up until Pine Street at Pine Street It allows the people that a little apartment to get in their drive and parking Then I would like to see the road stop between Pine and Elm and that turned into a large community park called the Bajo community park and I'd like to see an amphitheater, a playground, maybe some courts of some type, and a place where people can gather and come together. Navajo has long been a dark horse in this community, and I think it's time that the people that live there have a recreational resource nearby. That can't be all I have to say. I'm just really passionate about the river. And since moving there, I've really come to appreciate what a resource it is and the animals and the peace that that river brings. And I'd like to see that embraced by all of you. Thank you.

Thank you. We're still under general public comment.

Good morning to the board. I get very nervous talking in front of people, so pardon my voice. My name is Sarah Page, and I'm very happy to be here and to speak with you all. Thank you for making the time. I'm also a resident of the Napa Abajo neighborhood. And part of what got me down here this morning was another camper van parked on Riverside between Pine and Elm. You know, I was at home with my kids and friends visiting in the backyard when black smoke started pluming through. And I thought, maybe there's a wildfire. Maybe the neighborhood's on fire. It was a terrifying experience. Well, it was a camper van because... That stretch of road is where a lot of the people with vans liked to live until some of the neighbors were able to get some of the parking signs changed. When I think about a five or six foot wall in an area that already has had trouble with people sleeping in their cars, or riding their bikes at night, looking a little unpleasant. I think about all the resources that will be allocated for the police, and more presence, and more security, and more calls, and more issues that a wall would bring to an already sometimes wonderful, and sometimes a neighborhood that's got some weirdos in it. There are so many residents that are doing so much to try to turn the neighborhood in a different direction. I just hear lawn equipment constantly, which has got to be the buzz of care and interest in beautification, beautiful gardens in the neighborhood, people walking around with their dogs and their kids playing out of... My hope is that this design is part of the city's effort to help us make this a better neighborhood, to make it part of the assets of Napa. I see the huge building going on downtown and think how much money and energy is being invested in making Napa a destination. I see tourists coming by as they walk by my neighborhood downtown from staying at little inns and Airbnbs. And the thought of turning something, the White House in, and the other bed and breakfast next to it into a place where you'd have to be scared or need a flashlight or there'd need to be security signs is such a heartbreaking thought. So I hope you guys can keep considering the impact not just on neighbors but on tourism and also the overall grand vision, the kind of Napa that all of us are wanting to be a part of and wanting to be an asset to. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Anyone else? Thank you. All right. We will move on to our next agenda item. And it's going to move right along to our district manager's report. Item nine.

Good morning, Rick Thomas, district manager. I'm here with Andrew Butler, the district engineer. You know, teeing off of some of the comments from this morning. So we have been engaging more with the community. I've gone on a few walks. Andrew has joined me. So it's been nice to get to know the people down there and take a walk and see what their values are and what their objectives are. So that's been good. And we have... Our first ad hoc committee scheduled so it's going to be about a week from Friday. So at least the board members that you've identified and the invited board members or the invited participants also from City Council will convene a an initial meeting to get going and get we'll get some input from that committee on how we're going to move forward here, so That's good And I was just looking to Andrew if you want to give any updates on what's going on with construction.

Yeah, I'll give a quick update on our north of the bypass construction of the flood wall there. We've poured about 700 feet of flood wall foundation. We have been slowed a bit. There's actually been a strike from concrete truck drivers lately. So that is slowing us down a little bit. We're hoping that gets resolved pretty soon here. We have finished the in-water work to put stabilization under the Lincoln Avenue bridge over the river, and we've also started some work north of Lincoln in preparation for this Super El Nino that's being talked about a lot. We want to try to get ahead of some of next year's work in case it does end up being a pretty big rainy season.

And with that, the only other thing I have on my list of things to talk to you about is today is my last board meeting, probably. I'm not disappearing completely. I'm still on the books through the end of September. But I do want to introduce you to Mr. CJ DiMaggio, who will be your new district manager. And CJ, just his second day yesterday, he spent the whole day in HR orientation. So you know how that all goes. But I asked CJ if he would come to the board meeting today and at least meet you and introduce himself. So CJ, I'll let you.

Thank you, Rick. I really am delighted to be here. I am thrilled, really, and honored to have this opportunity to mentor and guide what is very clearly a very talented and accomplished and mission-driven staff and to carry on Rick's good work and legacy. I have not previously lived in Napa County, but it still seems like something of a homecoming to me to be here. I've been a California registered civil engineer for a little over 25 years now, though I've spent the last 10 years of my career in a range of roles in city and county government in Arizona. I was a special projects manager for the nation's largest flood control district. That's the flood control district of Maricopa County, which serves about 4.7 million people, spread out over an area roughly the size of the state of Vermont. before I moved on to lead the permitting and engineering division at that county's air quality department. Most recently, I was the city engineer and public works director for a small city on the northern edge of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Prior to my time in Arizona, I was a civil engineer and permitting manager for 15 years for the California office of the nation's largest construction materials supplier, which maintains a large footprint here in Napa County and throughout the North Bay. But before that, my first engineering jobs after college, which was at Santa Clara University, were in San Francisco and San Jose. I'm a descendant of a line of fisher people from the north coast of the Sicily. We're drawn to the Sacramento Delta and to the San Francisco Bay in the 1890s by the region's wealth of marine resources. And I see my own work here as very much a continuation of theirs, respecting and living within a set of natural resources that is both very rich and very fragile. It is full of interconnections and interdependencies that are sometimes very hard to detect or understand because the Bay is essentially an estuary. And the Napa River is an integral part of that estuary system. So those of us who are called to work in stewardship of these resources really do have to be on our game. So I look forward to the challenge, and I look forward to working with all of you.

