Speaker 1: Can I get a motion in a second? I do have one member of the public as soon I can be. So here I think is not okay. Please cast your votes. Ocean carries item 23, please.
Speaker 0: Item 23 Report from Public Works Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute an employee with the Harbor Department to implement the Colorado Lagoon Open Channel Restoration Phase two A Project Execute a bank enabling instrument to finance the project and sell the established mitigation credits and execute an amendment to contract with anchor UEA to increase the contract amount by 2.8 million. District two three I'm sorry.
Speaker 1: I'm going to ask for a short staff report. This is a significant item and a great step forward, so. Mr. MODICA.
Speaker 2: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We did originally have a presentation plan, but we will skip the presentation but give you a very short staff report. This is incredibly significant. The Colorado Lagoon has really been one of those municipal miracles and transformation over the last 15, 20 years. What started in 2000 as basically a storm drain project and we had a neighborhood up in arms about, you know, using the lagoon as only a storm drain really prompted a way that we rethink what that lagoon is for. Here we are now, and 2019, it's been about $21 million later in all grant funds or very little amount of Thailand's funds. And we are seeing A-plus water quality in the lagoon, but it's time to take the next step. So what we've been working on for the past probably six, seven years is creating the very first wetlands mitigation bank where we are using title or we're using harbor funds from the Port of Long Beach. So not taxpayer dollars to invest into the open channel and actually do ecosystem restoration with lots of different habitat. And we have a and fantastic partner in the Port of Long Beach and we have just unbelievably community, community support who have been with us every step of the way. So I can't thank the team enough that's been working on this. This is probably one of our more and most complex from a technical level and getting that bank enabling instrument approved, getting the Coastal Commission approval. I want to thank the mayor and Susie Price, the councilmember price for being there every step of the way in making this a priority and of course, the harbor for paying the 26 million. And we are just beyond excited to get this project going forward. And thanks again to Eric Lopez and Josh Hickman and the rest of the team.
Speaker 1: Thank you. And let me first go to Councilman Price.
Speaker 3: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and thank you to Mr. Modica and of course, the public works team via Tidelands that's been working on this project, Eric Lopez, for a very, very long time. And Joshua Heckman they've just been fantastic. So I think everyone received this CD. Did everyone receive the city? Okay. So I didn't know what a mitigation bank was when I became a council member. And one of the first things I did within a month of being on the council within a couple of months, is I requested through Tom Modica at the time to meet with somebody who could educate me on what a mitigation bank was. And it was such an educational experience. I can't even begin to tell you it's so difficult to create a mitigation bank. And this is the first coastal mitigation bank in the state of California. Yes, we've talked about the port of Long Beach giving the project money. But in reality, what the Port of Long Beach is doing is purchasing mitigation credits within the region. And Councilmember Ranga, thank you so much for your support on this. Through everything, I mean we serve on LC together, but also Coastal Commission was a big supporter of this project and you understand that and this is the simplest way I like to describe it to my residents is one when an entity does something that's invasive to the environment, they have to mitigate and rehab another part of the environment within the region. And so that's how they can purchase mitigation credits. I mean, that's a very simplistic way of saying it. But the mitigation credits that are being purchased in the Colorado Lagoon by the Port of Long Beach are being purchased under the new standards that are set up for mitigation banks. It's it's actually such an interesting project from so many different levels because we're setting the standard for mitigation banks in the future for for anyone that's going to be purchasing mitigation banks in terms of how the standard and expectations are. So it's a really big project. It's a win win project because the Port of Long Beach gets to purchase its mitigation credits right here in the city of Long Beach for a project that's huge. The Colorado Lagoon water quality was enhanced tremendously when we planted the eelgrass and that was a great project. But in order for us to have sustained long term good water quality, we need to have more water flow in that body of water and this is going to allow us to do so. This is not a project. The community is very supportive about this project and I know we have someone from the community here and I want to thank the friends of the Colorado Lagoon for being tremendous partners, even way before I came on council making this project happen. But this is not one of those projects where, you know, there is going to be a lot of bells and