It's nice to meet you. Looking forward to getting to know you a little better. Board members, any questions or comments for our new director?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Much appreciated.

Thank you. Thank you, Richard. Thank you, Andrew. Now we're at the next item is our board of directors. Any announcements, reports from any directors? Director Gallagher. Your mic.

Sorry. Okay.

Just in response to some of the public comment, I think it's a good idea for us to hear more about the restoration pieces that occur along with the construction, right? The sort of flood wall construction and more of those things. hardscape things that are happening. So maybe we can hear more about that at our next meeting, like some of the things that have been done on the north side so that people can see that there's a lot more to it than just putting up a wall, that all of those pieces have to be integrated as well. And we all are really looking forward to meeting with the neighborhood. I think we have a great ad hoc committee that we will come together and we'll work with the staff and then we'll be able to set something up in the neighborhood so that We can have good conversation and get input and I'm very optimistic about the way we can move forward together because we have the precedent of the other parts of the project where there was very good public conversation and we were able to make some great adjustments and improvements and really get a win-win situation. for everyone. So I think we have a history of being able to do that, and I'm sure we'll be able to do that in this phase as well. So we're looking forward to it.

Chair, I have a question. Who's next? Alessio, if you don't mind, a quick question. There was a question through public comment asking for the date for the stakeholder working meeting. So if I understand correctly, there's a date for the ad hoc committee to meet with staff a week from Friday, but there's not a date for the stakeholder, the community stakeholder meeting? Not yet.

We wanted to have the ad hoc, convene the ad hoc and then get direction from the committee and talk about our ideas on it and what your ideas would be. And then I think we'll probably be able to come up with a date pretty quickly after we have that meeting. But it's generally I'm looking at the staff. Towards the end of September is where I think we'll be. Is that about right? Okay.

Well, I think as soon as you can give that date, because we want to give the neighbors an opportunity to be there, and they're busy people, too. And, again, I really want this to be, you know, the residents, I want this to be front-loaded with the residents, with them in mind. And, you know, we know this is not just, this is a historical event. project it's gonna be around for a very very long time and it does really need to reflect our community values and how much we treasure our river so I appreciate your extra work on this I think the public for being here today from your public comment it really does make a difference it keeps it in the forefront and I thank you for your time and your words thank you George Manfrey

Thank you. I'm going to take your mic. I just wanted to say thanks to staff for prioritizing and keeping moving the Oxbow North flood wall because I feel like that's getting a little bit lost in all of the talk about Abajo, but that's a huge, big deal, and it's great to see it coming together. So that. I also want to announce that I have assumed the chairship of the North Bay Watershed Association, and so that, for anyone who doesn't know, is a North Bay... group of counties that came together before we had the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, which is now a wonderful funding stream for restoration projects. But before the voters passed that tax, there was the North Bay Watershed Association, which does smaller scale regional grants just by having member counties pay into a pot that then gets redistributed according to their organization's priorities for restoration regionally. And it was a way to kind of keep things moving before we had that bigger entity that works bay wide. And it's a nice thing to still have because again, it is regional so that money stays somewhat local and achieves goals that connect the Petaluma, Sonoma, Napa systems. And there are a lot of waste management professionals who are also part of that group. So it's kind of a collection of electeds and also agency staff from the flood district, from our municipal wastewater treatment plants and that sort of thing. So a little explanation. That's it. Thank you.

Thank you. Anyone else? Just for our alternates and the rest of the board, our ad hoc committee is... Who serves on that? Director Gallagher? No, the name is . OK. Thank you.

Beth and Bernie are.

Use your mics at Bernie?

Beth and Bernie are invited from the city.

Oh, so they are joining you. Yes. Thank you. Yeah, and we talked a little bit about future agenda items. All right, we are ready to adjourn our regular meeting and move into closed session. I'll ask City Attorney to provide the required announcements for closed session.

Our district board is going into closed session on item 12A, conference with real property negotiator and conference with legal counsel existing litigation in regard to the eminent domain action at 505 Lincoln Avenue. The government code sections and assessor's parcel number is stated in the agenda.

Thank you.

Chair Sedgley, ready for you when you are ready.

Thank you very much. We'll reconvene from closed session. Is there any reportable action taken in closed session?

Our district board met in closed session in regards to item 12A regarding 505 Lincoln, and there is no reportable action at this time.

Thank you. At this time, we'll adjourn.