whistles for the community. We're not talking about playgrounds and, you know, recreational areas. This is an environmental project that's designed to enhance water quality. That's all this is. But it's a very costly project because it's going to require a lot of changes in infrastructure and long term water quality. People will hopefully be able to swim in this body of water like they did in the twenties and the thirties when the Colorado Lagoon was at its best. And so I want to thank all the partners. And Tom, you've been an exceptional partner in this project again, way before I got on the council. And Eric, you've just done a lot to I probably butchered a lot of the technicalities here, but you've done a lot to teach me along the way in simplicity what a mitigation bank is and how it is that we're able to work with our partners to enhance spaces such as this, and of course, in the areas of the wetlands where we do a lot of work. So I want to thank everyone and of course, the Port of Long Beach for being a partner and choosing to invest in this project. Thank you.
Speaker 1: So our accountant prepares.
Speaker 4: Thank you. I just wanted to lend my support to this item when it came up. When I first learned about it, I talked to staff, I've talked to the port. I think they're doing this mitigation bank is amazing for Long Beach. It's amazing for the state of California. And I know that staff, Long Beach staff in particular works very well with the Coastal Commission. I know through the years it has always been a kind of a shift and so I appreciate you guys doing that work and I appreciate the port not only for investing in this project, but their investment in CD two and CD one and many other places. So thank you.
Speaker 1: Embry. Ringo.
Speaker 6: Thank you, Mary. And I feel honored and proud that I had two touches on this project. One here, of course, with the city and one with the coast commission. And I want to give staff kudos for that great presentation they made before the Coastal Commission to have it passed unanimously. 12 zero So kudos to the staff to to the Port of Long Beach and of course to my fellow council members in the second and the first for putting this forward.
Speaker 1: Thank you. And I want to also just thank our staff at that. You guys have done just a phenomenal job on this project. And I think for for many of us, we've been following the work on the ground for for a very long time. And it's been it's gone through many iterations of council members and mayors and staff work, and it's always moved forward. And now we're at a point where there is a significant opportunity for really large investment from the harbor department and councilmember prices. Exactly right. This the mitigation of the mitigation proposal, as it was envisioned, just took a lot of work to put together. And I think you and our partners did a great job of moving that forward. And obviously, there you know, there have been changes in the way in what Sacramento allows us to do and others that that create these different opportunities. And so I want to I just want to thank everyone for being involved. And this is going to be a fantastic project when it's done. I want to call up Heather Altman, who has been here. I mean, amazing. You're you're here still. But it shows you're you've been committed to this project for a long time.
Speaker 4: Crossed the Rubicon about 10:00. I couldn't leave. Heather Altman, vice president of Friends of Colorado Lagoon, here to speak in strong support of this item. Thank staff Eric Lopez Josh whose gone missing who left Mayor Garcia for your leadership Councilmember Urunga your yes vote to touches thank you good ones for both and Councilwoman Susie Price, you campaigned . On having this be a priority project. And it's such a thrill to see you just pick up the ball and run with it. And here we are. It was such an infeasible thing that we thought was going to happen. I remember when I was sitting at a board meeting when the open channel was revealed and I thought, You people are insane if you think you're going to get this permitted and funded and here we are. So again, just very supportive of this. Can't wait for this to move forward and looking forward to the next step and continuing this partnership. Thank you.
Speaker 1: Great. Thank you very much. And with that members, please go and cast your votes.
Speaker 0: Bush and Kerry.
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute a Memorandum of Understanding, and any other necessary documents, with the Harbor Department, to implement the Colorado Lagoon Open Channel Restoration Phase 2A Project (Project);

Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute a Bank Enabling Instrument, and any other necessary documents, with the State and Federal Resource Agencies, to create a mitigation bank at the Colorado Lagoon to finance the Project and sell the established mitigation credits;

Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute an amendment to Contract No. 34377, and any subsequent amendments, with Anchor QEA, LLC, of Huntington Beach, CA, to increase the contract amount by $2,800,000, for a revised total contract amount not to exceed $3,100,000, and extend the term to January 1, 2024; and

Increase appropriations in the Tidelands Operating Fund Group in the Public Works Department by $26,300,000, offset by a transfer from the Harbor Department.  (District 3)